I’m BACK!! Notes from the road – Berlin 2010

Dear Internet,

wow..  that  was  a little  while I was gone there.. 6 weeks never sounds  that long.. until you  are gone  for  6 weeks,  then its a LONG  freaking time!

Sorry I didn’t update once while I was gone..  I was busy! I took the HPmini with me and had every intention of updating from the road, but it was just  more of a hassle than it was worth. I got a hold of those I had to , and  visa versa.

Since I was gone for  so long, and visited and did  so many things, Ill break up entries and countries at least a little and start with just Berlin.

BMX  was once again  an amazing conference that I was honored to be part of  of and that conference is so awesome , it needs its own entry. .. (coming soon)  for now  let me just  say this…

BMX  was held in Berlin this year, and Im glad it was! This  gave me the chance to not see some of  Berlins sites, but it  would also be the starting  point for my Eastern European trip this year! I knew  this journey was going to be a much different trip than  others Ive gone on before.  I was going to the eastern  side of the wall and see how much things have changed since the fall of communism in the 80’s.

There  has been a lot of  violence and war  there over the last 40 years (not  even  taking back to WW 1 and 2 which also had a lot to do with Eastern Europe)..  a lot of stuff we don’t hear about or really get taught to much about  in the USA.   SO MUCH  RECENT  war  and violence  by  people  our age  who remember  some horrible atrocities… All  in the name of politics and freedom  and people  just  wanting a better life… and it can even be taken  further back,..  but  before  the fall of communism… and  you still have Auschwitz and  alot  more war.. Eastern Europe has been thru alot , and getting to travel though it  was  pretty amazing and eye opening.

So much  of those countries are  developing at  different rates and in certain cities it REALLY  feels like different time periods going on there in relation to our own time periods  here in the US thru the last 40  years Ive been alive.

In Berlin after the conference, I stayed  with My  dear  friend , tattooist Chandler  Barnes who has  lived there  for the last 15 years, but was born in the US. He also  leads the extremely kickass Superfly Suspension Troupe. He lives in this awesome little artist part of Berlin called Friedrichshain  in which is the art scene is alive and well there, especially street art.

It  really feels free and the artist  is allowed to  not only exist , but  flourish there.  It  definitely  feels  very much in the late 70’s going  into the early  80’s in terms of social  mentality as well. Corporate greed  still hasn’t consumed  everyone there and people are  actually following their hearts and  just creating  art for the sake of  creating art!!  everywhere I turned there was  art… And the  people  allow it!    There in certain areas, there wasnt police telling you  you cant  paint there or hang  your  signs up. The  entire  neighborhood was full of artists and just  allowed thinsg to be ..  power in numbers!  Here are some pics  of the awesomeness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know , there is  so much more to berlin.. I didnt even have time to do any of the museums, or check point charlies,  or see whats left of the  wall,  or  any of that  stuff..  All  I did  was work at BMX,  then hung out  with Chandler who gave me  the low down on the city and whats it been like living there  during  such an amazing  change taking place.  I wish i had more time there… but I know Ill be back..  Berlin is  so amazing.. I could REALLY see myself  just dropping out of the body art industry and just  moving there and  focusing on growing as an artist…   Its SO amazing the vibe there!! The only thing keeping me from actually  doing that move  is the  cold… Dont know if I could handle the winters there..

My  final 2 days there I was doing  some scarification appointments out of Naked Steel ( thanks again Dirk!). and from there, Chandler  called me a cab and off to  Hauptbahnhof  (main train station in Berlin) I went! There I was to catch the train to Prague  where I had an appointment bright and early at 11 the following day!

BIG thanks to Chandler and the entire Super Fly Suspension group, Fur Immer tattoo and piercing, and Naked Steel Body Modification studio and of course BMXnet . I couldnt have done it without you guys!!

Ok.. more later

To be continued…

-R

p.s  oh yeah . I got one o f those twitter things.

Rongarzamods add me if  you want… should be funny  trying to figure  out  how to use that  damn thing!