24.1.2009.
My day didn’t go exactly as planned. It’s five AM Sunday morning while I’m writing this and I have to be up at 9 to go to Potsdam for a long tour with professor Helmut Franz, with whom I went to Schloss Charlottenburg today. The palace belonged to Friederich the great and Friederich II and we talked about the change of leadership from one ruler to the next and about the architecture and the art within through time. Friederich II was very progressive in a sense in abolishing slavery and mandating institutions of schooling for the public. He saw himself as serving the state of Prussia and not as the ultimate figure. His father was regarded as highly as the sun; his waking each day was celebrated. Some decoration in the palace was highly worthwhile though the Baroque style of architecture seemed redundant and boring. After this I got pizza with Gilles, Ariella, Ian, Dani, and Ryan. Later this evening I went to Hamburger Bahnhof to see the Joseph Beuys exhibit, though the museum closed before I could cover half of the main exhibit and permanent collection. After this things started to go wrong. I had an awfully nerve-wracking experience with the (electronics department store) Saturn employ who accused me of stealing, and I had to remove all of my personal items on me, which number quite a few at any given time. Perhaps I looked suspicious when my lens cap fell from underneath my large coat, wearing leather gloves (which I bought at a flohmarkt [fleamarket]), black bandana, and numerous electronic appliances. In the end I had to buy an iPod charger they accused me of stealing though I needed one anyway. I’ll return it if I can to get my money back and get a cable from a friend if need be. Fucking ridiculousness. I got fries and drunk and made some crazy art for several hours just being silly and special like I am in order to ward off the bad vibrations. Speaking of bad vibrations I had only a waffle for breakfast and drank much coffee so I was shaking during the tour of the palace at Charlottenburg. There is a neat market nearby my apartment Wednesdays and Saturdays and right near that market is Baharat Falafel which I mentioned earlier. I was craving all day but everything everywhere is so good I can’t be resorting to staples already.

My foot just fell asleep while writing this and I have several assignments tomorrow.