Skip to main content

¡Berlin Stinks!

I woke up this morning to find that the city I live in stinks.

No really, it's official. The local transport authorities are looking into perfuming our malodorous metro trains with a unique fragrance, following the realisation that the scent of concentrated humanity, canines and spilt beer is not very pleasing to the nose.
I agree, but would love to see my native city of Cairo do this. When we were kids and took the trains, we used to joke, with a hint of sarcasm, that we were being bathed in Eau du Caire., also known as about ten thousand people crammed into one train car.
Back in Berlin, on my way home from work. I was squeezed between a drunken guy, a couple of unwashed punk girls stinking to the high subterranean heavens complete with dogs (less smelly) and a perfumed teenage whatchamacallit Altogether a miasmic mix, which I am not sure even the best-designed, most powerful Eau de Cologne (Old Spice, anyone?) could cover up.
I'm more in favour of daily baths.
And less powerful perfumes.

The title takes you to the Spiegelonline article that prompted this post.
Also thanks to Paul for pointing this out. I feel much happier now, knowing that I live in a stinking cesspit.

Comments

Anonymous said…
o really? i still want to go and visit your place c: just curious c;
caramk said…
most of the time I try to ride my bike when moving around the city, so i am used to the smell that this city produces.
But like someone said, Berlin needs to start appreciating itself for what it is.

Popular posts from this blog

¡Carambolage Rocks! (Apparently)

Gather the barber shop quartet! Roll the Drums! Fire the Works! Open the ball! Vote Hillary! Raise the topmast! Scour the Plank! Split the Atom! Shiver me timbers! That brought on quite a bit of nonsensical jubilation, finding that iCeah of Wow Legs has nominated Carambolage as a Kick-Ass Blog. In fact I jubilated all through yesterday, pausing only to reflect on Microsofts new Ad, Shelves I'd like to have, Fembots and Virgin advertising. I jubilated through work and through a small spot of partying.I am still jubilant as I write this! And now, my speech: "We've come a long way, yahdiyahdiyah, achievement, blahblah, the people who made this possible, yakyakyak, our sponsors, moohdemoohdemooh, honoured to accept, beehdibeehdibeeh, Mom, God and the stinky state of Berlin. Thangyouthangyouverymuch." So thank you for the Award, iCeah, if you didn't have one already, I'd nominate you right back, Meanwhile, my link-list needs some updating. Also meanwhile, here'

Transmutations of Ankhs, Pixels and Wood

Every delay has its benefit. Wise words indeed. After so many hints, it is finally time for some reveal, as two projects we set in motion at the beginning of the year finally culminate into programme.  First, a couple of words on the we of things: We are, in this case, Spring Lessons, an international group that defines itself thus: " The Spring Lessons Initiative is an international forum for artistic research. It follows and presents current creative developments and cultural projects, explores new forms of civil self-organisation and creates spaces for dialogue and cultural education." What this means in practice is that we have been putting on a series of Events since the end of 2011. We have been very lucky to be able to collaborate with the likes of the MAD couple , AlFilm , Eka3 , From Here To Fame and many more.  We approached this year with the goal of putting on one event a month, exploring, amongst other things, the revolutionary aspects of S

In Taheyya we Trust - How an Egyptian bellydancer found her posthumous stage in Berlin

“You should have winked at her,” Aida said dismissively, as if such a possibility had been imaginable for someone as timid as I was. Tahia Carioca was the most stunning and long-lived of the Arab world’s Eastern dancers (belly-dancers, as they are called today). Edward Said, Farewell to Taheyya My story with Taheyya begins in the summer of 2016, at Bulbuls Café in Görlitzer Str. in Berlin.  It ends two blocks down on Wiener Str 17.  Bulbuls is a café and art space around my corner that I have grown to like to sit in and drink smoothies (1). He had commissiond us- a crew of Syrian and Egyptian artists, as well as myself, to paint the walls inside the café. El Tenneen (the Dragon) is the one who ended up drawing Sheikh Imam, with the help of Salam Alhassan (known as Salahef/ Turtles) and Sulafa Hijazis (whom we call El Hayya/The Snake’s) beamers’ illumination. The Sheikh sits happily in the place to this day and Crew El-Zoo was born. Tenneen had the adv