West Berlin, Germany | An American Abroad [1986]

West Berlin 1986 - 1989, I lived in Kreuzberg, West Berlin., SO 36 , Germany.

A cultural melting pot.

From Oranien Bar;  To Cafe M – Goltzstrasse 33:  To drinking beers at the Risiko. with Blixr Bargeld of The Bad Seeds. To dancing at Dschungel Club with Sadie – Nürnberger Straße 53,  To hanging with Nina Hagen.

To standing on the film set of "Der Himmel Uber Berlin"  with Nick Cave.

I experienced the best years of my life [so far] in #Berlin

But let me tell you - getting a job was a bitch! [laughter]

Yet, I got one!

A time I will never forget!

 

 

 

Listen Here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Ed59HC4KeCQxkliwixCuR

Listen Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/west-berlin-germany-an-american-abroad-1986/id1599169939?i=1000571303366

 

CORRECTION: I made 1200 Deutsche Marks per month not per week.

 

West Berlin, Germany | An American Abroad | YouTube Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLqtEkBIek0

 

Tony Eason's Berlin Tour:

https://ynottony1.blogspot.com/2009/10/berlin.html

Ynot Truth Podcast Website: http://ynottruth.com

Tony Eason Website: http://ynottony.com

 

 

 

Episode Transcript

(00:03):
In 1985, People's Express offered an unbelievable airfare,
$99 from San Francisco to Brussels.
So I purchased a ticket. And I embarked on my first European excursion. Upon arriving to Brussels, I Eurailed to Paris. And seven days later, I carpooled towards the gateway of West Berlin, Checkpoint Charlie.

(00:43):
As our car approached Checkpoint Charlie,
we were halted by Soviet soldiers,
assault weapons, and a Russian tank.
Immediately our passports were confiscated,
verify and hesitantly return.

(01:05):
Moving forward,
we proceeded into the American sector of West Berlin.
In the following days, I interacted with Argentinians, Canadians,
Turkish,
Japanese, French, British, West German, East German, and Spaniards.

(01:31):
I experienced a cultural melting pot.
Six months later, upon my return to San Francisco,
I understood why Josephine Baker launched her career in Europe. And I began to view

(01:54):
United States
politics in a different light.
Therefore, in 1986,
I returned to West Berlin.
Upon my return,
I hit the streets searching for employment.
I applied at every bar & cafe catering to English speaking foreigners.

(02:22):
Yet,
with no command of the German language, nor a work visa,
I had no luck.
Therefore,
I concocted a plan.
I started networking in the Berlin night scene. Each night, around midnight, I could be found at the Schwartz Cafe.

(02:49):
The Schwartz Cafe,
a place where you could read a book,
sip a martini,
drink a coffee or share in conversation.
Around 1:30 am., I could be found at Berlin's equivalent of New York Studio 54, The Dschungel.

(03:13):
It had the strictest entry regulations imaginable.

Simply putting it (03:21):
If the doorman of the day didn't like you,
you weren't getting in.
Yet once inside; the sounds of
Grace Jones,
Malcolm McLaren,
and the London Underground filled the air. And Sade could be found on the dance floor.

(03:52):
Around 3 am., I could be found at the Risiko,
A spot visited by the likes of Nick Cave, Jim Jarmusch,
Alan Vega,
and Wim Wenders.
A hardcore punk bar.
Blixa Bargeld, of the Bad Seeds was the bartender.
Broken glass and dilapidated furniture filled the room.

(04:15):
Cheap drinks & hourly bar brawls.
A perfect place to go if you were pissed.
Oh,
Well,
after a week of nightlife, .
no job was found.
So I concocted another plan.

(04:35):
I placed an ad offering English lessons in the Tip Magazine.
Three people responded to my ad.
Therefore, using the song lyrics from the back of record albums,
I taught the students American slang.

(05:00):
Yet after a month of teaching, I exhausted my curriculum.
However,

a student asked (05:06):
Since you can't be my tutor,
can we just have sex?
I replied,
sure.
And, I still got paid.
Weeks later,

(05:27):
I was informed about an upcoming Berlin fashion show.
The Offline.
So, I concocted another plan. The next night, I returned to Dschungel & schmoozed with the Offline designers.
72 hours later I slept with two designers. And the following week, I was hired for two shows at the Offline.

(06:00):

As time moved forward,
I grew tired of the daily hustle & bustle. And, I prayed for just one financially lucrative & fun day. And then; that day appeared.

(06:25):
While hanging at Anderes Ufer, a Spanish woman with long black hair and red lipstick appeared.
She introduced herself as "Lola from Barcelona."
As we engaged in conversation, Lola invited me to meet her friend at Cafe M.

(06:47):
I accepted the invitation.
Upon arrival at Cafe M,
we ordered a bottle of Sect & awaited her friend.
Moments later,
a motorcycle rolls up to the cafe.
Two people dismounted and one of the two sat at our table.

At which point, I realized (07:11):
I am sitting with East German singer,
songwriter, and actress Nina Hagen,
Fascinated by Nina's eccentric personality, I sat speechlessly & sipped sect.

(07:40):
Soon following,
a man proceeded to hand out flies.
Unable to read german,
I asked Lola:
What does the flyer say?

Lolo responded (07:53):
Allons-y
An hour later, we arrived at the former hotel Esplanade.
Upon entering,
we were invited to an open bar & buffet. As we sucked down the free cocktails,

(08:17):
Nick Cave & Blixa Bargeld arrived on stage.

At which point, I realized (08:22):
I am on the film set of the Himmel Uber Berlin directed by Wim Wenders.
As the filming concluded,
a smile came to my face.
I was paid 250 Deutsche Marks.

(08:48):
In the following months,
my friendships grew & odd jobs sporadically materialized. From fashion model; to house cleaner; to coat check attendant; to the dishwasher. And then came the day that changed the course of my future.

(09:11):
While sitting with my friend at Andreus Ufer,
a crying woman joined our table.
It became apparent that the woman had just lost her job.
So I asked the woman:
Where did you work?

(09:31):
And the woman stated:
Schroeder’s Cafe
Bismarckstrasse
28!!
Immediately, I concocted another plan.
I rose from the table & rushed to the U-bahn. And as the subway headed towards Charlottenburg,

(09:54):
I prepared myself for a job interview.
Upon arrival at Schroders,
I had the following conversation with the owner.
Me:
I want a job!

Owner (10:11):
You don't speak German.

Me (10:13):
Gin tonic is Gin tonic.

Owner (10:17):
Come in next week.
A week later, I returned.
Although nervous as hell & sweating like a pig,
I successfully completed my shift.
In the following weeks, I spent my days doing three things.

(10:40):
1. Learning the drink menu.
2. Learning to count in German.
3.
Learning to recognize German currency.
Eventually, the cocktail position became easier. And, I was promoted to three shifts per week. And a month later, I became the bartender.

(11:09):
I was living "High on the Hog!" Bacon,
Making 1,200 Deutsche Marks per month,
I was able to acquire a coal-heated apartment in Kreuzberg.
After which, I refrained from the nightclub scene. And I began to hang out privately with local Berliners.

(11:37):
Over the next three years, I assimilated to the Berliner Way of Life.
I learned to seamlessly convert dollars to marks,
pounds to grams,
and miles to kilometers.
I learned to go shopping,
read a menu, and ask for directions in German.

(12:02):
I learned that by listening to the stories of others,
one may see a horse of a different color.
I learned to stop talking shit.
I learned that by submerging oneself into an unfamiliar community,
one will undoubtedly learn something new,

(12:28):
either about oneself or others.
But most importantly,

I learned (12:35):
That was the best $99 I ever spent.