Show Notes
Transcript
Jae:
[0:09] You like superhero movies?
Manuel:
[0:10] Not really.
Jae:
[0:11] Not even like Spider-Man?
Manuel:
[0:13] I liked the first Spider-Man movie ...
Jae:
[0:14] How about the cartoon?
Manuel:
[0:15] ... That was a good one.
Jae:
[0:17] How about the cartoon one?
Manuel:
[0:18] I never watched the cartoon.
Jae:
[0:20] You should. I want to see the second one.
Manuel:
[0:22] I never got into the ...
Jae:
[0:24] But like, it's like, just as a story, like not even a superhero, as a story, it is really like ... The first one got 8.4 out of 10 on IMDb. This movie just came out today, got it's 9.1 out of 10 already.
Manuel:
[0:37] The new Spider-Man movie? There is a new Spider-Man movie?
Jae:
[0:40] It's an animated one with Miles Morales. It's like the black Spider-Man.
Manuel:
[0:43] Ah! I have the PlayStation game.
Jae:
[0:45] Yeah, yeah, exactly. So this is like the movie, and it's like really apparently ... I'm so excited to go see it. I saw the first one in 2018 and it was like amazing
Manuel:
[0:54] So it's like animated?
Jae:
[0:56] It's animated, but the way they did it is like as just a film. It is a very, like really well done film, like not just superhero but just a film and a story. I recommend everyone go see it, especially if they're not big into animated movies, because it's just like ... you'll just be surprised about ... Damn!
Manuel:
[1:16] Okay, but that's not what we're going to talk about today.
Jae:
[1:18] No, no.
Manuel:
[1:19] Hello, everybody. We're talking about ... I think I'm recording. I'm always recording somewhere. No, that's not true, I'm not recording when there's no permission, but I was recording. I started the recording five minutes ago.
Jae:
[1:31] Okay.
Manuel:
[1:32] We can include this movie recommendation of yours in the show.
Jae:
[1:38] Vunderbah!
Manuel:
[1:39] Wunderbar, yes.
Jae:
[1:55] Yes.
Manuel:
[1:56] And then I just heard that you've done it. You've been there, done it. You've experienced the German FKK culture.
Jae:
[2:04] Yes.
Manuel:
[2:05] Tell us about it.
Jae:
[2:06] I mean, I've kind of already done it before with like Hasenheide, but this time, yeah, we went to Teufelssee. I like to call it Tofu Sea, because it's funnier. But we went there, and that was my very first time going there. We went there last Sunday, and yeah, it was super, actually just relieving and relaxing, just to be like kind of fully nude and just relaxing in the sun. But I mean, of course, it was like a little bit of a culture shock for me, because there's like a pod in the middle of the lake, so everyone's just chilling there. And I mean, it was beautiful, but there's also families and stuff like there too, so I'm just chilling there with my partner, just vibing, and then the kids are just jumping off of the pad and swimming with their families and whatnot, and everyone was just very relaxed. And then I was looking, and I was just imagining, I'm like: I could never do this with my family.
Manuel:
[3:03] Why not?
Jae:
[3:04] My family would not ... I mean they're ... like the American culture is very much not nudist at all.
Manuel:
[3:10] Yeah.
Jae:
[3:11] There it would be like a ... like all eyes would be on you if you were like nude in that environment unless ... there's one little area in Austin called Hippie Hollow, which is like this lake and that's like our new thing, but anywhere else you would never do that, and I could never just imagine being around my family naked like that. Like I'm like: It's crazy. It's crazy. I can't even imagine being naked around half of my friends in America either, which, I mean, it would be really nice when leaving, but that is a big culture shock.
Manuel:
[3:43] Yet you enjoy doing it.
Jae:
[3:45] Yeah, yeah. Like I guess it was just everyone else was relaxed too, so that makes it kind of easier.
Manuel:
[3:51] Rationally speaking, it's strange how ... because just at a regular beach, you're basically not wearing anything, like you're wearing underwear, basically, bathing clothes, which is basically just underwear with a different name, or slightly different material. And then just taking off that one last piece of cloth ...
Jae:
[4:11] All hell breaks loose.
Manuel:
[4:12] ... somehow makes you feel really strange and really weird. And if you think about it, I mean, as a child ... because that's also super normal in Germany that whether it's a nudist beach or not, children are allowed to be naked. And I don't know, maybe it's become more complicated in recent years with, I don't know, people being afraid, whether it's warranted or not, of, I don't know, pedophiles and stuff. But when I was a child, I very much was allowed to run around naked on the beach, and you don't think about it. And you ... it's very much that same thing. You just kind of feel free. You just want to be like: I don't want this cloth on my body. Get it off!
Jae:
[4:52] Yeah.
Manuel:
[4:53] But then when one's society has fully kicked in, and you're fully a member of this adult work, it's just makes you feel so weird.
Jae:
[5:05] Yeah, it definitely does. And like, when I first went to Hasenheide and tried like the whole new thing, I felt very weird. I mean, of course, there's a lot of like insecurities that goes into it, but then I was like: What people are judging me or whatnot. But then, I don't know, the more you realize that no one cares, it's like when people are like, it's normal, or at least, of course, you know, not every person in Germany likes doing that or whatnot, but in this area, it's normal and people, it is expected, it kind of just takes all of that kind of like pressure off. And it does kind of make me question just the way that culture is, and like how we grow up, and how something so natural, so many families are very closed off. And like I said, the fact that I can never manage to see my family nude nor feel comfortable with that, that's such a small, simple thing that you should be able to do casually.
Manuel:
[6:05] Yeah, and I don't think you have to necessarily like it. If that's just not your thing and you just feel uncomfortable and you just don't want to do it, I think it's completely fine. But I do agree that it's a good exercise to at least try it once, and kind of question and think about like: Where do all these feelings that I have come from? You know, like: How ... Why is this making me feel so uncomfortable?
Jae:
[6:26] Exactly.
Manuel:
[6:27] Yeah.
Jae:
[6:28] Exactly. Interesting.
Manuel:
[6:29] Okay. We have some other summer-related topics on the agenda for today.
Jae:
[7:21] Open-air ...
Manuel:
[7:22] Open-air swimming pools, because they're just crowded and loud and horrible. But during the week in the morning, amazing.
Jae:
[7:30] Yeah, I mean, I would say I've heard of beaches too. This beach day, it was pretty like okay, just because there was a lot of other things going on in Berlin. It was the holiday, and then there was also like the carnival going on. But when it comes to swimming pools, yeah, I could imagine. And are these swimming pools ... like are they like the traditional Olympic swimming pools where more people are just going back and forth? Or is it like those like really public pools where everyone's just swimming, they're playing, there's no like organization, you just jump in when you want to jump in?
Manuel:
[8:03] Usually they have a bit of both. Usually ... I'm checking if there's a good website that has ... I mean, there's some that only have like the Olympic or like regular swimming, and some that are more aimed at like, okay, this is for kids, basically, but most of them have like a proper pool, like a 50-meter swimming pool, where you just go and do laps. And then ... but even those like on a Sunday, during the summer, there'll be kids jumping off the sides and stuff, but then they also usually always have like a kids' area or a slide.
Jae:
[8:48] Yeah.
Manuel:
[8:49] Stuff like that. Yeah.
Jae:
[8:50] I used to enjoy going to swimming pools as a child. That was one of my favorite things to do. And most times like in our neighborhoods, we will have these like just swimming pools where people were just ,you know, going to have fun. And then another thing I would like to talk about, speaking of swimming pools, is there's that tropical island place a little bit far out of Berlin, right? Have you heard of it?
Manuel:
[9:15] You mean that ... I don't know if it's tropic ... you mean the one that's ... ?
Jae:
[9:19] It's like a water park, but it's like ...
Manuel:
[9:21] But it's part of the Spree, maybe, are you talking about? No, you're talking about like a big, big, like ... I think it's called ...
Jae:
[9:31] It's called Tropical Islands.
Manuel:
[9:33] Tropical Islands!
Manuel:
[9:34] Yeah. So I've heard about this.
Manuel:
[9:36] Indoor-Wasserpark. Okay, so yeah, this is a place ... Okay, I've never been there, but this is one of those typical places that is to have fun, but this is indoors, but they have ... okay, they have a very giant, very long slide, water slide. And then, yeah, that's just like a fun place to go with your family.
Jae:
[9:57] Yeah, that's what I was thinking of whenever we're talking like swimming pools, like one thing in Texas, Houston, we will go to, which was in Galveston is Schlitterbahn, which is a water park, and it can convert into a indoor water park as well.
Manuel:
[10:12] Nice. From the outside this one looks like a nuclear plant!
Jae:
[10:16] Yeah, it does! It's just .. it's by itself, just like randomly placed! But I've heard a few, like I heard a few people that have gone there and have loved it. It's definitely something that I want to do. I don't actually know if I'll have the time nor finances to do it this summer, but it's definitely something that I am quite curious to know more about and just like explore. I mean, a water park is just so much fun to go to. It can be quite annoying, of course, because you're with like a whole bunch of kids and families or whatnot. But like, I don't know, just like spending like an entire day like at a water park ... And like an indoor water park is actually something I'll be open to.
Manuel:
[11:01] Okay, so that's swimming pools.
Jae:
[11:11] Yeah, how was that?
Manuel:
[11:12] And it was amazing. Quite the story. So there's a ... so the concert was Kings of Leon.
Jae:
[11:20] Oh, I love Kings of Leon.
Manuel:
[11:22] But I actually, I like them too, and obviously I got tickets to see them. But the main reason we went was because we wanted to see the opener, which was Giant Rooks, which, I don't know if you've heard of them. it's a German band. They're very young, they're like 20 years old or something, but amazing music. I really like their latest album and they're definitely ... they're already touring the US and stuff like that. Like they're really ...
Jae:
[11:47] Is it more like rock-y or like Kings of Leon, like indie rock?
Manuel:
[11:53] Yeah, it's like indie rock, I guess. Yeah, it's nice. And so we didn't get tickets to their only Berlin show, and then we saw: Okay, but they're opening for Kings of Leon, so let's just go there. And the concert was going to be ... Okay, and now it gets very confusing. There is a very famous open-air venue called Wuhlheide. And it's a ... So technically the venue with the stage is called Parkbühne Wuhlheide and it's basically in a forest and it's a big stage, super beautiful, open-air. Parkbühne Wuhlheide. And I was there for example, when I turned 16, I went to see Die Ärzte ...
Jae:
[12:50] Oh! I haven't seen this logo before.
Manuel:
[12:52] Yeah, one of my favorite German bands. I saw them, and the Village People opened, which is hilarious, yeah. And so this stage is very iconic, like the roof is very iconic, like you just, if you've ever been there, you kind of know what the place looks like. And so we get tickets to Kings of Leon. And it says okay it's at Waldbühne and I see an image on the website and it's this, and it's like it's called Waldbühne and it looks exactly like this, and so I assumed it was there. I assumed it was at Parkbühne Wuhlheide. But no, it wasn't at Parkbühne Wuhlheide, it was at Waldbühne which is at the complete opposite end of Berlin, like a one-hour train ride. It looks, I swear to God, it looks exactly the same. Like, it looks like, you know how they say ... like, I don't know ... it looks like someone wanted to copy this location on the other end of Berlin.
[13:56] And so what happened, we went there and we got there like when the show was supposed to start, because we wanted to see the opener, we were on time. And I already had this feeling ... when you get off the S-Bahn, you have to walk through the forest for like 10 minutes before you actually get there. And I already had this feeling like: Why is there no one here? But for some reason my mind ... because we were talking and stuff, my mind didn't finish this thought. I was just like I had this feeling: It's very empty here. But I didn't really think about it that much. And then these two guys come our direction and they're like, "Are you going to Kings of Leon?" We're like, "Yes." And they're like, "Well, you're in the wrong spot, and so are we!"
[14:37] And so ... And they had like come to Berlin from the very north of Germany just for this concert, had even booked a hotel like right there, close to Wuhlheide. And then there was another couple of girls coming like 10 meters behind us and they were also going there. We're like, "Well, you're also in the wrong spot. We're all in the wrong spot." Apparently, it's a thing, like apparently it happens to everybody because they look so similar and they're called almost the same, Parkbühne Wuhlheide and Waldbühne. How ... ?
Jae:
[15:15] Yeah, if you're not really, really thinking ...
Manuel:
[15:17] Why? Why would they not give it at least a different name, you know?
Jae:
[15:20] Because they wanted to compete.
Manuel:
[15:23] And so, yeah, we get on the S-Bahn, made friends with these other people, actually ended up spending the night, like we actually sat together at the concert or stood together at the concert and then we had drinks afterwards and like ... so it all turned out well. We only saw like the last three songs of Giant Rooks, unfortunately.
Jae:
[15:40] But you guys got to actually see Kings of Leon.
Manuel:
[15:43] We got to see Kings of Leon and we got to see the last few songs of Giant Rooks, so it was fine. And it was a funny story and I'm never going to make it ... And I have another concert tomorrow, and that one's actually at Wuhlheide, I triple-, triple-, triple-checked, and so I'm actually going to see the original place tomorrow. And all of that is to say that these open-air shows are amazing. Like concerts ... I mean, concerts are always great, I just ... I love concerts. And I feel like I'm always ... I'm getting ... The older I'm getting, the lazier I get, like I'm like: Ah, concert, like you have to go there, it's, you know, it's a big, big thing. But if it's a band that you actually like, then you never really ... you never regret it. It's such a great experience to see live music.
Jae:
[16:33] Yeah.
Manuel:
[16:34] And open-air in the summer when the sun's going down and you're all there.
Jae:
[16:38] Amazing.
Manuel:
[16:39] It's just amazing. It's just like one of the best things.
Jae:
[16:41] Yes.
Manuel:
[16:42] And the sound system! I was blown away because it's a big venue, like there were thousands of people. I don't know how big, but it was packed, lots and lots of people. And the sound that's coming out of these speakers filling that giant space, just on a technical level. And we were standing right next to the, you know, the booth in the middle where they're like the control center, where they do like the cameras and the sound, and I could see the guy controlling the lights, because he was like actually like tapping the buttons and moving the sliders to the beat, so that the lights would flash and stuff, so that was also fascinating.
Jae:
[17:19] That's really cool. Yeah. It's like actually in there. I really do like going to festivals and concerts, and I think like especially now, obviously, you guys are hearing a stark contrast to our winter episode!
Manuel:
[17:32] We're happy now! We're happy!
Jae:
[17:34] Yeah! But it's definitely something great to do, and as you mentioned, you met these people and you guys ended up spending the entire time together. It's a nice way to meet people, it's a nice way to gain conversation, and if you are new or whatnot, it's a good thing. I mean, one time I went to his one concert and I saw this guy standing by himself, so then me and my friend we just started talking to him. He had just came from like a different city just to come see this one concert, and we made a little friend that time, so they're definitely really good things to do. And especially if it's an artist that you like or the music that you like, it makes that experience even more. And open ... like if you can find open-airs, open-airs are just so much better ...
Manuel:
[18:17] And also something that we talked about with them, because they had come all the way from the very north of Germany from like the countryside to Berlin to see this show and they booked a hotel and everything. And living in Berlin, you just have like ... I recommend these apps, I have Bandsintown and Songkick, and I connect it to my Spotify and basically any artists that I listened to more than once, it notifies me when they come to town, so I always see, and I get I always get all these notifications. And I, like literally every day ... like just now, okay, there's a ... and sometimes it's like a ... someone that I don't even recognize as the name, but then I ... like you can play the ... you can play it right in the app or you can open it: Oh, it's that! Like I did like this song very much ... And then you can just go see, because everybody's coming to Berlin. Yeah, everybody who tours Europe comes to Berlin for the most part, and so you have so many opportunities to see live shows, and it's almost overwhelming.
[19:21] But the other thing is that I used to be ... I used to go kind of overboard with buying tickets in advance and then sometimes regretting it because it was just too much, or then something else came up and then I had to sell the tickets and blah, blah, blah. And basically in Berlin - and I saw this now - unless it's like Coldplay or Beyoncé or something like that, you can go to any show without a ticket. There'll always be people in front of the door selling tickets still. And if the show is sold out, you'll pay a little bit more, but if it's not one of these crazy, crazy, super popular bands, it's not going to be that much more, honestly, you might pay €10 or €20 more. And many times, actually, if it's not sold out, which this, even though it was packed, it wasn't completely sold out, there were still some tickets left, you'll get a deal, you'll get it cheaper than if you ... So I think my recommendation would be: have these apps that scan your library and alert you when one of your favorite bands is coming to town, and then just put it on your calendar, and then try to spontaneously go.
Jae:
[20:24] Yeah, that's a really cool idea and a really cool plan. Yeah, I definitely want to do that more. And also if you're just looking for different things to do in Berlin, music is always the best option. Fun fact: I'm going to see Beyoncé, end of June.
Manuel:
[20:39] Oh my God, you are? How did you get those tickets?
Jae:
[20:43] I got them when they first released. I got four.
Manuel:
[20:46] Did you have a whole timer and system?
Jae:
[20:49] Yeah, well not like a timer, but I was like: Okay, they open at 10. Like the online Ticketmaster let me get on there, then there was an online waiting list, and then I was then able to purchase the tickets. That's in Hamburg. So I'll be going there. Like I'm literally going to Hamburg for that one night then I come back and I fly off to somewhere else after.
Manuel:
Manuel:
[32:15] They literally do have the surfers, the wind surfers on like skateboards.
Jae:
[32:20] They do. They exactly do.
Manuel:
[32:22] We should mention, Tempelhofer Feld, for those that don't know, is a giant park. I think it's the biggest free area within a major city, like in the center of a major city, in all of Europe, and that's because it used to be an airport until recently. Until 2008, it was an airport and then the airport closed and they kept all the runways as just a park. And there was actually a petition, two, three years ago, where they wanted to start building apartments just on the edges of that area because it's such a big area and Berlin needs more apartments. And there was a referendum. So everybody who lives in Berlin who's able to vote, got to vote: Yes, we allow this, or: No. And the people of Berlin actually voted against it.
Jae:
[33:23] Whoop, whoop! Whoop, whoop!
Manuel:
[33:24] Which, although I voted against it. Although I do see the argument, I do see it, because it was going to be just the edges and stuff and we do really, really, really need apartments and stuff, so it's not very clear-cut, but basically, the sentiment is just like: This place is special, it is super special and we want to keep it. And it's a recreational place and ... I mean, I think, I mean, you talked about it in your last solo episode, it's just, it's open to everybody, and in the summer, even though it's a giant area, it's packed. People go there to roller skate, to cycle, to have picnics, to ...
Jae:
[34:03] And since it's so big, you don't feel too crowded.
Manuel:
[34:07] Exactly. Even when it's super crowded, t's not crowded because it's a giant area.
Jae:
[34:14] So much space there. And like, I don't know, it felt like the beach, because like everyone's just chilling and whatnot, so like the theme of this was like: Everyone come dress as if you're going to the beach or whatnot. And it was kind of just like, yeah, just all my friends just came, we chilled, and like, I also wanted to cultivate an environment also where my friends could like partake and, let's say, shrooms or like that type of thing.
Manuel:
[34:40] What??
Jae:
[34:41] But I wanted ... because like, I think, one of the things that ... there's a very heavy drug culture here in Berlin, especially going to parties or whatnot, and I'm kind of like fizzling out of that kind of culture, but I also want to make sure that if people want to do this, that they have a good environment to do this at, and they have someone who can like trip-sit for them and whatnot, so I was a lifeguard/trip-sitter in this.
Manuel:
[35:05] A big responsibility that you took upon yourself.
Jae:
[35:08] But I mean, it was very chill and very just nice, and my friend really ... a friend cooked for us. And then I bought like some arts and crafts types of things.
Manuel:
[35:18] Some what?
Jae:
[35:19] Arts and crafts type of things. I bought these vinyls, they were like €1 and I didn't like them, like I listened to them, I'm like: They're shit! And I brought some paint and we painted on the vinyls, so ... and I kept one and I gave one to one of the people that I met, Matt, at that little party thing. And it was just a really nice vibe. And then, oh, also, like I think I mentioned in my last episode that I really love curating playlists, so I made this like my set. Like, what I call it, I don't DJ, I curate. So I curated like these playlists and I put them in order. No one was allowed to cue music. And one person tried to do, like ... Because it wasn't his fault, but like I had told everybody ...
Manuel:
[36:07] But he ended up with a broken nose!
Jae:
[36:08] I had told everybody. I'm like, "Okay, this is like my one time where like I just want to play my music."
Manuel:
[36:12] "Where you're going to listen to my music, whether you want to or not!"
Jae:
[36:15] "Whether you like it or not!" And then when he asked if he could cue a song, everyone got quiet and they were like, "Huh?"
Manuel:
[36:22] "You're not supposed to ask!"
Jae:
[36:24] Everyone was like, "Oh my gosh!" And I handled it good, I just laughed. I didn't let him cue the song, because like it was my intention, like, it was the one thing I wanted to do for this event was just to play my music and curate a really nice vibe. And strangers I had just met that day were like, "You really curated a good vibe," and I felt very proud of myself for doing that. And I feel like I did that before when I had like my Thanksgiving dinner that I did, and it just comes to show that especially if you are new to Berlin or whatnot, you can create your own events and your own just like things and they don't have to be some big ordeal thing. My thing was just literally we just got speakers and we brought our blankets and someone cooked and everyone just brought a little bit of food or whatnot. And like we just made that the event.
Manuel:
[37:15] Totally. And you could do this, even if you don't know anybody, you could literally go to like meetup.com or whatever. And I mean, our guest, Lulu, from the dating episode mentioned that like she doesn't go to these things because it ends up being like a dating thing always, but I mean maybe Berlin has changed a lot. But I ... through meetups when I just got here, like I was really into like presentation, and I wanted to really work on my own presentation skills and stuff, and I just found that a thing ... I found like a coworking space that let us use their space in the evenings for free. And I just put a thing on Meetup and called it Presentation Club. And I was like, "Who wants to practice their presentation skills? Every week, this time, we meet here and we present to each other and we give each other feedback." And we had a group of like 10, 15 people who met once a week, and it was super chill and super fun. And I feel like there's so many like tech meetups and stuff, like if you're, I don't know, programming or doing anything tech related, there's like a million meetups there already, but you can literally, if you just want to hang out on Tempelhofer Feld and talk about whatever, just create a Meetup and call it for people who are new in town and want to talk about this and listen to my music, and you'll make some friends that way, maybe.
Jae:
[38:39] Yes, that is simply it. And if you're too nervous, you can just ask people around you, and make like a tele ... Like I just made a Telegram group. I put all the information into it, I shared the link with people, and I was like: Hey ... I told my friends,"Hey, if you have any friends that want to come, put them in the Telegram group and I'll update all the information there." So simple. Like my whole thing with this thing was it will be a low cost, because I don't have the money to make some big thing or whatnot. And these things don't need to be some extra extravagant thing And I think a lot of people think of parties that you have to find a venue or what not. No!
Manuel:
[39:13] No. Especially not in the summer.
Jae:
[0:09] You like superhero movies?
Manuel:
[0:10] Not really.
Jae:
[0:11] Not even like Spider-Man?
Manuel:
[0:13] I liked the first Spider-Man movie ...
Jae:
[0:14] How about the cartoon?
Manuel:
[0:15] ... That was a good one.
Jae:
[0:17] How about the cartoon one?
Manuel:
[0:18] I never watched the cartoon.
Jae:
[0:20] You should. I want to see the second one.
Manuel:
[0:22] I never got into the ...
Jae:
[0:24] But like, it's like, just as a story, like not even a superhero, as a story, it is really like ... The first one got 8.4 out of 10 on IMDb. This movie just came out today, got it's 9.1 out of 10 already.
Manuel:
[0:37] The new Spider-Man movie? There is a new Spider-Man movie?
Jae:
[0:40] It's an animated one with Miles Morales. It's like the black Spider-Man.
Manuel:
[0:43] Ah! I have the PlayStation game.
Jae:
[0:45] Yeah, yeah, exactly. So this is like the movie, and it's like really apparently ... I'm so excited to go see it. I saw the first one in 2018 and it was like amazing
Manuel:
[0:54] So it's like animated?
Jae:
[0:56] It's animated, but the way they did it is like as just a film. It is a very, like really well done film, like not just superhero but just a film and a story. I recommend everyone go see it, especially if they're not big into animated movies, because it's just like ... you'll just be surprised about ... Damn!
Manuel:
[1:16] Okay, but that's not what we're going to talk about today.
Jae:
[1:18] No, no.
Manuel:
[1:19] Hello, everybody. We're talking about ... I think I'm recording. I'm always recording somewhere. No, that's not true, I'm not recording when there's no permission, but I was recording. I started the recording five minutes ago.
Jae:
[1:31] Okay.
Manuel:
[1:32] We can include this movie recommendation of yours in the show.
Jae:
[1:38] Vunderbah!
Manuel:
[1:39] Wunderbar, yes.
Nudist Culture (FKK)
[1:40] Let's talk about the summer. So I did a solo episode about lakes and beaches, and I briefly mentioned that most beaches and lakes have a nude area, FKK-Strand.Jae:
[1:55] Yes.
Manuel:
[1:56] And then I just heard that you've done it. You've been there, done it. You've experienced the German FKK culture.
Jae:
[2:04] Yes.
Manuel:
[2:05] Tell us about it.
Jae:
[2:06] I mean, I've kind of already done it before with like Hasenheide, but this time, yeah, we went to Teufelssee. I like to call it Tofu Sea, because it's funnier. But we went there, and that was my very first time going there. We went there last Sunday, and yeah, it was super, actually just relieving and relaxing, just to be like kind of fully nude and just relaxing in the sun. But I mean, of course, it was like a little bit of a culture shock for me, because there's like a pod in the middle of the lake, so everyone's just chilling there. And I mean, it was beautiful, but there's also families and stuff like there too, so I'm just chilling there with my partner, just vibing, and then the kids are just jumping off of the pad and swimming with their families and whatnot, and everyone was just very relaxed. And then I was looking, and I was just imagining, I'm like: I could never do this with my family.
Manuel:
[3:03] Why not?
Jae:
[3:04] My family would not ... I mean they're ... like the American culture is very much not nudist at all.
Manuel:
[3:10] Yeah.
Jae:
[3:11] There it would be like a ... like all eyes would be on you if you were like nude in that environment unless ... there's one little area in Austin called Hippie Hollow, which is like this lake and that's like our new thing, but anywhere else you would never do that, and I could never just imagine being around my family naked like that. Like I'm like: It's crazy. It's crazy. I can't even imagine being naked around half of my friends in America either, which, I mean, it would be really nice when leaving, but that is a big culture shock.
Manuel:
[3:43] Yet you enjoy doing it.
Jae:
[3:45] Yeah, yeah. Like I guess it was just everyone else was relaxed too, so that makes it kind of easier.
Manuel:
[3:51] Rationally speaking, it's strange how ... because just at a regular beach, you're basically not wearing anything, like you're wearing underwear, basically, bathing clothes, which is basically just underwear with a different name, or slightly different material. And then just taking off that one last piece of cloth ...
Jae:
[4:11] All hell breaks loose.
Manuel:
[4:12] ... somehow makes you feel really strange and really weird. And if you think about it, I mean, as a child ... because that's also super normal in Germany that whether it's a nudist beach or not, children are allowed to be naked. And I don't know, maybe it's become more complicated in recent years with, I don't know, people being afraid, whether it's warranted or not, of, I don't know, pedophiles and stuff. But when I was a child, I very much was allowed to run around naked on the beach, and you don't think about it. And you ... it's very much that same thing. You just kind of feel free. You just want to be like: I don't want this cloth on my body. Get it off!
Jae:
[4:52] Yeah.
Manuel:
[4:53] But then when one's society has fully kicked in, and you're fully a member of this adult work, it's just makes you feel so weird.
Jae:
[5:05] Yeah, it definitely does. And like, when I first went to Hasenheide and tried like the whole new thing, I felt very weird. I mean, of course, there's a lot of like insecurities that goes into it, but then I was like: What people are judging me or whatnot. But then, I don't know, the more you realize that no one cares, it's like when people are like, it's normal, or at least, of course, you know, not every person in Germany likes doing that or whatnot, but in this area, it's normal and people, it is expected, it kind of just takes all of that kind of like pressure off. And it does kind of make me question just the way that culture is, and like how we grow up, and how something so natural, so many families are very closed off. And like I said, the fact that I can never manage to see my family nude nor feel comfortable with that, that's such a small, simple thing that you should be able to do casually.
Manuel:
[6:05] Yeah, and I don't think you have to necessarily like it. If that's just not your thing and you just feel uncomfortable and you just don't want to do it, I think it's completely fine. But I do agree that it's a good exercise to at least try it once, and kind of question and think about like: Where do all these feelings that I have come from? You know, like: How ... Why is this making me feel so uncomfortable?
Jae:
[6:26] Exactly.
Manuel:
[6:27] Yeah.
Jae:
[6:28] Exactly. Interesting.
Manuel:
[6:29] Okay. We have some other summer-related topics on the agenda for today.
Open-Air Swimming Pools
[6:33] One other thing that I don't really know what I even have to say about this but I want to mention, is swimming pools. Because Berlin has a lot of swimming pools, public pools, and a lot of them have an outdoor area or are just completely outdoor, and they're only open in the summer. And I guess I just recommend using them because I've gotten into swimming recently - like a year ago I really got into swimming - and there's just nice pools. And it's just like with the lakes, it's highly recommended to not go on the weekend, like if it's hot in the summer on a Sunday or Saturday, do not go to the open-air ... what's it called?Jae:
[7:21] Open-air ...
Manuel:
[7:22] Open-air swimming pools, because they're just crowded and loud and horrible. But during the week in the morning, amazing.
Jae:
[7:30] Yeah, I mean, I would say I've heard of beaches too. This beach day, it was pretty like okay, just because there was a lot of other things going on in Berlin. It was the holiday, and then there was also like the carnival going on. But when it comes to swimming pools, yeah, I could imagine. And are these swimming pools ... like are they like the traditional Olympic swimming pools where more people are just going back and forth? Or is it like those like really public pools where everyone's just swimming, they're playing, there's no like organization, you just jump in when you want to jump in?
Manuel:
[8:03] Usually they have a bit of both. Usually ... I'm checking if there's a good website that has ... I mean, there's some that only have like the Olympic or like regular swimming, and some that are more aimed at like, okay, this is for kids, basically, but most of them have like a proper pool, like a 50-meter swimming pool, where you just go and do laps. And then ... but even those like on a Sunday, during the summer, there'll be kids jumping off the sides and stuff, but then they also usually always have like a kids' area or a slide.
Jae:
[8:48] Yeah.
Manuel:
[8:49] Stuff like that. Yeah.
Jae:
[8:50] I used to enjoy going to swimming pools as a child. That was one of my favorite things to do. And most times like in our neighborhoods, we will have these like just swimming pools where people were just ,you know, going to have fun. And then another thing I would like to talk about, speaking of swimming pools, is there's that tropical island place a little bit far out of Berlin, right? Have you heard of it?
Manuel:
[9:15] You mean that ... I don't know if it's tropic ... you mean the one that's ... ?
Jae:
[9:19] It's like a water park, but it's like ...
Manuel:
[9:21] But it's part of the Spree, maybe, are you talking about? No, you're talking about like a big, big, like ... I think it's called ...
Jae:
[9:31] It's called Tropical Islands.
Manuel:
[9:33] Tropical Islands!
Manuel:
[9:34] Yeah. So I've heard about this.
Manuel:
[9:36] Indoor-Wasserpark. Okay, so yeah, this is a place ... Okay, I've never been there, but this is one of those typical places that is to have fun, but this is indoors, but they have ... okay, they have a very giant, very long slide, water slide. And then, yeah, that's just like a fun place to go with your family.
Jae:
[9:57] Yeah, that's what I was thinking of whenever we're talking like swimming pools, like one thing in Texas, Houston, we will go to, which was in Galveston is Schlitterbahn, which is a water park, and it can convert into a indoor water park as well.
Manuel:
[10:12] Nice. From the outside this one looks like a nuclear plant!
Jae:
[10:16] Yeah, it does! It's just .. it's by itself, just like randomly placed! But I've heard a few, like I heard a few people that have gone there and have loved it. It's definitely something that I want to do. I don't actually know if I'll have the time nor finances to do it this summer, but it's definitely something that I am quite curious to know more about and just like explore. I mean, a water park is just so much fun to go to. It can be quite annoying, of course, because you're with like a whole bunch of kids and families or whatnot. But like, I don't know, just like spending like an entire day like at a water park ... And like an indoor water park is actually something I'll be open to.
Manuel:
[11:01] Okay, so that's swimming pools.
Open-Air Music
[11:04] Then maybe we can talk about festivals and concerts because I was actually just at an open-air concert.Jae:
[11:11] Yeah, how was that?
Manuel:
[11:12] And it was amazing. Quite the story. So there's a ... so the concert was Kings of Leon.
Jae:
[11:20] Oh, I love Kings of Leon.
Manuel:
[11:22] But I actually, I like them too, and obviously I got tickets to see them. But the main reason we went was because we wanted to see the opener, which was Giant Rooks, which, I don't know if you've heard of them. it's a German band. They're very young, they're like 20 years old or something, but amazing music. I really like their latest album and they're definitely ... they're already touring the US and stuff like that. Like they're really ...
Jae:
[11:47] Is it more like rock-y or like Kings of Leon, like indie rock?
Manuel:
[11:53] Yeah, it's like indie rock, I guess. Yeah, it's nice. And so we didn't get tickets to their only Berlin show, and then we saw: Okay, but they're opening for Kings of Leon, so let's just go there. And the concert was going to be ... Okay, and now it gets very confusing. There is a very famous open-air venue called Wuhlheide. And it's a ... So technically the venue with the stage is called Parkbühne Wuhlheide and it's basically in a forest and it's a big stage, super beautiful, open-air. Parkbühne Wuhlheide. And I was there for example, when I turned 16, I went to see Die Ärzte ...
Jae:
[12:50] Oh! I haven't seen this logo before.
Manuel:
[12:52] Yeah, one of my favorite German bands. I saw them, and the Village People opened, which is hilarious, yeah. And so this stage is very iconic, like the roof is very iconic, like you just, if you've ever been there, you kind of know what the place looks like. And so we get tickets to Kings of Leon. And it says okay it's at Waldbühne and I see an image on the website and it's this, and it's like it's called Waldbühne and it looks exactly like this, and so I assumed it was there. I assumed it was at Parkbühne Wuhlheide. But no, it wasn't at Parkbühne Wuhlheide, it was at Waldbühne which is at the complete opposite end of Berlin, like a one-hour train ride. It looks, I swear to God, it looks exactly the same. Like, it looks like, you know how they say ... like, I don't know ... it looks like someone wanted to copy this location on the other end of Berlin.
[13:56] And so what happened, we went there and we got there like when the show was supposed to start, because we wanted to see the opener, we were on time. And I already had this feeling ... when you get off the S-Bahn, you have to walk through the forest for like 10 minutes before you actually get there. And I already had this feeling like: Why is there no one here? But for some reason my mind ... because we were talking and stuff, my mind didn't finish this thought. I was just like I had this feeling: It's very empty here. But I didn't really think about it that much. And then these two guys come our direction and they're like, "Are you going to Kings of Leon?" We're like, "Yes." And they're like, "Well, you're in the wrong spot, and so are we!"
[14:37] And so ... And they had like come to Berlin from the very north of Germany just for this concert, had even booked a hotel like right there, close to Wuhlheide. And then there was another couple of girls coming like 10 meters behind us and they were also going there. We're like, "Well, you're also in the wrong spot. We're all in the wrong spot." Apparently, it's a thing, like apparently it happens to everybody because they look so similar and they're called almost the same, Parkbühne Wuhlheide and Waldbühne. How ... ?
Jae:
[15:15] Yeah, if you're not really, really thinking ...
Manuel:
[15:17] Why? Why would they not give it at least a different name, you know?
Jae:
[15:20] Because they wanted to compete.
Manuel:
[15:23] And so, yeah, we get on the S-Bahn, made friends with these other people, actually ended up spending the night, like we actually sat together at the concert or stood together at the concert and then we had drinks afterwards and like ... so it all turned out well. We only saw like the last three songs of Giant Rooks, unfortunately.
Jae:
[15:40] But you guys got to actually see Kings of Leon.
Manuel:
[15:43] We got to see Kings of Leon and we got to see the last few songs of Giant Rooks, so it was fine. And it was a funny story and I'm never going to make it ... And I have another concert tomorrow, and that one's actually at Wuhlheide, I triple-, triple-, triple-checked, and so I'm actually going to see the original place tomorrow. And all of that is to say that these open-air shows are amazing. Like concerts ... I mean, concerts are always great, I just ... I love concerts. And I feel like I'm always ... I'm getting ... The older I'm getting, the lazier I get, like I'm like: Ah, concert, like you have to go there, it's, you know, it's a big, big thing. But if it's a band that you actually like, then you never really ... you never regret it. It's such a great experience to see live music.
Jae:
[16:33] Yeah.
Manuel:
[16:34] And open-air in the summer when the sun's going down and you're all there.
Jae:
[16:38] Amazing.
Manuel:
[16:39] It's just amazing. It's just like one of the best things.
Jae:
[16:41] Yes.
Manuel:
[16:42] And the sound system! I was blown away because it's a big venue, like there were thousands of people. I don't know how big, but it was packed, lots and lots of people. And the sound that's coming out of these speakers filling that giant space, just on a technical level. And we were standing right next to the, you know, the booth in the middle where they're like the control center, where they do like the cameras and the sound, and I could see the guy controlling the lights, because he was like actually like tapping the buttons and moving the sliders to the beat, so that the lights would flash and stuff, so that was also fascinating.
Jae:
[17:19] That's really cool. Yeah. It's like actually in there. I really do like going to festivals and concerts, and I think like especially now, obviously, you guys are hearing a stark contrast to our winter episode!
Manuel:
[17:32] We're happy now! We're happy!
Jae:
[17:34] Yeah! But it's definitely something great to do, and as you mentioned, you met these people and you guys ended up spending the entire time together. It's a nice way to meet people, it's a nice way to gain conversation, and if you are new or whatnot, it's a good thing. I mean, one time I went to his one concert and I saw this guy standing by himself, so then me and my friend we just started talking to him. He had just came from like a different city just to come see this one concert, and we made a little friend that time, so they're definitely really good things to do. And especially if it's an artist that you like or the music that you like, it makes that experience even more. And open ... like if you can find open-airs, open-airs are just so much better ...
Manuel:
[18:17] And also something that we talked about with them, because they had come all the way from the very north of Germany from like the countryside to Berlin to see this show and they booked a hotel and everything. And living in Berlin, you just have like ... I recommend these apps, I have Bandsintown and Songkick, and I connect it to my Spotify and basically any artists that I listened to more than once, it notifies me when they come to town, so I always see, and I get I always get all these notifications. And I, like literally every day ... like just now, okay, there's a ... and sometimes it's like a ... someone that I don't even recognize as the name, but then I ... like you can play the ... you can play it right in the app or you can open it: Oh, it's that! Like I did like this song very much ... And then you can just go see, because everybody's coming to Berlin. Yeah, everybody who tours Europe comes to Berlin for the most part, and so you have so many opportunities to see live shows, and it's almost overwhelming.
[19:21] But the other thing is that I used to be ... I used to go kind of overboard with buying tickets in advance and then sometimes regretting it because it was just too much, or then something else came up and then I had to sell the tickets and blah, blah, blah. And basically in Berlin - and I saw this now - unless it's like Coldplay or Beyoncé or something like that, you can go to any show without a ticket. There'll always be people in front of the door selling tickets still. And if the show is sold out, you'll pay a little bit more, but if it's not one of these crazy, crazy, super popular bands, it's not going to be that much more, honestly, you might pay €10 or €20 more. And many times, actually, if it's not sold out, which this, even though it was packed, it wasn't completely sold out, there were still some tickets left, you'll get a deal, you'll get it cheaper than if you ... So I think my recommendation would be: have these apps that scan your library and alert you when one of your favorite bands is coming to town, and then just put it on your calendar, and then try to spontaneously go.
Jae:
[20:24] Yeah, that's a really cool idea and a really cool plan. Yeah, I definitely want to do that more. And also if you're just looking for different things to do in Berlin, music is always the best option. Fun fact: I'm going to see Beyoncé, end of June.
Manuel:
[20:39] Oh my God, you are? How did you get those tickets?
Jae:
[20:43] I got them when they first released. I got four.
Manuel:
[20:46] Did you have a whole timer and system?
Jae:
[20:49] Yeah, well not like a timer, but I was like: Okay, they open at 10. Like the online Ticketmaster let me get on there, then there was an online waiting list, and then I was then able to purchase the tickets. That's in Hamburg. So I'll be going there. Like I'm literally going to Hamburg for that one night then I come back and I fly off to somewhere else after.
Manuel:
[21:09] Living the life!
Manuel:
[21:10] You might even be on the same plane as Beyoncé, who knows?
Jae:
[21:14] Maybe, maybe. Fingers crossed. I don't think so, but fingers crossed! It's so ... I was just so curious as to why that concert is not in Berlin, because I would think that, you know, like true concert like Beyoncé should be in Berlin.
Manuel:
[21:27] Sometimes it's weird. Yeah, sometimes, yeah.
Jae:
[21:30] But Hamburg is nice. Yeah. I'm excited to see it.
Manuel:
[21:35] I don't do festivals anymore, honestly.
Jae:
[21:37] You don't?
Manuel:
[21:38] I mean, because I don't want to sleep in a tent. But I did go to Tempelhof Sounds last year, which was a festival in Berlin on Tempelhof, and then I could go home afterwards. But, I don't know, Tempelhof Sounds, the band, the lineup was great, the bands ...
Jae:
[21:53] Yeah.
Manuel:
[21:56] But it felt ... I realized this now that I was at this concert at Parkbühne or Waldbühne - it's so confusing - what I liked there too, was that it was ... it's like you have the stage with screens, and then you have the audience, and then in the very back, you have like a few stands that sell drinks and hot dogs and stuff. But Tempelhof Sounds, I realized now, was so commercialized through and through, like there were all these ... even like, between some of the audience and the stage, there were all these like stands and booths with like flags of brands of like Beck's and all these things, and you were literally, like you couldn't see the stage without also seeing advertisements.
Jae:
[22:44] Yeah.
Manuel:
[22:46] And that just kind of felt ... in retrospect, I don't know, it didn't ...
Jae:
[22:49] Very opposite of Berlin's culture.
Manuel:
[22:51] Yeah, and it felt just like they not only did you pay a pay a lot of money for the ticket, but they were also, kind of, you were just a way for them to make money.
Jae:
[22:59] Yeah, I think you nailed it, right. Very commercial.
Manuel:
[23:02] Yeah.
Jae:
[23:03] Berlin is not commercial city, if you guys have not noticed.
Manuel:
[23:06] I mean, it is and it isn't, but yeah.
Jae:
[23:08] It is, but people ... most people here don't like it.
Manuel:
[23:10] I like a more honest experience of I'm paying to see a show, and then I'm there and it's about the show.
Jae:
[23:16] It's about the show, it's about the music. It's not about a wage, it's just ... okay, this is ... we're just trying to make money.
Manuel:
[23:21] I mean a beer there was like €8, but that's, I mean, okay, whatever, you know, it's a concert, the beer is going to cost a ton of money. I'm not saying it's great that that's the way it is, but at least they're not putting up flags that you have to see, you know.
Jae:
[23:36] And they're just like trying to get into your face. Opposite of that, actually, is Fusion Festival. I've heard a lot of good things about Fusion Festival, which is very ... like they are not commercially ...
Manuel:
[23:49] It's like an indie festival.
Jae:
[23:50] Yeah, and they are very much like ... I'm actually like kind of ... not sad, but like there is some FOMO, we are missing out with this one, because I know a lot of people who are going to it.
Manuel:
[24:02] It's at the end of this month.
Jae:
[24:04] Yes.
Manuel:
[24:05] It's not in Berlin, we should say. Fusion is ...
Jae:
[24:07] No, no, it's in Germany. It's a Germany festival.
Manuel:
[24:10] A Germany festival?
Jae:
[24:12] It's a German festival! It's not in Berlin, but it's in Germany.
Manuel:
[24:17] It's been around for a long time.
Jae:
[24:19] Yes. It is labeled as a, like, "the holiday communist extravaganza."
Manuel:
[24:24] Wow!
Jae:
[24:26] That's what fusion-festival.de, describes it. And apparently, tickets, I think, were like around €220.
Manuel:
[24:37] Holy shit!
Jae:
[24:38] But what I will say is that what you get for that is really, I think, valuable. And one of the things that they did with this festival, if I can ... I can't find it right now, but one of the things that I heard that they did with this festival, is they broke down exactly what all the money was going to. So they were very transparent and very clear about like: Yes, this is how much a ticket is, but also this is what you're paying for. And that's a very, very honest and very, very, very respectable like ding. And a lot of what I've heard, and what people have said, this event is like, it's like having your own little city and this like little thing, but a city where everyone is very much connected and everyone is very much a part. And yeah, I've only heard good things about this festival.
Manuel:
[25:35] Yeah, yeah. What's the one in the US in the desert?
Jae:
[25:38] Burning Man.
Manuel:
[25:39] Burning Man. Not to compare it to Burning Man, like that's a different thing altogether, but it's ... just like Burning Man, it's ... the fusion festival is not so much about the lineup necessarily, like you're not necessarily going because you like the top three acts, but because it's about the experience. It's about being in this village for three days or four days and just spending an amazing kind of alternative reality with strangers. Whereas these big festivals like Hurricane and Southside and Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, those are very much about the big acts. I'm just checking ... Hurricane this year has Billy Talent, Kraftklub, Peter Fox, Rock am Ring. Let's see ... And those are also just as expensive, or even more expensive, but then when you're there, it's also so commercialized. Oh, Rock am Ring has Foo Fighters, Limp Bizkit. Yeah, those are about like the big bands, and ... oh, Kings of Leon. And yeah, it's a different thing. Like these big festivals are about these big, big famous bands, and also about the festival and stuff, but Fusion, I've never been, but I know many people who go kind of religiously every year just because it's an amazing experience.
Jae:
[26:57] I'll be going next year. Fingers crossed.
Manuel:
[27:00] Yeah. You have to buy tickets when they come out.
Jae:
[27:02] Yeah. And it is apparently lottery-based too. So you have to do like an application or whatnot, which also makes it a lot more like intentional.
Manuel:
[27:10] Yeah.
Jae:
[27:11] Yeah.
Manuel:
[27:12] Are you comfortable sleeping in tents?
Jae:
[27:13] Yeah, I did that actually, which I was going to mention now, the Whole Festival, which is a queer festival a little bit outside of Berlin that I did last year, and we slept in tents. This year we're trying to get like a camper van, but we did the tents last year and I was pretty fine with it. I mean, if you're around the right people ... and there weren't too many bugs, which I was okay with. But yeah, I would say that another festival that I did last year that I am really looking forward to doing this year is the Whole Festival.
Manuel:
[27:43] Whole festival?
Jae:
[27:44] Whole festivals. W-H-O-L-E.
Manuel:
[27:48] Mm-hmm.
Jae:
[27:49] And this is essentially just a queer festival that they take place in like this lakeside industrial park a few hours outside of Berlin, and they essentially kind of have ... one, they have a lineup, they have a few stages, but what they do, is they bring together all these queer collectives and they essentially make the festival out of that. So it was very queer-centric, very diverse, and a very nice environment. When I was there, I was like: I would love to live in a city that was just queer-run like this. It was just very peaceful, it was something that you don't necessarily see all the time in Berlin, or at least I don't see all the time in Berlin, and yeah, it was just cool like for those like three-and-a-half days, you were just partying, meeting new people, enjoying your time, sleeping a little bit, but definitely like that really freeing feeling that doesn't necessarily seem too commercialized as well either. Last year was the first time they had it since COVID, so that was really nice. This year of course things have grown, it's gotten bigger, so I will see how it is this year if it got more commercialized or whatnot. The prices did go up when they are allowing more people to buy tickets, so that is like hit or miss.
Manuel:
[29:10] But I guess, now that you mentioned it with a fusion festival, the price going up or being high might actually be an indication that they're not commercializing it, because if they're keeping the price low but then they're like putting ads everywhere and like selling you ... like then, you know, the food is so expensive that you basically can't afford it. You know, I would rather pay whatever it costs for them to run the festival and then just be there and have a good time and enjoy it.
Jae:
[29:35] Yeah, so they're not relying on advertisements and stuff like that.
Manuel:
[29:38] Or you then being the product there rather than actually the guest.
Jae:
[29:42] Exactly, exactly. Yeah, so these type of festivals, I think, are really cool. And that's something that I'm not necessarily used to because, I mean, in America it's very commercialized, so in Austin, we have ... Why am I forgetting what we have in Austin?
Manuel:
[30:00] You have South by Southwest.
Jae:
[30:01] No, no, that's the film festival. The music festival that we have in Austin. How did I forget that? I was there, Austin Music Festival. But anyway ...
Manuel:
[30:10] You've fully integrated into ...
Jae:
[30:11] I really, I totally completely forgot. Oh, ACL, Austin City Limits! We have Austin City Limits, which is a really cool festival, but it's pretty commercialized as well. And then obviously in Palm Springs, you have ... in Palm Springs you have Coachella, which is another really big commercialized, I think ... And I've never been to Burning Man, but I think Burning Man is like the most non-commercial, everything you get, at least from what people have told me about it, because it's like a place where you can't even buy things there, like everyone is very much this bartering system or not. But I like festivals and I like definitely going them in a summer because it is an escape to the world that you're used to, but also everyone has this common grounds of music, and music is such like a really nice way to bring people together. And also just to have this continuous thing of like not having necessarily to go home, but if you want you can go home. Yeah, 10 out of 10. I really love festivals.
[31:14] Speaking of bringing people together, I hear you are hosting events now.
Jae:
[31:20] Yeah, such a great segue!
Manuel:
[31:22] Thank you!
Jae:
[31:24] Yeah, I threw my first little mini "party," which was just like a picnic in Timpelhoffa Felt.
Manuel:
[31:32] Tempelhofer Feld
Jae:
[31:33] Tempelhofer Feld.
Manuel:
[31:34] There you go!
Jae:
[31:35] On Monday. I called it the Tempelhofer Feld Beach Party.
Manuel:
[31:42] Creative name.
Jae:
[31:43] And why the beach? Well, because me and my friend were sitting there one day and then we were looking at Tempelhofer Feld. And if you're looking at it like from like Schiller Kiez and you're looking at it with like all the grass and whatnot, and if you use your imagination - let me emphasize: use your imagination - you can see like the beach vibes there, because you have that one strip, you know, where like everyone is like biking and like juggling and doing all these weird things. I'm like: Those are the surfers. And then behind them is just like the water.
Manuel:
[21:10] You might even be on the same plane as Beyoncé, who knows?
Jae:
[21:14] Maybe, maybe. Fingers crossed. I don't think so, but fingers crossed! It's so ... I was just so curious as to why that concert is not in Berlin, because I would think that, you know, like true concert like Beyoncé should be in Berlin.
Manuel:
[21:27] Sometimes it's weird. Yeah, sometimes, yeah.
Jae:
[21:30] But Hamburg is nice. Yeah. I'm excited to see it.
Manuel:
[21:35] I don't do festivals anymore, honestly.
Jae:
[21:37] You don't?
Manuel:
[21:38] I mean, because I don't want to sleep in a tent. But I did go to Tempelhof Sounds last year, which was a festival in Berlin on Tempelhof, and then I could go home afterwards. But, I don't know, Tempelhof Sounds, the band, the lineup was great, the bands ...
Jae:
[21:53] Yeah.
Manuel:
[21:56] But it felt ... I realized this now that I was at this concert at Parkbühne or Waldbühne - it's so confusing - what I liked there too, was that it was ... it's like you have the stage with screens, and then you have the audience, and then in the very back, you have like a few stands that sell drinks and hot dogs and stuff. But Tempelhof Sounds, I realized now, was so commercialized through and through, like there were all these ... even like, between some of the audience and the stage, there were all these like stands and booths with like flags of brands of like Beck's and all these things, and you were literally, like you couldn't see the stage without also seeing advertisements.
Jae:
[22:44] Yeah.
Manuel:
[22:46] And that just kind of felt ... in retrospect, I don't know, it didn't ...
Jae:
[22:49] Very opposite of Berlin's culture.
Manuel:
[22:51] Yeah, and it felt just like they not only did you pay a pay a lot of money for the ticket, but they were also, kind of, you were just a way for them to make money.
Jae:
[22:59] Yeah, I think you nailed it, right. Very commercial.
Manuel:
[23:02] Yeah.
Jae:
[23:03] Berlin is not commercial city, if you guys have not noticed.
Manuel:
[23:06] I mean, it is and it isn't, but yeah.
Jae:
[23:08] It is, but people ... most people here don't like it.
Manuel:
[23:10] I like a more honest experience of I'm paying to see a show, and then I'm there and it's about the show.
Jae:
[23:16] It's about the show, it's about the music. It's not about a wage, it's just ... okay, this is ... we're just trying to make money.
Manuel:
[23:21] I mean a beer there was like €8, but that's, I mean, okay, whatever, you know, it's a concert, the beer is going to cost a ton of money. I'm not saying it's great that that's the way it is, but at least they're not putting up flags that you have to see, you know.
Jae:
[23:36] And they're just like trying to get into your face. Opposite of that, actually, is Fusion Festival. I've heard a lot of good things about Fusion Festival, which is very ... like they are not commercially ...
Manuel:
[23:49] It's like an indie festival.
Jae:
[23:50] Yeah, and they are very much like ... I'm actually like kind of ... not sad, but like there is some FOMO, we are missing out with this one, because I know a lot of people who are going to it.
Manuel:
[24:02] It's at the end of this month.
Jae:
[24:04] Yes.
Manuel:
[24:05] It's not in Berlin, we should say. Fusion is ...
Jae:
[24:07] No, no, it's in Germany. It's a Germany festival.
Manuel:
[24:10] A Germany festival?
Jae:
[24:12] It's a German festival! It's not in Berlin, but it's in Germany.
Manuel:
[24:17] It's been around for a long time.
Jae:
[24:19] Yes. It is labeled as a, like, "the holiday communist extravaganza."
Manuel:
[24:24] Wow!
Jae:
[24:26] That's what fusion-festival.de, describes it. And apparently, tickets, I think, were like around €220.
Manuel:
[24:37] Holy shit!
Jae:
[24:38] But what I will say is that what you get for that is really, I think, valuable. And one of the things that they did with this festival, if I can ... I can't find it right now, but one of the things that I heard that they did with this festival, is they broke down exactly what all the money was going to. So they were very transparent and very clear about like: Yes, this is how much a ticket is, but also this is what you're paying for. And that's a very, very honest and very, very, very respectable like ding. And a lot of what I've heard, and what people have said, this event is like, it's like having your own little city and this like little thing, but a city where everyone is very much connected and everyone is very much a part. And yeah, I've only heard good things about this festival.
Manuel:
[25:35] Yeah, yeah. What's the one in the US in the desert?
Jae:
[25:38] Burning Man.
Manuel:
[25:39] Burning Man. Not to compare it to Burning Man, like that's a different thing altogether, but it's ... just like Burning Man, it's ... the fusion festival is not so much about the lineup necessarily, like you're not necessarily going because you like the top three acts, but because it's about the experience. It's about being in this village for three days or four days and just spending an amazing kind of alternative reality with strangers. Whereas these big festivals like Hurricane and Southside and Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, those are very much about the big acts. I'm just checking ... Hurricane this year has Billy Talent, Kraftklub, Peter Fox, Rock am Ring. Let's see ... And those are also just as expensive, or even more expensive, but then when you're there, it's also so commercialized. Oh, Rock am Ring has Foo Fighters, Limp Bizkit. Yeah, those are about like the big bands, and ... oh, Kings of Leon. And yeah, it's a different thing. Like these big festivals are about these big, big famous bands, and also about the festival and stuff, but Fusion, I've never been, but I know many people who go kind of religiously every year just because it's an amazing experience.
Jae:
[26:57] I'll be going next year. Fingers crossed.
Manuel:
[27:00] Yeah. You have to buy tickets when they come out.
Jae:
[27:02] Yeah. And it is apparently lottery-based too. So you have to do like an application or whatnot, which also makes it a lot more like intentional.
Manuel:
[27:10] Yeah.
Jae:
[27:11] Yeah.
Manuel:
[27:12] Are you comfortable sleeping in tents?
Jae:
[27:13] Yeah, I did that actually, which I was going to mention now, the Whole Festival, which is a queer festival a little bit outside of Berlin that I did last year, and we slept in tents. This year we're trying to get like a camper van, but we did the tents last year and I was pretty fine with it. I mean, if you're around the right people ... and there weren't too many bugs, which I was okay with. But yeah, I would say that another festival that I did last year that I am really looking forward to doing this year is the Whole Festival.
Manuel:
[27:43] Whole festival?
Jae:
[27:44] Whole festivals. W-H-O-L-E.
Manuel:
[27:48] Mm-hmm.
Jae:
[27:49] And this is essentially just a queer festival that they take place in like this lakeside industrial park a few hours outside of Berlin, and they essentially kind of have ... one, they have a lineup, they have a few stages, but what they do, is they bring together all these queer collectives and they essentially make the festival out of that. So it was very queer-centric, very diverse, and a very nice environment. When I was there, I was like: I would love to live in a city that was just queer-run like this. It was just very peaceful, it was something that you don't necessarily see all the time in Berlin, or at least I don't see all the time in Berlin, and yeah, it was just cool like for those like three-and-a-half days, you were just partying, meeting new people, enjoying your time, sleeping a little bit, but definitely like that really freeing feeling that doesn't necessarily seem too commercialized as well either. Last year was the first time they had it since COVID, so that was really nice. This year of course things have grown, it's gotten bigger, so I will see how it is this year if it got more commercialized or whatnot. The prices did go up when they are allowing more people to buy tickets, so that is like hit or miss.
Manuel:
[29:10] But I guess, now that you mentioned it with a fusion festival, the price going up or being high might actually be an indication that they're not commercializing it, because if they're keeping the price low but then they're like putting ads everywhere and like selling you ... like then, you know, the food is so expensive that you basically can't afford it. You know, I would rather pay whatever it costs for them to run the festival and then just be there and have a good time and enjoy it.
Jae:
[29:35] Yeah, so they're not relying on advertisements and stuff like that.
Manuel:
[29:38] Or you then being the product there rather than actually the guest.
Jae:
[29:42] Exactly, exactly. Yeah, so these type of festivals, I think, are really cool. And that's something that I'm not necessarily used to because, I mean, in America it's very commercialized, so in Austin, we have ... Why am I forgetting what we have in Austin?
Manuel:
[30:00] You have South by Southwest.
Jae:
[30:01] No, no, that's the film festival. The music festival that we have in Austin. How did I forget that? I was there, Austin Music Festival. But anyway ...
Manuel:
[30:10] You've fully integrated into ...
Jae:
[30:11] I really, I totally completely forgot. Oh, ACL, Austin City Limits! We have Austin City Limits, which is a really cool festival, but it's pretty commercialized as well. And then obviously in Palm Springs, you have ... in Palm Springs you have Coachella, which is another really big commercialized, I think ... And I've never been to Burning Man, but I think Burning Man is like the most non-commercial, everything you get, at least from what people have told me about it, because it's like a place where you can't even buy things there, like everyone is very much this bartering system or not. But I like festivals and I like definitely going them in a summer because it is an escape to the world that you're used to, but also everyone has this common grounds of music, and music is such like a really nice way to bring people together. And also just to have this continuous thing of like not having necessarily to go home, but if you want you can go home. Yeah, 10 out of 10. I really love festivals.
Hosting Open-Air Events
Manuel:[31:14] Speaking of bringing people together, I hear you are hosting events now.
Jae:
[31:20] Yeah, such a great segue!
Manuel:
[31:22] Thank you!
Jae:
[31:24] Yeah, I threw my first little mini "party," which was just like a picnic in Timpelhoffa Felt.
Manuel:
[31:32] Tempelhofer Feld
Jae:
[31:33] Tempelhofer Feld.
Manuel:
[31:34] There you go!
Jae:
[31:35] On Monday. I called it the Tempelhofer Feld Beach Party.
Manuel:
[31:42] Creative name.
Jae:
[31:43] And why the beach? Well, because me and my friend were sitting there one day and then we were looking at Tempelhofer Feld. And if you're looking at it like from like Schiller Kiez and you're looking at it with like all the grass and whatnot, and if you use your imagination - let me emphasize: use your imagination - you can see like the beach vibes there, because you have that one strip, you know, where like everyone is like biking and like juggling and doing all these weird things. I'm like: Those are the surfers. And then behind them is just like the water.
Manuel:
[32:15] They literally do have the surfers, the wind surfers on like skateboards.
Jae:
[32:20] They do. They exactly do.
Manuel:
[32:22] We should mention, Tempelhofer Feld, for those that don't know, is a giant park. I think it's the biggest free area within a major city, like in the center of a major city, in all of Europe, and that's because it used to be an airport until recently. Until 2008, it was an airport and then the airport closed and they kept all the runways as just a park. And there was actually a petition, two, three years ago, where they wanted to start building apartments just on the edges of that area because it's such a big area and Berlin needs more apartments. And there was a referendum. So everybody who lives in Berlin who's able to vote, got to vote: Yes, we allow this, or: No. And the people of Berlin actually voted against it.
Jae:
[33:23] Whoop, whoop! Whoop, whoop!
Manuel:
[33:24] Which, although I voted against it. Although I do see the argument, I do see it, because it was going to be just the edges and stuff and we do really, really, really need apartments and stuff, so it's not very clear-cut, but basically, the sentiment is just like: This place is special, it is super special and we want to keep it. And it's a recreational place and ... I mean, I think, I mean, you talked about it in your last solo episode, it's just, it's open to everybody, and in the summer, even though it's a giant area, it's packed. People go there to roller skate, to cycle, to have picnics, to ...
Jae:
[34:03] And since it's so big, you don't feel too crowded.
Manuel:
[34:07] Exactly. Even when it's super crowded, t's not crowded because it's a giant area.
Jae:
[34:14] So much space there. And like, I don't know, it felt like the beach, because like everyone's just chilling and whatnot, so like the theme of this was like: Everyone come dress as if you're going to the beach or whatnot. And it was kind of just like, yeah, just all my friends just came, we chilled, and like, I also wanted to cultivate an environment also where my friends could like partake and, let's say, shrooms or like that type of thing.
Manuel:
[34:40] What??
Jae:
[34:41] But I wanted ... because like, I think, one of the things that ... there's a very heavy drug culture here in Berlin, especially going to parties or whatnot, and I'm kind of like fizzling out of that kind of culture, but I also want to make sure that if people want to do this, that they have a good environment to do this at, and they have someone who can like trip-sit for them and whatnot, so I was a lifeguard/trip-sitter in this.
Manuel:
[35:05] A big responsibility that you took upon yourself.
Jae:
[35:08] But I mean, it was very chill and very just nice, and my friend really ... a friend cooked for us. And then I bought like some arts and crafts types of things.
Manuel:
[35:18] Some what?
Jae:
[35:19] Arts and crafts type of things. I bought these vinyls, they were like €1 and I didn't like them, like I listened to them, I'm like: They're shit! And I brought some paint and we painted on the vinyls, so ... and I kept one and I gave one to one of the people that I met, Matt, at that little party thing. And it was just a really nice vibe. And then, oh, also, like I think I mentioned in my last episode that I really love curating playlists, so I made this like my set. Like, what I call it, I don't DJ, I curate. So I curated like these playlists and I put them in order. No one was allowed to cue music. And one person tried to do, like ... Because it wasn't his fault, but like I had told everybody ...
Manuel:
[36:07] But he ended up with a broken nose!
Jae:
[36:08] I had told everybody. I'm like, "Okay, this is like my one time where like I just want to play my music."
Manuel:
[36:12] "Where you're going to listen to my music, whether you want to or not!"
Jae:
[36:15] "Whether you like it or not!" And then when he asked if he could cue a song, everyone got quiet and they were like, "Huh?"
Manuel:
[36:22] "You're not supposed to ask!"
Jae:
[36:24] Everyone was like, "Oh my gosh!" And I handled it good, I just laughed. I didn't let him cue the song, because like it was my intention, like, it was the one thing I wanted to do for this event was just to play my music and curate a really nice vibe. And strangers I had just met that day were like, "You really curated a good vibe," and I felt very proud of myself for doing that. And I feel like I did that before when I had like my Thanksgiving dinner that I did, and it just comes to show that especially if you are new to Berlin or whatnot, you can create your own events and your own just like things and they don't have to be some big ordeal thing. My thing was just literally we just got speakers and we brought our blankets and someone cooked and everyone just brought a little bit of food or whatnot. And like we just made that the event.
Manuel:
[37:15] Totally. And you could do this, even if you don't know anybody, you could literally go to like meetup.com or whatever. And I mean, our guest, Lulu, from the dating episode mentioned that like she doesn't go to these things because it ends up being like a dating thing always, but I mean maybe Berlin has changed a lot. But I ... through meetups when I just got here, like I was really into like presentation, and I wanted to really work on my own presentation skills and stuff, and I just found that a thing ... I found like a coworking space that let us use their space in the evenings for free. And I just put a thing on Meetup and called it Presentation Club. And I was like, "Who wants to practice their presentation skills? Every week, this time, we meet here and we present to each other and we give each other feedback." And we had a group of like 10, 15 people who met once a week, and it was super chill and super fun. And I feel like there's so many like tech meetups and stuff, like if you're, I don't know, programming or doing anything tech related, there's like a million meetups there already, but you can literally, if you just want to hang out on Tempelhofer Feld and talk about whatever, just create a Meetup and call it for people who are new in town and want to talk about this and listen to my music, and you'll make some friends that way, maybe.
Jae:
[38:39] Yes, that is simply it. And if you're too nervous, you can just ask people around you, and make like a tele ... Like I just made a Telegram group. I put all the information into it, I shared the link with people, and I was like: Hey ... I told my friends,"Hey, if you have any friends that want to come, put them in the Telegram group and I'll update all the information there." So simple. Like my whole thing with this thing was it will be a low cost, because I don't have the money to make some big thing or whatnot. And these things don't need to be some extra extravagant thing And I think a lot of people think of parties that you have to find a venue or what not. No!
Manuel:
[39:13] No. Especially not in the summer.
Jae:
[39:15] Especially not in the summer. Like a party, for me, was just a picnic. I just wanted to call it a party, you know? It is something that anyone can do at whatever capacity that they want to do. It can be for anything. It can be, like for me, I'm an artist as well. If you want to make an art gallery little thing like at Tempelhofer Feld, just place your fucking shit on the ground and then make that a fucking gallery. There's so many things you can do, especially, and one thing I love about Berlin is Berlin doesn't have expectations. You're not expected to do fancy things. People do expect techno, and I put in my description, "No techno!" I was like: Kein techno.
[39:57] And people do expect that, but then you also offer the challenge of doing something that is not typical of Berlin. Like my music taste is very much like, I would say, indie, R&B, hip-hop, but then also some groovy, something like that, and I don't really find that here when I go to parties, so I was able to introduce this to people who probably have never listened to that type of music before. And then you also have control over it, you know. If it's your party, it's your choice what you do. And if people don't want to do it, they can just leave, you know?
Manuel:
[40:27] If someone wants to play their own song, they can fuck off!
Jae:
[40:29] They can fuck off! Politely, but yes! And like I don't know, I just think it's a really cool thing to do and I just really love the vibe and I really love the connections, and people just really liked it, and it was just so communal. So I would definitely recommend people try that out there if you have the time or whatnot. Just say, if you plan on going to the park tomorrow, make that your event, you know? It's the easiest thing to do. Easiest.
[39:57] And people do expect that, but then you also offer the challenge of doing something that is not typical of Berlin. Like my music taste is very much like, I would say, indie, R&B, hip-hop, but then also some groovy, something like that, and I don't really find that here when I go to parties, so I was able to introduce this to people who probably have never listened to that type of music before. And then you also have control over it, you know. If it's your party, it's your choice what you do. And if people don't want to do it, they can just leave, you know?
Manuel:
[40:27] If someone wants to play their own song, they can fuck off!
Jae:
[40:29] They can fuck off! Politely, but yes! And like I don't know, I just think it's a really cool thing to do and I just really love the vibe and I really love the connections, and people just really liked it, and it was just so communal. So I would definitely recommend people try that out there if you have the time or whatnot. Just say, if you plan on going to the park tomorrow, make that your event, you know? It's the easiest thing to do. Easiest.