Two weeks ago, I attended the annual Smolny student conference. Five days I frolicked about and ate lots and lots of pierogies. Not a single dull moment was lived. This article is a reflection on my experience of the city: I boarded at midnight. The experience was positively surreal. I had run across Riga airport
Tagculture
[Kulturbahn #40] May 1st – May 6th
► Monday: MyFest 2017 Join Berliners as they honour worker’s day by joining the Street festival and 1st of May parades. This year’s MyFest is against violence. It challenges previous violent clashes between the police and demonstrators by reclaiming the spaces around the Kiez in Kreuzberg and celebrates with peaceful festivity, culinary delights, performances, and
Language & Identity by the Beach
Watching the sun’s last rays glisten on the waves of the Mediterranean as its burning flame anticipates being quenched by the Sea’s cool water, I listen to Yasmine Hamdan’s raspy Lebanese dialect as she sings of Sehnsucht and heartache (watch video here) . Whether it’s a blessing or a curse, these are things I have long
[Kulturbahn #36] March 27th – April 2nd
► Monday: Gritty Glamour – a Queer Intervention This performance not only teleports the audience to Berlin’s nightlife and queer scene, but it also sheds light on the personal stories of queer and drag artists, who constantly negotiate their identity and explore their boundaries. The artists represent a wide range of Berlin’s nightlife figures, from
[Kulturbahn #34] March 13th – March 19th
► Monday: Populism, Politics & Propaganda This debate and panel talk questions the role of media and press in today’s rise of right-wing populism. On the one hand, the trend of “fake news” or alternative facts undermines the reliability of the media, especially in Trump’s America. On the other hand, journalists who want to uncover
Observations of a Woman in Cairo
Having been born and raised in Cairo by upper middle class Egyptian Muslim parents, gender issues and women’s rights weren’t topics typically dealt with in my family despite how “open-minded” my parents claim to be. A patriarchal culture filters through life’s many branches in Egypt, silencing the voices demanding the downfall of the patriarchy and
[Kulturbahn #28] January 30th – February 5th
► Monday: Brazilian Film Festival For all the cinema and movie lovers, take note: the annual Brazilian film festival brings to the screen a diversity of stories, styles, humans and lifestyles. The movies screened are of various lengths, budgets, a wide range of topics and genres. From documentaries to musicals, to suspense, drama, and biographies,
[Kulturbahn #26] December 5th – December 11th
► Monday: Medieval Christmas Market Imagine a gate opening in the art, culture and clubs hub of Friedrichshain to transport you to the medieval ages. In this historical Christmas market, you won’t find the usual kitsch; you’ll find everything from live medieval performances in music, acrobatics, and a fire-show, to unique handicrafts, and a tavern