If You Want To Destroy The Puppy...
Apr. 27th, 2025 10:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lupestripeThe fallout from the Supreme Court's ruling on transgender people in the UK continues to be horrific, which has seen me lose a significant amount of hope in general. Things are generally bad politically right now anyway, but the UK lurching more to the far-right at the same time as Germany seems to be doing, has put me in a depressive mood. Not even the increasingly better weather can help, although I have at least had a good distraction as Petephin came to visit this weekend. This meant we had a jolly good tidy as well - Petephin is our first visitor of the year so we did all of our Spring cleaning last week and the house really needed it.
He came over on Saturday lunchtime as on Friday evening, I had my first monthly writers' group meeting. I had been wanting to be part of a writing group for a while as I think more collegiate support will really help me grow as a writer. Furthermore, I have been feeling a little concerned I've been asking people for beta reads too much. A writing group will resolve this as we will submit stories for each other to beta read every month. I have probably been writing a little too much over the last few months and submitted two stories this time around, which was more than the one each that everyone else submitted, but it was a very useful exercise and I am sure there will be months when I will deliver less. The call was over two hours and I found it incredibly useful, so I'm looking forward to this venture continuing. It was also very affirming to hear people I respect in the writing community commend my work. I struggle with confidence a lot, so it's always nice when you're told that your work is good.
Partly in defiance to the UK Supreme Court, I painted my nails and threw on my finest pink on Saturday before meeting Petephin. I bumped into him outside Spandau Arcaden and, after taking him to my house to drop off his bag, we headed into town. As we left, we bumped into our neighbours who were on the way to Gatow for a Floor 5 meet-up. We would have gone had we not had Petephin visiting, with some of our neighbours having cycled there and others having taken the bus. Still, we got a nice ten-minute chat though and hopefully we can meet up with the Floor 5 crew again soon. We hadn't really planned much beforehand and in the end headed to the mini Eiffel Tower near Rehberge. This is outside a French Institute of some kind and is pretty shit. It doesn't even have the definitive arched structure at the bottom of the tower, plus it largely seems to be made out of wood.
Petephin wanted to check out the fetish shops down in the gay area so this is where we went afterwards. Mr B was his choice pick and after going there and a few others, we ended up in Boxer where I discovered they have a massive puppy play section downstairs. I saw a wonderful pink and black leather pup hood which was difficult to refrain from buying, but I did take a picture of it to consider purchasing it later this week. The truth is, though, I don't know when I would wear it. Wandering around the gay area - and trying (yet failing) to get into bars like Woof and Prenzknecht later - made me realise just how isolated I am here. It shouldn't be this difficult to make friends in the gay and kink scene and yet we always seem to be alone. It doesn't help that Wolfie isn't too sex-orientated, but he doesn't seem to interested in going out, and my self-confidence is so low that I can't do it on my own. Seeing a rubber gimp fully bound and being hypnotised by a VR headset program while being hit in the balls at pop-up store Villain Garcon made me really want to get back into the scene again. I feel so out of everything.
Despite this slight sadness, we pushed on, heading to BRLO as Petephin's knee was starting to play up. They were doing a New York Giants American Football event but mercifully that only seemed to be at one end of the beer garden. We managed to snag a table at the far end near the toilets, but there was some concert or other going on and so it was a little too loud. A quick relocation and we found a decent spot. Petephin bought the first beers and we alternated while waiting for Wolfie to arrive, who had spent a little more time in the house than expected. It was great sitting in the beer garden again as it really does have a sense of summer about it. It will also be one of the things I'll miss most when we leave Berlin. I was also chain buying the BBQ sprinkled popcorn. Petephin was a little underwhelmed initially but soon started to understand this addictive snack, so much so that I think we ended up buying four packets.
We were feeling a little hungry after this so I booked a table at a place called Sushi Berlin in Charlottenburg. This was on a whim - Petephin wanted sushi and this place seemed highly rated. We got there for the booking at 8:30pm and grabbed three maki sharing boards, with the idea being we would just swap out anything we didn't like. In the end, we largely ate our own meals, which were fresh and very delicious. You could see the chefs making the maki in the restaurant, which is always a good sign, and the subdued yet glamorous decor also worked for me. Afterwards, we tried to go to the gay bars but they were too busy and both Wolfie and Petephin needed a seat. Therefore, we decided to go to the Union Jack Whisky Bar where we had a Guinness and a dram of whisky each. Petephin had never had a whisky he liked before and the staff here were very good, selecting an Irish blend that was a good starter option. It turned out to be a whisky he did like, while I had a Speyside single malt in keeping with the usual ones Blacksnip and I tend to share. Wolfie had a Glenmorangie aged in IPA casks out of curiosity. We were turfed out at around midnight and decided to head straight back to Spandau on account of Petephin's long day. This meant we managed to get up reasonably early today although on our way back, I was saddened to see the closure of our local Bio Store. We weren't regulars, but it was always useful if we needed just one or two things. I was surprised to see it go.
I awoke this morning to see Petephin doing a little work, so once he had finished, we made our way over to Tempelhofer Feld. I had only been here once before, back in January 2021, and so it promised to be better on a warmish Spring day. The frustrating thing is it is about an hour to get to, but we had a little time before Petephin needed to catch his train. The first thing we did was buy a beer at a concession near the entrance, while also noting that 12:00 to 18:00 was waffle time. With beer in hand, we walked down one of the runways and just chatted, admiring the old terminal building that was coming into view. A walk around the periphery followed, where we got to read some signs detailing the history of the complex. A recreation area and military training ground from the 18th century onwards, it is no surprise that it became what it did. The Hitler Workers' Day rallies in 1933, 1934 and 1935 were a nod to this site's darker past, as was the prison which doubled up as a concentration camp. The history of the airport was also covered, both on the signs and in the dinky visitor centre which we visited towards the end. As we read one of the signs, a polyglot asked me about German World War II aircraft in German, switching to English when he saw I was struggling. I did feel envious about his ability to speak six languages – he spoke to Petephin in Portuguese a while too – and lament that my lack of German is one of things that’s holding me back here. The best thing though was looking at all the people having a great time. There were designated BBQ areas, while near the toilets, a load of Indians were playing cricket. It is quite unlike what happens in the UK and highlighted to me why I love being in this city in the Summer.
We left at around 3pm via Sudstern (having entered the park on the U8 at Leinestr.) noting that Templehofer Feld is so huge, you can get to it easily from about seven stations. En route here we saw a beautiful church which I think now caters to the Polish community. I was going to go inside, but there was a Mass going on. Once we had gotten back to Spandau, Petephin picked up his bag and we headed over the road to Mini Pizza Express to get some food. This place had opened a couple of months ago and we had been meaning to try it. It sells pizza by the slice for €2.50 from a window overlooking the main street, but it was decided to get a sit down meal. We shared two pizzas between the three of us - one salami and one chicken - and this proved to be just the right amount. The chicken one was particularly tasty, although the thin nature of the crust meant the toppings kept falling off. It was only when we were leaving that we noticed the availability of cutlery. After this, Petephin swung by McDonald's to get a few burgers for later and then we showed him to his train.
Wolfie was a little limpy so he headed back after this, but I didn't want to waste the rest of a sunny day as it was still only 5pm. I therefore headed down to Onkel Toms Hutte (Snooter) to see the Bauhaus architecture down there. I had somehow missed most of this last time I visited, which is odd as the houses are very brightly coloured (which is why it's known as the Papageiensiedlung). For a couple of hours, I let myself get lost in the various Siedlungen, walking up and down Argentisicher Allee and spying the tell-tale architecture of this movement. The Siedlung here is huge and was built between 1926 and 1931, with the shopping arcade of the U-Bahnhof being of similar style. It was the colours that were striking though - one street had deep blue housing, others had bright red, yet more had green - while down the main street the colours alternated. The main architect was Bruno Taut and the whole area has something of a countryside feel. In this area, there is also the more conservative architecture down at Am Fischtal. Indeed, the Bauhaus movement was not without its detractors and a few years later, Heinrich Himmler oversaw the construction of the Waldsiedlung Krumme Lanke a short distance away. This is Germanic rustic charm and reminded me a little of an English country village. These days, the addresses are highly desirable but they were built in 1937 for SS officers. It was quite peaceful and I felt a little on edge walking around there, but it was a pleasant walk and within easy reach of Krumme Lanke station, with its art deco 1930s frontage. This was where I ended up before heading back to Spandau having spent an enjoyable walk around this neighbourhood in the sun.
He came over on Saturday lunchtime as on Friday evening, I had my first monthly writers' group meeting. I had been wanting to be part of a writing group for a while as I think more collegiate support will really help me grow as a writer. Furthermore, I have been feeling a little concerned I've been asking people for beta reads too much. A writing group will resolve this as we will submit stories for each other to beta read every month. I have probably been writing a little too much over the last few months and submitted two stories this time around, which was more than the one each that everyone else submitted, but it was a very useful exercise and I am sure there will be months when I will deliver less. The call was over two hours and I found it incredibly useful, so I'm looking forward to this venture continuing. It was also very affirming to hear people I respect in the writing community commend my work. I struggle with confidence a lot, so it's always nice when you're told that your work is good.
Partly in defiance to the UK Supreme Court, I painted my nails and threw on my finest pink on Saturday before meeting Petephin. I bumped into him outside Spandau Arcaden and, after taking him to my house to drop off his bag, we headed into town. As we left, we bumped into our neighbours who were on the way to Gatow for a Floor 5 meet-up. We would have gone had we not had Petephin visiting, with some of our neighbours having cycled there and others having taken the bus. Still, we got a nice ten-minute chat though and hopefully we can meet up with the Floor 5 crew again soon. We hadn't really planned much beforehand and in the end headed to the mini Eiffel Tower near Rehberge. This is outside a French Institute of some kind and is pretty shit. It doesn't even have the definitive arched structure at the bottom of the tower, plus it largely seems to be made out of wood.
Petephin wanted to check out the fetish shops down in the gay area so this is where we went afterwards. Mr B was his choice pick and after going there and a few others, we ended up in Boxer where I discovered they have a massive puppy play section downstairs. I saw a wonderful pink and black leather pup hood which was difficult to refrain from buying, but I did take a picture of it to consider purchasing it later this week. The truth is, though, I don't know when I would wear it. Wandering around the gay area - and trying (yet failing) to get into bars like Woof and Prenzknecht later - made me realise just how isolated I am here. It shouldn't be this difficult to make friends in the gay and kink scene and yet we always seem to be alone. It doesn't help that Wolfie isn't too sex-orientated, but he doesn't seem to interested in going out, and my self-confidence is so low that I can't do it on my own. Seeing a rubber gimp fully bound and being hypnotised by a VR headset program while being hit in the balls at pop-up store Villain Garcon made me really want to get back into the scene again. I feel so out of everything.
Despite this slight sadness, we pushed on, heading to BRLO as Petephin's knee was starting to play up. They were doing a New York Giants American Football event but mercifully that only seemed to be at one end of the beer garden. We managed to snag a table at the far end near the toilets, but there was some concert or other going on and so it was a little too loud. A quick relocation and we found a decent spot. Petephin bought the first beers and we alternated while waiting for Wolfie to arrive, who had spent a little more time in the house than expected. It was great sitting in the beer garden again as it really does have a sense of summer about it. It will also be one of the things I'll miss most when we leave Berlin. I was also chain buying the BBQ sprinkled popcorn. Petephin was a little underwhelmed initially but soon started to understand this addictive snack, so much so that I think we ended up buying four packets.
We were feeling a little hungry after this so I booked a table at a place called Sushi Berlin in Charlottenburg. This was on a whim - Petephin wanted sushi and this place seemed highly rated. We got there for the booking at 8:30pm and grabbed three maki sharing boards, with the idea being we would just swap out anything we didn't like. In the end, we largely ate our own meals, which were fresh and very delicious. You could see the chefs making the maki in the restaurant, which is always a good sign, and the subdued yet glamorous decor also worked for me. Afterwards, we tried to go to the gay bars but they were too busy and both Wolfie and Petephin needed a seat. Therefore, we decided to go to the Union Jack Whisky Bar where we had a Guinness and a dram of whisky each. Petephin had never had a whisky he liked before and the staff here were very good, selecting an Irish blend that was a good starter option. It turned out to be a whisky he did like, while I had a Speyside single malt in keeping with the usual ones Blacksnip and I tend to share. Wolfie had a Glenmorangie aged in IPA casks out of curiosity. We were turfed out at around midnight and decided to head straight back to Spandau on account of Petephin's long day. This meant we managed to get up reasonably early today although on our way back, I was saddened to see the closure of our local Bio Store. We weren't regulars, but it was always useful if we needed just one or two things. I was surprised to see it go.
I awoke this morning to see Petephin doing a little work, so once he had finished, we made our way over to Tempelhofer Feld. I had only been here once before, back in January 2021, and so it promised to be better on a warmish Spring day. The frustrating thing is it is about an hour to get to, but we had a little time before Petephin needed to catch his train. The first thing we did was buy a beer at a concession near the entrance, while also noting that 12:00 to 18:00 was waffle time. With beer in hand, we walked down one of the runways and just chatted, admiring the old terminal building that was coming into view. A walk around the periphery followed, where we got to read some signs detailing the history of the complex. A recreation area and military training ground from the 18th century onwards, it is no surprise that it became what it did. The Hitler Workers' Day rallies in 1933, 1934 and 1935 were a nod to this site's darker past, as was the prison which doubled up as a concentration camp. The history of the airport was also covered, both on the signs and in the dinky visitor centre which we visited towards the end. As we read one of the signs, a polyglot asked me about German World War II aircraft in German, switching to English when he saw I was struggling. I did feel envious about his ability to speak six languages – he spoke to Petephin in Portuguese a while too – and lament that my lack of German is one of things that’s holding me back here. The best thing though was looking at all the people having a great time. There were designated BBQ areas, while near the toilets, a load of Indians were playing cricket. It is quite unlike what happens in the UK and highlighted to me why I love being in this city in the Summer.
We left at around 3pm via Sudstern (having entered the park on the U8 at Leinestr.) noting that Templehofer Feld is so huge, you can get to it easily from about seven stations. En route here we saw a beautiful church which I think now caters to the Polish community. I was going to go inside, but there was a Mass going on. Once we had gotten back to Spandau, Petephin picked up his bag and we headed over the road to Mini Pizza Express to get some food. This place had opened a couple of months ago and we had been meaning to try it. It sells pizza by the slice for €2.50 from a window overlooking the main street, but it was decided to get a sit down meal. We shared two pizzas between the three of us - one salami and one chicken - and this proved to be just the right amount. The chicken one was particularly tasty, although the thin nature of the crust meant the toppings kept falling off. It was only when we were leaving that we noticed the availability of cutlery. After this, Petephin swung by McDonald's to get a few burgers for later and then we showed him to his train.
Wolfie was a little limpy so he headed back after this, but I didn't want to waste the rest of a sunny day as it was still only 5pm. I therefore headed down to Onkel Toms Hutte (Snooter) to see the Bauhaus architecture down there. I had somehow missed most of this last time I visited, which is odd as the houses are very brightly coloured (which is why it's known as the Papageiensiedlung). For a couple of hours, I let myself get lost in the various Siedlungen, walking up and down Argentisicher Allee and spying the tell-tale architecture of this movement. The Siedlung here is huge and was built between 1926 and 1931, with the shopping arcade of the U-Bahnhof being of similar style. It was the colours that were striking though - one street had deep blue housing, others had bright red, yet more had green - while down the main street the colours alternated. The main architect was Bruno Taut and the whole area has something of a countryside feel. In this area, there is also the more conservative architecture down at Am Fischtal. Indeed, the Bauhaus movement was not without its detractors and a few years later, Heinrich Himmler oversaw the construction of the Waldsiedlung Krumme Lanke a short distance away. This is Germanic rustic charm and reminded me a little of an English country village. These days, the addresses are highly desirable but they were built in 1937 for SS officers. It was quite peaceful and I felt a little on edge walking around there, but it was a pleasant walk and within easy reach of Krumme Lanke station, with its art deco 1930s frontage. This was where I ended up before heading back to Spandau having spent an enjoyable walk around this neighbourhood in the sun.
Yes ...
Date: 2025-04-27 09:52 pm (UTC)Also, buying and promoting works by other trait-having people is another form of resistance. It simultaneously gives them resources and gives the bigots a poke in the eye. \o/