Navigating the streets of Europe... It is a very peculiar experience navigating the streets of a foreign country where systems are similar enough to overlook but strange enough to warrant a pause. Take, for instance, something seemingly simple: pedestrian crossing buttons.
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Berlin Flea Markets The Arena Upon approaching the Arena it is not apparent that it is a flea market open to the public. The main entrance is a basic door with no more than a three-foot opening through which to enter, whereupon one is immediately faced with a scene similar to the one pictured below: Being that the market is situated in an old factory building, it is entirely enclosed by high ceilings and has a limited amount of space. This leads the vendors to precariously stack various goods on every possible surface, including other ‘for sale’ goods. Since most are there week after week, the stacking tends to be quite high. Navigating this can be quite a challenge due to such a layout, especially since items are often piled in a manner so as to obscure dead ends. Of note: the ceiling is beginning to wither away, such that while walking about one may be hit by a steady trickle of rainwater or bump a bucket that is spilling over with collected drippings. Wandering about, I felt a sense of adventure. It was exciting to see what was around each corner of towering goods—what odd treasure or activity might one stumble upon next? As you meander around the Arena, most, if not all, of the items for sale are secondhand goods that are not necessarily in working order. A small example list includes piles of assorted keys, rows of fur jackets, broken wrist watches, trinket figurines, cracked mugs, used bicycles, assorted tools, etc. In order to purchase a found treasure, one must first locate the vendor among the stalls and stacks. This is another distinct characteristic of the Arena: bartering. Once the vendor has been located, then begins the process of settling upon a price, usually through animated hand gestures since there is not necessarily a shared language, except for sometimes German or English, spoken at the market. Haggling appeared to be quite common, if not expected, seeing as how items were rarely individually priced. The experience is unique and culturally relevant, being that it is not the most common of western practices to deal in such a way, and it contributes to the overall atmosphere of internationality. Typically, one might hear of the wonders of bartering from a relative recently returned from abroad. The associations are foreign in nature, and this can be experienced at the Arena. One vendor was from Chile and I got to practice my bartering in Spanish. Another man had his child with him who, while I was browsing his wares, spoke in no less than three different languages. Mauerpark Heading in the direction of the market, already there are crowds collecting on either side of Bernauer St. along the walk from the nearby underground transit stop. During its peak, early spring to late fall, Mauerpark spans either side of Bernauer St., spilling over into a parking lot to the south with the main section sprawling well into the open Mauerpark (the namesake of the market). As you enter the main section of the market, a bustling crowd comprised of street performers, such as buskers and ‘free hug’ offerers, ushers visitors along, guiding them towards rows and rows of vendors selling everything from antique screwdrivers to handcrafted ear cuffs to authentic arepas. Pathways are clear and wide, but they also tend to be packed and planning a route that is not repetitive, and allows one to see everything is not possible. A typical layout is pictured below: The diversity of vendors is an overarching characteristic of Mauerpark, as is the festive atmosphere. Food carts have culturally diverse music playing from their spaces and to the west an open amphitheater just outside of the market hosts a variety of performers and speakers that entertain an engaged crowd, which can be heard from deep within the market. It is not uncommon to see vendors and crowd members dancing and singing along to various songs fluttering in and out of earshot, nor is it unexpected to glimpse fire twirlers or hula hoopers or picnickers just off to the side of the market in the field that runs parallel. Virtually anyone can set up their own table to sell their old clothes, or have an outlet to share what is normally a private hobby. The festive atmosphere of Mauerpark, with more kinds of offerings, and ways for people to plug their talents into the market, is something that I greatly appreciated. Additionally, the outdoors setting is appealing in that it provides for greater event participation as no direct affiliation with the market is necessary to contribute to the overall atmosphere.
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