No Treats, Just a Big, Fat, Dirty Trick

I really missed New York City this past weekend. (Sniff, sniff). Berlin, you are awesome in so many ways but I gotta say, you really fell short on what was supposed to be a rockin' Saturday night. I mean, you are the home of techno and the capital of all night dance parties. So why, WHY on a night when you can be freakier than ever did you choose to go all lame-o Holly Hobbie-like on me?

I should probably explain that I get ever so slightly excited about Halloween. It's my favorite holiday, mostly because I believe that it encourages people to act the way they really wish they could on a regular basis. Loud, silly, in-your-face, and apparently for some, super slutty. Whatever. If that makes you happy...

I also adore the creativity that comes with it. When I was a kid, my mom would brainstorm with my sisters and me for weeks in advance to come up with the most creative or silly costume possible. Most times, she would sew, construct, or paint the winning ideas for us, all on her own. I remember in fourth grade, coming down to pee in the middle of the night, and finding my mom still at the sewing machine, putting the final touches on my Statue of Liberty outfit. Mom, have I told you lately how kick ass you are?

Anyway, then there's Halloween in NYC. Folks, if you've never been there for it, try to see it, just once. Freaks on parade, I tell you. Literally...there is a Halloween parade in Greenwich Village and there is a host of accompanying freaks. It has a real Mardi Gras, spooktacular flair to it. And then there are all the revelers on the subway. By midnight, about 90% of mass transit passengers are trying to navigate themselves in their giant, ridiculous outfits while total strangers hoot and holler their approval. Now that's the spirit!

But in Berlin? (I am giving my biggest thumbs down ever). Sure, a few people were dressed up but they were mostly very un-fun costumes like witches or "Hey, I'm a dude dressed up as a lady!" type deals. Hilarious. And the non-costumed/costumed passenger ratio on the U-Bahn at 1:00 am was about ten to one. Bummer.

Jack's mom, a friend of hers, and I went out (don't worry...there was another sitter hired for the baby. We didn't just give him a stock of bottles and say, "Go to it, little dude. And don't forget to leave the door open!") to experience the city on Halloween. We did a little bar hopping, stopped at a comedy club, and then made our way to Kreuzberg for a Halloween party. After jumping on the U7, we shamefully threw on our equally lame-o costumes: kitty tails, ears, and somewhat crooked whiskers. (Sidenote: I couldn't find any good costume shops!!)

We arrived at the party to find only a few stragglers left. Granted it was 1:45 am at this point but still... it's Berlin! I was glad, though, to see that there were people very much in the Halloween spirit, clad in both spooky as well as silly get-ups (all Americans, I later found out). We also quickly realized that we didn't have the energy to strike up conversations with total strangers who probably had a few bottles of whiskey already in them. So we left.

Once on the street, we looked at one another's black noses and said, "Now what?" I, or course, advocated for snacks and the German woman quietly suggested, "Currywurst?" (More on the specifics of currywurst later). For my non-German readers, late night currywurst is the equivalent to getting a fat Domino's pepperoni pizza at 3am when you are half in the bag.

So our wild Halloween ended up with three little kitties, chomping on ketchup slathered currywurst and pommes frites on the street at 2 am. Although a fun evening all in all, not quite the Halloween experience I had expected in a city that is all about embracing its outlandishness.

I know that part of the "fun" of going to different countries is experiencing their traditions so I am trying to accept that Germany just doesn't get into the Halloween experience like America does, especially NYC. But it made me little homesick for you...you loud, grimy Big Apple, you. See you next month. Perhaps I will wear my kitty ears just for you.