DAY 1 (5/23)
As I continually struggled with jet-lagged on the first day, I decided it would good to walk around Mitte. On Wednesday night, Daphna, Ara and I were walking around to find a place to complete our observations. It took a while to find a spot, however, I noticed the activity throughout Mitte. On the walk, I noticed the liveliness on some blocks in contrast to quiet streets within Mitte. In my watercolor map, I used color to highlight the activity of Mitte by the presence of people on the streets, restaurants or bars. The yellow and green colors represent the active streets, while the blue and orange signify its idleness. Incorporating the brown dot marks also helps signify its energy. While I took note of the presence of people within the streets of Mitte, I also noticed flyers and objects that made the walk interesting. I picked up flyers for an environmental activist group and an art exhibit by the name of Heroin Kids. Along the way, I also took leaves and plants from trees or plant holders in the street. I also took rubbings and etchings from a governmental and law building as their buildings contained repetitive brick patterns. After my walk, I found a place to rest my legs and take observations of Mitte. At 9:20 p.m. I sat in front of Tongo’s Cafe and observed people walking through or sitting at near restaurants or bars. As I grew up in a suburban town, I was shocked to see many people were out late on a Wednesday night. People seemed to be happy with either a friend or partner or in a rush to an unknown destination. It was interesting to walk through Mitte as I was able to become familiar with streets, businesses and the presence by Germans.