Ruckensport Abschluss

 Due to back problems, my German doctors prescribed me a series of 'Ruckensport' sessions. I had something similar in Australia, I was given about 6 sessions there. Here in Germany, 50 sessions!

I started last year and Ruckensport turns out to be going to a training room and doing some group exercises and also individually planned exercises from a trainer.

My trainer was really nice, and so were my fellow back pain sufferers. We've had a lot of fun in the sessions, as well as a few parties, a picnic and also celebrated the World Cup together. It's been quite social - and mostly all in German.

And so this week, my last, 50th session :(

Tradition dictates that the person who's last session it is MUST bring champagne. I've been the beneficiary of this in the past so only naturally I had to bring it this time. Drink of choice - Rotkäppchen.

Nearing the end of the session, the trainer asked 'What do you want to do for the last 10 minutes? Shall we just start drinking?' :)

As I retrieved the bottled from my locker, (out of sight from the rest of the group) I came back to the main training area to see them all on their mats with empty cups neatly placed in front of them....expectation!

Naturally we needed a group mirror shot (all faces obscured because they are Germans. Not sure what that means? just look at Google street view in Germany!)

And for the last time I signed my attendance sheet - with the long running misunderstanding that for some reason the trainer thinks my name is Antony. Its not.

A bit of a sad occasion, but I'm also glad I don't have to keep going there - especially in these cold dark winter months.

Kraftwerk 3D

And so for the second time in my life, I found myself standing outside a Kraftwerk concert.

Over the last few years, the incredibly influential electronic band Kraftwerk have been performing consecutive concerts at selected venues - playing each of their albums in their entirety. One album per night. Berlin concerts were announced in 2014.

From what I have seen, the ticket prices have always been very reasonable yet almost impossible to get. The Berlin gigs were no exception.

The concerts were held at the Neue Nationalgalerie, a classic Mies van der Rohe building which is to be closed for minimum 3 years for renovation following the concerts. Once tickets went on sale they sold out almost immediately. I heard stories of people who lined up for hours for the special midnight release of tickets at the venue itself, and still missed out. When I checked online that following day for when tickets were available to the public...all gone.

Which lead me to stand outside, with no ticket.

So I went on Monday 12 January 2015, which was the night the band would perform 'The Mix'. I hadn't been to earlier nights as the weather has been bad in Berlin. I had hoped to take a few photos of the Galerie with the Kraftwerk sign out the front and hopefully hear a bit of music.

When I got to the Neue Nationalgalerie, I was not so much surprised that others had the same idea as I did, but how clearly I could hear the music. I had already read that the almost all glass structure would be blacked out to shield the concert from outside, so I was even more surprised to find that we outsiders could see inside quite easily.

From several vantage points you could see the large screen, and several of the band members easily in their now well known skintight black with green grid uniforms.

As I arrived, 'The Model' was playing, and being 'The Mix' subsequent hit after hit was played. It was great to hear these songs live (even standing outside!) Like the Man Machine, Trans Europe Express, the encore of 'The Robots' in which the band reappeared as robotic versions of themselves, and finishing with 'Music Non Stop'...which afterwards, ironically, the music stopped. :P

While not ideal to be standing outside, it's all I could manage under the circumstance. Surprisingly it was actually a good experience and in some cases a much better concert experience than many other gigs I've been to (with ticket).

Maybe the third time I got to a Kraftwerk concert I will actually be standing inside the venue.