Berlin Type Designer shares Turkish Delight

Verena Gerlach writes: First off, I have no clue about football/soccer at all except that at the end, the Germans always are winning (what I learned from Erik). This is my first text about this issue. So not to write a lot of nonsense about this sport, I will just give a short report from a lovely walk I took during the Croatia-Turkey yesterday evening through our neighborhood (Kreuzberg, Berlin), which is half-German, half-Turkish.

+ Start in Oranienstraße + within 100m already 5 flat screens on the street with lots of people watching the match + even more “public viewing spots” + since the world cup two years ago Germans/Turks love to be with others to watch football +

+ it’s possible to walk through the city without missing anything from the match + this match is really boring + all the time we pass by a screen, the players were standing around the ball, discussing anything + Turks in our street unusually quiet for the fact, that they are playing for the Viertelfinale (Semi-Finals) + still very boring match + so many bicycles +

+ first stop in front of a tobacco shop with screen and good atmosphere + we take out our wine (red and white), glasses, and enjoy the evening + god this match is so boring + go on walking with our wine (ha, we are in Europe!) + players still standing around seemingly discussing anything + very quiet in the streets +

+ Halbzeit (Halftime) and still nothing happens + next stop: another tobacco shop with some very nice Turkish families + they are starting to complain about the match + first “Türkiye, Türkiye!” cheers + more wine + go on walking + next stop: Turkish pizza place with a lot of fans dressed in red and white« + “Türkiye, Türkiye!” +

+ my camera is crap + already too dark for good pictures + we walk into the nearby
park + sitting and waiting for acoustic signals about the match + making jokes about Turkey always making the first goal in the last five minutes + must be Elfmeter (Penalties) already +

+ suddenly first shouts and fireworks + loud, but not loud enough, must have been a goal for Croatia + OK, it is getting exciting + next cheers much louder plus a lot of fireworks + must definitely have been a goal for Turkey + we go into the next bar with a television + second goal for Turkey + Croatian player misses the goal + OK, Turkey wins + and now? Germany against Turkey next Wednesday + Congratulations, but we definitely have to leave the area +

+ first Autocorsos (car parades) + dress code red and white + families running around + singing + dancing + half naked Turkish boys hanging out of their cars + fireworks + flags + more cars + congratulations + back to Oranienstraße + street already blocked + well done! + Hurra + red and white +

+ Drums, flags, singing + police blocks the whole area, because completely full already + Autocorso around the roundabout + I hate this camera + go to get the other camera + battery empty here too + promise to take a better camera next Wednesday + more flags + children in red and white dancing + making jokes about the colors being the same like from the EM hosting countries +

+ My Swiss friend Chantall already gave her fan make up to her Turkish neighbors + could take the polish and Austrian too + gigantic flags plus traditional chants + “Türkiye, Türkiye!” + “Türkiye, Türkiye!” +

+ we try to imagine what would happen if the Germans would march with flags and chanting “Deutschland, Deutschland” (sounds like “Schlaant, Schlaant!” actually) through any city in England + 0:00 already + go to a bar + 1:30 out of the bar + still Autocorso, singing dancing, red and white + go home + party goes on until four o’clock + next morning: the owner of the tobacco shop  looks really happy + tells me he didn’t sleep at all, like everybody else in the street + admits, that we all should leave the area next week and the Germans will win (of course) + everybody in the bakery very happy but worried about next week + very quiet morning in Kreuzberg + Congratulations!