Hold on one sec.  I’m gonna stand without this wind on it. Okay.

The corner of Neue Bahnhofstrasse and Sonntagstrasse.

Okay um, you just say, who you are, where you come from, where you’re going, why you’re in Berlin.

My name’s James Barnett and I’m from East Coast Canada, Nova Scotia.  And I’m in Europe, Berlin to play lacrosse at the Berlin Open.  And we’re here to get drunk now.

Where specifically are you going?

Ahum,  we went to England, then we went to Amsterdam, which was awesome.  Then we came to Berlin, and now we’re going to Ireland, on Monday.

Um, where are you heading right now?

Oh, the hostel.  We have a hos, youth ho, we’re staying at a youth hostel just up the road.  I’m not quite sure what it’s called.  And then there’s a big player’s party tonight, so we’re gonna go out and have a few drinks.

What kind of sport is that?

Uh, it’s field lacrosse.

How does that work?

Well, you have a ball.  And, these sticks and, those short sticks and, yeah.  There’s a lot of contact; it’s a very rough sport.  It’s kinda like soccer and hockey maybe together.

Okay.

Yeah.

Um.  Eric is spelling the word “werden,” which in German, which means “to become” or, future of to be. Uh, I will be, something. Um how does that connect to your, the spot your in right now for you?

Umm, well I actually really learned about Berlin and it’s history in history class this year at University so it was kinda interesting to come and see what really happened and, I find this place is very different, it’s a very different culture and the people are a lot different, but it’s interesting to see, like, how there’s such diversity between two different places in the world.

Different to what place, what do you compare it with?

Uh, just from Canada even.  Like.  I don’t know.  I find, people aren’t as nice really, here.

And there, people in Canada are not?

Yeah.

(Laugh)

No, I just, wait.  I don’t know, like in Canada it’s like you can walk up the street and just say hi to anyone, and they’ll say hi back and just strike a conversation with anyone, but, I say if you even try to say hi to someone here they just look the other way, but.  Like, that’s what I conclude, like maybe that’s ‘cause of the war, and, like you know just.  It’s just like, Berlin’s just really getting back together, isn’t it?  Like the last twenty-five years or so?

Seventeen.

Yeah, so I mean.

No, eighteen, yeah almost eighteen.

Yeah.

So um.  What is your impression of, of, the city?  Did you just get out of the station? 

Yeah.

Out of Ostkreuz?

Yeah.

Um.  The first impression when you got out of the station, what was it?

Oh, I thought it was crazy, I mean.  Just, people everywhere, like, where I’m from we don’t have the subways and stations like that, and just.  I just find, there’s so many different trends, like fashion wise, like I find in Canada a lot of people like copy other people, but here just there’s so much diversity and different, ways of dressing and stuff.

Do you like it?  Would you like to live here?

No.

Why not?

No.  I’m glad I came.  I’m glad I experienced Berlin and Germany.  But um, I don’t know, I just.  I just.  I don’t know I just.  I don’t know.  I like Canada.

What would you, what would you think you would become if you lived here, say, in this house just across the road, for five years?

It’s hard to say.  I live one day at a time really.  So I mean, I never thought I would be in Europe last year this time.  So I mean, now I’m doing that.  Who’s to say, I’ll probably end up moving to Amsterdam, to be honest with ya.  (Laugh)  I really enjoyed that.

What’s your wish for the summer?  What do you think the summer will become for you?

Ummm.  Well, I’m out of school right now for the summer so I just want to spend time with my family and friends and play lacrosse, really.  Drink some beers at the beach.  Chill out and then go back to school.  Train, well I guess I’ll be training for the, season, the University season really, so I’m just gonna take it easy for the next month or so.

Are you University, team?

Yeah.

I see.

Me and him play together, and we play against him.

Okay.

But we’re together now.

Yeah.  We’re all playing together now.

Against?  A Berlin team?

Yeah, there’s the, big Berlin Open.  It’s called the Berlin Open.  It’s the biggest European Lacrosse tournament, here. So.

And where is it on?  Which part of Berlin?

Oh my.

Do you know?

I don’t know.  It’s, we just came from the place. 

(Laugh)

Ah, okay, you’ve been training right now.

Yeah well, we’ve actually been playing already.

Licht, Lichtfelde.

Lichtfelde Stadium.

Lichterfelde.

Yeah, something like that.

Yeah I think so.

Yeah, really nice stadium, really nice stadium.  Um, yeah we did good, I think.  We came in second.  Lost in the championship game.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Yeah no problem.  I didn’t get your name.

Monika.

Monika.