anyway, last night I took in some culture at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm for a performance of Bertolt Brecht's anti-war piece "Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder" ("Mother Courage and her Children").  honestly, aside from the fact that Brecht is a bit difficult to understand even with knowledge of German, it was a great show.  the theater, an impressive and gorgeous old building dating back to 1892, is the home of Brecht's famous Berliner Ensemble.  my seats were essentially in the nose-bleed section, but here, as opposed to stretching really far away from the stage, the balconies rise high, giving even the cheapest seats a decent view of the circular stage.  i was particularly impressed with the flow of lights, music, sounds, and effects.  "rain" even fell onto the stage at one point.  

once the show let out, I definitely needed nourishment, so a friend and I went searching for a place.  we were in the neighborhood of rather touristy Friedrichstraße where prices were a little out of our range.  onward we marched in the direction of Humboldt University and came across Via Nova.  the Italian restaurant served us exactly the sustenance we were looking for: flavorful pasta dishes and amazing cocktails to wash them down with.  on a Saturday night i was a bit surprised at how quiet the restaurant was, but Humboldt University is on their semester break so most likely things will pick up around there as students return. 

definitely a good night. 

ps - lately been obsessed with Kinder Happy Hippos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCcUbq_CQLo some of the best candy ever :)