At the academy we have started the "Clay Modeling" course, in which we make pottery. Why are we learning pottery in a course that is supposed to enable us to offer social therapy to people with disabilities?

In the anthroposophically extended understanding of the natural world Rudolf Steiner explores and describes what he calls the etheric or the invisible world of living formative forces, forces that create everything that lives and grows into the manifold and complex expressions of the plant, animal and human world. Though we cannot see these forces with normal vision, their results are all around us in natural forms. We can create curves, hollows, and forms using our hands upon matter such as clay, wax or other materials. Clay modeling is intended to give the students experiences through an artistic media, of the living formative forces in nature. This will enhance the student's power of observation. In this sense, the course builds upon the observation work done in Human Being I. It also gives the student new skills and resources for therapeutic and recreational activity.

The initial experience is one of dealing with the substance involved, the clay, and learning some techniques and skills to work with it. The activity of creating forms, under guidance, leads to a feeling for the actual forces of growth in nature, the formative forces of the etheric, as Rudolf Steiner calls them. The self-conscious head can learn to take a back seat as the hands create and students gain a conscious sense for the etheric.

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Observe more acutely

• Guide adults in simple modeling exercises

• Appreciate the concave, convex and double-bent planes in nature and the human being

• Have a sense for heaviness and levity in form, and how forms relate to each other

• Have an experience of the metamorphosis of form from baby to adult to old age in clay relief as time changes the facial forms from convex to concave.

I particularly like the exercises where we are supposed to represent a transition. In one exercise, everyone was supposed to create a form of their choice under the table. Afterwards, we collected all the works we had created on the table and had to discuss together how the figures could be put in a sensible order. Then everyone was given the task of creating a new figure between two figures that represented the change from one state to the next. That was a lot of fun!

One of my favorite films is the 1979 film "Apocalypse Now" by Francis Ford Coppola. The film is based on the book "Heart of Darkness," but the setting was moved from the Congo in the 19th century to the Vietnam War. I listened to the book as an audio book and it really captivated me. Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) is supposed to track down Special Forces Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), who is wanted for murder and is hiding in the jungle. The film is full of brilliant actors who would later become famous, such as Laurence Fishbourne, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford. There is a documentary about the production process: "Apocalypse Now - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse", which deals with the many challenges of the production. My colleague, who is also interested in military history, has never seen the film. Nevertheless, he knows many of the quotes that are well-known in pop culture: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning", "Charlie doesn't surf" and the famous helicopter scene with the Ride of the Valkyries. We watched the film together, I brought snacks and drinks, he made delicious pancakes. The other colleagues were put off by the genre, but I think even those who don't like war films will be able to appreciate the film.

We were donated a tiny house that had been standing around for a long time. Now we have hired a company to insulate and expand this tiny house so that we can use it as an alternative room. For meetings, academy sessions and as an additional office. In order to get the tiny house onto the property, a bush and a piece of the fence had to be removed, leaving a large bare area. We planted succulents there, which store a lot of water and require little care. It felt like summer for the first time, it was so warm with over 18 degrees. In the garden we saw lizards and salamanders, which we disturbed while we were working.

We went on a hike in Nisene Marks State Park with the hiking group. A beautiful park! I really enjoy the fact that we take advantage of the good weather and go out a lot with the residents, for example to the beach, in the forest or in the park. to go for a walk. During a break in our studies, we students went to the beach in Seacliff after a visit to the cafe, where we lay on the grass and enjoyed the view of the Pacific. I fell asleep and felt very refreshed afterwards.

I discovered an interesting account on Instagram: "A Look Back Into History": https://www.instagram.com/alookbackintohistory/ 

With the help of artificial intelligence, videos are produced here that show a day from the perspective of people in different historical eras. For example, passengers on the Titanic, kamikaze pilots, Abraham Lincoln, citizens of the Soviet Union in 1953 and much more. On the one hand, it is really great how many different aspects of life are portrayed and how beautifully the atmosphere of the time is captured. On the other hand, the AI ​​also makes funny mistakes that become apparent when you look closely. Why is there a TV in the living room of the kamikaze pilot in the background? Why does the Soviet citizen have 6 fingers? Why does the soldier seem to be gliding over the ice floor? Here you can see that the artificial intelligence still makes a lot of mistakes. Nevertheless, it is fun to watch these videos and experience a bygone era from a POV perspective (point of view).

This week, Camphill California's annual benefit gala took place in San Francisco. Last year, I was unfortunately unable to attend the Camphill Triform gala because I had to stay behind with a resident. I was very thankful to be able to attend the gala this year! Our bell choir and our theater group rehearsed for a long time to perform at the gala. The rehearsals took place while I had courses in the academy, but my job was to support a resident during the gala instead. The event in the One Market Restaurant was split in two. In the first half, there was a cocktail reception with appetizers and cocktails. There was also a photo booth where you could take photos together. The gala had a Wes Anderson theme, so people were dressed very colorfully. Our residents performed and we were able to meet the families of the residents and supporters of Camphill. After the performance we drove back and ate at "Super Duper Burgers". In the second half, Camphill supporters were invited to a fine dinner and an auction was held to raise funds. 2 tickets to attend the reception and dinner cost $2500. The auction included a Grand Budapest adventure for two people. Three nights in a hotel in Budapest and three nights in a cabin near Lake Balaton. Former Camphill employees Szilvia and Bernard, who live in Budapest, are available to guests as tour guides. There was also a trip on a yacht in San Francisco, a day in a bourbon distillery and a home visit and personal dinner for up to 9 guests by the chef and sommelier of the One Market Restaurant. The gala and auction were hosted by Liam Mayclem, who did a great job. A fantastic evening where you could get away from everyday life in fancy clothes in a expensive hotel. I made a compilation of my highlights, which you can watch here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DGdjXEzpG7h/ 

One of our householders was in Los Angeles to help children affected by the big fire process their experiences and traumas for the organization "Emergency Pedagogy without Borders". The Passadena Waldorf School burned down completely in the fire in Eaton. The fires in Palisades and Eaton burned 23,400 and 14,000 acres respectively, destroyed 16,240 buildings and killed 28 people. Emergency pedagogy uses trauma-informed methods based on Rudolf Steiner's educational philosophy and therapeutic approaches to help children, families and educators process stressful experiences after disasters. These techniques help prevent post-traumatic stress disorder. Experienced emergency and trauma educators, trained by the international crisis expert Bernd Ruf, lead the sessions. Teams are interdisciplinary and include teachers, doctors, social workers, educators and other professionals. Snacks and water are provided for children and participation in the programs is free.

How can it help?

* Children: Rebuild emotional safety and stability through structured activities.

* Families: Provide guidance to caregivers to support healing.

* Educators and professionals: Equipped with tools to effectively deal with trauma.

What happens in a session?

Opening circle: 

* A sense of safety and community is created

* Age-specific Workshops:

Kindergarten (Note: Caregivers must stay with children under 6)

School age (6-10 and 11-13)

Youth groups

* Closing circle: Strengthening connection and healing.

What are the main event factors:

* Severity

* Duration

* Intensity of the event

Symptoms after a traumatic event can be:

* Anxiety and panic, loss of motivation, sadness and tears, anger and irritability, emotional numbness and mood swings, regressions and social withdrawal, overexcitement and nightly nightmares

* Psychosomatic (physical) reactions:

* Headaches and stomachaches, chills and tremors, loss of appetite and sleep disorders, nervousness and susceptibility to infections

Individual:

* Gender

* Age

* Personality structure

* Temperament

* Individual processing style

* Personal coping style

* Self-confidence

* Environment

* Presence and reaction of caregivers

* Social network

Risk factors:

* Childhood stress

* Trauma

* Experiences

* Reduced intelligence

* Lack of social Support

* Lack of self-confidence

* Drug use

Protective factors:

* Sensitivity

* Safe accommodation

* Above-average intelligence

* Social support

* Stress tolerance

* Religiosity

I'm currently feeling very exhausted and tired. I often struggle with falling asleep during the day, especially during long lectures when I'm just listening. When I came to Camphill California, I had to give up my three weeks of triform summer vacation to attend Orientation Week. Although I spent a week and a half in my home country after Orientation Week, I also spent a lot of time dealing with bureaucracy, cleaning up, and visiting embassies, so I wouldn't count that as a vacation. My last real vacation, a road trip with three friends to Boston and Philadelphia, was a year ago during Spring Break. If you are interested in my reports from the two cities, you can read everything here:

"Week 33 - 04/11/24 - Spring Break vacation in Philadelphia & Boston" (https://www.damonruhlaender.de/woche-30-39#h.hap8xtpyni64 )

So I worked for a year without a vacation and am now very exhausted. From March 5th to March 11th I will be celebrating Spring Break in Miami with Melli, a former colleague from Triform. I have to go back for one day (March 12th) for the academy. After that I will be going to Los Angeles for a week until March 19th, where I will take part in the marathon after a long training session. I am very excited! My running shoes are slowly falling apart, as you can see in the pictures, so I plan to get new running shoes beforehand. I will take a little break from the blog and report back after my vacation with my highlights from Miami and Los Angeles!

The week before my vacation, there was a lot going on in the community.

We celebrated Fasching and made beautiful hats in the SAGE Group. Our dance group rehearsed new dances. Our house rehearsed a dance by an Indian colleague who worked with me in Triform and was in my theater group. He is now a householder in Triform, but before his time in the USA, he worked as a professional Bollywood actor. On art afternoon, all the residents and coworkers made beautiful, custom masks for the dance. My royal costume, the laurel mask, and my giant hat created a costume that reminded me of the Neimoidian aliens from the Trade Federation in Star Wars: Episode 1. At Fasching, various groups and houses brought dances, performed one performance, and then led the community. We tried out many different dances, including Indian, Hungarian, and Armenian dances. It was great fun!

March 4th was Pancake Day! Every year on this day, the breakfast chain iHop invites everyone to a free breakfast, where everyone gets a free stack of pancakes. We went with the SAGE group and were delighted with the delicious pancakes with maple syrup. Here in the store, I noticed again how many signs the Americans have hanging in their stores. From notices in the visitor restrooms requiring all employees to wash their hands, to building and business licenses on the wall, to a sign requiring employees to "Breakfast Talk Only."

I did a fun exercise with the resident I'm working with on my project. She often has trouble choosing appropriate clothing for the weather. She had to cut out different people, match them to the weather based on their clothing, and name it appropriately. This was a lot of fun for both her and me, and at the same time, it increased her awareness of weather-specific clothing. We also painted a beautiful picture, which she gifted to her boyfriend.

I went jogging with one resident in Harvey West Park, while the rest of the house visited the Santa Cruz Library. A beautiful park, plenty of exercise areas, families with their children, and right next to it, a forest so dense that hardly any outside noise penetrates the nature. During one run, I saw a sign with a great message:

"In this house, we believe:

Black lives matter

Women's rights are human rights

No human is illegal

Science is real

Love is love

Kindness is everything"

Unfortunately, not everything is always peaceful here. I learned on Instagram from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff that a shooting occurred 19 minutes away in Watsonville at 9 p.m. A man was standing next to his car when a car with three passengers pulled up next to him. The people began shooting and hit two cars, but the man was able to escape unharmed. The perpetrators are on the run.

In the Academy course "Human Being through the Arts," we intensively explored art. The image of humans has been portrayed in many different ways throughout history. These changes reflect cultural development and provide insights into the evolution of the human experience. The development of human consciousness can be traced throughout history through the art of every era. This course offers us students the opportunity to engage with various artistic media through instruction and reproduction of historical images. We learned to perceive and describe these human and natural phenomena in clear, unbiased language. We developed a sense of the concepts of development and metamorphosis in nature and humanity. The exploration and deepening of the above-mentioned themes and skills took place through the artistic process. I had one to two hours of art a week in school, but received little practical art training. We were given a lot of paintings from different art periods and were then asked to try to organize them chronologically and then group them into different styles. That wasn't easy, especially with abstract art. We then tried to recreate different art styles, such as cave paintings from the Stone Age, ancient statues, or modern abstract art. That was a lot of fun!

The pottery class ended; I had a lot of fun and would like to continue. At the end, we formed a river and various figures. Thanks for the great experience!

The New York Times recently published an article about the benefits of a worm farm in your garden. Since last fall, I've been running my own worm farm with a resident, producing wonderful fertilizer. You can read more about it on the "Academy" subpage under "Professional Practice Internship / Worm Farm."

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/worm-composting/

My last vacation was during spring break in 2024, when I visited Boston and Philadelphia. When I transferred from Camphill California to Camphill Triform at the end of July 2024, I had to forgo my three weeks of summer vacation to attend Orientation Week in California and my embassy appointment in Berlin. This was very painful, as I had seen so many pictures of my colleagues taking road trips together through the USA and visiting Brazil, where two of my colleagues were from. After a year, it was time to take a vacation again. In the winter, Melli, a colleague from Triform who is originally from Saxony, wrote to me and asked if I would like to go to Miami with her. I associate Miami primarily with series like Miami Vice and CSI Miami, as well as films like Scarface, Bad Boys, and 2 Fast 2 Furious. I was really looking forward to finally relaxing on the beach. On the "Miami Highlights" subpage, I will present my recommendations—and warnings—in detail. Here, I'll limit myself to presenting my top highlights.

I've created a Reel where I've compiled my highlights for you:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DH6BF8GpCXe/

Highlights

1) Miami South Beach

Miami South Beach is what many people think of first when they think of Miami. Miami Beach is a separate city with 82,000 residents, which, while part of the Miami Metropolitan Area, is not part of the city of Miami with its 442,000 residents. When I first stepped onto the beach, I was truly amazed. A beautiful, clean beach and clear, warm water. I loved swimming here. I was happy to recognize filming locations from the movie "Scarface" and to visit the Art Deco district from the 1930s and 1940s on the beach. The restaurants here are very expensive, so you should bring your picnic from a supermarket. The beach chairs are also very expensive; we paid $70 for two chairs and an umbrella. You don't pay per hour, but per day, even if you don't plan on spending the whole day there. Therefore, it's best to bring chairs and food with you, otherwise it will be an expensive beach experience.

2) Rooftop Cinema

In Miami Beach, I visited the Rooftop Cinema Club South Beach. The film "Scarface," which is set in Miami, was shown there. Scarface is one of the great classics of the mafia genre and deals with a gripping historical episode in Miami's history: the Mariel Boat Crisis.

In May 1980, Fidel Castro opened the port of Mariel near Havana, Cuba, to reunite Cuban and American family members. Boat owners traveling to the United States were forced to bring along opposition figures, criminals, and the mentally ill. 125,000 people came to Florida, equivalent to 1.3% of the total Cuban population. The US was now faced with the challenge of determining who was a welcome anti-communist and who was a criminal. Estimates put the number at 25,000. The criminals were involved in the drug trade, among other things, and by trafficking cocaine, they damaged the reputation of the many Cubans who wanted to build a living in Florida through honest work. The film established the modern gangster film with its colorful, loud images and modern music. Watching the film on the roof of a house in Miami Beach, with the Miami skyline in the background, was an unforgettable experience. There were cocktails, popcorn, hot dogs, and burgers. I ate popcorn, drank a delicious cocktail, and enjoyed the warm spring night.

3) Everglades

I was really looking forward to the Everglades. When I think of Florida, I picture the famous airboats and alligators in expansive swamplands. Everglades National Park consists of tropical marshland and is a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 60km-wide waterway, which flows at 1 meter per hour, is often only a few centimeters deep. It's too shallow to navigate the Everglades with regular boats. Therefore, there are airboats (swamp boats) powered by propellers. These become quite loud when accelerating; many passengers covered their ears at high speeds (55 km/h). Some of the water is used to supply drinking water to neighboring cities like Miami. The park is home to the only wild flamingos in the USA, and it is also the only area on earth where both alligators (freshwater) and crocodiles (saltwater near the coast) live. In the swamps, you can see wading birds, pelicans, cormorants, storks, black bears, snakes, alligators, American crocodiles, manatees, pumas, and turtles. 350 different species of birds, 300 species of freshwater and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles live here.

To explore the Everglades, we took a bus to the Everglades Holiday Park. One-hour guided airboat tours are offered here near Fort Lauderdale. We saw three alligators and enjoyed the ride through the swamp landscape. After the ride, we were able to take photos with snakes and baby alligators. Afterwards, we saw a show by the "Gator Boys Alligator Rescue." The trappers catch alligators that stray onto private property and release them back into the park. The group was part of the TV show "Gator Boys" and is committed to protecting this endangered species. They demonstrated how they capture alligators and how they communicate with them in an enclosure with several alligators. A great experience!

4) Little Havana / Haitian Carnival

We visited the Little Havana district, where many Cubans settled after the Mariel boat crisis (see the section on the Rooftop Cinema). It is the most famous community of Cuban exiles in the world. When we visited, the famous Calle Ocho Festival was taking place. It's part of Miami's Carnival celebrations and conveys the typical Caribbean carnival atmosphere. The festival is one of the largest in the world, with over a million visitors annually. While trying to walk from one end of the carnival to the other, I passed numerous stages (there were supposedly more than 30 stages!), hundreds of food stalls, dancers, and bands. Reggaeton, salsa, bachata, and merengue music is played here for the many visitors. I left the festival after 2.5 hours, but the festivities seemed to continue for several blocks. It's a huge street festival where you can sample the food of various Central and South American nations. I'm a huge churro fan and found a wonderful churro shop and tried Cuban frita for the first time (more about that in my Miami Highlights). The nationalities of the visitors are evident, as many people wear clothes with their national flags, gather in groups, and dance traditional dances together.

5) Key West

Key West is an island at the southern tip of Florida, six kilometers long and two kilometers wide. Miami is 266 km away by car. The island is located 153 km north of Cuba and 171 km northeast of Havana. It is the southernmost city on the US mainland (which it is considered to be because it is connected to the highway by numerous bridges) and was the landing point for many Cubans during the Mariel Boat Crisis. The main street, Duval Street, is 1.8 km long. It is a tranquil town with beautiful beaches, charming shops, and an atmosphere conducive to leisure. President Harry Truman spent the winter here in the "Winter White House," and Ernest Hemingway made his home here. I particularly enjoyed visiting Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, a Civil War-era fort. The fort was used intensively during the Spanish-American War (1898), World War I (1917-1918), World War II (1941-1945), and the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962).

Lowlights

1) Spring Break

Miami was long known for attracting students from all over the USA to celebrate spring break on the beach. That era is now over, and Miami has declared war on spring break tourists. Among other things, they have released a video to discourage tourists:

https://youtu.be/nz3T20EXDdo?si=XWNPONRrh4VTT3cG

In fact, in the evenings, police cars are parked every few meters to prevent people from gathering on the beach. Anyone who wants to party has to go to expensive clubs and bars. Public celebrations, as is completely common in Berlin, are no longer permitted here. There are many car and alcohol checks, and overall, it felt very oppressive in the evenings. We had hoped to meet other young students here, but there are no public parties anymore, and the clubs were too expensive for us. Florida and Miami were long known as a retiree's paradise, but with the spring break festivities, they became attractive to many young people. Now it seems to be turning back into a place for the rich and retirees, who see young people partying on the beach as a nuisance.

2) Public Transportation

A colleague who was in Miami before me recommended that we get a rental car. I should have listened to her. We were frustrated by delayed or canceled buses at least twice a day, which often left us stranded and forced us to take long detours. We always allowed an hour's buffer for appointments, which was really necessary. There are no display boards or announcements telling you when the bus is coming, at least in Liberty City and Little Haiti. Google Maps is very inaccurate here, sometimes we waited half an hour and the app told us that the bus had just left, even though it never passed us. Or stops were shown that were no longer in service. If you don't live in the city center or Miami Beach, rent a car. This way, you can drive freely to the Everglades or Key West and aren't dependent on buses. Our best moments weren't in the city itself, but in the Florida countryside anyway.

3) Liberty City / Little Haiti

Since Melli, as a student, and I, as a volunteer, don't have a big budget, we chose one of the cheapest AirBNBs. Our recommendation: spend a little more money and don't get a room in Liberty City or Little Haiti. We stayed at Bunks Bed Miami Central in Liberty City near the border with Little Haiti, which, at $25, was pretty cheap for Miami. There were two 8-bed rooms, each with a bathroom with a toilet and shower. The guests weren't tourists, but apparently people who had come to Miami to work. By 6:00 p.m. the first people were already asleep, and by 4:00 a.m. the first people were up. It was difficult to sleep in or hang out and relax. The other guests showed little interest in chatting; everyone was very self-centered. Theoretically, it's well connected, as there's a bus stop five minutes away. But especially at night, getting from here to Miami Beach or Little Havana or back is a matter of pure luck. The buses are very unreliable; once, after several buses didn't show, we decided to walk for half an hour instead. Liberty City and Little Haiti are very poor neighborhoods, predominantly inhabited by African Americans and Haitians, respectively. Many houses are in poor condition, the typical chain-link fences have numerous holes, and drug addicts roam the area in the zombie gang which is typical for fentanyl users. One day, when we wanted to eat our ordered food in a park, we discovered that every single bench was occupied by a homeless person, and numerous people were camping in the park. We finally found a bench on what turned out to be a public sports field belonging to a school. Older students were practicing with younger students there in the afternoon, and numerous parents were also there to cheer the children on. It was fun to watch them peer teaching. On the way to the AirBNB, a dog barked at us. After a while, we turned around and realized that the dog had apparently escaped through a hole in the fence and followed us for some time. That felt a little threatening. Several police cars were parked at one house, bathing the street in blue and red lights. Not a place you want to walk for a half hour at night because there are no buses coming to take you home. It's better to invest a little more money and stay more centrally, or rent a car if you live on the outskirts.

Overall, we had a lot of fun in Miami! Our tip: don't focus too much on the city itself; instead, rent a car, relax on the beach, explore nature (Key West & the Everglades), and enjoy the beautiful weather! Miami itself is quite expensive and not as big as you might think.

After a week in Miami, I flew back to San Francisco and was picked up at the airport by a colleague. As an Academy student, I'm not allowed to take time off on Academy days and had to come back on Wednesday to attend my classes. On Wednesday evening, I boarded the bus in San Francisco, fell asleep, and woke up in Los Angeles after an eight-hour drive. I'll detail my highlights on the "Los Angeles Highlights" subpage. Here, I'll limit myself to my most important highlights.

Highlights

1) Marathon

The main reason for my trip to Los Angeles was to participate in the Los Angeles Marathon. I tried to rest my feet in the days leading up to the marathon and not walk around too much in Los Angeles. Therefore, I took it a bit easier and took tours of Los Angeles and Universal Studios instead of exploring the city on my own as usual. Successfully completing my first marathon was an overwhelming feeling—especially in Los Angeles, where I ran past numerous landmarks known from film and television. You can read more about the marathon in week 34.

2) Santa Monica Pier & Venice Beach

On my first day in Los Angeles, I stored my suitcases at a store on Venice Beach (Bounce Luggage Storage Venice in Native American World). The staff was very friendly and helpful, and they stored my luggage at a very low price. Afterwards, I sat down at a Starbucks, enjoyed the view of Venice Beach, and made a video call with friends and family. After a delicious breakfast, I strolled along the beach. The beach is very different from Miami Beach; it was also much cooler in California, and the weather wasn't ideal for swimming in spring. Arriving at the Santa Monica Pier, I immediately recognized many things from the video game "GTA 5," which I played a lot with classmates as a teenager. There are many shops on the pier and an amusement park where I rode a roller coaster. It was a lot of fun; from the top, you have a great view of the ocean and the beach.

3) Little Venice

Not far from Venice Beach, you'll find Little Venice. This neighborhood was built in 1905 by Abbot Kinney, who wanted to create a neighborhood that evoked the feeling of Venice. With the advent of automobiles, the canals were considered outdated, and some were filled in in 1929 to make way for streets. In 1992, the canals were renovated, restoring the neighborhood's former glory. Many of the old buildings have since been replaced by modern ones. What I really like is that all of the canals have public paths, so the expensive houses don't have direct access to the water, allowing visitors to enjoy the beautiful canal landscape.

4) Chinese Theatre & Hollywood Walk of Fame

Los Angeles is often associated with the Hollywood district. Hollywood Boulevard runs through Hollywood, and over 2,803 plaques with stars have been inscribed on its sidewalk, honoring individuals with outstanding achievements in film, television, music, radio, and theater. The Walk of Fame was established by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 1957/58.

The official selection criteria include three points:

• professional achievement in the respective star category,

• at least five years of sustained presence in show business (longevity of five years in the field of entertainment),

• and charitable contributions to the community.

Muhammad Ali didn't want "people trampling on the name of my beloved prophet, from whom my name comes," so in 2002, his star was not embedded in a sidewalk slab, but affixed to the facade of the Dolby Theatre.

The Germans honored include:

• William Dieterle (1960)

• Marlene Dietrich (1960)

• John Ericson (1960)

• Emil Jannings (1960)

• Kurt Kreuger (1960)

• Fritz Lang (1960)

• Lotte Lehmann (1960)

• Ernst Lubitsch (1960)

• Lilli Palmer (1960)

• Luise Rainer (1960)

• Henri René (1960)

• William Steinberg (1960)

• Frederick Stock (1960)

• Bruno Walter (1960)

• Siegfried and Roy (1999)

• Heidi Klum (2007)

• Eric Braeden (2007)

• Hans Zimmer (2010)

• Christoph Waltz (2014)

In front of the Chinese Theatre, which is also located on Hollywood Boulevard, you can find the handprints, shoeprints and autographs of numerous celebrities dating back to 1927. Here I found the prints of Quentin Tarantino and Keanue Reeves, among others. I saw the movie “Mickey 17” at the Chinese Theatre. Unfortunately, the movie was quite a disappointment, I will write more about it in the “Los Angeles Highlights”. But the cinema itself has a very impressively designed, prestigious auditorium and is therefore very often used for movie premieres.  I saw the movie "Mickey 17" at the Chinese Theatre. Unfortunately, the film was quite a disappointment; I'll write more about it in the "Los Angeles Highlights." But the cinema itself has a very impressively designed, prestigious auditorium and is therefore frequently used for film premieres.

5) Hollywood Sign

During my visit, I was able to see the Hollywood Sign, which thrones over the city. On my last evening, I made my way to the Hollywood Sign. The bus doesn't go directly there, so you have to walk about 30 minutes to get some nice photos at the Innsdale Trailhead. I was traveling alone, so I asked a man if he could take my photo. He agreed and said he was a photographer. How lucky to meet a photographer by chance. We chatted and discovered that he was from Santa Cruz. I told him about my volunteer work at Camphill California in Soquel, near Santa Cruz. He told me that his parents had their own movie theater in Santa Cruz—the Nickelodeon. Many of the Camphill employees still remember the movie theater, but unfortunately, it had to close during the COVID pandemic. He offered to drive me back to Hollywood Boulevard so I didn't have to walk the 30 minutes back. I had a very interesting conversation with him. Growing up in Santa Cruz, he studied to become a teacher and began working as a teacher, but then decided he wanted to enter the film world. He then studied cinematography at the Los Angeles Film School and now lives and works in Hollywood. He has collaborated with stars like Jack Black and has worked on productions such as History of the World: Part II, A Futile and Stupid Gesture, and A Black Lady Sketch Show: https://www.imdb.com/de/name/nm0974172/

Thanks for the great conversation!

6) Universal Studios

If you want to visit Hollywood Studios, you should definitely stop by Universal Studios. A large theme park with many roller coasters and attractions awaits you, including a replica of Hogwarts, Springfield, and Jurassic Park. There's also a fantastic tour of the studios, where you can take a look at the sets of American and European cities, learn more about film production (how are weather effects created? How are special effects used?), and drive through the sets of famous films like "War of the Worlds," "Jaws," "Murder, She Wrote," and "Nope." I'll tell you more about this on the "Los Angeles Highlights" subpage.

7) Scum and Villainy Cantina

One evening, my feet aching from the marathon, I headed to the "Scum and Villainy Cantina" bar. Star Wars fans will love the bar, as it's a replica of the bar in Mos Eisley. They have many delicious cocktails, and that evening there was a public viewing of a series (The Penguin), which was very entertaining. I got chatting with the bartender, and a little later, a friend of his came by, and where are they both from? Santa Cruz! What are the chances of randomly meeting three people in one evening who also come from the same city? I had a great conversation with both of them about their European travels, the openness of Californians (I never had such an easy time striking up conversations with strangers in Germany), and my work at Camphill. I had a wonderful evening at the bar, which is also located on Hollywood Boulevard.

8) Griffith Observatory & Innsdale Trailhead

The Griffith Observatory is located on Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. From up here, you have the best view of Los Angeles. Take a bus or be prepared for a long hike—don't come by car, as parking fees increase exponentially the closer you want to park to the observatory. From here, you can also see the Hollywood Sign, but the Innsdale Trailhead is better for a selfie, as you're closer. At the observatory, you can learn about astronomy, stars, and planets. The telescope is the most used telescope in the world, with over 9 million users since its opening!

Lowlight

1) Downtown Los Angeles

My lowlight was definitely Downtown Los Angeles. From the Griffith Observatory, you can see how few skyscrapers Los Angeles has. There are 21 skyscrapers over 600 feet and two skyscrapers (Wilshire Grand and U.S. Bank Tower) over 1,000 feet. Most of Los Angeles is fairly flat, but stretches to the horizon, as the city is surrounded by numerous other cities (Torrance, Long Beach, Santa Anna, Anaheim, Pasadena, etc.). Downtown itself is sparsely populated; it's quite dirty, and you'll encounter many drug addicts and homeless people. 

One moment has stuck in my memory. A delivery robot, picking up food orders from restaurants and driving them to customers, drove along the sidewalk in front of me. A drone flew above me, probably taking photos. Below it was a homeless child on the dirty ground, begging for money. The sight deeply moved me. The streets are populated by robots and drones, while people have to beg for the bare necessities. Is this the American dream?

Prices are expensive, so there's relatively little to do here, apart from a few museums. The beach and Hollywood are further to the (north)west, so when choosing a hotel, don't assume that your AirBNB or hotel has to be close to downtown—that's not where you'll be spending much time. My hotel, the Freehand Los Angeles, was wonderful, especially compared to the AirBNB in ​​Miami. Although I shared a room with eight people, there were two bathrooms, and it was much more comfortable. There's a great hotel lobby with breakfast and a restaurant, and best of all: a rooftop bar with a view of Los Angeles and a pool! It costs $38 a night, but that's a fair price for Los Angeles. I enjoyed swimming in the rooftop pool after the marathon and then lying on the lounger under the patio heater. One evening, while I was lying in bed, a security guard came into the hotel room. He asked a guest to come to the reception, who replied that he had changed rooms and was now sleeping in the room. During the conversation, it emerged that the security guard recognized the guest from the camera surveillance. This guest had apparently sneaked into rooms in the past under the pretext of changing rooms. While people were sleeping, he stole their valuables. So I can consider myself lucky that the security guard was so attentive and threw the thief out. However, the incident made me decide that I'm tired of sleeping in eight-bed dorms and would rather spend more money on my own room in the future. Then I can sleep in and don't have to worry about whether my valuables will still be there the next morning.

The trip to Los Angeles was worth it just for the marathon. My day at Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier was very relaxing, and the visit to Universal Studios and the studio tour were worth the high admission price. I met some very interesting people and really appreciated the openness of Californians. Los Angeles is a city worth visiting! It's a sprawling city full of interesting places, especially for film fans.

When I was in school, I often enjoyed going for walks in the evenings after long days. I would listen to music or my favorite podcast ("Auf ein Bier") and walk through the deserted streets of the Berlin suburbs, which helped me clear my head. Running wasn't a hobby back then, but I enjoyed walking through nature and relieving my stress. I never liked school sports; the constant pressure to perform and the strict assessment based on age groups without consideration for individual improvement never motivated me to develop a love of sports. High jump, long jump, dodgeball, parallel bars, and horizontal bar—I never enjoyed any of those things. Since childhood, I have regularly and enthusiastically gone kayaking. In the summer, my mother and I often went to water sports clubs on the Lake in Zeuthen and the surrounding area to rent kayaks. The lakes here have the advantage that the shores are not all built up and private property; many public forests allow you to land on the shore, have picnics, read books, go swimming, and then continue on your way. No cell phone, no watch, just a kayak, swim trunks, a picnic box, and a good book. In 2012, I had my "Jugendweihe" (youth consecration ceremony), which, like Christian confirmation, celebrates the transition from childhood to adolescence. Many relatives came, brought gifts, and celebrated with me. While many of my friends spent their money on new computers, I fulfilled a long-held dream: my own two-person kayak! It was quite expensive; I spent €700 on it—which later turned out to be one of my best investments. 13 years later, I still own the kayak, and apart from a few minor scratches, it's in perfect condition! I miss kayaking, but I'm already looking forward to exploring the waters in Berlin and the surrounding area with renewed appreciation upon my return.

When I started university after graduating from high school in 2017, I had much more time to develop new hobbies. I started going to the gym regularly and significantly improved my fitness. In 2019, I started jogging regularly every week. I remember having trouble running the 5k in one go at first. I often had to stop and run, arms at my sides, short of breath. The great thing about running is that you don't need expensive equipment, you don't have to learn rules, rehearse techniques, find teammates, or join clubs. If you have shoes, you can just get going. Start running and see how far you get. Tomorrow you'll run again—maybe a little further or a little faster. It's not a competition; you just have to motivate yourself. You can't lose—but every run is a win, a small step forward. In May 2023, I finally felt ready to participate in my first big race. I participated in the S25 Run in Berlin and ran the 25k through Berlin in 2 hours and 29 minutes. 8,500 runners of all ages took part. The 25km race started in front of the Olympic Stadium and led past the Technical University and the Golden Angel, through the Brandenburg Gate, past the Gendarmenmarkt, Potsdamer Platz, and the Gedächtniskirche, back to the stadium. Along the route, there were many cheering passersby and drummer groups who encouraged us runners, and numerous volunteers along the route provided us with refreshments. At the end, the race went through the catacombs into the stadium, where all the runners who finished were honored with applause and medals. Immediately after crossing the finish line, I was congratulated by my volunteer colleagues from the Red Cross, who were working as first responders. I did the run as part of a fundraising campaign for the Triform Camphill Community; a lot of money was raised through my IJFD support group. Motivated by the run, I participated in the Munich Half Marathon in July 2023. The race didn't go through the entire city, but through the English Garden Park. It was raining heavily, so we ran through the mud in the park, which was hardly fun. It took me two hours to run the 21.6 kilometers. When I arrived in Triform in August 2023, I started running every morning before work. This helped me reduce stress and get fit for the physical labor on the farm. In the summer of 2023, I weighed 94 kilograms (207 lbs). In the summer of 2024, before I left for California, I weighed myself again and found that working on the farm and running 5 km every day had helped me lose 18 kilograms. I weighed only 76 kilograms (167 lbs) ! In California, I continued running every morning, this time together with a resident who loves running, too. No longer I was running along of fields and forests like in Upstate New York, but on the Pacific coast of California. I'm having a hard time getting used to the idea of ​​not being able to go jogging on the beach every morning when I leave California. 

When I was thinking about where to go on vacation, I took the opportunity to find out where major running events were taking place. I came across the Los Angeles Marathon, a city I'd always wanted to visit. So I made the decision: on my vacation, I would go to Los Angeles and explore the city by running the marathon. While I paid just under 80 euros for the S25 run in Berlin, the Los Angeles Marathon, including photos and videos, cost 262.66 euros. But how often do you get the chance to jog through Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and downtown Los Angeles? After a week in Miami, I went to Los Angeles, where on March 16th I ran the first full marathon of my life.

My alarm went off at 3:30, and at 5:30 I was picked up by the shuttle from the train station and taken to Dodger Stadium. I dropped off my clothes in the bag and warmed up for the race. 26,000 runners from all 50 US states and over 70 countries gathered in front of the stadium, a huge crowd. After the starting gun was fired, it took 21 minutes for me to cross the starting line. It was a special race because it was the 40th marathon to be held in Los Angeles! 93 legacy runners took part in the race, having participated in every race since 1986. The atmosphere was unparalleled; thousands of people gathered along the route, cheering, dancing, and playing music. I saw drum groups, school choirs, rappers, DJs, and rock bands. They handed out snacks and drinks and cheered us on with all their might. Thank you to each and every one of you. You gave me so much strength, facing such a huge challenge alone in a new city!

We started at Dodger Stadium, then went to Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Bunker Hill, Echo Park, Sunset Junction, Thai Town, Little Armenia, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Century City, West Los Angeles, Westwood Park, and Brentwood.

The marathon took me past numerous landmarks:

• Dodger Stadium

• Chinatown Dragon Gate

• Olvera Street

• Los Angeles City Hall

• Little Tokyo

• Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels

• Dorothy Chandler Pavilion

• Echo Park Lake

• Barnsdall Park

• Pantages Theater

• Capitol Records Tower

• Hollywood & Vine

• Hollywood Walk of Fame

• Musso & Frank Grill

• Grauman's Chinese Theater

• Chateau Marmont

• Whiskey A Go Go

• The Troubador

• Beverly Hills City Hall

• Rodeo Drive

• Historic Route 66

You can read more about these and other landmarks on the "Los Angeles Highlights" subpage.

I made numerous funny observations during the run. I saw police officers and firefighters running in full gear—presumably to raise money for a good cause. One man ran in a baby manga costume.

The biggest challenge was in the second quarter. I noticed that my feet, already very tired from my vacation in Miami, were starting to develop blisters, which opened during the run. I didn't experience any side stitches, leg pain, or arm pain (which I unexpectedly developed during the S25 run) during the entire run. My biggest weakness was definitely my feet, which were starting to hurt at this point. My karate teacher taught me as a child: "Pain is just a feeling. We control our feelings." And so I focused on my goal and enjoyed catching beautiful views of a new city around every corner, one that seemed foreign yet so familiar from countless movies.

By the time I crossed the finish line, I couldn't even feel my feet anymore. The joy of having run my first marathon was endless. I felt like I could run much farther. At the finish line, I received my medal, a huge and very valuable one. Photographers were waiting to take photos of us, and there were delicious snacks and drinks at numerous stands. Many runners used the provided thermal blankets as bags to collect all the snacks and drinks. I had my medal engraved with my finish line and name at one stand. I ran the half marathon in 2 hours, so at the same pace, it would have taken 4 hours to complete the full marathon. I expected an extra hour because I had to conserve my energy during the long run. But I actually managed to exceed my goal. I only needed 4:47:07 minutes for the 42 kilometers, which works out to a pace of 0:10:57 minutes for a mile, or 9.65 km/h:

https://results2.xacte.com/#/e/2574/searchable/20793

I was on place 1120 of 2016 from the group of men between 25 and 29. Overall, I was in 7923rd place out of 21202 participants. After the engraving, I took advantage of the free massage that was available to all runners. I can't remember ever having a professional massage before. It was only 15 minutes, but it felt wonderful to be massaged after a run. Afterwards, I walked to the nearby Westfield Century City Shopping Mall, which was almost entirely populated by marathon runners. Here I sat and watched the other runners being hugged by friends and family and eating together. The restaurants were very expensive, so I simply ordered a burger from Shakeshack, sat comfortably on the outdoor rooftop and relaxed. When I got home and took off my shoes, blood was dripping onto the hotel carpet. I counted 6 blisters on my feet, one of which was already bleeding. That evening, I jumped into the rooftop pool on the roof of my "Freehand Los Angeles" hotel and enjoyed the downtown Los Angeles skyline from a lounger under the patio heater.

Race photos:

https://instant-gallery.finisherpix.com/Gallery/8797/20793/a3d1840f5962018834f0608cf81c813204255242fa0eec906befded90daf0f03

Race video:

https://download.finisherpix.tv/video_download/8796/20793