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Eat your way through Berlin this summer. This article is done in collaboration with Wolt. GET 6€ OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER WITH WOLT: USE CODE 'PLAYFULWOLT' WHEN CHECKING OUT. Berlin is filled with food culture, inspiration and taste sensations that are often a lot more casual than what you’ll find in other big cities. Although they do it so very well, and we want to welcome them back, and thank them for all the love they bring to us through their kitchen’s. We’ve therefor listed some of our favorite alternatives so that you can rest and enjoy your day to the fullest. Breakfast & Brunch Eating breakfast and brunch out in Berlin takes some patience. Get pancakes and Champagne delivered to your door and enjoy it on the balcony instead. Here's our favourite picks: – ’Royal Canadian Pancakes’ with bananas, bacon, butter and maple syrup & a bottle of Crémant from ' Breakfast Club by Quchnia ’ – ’Avocado Bagel’ with avocado, scrambled eggs, guacamole and tomato salad & Frozen ’Strawberry Twister’ Frappe from ' What a treat Kreuzberg/Friedrichshain ’ – ’Shakshuka’ - poached organic eggs in spicy tomato sauce with peppers, fresh herbs, bread and feta cheese from ’ Stilbruch Kaffee ’ Lunch Berlin offers original kitchens from all around the world, and manages to keep it simple and casual, yet outstandingly delicious. Bring your lunch outside, alone or with a friend, and don’t forget a blanket. GET 6€ OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER WITH PROMO CODE 'PLAYFULWOLT' Our favorite picks: – Chinese ’Pai Huanggua’ - Cucumber salad – though this is not roughly describing it, ’Yuxiang Qiezi’ - vegan eggplant in a homemade sweet chili bean sauce & Brooklyn Lager from ’ Kingsjoy ’ – Japanese ’Seitan Ramen’ with vegetarian broth, bamboo, shiitake mushrooms and morels & ’Honest Organic Tea’ with Peach Rosemary from ’ Hachiko ’ – Indian ’Palak Paneer’ Indian cream cheese with spinach, spices and basmati rice, ’Sesame Naan’ - wheat flour bread with sesame seeds & Mango-Lassi from ’ Singh Indian Street Food ’ Dinner Never have we been looking more forward to trying new restaurants, letting ourselves be spoiled and free. I don’t want to spend time grocery shopping or do the dishes on warm summer nights - but instead open up all windows and put on some Leonard Cohen, or Ellen Allien - everything goes together with this: Favorites: – Vietnamese ’Creamy Tofu’ - organic tofu in golden coconut curry cream with sweet potatoes, Hokkaido pumpkin, ginger, lemongrass and jasmine rice from ’ Nymami ’ – ’Pasta Frutti di Mare’ together with, yes red wine works - ’Ancilla Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 0,75l’ from ’ wn9 oysterbar ’ – Pizza ’Buffalo Mozzarella’ with ’Pittnauer Pitt Nat 0,75l’ or ’Orangina 0,25l’ from ’ Estelle Dining ’ Tapas These places have both wine and tapas that will make all your friends want to stay forever on your balcony, or in your couch. At least if you live in Berlin, where wine can be delivered to your doorstep. Yes we’re lucky here. Sorry for everyone who’s reading this from Sweden or Norway - but hey, you can still get tapas to your doorstep. Picks: – ’Entremeses’ - mixed plate with Manchego cheese, salami, air-dried Spanish ham and Iberian chorizo, ’Pulpo a la Gallega’ - octopus on a bed of potatoes with fine olive oil and hot paprika, ’Pimientos de Padron’ - fried mini peppers from ’ Atame ’ – ’Hummus’, ’Sabich Plate’, ’Roasted Cauliflower Plate’, ’Pickled Olives’ and ’Labneh Cheese’ & ’Le Rosé Gaul 0,75l’ from ’ Kitten Deli ’ – ’Vegan Cauliflower Wings’ - cauliflower fried in its own gray beer batter and panko with spring onions and two dips of your choice from ’ Eigengrau ’ Sweet tooth No explanation needed, just treat yourself. Yes: – ’The Japanese Pancake Overload’ - sweet, vegetarian, homemade Japanese pancakes with white chocolate, cranberries, thyme and pistachio crunch, served with “Eigengrau” rum cream, lemon jelly, strawberry coulis, salted caramel and banana from ’ Eigengrau ’ – ’Apple Strudel’ from the Alp kitchen ’ Wildes Fraeulein ’ – ’Oolong Peachy Milk Tea’ from ’ 90°C Bubble Tea & Cafe’

By: Chiqui Love Illustration: Lidia Garyca Sapinska It’s 9 pm at the stripper flat on a typical Saturday night - 8 girls and just 1 bathroom - rush hour for mirror space and shower time; the veterans bring a compact and shower early, but most are new recruits from countries like Poland, Bulgaria or Czech Republic who have just arrived to work over the weekend. Others were sleeping most of the afternoon because of the late night the night before. The scent of the flat is a fusion of fried chicken, hairspray, candy body spray and self-tanning lotion. 9:30 pm We rush out; the new girls following behind, and little by little we head to the club as fast as we can in order to avoid the dreaded 10 Euros fine for those who arrive even a minute later than 9.45pm. 9:40 pm We arrive and put our names on the list only to find there are already 10 girls on the list! WTF!!! It’s a small club but what choice do I have but to try and stay positive and remind myself that it only takes one or two guys who really want to spend their cash on you to make my time here worthwhile. 9:45 pm Changing room madness. There are always new faces on the weekends as well as your usual suspects - the overly excited and positive baby strippers, the veterans, the princesses, the curious girls who claim they are there for “research” purposes, the single mums, the big money makers, the showgirls, the arty ones and the ones who are spies for the owner and snitch about everyone (maybe her implants have hidden cameras and a sound recording device too, who knows! Nobody likes a snitch). This is perhaps my favourite part of the night. The excitement of seeing my friends, getting into my look for the evening, overhearing a kaleidoscope of stripper conversations, spotting tampon strings, seeing someone put glitter on their butthole, seeing the punk artsy dancers transform into real life barbie dolls. This is where the magic happens, where short hair lengthens using wigs and extensions, short nails become acrylic nails in neon green and sharp like penknives, pale skin is tanned and glitters, tracksuit bottoms become high legged neon string extravaganzas. The coven is now ready! As I’m about to head to the floor, Tania asks if I‘ll do her hair. She wants soft curls and she‘s an angel so I agree. She tells me all about her son and the long journey to Berlin from Hungary by car which she takes most weekends. I have so much admiration for her, and I might add, I did an excellent job with those soft curls - she looks stunning. We are killing it tonight! 10:00 pm No customers have arrived yet. I went for the thigh-high red pleaser boots and my electric blue undies as it makes me feel like a slutty Wonder Woman. Missy is practicing pole tricks, Susie is stretching, Monica is taking selfies, Laura is FaceTiming her Pomeranian puppy somewhere in the UK and most of the other girls are on their phone. We get a free drink, so I head to the bar to claim my dinner - a Vodka Tonic with lime and lemon; 2 of my 5-a-day fruits in just one drink! There are a total of 29 of us here tonight! Far too many for such a small club but the show must go on and the night is just getting started. 10:10 pm Jessy and I are having the following small talk: Me: I had to go to the hospital the other day because I had tonsillitis and had to pay 200 Euros! Jessy: Oh I hate going to the hospital! The only time I went willingly was when I went to get my boob job. Me: OMG, same here! The owner, who is always eavesdropping, was nearby and says: Oooh!! I also had something done. We are like wtf? Why was he even listening and why does he think we care? But he continues anyway. Owner: Guess what it was? I am thinking penis enlargement or Brazilian butt lift? Both: No idea. Plus we really couldn’t give a shit. Owner: “I had liposuction because I used to be fat and I like the good life way too much to give up eating and drinking”. Me and Jessy are both laughing at him in our heads but he’s known for having a rather fragile ego so we compose ourselves and pretend it’s not funny and make no comment whilst I try really hard not to spit my vodka tonic in his face! I make my excuses and leave because I need to share this bit of information with the other girls (aside from the snitch with surveillance cameras for nipples of-course - I’m sure she already has all his medical history). 10:20 pm The first group of guys arrive and they are a bachelor party from Glasgow. The usual suspects are: - The one who thinks he is too hot and therefore doesn’t want to spend any money - The old dude who respects you too much to get a lap dance from you - The one who has never been to a strip club before (Yay! we love these ones) - The married one who will probably fall in love with a stripper because she is not like his wife and she listens to him (for money) - The stag who is in between scared and excited (and he should be because Roxy is in da house) We wait till they get their drinks and then attack like a pack of lioness’s. The groom: I’m getting married Me: send her my condolences His mate whilst waving a fake note worth 50cents to us: “Would you look at me when you are dancing on the stage and make it really special?” Me: (Fake laughing) well if you give me something more than fake currency worth 50 cents, then perhaps (errrrrm nope!) Susie is on the stage dancing to tainted love by Marilyn Mason AGAIN!! (WHYYYYYYYY!!!) Roxy is about to go in for the kill with the groom. The group agrees on a stage show for the stag with Roxy. 10:50 Satisfaction by Benny Benassi plays in the background and the guy is on his knees with his pants down and Roxy is slapping the shit out of his bare butt in front of everyone while the group cheers. Roxy is about to fill his own shoe with Tequila and give it to him to drink. They are loving it and while everyone is watching I spot new customers coming in so the real hustle starts. 11:00 pm A group of young-looking Finns and I have been having small talk for a while. I do most of the talking as they are super shy. Me: So can I get a drink? Finnish dude: But you are at work, you should not drink. Me: and you expect me to deal with people like you while I’m sober? Finnish dude: Fair point. He laughs, gets me a drink and asks for a private dance. 11:45 pm it is my turn to go on the main stage and I’ve chosen to dance to one of my favourite tunes - a remix of “free at last” with my signature move: licking my own pleasers upside down, to the speech by Martin Luther King Jr. 12:05 My night gets quiet. There are too many dancers and not enough space to sit which is making it hard to hustle. So I head to the bar for a shot of Tequila with another 3 girls. We discuss how the night is going and witness the owner trying to manipulate the baby stripper to suck his dick in one of the private rooms. Him and his friends love young looking naive dancers, so they are packing like a group of vultures around this new gullible girl. 12:30 am The baby stripper is in the changing room, so we give her “the talk”: be careful, don’t do anything you aren’t comfortable with, charge in advance, come to us with any questions; but at the end of the day there is only so much we can do. 2:45 am Finally two Italians enter the club and me and my friend spot the potentially big spenders. One of the Italian dudes buys 3 bottles of champagne costing 330 Euros each and then asks, “How much to fuck you?“. I do need to entertain him as I get some commission for the bottles we sell, so I say: “Make me an offer I can’t refuse”. He replies, “300 Euros”. So I say “are you willing to spend more on a bottle of champagne than on an actual human?”. He answers, “well we are drinking each bottle in around 40min and I know I’m going to last just 5 with you...”. Oh dear! And they say this job is “easy money!” 5:15 am I am so tipsy and feeling sassy. I am kind of done with hustling at this point. I overhear Bambi tell a customer “Yes, I am a very innocent girl” whilst fluttering her big brown eyes. It was the dude’s third trip to the cash machine with her. I must admit I love this girl’s hustle because she does indeed look very innocent with her petite frame but she is certainly anything but! My Mexican friend tends to arrive late, and he buys tequilas for me and my friend Max. We are professional drinkers so we can take it! Never try to outdrink a stripper, we do this for a living and will be doing acrobatics while you find yourself putting your house key in the cash machine! We sit with them a while and after my 2nd tequila I get up to go to the toilet but fall on my ass! So Max who’s an excellent friend starts to dry hump my face and as I’m on the floor with her crotch on my face! I ask her, “What are you doing?”. She replies, “Chiqui! You are wasted so I am humping your face so it looks like it is part of the show!!”. This is what friends are for - always ready to dry hump your face in an emergency! 6 am It is closing time!! FINALLY!! We queue with our fake eye lashes hanging on for dear life, smelling of cigarette, sweat and cheap perfume. Bambi is still upstairs in the VIP, the dad of the bachelors party finally decided to go for a private dance with the baby stripper and after a cheeky line we are ordering a cab to go to Kit Kat club. In Berlin, the night is still young!

Advertorial: In collaboration with SEEDJ. New DJs are struggling to get in contact with labels and booking agencies, making the dream of becoming a high level DJ more and more difficult. There’s also technical gaps and lack of theoretical skills that can only be bridged thanks to expensive courses at private academies SEEDJ are turning new DJs into professional DJs through key services such as the introduction to big labels and booking agencies, as well as trainings through courses and workshops that are held online by already recognized DJ’s. What is SEEDJ? One single platform where you can have all the tools needed for your growth as a DJ. This includes technical notions and interpersonal contacts. SEEDJ is the first digital accelerator for DJs, and your first contact to some of the worlds biggest record labels and management agencies of the electronic music field. To see what you can get out of it - we offer a two month free trial through Playful. Like this you get to discover the platform and be one of the first DJ’s to get an introduction to big labels as well as booking agencies. Try it out for free with Playful and get started with workshops by some of the worlds best DJ’s. With SEEDJ you as a DJ: – Can upload your tracks on the platform that will be reviewed by SEEDJ’s label partners and management agencies partners who are looking for new talents to build partnerships with. – Participate in video courses, lectures and workshops held by teachers certified and experienced producers; among big names we find Spfdj, Adiel and Coyu . – Can download exclusive resources created by international DJs. This includes all the tools such as samples and loops needed for music production. – Get to follow music charts released by the most important media partners in the electronic scene where you will be able to buy tracks / discs thanks to the API with the most important music stores such as Beatport, Bandcamp e Discogs. Use code "Playful" to get 2 months for free when pre-ordering. LAUNCH: 30th July

The Berlin based performance duo Cryptobæbes are pioneers in the world of NFT:s. Their NFT "DEVOTION" is the first NFT of its kind that is putting together digital and physical worlds. Who are the cryptobæbes? We are a non-binary/femme artistic duo, based in Berlin. The cryptobæbes are cyborgs, the embodiment of human and android experiences. „Cyborg“ entities stand for how the human in us merges with the technology surrounding us. A cyborg has no higher belief in a god, an origin or a way of life. No pure innocence but a manifestation of tools to shape the world that shaped us. Our message is simple: the future of art is being created today, but it’s important to bring diverse points of view to make sure that this doesn’t become yet another male and white dominated space. If crypto is going mainstream, it’s important to build this future together.” So what is an NFT? An NFT (Non-Fungible Token) is a digital art piece that can be bought and sold with cryptocurrency in online marketplaces. Through blockchain technology, every transaction is monitored and part of the work. The interest in NFT‘s shot through the roof lately, with artists like Beeple selling one of his pieces for 42,329 Ether ($69.3 million). Many other digital artists have entered the space, as well as the collectors eager to get their hands on their art pieces, forming a completely new art market. What’s the deal with NFTs? NFTs allow all kinds of artists to take ownership of their work and distribute it to a wide audience. This market holds a promise of decentralizing transactions, connecting creators to their fans directly. But with every financial high, the low is inevitable and the participants have growing concerns about what’s been called a financial bubble in digital art prices. Nevertheless, groups like Cryptobæbes collective are bringing their experimental and feminist project „DEVOTION“ to the market and challenging a male-dominated space. What is DEVOTION? Devotion is the first NFT to ever be redeemable for a performative immersive face-to-face experience. The artwork is a digital collection of 10 unique DEVOTION tokens. Each token contains a unique high-resolution photograph of the two Cryptobæbes, created in collaboration with renowned, underground photographer Krousky. DEVOTION tokens function as a unique ticket: they can be exchanged for a full-night private experience, crafted from scratch for the token holder. The receiver can choose a city like NYC, Paris, London, Tokyo, Berlin or SF and have the Cryptobæbes deliver the experience to them. What does immersive mean? Immersive art is the fusion of surroundings, performance and audience. The participant is not just observing the art, but is highly involved in the narrative, the interactions and outcome of the encounter. For us, performing in these settings presents new opportunities to connect, explore dark longings and desires. We want to engage with the collector and involve them in a game taking place between the physical and digital world. Wanna know more about the Cryptobæbes and follow the journey? Visit their website . Interested in the collection? Head over to OpenSea .

DJ and producer Ron Wilson, who is also the owner of production label 777 Recordings, has added web development to his portfolio of skills. Uncertain times, and being a single parent made the decision to study the 12-week course at Spiced Academy, easy. This article is produced in collaboration with Spiced Academy . ”My father is a music journalist who later became a web developer”, Ron says. His dad is British and moved to Berlin in the ’80s and started to work at Fritz Radio. ”He was always very involved with music and the punk scene. I grew up with music, and since he worked as a host there, he had easy access to music, so he brought me to concerts, and always came home with plenty of records. When his contract ended, he started learning web development to help build the radios website.” ”They say ’like father like son’, but I didn’t learn it through him. Although I could see that it was a great job with flexible working hours, as well as pretty creative and fun too.” Ron has always enjoyed good music but didn’t listen to techno until he was 17 and then started working as a runner at old Tresor, a club he is a resident DJ at today. Ron Wilson performing at HÖR. ”Before that I thought techno was not so interesting, but when I heard it on a good sound system, I started to understand it better. I also worked with the Love Parade in 2002, and I guess I needed to start dancing to it to get into the repetitive groove to understand it better. This evolved as I turned 18 and started clubbing.” Ron met an old friend from school who showed him how to mix with records and they started to create parties together. ”All went kind of well and we started making a name for ourselves.” After several years Ron could at this point live on his music career and started his label 777 Recordings. ” In 2014 my son was born and suddenly my life changed. I couldn’t stay out in the evenings like before, and since being a DJ is a lot about making connections as well, I didn’t get as many gigs as I used to.” ”Just like many artistic works, it’s very fragile. I have many successful friends, but many DJ careers can also end after a couple of years. And it’s quite exhausting with the traveling and all.” When the pandemic hit, Ron felt it was a good time to do something new. ”I wanted to learn something new, and also to be able to provide for me and my kid. But I also wanted to do something that made sense. That solution was web development. I talked to my dad and it made so much sense to try it out and enroll into Spice Academy.” ”Everything is being digitalized and if there’s another pandemic, I’ll always have a job that is very interesting. It’s something that always fascinated me. My friend who taught me how to dj 15 years ago is also a programmer today and he showed me a couple of things helping me out understanding the complexity of programming.” Ron found Spiced Academy who offered a 12 week long course to become a Full Stack Web Developer. Something that can be payed for through Arbeitsamt . ”It was the perfect opportunity for me. A lot of courses take two years and that makes it difficult when you’re also providing for a kid. Of course, these 12 weeks are super intense with its 8 hours a day plus homework. But it’s easy to see the end of the tunnel, and the teachers are amazing. Very helpful and understanding.” Today Ron knows how to build a website and is using his knowledge to build an e-commerce web shop from scratch for his label. ”It’s also a great way for me to get a portfolio that I can show to companies when applying for jobs, which I will probably do this summer, although some people in my class probably applied for jobs right after finishing the course and started to work. I have only good things to say about Spiced Academy.” Visit: Spiced-Academy.com

By: Jake Indiana Illustration: Johannes Helgelin This text from Jake Indiana takes us back in time. Sit back and enjoy the ride. It was, I later learned, my golden birthday. Turning 23 on the 23rd of the month, an omen of symmetrical importance. But it doesn’t feel very gold. Today is violet. Today is purple princess. Today is the park picnic of the purple princess and everyone will attend. I have lived in Berlin for only eight months and I am friends with everyone, everyone knows me, and everyone will attend. I glide through Neukölln like a sparkly wraith. My hair is unicorn hair and I am invincible. Dyed purple and fading blue, I am the lanky fairy child of Cotton Candy Land, floating above the souls of Berlin and sprinkling them with kindness and giggles. It is my day today, and the world will know joy. Almost everyone is there. I am photographed and adored. I drink bottles of Sekt and flit like a butterfly. I am hailed as a beautiful object and kissed only once on the mouth. We are in the cruising area so I can watch you pee and you kiss me but it is not worth it. It is a pity kiss, and a pity kiss is to be pitied. Why have you come? I am fluffy with ketamine and am given a baby. The rush of elation is halted by the fear. This is not safe, I am on drugs and this is an infant child in my hands. The mother smiles and nods and I stare into the inquisitive pupils of a baby. I am this child’s goddess. Their godmother. I am too scared to drop them and I return them safely. It is now morning, and we are marching down the gravely path of Berghain and probing the queue. An ocean of ravers garbed in black and we slide through like violet sea snakes. I traipse sets of stairs and continue to flit. I belong to the spirits, I am a party angel. I cannot be kissed I am beyond pity. Scenes and costumes change. I am still awake and I am in a field. A hot, hilly knoll. There are sandbars and I am parched. I am at a wedding and I know neither bride nor groom. I know some, but not all, of the guests. I stumble into a wood that is bare, trees with no branches and dusky dirt for ground. It is a hot day but my memory of this moment is a chill. There are patches of merry- makers clutching phones and glasses and I am in a wood of ash and silence. The stars are opening up above us and I have no idea how to leave the field. We are in Berlin, but I have never seen so much sand here before. It is not my birthday, but I am still awake so it counts. Later, at home, I assess the day. It is a hard world for those who flit.

Hair removal should be optional, but if you choose it, make it smooth, affordable and vegan. This article is a collaboration with Estrid . Estrid is a 5-blade razor, specifically designed for those of us who believe that the hair removal process should be a pain-free affair on the skin, the wallet and for the planet. Lots of things in life are expensive. But a smooth shaving experience delivered to your mailbox shouldn’t be one of them. Did you know that there’s a price difference on a lot of everyday items where the ones marketed to women are more expensive? It's called the pink tax, and they're here to change that For every purchase you make, Estrid donate a portion to the German women's rights organization Medica Mondiale. Since 1993, they have supported and empowered women and girls in war and crisis zones in more than 13 different countries worldwide. NO MORE BAD SHAVE DAYS – AFFORDABLE nearly half the price of the competition – SHARP 5 blades for a closer, smoother finish – VEGAN encased in cocoa butter, aloe vera & shea butter

With no sugar and no calories Shanghai Mate is as naked and pure as this magazine’s latest front cover. And with only natural caffeine it makes it unique compared to other products. This article is done in collaboration with Shanghai Mate. Ever had an energy drink, gotten super energized and then experienced an instant “crash” a couple of moments later? Been there done that. That’s because a lot of the products we’re used to consuming are full of synthetic caffeine which is absorbed into our bodies way faster than natural caffeine. That results in an unnatural energy boost that is powerful but short and makes you crash right after. Since Shanghai Mate contains only natural caffeine, which is always combined with vitamins, it counteracts the breakdown in the body and protects you from the crash. The natural caffeine is also broken down more slowly in our body than the synthetic caffeine – making the process of natural energy sustain longer. Make Shanghai Mate your parachute.

Playful's Emma Maar strolled around Neukölln enjoying a späti beer with Chef Roo of the restaurant Hinterland. By: Emma Maar In the midst of Berlin’s “Teil Lockdown”, I met with Chef Ruhi Parmar Amin (Roo). We strolled around Neukölln, enjoyed a späti beer and spoke about food, art, her part in the restaurant, Hinterland, and more. Roo has sculpted a culinary world in which one cannot help but desire to taste. Roo’s vibe is instantly felt, her essence is charismatic, fiery, and creative. She comes from an art background, yet food and cooking have always been powerfully present. Roo’s culinary journey began in London, and has since traveled to Berlin. You will now find her in the kitchen of Hinterland, the subtle, radiating green rose of Bergmannkiez or within the intimate realms of the culinary collective Lucky You. When we spoke of the lockdown, Roo expressed the immense love and support Hinterland has been shown. This is true for many restaurants, cafes, and bars in Berlin. We, as guests are deeply connected to the kitchens and environments, which spark inspiration, lust and delight within us. Through reinventing themselves and their reality, we are shown that the Berlin community is brave, and eager to withstand the crashing waves of Covid-19. Hinterland is currently closed, using this time for further research and development. But make sure to bite down on the deliciousness they have to offer, once open again in the new year. Chef Roo continued to feed me her thoughts and stories. My appetite increasing as she began to describe the food collective, Lucky You, which she has with her two friends, Chris and Evan. Lucky You hosts creative and flavorful meals, curating a space in which art, food and social connection intertwine and ferment. Roo explains, “Lucky You is all about us sharing our love of food and connection with our guests. What started as a supper club has now shaped into a multi-faceted creative collective. We print zines and talk to our guests before each course to explain why we’re all gathered around this table and what has inspired us to make this meal for them.” Lucky You feels like a crispy, saucy, symbiotic dish, the kind I feel Roo burns for. Unfortunately, through the lockdown, Lucky You has had to take a break from their pop up meals. Stay tuned for future cooking. When I asked Roo where she finds inspiration, her friends and her family remain the strongest, specifically her head chef at Hinterland, Stefanie La, whose nurturing relationship with Roo has ignited culinary and creative growth. Roo is fueled by the diversity within those she surrounds herself with, coming together to create through cooking, connecting and eating. While speaking with Roo, I was reminded how important it is to create and connect within our own culinary atmospheres. To learn from Roo, Lucky You and others, what it means to be playful and funky within the kitchen. Berlin is here to taste. Lucky You Roo Hinterland Restaurant

We're collaborating with Wundertax, to make the process as easy as possible. This article is an advertorial article sponsored by Wundertax. When moving to Germany as an expat the tax system may be as new as the language. Finding an accountant that has time for you and someone you trust, or learning to do it yourself (and trust that you do it right) are both options that may not seem very convincing. It can be difficult to know where to start as well as knowing how much it will cost to do it. Playful are therefor proud to collaborate with Wundertax and help expats like ourselves get up to 3,000€ back in taxes, in just 15 minutes - for only €24.95. Get your money back - visit our link: www.germantaxes.de/playful

W e talked with Paulita Pappel on what the festival is offering during Berlin's second lockdown. Since it's 2020, in what ways will the festival be different from past years? "This year we are only able to do a Corona Edition of the festival, meaning where there would be usually a full program, workshops, panels, parties, lounge and more, this year will consist of a reduced film program that has been screened at the cinemas Kino Moviemento and Babylon Kreuzberg, special screenings at the Kino Moviemento throughout the year until September 2021, and an online streaming week, from 26th Oct to Nov 1st." "We also had 3 panels that were presented at the cinema, with remote speakers, on we streamed live and the others will be available also in the streaming platform. We're sad to miss our international guests and our audiences, but excited about exploring new ways of creating events that are inclusive and have a wider reach out as we can stream and connect with people globally." What's trending within porn at the moment? Is there a special theme you can find in some films this year? "We have a corona short film program, as many filmmakers made films with this topic. As usual, there are more independent productions with new proposals and more diversity." How do they differ from last year? "Since the Covid crisis has affected the porn world hard, this is a topic that keeps coming." What film producers sites would you wanna highlight or recommend? "Our sponsors Erika Lust Films, Lustery, Ersties and Erotic Lounge, and our partners for the online streaming Pinklabel.tv ." "We aim to present a selection of films that showcase the diversity of sexuality, thus we welcome many different perspectives and aesthetics. This year we're excited about our opening film Urban Smut by Berlin filmmakers and our closing film Goodbye Seventies by Todd Verow." How can we enjoy the festival this year, at place as well as online? "There will be special screenings every month at Kino Moviemento from November 2020 to September 2021, and currently the streaming is happening until November 1st!"

Costume Designer and Stylist Elfee Duquette has been working within theatre, opera, film, tv and fashion shoots in over 10 years. This time she’s letting her magic shine on Playful’s shoot together with Patrick Mason. An opulent costume or a period piece completes the talent’s ability to assume a role Tell us a bit about yourself I was born in Seattle, Washington. I have a twin brother, (Michael Walrond), and he’s my best friend and an amazing photographer. I studied at L'accademia di Costume e Di Moda in Rome for Costume Design. How did you end up in Berlin? It just felt like the right time to be here. So I just decided to pack my belongings and bought a one way ticket. What got you into costume design? The reason why costume design has so captured my interests is that there is something intrinsically immersive about the transformation an actor, actress, or model undergoes once they are put into a costume An opulent costume or a period piece completes the talent’s ability to assume a role. It allows them to distill some more referential material from the apparel they don. I love nothing more than to be a part of that catalytic process. Clothing can become inseparable from one’s identity as well as the character portrayed, whether perceived or inherent to their nature. What one does and what one wears has always been a topic of interest to me as the power of another’s gaze transforms us in numerous ways. Who’s your top 3 favourite designers? Christian Lacroix, Alexander McQueen and Elsa Schiaparelli. What’s your favourite thing about working as a costume designer in Berlin? In Berlin I have the ability to be as weird as I wanna be. What do you do in Berlin to feel inspired when/ if feeling uninspired? Go to art openings, listen to David Bowie, read romantic poems, read fashion magazines or talk to my mentor. What’s your favourite thing about this city? Appreciation for artists and the quality of life! Read the cover story: Patrick Masons true self is coming true Get your printed copy of Playful Magazine