Time flies
So, it's been a while. Apologies to all the friends and family who have asked me what's going on, why I haven't updated this blog. To quell any concerns: I am fine. I am actually ridiculously happy here, enjoying Berlin more and more every day as the weather gets warmer and the friendships grow stronger.
Since it's been a couple months since I posted, time to play catch-up. For starters, I moved into a new flat last weekend, from Mitte to Prenzlauer Berg. It's my third apartment since getting here at the beginning of February, and I am sick of moving. We've been subletting, since we don't have furniture, but this new place is basically unfurnished. It makes me think that our next place should be unfurnished too, because we have had to purchase a few things for this flat. Also, I've been buying a lot of things in orange: toothbrush, toilet paper, sheets, pillows...
And to pay for all of the orange things I have been buying, I have a contract job with an old co-worker's company. It's basically more technical writing for software, but this time it's research on how their help system should be done, instead of writing the help itself. The job reminds me of why I don't like working - it takes time away from other things I wish I could focus on, like my own writing - but it pays the bills. Berlin is so cheap, once I finish this job it should cover my living expenses for at least a couple months.
That's one thing I love about this city: Berliners seem realize that there's a whole lot more to life than just working to make rent. Cheers to that, and I do mean Prost!
My days are full of music, and my nights, and days again...I love techno, and dancing has always been one of my most favorite things in the world, so I am definitely in the right city. I can go out any night of the week and dance until my feet hurt while listening to music that I love. Some recent highlights, without being too redundant:
- Rhythm & Sound live @ Panoramabar
- Ricardo Villalobos and Zip @ Club de Visionaire
- Carabina 3030 @ Berghain
- Ryan Crosson @ Watergate
- Rich Hawtin, Heartthrob, and Magda in an underground atomic bunker
- Matt Dear and Konrad Black @ Watergate
- Lee Curtiss @ Bar 25
- Luciano @ Arena
- Pheek @ Cassiopia
- Shaun Reeves, Miss Fitz, and Konrad Black @ Steinhaus
- Atomly @ Zentrale Randlage
Berlin is so full of good music, it's amazing. Sometimes I forget that there's another world here besides the techno scene; I spend so much time hanging out at people's houses watching people work on making music, and talking about music...it's almost difficult to not start making music yourself.
And so I made my first song. It's for the tribute compilation cd that's being put out for the one year anniversary of Alicia's death. I still can't believe that it's been a year. The cd is being put out on Dave Siska's new label Reverie; all of the songs on it use sounds that Alicia recorded, and posted on her Audible Frequency site.
I'm actually going back to Chicago on June 1, for the cd release party, but primarily for my brother's graduation. When my mom offered to buy me a ticket back for the weekend, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go. However, I'm really looking forward to it now. It'll be great to see my family and friends again, and to get a few more of the things I left in my mom's basement (yay, to wear something other than the same six tank tops all the time!). It's strange to have everything I own fit into two bags, but pretty liberating too.
I don't want to accumulate too much here, but I have accepted that I want to stay a little longer than originally intended, probably until winter really sets in. I've made some good friends here, and am so comfortable in Berlin. After four months I feel like I'm just now really getting the feel of the city, and I'm not ready to leave yet. So I can postpone departure; it's best to change plans when they feel like they should be altered instead of sticking to the original out of stubbornness.
I am still traveling though; on Friday I fly to Paris for a few days, and then head to a small town in the south of France for a family wedding. I haven't been there in five years, so it should be fun; plus I get to see my dad and stepmother. It'll be strange to leave Berlin, but probably good; hard to believe I'll be gone two weeks (a week in France, back in Berlin for one day, and then off to Chicago for a week). Time flies here, but it's so dense and packed: a week seems so long, because there's always something going on, always something to do.
And there are always visitors. Berlin living so far seems quite communal; we all take care of each other. Crash spaces are provided, drinks are shared, and food...I have never been anywhere that has such instant karma as Berlin. With people always hanging out though, there's not much downtime; I actually started jogging about a month ago because it gave me time to clear my head. That, and I can't afford a gym here.
I still practice yoga; my new room is huge, big enough to actually start teaching again, which is exciting. I had a friend over today and taught her a few things; when I get back from Chicago, I'd like to start having regular yoga sessions here for friends. It'll be good for them, and for me. We could all stand to be a little more grounded.