Berlin is a crazy place. I can’t possibly express how I feel about the city because I don’t really know. I’ve been to a nightclub on the 15th floor of a skyscraper all fancy and then I’ve been to a bar on the 5th floor of a nearly destroyed department store that’s been squatted for the last 20 years.

Any guesses as to which I preferred? Crazy like that, I know. I’ve only met one person actually from here. I have no idea where the rest of them are, but there sure are a lot of everyone else here. I think. It’s so strange, the city is so huge but it doesn’t seem that populated.  A lot of ghosts I think. It’s hard to say because I haven’t been here very long and I haven’t done much wandering about.

There’s apparently a great walking tour but while dancing home the other night I rolled my ankle. And no, not the same one I did in Paris. Fortunately it happened after I had a tango lesson scheduled. Unfortunately there is a milonga tonight that my tango teacher demanded I come to. She said she wouldn’t give me the lesson if I didn’t promise to go.  But I don’t know that I could even do up the straps on my shoes over this swollen ankle of mine. Clumsy little monkey that I am…

There is however another on sunday night, so hopefully by then I’ll be good again. Looks as though I’m going to miss out on friday night in Berlin though. Which is okay with me because I’ll save myself for saturday! Dirt Crew! Whoop!

As for Berlin, it confuses me. Most european cities seem to have a very strong sense of self, of their identity. Berlin does not. I was told one by a mexican jewelry artist who works in the squat that Berlin is very dangerous, but at the time I didn’t understand what he meant. He insisted it’s not dangerous to walk around, something else. But now I think I get it. I think it would be very easy to get lost here. To be caught up in the whirl of the city to the extent that you hadn’t noticed that time had gone by..This might seem strange but Berlin reminds me a little bit of the Thief of Always. It’s the place that will be anything you want, it just wants to please you so you’ll stay. Maybe I’m not being fair to Berlin, how can I judge a city so after less than a week here? That’s just how I feel. Right now.

But for now, I shall do my best to heal and relax so that I can go slightly less crazy than I planned to tomorrow night. Such are the risks of excess darlings, next time I dance home at 7 am I shall tread a little lighter.