I’ve been a wretched blogger in Berlin, but I’ve got excuses! My MacAir didn’t hold as much as I’d have liked it to, which led to getting a hard drive to transfer my pictures on to, which led to losing all my photos pre-Soundslides project.


Alright, so, the Soundslides project was the biggest deal, so I’m grateful that evolved with pictures and sound, but all the pics I took before the day I went to Tachelles and found Txus Parras for the project, are gone. Bummer.


Except, of course, for the re-sized pics here on this website.


I have learned — keep photos on the memory card, buy new memory cards before deleting anything, because computers can screw up. Alright, got it.


The tour guide of the “discover Berlin” walking tour did NOT know what he was talking about when he said Tachelles was closed. Yeah, people are trying to shut it down and get the artists out, but they haven’t succeeded yet, I was in there last Tuesday– graffiti, artists and all.


I met Txus Parras there, in the Emma Goldman gallery, and recorded him right then and there. I got some pictures, but returned after the group dinner at the Thai restaurant Ming Quah, back by our hotel. I had to miss the first night at Dr. Pong’s, which was a shame, because it went down in legend(a phone went in the toilet and all). But I got to go the next Monday, not nearly as story-holding, but afterwards a few of us girls went to a club up the street which had a password — and we knew it, so we got in for free! The club played German pop music, then 90s music, and even –gasp– the Backstreet Boys. The club went wild.


You can imagine, it wasn’t really my scene. I mean, cool to be in a club with German folk, but perhaps not the poppy-kind, I don’t even go to those kind of clubs in the U.S. It was cool for a bit though. The trams don’t run often before the sun’s up, so I walked a bit home, but it was refreshing and an appreciated time by myself.


Wednesday we met with Christoph Niemann, then ate at this good Mexican place not far from Alexanderplatz, called Dolores.


Friday, we went to Mercedes World, where I decided I want to have my birthday party one year(they have rock climbing walls!!!) and where I also picked out a select few of my future cars, and also my next bike(only 4000 Euro, for the Mercedes bike! Aw yeah, two wheels). We then went to Lake Wannsee, just barely making the ferry in time, took the bus back and got all dolled up for the show “YMA” at Friedrichstadt-Palast.


“YMA” was great — right up my alley. Aerial silks, acrobats, trampoline, singing, dancing, men getting showers on stage, a pool of rocketts — all sorts. It was wunderbar. The singing in English wasn’t the greatest, and some of the music wasn’t either, but it was the daring acts that took the show.


Sunday, we went to the Mauerpark flea market and I bought a silk and two killer shirts. They had everything there, it was great.


Tuesday we ate at the Top of the TV Tower. I had white wine, cheese, veal, chocolate cake and ice cream. It was delicious, even the view was delectable, but I had to run to meet friends I hadn’t met yet. I ran to the hostel and checked the message saying to go to Kaffee Burger, where I went and met them, briefly before we found someplace better.


Most of the group is on a flight back to the States today. I’ve still got awhile now.