Now I feel much more at home in Berlin. It is actually brilliant fun to be immersed in another culture; a pleasure to learn the history, to read Thomas Mann, Nietzsche, Rilke, think about thinks differently. All those small details that stuck out so much at the beginning have been assimilated: where things are, how a shopping bag is tucked into the coat pocket as doors are pulled open, looking left in the street, carrying money to pay for anything I might buy, has all become second nature. Because it feels so much safer here than in London, as well as much less crowded, slower in pace, and of course nowhere around here takes credit cards anyway; I carry amounts of money on me that I never would otherwise. This feeling of being settled in releases a lot of energy that was used up before, and that shows in how I work now, no more dithering. The main thing is that now most of the Milchhof artists are back working and what a difference that makes to the vitality of ambience. Sculptors in the halls, painters and photographers in their studios, coming and going, saying ‘Hallo', being friendly, I feel happy here. Of the people I've met so far, the names I remember are Regina, Isabetta, Georgina, Wolka, Marcus, Mark, Tom, and of course Manfred, but there are all the others who smile and make me feel welcome as I pass. " You are our guest. Welcome. We hope you enjoy Berlin." That makes for an exceptionally fine feeling.
Since I didn't want to stop working in the studio during the day, again this evening I went upstairs at ten pm to do some emails perched in the corridor, and again shortly afterwards the large bass cello carrying girl turned up and again flung open her door and all the corridor windows. Is she a fresh air addict, does she play in a smoky night club and needs to clear her lungs, is it the smell of turpentine or some other medium that she is clearing out, or is it that she sublets from Isabetta so that she can practise her music letting it rip out into the sky? This strong girl in her drab overcoat is intriguing.
