FundamentallySound Blog

Trying to avoid the feeling that I've arrived at a party that's already finished, I realize that it really doesn't matter in this city, it's OK to get here a little after the main event, so to speak. So what if the city hit its peak 4 years ago, it's still an amazing place, Berlin is a city that doesn't depend only on the trends of the creative class. It seems to have a self-confidence without pomposity. Speaking of pomposity, it is such a relief to be free from the smug self-satisfaction of San Francisco, a city that is extraordinarily proud but one can never quite find out about what.

I love Berlin. I love the way people mind their own business but are still pleasant. I like the sound of German (I do!). I like the squat culture that hasn't changed in 30 years. I am in awe of the fact that the mayor since 2001 is an openly gay man whose phrase, "I am gay and that is a good thing" became a rallying cry for the country's gay and lesbian community. I like the combination of high fashion along with the striking lack of it. I like the ridiculous and strangely touching nostalgia for the DDR. I love the fact that people are very serious about music in this city and listen to it with rapt attention. I cannot express how happy I am to be here.

The Dutch and the Japanese have a lot in common, I think. They are both superficial cultures, in the best and worst sense. Image, visual representation, is extraordinarily important and highly determinate of success or failure. In Germany, people don't trust the surface. They appreciate it but they don't give it much value. I can relate to that way of thinking.

Oh, and did I mention I'm happy to be here?