Not so nice typewriter...what's in a name eh?

Nice Camera!

My four walls - Meine vier Wände

So I hummed and hawed. Should I write something today? I didn't want this to come across as exploiting events for advertising. I do feel something though.

I can remember sitting in my bedroom at home in Scotland the day the wall came down.

I was believe it or not composing some piece of electronic music using a zx spectrum 8bit computer. I was so moved by the images I saw on my little black and white tv. It never crossed my mind that I would live there one day. I felt admiration and respect for the people I saw. Inspiration. I've now had a long standing relationship with this country, Deutschland.

The Berlin I first learned to know was Wim Wender's divided city from Wings of Desire (Himmel über Berlin), united by angels. The united city eventually made my home was also in black and white. The colour was in the heart of it's people. A rich mixture of cultures and characters. Not so much a picture postcard city. 

When I arrived it was full of building sites. I remember taking a taxi from  Zoo station to Rosenthaler Platz (!). The taxi driver had no idea about the address I was looking for.

The square there was one big building site. I went for a beer in a now long demolished bar called actionsgallerie. I enjoyed the crazy places. Eschschloraque. Sonderbar. Chamaeleon. 

This was a city for bohemians and poets, not for the bourgoisie. A now fresh young city that had shed itself of a dying tapestry skin made up of political extremes. Now it could see a way forward to a open future and back to glorious past. I'd found my home, my love, Berlin.

I was then to experience a love that would be divided in a united city. Bittersweet. Saure Pommes. The crazy places have been somewhat gentrified, although the wonderful Eschschloraque continues to defy the relentless march of the Nike/Adidas shops with their single pair of shoes on display in 100 square meters.  How do they keep going when a perfectly good restaurant on the other side of my low budget street closes. People care more about sneakers than food?

Plus becomes Netto (Now that's ironic!)

But my love for the city has remained and grows stronger day by day. There's still plenty of crazy places. It was a delight to watch the celebrations tonight and I think the main thing to say is how much I love it here. The people have been so good to me. I've listened to all your tales from both sides, East and West. 

I'm grateful to you all. I congratulate you. In unity I thank you. 

Bruce