The World’s Biggest College Town?

In Berlin.

These motherfuckers don’t jaywalk.

But they do have crows.

And great, if sometimes cheesy graffiti.

And beautiful buildings of disparate ages, with little paths wending between them. Magnificent.

I left my apartment about 8:30 last night, took 3 trains to JFK, almost missed my 11:55 flight, and lucked into a window seat next to a young Asian boy and his older brother. I asked the kid to wake me if the service cart came by, and we were friends after that. He fell asleep on my arm, and we waved goodbye at the end of the flight.

Customs was a breeze. The agent actually smiled at me. Last time i came to Germany they took me into a little room with water on the floor and intimated a cavity search…

I’m here to meet an old hypno client and friend. He booked lodging for the next few days, so I deliberately did no research on anything. The next two weeks - beyond working with him, are completely open.

We’ll see where the dérive takes me.

Asked an old hippy couple eating sausage outside the airport how to get into the city - turned out to be an extremely dignified train ride that dropped me at the massive, glorious central train station, Berlin Hauptbanhof.

Without Internet or cell service, I walked in the direction I thought would lead me to the hotel.

Took me 4 hours to get there. Had to ask directions 6 times. Everyone was lovely and helpful.

It was an excellent wander. New city. Country I haven't been in for 25 years. Landed with no info other than an address and a quick glance at the map.

And while I was stressin’ before the flight, as soon as I made it through security, the old muscle memory kicked in.

I been doing this kinda shit a long time. I know how to find what I need. And what I need to see.

Just trust the wander.

Maybe it’s because I landed on a Sunday, when everything is closed (respect), or maybe it is the part of town I wandered in, but I can’t help but feel that I’ve arrived in the worlds biggest college town.

I haven’t seen it all, but so far Berlin feels far too easy. Too many balconies. Too many parks. Too many fences and shouty signs telling you what NOT to do. Too much following the rules - and not out of conscientiousness for others, but out of fear of embarrassing oneself. The result is conformity… and the result of conformity is tyranny.

There’s nothing wrong with being soft - as long as you do it in hard ways. I just feel like I’m surrounded by college kids who’ve never had reality ripped away from them. It’s the same feeling I get in Greenwich, CT, or TriBeCa, or a hundred shitty rich enclaves across the US.

Nobody should be allowed

not to know

that their comfort

is built on other people’s misery.

And these motherfuckers don’t even jaywalk.

I could never live here.

One more thing then I gotta go. This made me giggle and shout.

I haven’t written about them yet, but I have over 100 photos of tags by a grumpy, acrobatic graffiti crew called ICBM. Their style is intentionally deviant and ugly, and they‘ve got more heaven spots than anybody else in New York right now. It’s a truly impressive body of work.

And I found a few of their tags here in Berlin.

Might even have dropped a few of my own.

Love ya,

Thanks for reading

Dan