the white elephant and the ghost!

I am sitting on Aylin's small balcony surrounded by tomato plants sipping milky tea. We have spent the day at several of Berlin's large flea markets trying on silly hats and glasses and wondering who on earth buys used corks and old forks?! I so enjoy the colour and the vibrancy of this city. We sat for a while in a large park watching fire eaters, poi dancers and families all soaking up the atmosphere and all sharing a collective puff on the incence and weed filled air.

These last few days have been busy and not afforded much time for needed contemplation and a collecting of thoughts. We have spent many happy hours in the kitchen baking and ornately decorating dozens of cookies. Too many that we are now unsure of what to do with. We have been to art galleries, to the the club that typifies the old east and danced the night away by the light of the largest disco ball I have ever seen. I danced the twist so enthusiastically that my trousers split to a disgraceful degree that I was not fully aware until we left the club after dawn and the early morning light showed my trousers and dignity in tatters! Our night time activities have been long and interesting Berlin maintaining its intriguing character by the light of the moon and the neon strip. We went to a beautiful old theatre and caberet complex last night to see an Icelandic band play. We jumped with abandon in the front row in the sweltering heat.
Tonight we are off to a reggae party on a river boat I expect to see some colourful characters to further cement my love for this city.

Yesterday whilst shopping in the local supermarket a colourful flyer, there are flyers and stickers everywhere, caught my eye. it was for a small art collective by the name of white elephant. They too share an interest in abadoned and decaying buildings and placing contemporary art in temporary space. We decided to spend the afternoon there so headed east to a beautiful large brick ware house. Its windows all broken and birds nesting inside. Outside a man with dreadlocks sat at a plastic picnic bench under the shade of a potted palm tree and waved us inside. We were greated by a pot holed and uneven floor a small temporary bar selling plastic cups of beer and a wonderful view. The building over looks one of the lakes in the city its old rusty doors wide open and a small boat with a sign pointing to it signalling that this was the official fire escape in case of emergency! We explored the decaying structure graced with installations and interactive displays were we left our mark.
It was whilst making our mark that a man looking out of place approached us asking what to do here as we wrote small thoughts in a notepad. His name is Caspar an engineer. His reason for visiting the exhibition was his love of the building which he informed us is to be converted into apartments. It turns out that fate dealt me a strange hand by introducing me to this engineer uncomfortable with artistic endeavour, he too is soon to depart Berlin for the middle east. He is off a few days before me to learn Arabic in Syria. So we have organised to meet in Damascus. In the world you are never really alone.

Now I hope that you are all well and enjoying what you are up to

love to all my dears

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