Well here I sit in the flat of an attractive Israeli dancer in the centre of Berlin. Now that’s an interesting start to a blog update is it not? Well it is true, but not quite as tantalising as I may have led you to believe. I’m renting the place for a couple of weeks while the regular inhabitant takes a break back in Israel.

So, I’ve been in Berlin almost 3 weeks now, still no job although I may have finally sorted somewhere to live now, just waiting for confirmation on a place. It’s a room in an apartment that is desperately clinging onto the status of being in Prenzlauer Berg, a pretty cool, chic area to the north of the city centre. Well it took much longer than I expected, but I’m beginning to get settled.  I suppose the main hurdle was the difficulty in finding somewhere to live, particularly as I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so anywhere most certainly will not do. It’s not that there is a lack of properties or vacant rooms it’s just that the market is so vibrant, particularly just before the start of a new academic year. All this makes it a kinda interesting experience finding a place. It was a bit of an eye-opener going to see my first room. Within the 30 minutes I spent there, I met 7 other people who were there to see the room. The guy letting the room and living there was VERY odd, so I never considered it, but it did give me the impression that I was on the start of a long journey. I was later to discover the joys of ‘potential house mate’ parties where people choose to invite everyone interested in a place along at the same time, to see who they’ll click with – I imagine it’s all quite entertaining if you already live there. Some people obviously knew the game and brought beers, I looked on in envy and clutched my beaker of tap-water. Do these people not have kettles, at least stick a brew on! Before I found this place I was living in hostel-land for a whole 9 days. Now hostels aren’t too bad if you’re travelling or even on your jollies, but when you’re not they start to grate after a while. Having said that the social element is a bonus, when you’ve just arrived in a city and the only person you know has gone on holiday (to Portugal funnily enough). I met some good people along the way and some were staying on here, so we’ve stayed in touch – it’s nice to have people in the same boat.

Well I’ll give you a full run-down of the first 3 week’s events in Berlin very soon, and I am aware that there’s quite a gap from my last entry to be filled including my last weeks in Lisbon, trips out of Lisbon and the Anti-pop music festival jaunt, not to forget the entire history of the Boavista Social Club from conception to demise (or is it still going?)

Bye for now……