the world has turned and left me here

not welcome

If there is something sinister about this place it is latent, not like in Amsterdam, where I was always careful to cover my Nexicam with my jacket for fear of inviting a mugging. I do not feel any such immediate physical threat in Berlin. Rather, the sinister things must come from little things present in the environment, like the way people move, or (to give a concrete example) the fact that only once so far have I actually heard English spoken by someone on the street. (English is quite common in both Amsterdam and Munich.) Have seen no American tourists come to think of it. It just basically feels like I'm not welcome here.

Now I have to say I feel a little warmer towards Berlin, after having played some frisbee in front of the Berliner Dome. People are getting off work, which means more are out and about, and there's more going on now.

Heard choral music in the Berliner Dome as I descended the staircase, and stopped on a balcony to listen for a while. I'm not sure about the choir, but the acoustics were great. After one "Amen" ceased there was nothing but smooth echo upon echo, like receding golden waves of sound, for about five seconds.

Here's the ceiling of the Berliner Dome.

Strange and bad music is now taking place behind me at an open-air cafe. Two Italian-looking guys equipped with cello and guitar the perpetrators. Eric is nearly 15 minutes late.