Sayonara, My Twenties!

Revisiting Berlin

At Checkpoint Charlie

I'm really happy I revisited Berlin for a city break on my thirtieth birthday. It was a great chance to think about how people everywhere are divided but also come together. I thought about the tension near Estonia's border with Russia because of the war in Ukraine, the complicated identity issues in Hong Kong, and the long-standing conflict between Israel and Palestine. Seeing the Berlin Wall reminded me that all over the world, there are real and invisible walls that separate people.

"Ukraine is not Russia" on the Under Den Linden

I thought about how long it might take to tear down all the walls we've built around the world. It hit me that maybe, by the time all these barriers could actually disappear, there might not even be anyone left to see it. This idea is a bit sad but it makes you think about what really lasts and what we're all here for. It's a big reminder that maybe we should focus on what we're leaving behind.

Japanese BBQ having wagyu in Ushido

Reflecting on this, a Buddhist quote comes to mind,

"Bodhi really has no tree (菩提本無樹)
Nor is clear mirror the stand (明鏡亦非台)
Nothing’s there initially (本來無一物)
So where can the dust motes land? (何處惹塵埃)"

It's a reminder in the context of my thoughts about walls and the future, that perhaps the future does not matter at all, or does it?

Wo willst Du in 800 Jahren leben?

Now and the future

The quotes I always tell myself in 2023:

Building while flying

No risk no magic

At the Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER)