“The hardest thing about writing my second album is that I had 20 years to write my first album.” — Halsey

You know… now that I’ve started this, I realise I have very little to say…Ha! See, the scientists were right, social media and short-form content have made my brain shrink, and now it’s harder to express anything beyond short (witty) sentences and a curated picture… we’ve become cave people again. I have become a cave people again.

So what to write about… The weather! It’s snowing here in Berlin, the first real snow of the winter. We’ve had a few dustings here and there, but today it’s really coming down. I’m listening to FALLING by Julee Cruise, I think it was used in Twin Peaks? Anyway, it feels kind of thematic.

And being from South Africa, snow still feels kind of magical. In a bustling city like Berlin, it always makes everything slow down a bit. It literally freezes the city in time, which is wonderful.

I’ve realised I really struggle with Berlin. It’s a weird place, lots of positives but also a lot of negatives. Or maybe not negatives… When we first moved here, I read somewhere that Berlin either makes you or breaks you. You either are or aren’t a Berlin person. And I have to admit, I think it may well have broken me. Dramatic. I just don’t think it’s for me.

“The difficult second album” is a phrase used to describe a musician’s experience in trying to follow up their first (often successful) album or recording… Since moving from South Africa to Berlin, I’ve often felt like I’m in my ‘Difficult Second Album’ phase, my underwhelming follow-up moment. Ugh, lachrymose much? Wow… snow really gets one into a reflective mood, it seems.

Perhaps it’s this time of year? I’ve always felt like the first week of January is the armpit of the year. Awkward and neither here nor there. And now I’m just writing down short sentences again… just like on the socials…

Okay, so there it is, my difficult second album of a field note.