It has been about a week since i returned from Berlin, reignited from attending Folsom Europe.

Day-to-day in my life (in Malaysia) i have an intricate set of inner coping mechanisms which help me navigate the oppressive regime and social attitudes in my country. my soul and consciousness has been imprisoned by Malaysia’s indoctrination, but the path to Utopia is not for everyone and i have to find a middle ground to thrive in my life there.

It really takes something as simple as “a space for me to be who i truly am” to set fire to the that maize i use to cope. Being with my tribe in Berlin left me empowered.

Following my Master and His pup to a “Classic Meets Fetish” concert, despite the fact that i have not spoken to any strangers and most of us speak different languages, there is an immense sense of solidarity, reflected in the sounds of instruments starting to weave their differences together.

As much as i have felt like an outlier in my home country all my life, and very much feel anxious for my inexperience in Leather culture, i feel accepted. Inside the rainbow-lit Cathedral, i am part of a community who choose to accept others. During these events, the Leather acts as a kind of activating-agent, bridging gaps and creating a moment of transcendence of history and the future that has yet to unfold.

There is something special about the scratched and worn leather jacket adding a protective layer to a hyper-masculine body. It is an intimate bond between the man and his skin. Leather became the language itself in Berlin, and sometimes it told subtle stories about a person’s life journey.

Do the boots look brand new, or do they have scratches that might come from somewhere? Do they show the shine of saliva or a professional boot black? All around me are personal stories, and small hints about the personality of this group that is both individual and united.