Snow!

First of all: HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY, KATHRIN! HAVE A GREAT DAY!

I haven´t been writing a couple of weeks now and I think it´s about time I get you updated! Yesterday we had the first snow of the year. It was not much here in Berlin but you could see it on the parked cars outside and in other parts of Germany people were surprised by all the snow and got into bad car accidents.

There´s not so much new going on here. I still go to my school twice a week and finally asked teachers about teaching myself in their classes. Fortunately, one of them already said yes and I´ll be teaching 9th graders in December! I went on a class trip with the 8th gradae last week. We took them to Castle "Sans Soucis" in Potsdam, where they learned about Frederic the Great. It was soooo cold outside and we were walking through the park all day. When I got home I took my Mom´s advice and went out to buy winter shoes for me. I got nice and warm brown ones, so I´ll even be ready for a harsh New Jersey February next year. Even though the situation at the school is not ideal, I´m starting to be more relaxed about it all. You have to make the best out of situations!

My parents were here in Berlin last weekend. It was very nice finally seeing them again. They stayed at my place and I moved into Andy´s, as he wasn´t in Berlin that weekend anyway. My parents and I went to to exhibitions, one was at the Museum for German History (pictures of Berlin from 1870-1945) and the other one was at Martin Gropius Museum and it was about the court trial on Auschwitz, where Nazi criminals have been convicted in 1963. Both were very interesting. Also, my parents and I went out for breakfast and dinner in Kreuzberg, went to the movies twice and I had a chance to talk to my Mom.

I´ve been very busy meeting my friends every week. Regine came to see me on Wednesday. We had dinner together and talked when suddenly the phone rang and Kayla answered on the other end. My hostfamily called me! It was so great to talk to Kayla, Ryan, Annelie (the AuPair) and my hostmom Pat again. We must have spoken almost 3 hours. I´ll try to change my flight in March so I can stay one week longer and help out with the kids while my hostparents are on a trip during spring break. I love this idea! Annelie and me managing everything and helping out so Dan and Pat can spend time together! I have to call opodo to arrange it and truely hope it´ll work out! The phone call cheered me up, it really made my week!

Yesterday I finally handed in the application for a spot for the other school internship I have to do - this time in German studies. I hope I´ll get in! Andy took me to work after. I really enjoy working for the dbb akademy here in Berlin. They have me copy stuff, write down information on the computer and stuff like that. It´s a very nice working atmosphere and good money!

Today Heike and I will host an Ex-AuPair Meeting at a restaurant downtown with girls who returned from their year as an AuPair just recently. I´m looking forward to that! Andy and I will go to Anja and Gero tonight to celebrate Anja´s birthday.

So much for now!