A fairly uneventful but wonderful Mittwoch

So... it's not the weekend, like it usually is when I make time to write here, but I just feel like writing today, for no apparent reason. Mmmm it feels good to write a somewhat complicated sentence with multiple commas and not give it a second thought to rearranging all the verbs... I love English.

So, my mom discovered this great thing called "Nugat Bits" at the grocery store, and they are changing my life :) It's like a little chocolatey cereal bite, but it is filled with NUTELLA! It is disguised in the form of a cereal box, but it is no cereal.... Haha ok- I know what you are all thinking with my comments all over this blog page about amazing food, much of it being not the most light foods out there, that I am going to be the size of Harry's Aunt Marge in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, during her blown-up state, when I get home. But I actually haven't gained any weight while being here. I go running frequently though, which is really fun. I have this route where I pass a quiet, old church; a little lake; a big park full of Europeans walking their dogs (which btw, sometimes have similarities... the owner and their dog, I mean. It is so funny, you wouldn't think there would be a difference in European dogs and American dogs, but there totally is: the dogs here act so refined and calm and they are therefore allowed everywhere people are. Even on buses and in restaurants.); and a handful of corner bakeries and flower shops.

I am getting really sad for my class to end (which it does officially on Tuesday the 25th). It has reminded me of being in elementary school again, just with the whole concept of being in the same classroom with the same people and only your one teacher everyday. It has made us become a really close-knit class of 12, and therefore, it is a very comfortable and productive learning environment because we don't care about making mistakes in front of one another or asking the same questions over and over :) Our teacher is the best language teacher I have ever had and has very logical and organized lesson plans and direction, and conscientious of our individual levels and needs. He has been teaching German (though he also speaks English, Greek, and Czech fluently, along with the half-dozen or so other languages he knows a little bit of) at the Institute for 10 years, but this is his last semester here- he is moving to Koeln (Cologne) in January.

During the class breaks, I have had a couple of theology discussions (we speak in a German-English conglomerate) with a fellow classmate, Marcio, who is from Brazil. He is a very strong Christian who believes in modern and personal revelation and has been slowly reading the Bible in English on his own. I asked the missionaries for a Portuguese Book of Mormon to give him before classes are finished, so hopefully I will get the opportunity to give it to him.

I have also somehow only added to my 'books to read' list while being here, despite bringing like 6 here with me that I have read/will read. John (to refresh your memories: English major guy who is about to begin his graduate work in English) has been drawing up a personalized list for me, according to my areas of interests and previous reading experiences, of course :) Maybe I will include it for those of you interested to know what they might be, or who randomly need a book recommendation.

Dad has been under the weather the past few days, but is slowly recovering. Mom's classes end on Friday, and Kara has been busy with school, and Italian and Swedish callers. Haha jk.... kind of... She bought and has been slowly trucking through the first Harry Potter book in German though, and I am extremely impressed by her perseverance in such a daunting task. Mom and I, meanwhile, continue to enjoy German children's books with more pictures than words.

I hope you are all having a delightful week, and that Grandma's birthday party went well! Good luck with school, work, and all other events that demand your time and energy. From Germany with love,

Emily