Jussssst kidding...

I'm still in language school. I guess it was a misinterpretation, but I could have SWORN that Daniela told me I was starting the first week in October... ah well. I've been understanding more and more, and I had a legitimate phone conversation in Deutsch the other day, plus I've been emailing with my liason in German, so I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. Now I definitely and absolutely have only two more days of language class... and THEN I get to start school. Of course, I only have a week before I have two weeks of vacation, so that will be interesting... I'm guessing I won't be able to really start making friends until November. But I'm not giving up hope- I'm going to try to get to know someone well enough to make plans to get together over vacation at some point! I think Judith is coming home from Dortmund, too, and she said she'd show me around Berlin a little. On Friday, I'm meeting my liason! We're going out to dinner at Potsdamer Platz and then to see Julie and Julia!!! I'm super-psyched, both to meet her and to see Meryl Streep. She always makes me really happy. I'm not sure if we're seeing it in English or German yet, I think it would probably be more beneficial to see it in German of course, but I'd rather see it in English because I like Amy Adams' and Meryl Streep's voices so much.
This week has been excellent so far- on Monday I got a wonderful letter from Grandma (thanks- I'm writing a letter!), and on Tuesday I got a Halloween-themed package from Linda (thank you SO MUCH!!! Clara was very excited about the decorations.) Today I am skyping home for the first time, and tomorrow I'm expecting a package from my friend, and Friday I have my Potsdamer Platz date!!! So quite good overall. Today is really warm, and it wasn't raining during rowing yesterday so I stayed much warmer! Warm weather always makes me cheerful.
Yesterday I wandered through Tegel and found a bookstore where I bought a new journal (I've already filled up my first one!) and The Book Thief in German. It is my favorite book in English, and I couldn't resist. I'm going to wait a few months before trying to read it though.
Oh, and last weekend... it was Clara's birthday and she liked the scarf that I bought her! Score one for Jasmine. She had some friends over for a sewing party, and they all made pillowcases- she made me make one as well, and it was pretty fun, although I messed up an embarrassing amount of times, but I ended up with a fun jungle-themed sort of pillow. Maybe I'll use it on the plane on the way home... my neck got really stiff on the way here! She also received a fotoapparat (digital camera) with which she has been photographing me in every possible state, and a fondue pot, with which we made chocolate fondue the other day. Actually we just melted a chocolate bar, but as it's German chocolate, it was still lecker. On Sunday Simon, Lisa (his girlfriend), some family friends and I went to a motorcycle rally! It was really fun, and my first time on a motorcycle. It reminded me of snowmobiling, except warmer. I think I like snowmobiling better because a) you're on tracks instead of wheels, and it seems so much less likely to fall over and b) it's generally a lot prettier in snowmobiling areas than it is in motorcycling. But of course I can't really say this as I've only been once.
More to come after this weekend, perhaps sooner if I have time!