one more day

of language school!!! And then I have the weekend and then I start in the Georg-Herweg Oberschule! I am pretty excited. Today Clara and Daniela helped me with my German homework, it was very funny because sometimes they would come across a question about a combination of articles and they would just look at each other for a few seconds while they processed it, and then they would simultaneously tell me the right answer. It was pretty funny. Also, I showed them the scrapbook I made today, so now they know what y'all look like. I think I'm going to give them their American gifts sometime next week. This weekend is Clara's birthday, so she's having a sewing party Saturday afternoon, and I think I'm helping to make a birthday cake. So that will be my first European cooking experience! Wahoo! I still have to get her a present, though. Tomorrow after Sprachschule I'm going to eat something delicious to celebrate the fact that I finished, and then go birthday-present-shopping. I hope the weather's nice- today it was cold and windy and rainy, and I braved it to go looking in Charlottenberg for an English bookstore, which I found and wandered around in for about half an hour browsing the lovely English titles. I bought She's Come Undone, which I'm saving for when I'm desperate for my mother tongue, and War and Peace, which I'm hoping will keep me busy reading-wise for quite a while, so that I don't have to go spend more money. Although I did just get a library card for the library in Tegel. Unfortunately, there are around 30 English books, but by the time I finish War and Peace I probably won't even want to read in English anymore. It was funny- apparently you have to be 18 to have your own library card or be on a family plan or something, so I had to be under Daniela's name and so I had to be part of the family, so basically Daniela had to claim that I was her tochter... which she thought was really funny. "Du bist meine Tochter, hahaha!" I don't really know why it was so funny, but it was, and now I have a library card. So that's that. On the topic of reading, the other day I remembered that Mom had sent me The Little Prince (one of my favorites- Thanks Mom!) and I so I brought it downstairs to read it- it usually only takes me an hour or so, so I was just going to enjoy the woodstove (we have a woodstove, I am so happy!), but then Sebastian said that they had the German version, and went on a search for it. So then he found it and Clara and I read them together- she would read a few paragraphs aloud of the German version, and I would read a few paragraphs in English, and so on. It's been quite nice- I can follow along in English what she's reading in German- or at least sort of, as the sentence structure is different. But it's fun. Also, Judith has the French version, so if I get bored of learning German in a few months I can start learning French instead.
Tomorrow, I need to restock my chocolate supply- I've been keeping a bar in my closet/wardrobe/cabinet thing, and eating a little bit every now and then... but they really don't last very long. But they are so good. Milka is one brand I see everywhere, rather hershey-like except not as big. It is so delicious, and it comes with all these different yogurty-fillings. But I've also been eating lots of soup and meat and vegetables so hopefully my nutrition is evening out a little? I hope so.
I am feeling really glücklich right now- certainly tired but I've had a busyish day. I understand a lot of what my host family says to me, and the sentence structure and grammar is starting to fall into place in my mind a little bit. I would say I'm quite confident in finding my way around, even if I get lost I have maps and I know how to ask for help in German. I'm about to start normal school and start making friends, and I feel really relaxed and glad about where I am.
I'll update again after this weekend- Simon's bringing me to a motorcycle race on Sunday, so maybe that will bring up some exciting stories... I love you all!
p.s. happy oktober!