11 January, 2008

I’m heading to the fatherland

Four days until I board a plane to begin my latest adventure. I found an apartment that I am fighting to get now –- this is hard to do from the US -- this place seems like a gem so I’m pulling out the big guns. If only I could read the application completely. If you know what the following means, then I would appreciate the translation “Eidesstattliche Versicherung (Offenbarungseid) abgegeben Ja/Nein.” But I’ll have you know that my boyfriend (German native) isn’t sure what the message is either. This is the only thing preventing me from turning it in. I hope to figure it out before I go to bed tonight.

I need to repack my bags and rethink what I will bring. I will most certainly take a raincoat. There aren’t as may hours of daylight in the winter as I am used to, but the kicker is the rain… Average daily hours of sunshine in January is 2 hours… TWO. This will, I hope, motivate me to be at work more often than not and to get lots of things done. I’ve heard about people in Alaska who use light bulbs that simulate natural light to keep them happy. I will try to find some of these.

Several of you have expressed a desire to visit and a few are confirmed to follow through. I want you all to know that my place is yours if you wander through Berlin. Be advised, however, of my lack of site-seeing time. Bring a friend to be a tourist with and you will have more fun. I am already concerned about not getting enough done while I am there :-/