New Friends!

Hello again!

I made a new friend yesterday. I went to the Starbucks around the corner to get a coffee and do some emailing. At the Starbucks, the guy who took my order, noticed the Canadian flag on my backpack and said "vait, vhold on, I's be back vif anofer Canadian" and he proceeded to drag another guy out from the backroom. It was a young guy named Ian and he is from Calgary. He and his girlfriend have been here since January after they graduated from University. We exchanged email addresses and are going to all hang out and do some touring about. I am excited! It may have been the first time since I have been here that I have been able to speak english with someone outside of the apartment. I am beginning to feel what it must be like to be illiterate. I look all around me and I see letters but can read or understand the words. Today at the beach, a loud voice came on the speaker and they could have been saying "get out of the water, there is a shark close by" and I had no clue!

We went to the Strandbad Wannsee today. It is a beach as well as a villa turned museum. The Wannsee Villa where in 1942 the fate of the European Jewry was determined at the Wannsee conference. It was great fun and in true German style the parks were awesome (and dangerous!) and even had a human-sized (kid-sized humans) chess board with that Nemy and I played with. She loves Chess now. Too bad she will outgrow my chess ability very quickly. I shall have to brush up on my skills. Above are some pics of a part of the park and the chess game. Wow, I wish I had been a kid growing up here although, Nemy had to coach me up the tall spider-web-looking thing. It is soooo high!

I am loving life and having a fabulous time. I hope you are all also having a wonderful summer of fun, adventure, learning and friends (old or new!).

Much Love,
Jenn(ifer)