Mama Berlin

I know I have gotten super awful at updating. My excuse this time is the cord to my Mac stopped charging, so I have to use my little PC which is only intended to write, not to internet. So there have been problems and much frustration. You hadn't missed much until recently.

Last week consisted of exams and studying for exams. Yech. However, I can now proudly announce my grades. Ahem. Art History: 7.0 Classic Egyptian I: 7.2 Classic Egyptian II: 9.9. Yes, 9.9!!! Out of 10. No one EVER gets a 10. Go me.

I cannot explain the pressure that has been lifted from me.

Friday night Koos and I went on a candlelight canal tour in Amsterdam. Wine and cheese, rain and storm. Awesome evening.

Sunday we came to Berlin! Met up with Robert, and did a little night caching. Robert had never done geocaching before, but I think he's pretty hooked now. We found 4 or 5 caches (one in the middle of Marx-Engels Platz!)

Monday the three of us (got donuts at Dunkin Donuts and) went to the Zoo!! We had ENTIRELY too much fun looking at animals and such. Robert had to leave us (too soon, too soon) but Koos and I were there until closing. It was great to see Rob again; it's been almost exactly a year since we last saw each other in person. Good times with a good friend. :-)

Today Koos and I went shopping. Well, first we found a virtual cache at Checkpoint Charlie, and another at Potsdamer Platz, then shopping. Mostly clothes for Egypt, so long skirts. :-) Then we came home to grab lunch and to plot. More caching. We searched for 4, and found...1. Only one, alas. We're going to re-examine the clues to the others and try again tomorrow. The one we found was pretty awesome though. There's an awesome fountain in Volkspark Friederichshain (which is a pretty cool park) that has statues of fairy tale characters. You use the statues to find the coordinates. Fun stuff! And my first official cache, since I'm now registered with geocaching.com. Not real sure why I haven't been keeping up with my finds until now.

Afterwards we went back to my old haunt (Kreuzberg) and went to Blaue Nil, the Ethiopian place I so loved. Koos had never had Ethiopian food. :-) SUCH a good meal! Garrgghhh!! Yum.

Then we went to stalk my old apartment, and who should come driving by but my old landlord! And he let us check the place out! My home, my apartment!! Siiigh! But the best part? My name is still on the door bell!!!! :-D Berlin remembers me, and awaits my return!!

Tomorrow: more caching! :-P