MERRY CHRISTMAS

Good morning, my fine friends,

Merry Christmas, happy holidays, Frohe Weihnachten.  This year has gone by with lightning speed, so it seems.  Would you agree?  And what's with this weather?  I need to move to a tropical island or something.   An island where the weather does not dip below 90F, 30% humidity, and sun shine that just won't stop and where the Rum just keeps flowing.  [Maryyyyy...let's go!!]  This cold weather is ridiculous.  Yeah, you thought I am all that hardy kind of a German, didn't you?  I think I stopped to be that hardy when I moved to America.  My first destination for one year was Tucson, Arizona.  Now you understand, don't you?!

Anyway, Christmas is here and as always, we celebrate it twice.  Neat little perk when in a mixed cultured marriage.  We celebrate tomorrow evening, starting with a nice German dinner, followed by unwrapping the presents.  Unwrapping the presents has become my favorite part of that evening.  Not because I am after the gifts, oh no, not at all.  I just sit there with my glass of wine and watch my girls.  It used to be that I watched their faces change with each opening of a present.  These days, it is something different I see in their faces.  It's the joy of GIVING that I enjoy seeing in their eyes.  They now like to look into the faces of the people they give gifts to and their eyes explode when watching.  Jenny and Julia do not ask for anything.  It's so very hard to go shopping for them.  It is neat to watch and listen to them as they are trying to buy for their friends and for each other.  This is my Christmas joy, watching them understand that there is so much to this holiday and it is wonderful to see that they do not have a selfish bone within themselves.  I am padding myself on the shoulder for a job well done (Lewis has done that already, lol).  And December 25th will be celebrated the American way.

I do have to say though, I miss my "home" during the Christmas season.  Walking through all those Christmas markets, smelling the Gluehwein in the air, tasting the roasted almonds all while the cold air brushes up on your cheeks.  I have not been in Berlin during Christmas season since 1999. (wow, Prince just popped into my head).    Well, enough with dwelling in the past for this morning...

Oh, my GED thingy...  yes, i took it and picked up my test results the next day.  I actually fell off the chair when the lovely lady, named Jennifer, gave me my test results.  A few days prior to taking the test, when i actually signed up for it, the same lady took my information and told me, that I would do just fine.  I disagreed and was already sure to fail as I had no time to practice anything of what is required of an American High School student.  She insisted that I'd do fine and then made a bet with me.  She said, that I'd have to pay for lunch and that this will be the easiest win she had in a long time.  I disagreed with her even the next day when we met again for the ole orientation.  She told me to not pick up the results from anyone else but her.  During the sign-up process, all I can sign up for was Social Studies, Language Arts: Reading, Language Arts: Writing, and Science.  For some reason, Math was unavailable and so I'll take the math test January 12th.  The results for the writing test will be send via mail as we had to answer 50 questions and write an essay.  So, that leaves three test results to be picked up from my lovely betting partner.  I sit before her and she carries this huge smile.  She took my driver's license and walked over to the computer.  While printing out my results, she looks at me with a huge grin and asked me once more, what the bet was.  "Lunch. I failed, didn't I?"... She walked towards me and in mid way she said: " I told you, you'd lose."  No way, I made it?  Yes, I made it... not only did I make it, but my highest points were in Social Studies, followed closely by Science.  This is nuts.  Each time I bubbled in an answer in the Social Studies test, I told myself : "This is wrong".. "that probably isn't it".. "how the heck should I know"  as most of the questions where of the American Industrial Revolution.  Answering the Science test was similar, except my little voice in my head kept saying "I wish I had my dictionary at hand" while being sure to bubble in yet another wrong answer.  So anyway.. I passed at least those three out of five tests.  And Jennifer assured me that with the points I already have, I cannot fail the GED at all anymore.  I told her to slow down a bit, I have yet to receive the results from the writing test and I haven't even taken the math test as of yet.  She looked deep into my eyes and asked if i want to lose another bet.   Leaving the office, I had her phone number written on a piece of paper and soon, I will have to go on a lunch-date..lol.  So, WHOO HOO... I made it (thus far).

After I receive my GED, I will have to take yet another huge test... a placement test, and with that, I will receive my full college credits of what I already have minus two full credit points, which is good as I thought  I'd lose more than that in the transfer.  When I picked up my above mentioned test results, a girl from Mexico stood in front of me in the line.  Our conversation was reassuring that I didn't just waste a lot of time and that I have made the right decision.  She had her high school diploma from Mexico as well as her college education.  GA does not recognize the Mexican High school education and therefor, she had to take a GED test; unfortunately, she didn't fair too well on it and has to retake some tests, as does the girl in front of her and I was sure to join them.   Taking the GED has saved me a lot of money and time and therefor, I don't have to wait until summer to start classes.  Instead, my first day will be March 29th, yippee.  

Enough of my yackin'.    Tell me, how will you fine people celebrate Christmas?  And how about your weather?  Lots of snow?   

I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Frohe Weihnachten and may this day be all you want it to be and  may you have the chance to celebrate with those you love.  Tons of hugs and kisses on the cheeks and all that fun stuff from me to you fine people.   Cheers/Prost