Thanksgiving Week Part 1

Tonight, the Fulbrighters in Berlin had a Thanksgiving potluck co-hosted by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. In all, there were about 50 people there. I knew at least six of the Fulbrighters and, of course, the Fulbright Commission folks who were on hand. Although I didn't meet a ton of new people, it was nice to mingle a bit.

I ended up bringing Thai Sweet Chili Chicken, which may becoming my new favorite dish to cook. It's incredibly easy, and this time I doubled the portions. Still not enough for the potluck, but whatever, they had turkey for us. Not a huge traditional turkey, but rather turkey legs (or drumsticks or whatever the heck you call them). A bit tough, but good. I couldn't wait to get home and floss though. Haha.

On my one-hour bus ride to our meeting place, I got to see parts of Berlin that I have only explored briefly. Actually, I've really explored very little of what would formerly be called West Berlin. I live on the other side of town, so it makes little sense for me to go west often. Plus, it's much more expensive there. There were bright lights and seemingly endless shopping options there. It's no wonder that particular street is called the Champs Elysée of Berlin. But the area around it looked quite nice. Here are some pictures from my night:

I also woke up way earlier than usual today. Early meaning 6:45 AM. I was supposed to arrive at the school I was visiting today at 8:15 AM, and since the commute is usually about an hour long, I had to make sure to plan enough time for unexpected circumstances. I'm becoming so German...

The school visit itself was fun. I spent two class periods speaking with students in English and German. They were in English class after all, so I was supposed to play a little board game with them in pairs and practice English. Most of the students I worked with (7th and 8th grade) were quite good at English already.

This week is quickly becoming a very busy one though. Tomorrow I have a few meetings and then more work to do on my project. After a few stumbling blocks, I've got a large pile of things to do for my project. Even with the uncertainty around all the bureaucratic red tape, I have to say I'm more optimistic about it now than I was last week.

Now, I just have to get through all the remaining emails in my inbox...oy vey. Happy Thanksgiving! More food pictures and stories later this week.

Toodles,

Sam