Ich bin not homeless!!!

Hello everyone!

First of all, some very exciting news: I have an apartment!!! The one I mentioned in my last post turned out to be great - I visited it today and met my new roommate, Jeannie (short for Janina), and she was super friendly and we had a great time chatting and getting to know each other. The apartment is in Charlottenburg, a nice part of Berlin and not too far from the university and from the big places in town like Kurfürstendamm (ritzy shopping), Potsdamer Platz (umm, everything), and the subway, which will take you anywhere. My room is a little on the small side but that's really okay with me - I'd say it's about the size of my room at Penn freshman year. We have a nice bathroom and kitchen and a small spare room with a little table, good for socializing or entertaining guests perhaps. Internet, phone, TV, everything included... might I also mention it's cheaper than anywhere I could live at Penn. But most of all, I'm excited that I found someone fun and friendly and my age to live with!!! God is so faithful!!! I move in on October 3. :)

Other news: the movie I saw last night was incredible. It's done so well here that it is sure to make it over to the U.S., and you should all see it. It's called "Das Leben der Anderen", roughly translated "The Life of the Others". It takes place in East Germany in 1984 and follows two main characters: a writer who is being spied on by the East German police (the Stasi), and the man who is primarily responsible for the spying. It shows very poignantly how the lives of ordinary citizens were so deeply impacted by the Stasi and all that they did, and it also gives a rather insightful look into the life of a member of the Stasi - a perspective often forgotten. I highly recommend it.

Along with that, last night was a lot of fun. First of all, it was exciting to see a movie here in Berlin for the first time, of course all in German - we were proud of ourselves. :) Plus, afterwards we went out to eat and that was a lot of fun too. I really really love the people in our study abroad program. We formed such a tight bond so quickly and it's so cool. It's really fun to be with people who love German and who love Berlin as much as I do. :)

Now, unfortunately I will not be uploading my photos tonight because I have to do that from my laptop at an internet cafe, and my internet cafe here is closed. But fear not, photos will come tomorrow. I'm also working on a list of Berlinisms and Americanisms I've observed thus far through my experiences. Be excited. :)

Love and miss you all!