Grover Beach,
CA Oct 10, 98

Surprise, surprise, here's already the next newsletter. Let's go back to the end of last newsletter, for we talked about the last few weeks this morning and I hope to be able to write a newsletter that all my students like. They are, as you know, quite quick, direct and sometimes merciless in their judging...

Anneken writing home

So, after happily greeting the missing Anneken and Ude in San Fran, we rode to the apartment of my 'old' friends, the David family; visited on each of the three bike trips here. Diane was attending the faculty meeting - for it was a Thursday - and after a while we found out that we weren't to stay there immediately. Diane had somehow managed to get us into the school! We were allowed to use the main hall - also used as gym - for three nights. But her husband John wouldn't be John without feeding us some burritos first and the Kinders got to meet several of their lively kids. The gym was kinda small, but for us it was obviously quite big and comfortable, especially since we were able to use the kitchen and a shower. That evening everybody went to bed quite late since we got a lot of mail - I am having a hard time hand writing letters since I got e-mail two years ago, but I still like 'em so much more for being so personal.

Well, next day was a school day, so we had to leave really early - for us that is 9.30; it still amazes me when I hear comments about stressful mornings on this trip. We went on our different sightseeing and exploring missions, meeting again in the evening for diner. Afterwards Ude, Guido, David and Carsten tried to get some nightlife, but as always on this trip, they just can't find it!

German class at the San Francisco Waldorf School

Saturday was special for we had decided to watch a baseball game. The San Francisco Giants played the Colorado Rockies and we took off hours before the game started, using regular buses to prevent our bikes from being stolen at the 3 Com Park Stadium. Everybody had some ingredients for a nice sandwich lunch, which brought Guido special work and us laughter, for they wouldn't let him in with his glass jar of mayonnaise. To our great delight, we were watching him from the inside as he was putting the stuff via spoon into plastic cups - just to find out that they had free mayonnaise inside!
        But hey, that was more exciting than the game. I mean, it was very interesting to observe it all; it was just the worst game of the whole season. Guido, so often in need for more than a big load of sleep, decided to take a nap and just woke up for the ninth and last inning when the Rockies scored one point - not a homerun - and the game was over. The crowd was very polite, just got up and left. Four of the Kinders commented the game as awfully boring, but everybody would go to see the Anaheim A's if they had made it to the playoffs.
        So guess who is watching the Yankees - Indians game on TV right now? Yup, Guido, the sleeper.

We entertained ourselves that evening by making black and white group pictures. These are the perfect present to hosts - that is if they don't have a digital camera, of course. Some pics are so good that we need to make more prints back in Germany.

Casten - Socke

The Sunday turned out to be quite a church day. I had been to Glide Memorial a couple times while studying in Fair Oaks and told the students about the band, gospel singing and preaching. So Carsten, Anneken and Guido checked it out and totally liked it, up to the comment "I'd go to church in Germany if we had services like this". I had gone with Diane and her kids to a Roman Catholic Church, which had a very nice mass and later on I had to find out what's behind "St. John's Coltrain Orthodox African Church". Man, somebody loving jazz, that is a dream. They basically just jam, with the bishop directing music and singing and throwing in special solos on his own saxophone. Trouble is that I can't stand free jazz, so I left after less than half an hour - a service there takes about 3 full hours; " however long they feel the Lord wants them to".

Ude and Daniel reading

Later that day we cleaned our accommodations and moved in with the Davids. They just astonish me every time. The apartment is not big and the two youngest, Rhian and Brendan moved our of their room to make space for us, but they just welcome and, traditionally, invited us for diner the first night - while we, traditionally, did the same the next night; this time omelets. The Irish stew - John is from Wales, if that makes sense - is just the best, but it was too hot outside for stew, so we enjoyed a barbecue.

Our next surprise with the school was an invitation to come to the German classes of the high school - so far 9th and 10th grade. The teacher handled our visit brilliantly, for most of the time we - Guido went to Berkeley, Daniel and Ude did whatever, but definitely together - talked one on one with a student, switching places every few minutes; language classes are small. Carsten and Anneken rushed to the middle school afterwards to give little presentations for the 6th and 8th grade.
        The rest of the day as well as the next one were used for the usual strenuous activities like sights, movies, reading, and writing. Just Guido wanted to return to beautiful Sausalito. He was cruising all over town anyway for he couldn't remember where he forgot his lock...and I am taking a break. There is more to come, but a cool beer in the fridge, diner to be eaten and the movie "Jerry McGuire". And I strongly advise you to take a break as well in case you find more than one newsletter in your mailbox...

Ciao, Andi