Bees and Butterflies

This week I have been busy like a bee and social like a butterfly. John left for London on Tuesday afternoon and I have just been partying it up ever since. Not really. But I have been extra busy this week.

On Tuesday night I went to the International Women's Group holiday dinner in Nürnberg. We enjoyed a three course dinner, drinks, and some live musical entertainment. Being in a room full of women who literally come from all over the world is really interesting and humbling experience. I mostly talked with Repu from India and Ping from China and they were both very nice. Lucinda, who is the IWG treasurer, suggested that I take on the job of helping to plan some of the events for the women's group, so I may jump into that once we are into 2010.

Wednesday night, I met up with a different group of English speaking women from around Erlangen at Wheeler's Pub for a belated Thanksgiving turkey dinner. I came across a few blogs of Americans living in Germany before we moved here and contacted the writers to say, Hey! I am moving to Germany and I'm from the U.S too! Vicki is one of those bloggers and she invited me to join this "Girls' Night" group that meets for dinner about once a month or so. This was the first time I joined them and it was a lot of fun. Again, I sat at a table with people from around the world. I met a few Australians, a woman from Scotland who recently taught and lived in Boston for 9 years, and a few Americans.

Yesterday I saw a doctor for the first time which was a decently normal experience. I had to have Lucinda help make the appointment for me because I had a bit of trouble communicating via the telephone with the office staff, but once I was there, the staff was very kind. One woman sat with me in the waiting room and helped me fill out the necessary paperwork, translating each part as I went. The doctor was very direct, but he seemed okay and he spoke English.

After seeing the doctor, I attended a baby shower for one of the teachers at my school who is now on maternity leave. We ate lots of sweets, played a few baby games including a horrible combination of melted chocolate on diapers, and had a fun time.

Oh and did I mention that my co-worker Yuki taught me how to make homemade sushi at lunch? So fun!

Tonight, I am off to the 3rd/4th grade disco at school to help chaperone the kiddos. Afterwards, if it's not raining, which it has been a lot lately, I am going to the Medieval Christmas market downtown with some friends.

Time has flown by this week and John comes home already tomorrow. I will be venturing out to pick him up from the airport in my third ever solo driving excursion since moving to Germany. John was so impressed that I voluntarily drove to the store the other day in his absence, that he bestowed me with the honor of picking him up.

On Tuesday we are set to take our driving license written test, which we have heard it quite a challenge. Between now and then we have a LOT of studying to do.

A week from tomorrow we will be on our way home!