Finally

Our furniture finally arrived on Wednesday!!  It has been a very long month not having our own bed and all of our things.  It was especially becoming apparent that we needed our things as Alani's Pack'n'Play changing table was starting to bend from her weight and using it every day.  It was also nice to make a home-cooked meal Thursday night.  It still doesn't really feel like home here yet, but at least it is a bit more comfortable. 

I have been starting to get out in the city with Alani to check things out.  We have had to buy a few things since pretty much everything with a plug had to be left behind.  It has been interesting trying to buy things in a different language and with new brands.  I have been doing a lot of price comparison and just buying the item in the middle of the range. 

I also attended my first mommy/baby class in Berlin.  It is specifically for English speaking parents which was great!  Most of the moms were British, except me, a Canadian, and an Australian.  It was interesting that we have the same songs, but all knew different words.  For example in Ring Around the Rosie I grew ups saying "...ashes, ashes..." and the British mums say "...hushes, hushes...".  They were also all shocked that we only have six to eight weeks maternity leave in the States and that we don’t get paid time off for childcare.  They also thought it was hilarious that I worked up until a couple weeks before my due date.  Apparently they kick you out the door here about eight weeks before your due date.  I really didn’t know what to do with two weeks, not sure if I would have enjoyed being told to leave with eight weeks to go.  Anyway, I’m going again this week to the class so hopefully we’ll start to really get to know some people here.

I have also been just walking around the neighborhood trying to learn my way around and work on my German.  The picture at the top is Alani in front of a statue of Sleeping Beauty, I found it appropriate.  Learning the neighborhood is fun, the German is slow.  I seriously wish people would just speak slowly and clearly.  I have discovered on German soaps they really do, I just don’t know the story lines so I’m a bit lost about who everyone is and why they are so upset.  Game shows are also great since they write the question and answer choices out on the bottom of the screen (like Millionaire).  Hopefully watching TV will help me learn to keep up with what is going on around me, it gets a bit frustrating trying to understand everyone.