The first day of Christmas . . .

Berlin! Why did I go? My friend Siobhan (pronounced Shivaun) had been told about the Christmas Markets there and asked if I wanted to go. Of course I said YES! We both only had the weekend so we knew from the beginning it would be a short trip. After a weird incident with the airlines, we landed Friday night. The taxi man was so funny full of "yes madam's". He sang a song for us while waving his maestro hand around to keep the time. We asked for help finding a hotel and that inspired him to spend his time jogging between hotels to ask for prices etc. He would say, "Wait. I will find one. Come madam, come." Finally we found one for a reasonable price (which is a lot higher after traveling all day and ending at midnight) and he kept saying, "but tomorrow on Internet you find, you find. Less madam. Less."

So we went to a club which was not really what we expected, but it was fun. An Italian friend there said that it was funny because the German people literally go to listen to the techno music. She said that in Italy men go to find a girl. In Berlin, they go to dance and hear the music. It was better in her accent and the way she said it, but use your imagination.

The next day we did a bus tour. We saw the remaining part of the Berlin wall, which was really cool. But the weather was so miserable we just stayed on the bus. I was missing my leopard rain boots. I will put more pics of that on facebook, but the shot that says BERLIN up above was the wall. Every part was painted by different famous artists.

Then we did the market thing which was so much fun. I ate this magnificent glorified hot pocket. It was so hot when I was cold and I almost marched straight back for a second one . . . When you buy a hot drink there you pay for the mug, but if you don't want it you can return it and get some money back. It was there at the hot chocolate stand that I decided I loved zee German men. Beautiful. I almost forgot what blonde men look like. Generally I am into the dark guys, but the Italians have put me off a little and the tall light-haired guy behind the counter laughed at my jokes. That is such an easy way to please me.

I didn't even buy much, but it was fun to look at everything. Every other stand was a sausage stand. Mmmmm. I thought about Malia Duffin, a friend from Boise, who said that at the state fair she and her companions have a "no judgement" policy when they arrive at the food booths. Definitely thought about that as I almost stopped at every one.

After we went to a party with my friend's friends. I was bored at first because it was a birthday party for a class member so we were crashing on a bunch of intimate friends. But then this cool German guy decided to try to entertain me and it worked. We had a fun conversation. Then of course it always comes up why I am not drinking. He and this other guy (who was a foreign exchange student in Iowa. He said 'yes I know Ohio' when I told him the name of my state-most Americans think the same thing) were asking me questions about it. I was so relaxed talking to them. They were so cool about it all and the first guy made me repeat the church's official name until he had it memorized. He was trying to figure out the German translation. Chris, Mr. Iowa, said, "It is just Momon (accent implied)." And the first guy (who refused to tell me his name because he said it wasn't important that strangers know a name) said, "If she sayz thiz iz zee official name I want to know zee official name." I really enjoyed conversing with them. The Italians always act so shocked and usually end up asking something like this: "You believe in Christ . . . but you are not Catholic?" Yeah, thanks for that. And the last time you went to Mass was . . .?

This all brings me to the first day of Christmas. A partridge in a pear tree symbolizes Christ. Our true love, God, first gave us Jesus Christ. One thing traveling is teaching me is that there are so many different ways to believe and to live that people have repeatedly told me, "Well, I am glad you found what works for you." I have come to respond with "This is what is really important. Are you trying to improve your life? Are you working to always be a better person? Are you kind? (and I think the most important one) Are you true to your self-established values or the values of your faith?" I am always amazed that some of the core doctrine of non-Christian religions are what I know of as ways to come unto Christ. I think anyone (German, Italian, Catholic, Buddhist, Muslim, Atheist, Pagan, or whatever) who can answer these questions with a yes is being Christlike whether they believe in him or not. So this Christmas: Are you loving? Are you better than you were a year ago, a month ago, a week ago, a day ago? Are you true? If you are these things, than there is no way that the Christmas Spirit can be gone from you.