Meine Familie Hauschild

Well, I've come to the week of lasts and goodbyes.  Monday was my last day of the USAC program: my final exam for Intro to German Literature.  Afterwards, I went and celebrated with some friends and their landlords, as they were going to be leaving Lüneburg very soon.  It doesn't seem like it should be time for people to be going home already...

I, however, don't fly out until Saturday.  In the meantime, I was honored to visit the Hauschild family in Osnabrück one more time.  I owe them a big "Thank You" for opening their home to me again, and making me feel like one of the family!  Because I came in the middle of the week, everyone's days were busy with school or work.  I was still able to spend time with family in the evening.  Tuesday night, I helped Steffi and Carola with their English homework (after I remembered how!) and hopefully made their end-of-the-year exams/work a little easier.  The rest of the evening included a movie (German audio, English subtitles) with everyone and then a game with Frau Hauschild: Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod (loosely, "The Dative is Death to the Genitve").  Based on a recent book by the same title, the game tests knowledge of proper German, covering grammar, word choice, and even common sayings.  It was educational for both of us!

Wednesday, after breakfast with Herr Hauschild, I got to spend over an hour playing the piano.  I hadn't been able to play since the last time I was in Osnabrück.  I watched another movie, Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (German audio and subtitles), before lunch.  Herr Hauschild made pork chops, noodles, and cauliflower (with bacon and cheese baked over it).   In the evening, I accompanied Frau Hauschild to mass at the Osnabrücker Dom (cathedral), a candle-lit Advent service where she was singing in the choir.  Our time in the city ended with Glühwein and other Christmas Market treats.  By the end of the movie that night, only Steffi, the cats, and I were still awake.

This morning, after breakfast with Steffi, she took me back to the train station and sent me on my way, sending a scarf, Plätzchen (Christmas cookies), and a wonderful Christmas card along for the holidays.  On the way back to Lüneburg, I used my layover in Hannover to look around the Christmas market there and pick up a few last gifts.  Back in my apartment, I guess it's time to start cleaning and packing for my next trip: home!