Well, it hasn’t quite been the three months it was last time, but it’s been long enough.  Fall this year was dry, and after a cold, rainy August, rather warm.  Normally autumn in Sauerland (the region of Germany where I am) is cold and rainy, and the summer was warm and dry.  Several people commented that August and November seemed to have traded weather.  The winter has been chilly, but not overly cold, and rainy.  We have had snow a couple of times, but the longest it has lasted is a couple of days.   I think I left of with the last blog in the middle of the fall break.  In the last days of the fall break my host dad, sisters, uncle, and I went to a professional league soccer game.  The winning team, Dortmund is the team that my host family, and now I are fans of. The team is called Dortmund, and its colors are black and yellow/gold.  They are a good team that plays in the top tier of the German professional leagues.  They were the German national tournament champions last year.  They also have the reputation for having the best and most loyal fans, and is a team built with hard work, and has lots of heart, not built with money.  We had lots of fun at the game, and lazing around for the rest of the break.  Then school started up, again, and all of the activities that take place when school is in session.  Soon we were getting towards Christmas, and I had to start thinking about Christmas presents for my family here, and family at home, as well as the extra practices that go along with before Christmas concert preparations.  The days seemed to flow by, and before I knew it it was Advent. Between fall break and Advent we finished up writing the big tests in English, German, Math, and a normal test in History, as well as several other tests.  We also went to the All Saints Day fair in Soest, where we rode a 66 meter tall free fall, as well as looking spending time looking at all of the different booths that offered items to sell.  The Advent, or winter YFU group meeting was also a highlight of that time.  The Advent meeting is where I also met my YFU counselor, the person who is responsible for making sure that everything works out for me and my family this year, for the second time in person.  Afterwards we went to the Christmas market, which, like the YFU meeting, was in Dortmund.  The four Sundays of Advent seemed to fly by.  Before I knew it, it was the last day of school before Christmas break, which began on the 23^rd of December.  Here in Germany, the Christmas tree and manger scene are not set up until the twenty-fourth, which is when Christmas is celebrated here.  Some friends of my host family who live in Switzerland came to celebrate Christmas with the family and friends they have here, and stayed here with us.  On the 24^th my host family set up the Christmas tree, and manger scene.  The rest of the house was already decorated.  Late that afternoon we went to the Christmas service at the Catholic church that was overflowing with people.  When we got home, It was time to wait for the Christ Kind, or Christ child that brings the gifts here, instead of Santa Claus, who takes a much smaller role for the Germans.  The Christ kind came sometime that evening while the doors to the living room were closed so he could work without interruption or being seen.  We then got to open our presents.  The rest of the evening was spent figuring out how to use them, and celebrating.  Later that evening the friends of my host family came home, and we talked for a while, and then headed for bed.  The next day, or the first day of Christmas, as the Germans think of it, we went to the family on my host mom’s side and celebrated there, and the second day of Christmas we did the same with the family on my host dad’s side.  On the 27^th I went to visit Britta, and got to see some of her town and area, where she lives, and her school, as well as meeting her family, of course.  We went bowling, and saw a castle that is in her area, as well as going to the Christmas market in a neighboring town, that was open for a few days after Christmas.  I left in the late afternoon on the 28^th.  The friends of my host family had left on the 27^th, as well.  On New Year’s Eve I celebrated with my host sister, and a friend of hers, which was fun. 

All in all the holiday season went by fast, but was a lot of fun and a great cultural experience.  I am looking forward to all of the possibilities that lay ahead of me both for the New Year, and for the rest of my experience here in Germany.  I hope that you all had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! 

Hi I’m Margareta. I wish you a happy new yearJ I’m going to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Have lots of fun by the New Year’s EveJ, tooJ