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Angelika Yes, yes, and what else has happened with us? First of all, I have been trying to get an internship position, and my first interview is next week. I've applied to a school where children between the ages of 2 and 5 are cared for. Since the institution is located in a very poor neighborhood of San Francisco, many children are affected by severe poverty and even homelessness. Others have experienced drug abuse and violence in their families and, as a result, have emotional problems. Other children at the center come from immigrant families from all over the world who have just arrived in San Francisco and therefore know little or no English. It all sounds very exciting, and I am already quite nervous because it is not easy for me to do an interview in a foreign language. If I am accepted at the center and I like it there, I'll be working there three mornings a week.

At the same time, I have sought out opportunities of additional education and found something interesting at the University of Berkeley. This place has a pretty good reputation and conveniently offers a continuing education program for professionals and other interested individuals. The courses take place either in Berkeley (which is about 15 miles from San Francisco and easily accessible by subway) or in San Francisco itself. The program I want to participate in is called "Children and the Changing Family." This study program offers a variety of courses on topics such as parental counseling, intervention options for troubled youth, sexual abuse, social services in California, and more.

You can pick courses based on your interests. The classes are taught by practitioners and are geared towards professional groups working with children/youth and their families. If desired, you can also earn a certificate. To do so, you must attend certain required courses and complete 105 hours within three years. Additionally, you must pass each course with a minimum grade of C (equivalent to a German grade of 3). To try it out, I have enrolled in the course "African American Children and Their Families" starting in November. This course deals with the lives of black families in America, such as the conditions under which black people live in America today, the forms of racism and societal prejudices they face, etc. I am really, really looking forward to the course. By the way, the courses cost between $150 and $200 each and are offered either as evening classes or as weekend seminars.

And then I will indulge myself in the luxury of taking a photography course, which has long been my dream. The course is also offered through the Berkeley continuing education program. It is taught by a woman who has already had exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco.

You see, I have become really active in the last few weeks. My English course at City College ended in late June. Although I could have enrolled in a new one, I preferred to focus on the activities I just described, where you naturally have to speak a lot of English and can certainly learn as well.

Then I believe I haven't mentioned yet that for some time now I’ve been doing private translations from English into German. The connection came about through various people. The wife of Michael's colleague Peter was initially asked, but she didn't have the time or interest, so the task was passed on to me. The woman for whom I'm doing the translations traveled on a container ship with a German crew some time ago, and now she has gotten it into her head that she wants her letters to Germans to be in German, even though she's writing to speak English quite well. It's fine with me, as I'm making some extra money under the table. It also turns out that she's in love with one of the sailors, and now she's eager for me to teach her German. In any case, money doesn't seem to be an issue for her, and it's helpful for me because I can brush up on my English.