Sunday, July 25th
My host sister and I found the church, yes, it is a full-on church, and she said her mom would pick me up, and if not, I should take the bus back to the Hauptbahnhof and back out to the countryside. I walked in and saw many from the program. I sat in the back by the couple with the little boy named Ethan. I understood very little, but got the main points. There were two sister missionaries from Utah. In Sunday school I followed none of the discussion, but kept up with the scriptures. I even read aloud. They laughed a little, and I think they have different versions as they change the language to be closer to the English one. We talked about Korihor and what an antichrist is, etc. Some of the people spoke to me, just asking why the others left, etc. In Relief Society, I understood even less. A girl played her favorite song on the tape player. I think they talked about faith, and people gave examples. Liz showed up and I met her son Stewart.
Mrs. Hostmom picked me up. She bought strawberries and I got home and ate cherries, bread, cheese with pesto, and marmelade. It rained in torrents. Then I finished reading "Shipping News" that Jenny suggested to me - the ending was great! my host sister gave me a book called "Zwölf" or "Twelve" to read. My hostmom had me iron my clothes - how weird is this - they hang EVERYTHING up to dry - all underwear included for all to see (making me not want to "throw whatever you need washed" into the laundry room), then bring it inside and iron ALL OF IT - T-shirts! She said, "I think of your mother, ironing for six!" I explained that dryers do the job most of the time and that we do our own wash. Only skirts sometimes need ironing, and I told her we do our own, feeling stupid since the skirt I was wearing when I said that was in some definite need of ironing. I finished my Märchen and read it to my hostmom. She kept inverting my subject and verb. I felt dumb because I kept thinking I could catch the next one, but I wouldn't. She laughed. I helped set up for dinner.
My hostdad's sister came (too punctual, as usual, they said) and cut up the good Greek sheep or goat ? cheese. I kept taking pieces. Mmm. The other guests were French and spoke German so WELL! I wish I could always talk to them - I could understand! My hostdad's sister asked if I was cold in a skirt, and she felt my legs . . . a little weird. I told her only my hands were cold. I talked to the French dude - he knew English (unlike his wife), and asked about Polygamists. I didn't eat any salad because I read the back of a bottle of stuff she had poured into the salad and it had wine in it. They all started getting drunk and they talked faster and faster and my hostdad's smoking was overpowering. My goodness! I think that is nasty and inconsiderate to sit there smoking in a closed room that's practically a green house and let it drift all over the food and people who are guests and like three of them. I finally got up to leave and my hostdad told me a joke that I didn't find very funny and they also tell jokes in a different way that doesn't really lead up to the punch line, so it's funny. Here's the joke. An unhealthy guy goes to the doctor. The doctor says, "You must give up beer, smoking, and girls." The guy says, "But why?" . . .
So I told two of Dad's top ten jokes to cover up the fact that I didn't find his funny (the one about the cat and the grandma and the one about the guy going to the doctor and saying it hurts everywhere. Maybe I will post them later for those of you who don't know them). My hostsister understood my discomfort and told me it would be okay if I went to bed. She came down and read my Märchen and made some more changes. Matt called and joked that I was a little too giggly.