Burrito!!

There hasn't been too much to report in the past few days. Piet had a fever all week so he stayed home instead of going to kindergarten.  The fever was a little over 100 F, but he bounced around like he felt fine asking, "What do we now?" every five minutes.  We made a fort, played grocery store, looked up computer games, and read books.  We also created the cutest game ever called "Burrito."  First, I move my computer chair to my bed and after I sit down he stands on my legs.  I hold his hands and then start bouncing him till he falls onto my bed.  At that point, I wrap him up in my comforter so that he looks like a burrito.  After a moment I open the burrito and Piet asks "In what land are we now?"  Then I precede to make up some silly story about the two of us having adventures in places like Egypt, Antarctica, and India. We also come upon magical creatures or even magical shoes that allow us to jump the tallest buildings in the biggest cities.  It's convenient that his parents don't allow him to watch television or movies; I can recite the classics and he thinks I'm making them up.  Aladdin was a big hit.  He also didn't know anything about the pyramids or pharaohs and didn't now that people can charm snakes or that snakes shed their skin.  I know he's four, but man!  However, he does know a lot about tractors and trains.  I'll catch him up on the rest.  On this note, he's got a limited number of English books but he loves to hear stories.  So, if anyone has extra kids books lying about, we'd love to have them here.  I plan to see what I can find in the local book stores soon.  It's nice to just have that kind of down time with him, especially since the t.v. is never on.  I'm not so sure how I feel about that policy, but I don't make the rules so I just have to get imaginative with the alternatives, which was probably his parents' intentions anyways.  So, Piet and I are learning to have a great time together.  He told me at dinner tonight that he likes me and that he's my friend.  It was cute.

Away from Piet I went on a couple of long runs and saw more of Edewecht.  Exploring whilst running makes the time pass faster.  I'm feeling pretty good about the race on Sunday.  I think I run about 8 kilometers when I go normally, so 5 should be nothing.  Apparently tons and tons of people will be racing, so it should be a cool atmosphere.  Piet and Catrin will be there to root Jorn and me on.  I'm pretty pumped.
Oh, and I also started something new this week.  I told my host parents that I want to get connected to the community here and that I'd love to volunteer somewhere. They looked around and got me plugged in to an organization that collects leftover food from the local supermarkets and distributes it to needy families for super cheap.  Yesterday I went to their main facility and helped them sort the food and clean the vegetables.  It was a pretty neat experience, one in which I thought "I'm weird for being here."  Everyone there was over 50 and seemed like someone you'd find in Chatsworth: sweet and full of character, but with a definite country bumpkin vibe.  I don't think they'd guess that I'm happily rooted in the same kind of people, but they were warm and welcoming anyway.  When I got there we all first sat around a little table and had coffee and cookies while they smoked cigarrettes and apparently argued the actual weight of the world's largest dog.  They inspire me to want to understand German, I can only imagine what the rest of their small talk consists of.  After the break we worked on the food.  A nice lady who spoke zero English taught me how to do everything through gestures.  It was pretty fun and the confusion made us laugh a lot.  I had a nice time and I plan to return once a week.

It's been a slow week but it looks like it will be a pleasant weekend.  Jorn's parents are coming to visit on Saturday and of course we'll have the race on Sunday.  Catrin and Jorn just visited me in my room with champagne to toast to their 10th anniversary.  My reaction was, "What?  Why are you here?  Go enjoy yourselves!"  But they said they prefer to stay home so we all watched a Harry Potter movie together.  Goofballs.  Perhaps I can convince them to at least go together to the village that's ten minutes away tomorrow night for some drinks or something.   They should take advantage of my being here more often, I would.  But it keeps things easy for me; I'm going to be ruined when I return to the real world and people actually ask me to work.  Oh well, I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts : )