I sat back in my itchy seat as I waited for the airplane to land.  The
lights were dim and I couldn't make out anything outside because it was
five in the morning.  Finally, we landed after twelve hours of time
torture in business class.  My father sat stiff and with his eyes
closed, he was breathing deep. It wasn't because he was scared of
flying, he was just tired.  Later after we gathered our two bags, we
went to the rental car place.  This was were, as always, my first test
of if I still can understand German would take place.  Of course I
didn't understand any bit of the conversation between my father and the
rental car women, so I just twiddled my thumbs, waiting.   We walked
slow as a snail to our rental car.

        We've been to Germany many times and I consider this my third home.  My
father is a native and pure German.  He is very tall and has a slender
body from jogging everyday.  He has a mixture of jet-black hair and gray
hairs (thanks to me). My father seemed very relaxed and comfortable
being back in his homeland and of course, using a stick shift, which to
him is a valuable part of being back.

        As be trekked our way across the auto bhan, I kept saying, "we are
finally home, we are finally home."  I was extremely cold out side, only
nine degrees Celsius.  After about twenty minutes of driving we reached
Papa and Mutties house.  When my sister and I were very young we
couldn't quit say grandfather and grandmother in German so we just call
them mom and dad.  I jumped out of the car and ran to the apartment
door.  I pressed the button where it said "Sachse" and a voice came on.
I yelled, "its us!"  The door automaticly opened and I ran up the
stairs.  I saw papa first so I gave him a hug and a kiss.  Then, I did
the same for Muttie.

        Papa was tall too, just as my dad.  He had almost no hair and had a
stiff upper lip.  Muttie on the other hand was small and a tiny nose.
She did have hair and a golden smile.  I ran inside and house and fell
over the bed I always sleep in.  It felt soft unlike the airplane seat.
 

        In the afternoon Papa, dad, and I went to the local bakery.  We went
there because I heard there was a small party and home tonight.  We
bought a lot of bread just enough for all of use to have our hands
full.  I looked around in the bakery.  I saw supremely tasteful
chocolate cakes, which make my mouth water.

        It was now becoming night and the jet lag was kicking in for me.  I
felt my eyelids getting heavier and my leg feeling as heavy as steel.  I
went to bed even before the party stared.  I laid in the bed and turned
on CNN (the only English speaking channel).  It was getting boring and
boring as I kept hearing about the Clinton issue.  I dozed off with the
remote still in my palm. All I remember about my dream was about the "H"
word.  Homework.

Samstag
Saturday

I awoke from my deep slumber at three a.m. I was getting restless so I
turned on my discman and walkman.  At about seven my dad woke up.  We
went out of our room and went to the table.  There were plates, bread,
butter, and jam.  By seeing this, I would tell Papa and Muttie were up
early.  Dad and I sat down and ate all the food.

        Today was the wedding day and I could feel excitement in the air.
Jens, who is the groom, came over to our house.  He came because dad and
I were the escorts for them and we needed a car to drive them from the
church to the part center.  Jens brought his fathers Mercedes.  The car
was navy blue and had flowers all over it.

        Two hours later we got dressed.  People said I look stunning in my
white button down dress shirt and navy blue pants.  I played with my
silk tie as I waited for dad to hurry up.  He was very nervous.  I
noticed it because he went to every mirror in the house, checking the
way he looked.

We were on our way to Jens's and Anke's house.  We rolled up the
driveway and then headed up the fleet of stairs.  There was Anke (the
bride) standing there with her pink lipstick and he straight hair.  The
dress fitted her face perfectly and the drapes of cloth over her
shoulder made her look even more stunning.  She was nervous too.  I held
her hand as we walked down the stairs.  She sat in the back and dad and
I sat in the front.  Shortly we arrived to the church.  This was where
the first problem began.  Jens was supposed to be the only person
outside but as we can see there was everybody.  Dad stopped at the
middle of the street, ahead of the church.  I rolled down the window and
made a hand gesture for the people to get inside the church.  Jens
finally got the idea and told everybody to go in.  As the car pulled
right in front on the door, Jens was standing at Anke's door.  I got out
and told Jens, "remember I'M supposed to escort her out of the ca, not
you."  He didn't listen and took her hand anyway.  Dad and I ran inside,
going to our reserved seats in the front.  For the next hour it was
really boring because I didn't understand anything.

        After another dose of time torture, the formal wedding in the church
ended.  We all climbed back in the car and we lead a convoy of twenty
cars.  It's was awesome.  Dad kept honking the horn.  After awhile it
started making funny sounds but dad didn't care and he kept on honking.
 

        It was about four or five in the evening.  We drove the car to the
party center, which today was held in Anke and Jens's honor.  There were
about 50+ people there.  I was the youngest there.  We all had assigned
tables and I knew everybody there.  Mr. and Mrs. Busch were there and
they were a friend of Papa and dad's.  They told me that they were at
the party yesterday and they went into my room to see if I was asleep.
The food was excellent and the party was the highlight of the trip

        We went back home at 1:38 a.m.  That was pretty good considering that
now my jet lag must be over.  We were all tired and I feel right on my
bed and fell asleep.

Dienstag
Tuesday

It was time for dad and I to go to Luxembourg to visit Anke and Jens.
We drove for about three hours to the country.  When we arrived dad
couldn't find the hotel that they were staying at.  He called them on
his mobile phone and then got lost again.  Dad called again and in about
another hour we found them.  They got in our car and we drove to
downtown.

Anke, Jens, dad, and I went to a tiny but fine looking restaurant.  When
we first got in, the place looked like a nightclub because there were
speakers everywhere and black chipped walls that made it appear to have
the grungy look.  All of use sat down in the back and looked at the
menu.  I couldn't read it because it was written in French.  Dad just
ordered me a pizza.

After we ate we took a walk.  I noticed that many security guards and
police cops were around.  We then went to look at the palace.  I saw
guards walking around doing marches, holding huge guns around their
shoulder.  Then I saw other guards in front of a tiny box or I guess a
station post.  Something big was going to happen.  Just as we looked
around the corner I saw the road were blocked with barricades.  Jens
pointed out to me the huge India flag waving in the town center.  Just
then a fleet of police motorcycles past by.  Then came a black van and
after came a dark colored Mercedes with India flags near the
headlights.  "The Prime Minister of India has come to Luxembourg," Anke
told me.  At four in the noon dad and I went back to Germany, while Anke
and Jens stayed to do more shopping.  I called mom telling her about the
trip and how fun it was so far.

Montag
Monday
        When I awoke dad was already packing our bags.  I moved my eyes toward
the clock, which read 8:47 a.m.  I rummaged out of my cozy bed and
yawned. "Good, your up, now come on, its time to eat Hobet.  (Note: my
German name is pronounced HooBEt.  Only people with real German
understanding can say it.)  Once again I saw the table set.  I ate some
delicious baked rolls with butter.  I then went to our room and got
dressed.  I stood in my white shirt and my dark blue Levis jeans.

By that time it was time to go.  Papa and dad were already outside
putting our bags in the back of the car.  Once Muttie and I were there,
we said goodbye, which then was followed by hugs and kisses.  We sadly
drove off leaving Muttie crying.  I kept waving back to them until they
were both out of site.

My Germany trip was the best ever.  We were both sad to leave our home
but we had to.  With gum in my bag, homework somewhat done, and my new
biking jersey we took off remembering that we WILL be back next year.