A conversation with a fairytale character

Today started too early! I got a late start though and rushed to be early! Once in Potsdam, we covered German/Berlin history.  Mostly the Berlin wall, because the movies we watched in the afternoon dealt with the wall and East and West Berlin/Germany.  I was really happy to get a quick refresher on dates and events before watching the movie this afternoon.  Our choices for the movies were: Goodbye Lenin, Das Leben der Anderen, or Barbara.  I had seen the first two many times, so I chose Barbara and actually really liked it! It is a hard to watch as any other German movie, but it actually ended up ok, I think.  I am not sure if I understood all of the relationships going on in the film, but I am about to do some research!  After the movie I headed back to Berlin and stopped by to by a lentil salad for dinner! Once in my apartment, I realized it was only 5! The train was super fast today!!! So I decided I would call Hanne Schulze... my grandmother's childhood friend who she kept in touch with and was living in Germany when my grandmother died.  I dialed the number on Skype and then waited for it to say that the number was disconnected.  However, it didn't and a sweet lady picked up the phone and said "Schulze." To which I answered, is Hanna there? When she said yes I about died!!!!  

She sounded sooo nice! It was as if I was talking to a character in a fairy tale or a book! I quickly told her that Margot Pelzel was my grandmother and she quickly responded "is she not alive?"  I was so taken aback that she had understood me so quickly, that it was hard for me to come up with something to say, and it was really hard to response tactfully in German, so I just had to come out and tell her that she died in 2008...  Then I continued to tell her that my aunt had given me her number and what I was doing, and that I would love to meet her.  It never crossed my mind that today was passover... I felt bad not saying anything... But she told me she was really busy this week, but to call her back next week and we can set up a time to meet and for me to go over there.  She also asked me who my aunt was, because she knew Oma had 2 daughters.  She sounds soooo incredibly nice, and I am so glad she picked up! When I called, I was kind of hoping she wouldn't because I didn't know what I would say or how I would be able to speak on the phone, but she was sooo incredibly nice! I cannot wait to meet her!

After talking with her I was so excited that I went out of my room and told my awesome landlady! She was so excited! We started talking about life and then I went back in my room.  A few minutes later she came back in and told me she wanted to give me a book.  I figured it was a book on Prenzlauer Berg, because she had given me one already for me to read.  But instead... she gave me a book (a novel) that her husband wrote!!! She told me it has two stories, one which is the biography of a lady, who was like their Oma, who lived in Berlin in Prenzlauer Berg and was also Jewish.  She fled to the Soviet Union and was later also persecuted there for being German.  I was so touched.  The lady told me that she only has 2 copies left and the book is out of print! I couldn't believe she was giving me a book that her husband wrote (he passed away I believe)!! I promised her I would read it and return it to her before I leave.  She really has been so amazing!

As I lay in my bed now getting ready to call it a night, I am still at awe... I spoke to Hannele... I spoke to the girl that I've read so much about!!! It was surreal.  Well I am off to translate one more letter before I really call it a night.  Here's a picture of my view from here!

The moon