February 7, 1970
8:45 PM
Dear Mother, Daddy, Serena, John and Mary,This letter is like the song where the little boy tells all the terrible things about camp because he is homesick and then at then end changes his mind and says to disregard the letter. Only I'm going to tell you at the beginning to disregard the letter because I have to be 100% better long before you even get this.
About all I've done this whole day is sleep and read the latest novel I got out of the library. My span of concentration is only about 15 minutes so I haven't gotten much read. It does go a little slower too because of my latest idea to improve my German. I translate the first paragraph of every chapter into English (which isn't especially difficult) and then after a couple of hours I translate my english back into German and compare it with the original. That is much more difficult but should improve with practice. The other day in the library I found two German books with different titles both translated from the same English book. Anything translated from one language to another should more accurately be called an interpretation. It would be interesting to read the New Testament in all its 1280+ (that is a 1967 figure) languages. Besides that how many versions are there in English alone?
You don't have to send me flowers, I'm not dying. I'd tell you what I have but only God, the Dr. and Mütti know for sure. It's probably some sort of the Grippe. Mainly it is my head, which feels like it is disconnected; my stomach, which wishes it was disconnected, and my legs which get terrible cramps when I sleep. I'm only allowed to eat certain exciting foods like oatmeal, yogurt, toast, to name a few. It's awful when even that stuff tastes bad. Mütti tries really hard so I do my best to force it down. What is most disgusting is that I tried all week to get lots of sleep & eat all my proper nutrients so I could go to Amsterdam this weekend. We don't have any school on Monday because of it being Rose Monday. The Dr. and Mütti agree that by then I may even be well enough to go downstairs and watch TV. I feel like I'm about five years old with everybody telling me what to eat and what to do. I can't really argue though because nothing is going to stop me from going to Paris next weekend to meet David. I got another letter from him today and he wants me to travel with him in March which sounds really exciting as he is going all sorts of exciting places like the Prague and Budapest. The only hangup is that I've already made plans with Ann and I decided that was best. Now I'm giving it second thoughts and at least I can talk it over with him next weekend. I'll probably end up still going with Ann.
I also got a letter from Dave Roeltgen today (after a whole week of only two letters -- one from you and one Mike -- it was quite cheering to get four letters today, and none were from you or Mike. It got my mind off feeling sorry for myself for a little while and that is about 75% of the problem). The lovebug has really hit him -- he has been going with the same girl for going on five months now. If he can work it into his plans we may be able to get together when I pass through New York on March 21. I don't think I've seen him since two years ago when I was in NY for the Urban Affairs Conference.
I'd also like to go to Florida to visit my friends there. Pete Cheney is working in Winter Park and I haven't heard from Marianne since (????). That will be another vacation though as now I'm just looking forward to coming home.
Wednesday was our tour through the brewery. It wasn't too exciting as it was in German which I didn't have a chance to not understand because I couldn't hear. Afterwards we got sandwiches cigarettes and all the beer we could drink. After about two hours some of the group had gotten down around 16 beers and even I had drunk enough to get slightly high -- a state I don't often reach because I don't like to drink that much. Getting stoned sounds much more appealing to me although I haven't yet had the courage to try it.
Afterwards I went to see "Battle of Britain" at the British Theater. War movies are just as monotonous as I remembered. It was rather strange to be in Germany watching England defeat the Germans though. The next night I went to see "Around the Mulberry Bush" in the English Dept. at the University. I would classify it as more entertaining although I have now had my fill of movies for another three months.
Mike is busy getting ready to go on choir tour to California in March and filling out CO [conscientious objector as this was the height of the draft for the Vietnam War] forms. He has supplies for summer work with Upjohn (don't ask me as what) and also with Civil Service in Chicago. He may be able to come to Kalamazoo in April during the last part of his vacation but it is rather doubtful he will have time so I'm not going to count on it.
Just writing to you has made me feel better. And pretty soon I'll be tired enough to go to sleep. It's nice to go to sleep but I always hate getting up again because it is usually meal time and that is repulsive.
Yesterday I spent a couple of hours cutting out stuff from magazines to make a valentine for Mike. Ann and I also bought some red paper to make Valentines for everyone in the class. On Friday we're going to have an old fashioned Valentines Party in class like I remember from old New Vienna School Days. What I should have is one of those make-your-own Valentine kits like Grandma used to send us. Foreign study may be a period of regressing but it's fun.
I'm fed up to about three feet above my ears with history. I haven't studied hardly any since I got home from Moscow. The only thing I find enthusing is that there are only three weeks of the class left. I've done a little research on my paper which I'm doing on how some of the cities in Germany were affected by the bombing during the last war. The most interesting part is looking at the before and after pictures but that doesn't get much of a paper written.
Gee, do I miss my typewriter. The typewriter also has the added advantage of conserving good BIC pen ink. Goodnight.
Love,
Catherine
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