Hi. My name is Eric Zink.

I've been developing this site for about two and a half years now. Unfortunately, I've only been doing the most basic maintenance on the personal part (my last update of this particular page, for instance, was September 24, 1999). Most of my effort has gone to the Ex-BMC Forum, but, if you're interested, you can check out my German photo album and my family summary, two pages I put together when I first started this project (and badly outdated by now). I'll use this page to keep all of my friends Stateside posted on what I'm up to in Germany.

Well, it hasn’t been quite a year since I update this last. I’m getting better, little by little.

I had to move in December because my old apartment needed renovation. I live in the same village, but I’ve moved to the top of the hill. My apartment is in the lowest level of my new house, too, but there are plenty of windows, unlike my old one, and the view is very nice. I can see out over the Main Valley to the Steigerwald. I’m still in the process of moving in even after seven months. For instance, the apartment is brand-new and was completely unfurnished when I moved in, but I still haven’t hung wallpaper or finished laying all the carpet.

I visited my family in Cincinnati at Christmastime. My parents drove in from Colorado, and my sister Ann came from Baltimore. I was also able to see my Maxey relatives for a short time, since their family also had something of a reunion in Cincinnati over the holidays. I also spent a few days in Baltimore and celebrated New Year’s on the Mall in Washington, D.C. We also took a lightning trip to New York City, and spent a few hours with my Aunt Carol on the way back.

In April I took my examination that was the last step in finishing up my basic course of study in the German language and literature portion of my degree. Now I can move on to “advanced studies”, and I need only to finish my thesis to get my degree. (Of course, in order to do that, I’d have to start my thesis, and in order to that, I’d have to choose a topic …)

In May I took a trip to Italy for a week. I met up with my friend Brian and his sister Amy in Florence. That part of the trip was OK, but on the way down both I and my girlfriend Anja forgot our passports, which we needed to get into Switzerland. On the way down we drove around Switzerland, which made the trip substantially longer. When we stopped in Strasbourg, France, for the night, Anja’s car was broken into. The thieves took time enough to sort through her CDs and ours snacks, take what they wanted, and leave the rest behind! In the process they broke out the small rectangular window on the driver’s side in the front, which gave us fits for the rest of the trip. On the way back, the alternator gave out within 100 kilometers of home – at 11 PM! So the trip was, all in all, something less than restful.

In June I took part in an Army Education Center production of a play called “Faith County II”, which was about a “Culture Club” in small-town Texas putting on a production of Romeo and Juliet. It went over well with all four audiences we had. I played the man who constructed the sets (but never got them right). My part consisted mainly of yelling “Dadgummit!” when things went wrong, and wandering out on the stage in the middle of the play to fix something relatively minor. It was a lot of fun.

I finished my fifth semester on July 28. I’ve now completed all requirement but one to take the examinations that will complete the English language and literature portion of my master’s degree. I’m now beginning my three-month semester break, during which I hope to work a lot, fix my car, and read all the things that I should have read during the semester. In September Anja and I plan to go to the Sinai on a missions trip. We hope to speak with Jews who are vacationing there. This fall I’ll continue my studies, and I hope to begin Latin classes. I have to take a Latin examination in order to complete the degree that will allow me to teach in the German college-prep schools.

You can also check out my previous update.

Drop me an e-mail if you feel like it.

Stop by again!

© 1997 zinkster@uplink.de

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page