Dear Mark,

I had actually meant to write earlier, but because of all the stress I didn't get the chance to write the letter.

We arrived safely back here in Arolsen (small town, with municipalities around 17,000 residents) on Wednesday last week.

I must admit I was glad of the change of air, as my previous condition of a chronic sore throat had returned in the GDR (East Germany).

Nevertheless, I wouldn't have wanted to miss this one-week trip into the other part of Germany.

For myself, it gave me a lot of individual impressions and insights into a totality that no one - either here or over there - can grasp in its entirety.

These insights have helped me to achieve a more differentiated view of life in the GDR, they have helped to eliminate prejudices - I cannot deny that I have had a few - and probably still have a few - but show me one person who has no prejudices!

And now we, the participants of the social studies course of Mrs. Brocker (teacher) and of the art course of Mr. Herse (teacher) are back in the Federal Republic of Germany.

We always talk about it as "Germany".
As if the GDR didn't exist.
Of course we know that it does exist.

But what defines everyday life in the GDR, despite all the information, despite visits to the other German state, is so distant from the everyday German life that we know (we: especially the younger generation) that the Federal Republic for us is Germany in a certain sense.

I don't know how people there see it.

Not that I have anything on my mind about nationalism and patriotism, no, not at all.
It just struck me -

and the others as well -
that we in the GDR always spoke of "Germany" when we meant the Federal Republic.

So what am I doing here?

I try to settle in as well as possible. - After all, there are always obstacles of social or other kinds that prevent a person from carrying out such a motto - everywhere.

At school, for example, I am not able to do that very well right now.

Anyhow, who is able to do that in a place where knowledge has to be processed and spit out again - although there is of course also space there - for discussions, interpretations.

There is a Cafe in Kassel, a sort of alternative one.

I work there in this Cafe - together with people who have a similar political attitude like me, who are on the same wavelength as me, who are open-minded (I can describe it only like that).

I work there not because of the money but because of the atmosphere and the people, there I feel comfortable and there I am me.

I am me also in the lyrics I write, I am me when I strum my guitar.
And what else?

I play volleyball and go jogging, I use sports to let off steam, to relieve tension, also to have fun.

When I finally get my high school diploma, I will move away from here as soon as possible, study German language and literature and politics, and philosophy as a minor subject.

I would like to work in journalism later on.

I need the opportunities that big cities can offer, because here at home there is not much going on at all, especially not what I am looking for.

I'm looking for openness, personal atmosphere, the opposite of superficiality, people who are politically on the same page as I am (I'm on about the same level as you estimated our art teacher to be) and maybe even a little more.

Arolsen is a bourgeois-conservative town - not my cup of tea - although architecturally quite beautiful (since some of the buildings are baroque). Well, it's late (half past eleven at night).

I would be very happy if you write again.

Take care.
Ciao Ciao, Britta