I think I discovered McDonald's mystery meat

Today was definitely an easy day. Gustav knocked on my door at 10 this morning to wake me up for breakfast, and I wasn't as tired as I expected. I didn't go to bed until about midnight last night because I got home late and then had to put my pictures up and update my blog. Anyway, we all had breakfast together, and then nobody really had any plans for the rest of the day. I helped Esther take the rails off of Pauline's bed and shorten it a little bit (it's Ikea, so it's meant to be put together in like 20 different ways) so that Pauline now has a big girl bed. After that, the rest of the day was basically time to relax and do whatever I wanted. I was a little worn out from yesterday, so I didn't do very much.

Olaf made lunch for us today. He started cooking pretty much as soon as we were done with breakfast. It was one of his favorite dishes from when he was a kid, and he apparently hadn't eaten it since his mother passed away 25 years ago. Don't ask what made him decide to make it now. Anyway, as we sat down together for lunch and Olaf was serving the food, he asked me if I wanted to try it first because it was kind of a "special dish," as he called it. I figured what the hell, I'm here to try new things so I'll just go for it. I don't really know how to describe what it was, except that it looked like minced meat (but not mincemeat) with spices and herbs in it. So he served this dish, and we had mashed potatoes with a delicious gravy-type sauce that Esther made to go with it. I heard Esther ask him if he had explained to me what it was, and why he hadn't told me, and I thought, oh great, what have I gotten myself into? I tried it, and it was pretty good. It was meat, and it had herbs and spices in it, and really finely chopped sweet pickles as well. Olaf said, "It kind of tastes a little bit like McDonald's, doesn't it?" And it surprisingly did, both in terms of taste and texture. He asked me if I liked it, and when I said yes Esther told him he needed to tell me what it was. His response: "Lunge." And that means exactly what you think it does. We were eating pork lung. And when I say "we" I mean Olaf and me, because the kids and Esther wouldn't touch it. Esther apparently can't stand eating internal organs of any kind except liver, and the kids tasted it and then wouldn't eat. It was definitely a new and interesting culinary experience. When we were done, Olaf said, "Well, I've had enough of that for about 10 years." Needless to say, I don't think I'll be eating any more lung while I'm here.

Gustav seems to be understanding me more and more every day. Earlier today, he was in my room and asked me if he could have my flashlight. I asked him, in English of course, if he was going to bring it back. Ja. Do you promise? Uhuh. So I let him have it, and as he was walking past Esther I heard him say, in German, that he was allowed to have it because he wasn't going to break it and he was going to bring it back. He's so cute. The kids went to bed while I was downstairs and, sure enough, the flashlight was back on my dresser when I got back upstairs. He always keeps his word.

Today was also the memorial service for Robert Enke, the football player from Hannover who committed suicide on Wednesday. I saw a brief clip of it on the news this evening, and it's obvious how important the sport is in this country. The ceremony was held in the stadium in Hannover, and the stands were completely full of fans attending the memorial. The mayor of Hannover gave a eulogy, and several of the highest members of the German government have made statements and sent letters of condolence to his widow. His suicide really was shocking.