University Choir

During this winter semester, I joined the University Choir and became an official member. The choir members were happy to know that I would be joining the tenor group. It felt, of course, fulfilling to be able to share our talents. It was also something special for me to sing with the members, staff and students from the different faculties.

Christmas Break

Our Christmas break was from December 23 until January 7. But before that there were lots of activities that took place.  Aside from advent concerts there was a theology faculty feast and a week later a tram party among theologians. It was a bit hectic but quite nice. During this break I put up the Christmas decorations in our Freiburg community and after Christmas I went to Essen and stayed with our confreres there for a week.

Christmas in Freiburg

It has been a tradition that a confrere must stay in the community during Christmas.  In the Freiburg community, we spent Christmas Eve with a salo-salo, and on Christmas day we stayed together for lunch. At 4:00 pm we had coffee, exchange of gifts, and afterwards we had a game of dice.  Later in the afternoon, we prayed the vespers and then had dinner.  We watched the news and then continued the game throughout the evening.

New Year in Essen

I always celebrate New Year in Essen, and this year it was something more memorable.  Unlike in past years when we usually attended a gala night held in a prestigious hotel, this year we celebrated the occasion in the community. We started with a Mass and then we gathered at the recreation area. There were lots of food and all kinds of drinks.  We watched a concert on television and also played the game “Mensch, aerger dich nicht”(Man, don’t get angry).  And finally at midnight,  we raised our glasses of champagne for a toast to the New Year.