weather

On the way back home from the Max Planck Institute and lunch with Britni I ended up getting into a conversation with an 88-year-old German woman. In the 15 minutes that I knew her, she explained her life to me. I understood most of it, but there were a few holes... here's a few of the highlights:

She and her husband had been living in Tübingen for 40 years until he died two years ago. Her husband worked in the institutes on the hill. They decided to move to the Swabian Alb instead of the black forest because the black forest is too gloomy and dark.

At some point during the 1970's, her husband was informed that he was needed in Egypt, so the couple moved there. Because of open war between Egypt and Israel, it was very difficult to get things like butter and produce. She explained to me that she and her husband didn't see butter for the 3 years that they were there. She was also recalled being very distraught at the fact that the locals would clip the flowers off of trees and selling them in bouquets, instead of waiting until before they bore fruit, because of the food shortages. Luckily there was a store down the street from them that was able to offer them bread some of the time.

Since her husband died she has been living alone in her house across the street from the bus stop. Every Friday she goes to the bank to make a withdrawal. Sometimes the weather makes it difficult for her to make her trip, especially during the vacation season when the buses run less often.

Every day she goes to the senior citizens' center down the street for lunch.