Christmas Greetings and a Happy New Year 2010

Hello happy people

Just a short message to get you away from the joys of christmas presents and the crazy eating binges of the next few days. I decided on writing here in the Blog because:
a) you can choose to click and read it or not, and
b) you know that I have a blog

SOOOOOO

I wish you all the best for christmas with your family and friends and a new years party that ends up like the guys in the movie "Hangover".

As you are all spread out all over the place and maybe sitting there thinking: "mitch,,,I haven't heard from him in ages" here is my 2009 in a nutshell:

- The big one: I got married to my longstanding Girlfriend Anne. Twice. Firstly a wonderful wedding on the beach in my hometown of Terrigal in Australia in January. Then again in August in Berlin in what was for the party of the century. So many wonderful people there and so little time. The planning was all worth it. If you want to read some more I sometimes blog on:
http://theworldisatissue.blogspot.com/

- I am still living in Berlin teaching Business English the Germans in different companies. If you're wondering, Business English is mainly teaching the English phrases and skills they need for their jobs e.g. meetings, telephoning, correspondence, negotiations, presentations etc.
I get to go to meet some interesting people and see interesting things. This week I did a training course at a nuclear research facility, last week I had lessons with a biological researcher from Bayer and a price manager of a major oil company.

- I became an uncle again, this time my brother in Colarado with the newest member to the McKenzie clan: Violette McKenzie. And no, me and Anne don't have any kids planned for the time being.

- 2009: the year of the weddings: nadine and sander in holland; sebastian and alex in Berlin; jan and johanna in Ludwigslust; My brother in law matthias and nicole in Senftenberg, Mhairi and Stefan on Majorca ...and there are a few others we expect sometime in the near future!! you know who you are

- 2009 trips: Australia; Holland (go team holland), Sweden (thanks to mats!), Germany (Stuttgart for Oktoberfest, Munich, Frankfurt) , Spain and Mallorca, Czech republic. I wanted more but time and money always restrict things

- My Australian Rules Football team, the Berlin Crocodiles, won the German second division cup in Frankfurt. I won the award for highest goalkicker in the second division league.

- Visitors to Berlin: many but not enough!!! a special thank you would be to my parents you came all the way to Berlin from Oz for wedding part 2.

NOW: our plans are for at least another 6 months in Berlin as Anne is doing an internship at a publisher. On top of working as a teacher, I am applying for training positions with Renewable Energy companies which has been a personal interest of mine for the last few months. I also plan to do some part time ski instructing in Austria this winter in the holidays when I get the chance.

Berlin has been great to us but we are now looking at different options. If you have any suggestions let us know!!!

Take care people and I look forward to hearing from you sometime in the near future. Drink a schnapps for me!!!

cheers

Mitch