Hi folks,

It has been a while since my last update with many personal moments of sadness and joy. Both my parents were very sick and both died within a year of each other. I miss them both very much. However, it was wonderful to be reminded, yet again, how fortunate I was to grow up with two very special sisters who were very supportive of each other (and me) and our parents during this very difficult time.

I left Amsterdam in 2000 and found work in Berlin with a telecoms company. It made it possible for me to enjoy home life every day. No more weekly flights, lots of home cooking, and many nights at the opera. I thought that it might all end when my job was terminated at the end of 2003 but I was lucky to find another job in Berlin recently.

Yehudit spoils me terribly but I try not to be too insufferable. We enjoy Berlin very much. Lots of interesting neighbourhoods to explore, street life to enjoy, and museums to visit (although we have an excellent record of missing most big exhibits). We were lucky to get tickets to Bayreuth this summer so we will be off to Wagner country in August.

If any of you are planning to pass through Berlin be sure to get in touch. We would love to see you!

Mike Blake