A Christmas Message from Laura

A Merry Christmas to all my friends and families down under,
Well, an other year has passed by. It has been one and a half years now since I got back to Germany. A lot of things happened in this time.
I passed my drivers test, did a lot of charity work with Rotaract, been going to school and only need to pass my final exams now to be finally over and done with it.
My older sister Kristina got married and got her Baby Emma Louise who is so beautiful and adorable, it's amazing.
We have got two exchange students living with us. Yamil from Argentina and Diego from Ecuador. They are great fun and make life pretty international in our home.
In summer Anika and Anael (other exchange students I met in Australia) visited me in my holiday house in France. It was great and almost felt like being on exchange again.
I am actually going to Berlin next weekend to be with Anika again.
Especially the friendship to Anika is still so strong and one of the things I will keep for the rest of my life from that fabulous exchange year.
Our Christmas this year will be a very special thing and I am pretty excited. The weather is getting colder and I bet on a white Christmas this year which makes it a lot more beautiful. Then we are so many in our family right now like never before. Kristina and her husband Dirk plus the Baby Emma and Dirks parents, the two exchange students, and all of my siblings! I love it when we are a lot of poeple for Christmas!
So I hope you are all well and will spend a great Christmas with your families and I wish you a very happy new year!
And all the wishes to you from my big big family.
Laura Bischoff

George Clooney wishes all the Rotarians partners a

Merry Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, except Papa's mouse.
The computer was humming; the icons were hopping,
As Papa did last minute Internet shopping.

The stockings were hung by the modem with care
In hope that St. Nicholas would bring new software.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of computer games danced in their heads.

Which has now been re-routed to Washington State
Because Santa's workshop has been bought by Bill Gates.
All the elves and reindeer have had to skedaddle
To flashy new quarters in suburban Seattle.

After centuries of a life that was simple and spare,
St. Nicholas is suddenly a new billionaire,
With a shiny red Porsche in the place of his sleigh,
And a house on Lake Washington that's just down the way

From where Bill has his mansion. The old fellow preens
In black Gucci boots and red Calvin Klein jeans.
The elves have stock options and desks with a view,
Where they write computer code for Johnny and Sue.

It is Microsoft's SANTA that the kids can't resist,
It's the ultimate software with a traditional twist -
Recommended by no less than the jolly old elf,
And on the package, a picture of Santa himself.

Get 'em young, keep 'em long, is Microsoft's scheme,
And a merger with Santa is a marketer's dream.
To the top of the NASDAQ! to the top of the Dow!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away - wow!"

As it turned to that new Christmas star in the sky,
The SANTALITE owned by the Microsoft guy.
As I sprang from my bed and was turning around,
My computer turned on with a Jingle-Bells sound.

And there on the screen was a smiling Bill Gates
Next to jolly old Santa, two arm-in-arm mates.
And I heard them exclaim in voice so bright,
Have a Microsoft Christmas, and to all a good night.