Today I woke to the news that my good freind Helga Erol had died.

Frau Erol was my Hausfrau.. my landlady.. when I lived in Vienna as an exchange student 1979-1980. I lived in a room above her family at 43 Graf Starhembergasse in Vienna’s 4th district. Frau Erol was a great freind and mentor.. she was fun and strict at the same time. She ran a tight ship. I remember her forbidding me to go out on the street in my old torn jeans.. the ones I burned while trying to dry them in the oven. When I did not take her advice and wore them out one day.. , she let herself into my room and threw them away ..

She and her family made me feel so at home. they fed me, counciled  me.. put up with me for thta entire year.. She taght me more german than my professors at school. she was . we’ve stayed  close ever since.. though  sometimes years passed between seeing  each other, we stayed in touch.   She wrote me in mixed German  and  English.. and I wrote back in English and German.. I tired to go through Vienna whenever I could . I once showed   up in Vienna  at a resutrant as a suprise to Frau Erol’s 70th birthday..  Her husband  Necat died in 2009.  I’m still in touch with two of her kids.. Osman and Murat.. and even with some of her grandkids

Last time  I saw her  was 3  years ago.. We had a great visit.. walked around the city for hour. She was still playing basketball !

I’ll miss her very much. I’m sending my love to the whole Erol family

nite all, nite sam

-me