The End

I am safely back in the states! My flights did not go smoothly, but I did make them, so thanks for your prayers. It was at the JFK layover that I had some snags. I found out, after having already re-checked my bags and having gone through security to my gate, that my boarding pass was invalid (something that none of the previous airports had caught, including when I re-checked my luggage at JFK). Back in August I discovered that my Paris-Newark flight had been canceled; I was told to wait and Delta would re-assign me a flight, which they did in November. The new flight put me from Paris to JFK and then from JFK to STL. While they did book me a flight from JFK to STL (my previous one being from Newark to STL) they didn't actually buy me a ticket. I only found this out after reaching JFK. Initially, Delta wouldn't swap me a flight onto the JFK-STL flight because my original (Newark-STL) had been through Continental. However, after I explained to them that the original switch from had been there own doing, they realized it was their fault and were quick to get me a ticket to the flight my baggage was already on. :) If you followed that, then good. All in all - I was looking forward to my 5 hour layover at JFK to relax, call some friends, and rest. Instead, I spent 4 hours of it going through customs and jumping all over the airport, back and forth, waiting in lines, to fix my ticket problem. I've never been so glad to pass through the gate onto the airplane before in my life.

It's good to be home again. I'm still a little out of the swing of things, but I look forward to getting into a schedule and hopefully finding a job for this semester. I look forward to the Christmas season approaching and to catching up with friends and family.

Thanks for following my blog! This'll be my last post as my time in Germany has ended. I've enjoyed journaling on here and sharing my experiences with you. Thanks for reading and commenting. And...Merry Christmas!

Homeward Bound

Even though writing about it now, it is still difficult for me to imagine my time here being almost over. It's like that "upcoming event" that is always upcoming, so much so that you never imagine it to arrive. When it finally does, you don't know what to do, you only anticipated the anticipation and are at a loss with what to do with the arrival.

The Formans left this Monday for a 2-week holiday to England. It was hard to say goodbye to them, knowing I may never see them again. I gave them a few gifts after we watched our last night of X-Factor together. In the morning, I got up a little earlier and sat in my usual spot on the stool in the kitchen, leaning my head back against the refrigerator and chatting with Jan about whatever came into my head or hers as she bustled about getting ready for their trip. It was a sweet memory to leave on, one I've had many times since being here. Yet, the day quickly picked up with its usual array of activities, and before I realized it, I was swept up with the "next phase." I wonder if the rest of my goodbyes, though initially dreaded, will end up being that way? I realize this doesn't mean that I didn't care about the people, but rather that life is full of a continual stream of "hello's" and "goodbye's" and that you have to invest where you are as you can but then be prepared to move on to the next. Some respond to this pattern by never planting down roots and never investing emotionally because "they can handle it without that investment" or "it hurts too much otherwise." This isn't right either, however. God provides us with what we need to plant, root, and uproot over and over again because it isn't those relationships that sustain us anyway. This makes me grateful for long-distance communication. I'm sure I'll still keep in contact with the Formans, and I am content for my 3 months with them to remain as a memory: a wonderful and joyful time.

Heidi is still at home, working full-time at Starbucks. So, I'm doing most of the dinner cooking this week and am having fun with it. Last night I made orange chicken over rice and mixed pomegranate and clementines for a fruit salad dessert. Tonight I'm going to make a herb grilled potato/chicken/vegetable medley, I believe. Lots of olive oil, garlic, onion, and rosemary. Mmmm. One thing I really look forward to baking back in the states is homemade bread. That's always been my favorite thing to cook and I've missed it.

The week, otherwise, has been a little slow. Because I'm not teaching, I've had lots of time to enjoy some pleasure reading and entertainment. I just recently finished Till We Have Faces by C. S. Lewis and thought it was amazing. Though, I'm going to have to re-read the last few chapters because it got very deep very quickly and completely went over my head.

I'd like to request prayer for my flight home. I normally feel completely comfortable flying and getting around, even when I don't know where I'm going. But, this time for the first time, I feel angst about it. I've had some flight switch-ups and hope that I still have the 3 flights I need; I have to mess with claims, checked luggage switches, and going through customs; I have a rather short layover in Paris and am slightly concerned about making my flight (Paris is big and poorly designed - confusing!). So I'd appreciate your prayers for smooth and safe travel.

The first 10 things I'm going to do in the states:
1) Hug my parents and dog
2) Tackle my sisters
3) Drive a car while talking on my cell phone
4) Eat at Panera Bread and listen to the surrounding English conversation
5) Throw all of my trash in one garbage can (there are 3 types of required recycling here)
6) Push a shopping cart around Walmart aimlessly
7) Eat half-price appetizers at Applebees
8) Meander for hours through shops without ever leaving the building (aka the mall)
9) Go to an English bookstore
10) Read every sign and printed matter with perfect understanding and clarity.

Good Company and Good Fun

What a great week! Josh and I had a great time doing a variety of activities.

Thursday night we had a "British High Tea" with the Formans. This consisted of lots of yummy, traditional foods and good company and fellowship with the Formans. Josh and I also explored the town and enjoyed walking in the crisp, night air. I showed him the local dorms as well as the "terrifying golf course" and other local attractions.

Friday, Josh came to school with me and got the opportunity to see what my average day is like at BFA. It was quite fun watching the students' faces as they entered the classroom looking from Josh, to me, and then back. Some of them knew and word quickly spread that my boyfriend was at school. Many of the girls gave me big smiles. :) I had a little fun with 7th period and gave them the following multiple choice quiz:

Is Josh my A) brother B) cousin C) boyfriend or D) a visiting teaching considering teaching here. There was a resounding agreement on "C" to which I smiled broadly and continued with class. During the sixth period resource class, we decorated the room with Christmas details and cut out snowflakes. Josh and I made a 3-D snowflake that was so fun that we made 3 more at the Forman's later.

Saturday was probably my favorite day. After a relaxing morning, we went to the local dorm, Palmgarten, and I did formal updos for the girls there in preparation for the Christmas Banquet that night. It was a great opportunity for me to get to know the girls better outside of class, and I really enjoyed our conversations. It really was a dual-fold blessing because I loved doing the hair and making the connections, and they loved getting their hair done. You could tell by some of their smiles that they simply felt like princesses when they looked in the mirror. The dorm set up booths for manicures, make-up, and hair that several women volunteers ran according to their talents. I received so much joy from watching the girl's smiles widen in wonderment and awe as they surveyed their done-up hair and makeup. They could tell they looked like something special and lived in the glow of it the entire night. They all looked really beautiful

After my own fiasco with my hair, I got ready for the banquet as well and matched Josh in black and red. He brought me a bouquet of pink roses and we set off for banquet. It was chilly out, but the banquet was fun. The students performed different, prepared acts including singing, playing, rapping, and monologuing. Two teachers acted as hosts/MCs for the night. BFA has a tradition of granting several "Christmas wishes" that the students write before-hand. No one knows which ones will be answered on stage; this year's ranged from "seeing so-and-so eat an apple in 3 bites (which he then did on stage in two)," to "eating Korean rice at banquet" to "hearing a 'rap off' between teacher Bowen and student so-and-so." All of these were done on stage, most extemporaneously, but some pre-planned. It was great!

After we went to church on Sunday, Josh and I went to the Basel Christmas Market with some of my friends. The Germany Christmas Market is a big deal, and most towns host one. They consist of little stalls covered in pine branches and lights that sell various trinkets, foods, and drinks. It's fun to walk around and get into the spirit of Christmas.

Monday I took the day off school, and Josh and I went to Freiburg. It was nice to be back again since Julie and I went a while ago. We visited Heidi at Starbucks, looked at the local Christmas Market, walked around the town, and enjoyed Italian pizza. It was a full and rainy day, so we were glad to relax later that evening with the Formans at home.

Tuesday was my last day teaching! It was very bittersweet because while I am glad to not have to write lesson preps anymore, I'll miss teaching the students and interacting with them. I announced the news at the end of each class, and received lots of hugs from my students, which was very touching. I also had my final observation from Laird, which went very well. These observations have been very effectual in making me a better teacher and teaching me more about my strengths and weaknesses. I have grown a lot over the 3 months of observing/teaching. It'll be weird now to go back to sitting in the class and observing. A little boring, most likely, but it'll only be for 1.5 weeks. Tuesday night we went to a Kari and Mike's apartment for dinner. We ate Raclette. It's a really fun, social meal that involves cooking your own food over a table-centered grill. Mike and Josh then introduced Kari and I to Monty Python, which I was surprised to find that I quite enjoyed. I actually do really like that style of humor. But, it becomes wary after watching too many "Sketches."

Now, Wednesday, Alec and I dropped Josh off at the airport, and I returned to another school day. It's weird to think that I only have 1.5 weeks left. Transitioning back to the states will be quite different; it'll be hard to leave this community that I've grown to love so much. But, I do believe that the next stage and location of life is in God's will, so I will look forward to being back in the states and to see what lies ahead.

Thanks for reading!

The End of Renaissance Poetry

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I will be finishing the 6-week unit on the Renaissance. We'll be reading selections from Paradise Lost. As I was preparing for it this evening, I was struck by the powerful diction Milton uses to convey his meaning. I have never read this epic poem, and was quite taken back by it. It begins from Satan's perspective as he discusses how he intends to bring about the fall of man. I don't read very many fictional accounts from a satanic perspective, but the times I have (The Screwtape Letters) I am reminded of his utter deceitfulness and hatred towards God. I pray that tomorrow I'll be effective in stirring some spiritual thinking. I don't care as much about effectively transmitting literary knowledge this time as I do about stirring spiritual thinking.

After tomorrow, I only teach two more days: Friday and then Tuesday. Jill is teaching the days in between and to the end. We're starting the Enlightenment Period on Wednesday.

My feelings about finishing teaching at BFA are two-fold: happy and sad. Happy: I am glad to be finished teaching because it is a lot of stress. As I was talking to a friend today, I had an epiphany comparison. Student teaching is to engagment as teaching is to marriage. While I love student teaching here, I still feel constant pressure to perform. I get the feeling there are always eyes on me testing me, and I'm constantly having to balance many different logistical things that regular teachers do not. This phase has less responsibility, but it is also less stable and has less control. I think my feelings on this are appropriately timed with the ending of the internship. God's good like that. Sad: I'll really miss my students, the relationships I've formed with staff, and the BFA community. Quitting teaching is the first step of a series of steps towards disconnecting and saying "goodbye." The people here are so good and pleasant to be around. I thought that I would not again find relationships like those at Cedarville, and yet I find myself saying that about BFA as well. I'm glad for the time here. And who knows, I feel assured I'll see some of these faces again: sometime, somewhere.

This week looks busy! Josh is flying in to visit me this Thursday (yay!!) and we have a lot of fun activities planned. I'm planning a chili dinner for this Friday and have invited a few friends to come over and have dinner with Josh, the Formans, and me. I'm going to cook my competition chili and some other yummy goodnesses (including a pumpkin cheesecake!). It's been too long since I've planned and cooked a full dinner (a company-quality dinner). I've been so excited to plan this out, get recipes and ingredients, and pay attention to all the details of planning a meal. :) I'm slow at it now, but I hope I become more efficient with more practice. Jan gives me good advice. For instance, I didn't realize that Germany doesn't sell canned pumpkin (puree or mix). So, looks like I'm going to learn how to cook a pumpkin and turn it into a suitable puree that the recipe calls for. Also, she, in all the countries and cultures she has lived in, has never heard of cilantro. I was surprised! Is this just a N.A. herb? I'm afraid they won't have it here, which is sad b/c it's a key ingredient to the recipe. :( Josh and I are doing some other fun things also, but I'll post about that in my next post, hopefully accompanied by pictures!

I also want to thank those of you who have sent me "care packages." I've received several really thoughtful ones helping me to celebrate the fall season as well as one - a "date in a box," which was a blast via skype! These have been really meaningful to me. Thanks! The one pictured is from my mom.

More to follow soon! Happy Thanksgiving!

A Relaxed Week

Well, the main of the swine flu scare is over. After a four-day quarantine, there are only 2 sick students remaining. School has resumed, and the week is back into progress.

I really enjoyed this time off. I graded 50/57 papers Mon-Wed and will finish those today. Almost 6 weeks later, I can finally return my Hamlet book to the library. I did start to get a little cabin fever by the time Tuesday evening rolled around. I should have thought to take a walk during those two days, but didn't end up leaving the house at all. Wednesday-Friday I'm not teaching (Wed-test, Thur-Fri - a mini-unit done by Jill). This mini-unit is a poetry analysis on John Donne's "Batter My Heart." The poem again reminded me of the work Christ has yet to do in us. Donne contrasts God as a "tinker," or one who mends things, and God as a "smith," or one who completely melts down and makes anew, the latter process obviously being more painful than the former. It causes me to ponder which I let God do in my own life.

This weekend I'll be finishing a 5-hour BBC movie on Charles Dicken's Our Mutual Friend with some of my friends. A couple of us have gotten into the habit (3rd time around) of watching long BBC films along with dinner. We all bring ingredients to contribute to the meal (homemade pizza, taco salad, potato bar) and then watch the movie. This has been so fun! I hope we get one more movie/dinner in before I have to leave. I'm also going to a bridal shower and swing dance over the weekend. Originally, I was going to a swing dance in Basel with a friend here (we both share a common interest in dancing and have tried to go to a few) but then found out about a local swing dance the same night. We decided to go the local one b/c of the higher likelihood we'll find people who speak English (some other BFAers should be going). It'll be fun!

Wow, only 3 more weeks left! I can't help but think back to my first trip to Germany. It was only 3 weeks, but at the time seemed to take much longer. Now, I've been here over 2 months and it has flown!

Due to the 3-day week, we've had to change our teaching schedule around some. I'll most likely be teaching 4 out of 5 days next week: this will complete my teaching time at BFA. The remaining 2 weeks will be for observation only. A relaxing change :).

Back to those remaining 7 papers!!

UPDATE: The papers are done, graded, and posted for all parents/students to see. Time to get my "tough skin" on.

Swine Flu

No, I don't have it...yet.

It's starting to spread quite rapidly here, however. Today they received test results back from several quarantined students with flu symptoms, and all were positive. This puts our total of swine flu students to a high enough number that the German government is getting involved with the situation. In a centralized campus boarding school, it's very hard to contain illness. BFA has a typical bout or two of flu each year, sometimes hitting up to 1/2 of the student population at one time. But, this time, it's swine flu. The first step the school is taking, in working with the government is to call a four-day weekend. So, no school on Monday or Tuesday!! If they cannot contain the spread by Tuesday, they'll extend it to the German-required 7 day quarantine and not have school until Friday. If this is the case, the teachers will have to prepare worksheets and assignments to send the students at the dorm, since we can't stop having school for an entire week, and then teach on Friday as well as Saturday. I'm glad for these extra days off to rest and grade my Hamlet papers, but an entire week off would really be difficult to make up.

During this 4-day weekend, they are canceling church and requiring the students to not leave the dorms. It is important to not spread it to the townies for their health and to keep up PR. Also, all teachers who are pregnant or in frequent contact with pregnancy/young/old/respiratory illness people have to stay away from school for the entire 7 days or longer. For the English dept, this knocks out both the 10th and 11th grade teachers. So, this week, when we do have school, we'll be doing a lot of scrambling to cover those classes. Today was a bit hectic as I taught two 12th grade periods, subbed 10th, and then raced over to do hair for the play.

The play was still allowed to remain scheduled. We have a lot of parents/relatives flying from all over Europe and North America to see it. At this point, everyone at BFA has been exposed to swine flu; however, many of the people traveling in have not. So, they required everyone going to the play both tonight and tomorrow to wear masks and wash their hands when entering and exiting the building. It was rather funny to see everyone this way. Here is the auditorium filling up. It was a full house!

I was very impressed with the show; the acting was excellent, and it was genuinely funny. The characterization really made the play, I thought.

I am very glad that the week is finally over. It's been the longest yet. I thought the students were beginning to do a little better until I gave them a group quiz today. After discussing it over with Jill, she suggested I was being too easy on them. Now I feel confused about what my expectations for the students should be. I thought my standards were high; but now I have no idea how she expects them to attain what she is asking. I guess I'm glad she's taking them back after next week? I'm really not sure how to reach what she is asking. I've realized recently a little more of what the issue is. Jill keeps saying that she's never had a class this lazy and unmotivated before. She said that this class, the class of '10, had new teachers for both 10th and 11th grade. Those teachers now have a few years under their belt and are teaching up to par, but their first year, they let the students by easy. So now, in 12th grade, this particular class has had little to no intensive English education. After learning this, it made a little more sense to me (and I'm sure my inexperience as a teacher is not helping them); I'm curious to see what Jill does with them after she takes back over. She was just beginning to see how far behind the class really was when I took over; now we're far enough into the semester that it's really coming out. Soon, I look forward to sitting back and watching the master teacher work. :) I still need prayer for guidance with the few lessons I have left with them. I may be inexperienced, but I still know what I'm teaching and I'm not giving up on trying to pull them back up to higher standards.

Ah...sleeping in for four days straight...it's too good to be true!!

Miss you all.

Entering a Difficult Week

I'm on week 8 now! Last week went well, though was a transition from London weekend to class again. I was impressed, for the most part, with the students' debates and had fun with them. I made chocolate covered pretzels for the winning teams. Yum!

Thursday and Friday I was more than a little hesitant about beginning to teach poetry. It's hard for students to find meaning through a web of literary devices and disguised intentions. I was unsure of my ability to teach the students to uncover meaning and analyze the poem. However, it went much better than I thought. I felt I had a solid grasp of the content (Shakespeare Sonnets 29, 73, 116, and 130) and was glad to be able to make lots of personal connections between the poems and contemporary, young adult life. They are all love poems, so this made it easy.

The weekend was busy. I volunteered to do hair for the upcoming school play. We had the dress rehearsal this Saturday; it was a blast! The play is set during the 70s, so I was doing lots of puffs, flips, and sassy curls. I liked the drama atmosphere and was glad to see what drama is like behind the scenes. Hair, makeup, and costumes were all done in the same room,with sheets set up to separate the girl's changing area from the boy's. Most of the girls had to add extra padding to make themselves look older, bigger, and fatter since they were playing older parts. It was hilarious because all of a sudden we heard things like, "Oh, your butt's too low, move it higher" and "do they look even?" and "you're sagging." We all started cracking up; the guys handled it good-naturedly. Ah...the honesty of drama!

Sunday night I went to the guy's dorm, Maugenhart, for dinner to help one of the student on his paper. It was interesting to see guy dorm life (I had been to a girl's dorm the week before). It was fun to observe, but I was surprised to find that most of my seniors there had not even started the paper due the following day (today), but which had been assigned 3.5 weeks earlier.

My fears were confirmed when I arrived to school Monday morning and had a discussion with Jill. She had also been to the dorms that day to offer assistance on papers and was saddened, frustrated, and angered to find that no one had started their papers yet. This is very frustrating to me. This Hamlet paper is the second and last major paper they've been assigned for the semester. It's worth a SIGNIFICANT part of their grade. The first paper, similar in direction, was awful, most students getting D's and F's. One would think they'd learn (after the serious talk Jill had with them) and change their procrastination habits for this paper. But, they didn't. Though I haven't read the papers yet, Jill and I both agree that they can't be of any better quality. For the intensity of the paper I assigned and for the place the students are at, there is no way they can have written an A or B paper in one night. Because a pretty nasty flu is rapidly spreading through the dorms and b/c of drama and SAT's that weekend, I told the students this morning (the morning it was due) that they could have an extension to Wednesday. Most of the students had stayed up way late into the night to finish the paper. I can only hope they'll use this extra time to work on it more.

My frustration has carried over into the way they are performing in class. Friday I gave them a simple lit device identification and analysis quiz on Sonnet 116. The average grade was 7/13. Failing. The skill required was something they'd done multiple times with Jill and something they should have been doing since 9th grade. I'm left wondering, "Do I babysit them and re-teach things they should already know, sacrificing the content I could cover in order to work on more basic skills?" Is this how they can best grow and learn from their lack of diligence? I need to understand that they are only in h.s. and I can't treat them fully like adults. But still, some of the things they are doing and choices they are making are really immature. Please pray for my wisdom as I continue to teach and evaluate them. I already have some ideas for steps to take. I need to find the balance between helping them out, realizing they are still young adults and learning, and between letting them receive the consequences of their poor choices.

This week is also difficult for me because it's the most intense in terms of content I have yet to teach myself before teaching them. We're covering a lot of poetry; I need to be secure enough in my understanding of it be able to teach them clearly, especially with their recently-revealed struggles. I also will be receiving 55 papers to grade on Wednesday, which will increase my work load tremendously. This Friday and Saturday is the play with a six-hour party on Sunday; so, the weekend will not give me much time. Please pray that I use my time wisely, stay healthy (the spreading flu is a stomach flu, something I don't handle well), and remain positive. I gave the students a pretty sharp lecture today regarding their papers and procrastinating, so the mood has been pretty heavy. I don't like to be mean; but it's necessary sometimes, though painful to me. I never want to be a parent. :)

London - there and back again

This trip, by far, has been the highlight of my time in Europe. The richness of the culture and history was overwhelming, the company and fellowship were fufilling, and the break and change were relaxing.

Friday night we (6 female BFA teachers) arrived in London at 8:30 after taking a bus from the airport to the city. We decided to walk the 45 minutes to our hostel instead of purchasing a Tube ticket for only one ride. We began to discover and uncover London as we walked around, taking our time, and enjoying the cool night air. Heidi had lent us a very helpful map booklet guide of London which I utilized most of the trip. After a while, we decided to look for a place to eat. We stopped in one pub called "The Royal George" and were told that they stopped serving food after 3 because people only want to drink after that time on a Friday. We asked if there were anyplace else to eat, and he said there was only one place left still serving food. After giving us directions to "The Rocket", he said, "You'll hear it before you come to it." Boy, was he right.

The Rocket ended up being a young adult club, fitting the definition of "bar/club" perfectly. After making it through the bouncer at the door, we shuffled around trying to find a table, which some guys gave up to us, but at the cost of talking us through our whole meal. They were pretty jovial, so we kept them preoccupied with giving us directions and tourist tips to every place in London we could think of while finishing up and preparing to leave. The funniest part was when one of the guys, after trying to get us to drink some ritual liquor shot with him, said, "You may all be teachers, but there's going to be a lot of learning going on tonight." We disapointed him by leaving "early" and gladly re-entered the fresh night air, but laughed together over the experience and some of the funny comments that had been made. After finishing our walk to the hostel, we were surprised to see open restaurants (including pizza hut and mcdonalds) everywhere!! Looking back on it, I think the gentleman at "The Royal George" thought we were asking him if there were any clubs open that were still serving food. We unintentionally asked him to refer us to The Rocket club! lol!

We arrived at the Clink, our hostel, around 10:30, and were not as pleased with it as we had hoped. They ended up charging us more than they had advertised (what could we do but pay?) and upon entering our room, found 3 of the 8 beds contained sleeping men. (Online we had reserved an all-female room). We felt pretty safe the whole trip since we were traveling in such a large group and never went anywhere alone, but I was mad that the hostel had deceived us twice.

Saturday morning was our busy day! I can't believe we saw as much as we did. At 8, we met up with my friend, Scott, from St. Louis, who is interning at the American embassy there. We were indebted to his company that day as he was an excellent tour guide and got us around the city much quicker than we ever could have done alone. We saw Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Covent Garden, Trafalger Square, the Globe, St. Paul's Cathedral (we stayed for the evensong - a sung service - and quite enjoyed the experience both culturally and spiritually), Buckingham Palace, and a few more things. My favorite, by far was Westminster Abbey. Some of our group decided to pay the 12 pounds to go in and take the audio self-guided, 90 min. tour. Best decision I made the whole trip. I'm pretty sure I walked around with my mouth hanging open the whole time. I saw where Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, Bloody Mary, and many more monarchs were buried. Incredible! When I entered the Poet's Corner (something I've wanted to see my entire life) and stopped and had to stand still for a few moments to take it all in. I've never been in the presence of so many famous and influential author, poets, and musicians in my life. I was so happy! Here is a picture of only the front part of the Abbey - it is huge!

After evensong that evening, we all went to Starbucks to rest up and change for the Phantom of the Opera. This was my second favorite part of London. The show was incredible to see! The music, acting, tech team, and environment swept us up into the story. Prior to, we were afraid we'd be too tired to enjoy it, but we couldn't avert our eyes from the stage, even if we had wanted to. I haven't been to many plays, musicals, classical concerts, or ballets, but I'm growing to love them the more I see them.

On Sunday we nearly missed our bus to the airport and walked for 45 minutes in the pouring rain so that we were soaked for the rest of the day, but still quite enjoyed ourselves. On our way to the airport, we were thrilled to stop at King's Cross Station and take pictures at Platform 9 3/4. For those who don't know - this is the famous port from Harry Potter where he magically leaves the "muggle" world to go to Hogsworth, the school of wizardry - and we were actually there!

One scary (now funny) part of the trip for me was when I lost my tube day pass on Saturday evening. To enter and exit the Tube, you have to scan your ticket into a machine that allows you to enter the underground. The little doors only open for a few seconds to let an individual through. Although I had paid for the whole day, I didn't have my ticket anymore to prove it, and had to jump in really quickly behind Scott each time, pretending I was scanning my ticket. Most of the Tube entrances/exits have "guards" watching the little stalls to make sure no one sneaks through. I ended up having to "sneak through" 6 times and was absolutely terrified of getting caught. I found out only later that the penalties for entering and exiting without a ticket are pretty steep. One time, I didn't quite get through quick enough and my backpack got caught in the doors. I yanked it free and kept walking as quickly as possible, only to hear the sirens on the entrance I had just entered start going off behind me. I just kept walking and was grateful to get lost in the crowd. Another time, we were at a much less crowded station and I nervously eyed the guard standing 10 feet away looking at his cell phone. I edged close to Scott ready to bolt through only to discover that his card suddenly wouldn't work. He had to eventually call the guard over to help! I quickly ducked to the back of the group and got in with Julie, so thankful that the guard went back to his phone instead of watching the rest of us go through. This whole experience completely ruined the Tube experience for me; I never want to get on the Tube again and am terrified of it!

Overall I loved the experience and culture and need many more days of London to get my fill (I'll just have to go back)! I have many more incidentally funny stories that I don't have the time or space to write including fighting the Grim Reaper and winning (it was Halloween weekend), misunderstanding British phrases that led to comical situations, and squeezing 6 girls into a red telephone booth, to name a few. I was very glad, also, to speak and understand what was being spoken again! Though, I've discovered since living with the Formans and going to England that British and American are more different than I thought. :)

A garden for monks in Westminster Abbey

London Bridges Falling Down

But, hopefully not when I'm there. I leave for London today and am very excited. I'm more than a little happy to be in a country where I can speak the language and know what I'm ordering at a restaurant. It's been hillarious here in Germany ordering at a restaurant and always being surprised at what they bring out. We'll only be there about 48 hours, sadly, but we are intending to use the time very efficiently. Saturday night we have tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre. That should be great! More info and pics to come.

Well, today marks the halfway point for my Germany stay. I've been here six weeks and have six more weeks to go, 3 more weeks of full-time teaching. I don't think I have had any time of my life go by as quickly as this time. I'm already not looking forward to saying goodbye to my students and host family. This week of school went well as we wrapped up Hamlet and spent two days in the library/lab getting ready for the Hamlet debates on Monday/Tuesday. I'm impressed with how much the students have gotten into this debate. Competition is a wonderful motivator. :) Here is a picture of my 7th period in the computer lab.

Thursday was chapel. I am continually blessed by the worship and unity I find during the weekly chapels. Most of the students in the worship band are my seniors and it's great to see them lead the rest of the high school. They do a great job! The sound on this video is poor due to my camera and does not represent the quality of the music live, but it's a clip of part of one of their songs. One can sense the presence of the Spirit in the room. As I watch the students singing, I know that the majority of their expressions of praise during worship are sincere and Spirit-led. Many of these students come from missionary families that regularly see the persecution of the Church and appreciate the freedom of religious expression. I wonder how much better they understand praising God and the power of God than I do?

Hamlet and Barry's Noodle Bake

Dear Friends,

It's been a while since an update. Things are busy as usual. This week went well; I'm getting more and more into the routine of teaching, yet still have a few "settling in" things to wrap up - my passport comes back tomorrow!

This week I had the opportunity to talk with one of my students who has demonstrated issues with authority (specifically, female) in class. He has a rough background: abandoned by his father at a young age, brother commited suicide a few years ago. We have a fun/bantering relationship in class, but I can tell, and am wary, that if I need to use my "teacher authority" on him, sparks will be sure to fly. Already, when I ask him to do something, he does it begrudgingly. Anyway, I talked to him after class one day, and asked him if he would tell me how he would like me to correct him. I told him that I knew he didn't like authority over him, and asked how he would take correction best. He seemed surprised and pleased that a teacher would ask him this. The conversation ended up taking about 30 minutes as we got off onto topics about doctrine, authoritative institutions and their purpose, and the origin of truth and morality. He asked some good, challenging questions, and I appreciated that he was a thinker and was observant enough to ask them. Yet, his thoughts evidence a faulty groundwork and perspective. More a result of ignorance and imaturity, I believe, than anything else. I think he'll have quite a worldview challenge and wake-up call when he goes to college. However, I was so glad for this connection and time with him. I had been wanting to find ways to connect spiritually with my students, specifically some of them - this young man being one. I look forward to more opportunities like this. These type of conversations are part of the reason that I teach.

This Saturday I took a day trip to Freiburg where Heidi Forman works at Starbucks. Julie and I both went and had fun exploring the town. It was nice to get away from the "BFA bubble" for a while. It felt nice to make my own choices as well. Living without a cell/car and with a host family takes away a lot of my opportunities to make personal choices and decisions. Things like what/when I eat, how I dress, where I go, and things I do. My last 3-4 years have had varying levels of independence between going back and forth between Cedarville and home and between high school and college. For instance, I am more restricted now in what I can do than I was over the summer, yet I've more entered the "professional" world now by teaching, than I had this summer. Typically, I think independent living and entering the professional world would come hand in hand, and while my time teaching here has taught me a lot, it really hasn't prepared me for teaching in the states - not that I really expected it to. I wanted to teach at BFA for the things it can teach me about the international world, missionary community, and MK students, but I still have much to learn about living on my own, teaching American public school students, and working with secular but professional co-workers. So, I wonder what kind of growing/learning I will have to do yet again when I get my first teaching job. More on this later.

Following my Freiburg day, which consisted of two trips to free Starbucks, shopping, meeting random Germans, and getting lost because I lost the map, I got back to the house, changed, and then went with a friend to a local German "dance." I say that in quotations because it ended up being more of a social than a dance, as many people didn't enter the dance floor, but it was interesting to observe how Germans have parties and to get to know the lady, Anne, I went with a little better. I think we'll be good friends for the rest of my time here. She's a really strong Christian and works with ESL students at BFA, and we both have a shared interest in dance. She studies foreign languages and our conversations have really motivated me to want to learn German when I get back to the states.

Last week on of my students invited me to her dorm, Palmgarten, for Sunday lunch. The dorm has 19 female students, 11 of whom are in my classes. It was fun to see them outside of the school setting and to be able to talk with them more personably. We played a game which I want to find when I get back to the states that was hillarious! It involved lots of charades and random acting and is a perfect party game. It makes you get out of your element - I had to act out different scenarios like "Tell your daughter you just ran over her favorite pet" and "Show the transformation of a werewolf in a full moon" and " Pretend you're a ghost and scare everyone away." I was glad to act goofy in front of my students and one of my student's visiting parents, and it did make me get out of my comfort zone.

Now, I am starting week 6, and can't believe that this week marks the halfway point. The time has literally flown by! This week we finish Hamlet (we read the last part today). The next 3 (and final) weeks of my teaching will be over Renaissance poetry. I'm not looking forward to this section as much because it will be harder to teach and maintain interest, and I am not as prepared.

This past Friday I cooked for the Formans, my favorite recipe, Barry's Noodle Bake. It's a noodle/tomato/ground beef/ sour cream caserole mix and is o-so-good. Yum! Here's a picture of the caserole, and Heidi and I accidentally matching.

A Medley of Events

Several updates for you concerning random, unrelated events. I think this calls for some bullet points:

• Laird Leavit, the principal at BFA, is also my supervisor and does 5 observations of me while I'm here. He replaces the role of my advisor from school who typically, if I were teaching in the states, would come to observe me to evaluate my internship. Laird and I scheduled for him to sit in on my 7th period class yesterday, Friday. I did feel a little nervous in anticipation, remembering how 7th period is my rowdiest, but once the class started, I felt fine and was only vaguely conscious that he was there. I guess he knows something about Hamlet because every once in a while he'd nod his head up and down when I made certain "good" points. I had some technical difficulty getting the projector to work; after trying for about a minute, I realized that I needed to get the kids working on something since the technical solution might take an indefinite amount of time. I assigned them a quick group-work project while I finished fixing the projector and was glad to get it working after another minute or so. I thought the lesson went really well, and at the end we scheduled a time to meet on Monday to discuss it, but he did tell me that he thought it went really well. Laird is a really good teacher himself, and so I'm really glad for his feedback and advice on areas to improve. Also, I'm glad that I felt comfortable teaching in front of him, because it helped to stretch me and gave me practice working under nerves. I feel more confident about my teaching and ability to make quick, on the spot decisions.


• Friday, also, I gave my first pop quiz! I have to admit, I did delight in it a little too much. For one, it's the most authoritative thing I've done so far - giving a quiz - so it made me feel even more like a teacher. Secondly, I had suspicions some of them weren't reading their homework, and I was glad to give them a little wake-up call. As Jill put it, "How many more wake-up calls do they need!" The class has been rather slack all year. Anyway, it did give me flashbacks to Politics and American Culture at CU; we had frequent, yet infrequent, pop quizzes that were enough to keep you anxious until the first 5 minutes of class had passed. So, I did have sympathy for them, but reminded them that the questions did not require analysis or deep thought to be answered correctly. Rather, they would do well if they had read their homework, and would be unable to do well if they hadn't. That's the purpose of a pop quiz. On average, the three classes scored 2.5/5. So, not that well. It took most of their cumulative grades down one point. But, you can be sure, they'll be reading their homework over the weekend.


• One of my students from Palmgarten, a local dorm, invited me to eat a Sunday lunch with her and some my other students at the dorm. The students often invite their teachers to come eat with them, but I felt glad to be asked because it showed me that they like me and are accepting me. Which isn't my goal as a teacher, but it is nice. I do have a strong desire to be friends with some of these girls who are only a few years younger than me, but I'll want to make sure to find the right line. I've had more soccer invites and out-of-school invites which I'm glad to be a part of, but it is a little weird with them being my students. As long as I can maintain authority and control while teaching but still be able to let down when socializing, things should be fine.


• Friday night, all of the classes had class parties at the school (each classes planned and organized their own party, however). Jill is a sophomore class sponsor, so I helped work with her. During a planning meeting, I was telling the class officers and sponsors about how I used to participate in shaving cream wars with my
• youth group. Everyone brought shaving cream and had a free-for-all, trying to "cream" as many of your friends on the playing field as possible. So, we decided to do it, but substituted whipped cream for shaving cream. Friday night came cold and dark and wet, but everyone still had a blast. Surprisingly, I was the only one of all the students and adults who didn't participate. I didn't really mean for it to happen this way, but I ended up making the fire and documenting the whole thing, so I really didn't have time to play. A couple of the sophomore girls I played soccer with still found a way to get some on me however. They "just" wanted a "hug" after all. :)


• I also volunteered to fill a need for the upcoming school play. They sent out an e-mail requesting help during the dress rehearsal and performances to do hair updos/curling/etc. I like to do this kind of stuff and thought it'd be fun to get to see what a h.s. play was like behind the scenes. I'm looking forward to it, and to getting to know some of the cast better (some of them are my students).

And now for a weekend. Nice to sleep in. I've been here a month now! Time has flown by; it'll be hard to leave. I'm really growing to love the school and community here. It's unlike anything I'll experience when teaching in the states, I believe.

It's getting routine

Ah...I do love routine. Remember how I had so little spare time at the beginning of my stay here and thought it'd only get worse once I started teaching full-time? Well, thankfully, things have only gotten better. My daily routine is pretty established and I'm getting everything done and then some! The lessons have gone better each day I've taught; I feel it's been weeks that I've taught now instead of only 4 days. I look forward to this weekend, but don't have a ton of things to catch up on. Praise God!

First period is starting to come around; they are more actively participating in discussion and seeming to enjoy class more. I've also been able to tweek my lessons more each day so that I have a balance of reading/discussion/DVD that I think works well to encourage learning while maintaining interest.

Second period is as lovely as ever. Wednesday I showed a short clip from youtube of one of Hitler's arousing speeches. I used this to help the students connect with their vocabulary word, demagogue. I couldn't easily get it to project on the overhead (for some reason) during 2nd period, so, being a smaller class, I just had them huddle around my laptop and watch it. This little event seemed to break the walls down even more and made my relationship with the students more comfortable. They crowded in, laughingly pushing and shoving, commenting on the video, interpreting the German for me, and guessing at what demagogue could mean. It was a good experience; I never would have thought I'd be glad for technological mishaps, but I was on Wednesday.

Seventh period is still deciding on me, but I've had a little bit more of a break through. One girl in particular seems to have a slight chip on her shoulder and isn't as friendly and affable as the rest. She's been talking to her classmates a lot during class, and I been trying to decide the appropriate way to handle it. Calling her out on it, especially during class, might only set her off; I feel as if she's the type that once your on her bad side, you stay there. So, I wanted to handle the situation carefully. God provided a way. At the end of 7th period on Wednesday, they announced over the intercom that Thursday after school would be a girls-only soccer game for anyone who wanted to participate. I happily exclaimed how fun that'd be, and how I'd like to play. Several girls in the class excitedly told me to join, and to my surprise, the one girl extended a personal invitation after everyone else had left. The next day, today, I had several girls from different periods ask me if I was playing, and then the girl from 7th made a specific point again to ask me. I was really glad for this, and thought that we could possibly build some mutual respect on the soccer field (haha, I feel like a guy saying that).

So, after school today I changed into my sports clothes (and underarmor...it was about 50 degrees out with a wind) and headed toward the field. It was a blast to play. We played half-field, 5 v. 5. I took turns playing goalie and forward and scored 3 goals. yay! There ended up being 3 girls from my English classes and we had fun all playing together. I felt weird having them call my Miss Kindt on the field, so I told them to call me Laura...hope that was ok. :) I laughed and joked with them as my peers, so now I'm curious to teach them in class tomorrow as their teacher. Overall, however, it was a great time, to be out in the brisk air, running, dripping snot, and coughing (I don't think this exercise helped my lingering cough at all). But it was worth it! At the end we took a smiling, then serious, then goofy picture. Here's the goofy one.

German phrase of the day: Where is the bathroom? = Wo ist die Toillete?

Also, I've had dinner leftovers for the past three days and it's been GREAT! And...we're having starbucks coffee with dessert tonight. Mmmmm. I've missed that. Heidi works at a Starbucks in Freiburg.

Uh...Miss Kindt? *Raised hand*

When I get asked this question, I know I'm a real teacher. It feels great to have the students calling me "Miss Kindt" and asking me questions. I don't let on that I feel more like their peer than adult. I'll keep pretending I know what I'm doing. :)

The first two days have been pretty great! Things have gone fairly smoothly, I've felt prepared and confident about my material, and I'm enjoying myself. I already have my favorite periods; here's a description.

Period 1: My least favorite. It is the first class of the day, and you can tell. There are 20 students, they are tired, and don't feel like participating in engaging, literary discussion. This class will be my biggest challenge. I'm still working on some way to get them more interested. What I do in 2nd and 7th period, won't work for them. Also, this is my first time teaching the material, so I'm a little more rusty with them. After I learn from my mistakes in first period, I correct them in the other two; so, they're my guinea pigs, unfortunately.

Period 2: My favorite. It's the smallest at 15 students, and there is good classroom chemistry. I have a couple of popular jokesters who work with me (I would hate to have them work against me) and a couple of thinkers who produce some good discussion. I feel that I can let down more with this class, and don't have to come across quite as teacherish. The atmosphere is definitely more relaxed. The other two classes have 20 students each. It's really amazing the difference 5 students can make.

Period 7: My rowdy group. Yes, it's the last period of the day, and they know it, and I know it, and we all know it. This group can get pretty crazy and hard to shush. This class also has the biggest group of students who like to push the edge, except that they aren't quite working with me yet. I hope to win them over after a few more days. The class has a lot of potential because enthusiasm is better than apathy, but I need to find a way to direct it.

Overall, I need to work on being a better discussion leader. I don't feel I'm quite able to connect the literature to the student's lives. Partly, I'm still adjusting to teaching and not confident/relaxed enough yet to reach them personally. Partly too, they are still testing me out, observing me, deciding whether to trust me or not.

I'm patiently waiting through these first few days; I think the outcome will be good. It doesn't necessarily help that most of my 12th grade students are not huge enthusists of "archaic" Hamlet. :)

Outside of school, I'm doing quite well. Things are getting a little chilly here; normally I'm in short sleeves by the afternoon, but today stayed pretty chilly. Julie and I intend on exploring the local countryside this Saturday. I hope it's a beautiful fall day! I'll probably not take my camera; she already knows I'm an avid photo-taker, and if I bring my camera, we'll have to keep stopping for that "perfect picture" because "the sun is just right," "that plant is in perfect bloom," and "look at the way the wind toys with tree." Like you can even see the wind in a picture.

Anyway, the reason I mention the weather is because it's quite chilly in the house. The Formans don't have centralized heating. I have a radiator, but it's "not time to turn that on yet," so I'm spending most evenings snuggling under blankets, drinking hot drinks, and curling up with my books. Ok...what's wrong with that? Today I talked to Jan about my lunches. This is lunch #17 of a ham and swiss sandwich. I'm not a huge fan of cold cuts, and ham and swiss is my least favorite. I asked her if I could take cut, raw vegetables to school with me. She, of course, was really obliging and said, "sure, whatever you want, let me know, and I'll get it for you." I didn't want to bother her by saying anything earlier (don't we all hate feeling like an imposition?), but I'm learning I need to ask for what I want, or else it doesn't help anyone. I also miss cooking (and American food) and appreciate how much work she puts into the dinners she makes, so I asked if I could cook one night a week. So now, I'm cooking Friday nights. I think my first dish will be Barry's noodle bake (my favorite casserole from back home...Mom, could you e-mail me the recipe? :) I'll try to take a picture for you!

Mmmm...pizza

I'm feeling much better; almost back to normal! Thanks for the prayers, there has been no secondary infection, and I only have a lingering cough...but you know how those like to stick around. Apparently, I got this flu from the daughters, Heidi and Maria, who came down with a milder case of it while vacationing in England. Alec Forman has just picked up the milder form too (why am I the only one who got it severly? lol). He explained to me, "Don't worry about passing it to me, the girl's passed it to you, and we like to share in our family." He seems to always surprise me with quick puns. He's more quiet around the 3 talkative women, but just when you least expect it, he'll let out a zinger. Today, Jan, Alec, and I were sitting in the living room each working on separate things. Jan was laughing about how she went to the bedroom to do something which she quickly forgot upon arriving there. After explaining that older people have these "forgetful moments" more often than younger, Alec turned to look at me and said, "Hey you, what's your name again?" It was perfect. Alec was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer's, so it's good to hear him make jokes like this. He seems as sharp as anyone to me, but I guess it's just in the early stages. The Forman's are very loving and supportive of each other, each in their own styles; I'm grateful for the support base he'll have as the disease progresses.

Yesterday Jill and I hosted a little literary fans "movie and pizza night." Jill thought of the idea sometime earlier this week when we were sitting in the classroom, avoiding eye contact with an ominous pile of papers-to-be-graded. We watched a BBC, 4-hour film based off a Victorian novel called North and South. It was basically the A&E Pride and Prejudice with a social conscious. The movie's plot was about a romance as well as the beginnings of the unions in the textile industry in Victorian England. Good movie! Jill and I both made pizza (my signature chicken/alfredo and her own sausage/tomato). Both were delicious and the other women we invited (all new teachers around my age or a little older) all brought different sides and drinks. Here's a picture of some of us.

Tomorrow is my first day teaching full-time! I'm pretty nervous about it. For one, the seniors all just got back from Rome and will be hard to get into the school mindset. I'm trying to think of a good segue, but so far nothing is coming to mind. After church today a group of my students stopped me and asked whether I was going to start teaching them this Monday. We talked for about 5 minutes, and it was good to connect with them on a personal level like that. After one or two days into the classroom, things will start being really enjoyable and relaxing; I just need to get there! :)

In close, here's a picture I took while walking to Jill's apartment. I'm still amazed by the beauty of this place. We've had a few rainy days lately, and on my 8 a.m. walk to school I saw the most beautiful scene as the mist and fog was slipping in and out of the heavily-wooded forests that surround Kandern like a keep. Really, pictures can't even capture the experience and scenery. Sorry! ;)

Wrong Thing Right Time

I apologize for the length of time that has passed from this post to the last. Last Sunday morning I woke up with “allergies,” and proceeded to feel worse as the day progressed. I soon realized that my “allergies” was actually the flu. By the end of the day, I was in bed, barely able to get up. Thankfully, I was able to easily skip school on Monday and slept through most of the day. By Tuesday I was feeling pretty badly still, but able to go to school, and by Wednesday was still feeling pretty uncomfortable, but got some good work done. Now, Thursday, I am still battling symptoms but feel closer to par than I have for a while. While I would have loved to avoid this whole thing, it really did come at the right time, and I thank God for that. Because the students were gone on senior trip, I had no classes to teach. So, when I was at school, I worked quietly at my computer without the pressure of standing in front of a group of students and trying to think and act coherently with 20 pairs of eyes watching. Rather, I could do all my sneezing, nose blowing, coughing, and moaning in relative privacy, and was able to come home each day to sleep and relax. :) I still feel pretty congested in my head, so please pray against a secondary infection in my sinuses or ears. That would be a hastle!

So, as I said, this week has been pretty laid back. Mr. Forman’s Aunt and Uncle are visiting (originally English, but live in Australia). His Uncle is only 8 years older than him. On Sunday we all went to a local vacation town bordering the Alps for tea and cake at this cute hotel. I thought I could handle the trip, but realized about 15 minutes in that it was not a good idea, as Uncle Jeff said, “Well, you’re deteriorating quickly!” What I saw of the scenery was lovely, however! The town itself has several Roman baths built over the originals. Jan said we would go sometime soon. They are essentially the same as the original Roman baths: heated pools to varying degrees which you move between. It’s supposed to be for healing and therapy purposes, but people just go for fun too (to those who read Jane Austen, these are the same type of baths her characters visit in the Bath, England). I also learned about a new, easily-accessible, hiking trail on our drive home. I hope to explore it as soon as I’m feeling better. I learned that most of the isolated pockets of towns within a 30 to 60 mile radius are connected by hiking trails and wooded pathways. The scenery in between towns as well as the quaintness of the towns is incredible. The weather here is still unusually lovely – I hope it stays that way!

Well, the Hamlet unit is almost here! I just finished my required 5 long-form lesson plans (these are the “training” lesson plan forms that no one uses in real life and all teachers-in-training hate. They take quite a while to write because of the detail required. This internship requires the first 5 be this way, then I can continue with short form, or “block,” planning for the remaining time. YES!). I feel like a nerd, but I just checked out two books from the library on contemporary literary criticisms of Hamlet (one by Harold Bloom) and am so excited to begin reading them. Jill and I also mapped out what I’ll be teaching for the rest of the semester. It’s was weird to be talking about when Jill will starting taking the classes back again around Dec 1. I realized that though I have a lot ahead, the end is not that far off. Wow!

Wie ghet's Ihnin?

Today I decided that I have not had as much cultural experience as I would like. It is very easy to get swept up in the BFA/North American community here and ignore the German community altogether. It's one of the reasons that many of the missionaries who work at the school or with Janz Team can have lived here for 8+ years and know very little German (also most Kandern Germans only speak a dialect of German found here in the southern part of the country). I have two reasons to stay enclosed in the North American community: 1) I don't have much time to take jaunters around town or to visit nearby places. 2) It is more comfortable for me to not venture out. I didn't realize how intimidating it can be to face a culture I cannot communicate with by myself. I didn't have this experience the last time I was here, but I was with a bunch of CU friends then. It is different to take it all on, seemingly alone. Part of my plan to "encounter more German culture" begins with learning more of their language. I've decided to learn one phrase a day. I know that with my time and duration here, I won't be able to learn the language, so I'd rather learn phrases and expressions for conversational German. My phrase today is "How are you?" thus "Wie ghet's Ihnin?" or just "Wie ghet's?"

This morning I took my Harry Potter book 2, a camera, chapstick, and my keys on a walk. We went a route I had done earlier with Maria to Riedlingen. The day was pleasant with a sunny, blue sky and 65 degree weather. The path is most beautiful, about a 20 minute walk both in covered woods and public areas, and I was glad to stop as I liked to take scenic pictures (until my battery died). I stopped at a now favorite spot to read a few chapters and then turned around to head back. My "ground beef" story of today was my path through the golf course. Part of the walking path merges for about 1/4 mile with a golf course path. Being a beautiful day and a German holiday, there were many golfers out and about. Previously, Julie and I had been on another part of the course and had been shooed away with a sharp reprimand for jogging on golfing property. As I wandered off today, I was shooed again. I now realize that this 1/4 mile strip is the only one that non-golfers are allowed to be on.

Once I had that down, on my returning walk, I thought I wouldn't have any more run-ins. Let me digress for a minute: I've been given the impression that Germans are rather curt and direct. My interactions with them thus far have been devoid of pleasant vocal tones, kind smiles, and a desire to understand and be understood. I smile now to think of it, however, because I believe that I provoke most of the curt attitudes I receive. It has been the case several times thus far that when I pass a German who wishes to talk with me, I don't realize they are talking to me (obviously, I don't know what they're saying). It is only at the raised-voice, intentional-tone point that I stop to turn around and see that they were talking to me all along (otherwise, I just think they are talking with whomever they are walking). So, it is no wonder that when I actually give them my "time of day," they are a little perturbed that I seemed to initially ignore them and that I won't even speak their language. Back to today. So I began to enter the 1/4 mile strip again, casually passing some golfers, when they began to talk to me, which I realized the third sentence through. I got the impression that they wanted me to stop as someone was about to tee-off and I would be in the way. I politely waited and began to walk again with the "waiting crowd" up the path. About 30 feet later, the crowd I was with stopped (obviously to tee-off again), but I kept walking because the path went to the side of where they were aiming. However, I again heard a "halt," and turned around to see what was up. The two ladies started speaking in German, but switched to very good English when I told them I didn't speak German. The one was very short and told me to wait till she was done, the other made a partial joke about what type of ball they were using and how much it would hurt if it were to hit me. I appreciated her kind affectation, but gave a covered scowl to the other one. At this rate, I thought I'd never get through the strip. Finally, after both had finished their swings, I quickly walked on, hoping to just get through and stop offending/bothering people and myself. I was grateful when the paths separated again, and I could just enjoy the nature by myself. For a while I was affected by the situation, frustrated that I given an unintentional rude impression to them because of my ignorance. But then I realized that it really wasn't my fault, I hadn't intended to be rude, and laughed to myself. At least I know proper German golfing etiquette now (I wonder if this is American golfing etiquette also? I wouldn't know).

Looking back on the week...

Wednesday and Thursday went smoothly. The senior class left for their week-long trip to Rome on Thursday night. I was surprised by myself at the end of 7th period. When the final school bell rang, all the seniors excitedly got up and began talking and running for the door. The way they were so excited to leave school and move on to something new reminded me of what senior year graduations are like. Especially at a boarding school or college, this time is difficult because everyone knows they won't ever see most of their classmates again. While this wasn't the-last-schoolday-of-the-year day, the excitement and anticipation felt the same. For a few seconds, I got a wave of sadness to see them go. I have only known them for two weeks, and really haven't even begun to develop relationships with them, and yet the parting was bittersweet. I thought to how hard it must be to see your seniors leave when you are the full-time teacher and have known many of the students and their siblings/parents for many years (as in Jill's case). It's the same feeling you get when a sports season ends and you say goodbye to the team, or when any significant phase of your life ends. Yes, you're excited about what's coming next, but you realize too that you'll never be in that place with those people with these feelings again. My few seconds of sorrow and nostalgia were insignificant really, but it did make me think more about transitions, attachments, and opportunities.

Friday was concentration camp field day for the 10th graders. We traveled about 1.5 hours away from Kandern into France. This concentration camp, Natzweiler-Struthof, was the only one located in France and was a labor camp, not a death camp. It's relatively small compared to most and was used mainly to house French and German resistance, though there were some Jews/Poles/Gypsies, etc. This is the first time I'd been to an actual concentration camp. I was unsure as to how it would affect me since I have read a lot about the Holocaust, been to several memorials/museums, and am familiar with what went on. The visit was more sobering than I expected. It's hard to describe, I will partially try, but it's more like you have to be there, to see and know for yourself. Basically, I realized that I was standing on the ground and in the buildings where some of the cruelest and most heinous acts were committed. I heard about the specific scientific experiments that were performed and saw the instruments and "furniture" used to commit them. I viewed the crematorium and the ash pit used to "make room" for more. I saw the rooms and heard vividly described the scenarios where people were lined up and shot. I saw the hangman's noose and learned of the sadistic mental games the SS played on those intermed there. Probably the most startling part of the trip was when we visited the gas chamber. An anatomical "doctor" studying nearby wanted specimens to study, hoping to find a genetic difference between races that would prove an inferior and superior race. He "ordered" Gypsies and Jews from Natzweiler who were gassed and then "stored" in vats, which we saw, to be shipped to the doctor. Being there, seeing the pictures, hearing the stories, and knowing that all this happened but 50 years ago made me (and the 10th graders) really pause to reflect on and consider what man is capable of. It is of course not pleasant to see, and there were times I wanted to plug my ears and not know, but I knew I needed to know. History affects the future, for those who care to look. It is imporant to know what man has done and is capable of, lest later generation think they are any better and will do things any differently.

Another interesting part of this trip was hearing about the war from the German perspective. Allow me this disclaimer: what I am about to discuss has nothing to do with who was right and who was wrong or where blame should be placed. It is simply an observation on the commonality of humanity.

Several of the chaperones had fathers and aunts and uncles who were in the war, serving (often by force) as Nazis or in the SS. These chaperones talked about their German relatives in the war. They told how few veterans talked about what happened as many were forced to do what they did, and experienced, though in a different way, severe emotional scarring also. More than the German economy and politics was left in ruins after the war. I left with unanswerable questions and thoughts about how all of this came about. Previously I had only ever thought about the Jewish perspective or the American perspective, but now I also realize that many Germans were suffering, confused, and hopeless as well. I left with a new perspective, thinking less about the importance of sides, and who did what, but rather about the sorrows of all mankind and the corruption of power. I'm not at all trying to say that what was done in the concentration camps was somehow less grievous because of the cost the German people suffered. I simply added another perspective to what I already knew: to separate the country from the individual. On both sides, the sense of loss and the question of "why?" haunted those who survived the war.

This week gave me both funny and sobering exeriences. I was glad for both. The weekend holds much lesson planning and study. I want to know Hamlet backwards and forwards before I begin teaching it full time a week from now.

Also, I went to McDonalds!!

Tickets, Provision, Uncertainty, and Ground Beef

Hello! Time is passing quickly here. I'm still enjoying my life just as much as before, yet I wonder if when things will begin to slow down or to at least settle into a pattern, whether my perspective will be different. It's hard to miss things back in the states simply because I don't have the time to. God has surrounded me with loving, welcoming people and a challenging work load; my mind has had no time to wander. I look forward to a time soon when I can slow down to reflect. I hope that comes this weekend.

The students have a four-day week because they leave on their senior trip to Rome (Junior trip to Normandy) this Thursday night. They'll be gone for 8 days - so I won't be teaching at all next week, rather preparing lessons and sitting in on other classes. This Friday, the 9th and 10th graders are going on field trips to some trenches and a concentration camp in France, respectively. I'll be going with the 10th graders to the concentration camp as a chaperone. I'm really looking forward to this, in a sobering way.

Today I taught my first, full, 50 minute lesson to Period 2. I don't think I could have started out with something more difficult. The entire class period was poetry analysis discussion over two sonnets. Not only is poetry difficult to make exciting for students, but discussion-leading skills are not my forte. Looking back on it, it didn't go poorly, but, I know I could have done much better, and left discouraged. For one thing, Jill's presence in the room made me nervous to teach on something she was so knowledgeable about. Secondly, it's my first time leading an analysis discussion with seniors. Thirdly, for a number of reasons I wasn't able to teach the lesson as I would have liked; it felt like I was trying to imitate someone else, and doing a poor job because it wasn't me. I look forward to being able to take the class on completely, and feeling the freedom to teach "my style." So, today did leave me feeling some uncertainty about whether I'll ever be really good at discussion leading. My perfectionism is kicking in, and I understand it just takes practice, but I still can't help but feeling that I want to do it perfectly NOW. The more I see Jill teach and hear her talk, the more I realize how little I actually know about teaching, and even about my content. This has a twofold effect on me: to work hard to become better, and to feel too intimidated to even try. I would appreciate prayer, that I would laugh at my mistakes and allow them to motivate me to press on even more diligently.

On to Tickets and God's provision. This weekend, Julie and I sat down to buy tickets for an upcoming weekend trip to London. The school has one day off this entire semester, and we are looking forward to using that 3-day weekend to travel! Previously, we had looked online for tickets and found them at $75 a ticket. We thought this a great deal, but when we were ready to buy, the deal was no longer there without a near alternative. We were disappointed but tried looking at another recommended airline. To our amazement, the second airline was offering roundtrip tickets for $25 a ticket on the exact dates we needed ($42 once you include "processing fees" i.e. hidden charges. Yes, I've learned this is universal and not just in America :). We were amazed! We kept double checking the deal to find a loophole, but never found one. We immediately bought the tickets and went on to look at lodging. One of our first hits was for a hostel called "the clink." Ranging from between $15-30 a night, this hostel looked nice and clean and is centrally-located at Kings Cross St. (Yes, Platform 9 3/4 really exists there, and yes, we are going to find it. :) Praise God! All for under $100! For the Brits, I'm sorry that the pound is so weak, but it's sure great for tourists! :)

The great ending to this story is that an hour later Julie and I walked over to a Bible study we are doing with some other young, single BFA teachers, who upon hearing of our great deal, immediately bought tickets to join us. So now, on October 30, we five girls are traveling to London to see as much as we can in 48 hours! Of all the places I could visit, London is my first pick, so I'm very excited.

I'll end with a funny story. I'm making tacos for dinner tonight, so I made a list of ingredients and stopped at the grocery store on my way home from the Post Office. While in Germany last year, I often went to the grocery store and did all my own shopping and cooking. Though I haven't shopped yet this time around, I thought, "no biggie, been there done that." Upon entering the store, I suddenly remembered how little German I knew, but still managed to find the sour cream (Sauerrahm), lettuce, and tortillas quickly enough. After unsuccessfully searching around to find the ground meat, I realized with great consternation that I was going to have to buy it from the deli.

I slowly walked over to the deli and made a few preliminary, "casual" passes to scope out the scene. It looked like people were lining up along the meat glass windows, waiting to be helped. On one such pass, I made a close inspection of the meats and prices. "Should I just go back to the house and grab Maria to find the pre-packaged meat?" I thought. "I don't want to pay an extraordinary amount for the 'nicer' meat, and I especially don't want to try to communicate in front of all these people." Finally, eyeing what looked to be the closet thing to ground beef there and feeling desperate to buy some and get out, I took my spot in line and thought about what I would say. I could point at the meat and say "eins pound." Thus far, I've been able to get along fine with "danke", "Hallo," and my pitiful knowledge of German numbers. Hopefully, she'd know what "pound" meant. I envisioned myself walking home with a huge bag of ground beef and explaining all the ways we could use it in dishes for the next 2 weeks. The line slowly trinkled down till I was next up. I almost had my very short speech down when I looked a little closer at the sign next to the ground meat. I suddenly remembered that Germans use the gram weight system, not the pound! I could feel my heart freeze. I quickly tried to remember the conversion between pounds and grams. Was a kilogram close to a pound? Was it significantly more, less? Did I know any other size grams come in besides the kilo?- no. No time to think, I was next. She flung a string of German at me. I pointed accusingly at the meat and blurted out "eins......."

I can't really remember what happened next except that I think she filled in "kilo" after my stuttering to which I quickly nodded my head. She seemed to think that was an appropriate amount. I watched her scoop out a fair-sized piece and weigh it at .755. I figured that looked like enough and motioned that I was happy with that. I was very thankful to say my "danke" and to walk quickly away. Oh boy, what a traumatizing experience. I was thankful that I had at least remembered to bring a basket from home to carry my purchases in. (fyi, we still ended up having extra meat after dinner and are currently planning on having a nice red meat sauce and pasta for tomorrow night's dinner

Thanks for reading. :)

A Long Week Ended

Wow, it was nice to "sleep in." The last 2 nights have been much better. I think I'm finally done with jet lag. Pictured to the right is a local church in Riedlingen. Let me divide this blog into three difference sections: school, home, and personal.

School:
It's great to be teaching. Wednesday and Thursday were spent doing more observations and trying to figure out my schedule. Here's what it looks like I'll be doing:

1st Period - 12 grade Brit Lit.
2nd Period - 12 grade Brit Lit.
3rd Period - sit in on Jill's AP Brit. Lit.
4th-5th Period - planning periods
6th Period - resource room
7th Period - 12 grade Brit Lit.

So, I'll be doing one lesson prep a week (how nice!). The resource room is for the middle school and consists of ESL (English as a Second Language) or LD (Learning Disability) students who need additional help. I'll be helping them with their hw or specific things assigned by their teachers. My goal will be to help them understand their assignments, work through their LD, or help them understand English better.

On Friday I taught a 20 min segment on the Shakespearean and Petrarchan Sonnet Forms. It was great to actually teach! Going into school that day I was not looking forward to it. It didn't seem something "fun" to do. By the time I had completed my 3rd time in 7th period, I was having a blast. By only observing this week, I haven't had any connection with the students. They are used to seeing me now and expect me to be sitting at Jill's desk, but after the first day, I've just become an object in the room to them. By teaching this little section, calling on their names (I've memorized most of them - thanks for the prayers), and showing them some of my personality, I felt much more connection. This is the primary reason, I believe, for why I felt so much more excited at the end of the day. I like to teach English content, but it's relating to the students that really excites me. Making connections with them, seeing them respond to me, and investing in them is more meaningful than any number of books I could read. However, the ideal is to connect the process of relating to the students with the process of teaching literature. My fulfillment as a teacher comes in making this triangular connection between me, them, and the content. That's why I want to do all this; that's why I chose this field.

Home
I am still reminded daily of the blessing the Formans are to me. Jan's b-day was yesterday, and we had lots of cakes, tea, and yummies to celebrate. Jan and Alec left for the week to visit relatives in Switzerland. I'm sure it'll be a little lonely in the house without them. Heidi and Maria are still here, but leave Friday for London. So...I'll have a night in the house by myself. Jan told me to party it up. :)

Today, Maria and I walked to a nearby village to a cafe. The scenary, weather, food, and company were all delicious. Tonight two of Heidi's friends (art teachers at BFA) are coming over and we're having a little girl's night. Lovely. Here is a picture from the walk.

Personal:

I'm still really enjoying my time here. I've gotten into the town a little bit more; I want to explore around. I heard there are some great walking trails in the Black Forest woods. I've been discouraged because after one jog, all of my knee issues and pain came back in full force. So, I'd like to get some regular exercise, but am running out of ways to do it (haha...unintentional pun). Jan offered me the use of her bike, so I'll look into that. I heard there are bike trails to the nearest towns as well.

Well, the "quiet, peaceful life" I was so excited about having here is quickly disappearing. I should have known it was too good to be true. I'm at school from 8-4:15 each day. I get home to check and answer e-mails and unwind. By 6 I have a few hours till dinner at 8 to get things done. As of yet, I'm not able to use this time efficiently b/c I'm still too tired or scattered from the day to "get to work." At 8 I try to go downstairs to help with dinner and am eating by 8:30. We have a tv dinner and talk and watch the British "telly" till 10 where I excuse myself and get ready for bed, answer more e-mails, and other miscellaneous things till 11 when I try to get to bed for a decent 8 hours. Then, to do it all over again the next day. So, though I have a few hours in between times to get things done, it ends up being too punctuated to actually get into my work. I still feel like I'm not spending enough time with the Formans that way, either. So, no time to really relax and read. School busyness is just beginning and will only increase, so I still have to find time for that. I'm complaining now and I don't even have to clean a house or cook meals! I hope to get more efficient as I have more practice, but as for now, I am still feeling pretty rushed. One thing that has taken a lot more time than I think it should is communication with the states. Most conversations thus far have been spent getting the volume right or the video to work or the camera to stop freezing. So...this leads me to some new prayer requests:

• That I'll be efficient with my time and prioritize what needs to be done first
  


• That my communication with the states will be technically smoother and quicker than it has been.


• That my relationships with the students will increase as I am now beginning to spend more time with them.


• That I will make my personal time with God a priority, placing that before schoolwork and social time.

Thanks!! Here is a picture of the Forman's house with Maria nearby, coming back from grocery shopping. My window is the top one of the left side of the house (the one without shutters). Part of the roof is slanted in my room like an A-frame. I rather like it. Also, I mentioned to the Forman's about reading through the Harry Potter series when I got back to the states. They told me they had the complete set there and I'm already nearly half way through the first. I have a feeling starting this series will be a mistake as I find myself already unable to put the book down. :) Also, check out this link to view a tour of my house! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPrbgQEDxTo