So I just unpacked from Easter holidays. Then I repacked for England. I once again have far too many clothes along but I don't exactly know what I'll want to wear next Tuesday, now do I? So I need OPTIONS. Apparently we're supposed to have good weather. YAY! Although I can't complain. I just had 3 complete weeks of sunshine and blue skies. I have major tanlines already. Nuts! Ok, so it's been raining since yesterday. But that's hardly worth mentioning.
So I'm gonna run through the last week in oober-short point form. Seeing as how I have no time and a week is a lot of ground to cover. Highlights it is!
- Friday, April 10th. Apparently buses don't run on Good Friday. I checked the bus schedule 10,000 times and it only mentioned Christmas and New Year's, so I figured I was safe. Apparently not. I sat at the bus stop for 20 minutes before I gave up and begged a ride to the train station from my landlord. Anyways, caught the train and all, but the next train I took had some kind of engine issue. So the train stopped in the middle of the forest for about 10 minutes while the conductor dude "fixed it" and then we had smooth sailing for the next 2.5 hours. Apparently it wasn't my day to travel....But I made it in the end. Hooray!
- Saturday, April 11. Went for a 36 km bike ride with my cousin, Jasmin, and two of her friends. All that for some Italian ice cream. Oh well, it was very tasty and at least there were no guilty side effects ... I'm sorry, but I'm pretty sure I burned off enough calories that day for 2 buckets of ice cream, never mind two teeny little balls of it.
- Sunday, April 12. Had rabbit for lunch. Whole thing was cooked. Including head. I was forced to slurp the meat off the cheek bone. It's supposed to be oober good or something. Must say the oober-goodness came off as slightly less oober-good simply because I was aware that I had a skull bone in my mouth. I mean, there was an eye socket, people. Ew.
- Monday, April 13. Went to some coolio architecture village in Stuttgart with my cousin, Jasmin. We got lost, decided we needed some overpriced Coca Cola from this ritzy little cafe, then found what we were looking for. Called the Weissenhofsiedlung, in case any of you are architecture fans. Then we went on a Starbucks hunt and sat on the giant lawn in front of the Stuttgarter castle, sipping a strawberries and creme frappucino while baking in the sun. Did I mention tanlines??? :P I'm evil, I know. Then we went to Jasmin's apartment, made a disgusting and unsightly amount of spagetti pesto with a retarded amount of freshly pressed garlic ... and ate it all, of course. Then it was time to say a final farewell to Jasmin.
- Tuesday, April 14. Went to Pforzheim for the last time with my aunt Edda. Found sweetest slouchy hat thing and scarf thing at United Colors of Benetton. SALE. Woooo. And sunglasses. Then made my aunt take me to Cafe Rialto. Best ice cream in Germany. We went there a lot when I was really little (5 years old) and then again regularly when we lived in Germany, so it's kind of a childhood nostalgia thing. So sad. Last giant crazy fruity ice cream creation. Although for something that's supposed to have all sorts of exotic fruit it sure had a lot of apple slices. Trying to cut down on costs or somethin'?? Can't fool meeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! Mennonite mafia will WIPE YOU OUT.
- Wednesday, April 15. Did nothing. Read all day outside on the balcony. Entire 379 page novel done by 4pm. Was the last book I had along. Immediately experienced major panic attacks due to lack of reading material and inability to imagine how I would survive the next 3 days.
- Thursday, April 16. Took train to my other cousin's place. Klaus and Carina. Had to say goodbye to my aunt Edda and uncle Roland. Very sad. Won't see them again before I come back home to Canada.
- Friday, April 17. First day of rain in 3 weeks. Almost forgot what the stuff felt like. Went shopping in the morning in Aalen with Carina. (No purchases, mother dearest) Ate pizza slice for 2 euros. Not bad considering. Although those were DEFINITELY canned mushrooms. Chintzy. Booo. On the upside, lots of sauce. I HATE it when they skimp on sauce. Um, then went to the Steiff Museum in Giengen. This is where the first teddy bears were invented (strangely enough, named "teddy" bears after US president Ted Roosevelt...) Anywho, they are world-famous teddies. Retardedly overpriced, but they're a German novelty so I had to take one home with me. Used to have one when I was little, but it prolly got sold at the garage sale when we moved to Germany. So now I have Charly. He is the softest thing I have ever touched. I'm a little in love. Man search over.
- Saturday, April 18. Said goodbye to Klaus, Carina, and their 3 year old, Loris. Very sad. Had a lot of good times with them this year. Then sat in various trains for approximately ... 5.5 hours. Then sat around at train station for 45 minutes waiting for bus. Then almost missed bus because apparently on weekends they use a different bus stop than on weekdays. Realized it in the nick of time and ran after bus as it was pulling away. Dude opened the door and stared at me for a full 5 seconds after I clambered on, then coldly informed me that they use a different bus stop on the weekends. THANKS ... I NOTICED. Seriously, I could have chilled a coke on his eyeballs. I think I got goosebumps just by looking at him. It's not as if I was asking him to move the freaking Alps for me ... just let me on the flippin' bus!!!! Which, by the way, only had ONE FREAKING OTHER PERSON ON IT. AND NO ONE ELSE GOT ON THE WHOLE RIDE. Like he was really in a rush...
- Last note: Officially dislike James Patterson novels. Good ideas, poor writing. In my opinion. I kept shaking my head in embarrassment ... for him ... It's like hearing Liza Minnelli on the radio and alternately wondering whether both or just one of her producer's ear drums exploded at some crazy-ass swing music festival in the early 1940s, hence his inability to realize the woman has one scary voice, or whether she made it because she sat outside the record label's offices all day belting show tunes until someone finally decided it was a better idea to put her in a sound proof room and let her croak into a microphone ... my theory: all her music was secretly sponsored by the underground Sadistic Society for the Deaf of the USA, bent on making sure obscene amounts of unbearable music punishes those of us who can still hear! Wow I've got an evil streak today. But this was supposed to be about James Patterson. Honestly, I will never read a Patterson novel again... I could pull better writing out of my grade 6 diary. Anyone know of a good publisher???(Oh Lord, I hope Patterson's lawyer or manager, or whatever authors have, doesn't read this and sue me. Or Liza Minnelli's, for that matter...)
Ok, so now you're all up to date. Twil see what kind of Internet options I have in England. By the way, for those counting ... which would technically just be me ... 42 days left!!!!!!!!!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Frogs and Sunshine
So holidays have officially begun! I just got home from my day at the kindergarten where I left with a record of ONE insult! And it was a pretty minor one. Celine asked me why I had such a funny jacket on. But I personally love this jacket and I get compliments on it from every female I meet ... over the age of 15 ... so obviously it's fabulous. I really shouldn't expect a 5 year old to take notice of it's Audrey Hepburn-esqueness, right?? That might be a TAD unreasonable...
Anywho, today was another gorgeous 25 degree sunshine fest. So I went on a giant frog hunt with some of the older kids in the creek behind the kindergarden. We caught 12. No, let me rephrase that. I caught 8, Tommy caught 4. Once they realized that I am neither afraid of nor grossed out by these slippery, slimy creatures (I tend to like things that are slippery and slimy ... except the male Homo sapien kind...) they would simply scream: 'Tchoolia! There's another one!' Hence frog-catching skills have now been perfected and I was heralded as the queen frog-chaser. Always dreamed of earning that title... Here're some pics of the funness...
While the kids took their naps we (as in employees, I'm not having a random schizophrenic day...) all just sat outside and soaked in the sun, eating cake and drinking coffee. Basically hoping the kids would never wake up. Obviously hopes went unfulfilled....
deceitfully normal looking...
letting our true colours shine....
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
I like lists
Strangely enough, after yesterday's slightly depressing post, I had such a terrific day today! I taught a grade 5 class and then a grade 6 class and I had an absolute blast. I think that I went into today with a different attitude than the last week or so. And it made all the difference! I had so much fun. Taught the kids about cowboys in the grade 6 class. Even played a Keith Urban song. They loved it! haha. But it was definitely an encouraging day.
Now, the reason I actually wanted to blog today. I have recently started making a list that I affectionately call "The things that annoy me to no end"-list. So here goes.
1) Seeing people drop their garbage on the ground ... even though there are a minimum of 5 garbage cans located within a 10 metre radius.
2) The fact that Paris Hilton actually belongs in the category "celebrity". Someone tell me, how did she get there? After much pondering and brain-wracking I have come to the conclusion it's because she's blonde, likes to party, likes to spend lots and lots and lots of $ on shoes, and has the spoiled-brat act perfected to a tee ... wait, doesn't that describe about 70% of today's current population?
3) When white singers use the word "shorty" in their lyrics.
4) When people refuse to move their backpacks or purses from the empty seat next to them even tho the train car aisles are packed full of people that have to stand.
5) When stupid teenagers on the train play their crappy rap music on their cell phones as loud as possible, with no regard to those around them.
6) The fact that so many young people act like they're being subjected to pain worse than death because they have to be in school all day when there are kids out there who would LITERALLY give their left leg for the same opportunity.
7) People that spend all day talking about how awful everything in their lives is. People who can't ever find anything positive to say about anyone or anything. People who always have some kind of ailment or ache. People who have never learned to appreciate the bright moments in each day. I am around many of these on a daily basis and I have to constantly double-check my own attitude and make sure I don't start heading down the same path.
8) The fact that my grocery store has stopped selling the only good salad dressing they have in Germany: Thousand Island. You'd think they coulda waited 2 more months til they discontinued it...
9) The fact that nutella from a spoon tastes SO GOOD. Makes my no-chocolate-on-weekdays resolution that much more difficult to keep...
10) My bicycle. It switches gears all on its own approximately every 5 seconds. I want my car back.
Now, the reason I actually wanted to blog today. I have recently started making a list that I affectionately call "The things that annoy me to no end"-list. So here goes.
1) Seeing people drop their garbage on the ground ... even though there are a minimum of 5 garbage cans located within a 10 metre radius.
2) The fact that Paris Hilton actually belongs in the category "celebrity". Someone tell me, how did she get there? After much pondering and brain-wracking I have come to the conclusion it's because she's blonde, likes to party, likes to spend lots and lots and lots of $ on shoes, and has the spoiled-brat act perfected to a tee ... wait, doesn't that describe about 70% of today's current population?
3) When white singers use the word "shorty" in their lyrics.
4) When people refuse to move their backpacks or purses from the empty seat next to them even tho the train car aisles are packed full of people that have to stand.
5) When stupid teenagers on the train play their crappy rap music on their cell phones as loud as possible, with no regard to those around them.
6) The fact that so many young people act like they're being subjected to pain worse than death because they have to be in school all day when there are kids out there who would LITERALLY give their left leg for the same opportunity.
7) People that spend all day talking about how awful everything in their lives is. People who can't ever find anything positive to say about anyone or anything. People who always have some kind of ailment or ache. People who have never learned to appreciate the bright moments in each day. I am around many of these on a daily basis and I have to constantly double-check my own attitude and make sure I don't start heading down the same path.
8) The fact that my grocery store has stopped selling the only good salad dressing they have in Germany: Thousand Island. You'd think they coulda waited 2 more months til they discontinued it...
9) The fact that nutella from a spoon tastes SO GOOD. Makes my no-chocolate-on-weekdays resolution that much more difficult to keep...
10) My bicycle. It switches gears all on its own approximately every 5 seconds. I want my car back.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Doubts and Misgivings
7 more weeks. How strange.
So I spent this last weekend in Erfurt with my friend, Claudia Luschnath. I wrote about her waaaaay at the beginning of my time here. In, like, August. She's the one who had no idea that I was coming to Germany so I just surprised her one day when I showed up on her doorstep. :) Anyways, this was only the second (and unfortunately the last) time that we've gotten to see each other. It was my first time in Erfurt and it's such a pretty little city. The first day we just wandered around the city, went into all the stores (Don't worry mom, I didn't buy anything... :P), went for coffee, etc. It was so warm. I wore a t-shirt and sandals, people. I think we might have to move Canada to Europe.
Um, not really much to report. We hung out, ate lots of good food, went to the little Spring Midway for about 45 minutes :P, talked for two days straight, and wandered around the zoo on Sunday. (For pics click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114443&id=573967603&l=8a51fd679a ) Claudia is also studying to become a teacher, so it was really fun to just talk about all that kind of stuff with her. Just things we've already experienced in the classroom, characteristics of good and bad teachers that we either want to imitate and take on, or on the other hand never want to turn out like, issues that we're noticing in "the modern child", fears and doubts about our own abilities, etc. It's nice to be able to share these kinds of things with someone who truly understands. I mean, someone who is experiencing and/or anticipating these kinds of situations and the daunting tasks that lie before us, not just someone nodding her head thanking her lucky stars she picked a different career path.
And so, ladies and gents, the next few paragraphs are full of thoughts I have barely let myself consider and have voiced out loud to only 2 or 3 other people.
I'll admit, while I have enjoyed my experiences here thoroughly, this year has, at times, also raised a LOT of doubts in my mind. More than I ever could have imagined. Am I cut out for this? Am I creative enough? Will I be able to keep my classes under control? Will I be able to cope with all the problems that are sure to cross my path? Do you KNOW how many teachers here talk about their stressed nerves and exhausted resources on a DAILY basis? Do you have any idea how many are just so absolutely tired and finished? Can you imagine some of the disrespectful and out-of-control kids that I see in so many classes? Can I do this? Can I be interesting? Can I actually TEACH them without having a nervous breakdown at 35 years of age? I mean, after about 30 billion people have asked, in their most incredulous-sounding voice, "Why ON EARTH would you want to become a teacher?", you begin wondering whether there's something you're missing here...
I want to believe I can. But what if I fail? I'm not accustomed to failing. In fact, I can't think of a time when I've failed. Unless we're talking about my feeble attempts to resemble a graceful gymnast in German Phys Ed class at the awkward age of 12. Seriously, will my students hate me? I mean, I realize that I am not there to be their best friend. But I still want them to look back on their school years and think to themselves: "Ms Hiebert, she was alright. She really loved her job and only wanted the best for us. Even if she was a little crazy and sometimes pretty strict." not "Ugh, Ms Hiebert, the worst teacher I ever had. Dragon Lady, we called that old spinster. She was ridiculous and ignorant and didn't teach us a thing. Completely incompetent." I know that when I look back on my school years I have very different memories relating to very different teachers. Which category will I land in? Or worse yet, will I end up in the strapped-into-straight-jacket-by-successful-evil-plotting-children column? Am I strong enough?
I never would have guessed that my 17 year long dream would one day be burdened by such doubts and skepticism, which always seem so magnified on those days when my lesson plan doesn't quite go exactly the way I expected it to. And the small nagging murmur buried deep in my subconscious, which bears a suspiciously close resemblance to my own voice, keeps whispering "can you really do this?" The sad thing is that if I'm honest with myself, the only answer I've come up with so far is a barely perceptible "I sure hope so. Because I know it's the one thing I truly want to do." Which leaves just one question: IS THAT ENOUGH?
So I spent this last weekend in Erfurt with my friend, Claudia Luschnath. I wrote about her waaaaay at the beginning of my time here. In, like, August. She's the one who had no idea that I was coming to Germany so I just surprised her one day when I showed up on her doorstep. :) Anyways, this was only the second (and unfortunately the last) time that we've gotten to see each other. It was my first time in Erfurt and it's such a pretty little city. The first day we just wandered around the city, went into all the stores (Don't worry mom, I didn't buy anything... :P), went for coffee, etc. It was so warm. I wore a t-shirt and sandals, people. I think we might have to move Canada to Europe.
Um, not really much to report. We hung out, ate lots of good food, went to the little Spring Midway for about 45 minutes :P, talked for two days straight, and wandered around the zoo on Sunday. (For pics click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=114443&id=573967603&l=8a51fd679a ) Claudia is also studying to become a teacher, so it was really fun to just talk about all that kind of stuff with her. Just things we've already experienced in the classroom, characteristics of good and bad teachers that we either want to imitate and take on, or on the other hand never want to turn out like, issues that we're noticing in "the modern child", fears and doubts about our own abilities, etc. It's nice to be able to share these kinds of things with someone who truly understands. I mean, someone who is experiencing and/or anticipating these kinds of situations and the daunting tasks that lie before us, not just someone nodding her head thanking her lucky stars she picked a different career path.
And so, ladies and gents, the next few paragraphs are full of thoughts I have barely let myself consider and have voiced out loud to only 2 or 3 other people.
I'll admit, while I have enjoyed my experiences here thoroughly, this year has, at times, also raised a LOT of doubts in my mind. More than I ever could have imagined. Am I cut out for this? Am I creative enough? Will I be able to keep my classes under control? Will I be able to cope with all the problems that are sure to cross my path? Do you KNOW how many teachers here talk about their stressed nerves and exhausted resources on a DAILY basis? Do you have any idea how many are just so absolutely tired and finished? Can you imagine some of the disrespectful and out-of-control kids that I see in so many classes? Can I do this? Can I be interesting? Can I actually TEACH them without having a nervous breakdown at 35 years of age? I mean, after about 30 billion people have asked, in their most incredulous-sounding voice, "Why ON EARTH would you want to become a teacher?", you begin wondering whether there's something you're missing here...
I want to believe I can. But what if I fail? I'm not accustomed to failing. In fact, I can't think of a time when I've failed. Unless we're talking about my feeble attempts to resemble a graceful gymnast in German Phys Ed class at the awkward age of 12. Seriously, will my students hate me? I mean, I realize that I am not there to be their best friend. But I still want them to look back on their school years and think to themselves: "Ms Hiebert, she was alright. She really loved her job and only wanted the best for us. Even if she was a little crazy and sometimes pretty strict." not "Ugh, Ms Hiebert, the worst teacher I ever had. Dragon Lady, we called that old spinster. She was ridiculous and ignorant and didn't teach us a thing. Completely incompetent." I know that when I look back on my school years I have very different memories relating to very different teachers. Which category will I land in? Or worse yet, will I end up in the strapped-into-straight-jacket-by-successful-evil-plotting-children column? Am I strong enough?
I never would have guessed that my 17 year long dream would one day be burdened by such doubts and skepticism, which always seem so magnified on those days when my lesson plan doesn't quite go exactly the way I expected it to. And the small nagging murmur buried deep in my subconscious, which bears a suspiciously close resemblance to my own voice, keeps whispering "can you really do this?" The sad thing is that if I'm honest with myself, the only answer I've come up with so far is a barely perceptible "I sure hope so. Because I know it's the one thing I truly want to do." Which leaves just one question: IS THAT ENOUGH?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Defenceless
Another 6 hours down at the Zschettgau kindergarten. I've decided that listing ALL the insults thrown at me there weekly would a) take too long and b) become slightly monotonous for you. I mean, how much innocently related meanness can one take before it desensitizes you completely?
So yesterday's winner:
Oh, first I should mention that I just made my hair curly yesterday because it takes less time and there's no point in straightening your hair for a bunch of 4 year olds.... But I like it curly. I think it looks good. Or at least ... I thought ...
Ok, so the prize goes to Lena, a feisty little 4 year old (the girl who told me it's not hard to find a husband...)
Lena: "What's wrong with your hair? It looks silly."
... Lena turns to another toddler friend and says, in her most grown-up snob voice: "she didn't even comb her hair today."
I'll be honest folks, I don't know how much more of this my rapidly deflating self-esteem can take.... :P
On the upside... 6 more days til EASTER HOLIDAYS!!!
Other than that, not much to report. The weather is absolutely fabulous. 15-17 degree weather, completely sunny and gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky. Sandals are officially out of the closet. Long-sleeves have been relegated to the deepest darkest depths of their drawers. And besides my regular school stuff I'm desperately trying to translate the Eilenburg website as quickly as possible. Could really use the moolah for travelling in June. I think I'm about a third done. Or at least, that's what I tell myself...
Oh, and did I mention that its FREAKING HOT outside??? :P Seriously, shorts weather, ppl. I think I'm gonna read in the garden when I get home from school today. SWEET.
Um, Zoe, I'm home this afternoon if you wanna call. I'm only leaving for my friend's place tomorrow morning. :)
So yesterday's winner:
Oh, first I should mention that I just made my hair curly yesterday because it takes less time and there's no point in straightening your hair for a bunch of 4 year olds.... But I like it curly. I think it looks good. Or at least ... I thought ...
Ok, so the prize goes to Lena, a feisty little 4 year old (the girl who told me it's not hard to find a husband...)
Lena: "What's wrong with your hair? It looks silly."
... Lena turns to another toddler friend and says, in her most grown-up snob voice: "she didn't even comb her hair today."
I'll be honest folks, I don't know how much more of this my rapidly deflating self-esteem can take.... :P
On the upside... 6 more days til EASTER HOLIDAYS!!!
Other than that, not much to report. The weather is absolutely fabulous. 15-17 degree weather, completely sunny and gorgeous. Not a cloud in the sky. Sandals are officially out of the closet. Long-sleeves have been relegated to the deepest darkest depths of their drawers. And besides my regular school stuff I'm desperately trying to translate the Eilenburg website as quickly as possible. Could really use the moolah for travelling in June. I think I'm about a third done. Or at least, that's what I tell myself...
Oh, and did I mention that its FREAKING HOT outside??? :P Seriously, shorts weather, ppl. I think I'm gonna read in the garden when I get home from school today. SWEET.
Um, Zoe, I'm home this afternoon if you wanna call. I'm only leaving for my friend's place tomorrow morning. :)
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