4/25-27/13

So I know I said I'd be posting everyday but a few things have happened that make those plans difficult! First being time. I am busy here teaching and by the time I manage to make it home I'm too spent to want to log in and update. Sorry for those regular readers... Second issue I'm having is that I am limited on internet use at my apartment and have managed to basically go through it all, meaning for the next week it is really only possible to up date the blog if I am at a coffee shop... So bare with me as I update you on several days worth of time.

Friday was pretty uneventful here in Berlin. On Friday's I usually only have one class to teach and since they were taking a test I literally had the whole day to get things done. I probably should have planned out more of my lessons but instead I found myself planning for my future.

For those of you who don't know, Teach For America won't be happening for me now. Basically, I don't get home in time to start the program and the training, so they had to let me go. So no Detroit for me, when I come home. With out the program I realized I needed to start working on my next step. I have now submitted two applications for teaching jobs. I will be submitting more as time passes but for right now I'm just keeping my options open. I'll let you know as time gets closer where I'm applying, but for now I'm going to keep you on your seat waiting!

So after I finished at the school I spent the rest of Friday doing a bit of shopping and then headed home to bed because I had big plans for Saturday, and they began at 5 am....

So today started very early, I got up and dressed and was leaving my house by 5:40 am to head out to Dresden. It is a town two hours away by train. The train trip was nice enough, though the train was pretty old. I slept for a bit of the time but mostly I ended up reading. The day was pretty gray and wet, tends to be the way life works for me! Beautiful on the days I need to be in class working, and horrible on the days I want to explore!

Country side out the train window.

Another shot out the train window. 

So we arrived in Dresden early enough that a lot of things were still closed down. We wandered around looking for a place to grab some food and found a restaurant. The stop for breakfast has given me another thing to want when I get home... IHOP, but mainly pancakes.... For the most part breakfast here means bread, cheese and cold cuts... Ordering anything different is a bit of a hassle... So day two being home I plan to go to IHOP and enjoy a very LARGE breakfast complete with pancakes!

After we ate we headed out to see the sights. Dresden is a beautiful town! The buildings are remarkable, and even with the crumby weather you couldn't help but stare in awe at these buildings! We headed to  the Zwinger, which is basically a palace complex with open court yards. It as apparently built by one of the more "Flamboyant" rulers of the time. The buildings are breath taking! 

Woody poses in front of one of the Palace buildings.

Another shot of Woody at the Zwinger.

We had to pose too!

Inside court yard of one of the Zwinger area.

The details are hard to see but these buildings really were amazing! 

Statues on one of the buildings. Its hard to see but that's a chariot being pulled by leopards....

After admiring the outside of buildings we decided to do some museums. The first one was underground... no joke. It was the underground part of a fortress basically that once existed as the cities protection. We wandered underground absorbing the history... I even did the bad thing and touched a few things... But only the ones that weren't blocked off! It was so strange to think that around 400 hundred years ago men would have been patrolling in the area we were wandering in. 

You never feel the impact of history until you stand in a spot so full of history... Though it is hard to imagine the building as it once existed it was still amazing to walk and feel connected to history... Even a history that involved more violence than anything... 

If I remember correctly, this is the oldest relief still in existence in Dresden. 

We debated for a while if we thought these dates had actually been carved at the time or were added later.. Either way it is cool to look at... And touch.. They are carved into the archway of the guard room. 

After we explored the museum underground, we headed to the one in part of the palace. It was awe inspiring and yet frustrating at the same time. We walked through a collection of artifacts that Kings had collected... And really, the impractical stuff they had made is just ridiculous. I mean its amazingly beautiful to see a goblet of gold and opal, but to realize it was never really used and instead was meant as decoration just is frustrating. I mean, how many people would have been fed in a kingdom for the price of that cup... I would post pictures but we weren't allowed to take any and there were a lot of security so I didn't sneak any shots. 

Well after we had our fill of the the amazing artifacts we headed out to grab lunch. We ate at a little Italian place and I had a yummy salad and some amazing bruschetta. While we ate we waited for the line up to enter the beautiful church to die down so we could go in and see the inside of the building. It had been closed for a wedding when we first attempted to go in.. 

The church is amazing and breath taking, even though it has basically been completely rebuilt since World War II. The original church had survived the bombing of Dresden mostly intact. But as the building cooled after the fires and explosions it was unable to handle the stress. The building collapsed two days after the bombs had hit the area. Very little of the church remains, there is one portion that still stood and was used to help rebuild and many of the bricks were used. Over all though, it is mostly a modern recreation of what once stood.... 

Its funny that looking at a beautiful church that has been rebuilt and feeling a bit let down and disappointed.... I would have loved to have seen the original building, with the original artwork. Some pieces survived but to realize how much of the beauty was lost and destroyed is just sad... You can read more about the church if you want, but I will avoid giving you a history lesson...

Inside the church. It was very bright, which was when we realized it had to be mostly reconstructed....

The outside of the church. It is hard to see but part of the left side is still original work from the structure before the war. 

So after we had our fill of history, we decided to head back towards the train station and the shopping mall by it. We wandered around and went into one of the coolest stores I have ever seen!! It was called globtrotters. It is like an REI store but so much more... It takes up I believe 4 floors.... And you can buy any out door item you could dream of! But even more cool than the merchandise (which was close to REIs selection) was the store itself... 

First off, it had a pool in it where people could test out small kayaks... I'm not kidding, just a huge pool of water where people were rowing boats around. There was also a padding climbing area/slide. It was this really cool tunnel where kids were playing and climbing. If we had more time I would have been tempted to try it out. Up stairs from the kayaking pool was another cool thing... It was a jacket testing room. So basically you picked out a type of rain jacket you wanted and then went into this room. There the "rain" was turned on so you could see just how water proof your choice was. Oh and then someone could hit another button to turn on the wind tunnel effect. That way when you left the store you'd be leaving with a jacket that you knew was great! 

The kayaking Pool.

Jacket testing room.

After I picked my jaw up off the floor we ran into another store where I was able to buy a small duffel bag. For some reason I thought it was ok to leave mine at home and wanted one to carry the souvenirs in on the way home. So I grabbed a nice little nike one for a good price. At this point it was time to head to the station and catch our train back to Berlin. 

The train ride was pretty uneventful. I spent the time reading my book while Chelsea napped a bit (she had a cold). The weather hadn't improved during the day but all in all it was a nice adventure. I love being in such a history filled area... Though I look forward to going home I am enjoying my time here. 

I'm signing off for now... I don't really have a word of the day today, but I'll try and learn a few more for the next post. I will do my best to post as often as I can manage. Have a good day all. 

4/21-24/13

Hey all,

I know its been a few days since I last posted but I wanted to check in with all of you and share a bit about the last few days. Though the adventures have been kept down to ones involving work and not as much play, it may not be as interesting a read to you as say my weekend trips, but it has all been a great experience for me.

Anyways, as far as Sunday went I spent the day at a Starbucks, really similar to the ones back home. I spent the day working on my first ever scheme of work plan (its basically a unit plan here). The day involved caffeine and a lot of research before I developed a plan that I am very proud of! It leaves me feeling more sure of myself than I was when I first arrived.

I was literally at the coffee shop from 11 am until around 7 pm. It was a fun, but I realize that it was fun in a way not everyone will understand. I mean how is doing homework fun? That's basically what it was... Anyways, I ended up having fun because it involved realizing that I am actually capable of doing what I want to do... Teach, that is. As I left that coffee shop I left feeling proud, you know the type of proud you only feel when a tough job is finished and finished well.

Well Monday came, and I spent the day in a bit of a healthy scramble. Firstly, my cooperating teacher was sick (which it seems to be pretty common right now as the weather is warm one moment and cold the next many people are catching spring colds). Well that taught me the nice lesson that they do not have substitutes here. Instead teachers who are on free periods cover the class.

The school day here starts with registration (which I have mentioned before as being a role call and homeroom setting). Since my cooperating teacher was out, and basically everyone else has a registration class, I was able to fill in! They are a fun bunch of kids (I know them because they are in my Geography class I teach) and so I got to do the very teacher thing of taking attendance!

After registration on Mondays every class stays in their registration classes for a personal/homeroom like time. Here they can ask questions and talk about problems. Well, again, I was asked to cover it! It turned into a full adventure as it was the day they were meant to start designing their yearbook pages. So I got to teach my students about brainstorming and the fun it can be. They were all so excited, and it just catches!

After I finished with that class, I got to see them again after I had a short break off. They were with me in the library for a Geography project. The teacher who I was working with in Geography was also gone (he had a swimming Gala to lead), so I ended up watching over his class. Being called Miss Nordby, just leaves me grinning now!!

I finished up the day teaching my year 8 history class, who were loud and chaotic! It felt just like home!! I'm really beginning to find a place here as I let go of home a bit and embrace the now. The kids are wonderful!!

Tuesday was busy! Not in the same way as Monday was, but the way my schedule is I'm left busier on Tuesday Thursdays. In my opinion my lessons went very well. The one I was most proud of was the start of my Native American unit! The kids were great and excited! I couldn't believe how enthusiastic they were! It was once again one of those very proud moments.  I taught a few other classes, but in the end it was that Native American unit that left me happy.

I ended my day at the starbucks (I really need a frequent flyer card lol). I spent the time looking at jobs online and working on my lessons for Wednesday. The night was pretty calm and simple and I went to bed with a new form of peace.

Lastly, today, which isn't fully over. I have a few minutes left in the school day, but I get free internet access when I'm here so I'm updating now while I still have the energy. Once again I know it's not interesting to all, but I had another successful day teaching. I fall more in love with this experience each day. I taught my first official geography lesson and it went very well, my year 10 class is so full of energy and questions!

I plan on spending another evening at the coffee shop working, and planning a bit more of my future. I hope you all know that I am becoming a bit happier each day. Though I miss you all so much, I am thankful for my time here. I am thankful for all the things I get to learn, and experience. I just wanted you all to know that I am glad I chose to come, and more importantly, I'm glad I stuck it out through the rough patches. You learn so much when you branch out!

Speaking of learning, the word of the day is Kaffee, you guessed it that's coffee. Then there is milch, which is milk and lastly Zucker (I think) for sugar. So now I can older a coffee with milk and sugar if I want! Well good bye all for now... And I promise to try better about posting for you all. Oh and an update on the twizzler front, none have yet to be found and no replacement yet. Though Germany is the birth place of gummy bears (which sadly I actually don't like). So long for now!

4/19-20/13

Once again I realize that I'm pretty falling down on  updating the blog everyday. It's hard because by the time I get home and settled I'm too tired to want to update anything. So I'll catch you up on the last two days.

Friday started out as most Friday's do. I was dragging from the week but glad to have made it through my first week of lessons. As far as work goes, Friday's will be easy days. I only teach one class for a double period (80 minutes) and so I have enough free time to work in the library and get what I can done. So the school day passed pretty uneventfully. I had a chance to talk with a few more students and get a better feel of the school, but that's about it.

So after I got out of school I headed home to change and then go to the mall. I had a skype call with mom planned and went to Starbucks to make it. We ended up talking for an hour, and while I had planned to go shopping for a few work skirts I ended up just using the internet and relaxing. After a little while Chelsea joined me and we headed to dinner.

Though before going to dinner I did need to buy a new sim card for my German cell phone... Turns out when you turn off your phone and then switch it back on, you need to enter in a pin... Ok no problem, unless you can't remember your pin and you enter it in wrong three times... It then locks you out. Making a log store short, the provider store couldn't help me (since my phone is prepaid) and the customer service hotline only responds in German.... Oh and when the person at the store agreed to help, I didn't have the address I used for my phone... It ended up being easier to just buy a new sim card (it was only 10 Euros, and came with 5 Euros of credit).... Well valuable lesson learned, don't turn off your German cell phone if you can help it!

Anyways, we found a Vietnamese restaurant called Friends & Friends... I'm not sure why it's called that, but it's pretty common to find random English words used as names for places. Anyways, the food was awesome and the prices were pretty good. I got to enjoy a wonderful bowl of soup (it was like Pho and Wanton combined) and it was so filling and good. I also had some spring roles filled with shrimp! Oh and I decided to be adventurous and tried a glass of sherry, not sure I'll do that one again.

Dinner! It was so good! I'm willing to go back there without a doubt.

Chandelier made out of wine glasses!

The menu at Friends & Friends

I'm realizing how often travel involves eating... You really find yourself eating your way through Berlin (or enter any city you are visiting). It's funny, though I do actively seek out food I'd recognize I'm getting a little more adventurous each day. I mean, I will always be a picky eater, but so far this trip I tried Currywurst, Chicken Curry (which I have never wanted to try before) and I have tried eating at a chain that seems to be popular here (Nordsee). I'm doing my best to try new things that are still with in my area of normal. I'll let you know if I become braver as I travel more.

Anyways, Friday ended up being pretty simple and after dinner and visiting for a while, I made my way home and fell asleep faster than I expected to. It was a good day.

So today (Saturday) was a bit  more of an adventure. We had intended to go off to one of the small towns that are a train ride away, but because we waited so long tickets were too expensive (instead we are going next weekend). So, instead we decided to explore an area in the opposite direction from where I normally wander. It's called Spandau, and it is west on the train from the apartment I'm in (instead of the normal East I travel in).

Since I have been on a hunt for twizzlers (that I know I probably won't ever find), and I asked if any of the staff knew an area I could look. Someone had recommended the shopping are in Spandau. So Chelsea and I met up at Starbucks and headed up to the shopping area.

It's funny because you forget that Berlin is a very large city, but the idea of city is different than it is at home. I have said it before, that this area is spread out, and has little buildings that are tall. This area of the city felt more historic than I was expecting (not counting the mall we found). The buildings were beautifully detailed, and its just a different world. Wandering in that area was the strange mix of modern and old. There was even a farmers market going on, that gave it still an order feel.

In the middle of a city you find beautiful buildings like this. By the time summer hits the green will cover the whole building face.

Streets like this are everywhere. It feels at times like you are traveling back in time.

You find statures everywhere, so Woody enjoys posing by them!

Now, the most exciting part of my day was the discover in the mall of a store called Real. It is the first superstore I have ever seen here!!! Finally, one stop shopping is actually possible in Berlin. It was a bit like Walmart, but a little nicer quality. You know, its funny because you never realize how at home certain types of stores make you feel until you are in one. It felt like being home for just a little bit, if you could ignore those around you speaking in a language you don't know. I didn't buy anything while there, but now I know where it is and if I need anything I know where I'll be shopping.

Oh and once again while in a store I came across an "American Ethnic" food section... It just cracks me up  to see how other countries view us... I giggled for awhile looking at the overly processed junk food. Marshmellows always make me laugh as they are always included in these sections.

American food section, in all its glory!

Anyways, after wandering in the only super store I know of, Chelsea and I decided to go into H&M. I keep hoping I'll find some skirts, but I wasn't lucky. Instead I bought a few tank tops to replace my very tattered ones and a light weight hoodie to wear as it get's warmer, but a jacket is still needed for when it's cooler.

Well so the adventures weren't super interesting, they involved shopping and exploring, but each day I learn a little bit more about this city. I am learning to enjoy my time here, while also learning to appreciate everything I have back home (like super stores, Olive Garden, oh and Twizzlers). I miss everyone so much, but I am thankful for my chance to explore the world a little more each day.

I will end with two words of the day... Wo ist die Toilette? (vo ist dee toy-LET-uh), a pretty simple phrase meaning "where is the bathroom?" Though here the just say toilet... It's a bit strange. The second phrase is... Das verstehe ich nicht. It means " I don't understand." Well all, I'm signing off for the time being. I will keep you posted on my next day, that it mainly involves lesson planning! Good night!

4/17-18/13

I know that I keep saying I'll post everyday, but there are some days when you don't know what to say. My last post showed the lovely affects of culture shock, something I  never thought to see in the classroom, and the harsh reality that I'm not home. But it also was a post that let me think about the things that I need to be willing to change in order to make this a successful placement. It made me think about growing and learning to work in a different system, to be who I am but to still play by the rules.

I was finally brave enough to admit my fear to the teachers I was working with. I told them that I am afraid of a system where the tests are so important and what I do here could possible ruin their futures because these tests are so critical... Being able to finally admit it, to tell them that I'm scared was the beginning of me fitting into the system and working on learning all that I can.

There are teachers here who have spent their time in public schools, and so I have made friends who I am comfortable talking to about differences. More importantly, my cooperating teacher (who really is a lovely person to work with) was able to reassure me. She said it is a time for me to explore and make mistakes, because at the end of the day if the kids won't know any better. I just need to keep growing, to keep trying, and I won't ruin their lives. She told me I was doing just fine, and has given me some great feed back.

So, though the last post probably left you feeling frustrated (I mean it was more of a rant against fitting into a system I feel adrift in), I hope this one will shed some light on the many good aspects of the school, and how these kids really are awesome students!

Yesterday and today were growing days, they were about starting in one place and arriving in a new and better one. So I taught a few lessons as the start of the week that I wasn't proud of. Plus I was afraid I wouldn't have a chance to be who I am in the classroom... Well today's lessons changed a lot of my out look. I taught a lesson on consumerism in 1920's America. Interesting right? The best part was I did it completely through the use of ads. I was able to get the kids talking and interacting with me, while they also spent their time answering questions that promoted higher level thinking! All-in-all a success and my cooperating teacher approved!

I have finally (after two weeks) hit my stride. I know I can do this, and mistakes will happen but that is how a person learns. These kids, even if they have  been raised in a different system, are still kids.They laugh, they are curious and they are smart.  What is really great is they have no fear of showing they are smart. I don't have kids bullying each other over being nerds, they just accept each other... It's pretty cool. Also the kids seem happy to be working with me so I hope that continues.

So after having a successful school day I headed out with Chelsea for a bit of grocery shopping and dinner. This town continues to amaze me. I mean Chelsea wanted to make a specific recipe and it involved going to four different stores for the goods. Shopping really is different here (well it is if you avoid the tourist areas haha). Eventually we managed to get all that she needed and so we headed out to find some dinner.

I had heard of a good Mexican Restaurant online and decided I could do with some familiar food. Well the adventure and company was great, the food was a little lacking. I had ordered nachos and they came fairly plain. Cheese, beef, jalapenos and that was it... I had to ask for salsa, which helped. But it really does show you the way food varies in different cultures.

Hard to see but this was part of the Mexican restaurant menu.  it lists some funny things as appetizers  my favorite being the Garlic bread option! No joke!

My nachos, the chips were actually made fresh but they needed just a bit of salsa to make them perfect! 

Over all, I guess it hasn't been world shatteringly busy or interesting and so my stories are simple. It is hard to share with you the growth I feel inside. It's hard to let you all know that in just a handful of days I can learn to change my who view of the world. That I can learn to adjust in a situation I never thought I would have to adjust in. Most importantly, I have learned that life tends to happen in the simple moments. I will have grander adventures (I mean Switzerland next month, another town this Saturday), but I need to not get caught up in the grander adventures and forget that life happens between adventures too. That learning to live, means learning to take on the whole world, the grand adventures and the everyday moments. You have to learn to appreciate the beautiful things life hands you in the smallest of moments. In the times you don't see as significant until you turn around.....

Sometimes you look up and this earth takes your breath away. Finding beauty is simple, here was where we were lost for a few minutes. But if we had gone the right way I would have missed the beauty of this sunset. 

After righting our direction, we saw a great glimpse of the Berlin TV tower. A bit strange but from the top you can eat dinner in a spinning restaurant (sound familiar) and see all of Berlin.    

For those of you wondering, Woody does ride public transportation with me. Here he even had his own seat! 

Well, since I have now deviated into a philosophical discussion I'm sure you are tired of reading. So let me part with a word of the day: Entschuldigen Sie. It means Excuse me. A phrase that isn't used here as often as I hear back in the Seattle area, but still an important one (well at least for the manners I was taught). Well, hopefully this post leaves you not thinking I'm completely bitter but am open and learning from life's experiences. I'll make mistakes but that's life. Well Good night all (and just a heads up Saturday will probably involve a nice story).

4/16/13

Well today was an interesting day as I realized once again that this isn't home... I miss home. I mean really miss it. Not just being home with family (which I really do miss) but I also miss the schools. I miss the system I was raised in and the one that I hope to one day make better.

I headed to school and taught a lesson right away to my year 10 class (they would be 9th grade at home). I thought it went really well. I began by introducing myself a bit more than I had previously done and asking them to bare with me and do an activity that would help me to get to know them as well. It involved having them answer a few questions about themselves but also about previous work in order to give me a full picture of who they are and where they are at.

You have to realize that I am teaching in a school system that is radically different than home... I mean they teach what seem to be completely random units based on various time periods. I mean one class was covering Germany from 1918-1945 and then jumped to US 1918-1929. I understand doing compare and contrasting but the time periods aren't fully aligned. So in order to understand a bit more of what these students know I had them write answers to several questions. Essentially I will be able to see what level of work they produce and some of their background knowledge

Anyways, so today I began to do what I am good at. I began to teach, but more importantly I began to make relationships with my students... And that is where I hit a bit of a wall. So my cooperating teacher said the lesson went well, but that I didn't need to allow them to ask me questions about me. Yup, apparently I need to not get too familiar with my students and I need to maintain a divide between teacher and students... What's funny is I told them if they had any questions I'd be happy to answer them... All they asked about was where was I from, where did I go to school and why did I come to Berlin. Pretty basic questions, right? Not like they asked about my relationship status...

Well, according to my cooperating teacher it is none of their business and I don't need to share.... She said it really nicely but it took all my will power to stay neutral and not demand an answer to why it was a problem. I mean I didn't ask them out to the bar for a beer. I told them they could ask me about where I came from... Especially because so far not a single student I have talked to has ever been to Seattle....

I'm someone new, I'm a teacher, but more importantly I'm a person. I have always considered my strongest skill as an educator was my ability to communicate with my students as people. I mean, I work in tougher schools where convincing students to work isn't as easy as it is here. Here, all you say is "pull out your notebook and answer these questions." Just like that, they do it without complaint... At home I'd get questions about it, especially if I didn't know the kids. I miss my kids back home, I miss my students who questioned me. The ones who were bold enough to ask questions (and not just about the material, but life). They were a challenge and everyday was an adventure.

I can't figure out why it would be bad to let them ask me questions about life. I don't have to answer them if they are too personal, but what is wrong with telling them I went to school in Bellingham at Western Washington University. How does that take away the teacher position? I am not a sage on the stage. I'm a teacher and I am a person. Why do I have to pretend to be less of myself in order to make me seem less approachable, and more 'teacher' like? Essentially, I have to figure out how to teach without actually using my best tools.... This sucks, and I miss the US system. I miss being introduced as a person (This is Miss Nordby, she is here with us from Western and now I'll let her tell you about who she is and why she is here...), instead I am introduced as "Miss Nordby, the visiting teacher from America." Bam, that's it for the most part.... One teacher did let me tell the kids a bit more about myself but it isn't common...

Well that was my log rant about the school system and my day, but I want to add a bit about the good things. Firstly, my lesson was successful. I did technique we use a lot at home (Think-Pair-Share) and the kids loved it, they said I should do it more. They are very interesting students and I do plan to make the best of the situation, even though I'll never end up in a school like this back home.

I did want to add a bit about the weather... I know, I shouldn't talk about such boring things, but I got a bit of a smile out of the last two days. Yesterday was amazingly beautiful and even a bit hot at times. The sun was out, the birds were chirping and it was perfect! Today, I headed out of my door and it was grey. Not raining but the air felt heavy and humid... As I finished the last five minutes of my walk it began to pour! It was kind of awesome. Funny how weather can make me feel at home... One amazing day and then raining buckets, it's just like being back in Bellingham!

The amazing walk to school yesterday! It was too wet for a picture today lol

Now to end tonight's blog, I'm taking the easy way out for my words of the day. Today it is Nien and Ja (pronounced Ya). That would be No and Yes. To very important words, just try and see how many times in one day you say Yes and No. Well Good night all, I hope tomorrows adventure will be even more fun!

4/15/13

Hello all, I want to start by saying this entry won't be as long as normal. It's getting late here and I have a class I'm teaching first thing in the morning... With that said, let me share a bit about my first day as a teacher in Berlin.

I started my day feeling pretty confident and ready to teach my class, but as the time drew closer I got more and more nervous. I was only teaching a year 8 (which is 7th grade back home), 40 minute period and I felt like I had too much, and yet not enough, crammed into my sore brain. Its rare that I have every taught a lesson shorter than 50 minutes and so I quickly realized I had crammed too much into my presentation and had to do some on my feet editing.

Well to make a long story short, I survived my lesson but I learned two very important lessons while teaching. The first lesson, this school is a private school and so there are no low-income kids, and they are all paying to be here. This means that I am in a classroom where students do all the work I ask them to do, and most often they do it silently. Many of them are highly driven (even at 12 years old) and if they aren't, their parents make up for the drive and keep them on task.

So today I found myself feeling awkward and out of place as I silently waited for my students to answer the questions I had asked them... I am use to chitchat and off topic tangents that somehow relate to the greater themes of life, yet these kids were perfectly on task and I was itching for some off task behavior. Funny, right? You would think I'd be in heaven having a class that was so attentive and quick to work, but I miss the craziness my past classes have had. I also miss the diversity in life experiences. Now, don't get me wrong. This school is an international one so there are many different stories and kids who have lived all over the world. But they all seem to come from the same upper class society, no matter the country. It is a school that I am so far detached from in experience I end up feeling a bit out of place. This actually ties into my second lesson of the day...

I now realize how valuable knowing a specific education system is to teaching in a classroom. One of the comments my teacher had about my lesson (other than the usual polite 'nicely done') was that I should have defined a specific term for the class... Well I didn't because if I had been teaching back home it would have been a term that had been covered in multiple classes before this year. Basically, what I'm saying is that I have no understanding of what these kids may have taken and what they haven't had. It leaves me feeling out of place as I attempt to discover the kids knowledge while also trying to not hinder their progress. Since these kids seem to catch on so quickly, I don't want them believing I find them stupid simply because I'm teaching something they already know, but didn't realize they knew.

Anyways, in a long winded way, I'm letting you all know I survived teaching my first lesson. Tomorrow I will be teaching a double lesson (80 minutes instead of 40) and I'm going to start it a little bit more like I would start teaching back home. It is a new class, so I want to introduce myself, and more importantly I want them to introduce themselves. I will let you know how that goes in tomorrows blog...

Now for the tourist side of the blog... I have now been here for 2 weeks and I am already dying for American food! Not just McDonalds (I mean a girl can only eat so many Big Macs), but other foods and sweets that I never realized I'd miss. This is my roundabout way of telling you all that I went on an adventure to try and find a very specific, and apparently very American, piece of candy... Twizzlers. I kid you not, I have been dying for them...

So in my desperation I decided to delay my lesson planning for the evening and head off on another adventure... I did as much research online as possible before I finally decided on a store. It is called KaDeWe and it is huge! I mean, if the other store I told you about was like Macy's with groceries, this store was Nordstrom's quality with groceries and everything else imaginable. I mean I walked in and my jaw nearly hit the floor... It's like 7 floors of insanity  and it's a good thing I'm poor or I would have been walking out with bags full of stuff for the fun of it! I wanted to take pictures but I didn't because I didn't want to be that 'tacky tourist,' so you'll just have to visit for yourself or accept my pathetic description.

So anyways, I chose this store to visit because I had done research online in an attempt to figure out who Might have Twizzlers and it was the one that popped up with having an "American Ethnic Foods Section." Yup, that's right, we are an Ethnic food group... and let me tell you it isn't overly flattering. It was the funniest collection of food I'd ever seen in an ethnic food section. So just so you know, we are known for things like our Mac and Cheese, Poptarts, Marsh mellows, Betty Corcker cooking mixes, BBQ sauce , and lastly specialty sodas (which to them means Dr. Pepper). This section made me giggle, but sadly it had no Twizzlers. It's funny to think that America is now known for our highly processed foods... And for some reason Marsh mellows really are seen as American, go figure.

Well after I didn't find my Twizzlers and everything was way over priced (like 9 Euros for poptarts), I decided to head out and just stop by just a regular grocery store. I was able to find poptarts for a reasonable price and picked those up, but still no Twizzlers. I have all but given up on my search for Twizzlers, and it may need to just be added to my list of things to indulge on when I get home (right there with Olive Garden soup, salad and bread stick meal).

Everyone should be proud of me, because today's trip involved me attempting to figure out not only the trains (which I can easily use), but also the U-bahns (which are the subways here). Though I did make it successfully to and from my destination, I have realized I am not a fan of the subway system. Firstly, it is confusing! Not only do you need to know your train, you need to figure out how to get to the right stupid platform... I walked around one station for a good ten minutes before I finally figured out where my train going the correct direction was located! I also hate being underground. It feels a bit unnatural, and it's just crowded and I can't see where I am in the city. The upside to this trip, I found the zoo. I may just need to go visit it later...

Anyways, this blog is turning into a ramble because I am tired but I need to leave with my word of the day... Sonnenblumenöl it means Sunflower Oil. I know not very useful, but I was trying to get some oil for frying up potatoes and cooking some other things and it was what the girl recommended at the store. So I guess its useful because of that, but I'm not sure if it counts for my word of the day. So, time for me to call it a night. I'm sorry there where no pictures, I didn't take enough to make hooking up my camera worth while, maybe tomorrow! Well good night all!

4/13-14/13

Hello all, sorry I failed to update the blog yesterday. It was a very fun filled busy day, but I think from now on I'll try harder to post everyday because there is so much to share!

Yesterday was meant to be just a meet up for coffee and work on lessons day. Then life decided to pay a visit and I ended up having a bit more of an adventure than I thought I would have. I met up with Chelsea (for those who may not know, she's the other American student teacher at BBS) at Starbucks at 1:30. We had intended to just spend the time working and talking (just being in someone's company for the states makes life a bit nicer).

While we were starting to work (well sort of), we began talking about places we wanted to go see while we are here in Germany. Chelsea has been here since February and so she was able to mention some places she thought I should go, and some she'd still like to see. We decided that it would be a good idea to head out on some adventures together before she has to leave. I plan on going to Poland over my week long break, but past that I hadn't made any choices on where I wanted to visit. Well turning this long story into a short enough one that you aren't bored, Chelsea mentioned wanting to go to Switzerland and so we have decided over our long weekend to go to Grindelwald Switzerland (just google it to see how beautiful it really is).

Well after we made a snap judgement on the Switzerland trip (we've already reserved our room), we decided to get a better idea on train prices and so headed to the main station. The station is insane! Not only is it a place where you catch local transportation, it is also an insane hub for train travel around Europe! Not only is it a train station, it is like a mall in its own way. There are so many shops around it that you kind of lose your mind trying to figure out everything!

One view of the inside of the train station.

Well after I was totally amazed by the train station and had a bit more information about the train tickets it was time for dinner. Chelsea had mentioned hearing about a very popular burger place near her apartment and so we decided that would be a good place to eat. It was a very good choice! The burgers and fries were great and it was close by a little yogurt shop so we were able to get some dessert.

Drinks to go with dinner. Yup, the call it Coke Light here lol

Almost forgot to take a picture, it was too good!

Anyways, after filling our stomachs we decided we needed to walk it off a bit and so we headed out to find a little park that Chelsea had discovered. Berlin is like that, you will be walking down a main city street and you will suddenly find yourself in a beautiful park area. Now that spring is coming I can only imagine how beautiful this city is going to look. The park had a lake in it and everything. We hit it just at the right time, the sun was out but starting to make its way down, and it was more beautiful than I have words for.

The lake, you can see some of the buildings in the background.

The sun reflecting off the lake.

Swans! I haven't seem them really before!

The parks aren't just beautiful here, they are also practical. As we were making our way through the park and looking around at the play areas and the water I stopped for a minute. Right next to the play areas were, and I kid you not, out door ellipticals and like a stationary bike! I guess exercise is important enough here that anyone can head to the park and workout for free (and not just by running). I was so surprised and may have to make a stop back by this outdoor gym to get my workouts in!

The outdoor gym.

Chelsea and I finished at the park and began to head back to the train station... Well at least we thought we were. We got a bit lost and turned around but we had a chance to look at and appreciate all the beauty that this strange city has to offer. I made it home though after our detour and was able to skype with Dad and Debbie. All in all, a good day.

Now today began a bit earlier, I met Chelsea at 11 am to begin a bit of the more touristy things one must do in Berlin. I've told you before that the shopping is usually closed on Sundays, but what is open are flea markets. Imagine fair booths and garage sales in one place and you have a general idea of what a flea market is. But anyways, Chelsea took me to one of the largest flea markets in Berlin, and it was insane!

It is located by a section of the Berlin Wall that is still standing, and has been turned into a park area. The flea market sits down hill from the wall and it is jammed pack with people. I managed to buy a pretty cool gift for someone but don't want to spill too much of what it is because he may at some point read this! It was an interesting experience, though its not really my cup of tea, as the saying goes.

Just the beginning jammed pack with people!

Looking down from the wall at the market

The actual wall was pretty interesting, it is openly encouraged (or at least not discouraged) for people to add to the graffiti. There was even someone adding to it while we were there. At this point there is so much paint on the wall that you can see giant flakes of the paint coming off showing more layers beneath. Writing on the wall, even today, represents a freedom that the wall kept from many and so it still happens!

Woody poses in front of some new graffiti. 

Me and Chelsea in front of the wall.

Looking up the hill at the wall.

So after we finished at the wall we headed towards a different part of the town. The center section where many historic buildings are located. Today was just a day to look, we didn't have the time to go into the museums but will at a later day. None the less it was a busy time walking around admiring all the sights, and most importantly picking up gifts for the family back home! It turns out, the flea markets aren't the only exception to shopping on Sundays. All the tacky tourist shops are open and I had to go in as many as possible!

We stopped for lunch at a fairly common chain restaurant, and I was brave enough to try a bit of seafood. It doesn't beat back home, but it was pretty good. I had a little fish and chips basket with some shrimp. The cocktail sauce wasn't like ours back home but it was still pretty good. 

Woody approves, though I'm not sure why the picture won't turn lol.

We saw some amazing buildings as we walked around hitting the tourist shops. First off we saw the Berlin Cathedral (I know it's called something else but I can't remember right now). It is breathtaking, for two reasons. Firstly, the church is a beautiful building. I can't even express to you how beautiful. The art and the detail left me so captivated... But secondly, what took my breath away was the war time scars still left upon such an amazing building. Many sculptures are black and parts of the building are as well. It was from when the bombs hit the area during WWII. It breaks my heart, to finally see the damage of war. It is only in a small way, but to realize that this amazing building located in a city that held civilians was hit during a war, makes it real in away I had never experienced before...

Woody Posing in front of the church

Another angle of the Church

You can really see the black on the two smaller towers. So sad, yet so beautiful.

Me in front of the detailed side door (with Woody)

Posing with Chelsea in front of the church.

Many of the buildings have been restored but still show the signs of having been hit by bombs. The famous museum Pergamon, with many beautiful statues outside, still has some blackness to it. We also saw the Brandenburger Gate, and the Humboldt University. All of the buildings are so amazingly beautiful... History has such a way of speaking when you only take the time to listen in a place like this...

The Brandenburger Gate

Not sure about the story behind this fountain but we stopped and posed.

Woody sitting on the lap of a statue.

Posing in front of the fountain..

Well it is getting late and I need to teach tomorrow so I think I'm going to call it a night for this blog. I wish I had the time to share all the details of my days here, but it would be too much to write and probably way more than anyone wants to read. But Anyways, this was by far the best weekend I have had so far while here. The world is so full of adventure, if you are only willing to head out the door.

Oh yes, and to end the post two words of the day for Dad. Mitte, which means center basically. So Mitte Berlin is the center part of Berlin. The other word is Drücken, it basically means to push. So it is written on the doors that you need to push open! Good night all, I will write again after I survive my first lesson!

4/11-12/13

Hello all! Sorry for not posting yesterday, I was pretty warn out and I was also pretty sure the post would be pretty boring! Yesterday was another day of observation at BBS. While each day is new and exciting to me, but I also realize that it's exciting for me because I always feel so at home and alive in the classroom. You really know you are meant to be a teacher when you get excited over textbooks and planning a curriculum!

Overall, as far as yesterday went, it was pretty chill. I was able to observe a physics lesson (not because I'll ever teach it but because I am being given the chance to watch multiple teachers work) which was pretty interesting. It was an exciting and tiring day, like they normally are in the classroom. By the time I got home I was pretty useless (I have been staying up later than advisable on a school night) and ended up forgetting to post about my day.

Now today is Friday! Woohoo, one thing that will never get old while teaching is having my weekends off! Working retail I always worked weekends, so finally starting to grow up actually means I get weekends off again! So after working (well mainly observing) this week, I am ready for a fun and relaxing weekend. Anyways, today apparently the weather was a bit strange for Berlin (yes, I am resulting to discussing the weather right now, but don't worry you don't need to continue the small talk). I woke up, and honestly it looked like a fairly common morning that I experienced all winter quarter in Bellingham... You guessed it, it was raining! It felt like being home again. Right down to telling people not from Bellingham (or the greater Seattle area) that I don't carry an umbrella because the wind makes them more hassle than anything at home.  So everything I own has a hood, or can be worn under something that does. I did get a few laughs out of the staff members when I told them about loving the rain, and that I was use to it.

Just like home, on my way to catch the shuttle to work!

Truth be told, the rain didn't stick around for very long. It was gone by the afternoon and as I made my way home from shopping the sun was out shining in full. Well apparently, that was still too much rain for those who live in Berlin. By next week it's suppose to be warm and sunny. I'm kind of excited though I may need to go by a pair of shorts and a skirt to keep cool as it heats up here!

On to the next story, I realized today that walking most of the way to work to catch the shuttle has made my feet a bit sore, and it took me all week to figure out why! In Berlin most of the side walk areas aren't actually paved. Instead of our usual cement sidewalks, Berlin has adopted the cobbled sidewalks... No joke, in my entire area the sidewalks are a collection of stones. While it's not very noticeable in the shopping areas (the stones are bigger and better aligned), walking on it all week in my boots has left my feet very sore. Next week I'm switching to my super comfy slip on shoes Debbie bought me, I now realize the importance of having sensible shoes!!!

One of the nicely done sidewalks by my apartment...

So after I got home tonight I realized I should head out and get some groceries before my low energy put me to bed at 4 pm. Of course  being out shopping around dinner time I naturally needed to stop and eat. You know, it is very stressful trying to find food somewhere when you don't speak the language. I ended up finding a little pizza and pasta shop and decided to try my luck.

It turns out that most places here do have an English menu,  but you have to request it. I ordered my pizza (spinach and mozzarella) and sat down to enjoy. The pizza had the shredded spinach on it, and honestly way too much of it, so I ended up picking some of it off. Other than that the pizza was amazing... But I was informed before I had ventured out to eat pizza, that here in Germany it is not a finger food. So I got to eat my flat crust pizza (the all seem to be flat crust, the Germans are a bit more health conscious apparently) with a fork... I will never under appreciate my pizza slices again! Eating it with a fork was the most challenging meal I've had in a while!

Enjoying my pizza (see though, too much spinach).

After finishing dinner I made my way into the mall and happily stumbled onto a bakery, where I decided to finally test the amazingness that is German sweets. I was bad and decided to order two different sweets (which I finished most of and felt miserable for some time! I ordered an Eclair (it seemed to be filled more with pudding than the lighter creams I've had in the past) and what I can only call a fruit and cream puff ring. These desserts were pretty tasty and I can only imagine what a more famous bakery will offer as I begin exploring more of Berlin.

Woody and I sampling some sweets!

 After stuffing myself I decided to try and figure out where to pick up my groceries. I was on a mission to get some basic produce, but what I really wanted to buy was a new pillow! The ones that were provided in this apartment were horrible... So after search several stores I finally decided to try one last department store, which also turns out to be a grocery store too. No joke, this store called Karstadt, is the closest thing to a super store that Berlin seems to have. But its fancier than say a Fred Meyer, Target and especially Walmart. Imagine going into Macy's at the mall and realizing they have added a food section, once you get over the strangeness, that is what this store is!

So I managed to finally do one stop shopping (though I may have been able to get some things cheaper elsewhere I was too tired to play the shop at three stores game). I located a pillow that will be good for the time I'm here, but I had to search to find one cheap enough I could justify buying. Apparently pillows are just more expensive here. I  bought mine for 8 Euros, but the average price I was running into (and I'm not joking either) was 25 Euros for a basic pillow! Some of the memory foam like ones were in the forties and fifties for price! I will never again taking for granted my three dollar pillows that target carries every year at the back to school sales (or for like 5 dollars at other times).

In this store I also managed to find what ever teacher needs, a travel mug for my morning caffeine. Oh and I finally figured out a way to filter tap water here at a reasonable price, in order to avoid buying water every week. I bought a filter water bottle, that has the filter built right into it. I was so excited to find this, it will make it so I can start drinking water like I use to! Again, you come to realize how many things you took for granted back home when you no longer have it easily. The water is safe here, but it never tasted right... Somethings are just hard to live without, and why I can't find a substitute for hugs from the people I love, I can drink me some tap water now!

Woody modeling with my new pillow and my other purchases!

Well that is all in the adventures (and everyday life) of me. The words of the day, of course Dad I'm doing two since I missed yesterday, are Ausfahrt links and Ausfahrt rechts. They mean "exit left" and "exit right." Though I can't really say them myself too well (well links for left isn't too hard) I learned what they meant by riding the train, and having them tell you which side to exit to get onto the platform! Well that's all tonight, its getting late. Guten Nacht (see if you can remember yesterdays lesson)!