Ahhhh... the sound of children quietly playing computer games. I have relaxed the screen rules while here in Germany, because of the following equivalence:
two brothers + nasty weather + lack of toys = violence
Not serious violence, just a 'he pinched me' here and there - but enough to drive me bonkers.
Unfortunately, the computer Z and J have been using has had some really irritating issues. M was worried about viral infections, malware, spyware, etc., so he installed McAffee. Ever since that install, the system was constantly brought to a screeching halt, and task manager told me that McAffee was essentially using all the system memory, leaving none for the other hungry programs. What a hog! I thought, "I'll fix you, you resource Bogart, you!" I went into 'Add/Change Programs' and hit 'Remove'. The computer thought about that for several minutes, then came back with an error message. I tried about a hundred more things, but could not get rid of the stupid program. I suppose I could have just removed all the programs from the hard drive, but then windows would probably hang in an endless loop looking for files that no longer existed.
I decided to install Linux. Ok, yes, this is what I had secretly wanted to do from the beginning - but I really did try to work with XP. It just was so uncooperative. Perhaps it has plans to run for Congress, I don't know. But I couldn't get it to budge.
I went to the Ubuntu site, downloaded the disk image, and burned a nice installation CD. Easy as Pi. I put it in the CD drive in Z's computer and fired up the computer, just waiting to see the lovely install screen. Windows booted. What??? I checked in the bios boot options, made sure that the CD was the first choice to boot. Tried again. Windows again. This was beginning to feel like a Twilight Zone episode. Windows and McAffee refused to leave my son's computer. Why couldn't I make them go away? It's not like I haven't installed operating systems hundreds of times over the past 2 decades.
I figured there must be an issue with the drive, and I hoped it was software-related (I can fix easy things, but I really don't know anything about optical drives). I googled. Found out that the drive in this particular computer is notorious for being flaky. I searched for firmware updates to no avail.
Finally, I thought, why not try the new USB install? I started searching, this time the old-fashioned way, by digging through desk drawers and backpacks and emptying shelves looking for a USB memory stick. None to be found. (M was in Brussels all last week, and he later told me he had 6 in his backpack.)
"I am not going back to that mall!", I thought. Amazon, here I come. I ordered the flash drive, and in two days, it was here. Ok, yes the mall would have been faster, but think about the minutes shaved off my lifespan by navigating the parking lot.
All of this took most of the week, if you can believe that. The good news is, it was totally worth it. The computer runs like a dream, and the kids are happy. Plus, we now have a whole suite of fun, educational, science-based programs and games - all free, and better than anything MS third-party providers have to offer.
Your move, windows. Your move...
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Sunday, January 29, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Yay! It's been sunny for 3 days!
Ahhh, sunshine! For the past 3 days, we have been treated to the glow of our closest star. I think this brings the count to about 14 sunny days out of 49 days total. That's almost 30%, a bit better than the <25% the proportion was running before this week. Maybe it gets better towards summer?
It is freezing cold, now, however. I should have known that the miserable gray cloud did do one positive thing: it was keeping us warm (well, warmer than bitter cold!). Z played soccer last night and it was -3 C (Anyone know how to get this primitive blog editor to print special characters such as the degree symbol? Please let me know!). He came down, ready for practice in 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 sweater, 2 jackets and 2 pairs of socks. He also had his shin guards on, but I don't think that was really necessary. The kid is definitely a trooper. I would have lasted about five minutes out there, but he played for 90. I have to remember to ask him which is worse - soccer in NC in August, or in Kiel in January? My answer would be both, and you should just play baseball in the spring in NY, but Z probably has a different opinion.
The kids had a really nice afternoon yesterday. Both had friends to play with, and they spent a couple of hours on the playground. Below is an elaborate 'fort' (the large hole in the sand). J, L and 'crew' have been working on this and another hole elsewhere in the playground for a few days now. It is too cute for words.
We may get snow here Monday or Tuesday... Had to happen, as precipitation is so frequent, and the temperature has been at or below freezing for the past couple of days.
I still maintain, in the absence of photographic evidence, that it is quite pretty here, when the sun comes out. I imagine Spring will be very pretty. Whose coming to visit?
It is freezing cold, now, however. I should have known that the miserable gray cloud did do one positive thing: it was keeping us warm (well, warmer than bitter cold!). Z played soccer last night and it was -3 C (Anyone know how to get this primitive blog editor to print special characters such as the degree symbol? Please let me know!). He came down, ready for practice in 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, 1 sweater, 2 jackets and 2 pairs of socks. He also had his shin guards on, but I don't think that was really necessary. The kid is definitely a trooper. I would have lasted about five minutes out there, but he played for 90. I have to remember to ask him which is worse - soccer in NC in August, or in Kiel in January? My answer would be both, and you should just play baseball in the spring in NY, but Z probably has a different opinion.
The kids had a really nice afternoon yesterday. Both had friends to play with, and they spent a couple of hours on the playground. Below is an elaborate 'fort' (the large hole in the sand). J, L and 'crew' have been working on this and another hole elsewhere in the playground for a few days now. It is too cute for words.
We may get snow here Monday or Tuesday... Had to happen, as precipitation is so frequent, and the temperature has been at or below freezing for the past couple of days.
I still maintain, in the absence of photographic evidence, that it is quite pretty here, when the sun comes out. I imagine Spring will be very pretty. Whose coming to visit?
Monday, January 23, 2012
German Education in a Nutshell
I always get a bit frustrated when I hear people trashing American public education, and lauding the merits of a system such as Germany. I always say, "But, but, they track the kids after fourth grade", which somehow seems ok to everyone. Well, I am here now, witnessing things first hand, and I still agree with myself.
For those unfamiliar, German schooling starts in grade 1, at age 6. Everyone gets to go to Grundschule until fourth grade. After that, there is a review of the student's 'performance' up to that point, and it is decided (by teachers and administrators, with timid input from parents) whether the child will be recommended to Gymnasium, Realschule, or Hauptschule. Gymnasium is the academic track. Kids who graduate from there will likely go to University. In Realschule, one learns a trade, to be better equipped for the work force. Hauptschule provides very basic education.
Fourth grade is a time of intense pressure for parents (and probably their kids, but I have only talked to parents, as children here, well, they speak German...). Appeals are possible, if parents disagree with the placement, but so far, both M and I have the impression that parents are not supposed to interfere much with decisions of teachers, so I have a hard time imagining someone going through the process. If anyone out there knows of such circumstances, please inform.
Now, let's say that you are a German parent, and your little Hannes has been lucky enough to obtain a recommendation to Gymnasium. Hold onto your seat, it is going to be a rough ride, at least for a while.
For many years, Western Germany had a 13-year system for Gymnasium. East Germany managed it all in 12 years, leaving the unified country to wonder why the 13th year. So, last year, after a couple of decades of squabbling, the curriculum was re-engineered to make 13 years happen in 12. Of course, to minimize impact, they spread the changes over all 12 years. Right? No. No, they didn't. They put all of the changes into fifth and sixth grade, and made seventh grade the new eighth.
The first two years are considered the 'weed-out' years. Not my take. Ask M's mom, a Gymnasium teacher for 30 or so years, or his sister, teacher and mother of 3, or my next door neighbor, or the one on the other side. They all say the same thing. Fifth and sixth grades are where your kid's future is determined (assuming little Hannes wasn't already written off at age 9).
Now consider that a whole lot of poor (or rich, if he's lucky) little Hannes' outcome is determined by his socio-economic status. Not by some democratic process. It's largely just his fate. Here is a short article (in English) regarding this issue in Germany:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/15/germany-middle-class-inequality-schools
And here is a direct quote, for those of you too lazy (as I often am) to read the article (well, if you've read this blog entry up to this point, you are likely to be up to the task :)
"Inequality is rampant. Children from a privileged background are four times as likely to attend Gymnasium as a child with similar grades from a working-class home and, according to the federal education body KMK, children of immigrant families attend the Hauptschule twice as often as native children – even within the same socio-economic class."
Sound familiar? We are all painfully aware of this sort of thing in the U.S., and equalizing opportunity to account for economic inequality is something people have been struggling with since, well, since forever. Or maybe not. Most Germans I have talked to just shrug it off and move on, and the article above suggests that most are happy with the system. Then again, all the people I meet have their kids in Gymnasium or are hoping to get them there...
But clearly, some things are changing. My next-door neighbor teaches at one of the 'inclusive' schools. This type of school essentially takes the students from Gymnasium, Hauptschule and Realschule, puts them under one roof and attempts to teach them all that is required for University. Hmmm.... sound like any school system you have heard of?
Now that we understand how the students are tracked (and what the proposed solution is), consider a few other issues with the system here:
Grundschule ends at 12:30pm. Gymnasium ends the day at 1:20pm. Where do the kids go after that? Well, they used to go home (and eat lunch, no such thing as a school cafeteria). But now, as more families require dual incomes to stay afloat, they go to aftercare. Or the Gymnasium begins to serve lunch (pizza broetchen anyone? I am not kidding), and has classes that go all the way till 3:30! Then, there are 'extras' that go until 5pm. Germans are now talking about 'reliable' schools, i.e. schools that can be relied upon to provide childcare until 5pm when parents get home from work. Interesting idea...
What about financing? Think the U.S. needs to spend more on education? As percentage of GDP, the U.S. spends 5.5% of it's GDP on education. Germany spends 4.5% GDP on education. I am guessing this number will increase, as at the moment, there is no national school lunch program, and very little busing is provided. Are you thinking, "But Germans do not have the same poverty issues, and so do not need to provide meals or bus kids from poor neighborhoods to better schools"? Well, income disparity is lower, but percentage of population below poverty level is 15% for both the U.S. and for Germany. (All these numbers are from the CIA World Fact Book, in case you were wondering.) They will certainly need busing and free lunches, if they are interested in equalizing the system.
My prediction: Germany's system will begin to look very much the U.S. system in the coming decade, if trends continue. Not sure that's even a bad thing, at least from a fairness perspective. Or maybe not? Maybe Germany will find a better solution?
For those unfamiliar, German schooling starts in grade 1, at age 6. Everyone gets to go to Grundschule until fourth grade. After that, there is a review of the student's 'performance' up to that point, and it is decided (by teachers and administrators, with timid input from parents) whether the child will be recommended to Gymnasium, Realschule, or Hauptschule. Gymnasium is the academic track. Kids who graduate from there will likely go to University. In Realschule, one learns a trade, to be better equipped for the work force. Hauptschule provides very basic education.
Fourth grade is a time of intense pressure for parents (and probably their kids, but I have only talked to parents, as children here, well, they speak German...). Appeals are possible, if parents disagree with the placement, but so far, both M and I have the impression that parents are not supposed to interfere much with decisions of teachers, so I have a hard time imagining someone going through the process. If anyone out there knows of such circumstances, please inform.
Now, let's say that you are a German parent, and your little Hannes has been lucky enough to obtain a recommendation to Gymnasium. Hold onto your seat, it is going to be a rough ride, at least for a while.
For many years, Western Germany had a 13-year system for Gymnasium. East Germany managed it all in 12 years, leaving the unified country to wonder why the 13th year. So, last year, after a couple of decades of squabbling, the curriculum was re-engineered to make 13 years happen in 12. Of course, to minimize impact, they spread the changes over all 12 years. Right? No. No, they didn't. They put all of the changes into fifth and sixth grade, and made seventh grade the new eighth.
The first two years are considered the 'weed-out' years. Not my take. Ask M's mom, a Gymnasium teacher for 30 or so years, or his sister, teacher and mother of 3, or my next door neighbor, or the one on the other side. They all say the same thing. Fifth and sixth grades are where your kid's future is determined (assuming little Hannes wasn't already written off at age 9).
Now consider that a whole lot of poor (or rich, if he's lucky) little Hannes' outcome is determined by his socio-economic status. Not by some democratic process. It's largely just his fate. Here is a short article (in English) regarding this issue in Germany:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/15/germany-middle-class-inequality-schools
And here is a direct quote, for those of you too lazy (as I often am) to read the article (well, if you've read this blog entry up to this point, you are likely to be up to the task :)
"Inequality is rampant. Children from a privileged background are four times as likely to attend Gymnasium as a child with similar grades from a working-class home and, according to the federal education body KMK, children of immigrant families attend the Hauptschule twice as often as native children – even within the same socio-economic class."
Sound familiar? We are all painfully aware of this sort of thing in the U.S., and equalizing opportunity to account for economic inequality is something people have been struggling with since, well, since forever. Or maybe not. Most Germans I have talked to just shrug it off and move on, and the article above suggests that most are happy with the system. Then again, all the people I meet have their kids in Gymnasium or are hoping to get them there...
But clearly, some things are changing. My next-door neighbor teaches at one of the 'inclusive' schools. This type of school essentially takes the students from Gymnasium, Hauptschule and Realschule, puts them under one roof and attempts to teach them all that is required for University. Hmmm.... sound like any school system you have heard of?
Now that we understand how the students are tracked (and what the proposed solution is), consider a few other issues with the system here:
Grundschule ends at 12:30pm. Gymnasium ends the day at 1:20pm. Where do the kids go after that? Well, they used to go home (and eat lunch, no such thing as a school cafeteria). But now, as more families require dual incomes to stay afloat, they go to aftercare. Or the Gymnasium begins to serve lunch (pizza broetchen anyone? I am not kidding), and has classes that go all the way till 3:30! Then, there are 'extras' that go until 5pm. Germans are now talking about 'reliable' schools, i.e. schools that can be relied upon to provide childcare until 5pm when parents get home from work. Interesting idea...
What about financing? Think the U.S. needs to spend more on education? As percentage of GDP, the U.S. spends 5.5% of it's GDP on education. Germany spends 4.5% GDP on education. I am guessing this number will increase, as at the moment, there is no national school lunch program, and very little busing is provided. Are you thinking, "But Germans do not have the same poverty issues, and so do not need to provide meals or bus kids from poor neighborhoods to better schools"? Well, income disparity is lower, but percentage of population below poverty level is 15% for both the U.S. and for Germany. (All these numbers are from the CIA World Fact Book, in case you were wondering.) They will certainly need busing and free lunches, if they are interested in equalizing the system.
My prediction: Germany's system will begin to look very much the U.S. system in the coming decade, if trends continue. Not sure that's even a bad thing, at least from a fairness perspective. Or maybe not? Maybe Germany will find a better solution?
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Close Call
Please note: this post is unlikely to be funny, because, well it's not funny. But - be aware that the story has a happy ending, and the little boy you are about to read about is safe at home as I type.
It is safe to say that J has a pretty loyal little playmate in our neighbor Leon. He is a sweet kid, though he does have a hard time taking 'no' for an answer. Hopefully, when he is an adult, this will translate into a tenaciousness that brings him all kinds of good things, but for now, it is (only slightly) irritating.
This morning the phone rang at 10:30am, and immediately, I said, "It's L". And it was. Inviting J to soccer practice once again. Really, very sweet. J got his gear together, and off he went for a couple of hours. M started working, Z was very busy designing and building a lego technics gondola in his room, so I spent the afternoon making more pots (to be continued....)
When J arrived home from practice, we had a late lunch, and another neighbor came calling, a boy named 'Nick', brother of Max, mentioned in an earlier post as a companion of Christian. Both Max and Nick were over yesterday afternoon, and it was really a great vibe. Two pairs of brothers playing very well together. The mom stopped by to introduce herself, and we really liked her too. Max said some nice things about my pots, which of course, wins him very high regard from yours truly :)
Anyway, back to today. At about 2pm, Nick was over and Leon rang the bell. J answered, because I was covered in clay. They conversed, and J said something like, "I can't, I have a friend over". L left. The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful (Well, except for the awesome series of gondola designs that Z was coming up with).
At 4:30 the phone rang. It was Leon's dad. He said he was going short shopping (ok, little joke,,, kurz einkaufen), he would be home in 20 minutes and we could send Leon then. "Uh.... Aber, Leon ist nicht hier...", I stammered, and then said, "Martin, can you come here please?". M spoke to Leon's dad and then hung up the phone.I asked, "so? What did he say", still trying to understand how serious the situation might be. "Well, he said is has happened before, and he will ring a few bells in the neighborhood and look." Ok, I thought. Probably went to another friend's place. M asked the dad to call us when L was found. M went over to the playground to see if he could find L. He found L's dad, also looking. Then the dad drove around Suchsdorf, looking for L.
We stayed at home, painfully doing nothing, as there was nothing to do. We don't know the family very well, and couldn't launch an all-out search campaign as near strangers. We were very worried, really just waiting to hear back. I thought, "If either of my kids ever goes missing, I am toast". I barely know this kid and I am crying and can't let it go until I know he is safe.
At about 7:15pm the phone rang again. It was L's dad. L was home. He had been across the street from their house, somehow, the dad hadn't thought of checking there (maybe L rarely goes there, I don't know). But he is fine. Took M and I an hour and a glass of wine to release the worry-tension.
Remember how I said L could be 'slightly irritating'? I don't think it will bother me much anymore. I spent a couple of hours so worried about him. That vulnerability, the reminder that he is just a little boy ought to keep me on his side for a good long time.
It is safe to say that J has a pretty loyal little playmate in our neighbor Leon. He is a sweet kid, though he does have a hard time taking 'no' for an answer. Hopefully, when he is an adult, this will translate into a tenaciousness that brings him all kinds of good things, but for now, it is (only slightly) irritating.
This morning the phone rang at 10:30am, and immediately, I said, "It's L". And it was. Inviting J to soccer practice once again. Really, very sweet. J got his gear together, and off he went for a couple of hours. M started working, Z was very busy designing and building a lego technics gondola in his room, so I spent the afternoon making more pots (to be continued....)
When J arrived home from practice, we had a late lunch, and another neighbor came calling, a boy named 'Nick', brother of Max, mentioned in an earlier post as a companion of Christian. Both Max and Nick were over yesterday afternoon, and it was really a great vibe. Two pairs of brothers playing very well together. The mom stopped by to introduce herself, and we really liked her too. Max said some nice things about my pots, which of course, wins him very high regard from yours truly :)
Anyway, back to today. At about 2pm, Nick was over and Leon rang the bell. J answered, because I was covered in clay. They conversed, and J said something like, "I can't, I have a friend over". L left. The rest of the afternoon was pretty uneventful (Well, except for the awesome series of gondola designs that Z was coming up with).
At 4:30 the phone rang. It was Leon's dad. He said he was going short shopping (ok, little joke,,, kurz einkaufen), he would be home in 20 minutes and we could send Leon then. "Uh.... Aber, Leon ist nicht hier...", I stammered, and then said, "Martin, can you come here please?". M spoke to Leon's dad and then hung up the phone.I asked, "so? What did he say", still trying to understand how serious the situation might be. "Well, he said is has happened before, and he will ring a few bells in the neighborhood and look." Ok, I thought. Probably went to another friend's place. M asked the dad to call us when L was found. M went over to the playground to see if he could find L. He found L's dad, also looking. Then the dad drove around Suchsdorf, looking for L.
We stayed at home, painfully doing nothing, as there was nothing to do. We don't know the family very well, and couldn't launch an all-out search campaign as near strangers. We were very worried, really just waiting to hear back. I thought, "If either of my kids ever goes missing, I am toast". I barely know this kid and I am crying and can't let it go until I know he is safe.
At about 7:15pm the phone rang again. It was L's dad. L was home. He had been across the street from their house, somehow, the dad hadn't thought of checking there (maybe L rarely goes there, I don't know). But he is fine. Took M and I an hour and a glass of wine to release the worry-tension.
Remember how I said L could be 'slightly irritating'? I don't think it will bother me much anymore. I spent a couple of hours so worried about him. That vulnerability, the reminder that he is just a little boy ought to keep me on his side for a good long time.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Time Machine
Living in Northern Germany is, in many ways, like taking a trip back to the 1970's. Well, thankfully without avocado green, polyester and disco, but there are lots of other aspects of the decade still hanging around here.
Such as:
Stores are closed on Sundays. If you haven't bought your milk by 8pm on Saturday, too bad. (Of course, you shouldn't be eating cereal for breakfast anyway, as Sunday is a Broetchen day). As an American accustomed to 24-hour grocery stores, laundromats, pharmacies and fitness centers, this is a strange concept that catapults me back to childhood memories of Sunday 'Blue Laws'. Remember? You could only purchase certain 'necessities' on Sunday, and all the other products were blocked off with tape...
There is no streaming video service. No, really, I mean it. The motion picture and television industries don't release products to Europe until long after they are available in the U.S., so no Netflix. I read on Wikipedia that Netflix is expanding to Europe, but they are starting in Spain and won't be in Germany until we are long gone from here. If you try to get movies from Amazon in the U. S., you get a message that says the product is not available in your 'geographic location'. So much for the 'World Wide' web.
The kids are free-range. They wander the neighborhood without supervision. There are no 'play dates'. You simply ring the bell and ask if your friend can come out and play. Remember that? They walk to school by themselves and return home without any grown-up intervention. Of course, they are met at home at 12:30 by Mom, who has prepared a hot lunch. Some moms have jobs, as in the '70s, but many are still stay-at-home.
In the first grade, children start learning to write in cursive. Schools in the U.S. have started to explore getting rid of cursive altogether, a subject that is controversial. Many think that this is a critical skill, but when kids start using laptops and tablets in pre-k, perhaps it is time to rethink the necessity of being able to write quickly by hand. After all, I have never learned to use a quill, but I am still considered to be reasonable well-educated.
Almost no one has a microwave. This last one is really freaky. I mean, what happens when you want to defrost your meat, and you haven't thought ahead enough to take it out of the freezer the day before? I guess that is something that doesn't happen to people who have to decide on Saturday everything they might need on Sunday.
That reminds me. Tomorrow is Saturday. I better start making a list!
Such as:
Stores are closed on Sundays. If you haven't bought your milk by 8pm on Saturday, too bad. (Of course, you shouldn't be eating cereal for breakfast anyway, as Sunday is a Broetchen day). As an American accustomed to 24-hour grocery stores, laundromats, pharmacies and fitness centers, this is a strange concept that catapults me back to childhood memories of Sunday 'Blue Laws'. Remember? You could only purchase certain 'necessities' on Sunday, and all the other products were blocked off with tape...
There is no streaming video service. No, really, I mean it. The motion picture and television industries don't release products to Europe until long after they are available in the U.S., so no Netflix. I read on Wikipedia that Netflix is expanding to Europe, but they are starting in Spain and won't be in Germany until we are long gone from here. If you try to get movies from Amazon in the U. S., you get a message that says the product is not available in your 'geographic location'. So much for the 'World Wide' web.
The kids are free-range. They wander the neighborhood without supervision. There are no 'play dates'. You simply ring the bell and ask if your friend can come out and play. Remember that? They walk to school by themselves and return home without any grown-up intervention. Of course, they are met at home at 12:30 by Mom, who has prepared a hot lunch. Some moms have jobs, as in the '70s, but many are still stay-at-home.
In the first grade, children start learning to write in cursive. Schools in the U.S. have started to explore getting rid of cursive altogether, a subject that is controversial. Many think that this is a critical skill, but when kids start using laptops and tablets in pre-k, perhaps it is time to rethink the necessity of being able to write quickly by hand. After all, I have never learned to use a quill, but I am still considered to be reasonable well-educated.
Almost no one has a microwave. This last one is really freaky. I mean, what happens when you want to defrost your meat, and you haven't thought ahead enough to take it out of the freezer the day before? I guess that is something that doesn't happen to people who have to decide on Saturday everything they might need on Sunday.
That reminds me. Tomorrow is Saturday. I better start making a list!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Sunny Sunday, Part II
After returning home with the Mischievous Mutt, I persuaded the boys to brush their teeth and put on their shoes (only took an hour or so!). Our house neighbors told me we could find seals down by the harbor, and I used that as bait to get the boys to come downtown with me.
We saw all kinds of cool stuff (again, no photos this time :( We saw little sailboats that you can wheel off the dock like a small wagon. I think we might try to buy one! There were two men, literally sitting in the harbor. They had these little floating easy chairs and fishing rods. Zachary verbalized what I was thinking: "How can they catch any fish? The harbor is full of boats and ships. Won't the fish all be scared away?". I was also thinking how cold it must be, to sit in a chair surrounded by water in the middle of winter!
We walked along the harbor looking for the seals. They were not wild seals, as I probably should have guessed, but I had hopes... They were in a tank outside a very tiny aquarium. The water was so filthy, the seals were just barely visible. Little kids were pressed against the glass, squinting. "Oh, there's one!", a boy said. If that tank were in the U.S., PETA would be picketing day and night. Funny thing is, for all I know, the seals like it that way. Crystal clear water is largely a human concept, after all.
We saw all kinds of cool stuff (again, no photos this time :( We saw little sailboats that you can wheel off the dock like a small wagon. I think we might try to buy one! There were two men, literally sitting in the harbor. They had these little floating easy chairs and fishing rods. Zachary verbalized what I was thinking: "How can they catch any fish? The harbor is full of boats and ships. Won't the fish all be scared away?". I was also thinking how cold it must be, to sit in a chair surrounded by water in the middle of winter!
We walked along the harbor looking for the seals. They were not wild seals, as I probably should have guessed, but I had hopes... They were in a tank outside a very tiny aquarium. The water was so filthy, the seals were just barely visible. Little kids were pressed against the glass, squinting. "Oh, there's one!", a boy said. If that tank were in the U.S., PETA would be picketing day and night. Funny thing is, for all I know, the seals like it that way. Crystal clear water is largely a human concept, after all.
We went into the aquarium, which was really very, very tiny. Just one room, with about 6 tanks. The ones I remember were the herring and the flounder. Does anyone else go to an aquarium and think "Oh, I bet that one would taste good, egg dipped, floured and pan-fried", or is it just me?
Speaking of food, we left the aquarium and found a really nice little restaurant on the harbor. There, I was able to put a newly acquired German vocabulary word immediately to work: Scholle means flounder! Yum. Even better, gebraten means fried. Just how I imagined it, with remoulade sauce, potato salad and some green salad. I couldn't convince the kids to order anything interesting, so they had mozzarella sticks and chicken nuggets with fries. Good, old-fashioned Brown Food. Oh well.
Perhaps the best part of the day: Z announced he will buy himself a sail boat one day! M really wants to learn to sail, so they may have a nice activity for the Spring (no, we aren't buying a boat, but maybe we can rent one).
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Sunny Sunday
Sunday was sunny, can you believe it? Two days plus one hour of sun in the 'afternoon' on Friday. Even the kids were in a better mood.
I took Chestnut out for a walk, off leash, of course. We went past the funny-looking cows, weird goats and strikingly normal deer at the animal preserve. We went by the canal, which is actually attractive when sunlit. Do I have photos for you? No, because our camera was in NYC with M... bummer. Maybe the sun will come out again this week, you never know.
Where was I? Right. The dog. As I had left the boys at home to their own devices, I felt obliged to return home at some point. We were out of the woods and back in our very densely populated little suburb, when Chestnut went into some bushes and disappeared. I called out to her. She did not come. I saw a man that I had run into earlier, dog still in tow. "Hast Du mein Hund gesehen?" (too frantic to remember to use 'Sie' with strangers, but he was young enough not to care). "Nein", was his concerned response. I went back toward the woods, getting more desperate. She always comes back when I call her, unless there is another dog, but then I can usually see her. I called Z on his cell phone to ask if the dog had somehow ended up back at our house (looking for me).
As soon as Z picked up the phone, the man came back and said (in English. Everyone here knows I am 'the American woman'. ), "Your dog...". "Have you seen her?", I asked, desperately hoping for an affirmative answer. "Yes, this way". I followed and started to call her. He said, "No, that won't work". "Why? is she OK?". "Oh, yes"... I followed further, toward someone's backyard. The 'someone' was standing over Chestnut with a broom, ready to strike. I immediately saw why, and also why she did not return when I called her. Rabbits. A pen full of them, scurrying around at top speed in a very limited space, making them way better playmates than me.
I have mentioned before that there are tons of Dog People here - but - they are not the only kind of people in Suchsdorf. Of course, you think. There are always Cat People too. I myself, am a Doat Person, liking both canine and feline critters. Ah, but that is not the Other kind of people I am referring to. For some reason, Suchsdorf attracts Rabbit People. They are everywhere, and they have little hutches full of the rodents in their backyards.
I don't think the Rabbit People like the Dog People quite so much, and in this particular case, I could hardly blame them. How could they know that Chestnut just likes to chase things, that she is a sheep dog, and that sheep dogs are generally bred not to have a killer instinct (that could be bad for the sheep).
Broom-Rabbit Man's wife said, "Wo is die leine?", and I gave her the best I-am-a-stupid-American-and-I-do-not-speak-any-German look, which must have been good, because her husband looked at me and said, "Where is the leash?". I sheepishly (hah!) pulled the leash from my pocket, hooked up the Dastardly Dog and muttered, "Entschuldigen".
How does one train a dog to stay clear of rabbits, I wonder?
I took Chestnut out for a walk, off leash, of course. We went past the funny-looking cows, weird goats and strikingly normal deer at the animal preserve. We went by the canal, which is actually attractive when sunlit. Do I have photos for you? No, because our camera was in NYC with M... bummer. Maybe the sun will come out again this week, you never know.
Where was I? Right. The dog. As I had left the boys at home to their own devices, I felt obliged to return home at some point. We were out of the woods and back in our very densely populated little suburb, when Chestnut went into some bushes and disappeared. I called out to her. She did not come. I saw a man that I had run into earlier, dog still in tow. "Hast Du mein Hund gesehen?" (too frantic to remember to use 'Sie' with strangers, but he was young enough not to care). "Nein", was his concerned response. I went back toward the woods, getting more desperate. She always comes back when I call her, unless there is another dog, but then I can usually see her. I called Z on his cell phone to ask if the dog had somehow ended up back at our house (looking for me).
As soon as Z picked up the phone, the man came back and said (in English. Everyone here knows I am 'the American woman'. ), "Your dog...". "Have you seen her?", I asked, desperately hoping for an affirmative answer. "Yes, this way". I followed and started to call her. He said, "No, that won't work". "Why? is she OK?". "Oh, yes"... I followed further, toward someone's backyard. The 'someone' was standing over Chestnut with a broom, ready to strike. I immediately saw why, and also why she did not return when I called her. Rabbits. A pen full of them, scurrying around at top speed in a very limited space, making them way better playmates than me.
I have mentioned before that there are tons of Dog People here - but - they are not the only kind of people in Suchsdorf. Of course, you think. There are always Cat People too. I myself, am a Doat Person, liking both canine and feline critters. Ah, but that is not the Other kind of people I am referring to. For some reason, Suchsdorf attracts Rabbit People. They are everywhere, and they have little hutches full of the rodents in their backyards.
I don't think the Rabbit People like the Dog People quite so much, and in this particular case, I could hardly blame them. How could they know that Chestnut just likes to chase things, that she is a sheep dog, and that sheep dogs are generally bred not to have a killer instinct (that could be bad for the sheep).
Broom-Rabbit Man's wife said, "Wo is die leine?", and I gave her the best I-am-a-stupid-American-and-I-do-not-speak-any-German look, which must have been good, because her husband looked at me and said, "Where is the leash?". I sheepishly (hah!) pulled the leash from my pocket, hooked up the Dastardly Dog and muttered, "Entschuldigen".
How does one train a dog to stay clear of rabbits, I wonder?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Soccer Saturday
I am several days behind, so I will start with last Saturday and move forward from there.
It was a lovely, sunny day! We were able to sleep until 8am (practically sleeping in these days). Z's soccer practice started at 9am. He seems to be enjoying soccer here, and thanks to rigorous training in the U.S., he is able to keep up with the German kids (all of whom are born with little soccer balls attached via a string to one of their ankles - the balls grow with the children).
After Z's practice, one of J's friends invited him over to play, and then to join him for soccer training (his friend's dad is the coach, so it was uncomplicated). I talked to the dad briefly, to find out the plan. He would drive over to the soccer place (he had to bring all the balls and other equipment), and J and his friend would walk. "Uh... OK, I guess...", I said. I made him take my cell number and then I made him call me, so I would have his. He seemed to think this was silly...
Now, Z and I were left with several hours and a sunny day. The woman we are renting the house from was having a birthday party in the evening, and I just happened to know her favorite shop was a little pottery store downtown. We took the bus, which is much easier when you go with a kid who speaks German and takes the bus daily.
At the bus stop, we ran into none other than J and his friend. The friend muttered something in German that sounded like "We don't know where the field is", and I said "WHAT?". Z observed, "That doesn't sound good". So, there they were, two seven-year-old kids with no idea where there were supposed to go. I took out the phone and dialed the friend's dad. I explained that I had both kids there at the bus stop, and they did not know which field to go to (there are about 10 places in the neighborhood where soccer training occurs). The dad said, "In die grosse Halle", or "in the big hall", which is thankfully 1) where Z had been that morning and 2) straight down the block from the bus stop. Crisis thereby averted, but I had to wonder, "What if I hadn't been standing at the bus stop? Where would they have gone?". I asked J later, and he just shrugged and said "I dunno".
Z and I were off to shop. I forgot the directions at home, but as this is a common occurrence, I had committed them to memory, so we managed to find the place, buy a "Gutschein", and then had some time to walk through Kiel.
We passed by "Occupy Kiel", and I said, "I wish I had the camera! Wait, maybe with my phone...". Z, who has the very same phone said, "Mom, when you buy a phone for 5 Euro, it doesn't come with a camera". Yes, the statement was accompanied by an eyeroll. Doh! They have a lovely tent village set up, and they were busy grilling sausages for lunch as we passed. Apparently, Kiel does not have an anti-tent ordinance. Go 99%!
We arrived back at the bus stop just in time to find J and his friend coming back from soccer. Whew. I had been trying to figure out how to "check in" on him, without anyone knowing I was checking in...
Later in the evening, we went to the birthday party, where there were many friendly people (and I found an Australian. Normally, I would not say we speak the same language, but...) I hung out a bit with our 'house neighbors' (we live in a townhouse), and the kids ran off to play with matches or something. All things considered, it went quite well. It was my first social event in Germany without M.
It was a lovely, sunny day! We were able to sleep until 8am (practically sleeping in these days). Z's soccer practice started at 9am. He seems to be enjoying soccer here, and thanks to rigorous training in the U.S., he is able to keep up with the German kids (all of whom are born with little soccer balls attached via a string to one of their ankles - the balls grow with the children).
After Z's practice, one of J's friends invited him over to play, and then to join him for soccer training (his friend's dad is the coach, so it was uncomplicated). I talked to the dad briefly, to find out the plan. He would drive over to the soccer place (he had to bring all the balls and other equipment), and J and his friend would walk. "Uh... OK, I guess...", I said. I made him take my cell number and then I made him call me, so I would have his. He seemed to think this was silly...
Now, Z and I were left with several hours and a sunny day. The woman we are renting the house from was having a birthday party in the evening, and I just happened to know her favorite shop was a little pottery store downtown. We took the bus, which is much easier when you go with a kid who speaks German and takes the bus daily.
At the bus stop, we ran into none other than J and his friend. The friend muttered something in German that sounded like "We don't know where the field is", and I said "WHAT?". Z observed, "That doesn't sound good". So, there they were, two seven-year-old kids with no idea where there were supposed to go. I took out the phone and dialed the friend's dad. I explained that I had both kids there at the bus stop, and they did not know which field to go to (there are about 10 places in the neighborhood where soccer training occurs). The dad said, "In die grosse Halle", or "in the big hall", which is thankfully 1) where Z had been that morning and 2) straight down the block from the bus stop. Crisis thereby averted, but I had to wonder, "What if I hadn't been standing at the bus stop? Where would they have gone?". I asked J later, and he just shrugged and said "I dunno".
Z and I were off to shop. I forgot the directions at home, but as this is a common occurrence, I had committed them to memory, so we managed to find the place, buy a "Gutschein", and then had some time to walk through Kiel.
We passed by "Occupy Kiel", and I said, "I wish I had the camera! Wait, maybe with my phone...". Z, who has the very same phone said, "Mom, when you buy a phone for 5 Euro, it doesn't come with a camera". Yes, the statement was accompanied by an eyeroll. Doh! They have a lovely tent village set up, and they were busy grilling sausages for lunch as we passed. Apparently, Kiel does not have an anti-tent ordinance. Go 99%!
We arrived back at the bus stop just in time to find J and his friend coming back from soccer. Whew. I had been trying to figure out how to "check in" on him, without anyone knowing I was checking in...
Later in the evening, we went to the birthday party, where there were many friendly people (and I found an Australian. Normally, I would not say we speak the same language, but...) I hung out a bit with our 'house neighbors' (we live in a townhouse), and the kids ran off to play with matches or something. All things considered, it went quite well. It was my first social event in Germany without M.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Happy MLK Day!
M just got home from NY today, so I won't take time to write. I did, however, want to wish you all a Happy MLK Day. Hope you spent it well!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Friday Franticness
Friday morning, I walked J to school (or rather, Richard and Hannah walked J and me to school). I returned home and immediately as I walked in the door, the phone rang. It was the school secretary, who explained, in German, that J was not with his class. WHAT???? What do you mean, he's not there? "No", she said,
"Moment.". I waited. J got on the phone... Thank God! Literally translating German phrases into English can be very frightening.
J explained that the class was on a field trip, and that I needed to come and get him from school, as his teacher was not there. I told him we just need to find out where the class is, and I would get him there. "But you don't know where it is!", he exclaimed. Poor J. It must be tough to lose faith in your mother's competence. "It's okay", I assured him. We will find it.
I drove the car to the school, ran into the office and found the secretary on the phone with the teacher. She handed the receiver off to me, and the teacher explained that she had given a note to J, and told him it was very important that he give it to his mother. He said, "ok".
This clarified a few cryptic conversations I had with J the day before, such as: "My class won't be at school tomorrow, of course". "No, J, your class will be at school, it's Friday tomorrow, not Saturday". "We need to get to school early today, right Mom?". "Sure, J, whatever you say". When we arrived at school, J exclaimed. "Oh no, I was supposed to give you something to sign and bring it back today, but I forgot". "Don't worry, J. Your teacher can call me if she needs it right away. Goodbye, sweetheart".
It was all starting to make sense, albeit a bit late. The teacher started to give directions, and then started to give up. The secretary said, "Why don't you just take a taxi?". Brilliant!
We hopped in a taxi, and in five minutes, arrived at Musiculum. It's an awesome place, where kids get to learn all about musical instruments and get to try them out. J loved the string bass, but I am hoping he will stay with the violin, because, well, it's an awful lot easier to carry...
I left him there and took the bus back. A bit frazzled, I forgot how to get on a bus and pay the fare, etc. I just handed the driver a ten euro note and he stared back, muttered something I couldn't understand, and then I said "Suchsdorf An Der Au", and, hearing my accent, he just took the note, said "zwei euro dreissig" and handed me some coins. I started to take my seat... "funf euro (you stupid American)", "oh, right", I took the rest of my change. He grunted something else. "Oh, the ticket"... Finally, I sat down. I congratulated myself on successfully getting home on the bus, when I realized, the car was at the school. Uggh. I trudged back on foot, in the wind and light rain...
Luckily, it was all worth it in the end. J had a wonderful day on his field trip, and would you believe: the sky cleared and the sun came out.
"Moment.". I waited. J got on the phone... Thank God! Literally translating German phrases into English can be very frightening.
J explained that the class was on a field trip, and that I needed to come and get him from school, as his teacher was not there. I told him we just need to find out where the class is, and I would get him there. "But you don't know where it is!", he exclaimed. Poor J. It must be tough to lose faith in your mother's competence. "It's okay", I assured him. We will find it.
I drove the car to the school, ran into the office and found the secretary on the phone with the teacher. She handed the receiver off to me, and the teacher explained that she had given a note to J, and told him it was very important that he give it to his mother. He said, "ok".
This clarified a few cryptic conversations I had with J the day before, such as: "My class won't be at school tomorrow, of course". "No, J, your class will be at school, it's Friday tomorrow, not Saturday". "We need to get to school early today, right Mom?". "Sure, J, whatever you say". When we arrived at school, J exclaimed. "Oh no, I was supposed to give you something to sign and bring it back today, but I forgot". "Don't worry, J. Your teacher can call me if she needs it right away. Goodbye, sweetheart".
It was all starting to make sense, albeit a bit late. The teacher started to give directions, and then started to give up. The secretary said, "Why don't you just take a taxi?". Brilliant!
We hopped in a taxi, and in five minutes, arrived at Musiculum. It's an awesome place, where kids get to learn all about musical instruments and get to try them out. J loved the string bass, but I am hoping he will stay with the violin, because, well, it's an awful lot easier to carry...
I left him there and took the bus back. A bit frazzled, I forgot how to get on a bus and pay the fare, etc. I just handed the driver a ten euro note and he stared back, muttered something I couldn't understand, and then I said "Suchsdorf An Der Au", and, hearing my accent, he just took the note, said "zwei euro dreissig" and handed me some coins. I started to take my seat... "funf euro (you stupid American)", "oh, right", I took the rest of my change. He grunted something else. "Oh, the ticket"... Finally, I sat down. I congratulated myself on successfully getting home on the bus, when I realized, the car was at the school. Uggh. I trudged back on foot, in the wind and light rain...
Luckily, it was all worth it in the end. J had a wonderful day on his field trip, and would you believe: the sky cleared and the sun came out.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
So far, so good
Both kids seem to have blended in pretty seamlessly. Z left on his own (without guidance from the neighbor) to the bus, managed to get off at the right stop, and went to school. He is amazingly self-confident, especially given his somewhat quiet and reserved presence in new situations.
The one major glitch we had was yesterday. Z had a 2-hour P.E. period. Now, I prepared the bag with gym shoes, tee-shirt and jogging pants, so he should have been all set, right? Right??? Guess what the topic of the day was: swimming. They actually took a bus, and went to a private indoor swimming facility in downtown Kiel!
My first reaction was serious empathy for poor Z, who had to sit on the side of the pool for 2 hours while his classmates had all kinds of fun in the water (recall that Z is absolutely amphibious, so this must have been particularly painful). Later I thought, "Wait, they took a bus into the city and went swimming. No permission forms, medical release, emergency contact, etc. They just went.". Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? They definitely save an awful lot of paper.
He had a 2-hour music period today. That's right, another 2 hours. Per week. Art, P.E. and Music all have weekly 2-hour periods. Considering that the school day is a little over 5 hours long, that's a big chunk. In addition, the music teacher played the piano to accompany the students when they sang. They discussed the Magic Flute, which my poorly informed son referred to as 'obscure'. Probably because in his music class in the U. S., they sing along to a recording on a boom box, and the only musical instrument they have met in person is the recorder (I think 'musical instrument' should be in single quotes in the preceding sentence. Anyone else?).
Anyway, Z loved the class. They also sang "Country Roads", which must have been a blast. I would pay good money to hear a bunch of German kids singing "Mountain Mama" in their British English accents.
J had a play date all afternoon yesterday, with a little boy from his class. 'L' phoned J up, they conversed in German, and then he appeared at our doorstep. A very nice kid, again. He invited J to his house (just down the block!) and we went over together so I could meet his Oma and make sure no one was cooking meth or anything. L has a Wii, so I expect play dates will happen largely at his house. (Though his mom claims she does not know how to turn it on, so L has to wait for his dad to come home to play it... Sounds plausible...)
The one major glitch we had was yesterday. Z had a 2-hour P.E. period. Now, I prepared the bag with gym shoes, tee-shirt and jogging pants, so he should have been all set, right? Right??? Guess what the topic of the day was: swimming. They actually took a bus, and went to a private indoor swimming facility in downtown Kiel!
My first reaction was serious empathy for poor Z, who had to sit on the side of the pool for 2 hours while his classmates had all kinds of fun in the water (recall that Z is absolutely amphibious, so this must have been particularly painful). Later I thought, "Wait, they took a bus into the city and went swimming. No permission forms, medical release, emergency contact, etc. They just went.". Is this a good thing, or a bad thing? They definitely save an awful lot of paper.
He had a 2-hour music period today. That's right, another 2 hours. Per week. Art, P.E. and Music all have weekly 2-hour periods. Considering that the school day is a little over 5 hours long, that's a big chunk. In addition, the music teacher played the piano to accompany the students when they sang. They discussed the Magic Flute, which my poorly informed son referred to as 'obscure'. Probably because in his music class in the U. S., they sing along to a recording on a boom box, and the only musical instrument they have met in person is the recorder (I think 'musical instrument' should be in single quotes in the preceding sentence. Anyone else?).
Anyway, Z loved the class. They also sang "Country Roads", which must have been a blast. I would pay good money to hear a bunch of German kids singing "Mountain Mama" in their British English accents.
J had a play date all afternoon yesterday, with a little boy from his class. 'L' phoned J up, they conversed in German, and then he appeared at our doorstep. A very nice kid, again. He invited J to his house (just down the block!) and we went over together so I could meet his Oma and make sure no one was cooking meth or anything. L has a Wii, so I expect play dates will happen largely at his house. (Though his mom claims she does not know how to turn it on, so L has to wait for his dad to come home to play it... Sounds plausible...)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Z is a Commuter!
In the cover of the night, M left long before any of us were up. He is off to NYC. Oh yes, that is ironic.
At about 8:20 or so, Richard (I cannot pronounce his name properly, and it is a source of comedic entertainment for the entire family), a seven-year-old neighbor, rang our bell, to pick up J and me. We then proceeded down the block, where we stopped at two more houses and acquired two little girls. So, it was me and them... Most adults here speak some English and will help you muddle through mixed GerEnglish 'sentences', but seven-year-old kids, not so much. The kids were all silent on the way, and I asked Richard (auf Deutsch) if they are always so quiet, and he answered 'ja'... I don't know if I believe him. In any case, they seemed to keep looking over at me, to see if I, as the adult, would take over lead of the trip. I told them I have no idea how to get to the school, so they are in charge. It was a very funny dynamic.
We found the school, and then I realized there were a few details that I did not commit to long-term memory. Such details as, the teacher's name, which classroom? We entered from the rear of the building, whereas the day before, we entered from the front. There are 5 second grade classes scattered along 3 hallways. I thought we went to all of them, and J said 'not this one', but we were very confused. We finally went into a classroom and found a teacher. "Sprechen Sie Englisch?". "A little," was the reply. Thank god. "We are lost," I explained. She started to ask the teacher's name, and I felt like even more of a complete flake than I usually do.... I said, "I don't remember her name". The very, very kind young woman took us to the office and helped us find our way.
I dropped him at the correct classroom, and headed home. When I arrived, this time, I really did take a nap.
I found the classroom easily when picking J up at 12:30. Z made it home by himself, and we had some mittagsessen, As predicted, all went well for Z too. Nice kids. What more could you ask for?
First Day of School - Almost.
Note: For people who care about such things, the account below is from Monday. I fell asleep over my keyboard on Monday evening and didn't finish till Tuesday :)
We awoke at 7 this morning to start the first 'normal' day, i.e. kids go to school, Martin works, Janice pretends to do housework while sneaking off to nap or google the answer to some burning and completely insignificant question. It didn't work out exactly that way.
Z woke up using his new, very own alarm clock (J has one too - amazing how entertaining such a thing can be - but I leave that for another story). I shook J awake and told him it was time to wake up for school. He looked at me, looked out the window, back at me, and said, "Are you crazy? It's the middle of the night?". I said, "That may well be, but it is also 7am and you need to get ready for school". "No way", was the response. I pressed on with the no-I-really-mean-it and you-really-have-to-get-up-now-or-you'll-be-late-for-school standard arguments. He finally complied.
But then he had to get dressed. And he did get dressed. But he wasn't dressed... not for German school. Turns out, all of Julian's pants are sweat pants. Very practical - I am a huge (in more than one way) fan of sweat pants. However, one should only wear sweat pants in Germany when one intends to sweat. So, not to the grocery store, nor to the mall and definitely not to school. We dug up one pair of corduroys from the bottom of the drawer and added 'pants' to the seemingly infinite shopping list.
Z had 'normal' pants, so he was good to go (We later learned, that at gymnasium, it is cool to wear sweat pants. The plot thickens...). M and I both thought that Z's school would start at 8:30. Neither of us has the vaguest clue where that idea came from. I looked up the start time on the school's website, just to be sure. I told M, "It says 8:10 here.". He thought he remembered someone telling him that the website was wrong. Not being able to confirm or disagree, I just shrugged, and said "OK". We showed up at 8:15, and yes, we were 5 minutes late for the first period. We waited another 20 minutes for the 'orientation director' to meet with us, and we found out that Z's class would have one hour of P.E. next, followed by a two hour period of Art (Those of you with kids in American public school, stop salivating. It is unseemly.). Because neither of those subjects are taught by the home room teacher, we were asked to either come back for the very last period of the day, or simply return in the morning. We took option B.
The four of us then proceeded to J's school, the Grundschule (I like that word, Ground School :). There, we were greeted by the school secretary who immediately identified us as "Familie Steinmeyer". Seems we have acquired a bit of local celebrity status, as "that American family". Poor Martin. We were escorted to J's classroom (already in session, as it took some time to straighten things out for Z). The teacher was incredibly sweet, and seemed a bit excited to have such an exotic creature joining her class. She has spent a year in the States, so her English is perfect. Yay! We left J there, promised to return for him at 12:30 and headed straight back to bed.
Not really. That's what the three of us wanted, for sure, as we had all (ok, all but M) been sleeping until 9:30 or 10 for weeks and were pretty much in shock. We headed straight to the mall. Two hours, one pair of soccer shoes, shin guards, running shoes, three orders of hot and sour soup plus two orders of spring rolls from the food court, and we were back home. It was noon. Twenty minutes to 'relax', and then get J.
We left Z at home to consume the rest of the Warrior book series, and returned to Grundschule Suchsdorf. The classroom teacher and the German teacher met with us and discussed the day, which went brilliantly, and J told us he had a great day ("My new teacher is fun. Well, not as fun as Ms. Brogden." - No one is as fun as Ms. Brogden, so this would have been an impossible status to achieve.).
One down, one to go...
We all went back home and M returned to work. I made a nice German-style meat stew with as much meat and as few vegetables as possible, smothered in gravy with a side of boiled potatoes.
After dinner, we all huddled on the couch and watched a great family movie.
Not really. We went back to the mall. Three pairs of 'proper' pants, two sweaters, a bag to hold P.E. clothes, slippers for the classroom, a small ruler that fits in the pencil case we bought on our shopping trip to Kiel two days ago, one meltdown over the lack of coolness of the bag, followed by return of said bag and purchase of another at a different store, two double-scoop ice cream cones and two hours later, we returned home once again.
Until the next day, when...
We awoke at 7 this morning to start the first 'normal' day, i.e. kids go to school, Martin works, Janice pretends to do housework while sneaking off to nap or google the answer to some burning and completely insignificant question. It didn't work out exactly that way.
Z woke up using his new, very own alarm clock (J has one too - amazing how entertaining such a thing can be - but I leave that for another story). I shook J awake and told him it was time to wake up for school. He looked at me, looked out the window, back at me, and said, "Are you crazy? It's the middle of the night?". I said, "That may well be, but it is also 7am and you need to get ready for school". "No way", was the response. I pressed on with the no-I-really-mean-it and you-really-have-to-get-up-now-or-you'll-be-late-for-school standard arguments. He finally complied.
But then he had to get dressed. And he did get dressed. But he wasn't dressed... not for German school. Turns out, all of Julian's pants are sweat pants. Very practical - I am a huge (in more than one way) fan of sweat pants. However, one should only wear sweat pants in Germany when one intends to sweat. So, not to the grocery store, nor to the mall and definitely not to school. We dug up one pair of corduroys from the bottom of the drawer and added 'pants' to the seemingly infinite shopping list.
Z had 'normal' pants, so he was good to go (We later learned, that at gymnasium, it is cool to wear sweat pants. The plot thickens...). M and I both thought that Z's school would start at 8:30. Neither of us has the vaguest clue where that idea came from. I looked up the start time on the school's website, just to be sure. I told M, "It says 8:10 here.". He thought he remembered someone telling him that the website was wrong. Not being able to confirm or disagree, I just shrugged, and said "OK". We showed up at 8:15, and yes, we were 5 minutes late for the first period. We waited another 20 minutes for the 'orientation director' to meet with us, and we found out that Z's class would have one hour of P.E. next, followed by a two hour period of Art (Those of you with kids in American public school, stop salivating. It is unseemly.). Because neither of those subjects are taught by the home room teacher, we were asked to either come back for the very last period of the day, or simply return in the morning. We took option B.
The four of us then proceeded to J's school, the Grundschule (I like that word, Ground School :). There, we were greeted by the school secretary who immediately identified us as "Familie Steinmeyer". Seems we have acquired a bit of local celebrity status, as "that American family". Poor Martin. We were escorted to J's classroom (already in session, as it took some time to straighten things out for Z). The teacher was incredibly sweet, and seemed a bit excited to have such an exotic creature joining her class. She has spent a year in the States, so her English is perfect. Yay! We left J there, promised to return for him at 12:30 and headed straight back to bed.
Not really. That's what the three of us wanted, for sure, as we had all (ok, all but M) been sleeping until 9:30 or 10 for weeks and were pretty much in shock. We headed straight to the mall. Two hours, one pair of soccer shoes, shin guards, running shoes, three orders of hot and sour soup plus two orders of spring rolls from the food court, and we were back home. It was noon. Twenty minutes to 'relax', and then get J.
We left Z at home to consume the rest of the Warrior book series, and returned to Grundschule Suchsdorf. The classroom teacher and the German teacher met with us and discussed the day, which went brilliantly, and J told us he had a great day ("My new teacher is fun. Well, not as fun as Ms. Brogden." - No one is as fun as Ms. Brogden, so this would have been an impossible status to achieve.).
One down, one to go...
We all went back home and M returned to work. I made a nice German-style meat stew with as much meat and as few vegetables as possible, smothered in gravy with a side of boiled potatoes.
After dinner, we all huddled on the couch and watched a great family movie.
Not really. We went back to the mall. Three pairs of 'proper' pants, two sweaters, a bag to hold P.E. clothes, slippers for the classroom, a small ruler that fits in the pencil case we bought on our shopping trip to Kiel two days ago, one meltdown over the lack of coolness of the bag, followed by return of said bag and purchase of another at a different store, two double-scoop ice cream cones and two hours later, we returned home once again.
Until the next day, when...
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Germany is Grayscale
I woke up early the other day (8:30) and so I had the opportunity to see the sunrise! It's not so impressive, watching the sky go from dark gray to light gray... I will take this as license to sleep in for a couple more months. Just kidding. The kids start school on Monday, so early (and dark) mornings are just around the corner.
When the sun does come out, there is only morning and evening: the sun skirts the horizon, never really coming up overhead, so there is really no afternoon.
Seriously, the rainy-to-sunny day ratio is now 30 to 7. Can this be real? I am starting to think that all those old 'black and white' German movies I have watched were actually shot on color film. Germany is really grayscale, and the newer movies have color added after-the-fact.
What I find really funny, is that all the photos I see on brochures are in full sun. I think, as soon as the sun comes out, all the Germans run outside with their cameras and take pictures of blonde children smiling and riding bicycles or windsurfing. Or maybe it's photoshop?
When the sun does come out, there is only morning and evening: the sun skirts the horizon, never really coming up overhead, so there is really no afternoon.
Seriously, the rainy-to-sunny day ratio is now 30 to 7. Can this be real? I am starting to think that all those old 'black and white' German movies I have watched were actually shot on color film. Germany is really grayscale, and the newer movies have color added after-the-fact.
What I find really funny, is that all the photos I see on brochures are in full sun. I think, as soon as the sun comes out, all the Germans run outside with their cameras and take pictures of blonde children smiling and riding bicycles or windsurfing. Or maybe it's photoshop?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Cabin Fever
In my joy over getting the wheel and workspace set up, I forgot one minor detail. This is M's first week back to work, but the kids still have one week of winter vacation. Guess who is in charge of entertainment?
There are a few kids around. In fact, we may have accidentally acquired a couple of extras... two boys who come calling for Z. I think their moms told them to go and play outside, and they found their way to the Americans, who offer hot cocoa and a warm indoors. Only trouble is, they are 12 and 11 years hold. J got left out of the loop :(.
Two days ago, I thought I could take the kids bowling. Bowling is fun, right? Apparently not. At least not for Z, as he cannot see the point of playing a game he has no chance of winning. I tried to explain. 'You are supposed to be bad at bowling. That's what the game is about. You roll the ball, it goes halfway down the lane, and then drops right into the gutter. Then you laugh!' He didn't buy it. J was happy, as he had 2 spares in 10 frames, and scored more than 50 overall. Not sure how he does it, because he just drops the ball and somehow, it finds the center all by itself. Eerie, really.
Bowling didn't work, so yesterday, I thought I could take them to the Mediendom. It's some kind of planetarium-type thing, but with 'multi-media' emphasis. I had reservations and everything. Then J broke down and said 'But I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay here!'. And do what, one would wonder... or perhaps all parents instinctively know the answer: 'I just want to stay here and torture you'. The sun made a brief, unscheduled appearance, so in my eagerness to rush outside and collect photons, I canceled our reservation. We'll go on Friday.
There are a few kids around. In fact, we may have accidentally acquired a couple of extras... two boys who come calling for Z. I think their moms told them to go and play outside, and they found their way to the Americans, who offer hot cocoa and a warm indoors. Only trouble is, they are 12 and 11 years hold. J got left out of the loop :(.
Two days ago, I thought I could take the kids bowling. Bowling is fun, right? Apparently not. At least not for Z, as he cannot see the point of playing a game he has no chance of winning. I tried to explain. 'You are supposed to be bad at bowling. That's what the game is about. You roll the ball, it goes halfway down the lane, and then drops right into the gutter. Then you laugh!' He didn't buy it. J was happy, as he had 2 spares in 10 frames, and scored more than 50 overall. Not sure how he does it, because he just drops the ball and somehow, it finds the center all by itself. Eerie, really.
Bowling didn't work, so yesterday, I thought I could take them to the Mediendom. It's some kind of planetarium-type thing, but with 'multi-media' emphasis. I had reservations and everything. Then J broke down and said 'But I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay here!'. And do what, one would wonder... or perhaps all parents instinctively know the answer: 'I just want to stay here and torture you'. The sun made a brief, unscheduled appearance, so in my eagerness to rush outside and collect photons, I canceled our reservation. We'll go on Friday.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Toepferscheibe!!
I got a whee-el, I got a whee-el, Yay!!!!
Martin found a place that rents pottery wheels for 40 Euro per month. Our landlords kindly allowed me to set up a workshop in the laundry room (Martin thought I should use the shed, but our landlords said 'No! It's too cold out there! When a German tells you it is 'too cold' to do something outside, you should listen.)
So, now I am happy. Let it rain, let it snow (well, really just a little snow...), whatever. I am making pots.
Martin found a place that rents pottery wheels for 40 Euro per month. Our landlords kindly allowed me to set up a workshop in the laundry room (Martin thought I should use the shed, but our landlords said 'No! It's too cold out there! When a German tells you it is 'too cold' to do something outside, you should listen.)
So, now I am happy. Let it rain, let it snow (well, really just a little snow...), whatever. I am making pots.
Happy New Year? Or is it Armageddon?
It turns out, Germans do set off fireworks, regardless of weather. New Year's Eve was misty, which helped to keep the huge cloud of smoke from clearing out, allowing us to fully enjoy the smell of fresh gunpowder.
The fireworks started shortly after noon, and continued until about 1am. I am referring to the 'continuous' fireworks, or those where the next bang is less than 30 seconds or so after the previous. The time around midnight was the heaviest, of course, and when we went outside, the sky was red. I kid you not. I really thought, 'Can that actually be from the fireworks, or is this an alien invasion?'. Three red dots hovered above us for what seemed like more than a few seconds - they could have been spaceships... but then they exploded.
The street outside our house was crowded full of people, all of whom had their own personal explosives. I thought Americans were the only people stupid enough to mix megatons of black powder with alcohol, but I was so wrong! At one point, a neighbor came by to say 'hello'. He had his hands full with a mat of firecrackers. He dropped about 8 of them on the street, but he didn't notice. A couple of minutes later, one of our guests for the evening lit off some little ground-crawling type fireworks a few feet away... I wondered how many other live explosives were laying around waiting to surprise someone. The angle of inclination for the rockets seemed to get smaller and smaller as the explosives frenzy built up to a climax where rockets, firecrackers and various weapons of mass destruction were launched by nearly everyone over the age of three.
I ordered the children inside when it seemed to get 'too crazy' (i.e. I was terrified, and they were frightened enough to be relieved to be sent indoors).
One thing I wondered, 'How much does all this cost?'. I found the following:
"Germans usually spend over €100 million on fireworks in the three days leading up to the New Year. Although there are no statistics on how much of this cash is unemployment benefit, two Berlin politicians decided to give those on welfare some end-of-year advice.
"Unemployment benefit, which is paid by the state, should not be blown on rockets and bangers," Cornelia Seibeld of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) told Berlin newspaper B.Z..
This came in reaction to reports from shopkeepers that some welfare recipients were spending up to €150 on fireworks, nearly half of the monthly Hartz IV payment of €359."
The fireworks started shortly after noon, and continued until about 1am. I am referring to the 'continuous' fireworks, or those where the next bang is less than 30 seconds or so after the previous. The time around midnight was the heaviest, of course, and when we went outside, the sky was red. I kid you not. I really thought, 'Can that actually be from the fireworks, or is this an alien invasion?'. Three red dots hovered above us for what seemed like more than a few seconds - they could have been spaceships... but then they exploded.
The street outside our house was crowded full of people, all of whom had their own personal explosives. I thought Americans were the only people stupid enough to mix megatons of black powder with alcohol, but I was so wrong! At one point, a neighbor came by to say 'hello'. He had his hands full with a mat of firecrackers. He dropped about 8 of them on the street, but he didn't notice. A couple of minutes later, one of our guests for the evening lit off some little ground-crawling type fireworks a few feet away... I wondered how many other live explosives were laying around waiting to surprise someone. The angle of inclination for the rockets seemed to get smaller and smaller as the explosives frenzy built up to a climax where rockets, firecrackers and various weapons of mass destruction were launched by nearly everyone over the age of three.
I ordered the children inside when it seemed to get 'too crazy' (i.e. I was terrified, and they were frightened enough to be relieved to be sent indoors).
One thing I wondered, 'How much does all this cost?'. I found the following:
"Germans usually spend over €100 million on fireworks in the three days leading up to the New Year. Although there are no statistics on how much of this cash is unemployment benefit, two Berlin politicians decided to give those on welfare some end-of-year advice.
"Unemployment benefit, which is paid by the state, should not be blown on rockets and bangers," Cornelia Seibeld of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) told Berlin newspaper B.Z..
This came in reaction to reports from shopkeepers that some welfare recipients were spending up to €150 on fireworks, nearly half of the monthly Hartz IV payment of €359."
Wow.
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