German Trip Day 2

Today started off rough. Jet lag was intense. Thankfully it passed after my shower! My eyes were red. I looked.... rough...

We ate a wonderful breakfast. In Germany, they do not serve pancakes, waffles, and sausage. Instead its rolls (they cherish their rolls), lunch meat and cheese, pretzels, yogurt, granola, and fruit. The food was pretty darn good, and I am looking forwards to eating the free breakfast every morning!

After breakfast we had presentations. We discussed the differences of etiquette between Germans and Americans. The things that surprised me are
-Germans eat with their forks in their left hand, and knife in their right. They DO NOT put the knives and forks down until they are done eating. It is improper to do so. (I learned this after breakfast....) -They also keep a small “trash can” on the table for jelly, jam, butter wrappers.
-Germans are known for their handshaking. If you shake weakly, you will be considered weak.

Lunch we got to go to a really cute little bakery! I tried my best at German and ordered some type of croissant with ham and cheese. It was really good!

I did my presentation on the German school tracking.
Which I am going to tell you all about! :) I am hoping all my information is correct so you can fully understand it!

Germans start off in Kindergarten, Kita which is short for Kindertagesstatte (Children's daycare center). Children attend between ages 3-6, but they do not have to attend. It is not mandatory, and it is not free, but the government can help pay. It is not part of the school system, and it is run by the city or town administrators, churches, or registered societies. It is also a day care for chuldren ages 6 months, to 10 years.

Next up is the German grade schools, primary school, or in German Grundschule. Children 6-9 must attend, which is up until 4th grade. They learn the basic skills like reading, writing, math, and religion. Theres also a class called Heimat and Sachunterricht where they learn about local history, geography, and biology. Like American grade schools, they only go outside of the main teacher for music and PE. After Grundschule (ages 10) students can go onto one of four schools. This entirely is based on their grades on tests they have to take. And it determines which school they can enter next, and if they will go to a university or technical trade or field.

One of the schools they can go is the Hauptschule. It is considered the lowest track in the German education system. The grades are 5th-9th, and they prepare the students for vocational occupations that require training. (baker, plumber, repairman, hands on jobs) During this schooling, they continue with their basic subjects, and they learn English (which is required in all schools now! Good thing too! I would be lost if it was not required) Students who do not get very good grades attend this school, and this is causing a problem in Germany. There are two (technically three) higher education schools above Hauptschule, and when students graduate from these three schools, they start taking all the jobs. So a student who graduates from Hauptschule, tries to find a job. But he/she has been branded with the title of Hauptschule graduate. (like only being a high school graduate in America (actually worse than a high school degree....)) So they can't find a job. It's making it rough in the economy because these students are not able to work. After Hauptschule, the students can move onto a vocational school for about two years. It makes their schooling a little less... worthless. But even still, the job market is still rough. We will be attending this school and observing next week. (I am interested in hearing what the students have to say about their schooling...)

The next step up for the schools is the Realschule. It is also secondary education, ages 10 or 11 to 16 or 17. It is more advanced than Hauptschule, with a more scientific emphasis. This school gives students the basics to prepare them for a midlevel job in business. They have to take a minimum of one foreign language, and is usually English. They also teach classes like technology, domestic encounters, math, science, geography, social studies, economics, history, religious education, and physical education. Once out of 8th grade, the students have to choose between Art and Music. If a student recieves a high enough grade, they can transfer to the Gymnasium.

The last school is the Gymnasium. It prepares the students to enter a university. This is the highest level of school a student can attend. It hosts students 5th to 13th grade. Teaches students, German, math, physics, chemistry, geography, biology, art PE, religion, history, and two foreign languages (one has to be English).

Thats the headmaster at this school! ^

The jazz band room! ^

Common types of gymnasium
1. Humanistisches Gynmasium (Humanities oriented)
2. Neusprachliches Gymnasium (focuses on modern Languages)
3. Sportgymnasium and Skigymnasium (Sports and Skiing)
4. Musikgymnasium (focus on music)
5. Europaisches Gymnasium (languages)

Students have to take the Abitur test, which they have to pass in order to attend to a university. WE were given some statistics by the headmaster about who passes this test. Out of 100 students, there is a 10 percent drop down rate, (meaning the students will drop down to the school lower than they were in. There is no “drop out” rate) 4 percent will decide that they don't want to take the test, and 2% will fail. If you fail, you have to wait a year before you retake the test, and then you only get one more chance. It is also not like the Basic skills test, because on the Basic skills, if you pass one part of the test, but fail the rest, you do not have to retake the part you passed. This is a 4-6 hour test we are talking about. I would not want to retake it! Todays visit was at a Gymnasium. It was amazing!

We met with the headmaster, who was a very nice man. He took us on a tour of the school, only speaking German (our professor translated) and then when the tour was done he walked us into his office where...

He took out his china for us!!! :)
We ate pretzels and raison bread, and drank tea and coffee with him while squeezing out as much information about German schools as we possibly could. He let us know so many things, like teachers are not accountable for students failing, that there is no NCLB, all the information about the Abitur test. It was amazing how much we learned!

After that meeting, we met with the student council of the school. Their instructor seperated the Germans and Americans on either side of the table, and started off by asking us what we thought about Germany. We all shared our feelings, and then the German students asked us questions about America.

Most of their questions had to do with Terrorism, and Obama and Osama. They wanted to know about how we all felt about all those issues that are affecting us right now. I think we all feel something different so it was difficult to really say. How are we supposed to feel? I have no idea!

Then the 'adults' left the room and we were free to discuss anything and everything. We discussed the school a little bit, but then they asked about how we felt with the marijuana laws in California. We also compared legal drinking and driving limits. Turns out, the measurements are different. So we just ended up very confused! It was a great laugh, and I think we all had a great time. We discussed good hang out areas for our free weekend, and turned up with nothing special... So I am still on the hunt for something to do with that!. I was sad to leave them at the end, because they were closer to our age (though much younger than me) and I felt that we could talk to them more openly about the night life. Since the drinking age in Germany is......16! I can't imagine going into the bars and seeing one of my students! That is nuts!

This is our German trip group, and the student council. Along with the jazz band director! He gave me a CD of their last biiiig concert. I was honored and I plan on listening to it in the morning!

We ended the day walking around Esslingen with our Professors relatives and her friends. They showed us some of the town, and told us where good places to shop, eat, and hang out were. We ate some amazing food- Doner kebap im Fladenbrot. Which is pretty close to a gyro, but oh so much better. OH SO MUCH BETTER!

After that the group went to the park to sit in a circle, play guitar and sing. It was very relaxing, and not something I am used to doing with a group of friends! But I loved it!

And to make my Casey/Westfield students proud, I introduced the German group to the game I learned from them... Ninja. And it was a hit!

Day 1: Germany

So I want to start off this post with the FO that I sewed up right before I left for Germany. I finished this quilt a couple days before I left and in good timing too. I handed it over to Steve's mom and she said she loved it. So I am a happy camper, knowing that I can finish a baby quilt in less than a week!

Now for the Germany trip!
We took off and I was hoping to get some sleep. The woman next to me was amazing! She was from Sweden, and was heading home from Las Vegas. The job she works at goes on a business trip every year, and they get to go to places like Australia, Ireland, the US. I want her job. I don't know what it is. But I want it!

I literally did not get more than an hour of sleep on the 8 hour plane ride to Copenhagen. I was smushed and could not get comfortable in my seat. Every time I would get comfortable I would wake up 10 minutes later with a numb butt.

It just did not work out for me.
So I ended up reading a book that I bought in the airport. Thought it was about a mother and her sons injury. Turns out it was a book entirely about cheating. It really put me on edge for the rest of the flight! but now that I finished it I am feeling a little less irritated!

We stopped in Copenhagen, Denmark for the layover. And of course. We bought Danishes.
And ate them.
But not really.

Flying over Germany was surreal. It does not really look all that different from the United States, except that it seems all the roofs are red. And beautiful!

We did not do much today, it was a bunch of waiting and standing and sitting and more sitting... With absolutely no sleep....

But when we got to the hotel room, I was in awe. It is not that small, plus the view is amazing! You can throw open the windows and stick your head outside. The culture smacks you right in the face! There is a river and waterfall outside of our windows, and if the window is shut you cannot hear it. But as soon as you open the window, it is like you are standing right next to it! Heres some pictures from the hotel room.

I think the biggest area of culture shock I am having is how perfect the streets look. Its almost like I went to Disney and was walking through the Hogwarts area. It just seems too perfect. Especially when you can see the rolling fields behind the buildings!

It has only been on day, but I am falling in love with this place. I may never want to leave! I am sad though because Steve is not able to get Skype on his computer... So I will miss talking to him during these three weeks...

Off to Germany

I am excited to report that I am just about to leave my house to head to the airport.

It will be a long airplane ride, 8.5 hours until Copenhagen, where there is a two hour layover. Then off to Stuttgart for another two hours. It will be a very long night. We are leaving 10:05 pm today (Sunday the 15th) for the 8 hour plane ride, which would put us at 6:20 am. Then the 2.25 hour layover puts us at 8:45am (Illinois time). Then its another 1.35 hour trip to Stuttgart. Which in Illinois time would put us at 10:20 am (if my math is correct).

Not too bad right? Wrong. It may be 10:20 in Illinois. But in Germany May, 16th it will already be 5:20pm.
Germany is 7 hours ahead of Illinois. So looks like I will have time for dinner and then back to sleep!

We have been advised to drink ALOT of water on the plane ride. It is supposed to reduce jet lag. I have never been on a flight this long. Longest was... to Puerto Rico when I was very young. Or Seattle, Washington. Both very long rides!

I am excited, nervous, scared, and homesick already. I taught myself a little bit of German last night. Not much, but enough to help me around town if I get lost. German seems to be a ton easier to learn than Lithuanian, just because alot of the words are alike. (reading it is slightly easier than talking or listening, because when you hear or speak German the letters all sound different)

W's are V's.

Z's sound like TS.

V's are F's.

And when you add in vowels, everything gets jumbled up. Mutter had to recorrect me constantly for the first.. hour...

But I am getting the hang of it. I just don't get enough of the flemmy throat sound that Germans seem to have down easy.

I hope to learn alot these three weeks!

Ok well... Looks like I better double check everything before I leave! I really don't want to forget my passport!

This is Proof!

I wanted to start this post with proof that I have been crafting! This is still a craft blog! I have not stopped! I would not be me if I stopped crafting!

Ok. So I said what I needed to say. Here is what I have been working on.

This is a baby quilt that Steve's mother asked me to quilt up for one of their neighbors. All that is left is the binding, and possibly (if I have time) more cutesy quilting.

I started this last week, the day she asked if I could do it for her. I went to Walmart... the only store in town that sells fabric... And I picked up three colors of fabric that I loved together. She didnt love it. So I grabbed the colors you see here. I don't love it. She does. So I made a quilt. :)
I need to have it done by Sunday because I am leaving for Germany then. And I will not be back until June 4th. Which is the day of the baby shower. So I am cramming as much hand quilting in as possible in my little free time!

If I get the binding done with time to spare I will be hand quilting in flowers on all the squares, just to make sure this quilt will stand up to the years of wear and tear a baby provides!

OH YEAH! I graduated! :p
I am a proud owner of a Music Education degree. No job yet. Still trying. 35 applications out since January. One completed interview (came in the top two but lost :( ) Tomorrow I have another interview. Which will be nuts because I will be heading up to Chicago, so it will have to be on my way... (with a car packed full of my apartment...)

^
Thats me and my family!!!

Look to the bottom right! Its me!
Yes... yes I get excited easily!

Now that I graduated, what am I doing with my life?
Exactly what I have been wanting to do for months!

I love fishing. Not as much as I like knitting or crocheting or quilting. But close. And in the past few days we have been doing a bunch of fishing!
This was the biggest catch of the day. Catfish!

For those of you who do not fish alot, when you hold onto a catfish they grunt. Or meow. its really an in between thing. BUT IT IS HILARIOUS!.

Steve let me hold this little guy right before we put it back in the water. I almost fell in because I was laughing so hard at the noises it was making!

We even caught a little snapping turtle. Named it Sassifrass. She literally just ripped apart a minnow in the cage we are keeping her in. Brutal.

How do I finish days where I fish until I cannot stay awake anymore?

By cuddling with Kitty. Of course.

End of the year

It has been a while. But I have a very good reason for it. I was finishing up my college career. Student teaching is done, (which I am very sad about) I am graduating tomorrow, and in a week I am leaving for Germany.

Even though I am done with school, the excitement and fun does not stop! :)

The saddest thing though right now, is leaving the school I was student teaching with. I loved getting up in the morning to teach these students. And even though my ST ended a week ago, I went back to the school this morning to conduct the grade school concert. It made my day so much better!

These are the 5th graders that I got to teach!

And the 6th graders.

Now the 6th graders were having fun on my last day, and blew up balloons, decorated the room, and just jazzed everything up.

Oh yeah. Did I mention they dumped a bag full of confetti over my head? (first thought "Oh no... the janitor is going to kill me!")

They also crepe papered me... And yes, I did walk down the hallway like that!

Today was their end of the year concert, and I was lucky enough to get to conduct on it! I love these kids so much!

Oh yeah, so we all know I went to Disney a couple weeks ago. But I didn't get to put up any pictures of me walking along side of the marching band. HOW FREAKING COOL IS THIS PICTURE!!!???!!! Best experience ever.

Lastly, I cut and dyed my hair. The long blonde was getting boring for me. And I was getting the itch to chop it off! So I did!

I promise, I will post crafting related pictures soon. I pinky swear. Just let me graduate already!

I'MMMM BAACCCCKKKK!!!!!!

Guess Where I went?



Guess???


Guess???

I'll give you a hint!

You probably guessed it if you follow my blog.

SO CONGRATS!!!

Yes I just got back from Florida, and it was the best student teaching experience that I could have ever asked for! I had such a blast, even if it was alot of work. Which it was. but it was still amazing!

GIRAFFE!!!

Medieval Times!

Dinos!

And beach day!

I just had so much fun, the students did great marching in Disney. It was such an amazing time. During the parade, I got to walk along side of the band, and this Disney character, with giant long fingers, (some dressed up doll) who was standing on the side leaned over to me and said "Welcome to Main Street" it made me smile so big!!!

I could not have asked for anything else when it comes to where I was placed for student teaching. This trip was something I am never going to forget. Never.



Before I left, I finished spinning a skein of yarn. I have posted some pictures before, but I really really wanted to post some of it finished. So here it is!

Its the best yearn that I have spun so far. I am starting to understand how to use a drop spindle, and I am trying to get better every time. I would love a spinning wheel though. Absolutely would love it.

But for now I have to go apply for some more band teaching jobs... sigh... such a bad time to apply for education... especially the fine arts...

Until later...

I swear I still exist!

Student teaching is kicking my butt.

At least during the day.

When I get home I either head off to the gym, go for a long run/jog/walk, head into work (recording studio), spin, knit, work on some lesson plans, head into work (catering), or over to steves for dinner.

Some days its all of the above.

I have been lagging in all my crafting. Mostly because I have until the end of this week before I am heading to Florida with the high school band I am student teaching with (squee). And only 4? weeks until graduation. I have really been pushing myself to lose these extra ten pounds.

I don't have a ton of weight to lose... thats the thing. I'm not overweight. I am actually at 22 BMI, which is healthy. But these extra pounds are just something I have told myself I would like to lose. Start college at 145, end college at 145.

Just a goal I have for graduation.



Now. I do want to say I have tried something new. Bikram Yoga.

It's... interesting.... and exhausting... and freaking hot...

It's yoga. plain and simple. Some of the positions are different though. For example, its 26 positions in a row. Which takes about 90 minutes. In a room that is 105-115 degrees.... ours was topping at 111...

The heat helps loosen your muscles. But I have never once in my life been that sweaty. Hated myself for agreeing to go to the yoga session during it, but after I felt great. and tired.

I would say try it out, if you are somewhat fit, and have done yoga before. And heat is not a huge issue. cause I swear... you will want to die during....




Now for crafting, I have finished spinning that rainbow yarn. But I do not currently have any pictures. I will though. I will.

Knitting wise? also not much. I have been working on multiple projects, slowly. Nothing spectacular, but I have some ideas of what I am going to start up working on in the next couple weeks.

I promise by Saturday I will have some great pics up of what I have gotten done!

I leave you with me after my run!

And now for something completely different: 2011 Knitting and crochet blog week (Day 5)

Knitting jokes.

Because I cannot write poetry.

My camera sucks (I get to use moms old *new* one as of next week! So I will finally have good pictures!)

I am too tired to write with yarn.

But I need a laugh, and I hope you get one out of these jokes!

A piece of yarn walks into a bar and orders a beer, but the bartender snarls, "We don't serve your kind here!". The yarn is forced to leave.

While sitting on the curb feeling sorry for himself, the yarn is suddenly hit with a brilliant idea. Working quickly, he ties himself into a knot and unravels his ends. Taking a deep breath, the yarn marches back into the bar and orders a beer.

"Hey!" says the bartender. "Ain't you that piece of yarn I just threw outta here?"

"Nope," replies the yarn, "I'm a frayed knot."


HAHAHAHAHAHA

Next.

A highway patrolman pulled alongside a speeding car on the freeway. Glancing at the car, he was astounded to see the blonde behind the wheel was knitting.

Realizing she was oblivious to his flashing light and siren, the trooper cranked down his window, turned on his bullhorn and yelled, "Pull over!"

"No!" the blonde yelled back, "It's a scarf!"


:)

I swear I will be more creative when I get my "New" camera!

Day Four: 31st March. Where are they now?

I am a day late. Sue me. It was my 23rd birthday yesterday and I was literally busy all day! I was teaching all morning, and then as soon as I got home I went to the gym for an hour or so. Yes. I went to the gym on my birthday.

Then the boyfriend made me dinner, and presented me with birthday presents!

Let me explain, so you don't think I am an ax murderer.

A week or so ago, I was trying to cut up a pineapple. with a steak knife.

Lets just say all the sawing in the world did not get me past that rind. I gave up. And in my tiny apartment, it was the only sharp knife I had... I had to borrow a neighbors to eat that delicious fruit. But I complained for days...

So he bought me a set of knives. And then donated some that he had laying around to my cause. (I felt bad for taking them, but he assumed me when we move in together, he will get them back anyways)

He also bought me a pan, since the pan I have.... well it burns everything.

But now that its not my birthday, I am going to catch on on the Knitting and Crochet Week!

I want to talk about some of the toys I have made, and who they went to. I do not know how they are doing recently, but I know they were my most favorite to make up!

First up. My soph. year roomie and I were obsessed with those beef jerky big foot commercials. And it was Christmas. So I wanted to make her something to remember the good times we had. I crocheted/knitted her up a big foot.

She loved it. It was hard to give up!
She was dating a guy named Trevor, who was always a great guy to me. I decided since he liked turtles to knit him up a Shelden. I am sure he still has it laying around!

If you have not caught on with the big foot, I will randomly make something up. This is a camel I was dared to make. Is it perfect? heck no. But the guy that dared me had such a great laugh when he got it, that my week was made.

This is Rupert. I made it for a guy I was dating Soph, year of college. We named it Rupert after the Family Guy teddy. I absolutely love how cute this pattern turned out. I even used older looking yarn to give it a... used look. I have not talked to this guy for a while now, but I am sure he still has it laying around somewhere!

A lobster. Long story short, Rock Lobster is my besties and my fav song. So I knit her a lobster. She laughed. I laughed. She still has it. But I am sure in the mess of her room she will never find it! :)

Lastly, was the duck I knit up for my brother. He was dating a girl who wanted a duck. I knit it, he handed it over, they broke up, He wanted it back. Of course once he got it back, he didnt want to keep it. So I got it back. It now sits on my bed at the rents house. I love it. I put so much work into this little guy. It will stay with me until I die.

That is if I can get it away from my cat!