Computerteach

The next day we tried again with the train and it worked perfectly. Well almost! The trip there was perfect but on the way back the next adventure began. They had a situation where World War II reared its head 60 years later. There was an unexploded bomb from that time near a track and it delayed everything for the day. They then moved our train to another track but didn’t announce it until it was seconds from leaving and we could not get there in time. We were now stuck in Berlin and no tickets to get home to Leipzig. We discovered another train leaving and we just jumped on and took our chances. When the conductor came around, Walli spoke with them and was very powerful in her persuasion and they allowed us to travel with no additional tickets or cost. We made it home but an hour later.

When we got to Berlin it was wonderful to see the size of the city. It has over 4 million people and is truly a national capital in sight, sound, and feel. We decided on a tour bus which is something I have never used because I love to walk and explore, but we decided to see the highlights and lay plans for our next visit. We saw the church dedicated to Kaiser Wilhelm I. It was a once beautiful building that was almost completely destroyed by the bombs in World War II. It stands as a monument to peace. We than visited Checkpoint Charlie and had a chance to visit the museum dedicated to the Berlin Wall and the eventual removal and reunification. It was a strong reminder of tyranny and the effect that it has on people. We had a chance to visit the GDR museum in Leipzig and this was a continuation of the theme. The resilience of the people is amazing and it was great to see the courage and bravery of the people of both Germanys’ during this time. I can’t tell you how it makes you feel to see the piece of the wall that is still standing and the feeling that the separation of families, communities, and a country elicits. This seems similar to how the country must have felt during the Civil War but that time is so far removed it is hard to grasp but this is still a fresh wound.

The next stop was the Brandenburg Gate and it is one of the most impressive sights we have seen so far. It is a powerful sight as you approach and to think that for many years much of it was obscured by the Berlin Wall. It was also a chance to see the American Embassy that is there as well. The students had a chance to see some street performers that were amazing and some dancers that that were as good as I have ever seen. We spent the rest of the time walking back to the train station and had a chance to walk by the Reichstag Building. It also has an air of nationalism that was evident in the people as they walked around. It must have been the same feeling we had when we visited Washington DC earlier this year. The trip back was uneventful and we had a great time. Tomorrow we will travel to the Czech Republic and visit the city of Prague.  I will not put up any pictures of this stuff until I return so please look for them when I get back. We finished the day with a wonderful dinner at a restaurant that sits on a beautiful lake. You would never guess that this lake was a strip mine for brown coal during the time of the GDR and has been rehabilitated. It now stands as an example of good environmental practices that they have taken since the reunification.  Berlin was a great day and I would love to spend several days there. I did notice a decided upturn in tourists traveling here and in Prague. It was a stark difference to what we encountered in Achern but it is important to see these wonderful things to really get a full sense of Germany. Germany is a dichotomy of rural and city life and it really makes it seem like we have enjoyed that full experience. If you travel to Limon in Colorado and then Denver you will have a different experience and I think we have been lucky to have both.

Our next adventure was to get from Achern to Leipzig and to our next destination. We had tickets for Monday morning and were going to have to make several transfers with a lot of luggage. Unfortunately, we missed the first transfer in Karlsruhe and this made the adventure last one hour longer. We were lucky to be met by our friends Walli and Kai. They have a beautiful flat in Leipzig near the train station. They have three daughters, Eliane, Alina, and Christina. They have an exchange student also staying with them from France. There were ten of use but we all fit very comfortably and everyone had their own space. We had a great adventure getting here but we are glad that we are here in Leipzig.

Our next adventure was to visit Berlin on Tuesday. We had to take a train from Leipzig to Berlin. We all got on the train and waited for it to start. We waited, and waited, and waited. After over an hour we decided that we would not have much time in Berlin so we decided to try the next day and took Tuesday to spend in downtown Leipzig and explore the community. We had a great time and saw things that were mind boggling. We had the opportunity to walk inside the same church that Bach worked for 27 years from 1723 to 1750. It was awe inspiring to know that we stood on the same ground as someone with that kind of talent and to visit his grave. The church is another exceptional example of the churches of Germany. We also had a chance to visit the church that was the starting point of the resistance and the movement towards the reunification of Germany in 1989. St. Nikolai is a beautiful church but it stands as a strong focal point to the importance of freedom and connection for the German people. We also had a chance to visit the tallest building in Leipzig and venture to the top observation deck. Have I mentioned that I am afraid of heights? It was wonderful to get this kind of view of the city. They have a huge greenbelt that runs the length of the city and is several kilometers wide and several hundred kilometers long. It is a chance to see a forest and wildlife inside of the city.

Tomorrow we are leaving for Leipzig and will need to travel by train for the four hours to get there. I am excited to see a city in the former GDR and I can’t wait to see what has been done to the city since reunification. I have seen a few pictures but I want to see the real thing. I may not be able to do a lot of blog entries for the next week because of access from my laptop. If there is a gap please look for the full updates when I return after the fifth of July. If I don’t get a chance, please enjoy Canadian Independence Day on the 1^st of July. The picture for today is me on the patio for the staff room. It has become my office for the last three weeks. One challenge for their teachers is that they have a space in the staff room and that is the extent of their space. They travel from room to room so they have very little personal space for books or other resources. But I was able to get my desk just like they did, I just was on the patio outside. They were very gracious about letting me use this space and access the internet from school. I can’t say enough about how well we were treated by all of the staff.

Last night we had the chance to see the ceremony for the students that have successfully completed the Arbitur. It is the test for school completion in Germany. The ceremony was a little long but they include several pieces into a single ceremony. At Rangeview we have the Academic Awards night, the Convocation, and the Graduation. At the Heimschule Lender they start with a church service and then move to a light buffet.  After the buffet we went into the Gymnasium Achern’s sports room. (To put our American twist to the phrase: we went into “Gymnasium Achern’s Gymnasium.”) The ceremony started with all of the enthusiasm that a celebration should have. The students entered to a mix of Elvis Presley songs. The students had chosen “Love me Lender” as their theme and the night carried the theme throughout. It was fun and had a great sense of joy. When the students were seated they had a few speeches and then handed out the academic awards. They had a band made up of students that sang a few songs. They were fantastic and of course, they did an Elvis song or two. They gave some scholarships and recognized the tops students in the class. They then gave out the certificates based on the concentration that they have had for the last two years. Frieda’s certificate was in English and the teachers in charge of the form had a couple of minutes to speak about the group. It was nice to see a close connection between the students and their faculty advisor. It could serve as a model for mentoring programs elsewhere. Then the band played a little more and then the highlight of the evening. The Abifilm! It was the senior class video. It was about 40 minutes but was a focused film that had several scenes. The best was the portion about the grade 5 students that have rolling backpacks. The graduating students portrayed police and were pulling over the students with these backpacks. They conducted sobriety checks, checked the roadworthy condition of the backpacks, and of course they had to check that they had enough insurance. They other scene that was very funny was a spoof on Nature shows and going into the wild to learn about the habits of the “animals” that inhabit the other local school and their rival. It was very funny and creative. The picture for today is Frieda and her parents last night. It is wonderful to have been able to share this important evening with them:

The next stage of the adventure continues. Today we went to Baden-Baden. Another chance to visit an historic city and stroll some beautiful gardens. We had some spring water that is supposed to heal everything but it was a little heavy with minerals and didn’t taste very good. Maybe it is those that help heal. We visited an ancient Roman ruin and did some shopping in the downtown. It was a relaxed day and gave us a chance to spend time with Kaila’s exchange partner from 2 years ago. Kaila has been very lucky with her exchange partners. Both Nathalie and Frieda have been fantastic. Both families are a joy to be around and I am happy that we had a chance to visit with them. Tonight is a very special night. We have the opportunity to go to the graduation for the school. Frieda is graduating and was able to get us tickets. Today’s picture is from the spa where we had the water:

The final evening was a great conclusion to our trip. We had a potluck Barbecue with all of the families. We spent some time thanking the families for their huge contribution to this program. The parents in American and Germany both did a great job of making their hosted student feel a part of the family. These students will always have a place to stay in the other’s country. It is a connection that will last forever and the family component makes it even stronger. The American students had to say something that they enjoyed while in Germany in the German language and presented them with flowers as a thank you for their visit. They did a great job of speaking in front of a group of native German speakers. The German students then gave little reminders of the American student’s visit. The gifts were everything from candy, to puzzles, to framed pictures. Each gift was an individual representation of their time together. We had time for a large picture with all of the students and teachers. The students will be going home exhausted and I think that the impact of the visit will take time to fully blossom. I can’t say enough about how our students acted while in Germany. They represented their families, school, and America very well. My hope is that they appreciate the adventure they have just completed. For me the adventure will continue. I will be staying another week in Sasbach and up north in Leipzig. We will be traveling to Prague and Berlin, so keep an eye here for the continuing adventure. The picture for today is from the dinner. Also, please continue to follow the pictures on my other site. The Computerteach

Did I mention that I am afraid of heights? Yesterday we went to Europa Park. I had a chance to ride three of the 5 roller-coasters. The other two had very long lines and we were in one for a while but it was over an hour wait for them. I rode the Mir Space station coaster and the Eurosat one. The other one I rode was an achterbahn für kinder. It was call Pegasus. We also did several other fun rides. My favorite was one that resembled a bobsled run. The students had a great time. It was a wonderful celebration and a great way to end our adventure here. The chance to remember all of the fun in Aurora and in Sasbach. We have had an amazing time and it is hard to believe that it is almost over. I will be staying for another 10 days in Germany so I hope to continue the blog for the remainder of my trip. We are going to Leipzig and we have trips planned to Prague and Berlin next week. Tonight we have the celebration and farewell dinner. We are doing a barbeque outside this evening. Tomorrow everyone else will fly back. At about this time tomorrow they will be boarding the plane and should be in Aurora in about 10 hours or 2 hours with the time changes. Today’s picture is of the Europa Park:

By the way “achterbahn für kinder” is roller-coaster for children!!!!

Last night the Decker family invited us to a working mill and showed us how it works. It was a great lesson in the ancient styles and techniques of agriculture. Mr. Decker did a great job of showing us how a water wheel works to run the mill and generate power. He showed the grinding process and how wheat is made into flour. We then had the opportunity to sit down to a wonderful meal of breads, meats, and cheeses that are common to the Black Forest region. The best was a Black Forest cake made by Allegra. We were lucky to have all of the students, their host students, and many of the host families. The families are the special part of this program that makes it even more meaningful. The connections to the whole family and not just the host student make the exchange deep in understanding that I am sure our families in Aurora also provided to our German students in April. Today’s pictures are from the event last evening and with a look ahead to tomorrow and the trip to Europapark and a chance to visit an amusement park with all of the typical rides including roller coasters. Did I mention that I was afraid of heights?

Last week during the morning break I was talking to students in the courtyard and talking about classes and experiences. I glance over to see this young lady looking strangely at me. It was beginning to creep me out until I realized that it was Lyndsay Whitehurst  who had graduated from Rangeview three years ago. She was in Germany visiting her host student from the exchange program several years ago and just happened to be visiting the school while we were here. It proves that these types of programs are long term and have an impact on students. Lyndsay  has been doing well in life and one of the key factors has been the study of language and the exchange program. Last year in college she took Gaelic as a way to increase her language skills even more. She is a shining example of what these types of programs do for students. The picture for this is a picture of some students but Lyndsay is on the right in blue:

I was informed this morning of what is considered a short German walk. For this area a short walk is 2 to 3 hours. I am used to a short walk being from the second or third row at Wal-mart and walking in. We spent the morning at Vogtsbauernhof which is a museum for homes and lifestyles of the Black Forest region for the last few hundred years. We toured buildings that were built in 1590 all the way to buildings built at the beginning of the 1900’s. The homes were very multifunctional. In some of the older homes you would have the family, stock animals, and food stores under the same roof. The ceramic heating is the most creative and still in use in modern homes. You heat the ceramic tiles that make up the mantle and fireplace facings and the ceramic holds the heat and will radiate heat for hours without a constant burning of fuel. Many of these homes were in use until the last few years when they were moved to this museum. We had the chance to see several industries of the area from mining to logging. The homes were practical and surprisingly large. The rooms were not tiny rooms like I associate with ancient buildings.

Our next part of the trip was to a health park for a short German walk. We walked a trail of different textures. Everything from small rocks, large rocks, sand, pine cones, mud, grass, and wood chips.  The trip was up and down a series of hills and 2 kilometers long. Did I mention that you take this trip  barefoot? What a great sensation and feeling on your feet when you are done. It was very refreshing and made me feel like I had new feet. We then went deeper into the valley and saw the world’s largest Cuckoo Clock. There was a little town a little further up the road. We had a chance to do a little shopping and had some wonderful ice cream. This trip was courtesy of the Koppel family that Kaila is staying with and was a nice family outing. Today’s picture will be the whole family in mud:

Below are the two links for the places we went.

http://www.parkmitallensinnen.de/park/

http://www.vogtsbauernhof.org/