It's All English to Me

At the Christmas Market in Dresden

I just realized that I have almost been here for more than three months.  Furthermore, I am averaging a whopping one blog per month. Lame!  So here's another :)

The last couple weeks have been great--feeling a lot more settled at school, traveling for a couple weekends before that (prompting my housemate to call me a Travel Maniac), and just feeling more settled in general.  The kids seem to be enjoying having me around as well, which is always a moral (ego) boost.  I was even cheered for in the third grade class the other day!  One of the local newspapers came into one of the classes yesterday to interview me because they are running sections on the local schools.  The article turned out really nicely and they ran a picture of me "teaching" with some of the kids.  Most definitely staged.  The kids were all trying to get into the picture for a little, but in the behaved German way they ended up staying back far enough for the photographer.  The one kid who ended up (not on purpose) being in the background was the one kid whose parents said that he wasn't allowed in the picture.  I guess some people are just destined for greatness no matter what stands in their way.  Sometimes not even your parents can keep you out of page F27 in the newspaper.        (ok, the number was a little exaggerated). 

At my favorite Dresdener Weinachtsmark: Neumarkt

We've been learning about Christmas for the last couple weeks as well as finishing up our time unit. . the two units together have introduced more Britishisms than I thought would run into in Germany.  It has been incredibly difficult to remember it's half past 10 instead of ten-thirty.  I still seldom "have got" anything nor have I ever taken "maths" in my life.  If my American accent wasn't hard enough for the kids to understand I don't know how my confusion helps my explanations either.  I have found that there is an interesting amount of pride in American English among the Fulbright students.  I think being around someone else's dialect brings what you like about your own into sharp perspective.  There are more differences than you would think as well.  Last week while teaching the second-graders i took the stack of cards and held up the first one.  I love the second grade because they provide a counterpoint to the big fourth graders.  They are small and get to play a lot of games in class as opposed to having a little more constructed work.  Now, most times the cards have the words on the back: picture of a pair of shoes = shoes, etc.  These didn't but what could be the big deal?  I started out strong with "these are socks" and then quickly plummeted to a point where I should have just sat down with the kids.  Before the children could repeat, "this is a hat" we were informed that it was, in fact, a WOLLY hat.  Ah, no big deal, that makes sense.  But it had planted a seed of doubt.  After success with "t-shirt" we moved on to "these are shoes." But they weren't, they were "trainers." After a further failure with "cappie" I tentatively checked with the teacher, "jacket?"--It could definitely have been a jacket masquerading as an "anorak"--it was and I was finally more confident wearing my trainers, socks, trousers, and pullover.  Its all English but I have never got any maths.

Neumarkt again, with the Frauenkirsche in the background. After taking this
we had to run to a store to warm up.. it was a balmy 15 degrees or something.

On another partially related note, I have been enjoying Christmas time in Sachsen.  I seem to have landed in two of the best places to experience Christmas in the Germanic world with Salzburg and Dresden.  People absolutely love Christmas time here and are extremely proud of their traditions, their markets, and their handmade works.  There are many many different Christmas markets in Dresden besides the main market, the Stielzelmarkt, which claims to be the oldest in Germany and has the largest Erzgebirge step pyramid.  I am yet to find one for myself (miniature sized) but am hoping to get a handmade one this week before I leave for Salzburg for Christmas.  I did get myself a really neat Räuchermannchen that was carved down in the Erzgebirge and resembles Gandalf a little.  I think he and the Pyramid would be a fitting Christmas adornment together.  

Räuchermannchen

 Thats all for now but I would like to wish everyone a very merry Christmas from here in Germany :)

I have some more pictures on my camera but cannot find the cord.  ONce I find it I will for sure post some more!

Denise and I on a snowy hike south of Dresden