Firstly, I have been kept busy with my first intense German Language course. I have officially just completed 5 weeks of German lessons, every morning from 9 till 12.15. It has not been easy, but I can honestly say that my German has improved dramatically. All of my colleagues noticed a difference in my vocab knowledge but also my confidence and willingness to speak to them. I still make huge mistakes, but my colleagues are wonderful and help me when I get stuck. I am still not yet ready to sit my B1 test which is the important level at which my company expects me to be, but I'm a lot closer than I was 5 weeks ago. I will eventually do another intense course before the test, but I need a break.
The problem with this intense form of learning was that I still had to report to work every day after said class. I worked every day from 1pm to 6:30, after travelling 45min from class to work (I was stuck all the way out at Neuperlach Süd for class). This was not ridiculously impossible but as the weeks passed, I found myself getting more and more run down, and my brain was just struggling to work some days. It also really bothered me, getting to work at 1 as I hardly got to spend any quality time with my students. Luckily next week I return to normal shifts, starting with 7.15am shifts!
However, having said all this, I didn't let my exhaustion stop me from being an awesome teacher. In the lead up to January 26, I was determined to teach my kids a bit more about where I am from. It also timed in really well that I had just received a new student from Australia! It was a great week but it was celebrated in style on the Friday with an Australia Day party! During the week I read Possum Magic to my class, and we talked about the foods that Hush ate, and also plotted the foods on a map of Australia. We then made Anzac Biscuits and Lamingtons for the party. At home I also made mini Pavolovas and Meat Pies for my children to sample.
At the party, we played games including 'Pin the nose on the Koala', sang songs that I had taught during the week "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree..." and tried all the different foods. The children had a great time, and the familiar tastes and sounds settled the horrible homesick feelings I had been having for about a week. My new Australian family felt similarly and even took some extra Anzac biscuits home for dad! Best of all was being able to offer the left over food to my colleagues, not a single morsel went to waste and my colleagues all loved me for sharing some of my culture with them.
I was able to use this theme as a springboard for the overarching theme of the Kindergarten for the year - "Kinder Dieser Welt" - Kids around the world. So the very next week we left Australia and started making our way across the map, landing close by in Asia. Starting with China, we made lanterns and learnt some Chinese words. My colleague Cassandra even worked with the children to make Chinese name plaques. But at the end of the week, we jumped across to Japan. We were able to dress the kids up in a mini Kimono and my other colleague Naiyana painted the girls up as Geishas. I also made sushi with the children, which I can safely say did not go to waste.
By this time I was also being noticed for some of the work I had been doing. I am incredibly proud of the fact that an exchange program - travel buddies - that I ran with my amazing friend and teaching partner Carlie, was not only noticed but admired by the big bosses here. I received a full write up in the school newsletter for the month of January! This newsletter goes out to every family and staff member at all 10 schools in Munich, so naturally I was pretty chuffed!
But getting back to my classroom, we shortly found ourselves travelling through Thailand, the home country of my colleague Naiyana. She spoiled us by making fresh 'Frühlingsrolle' - spring rolls which were amazing. However, I was getting more excited every day that week as I knew what was coming. Firstly on the weekend, we were finally going to see a new Cirque du Soleil - Kooza!
We had bought tickets back in September and I had been almost counting the days. I love this company and the amazing new ideas they create with each show. Kooza did not disappoint! But strangely enough, after a very nice lunch date, we made our way to the location of the big tent, as we emerged from the train station, a snow storm had suddenly started. Leaving our lunch venue it had been sunny and not ridiculously cold. Complete opposite at the other end. It lasted about 15 minutes and when it stopped the sun re-emerged from behind the clouds. Only then was I willing to traipse across the carpark from the train station to the tent, with my scarf over my head for extra protection!
Even more exciting for me was the week ahead - this week. Monday saw the start of the next theme in the classroom. We had reached India. And of course, for those who know me well, this was my chance to show off my love of Bollywood dancing! So on Monday, I snuck out of my German class early and made my way to work where I got ready to surprise the children. I put on the full costume, all the bangles and earrings, and I had even applied henna to my hands and feet over the weekend. The students were gathered in the hall and when the music started I burst out of a side door! Some of my colleagues filmed the whole thing and watching it back I could only hear/see two things. First was all the mistakes I made, and second was the laughter and joy of the children. So naturally my mistakes were ignored after that. All week since then, my class and children from the other classes have been saying how much they loved dancing with me! It is such a wonderful feeling knowing that the children loved it so much! They also all wanted to touch the henna tattoos to see if was really my skin or if there was paint on my skin.... was really funny having all 70+ children come up to stroke my hands and feet!
And as if my week couldn't get any better, Tuesday I skipped German lessons again.... ooops.... because work was in need of a staff member to attend the ski course with the children! I was supposed to be on this for the entire duration of the course, but due to the German lessons, I had been taken off. But for one day they really needed someone and I was all too happy to oblige! We left school just after 8 in the morning, arriving an hour later at the ski field. The kids were so excited. It was their third day in the course and they were all eager to jump off the bus and find their instructor.
The slopes were jam packed with kids. I mean only kids. The only adults you could spot were the teachers! It is incredibly popular over here for children to learn to ski as part of their early schooling. So the children flying past me were all in the age 3+ category. Some of our little skiers were only 2!
Watching them was so much fun. Some kids are very new to it and were still learning how to operate a pair of skis, while others were absolute pros! One of my 5 year old girls whizzed past me with her group at one point, skiing backwards! Talk about a show off! But in all seriousness, I just glowed watching my little snow bunnies.
The best bit of all was witnessing the cool techniques used to teach children how to ski. There were different techniques being used by each group, but my favourite was when they set up a flat rope on the ground in a curve, handed each child a mini rubber steering wheel, then asked them to ski down the slope following the curve. All the children did was pretend to steer with their wheel and they followed the line of the rope! It was brilliant!
At the end of this day I was so exhausted. I unfortunately was rostered on for late shift all week, but even with the early start to the snow (I was at work at 7am) I still had to stay at work all day after the snow trip. The trip itself was so exhausting that on the way back to school, quite a few of the children slept. I may have joined them....
But all that being said, I am incredibly excited that my 5 weeks are now over, and that next week I return to normal work. Things are slowly starting to feel like they are making their way back to normal. I have had a very hard time with the day light hours as by early December, the sun was only rising at 8:30am and setting at 4pm. I think I mentioned this in an earlier blog, and it was something that depressed me a lot. With work taking up most of my day, I was not getting to see any sunlight. But in the last 2 weeks there has been a very sudden reverse of this, with the sun now rising just after 7am, and not setting until after 5:30pm. Its made a huge difference to how I feel. And I know that the days are just going to continue to get longer!
The best bit of all is what's to come. In a weeks time we are off on another mini holiday, this one to celebrate both my 28th Birthday, but also the date that marks 10 years of togetherness for Michael and I! We really only celebrate our wedding anniversary now, but we figured 10 years was worth honouring! So we are off to Sweden to spend a couple of days in Stockholm (Abba museum here I come!!!) and also a few days at the ..... ICE HOTEL!!!!! I cannot wait!
And two days after our return, I get to celebrate another German tradition - FASCHING! This is kind of like Carnivale but linked to Easter in a way. Either way it is a chance to dress up and have a ball! My costume is amazing, but currently top secret! I promise to post photos here shortly after the event! After that we have no super exciting plans for the immediate future. I return to study - this time my next masters unit, and hopefully Michael will soon have a job too.
So until the next blog (Sweden, ABBA, Ice Hotel, meatballs etc) I bid you adieu!
Note: Sincere apologies for the lack of photos. Majority of this blog relates directly to my work, and thus cannot post photos that contain students faces. And trust me when I say it breaks my heart not being able to share the good photos with you because my kids are just adorable and the things they do are amazing!
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