Remember when I was
excited about the start of winter? HA! I am so ready to welcome spring.
You may have noticed, dear reader, that I haven't written in almost two months. This is, in part, due to laziness, but more that, after the Christmas Season, Germany becomes, well, dull. These past two winter months consisted of me waking up in the dark, going to school in the dark, teaching, going back to Mainz to run errands in the last hour of sunlight, and shutting myself in my apartment because it's dark. Occasionally I would go out in the evening with friends to eat, enjoy beverages, or play games, but mostly, I had no desire to go out past 4:30. Because it was cold. And dark. So my dear reader, I have not forgotten you, I just haven't had anything to write about.
My class schedule was switched at the beginning of February, so now I teach mostly the Oberstufe (11th and 12th), instead of 8th grade. I no longer have 8f (the Teufelkinder)! I like all of my classes (some more than others), but due to a larger variety of classes, I have a lot more work in preparing lessons. But I'm liking it.
One of the only awesome things about winter I can look forward to is my birthday. Since it is at the end of February, at home it is kind of the start of Spring. Here in Germany, it is still cold (and NOT Spring), but the kick-off to having an interesting life again.
Mainz 05 happened to play Bayern on my birthday weekend, which made for an easy way to celebrate. On Saturday, Jessica came up from Ludwigshafen, Beth and Lori came in from Bingen, and the Mainzer crew gathered to watch the game and enjoy beverages at the Porter House. The game was awful - Mainz
really lost - but we enjoyed ourselves. After the game, we moved on to Eisgrub for a Turm. Some crazy fan from Bayern talked (well, slurred) with us for a while, then invited us to his wedding.
With the Turm at Eisgrub (photo courtesy of Michelle)
On your birthday you are supposed to bring food to school. I decided to bake enough peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies for every teacher. All 140 of them. Emily was gracious enough to loan me her kitchen/oven, and I spent all Sunday baking.
Monday was the big day. I hauled the cookies to school and had class like normal. I usually have 8D (my favorite!) on Wednesday, but due to some test they had to take, my hour with them was moved to Friday. Since I have the lesson they have on Monday free, I said I would come on Monday instead. I went to class, but was told that I had to wait outside. Then one of the students came out, blindfolded me, and led me inside to my surprise birthday party! The kids had baked cookies and brownies and decorated their classroom with balloons and streamers during the break. Frau Reisinger had told the students on Friday that it was my birthday on Monday, so they should be extra nice (not like they need help doing so), and they organized the party by themselves!
And they made me a card!
They sang 'Happy Birthday' and each student shook my hand. It was the sweetest, most thoughtful thing that has ever happened to me. I almost cried. They were so excited to throw me a party. And to eat sweets (but who can blame them?).
The English department also gave me a card and a Schnitzel cookbook (over 50 varieties!). They've figured out that I enjoy cooking and thought it would be a nice 'German' gift. I had lots of sweet well-wishes from a lot of teachers and many requests for cookie recipes. After school I came home to flowers and cake from my roommate. This was one of my favorite birthdays, and certainly one I won't forget.
But now we're in March, the beginning of the whirlwind adventure that eventually will lead to home. The days are becoming warmer and brighter, and far, far more interesting.
lg, Lauren
