Sunshine

I don't feel I've really said how completely beautiful it is here, especially where I work. I plan to really explore the village soon. However. I take the train to Landstuhl, and go by fields and gardens and lots of trees and even some horses. In the mornings there is usually a fog that lifts as the day progresses. Sometimes when I'm in one of the higher floors of the school I can watch the fog roll slowly by, and see down into the town and to towns past, over hills covered with trees full of leaves burning with fiery autumn colors. My school sits on hill surrounded by trees. I love the rolling hills and all the forest area, and they think it's flat here! Not at all what one comprends coming from the Mid-West.

Sunday Koto came to visit. It was wonderful! I'd missed her so much. One day wasn't enough, but better than not having seen her. We spent the afternoon walking around and seeing town, I showed her a lot of our churches and fountains. She says it's much prettier than Frankfurt. As she left I had one of those moments that reminds you of films. After lots of hugs she got on the train, but stood there in front of the door, letting other people go and we kept talking until the beeping warning that the doors would close sounded and I stepped away from the train. The doors closed. We waved, and kept waving as the train slowly pulled away from the station. I didn't want her to go. It was sad, but I was so glad to have seen her. Luckily I get to see her again very late on the 26th when I come back from Scotland and need a place to sleep instead of staying the night in a train station, which is not safe.

Every Sunday Thomas (my Betreuungslehrer=teacher who is responsible for me), two of his friends, and Chuck and I do dinner together. We meet at someone's house and cook. It's so great! One time we made an American dinner with hamburgers and brownies, another they made us Zwiebelkuchen und Federweisen/Neuer Wein. Yummm! This last Sunday everyone had just gotten back from "holidays" so we went to Thomas's and ordered pizzas, only he made ME do it! I don't even like doing that at home. lol. But it's so nice b/c it's a weekly thing, just like our Stammtisch Abende (tonight). It's one of those signs that you're carving a niche for yourself somewhere new, when you have those ordinary things that make up everyday life but are so wonderful. Like when I go to the Markt on Saturdays for groceries.

I only had to work 2 hours today. Nice. Tuesdays are supposed to be my long days, but with tests there has been some changing in teachers using me. Which is fine, because other teachers have been picking up the slack. I did two lessons on American high schools yesterday, and the kids love the pictures and yearbook I brought from home. I wish I had brought my class ring and letter jacket. I'm getting ready to prepare a lesson on Thanksgiving and hopefully will do it in several classes b/c I feel it's an important American tradition/holiday and much more fun than grammar and normal class, so they should enjoy it as well. I always want to bring in props but I don't have many and it's expensive to obtain them. I also wanted to build a gingerbread house (or houses) before Christmas but that sounds too problematic/messy. My teacher wasn't as excited about the idea, which I can understand.

Tonight is my first night of ballroom dance practice. I hope it goes well. Can't wait to see how good my partner is. Or if I even know the International dances anymore, since I'm sure they don't do American style here!