Monday, October 22, 2012

outfits

in case you've been wondering what i look like on a weekly basis

wore this bad boy today
these boots are my new best friends
you can take the girl out of portland...
no, i didn't wear this to school.
first day of school!
this yellow sweater has seen the most action...
dirndl.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

parents, pumpkins and perspective

Perspective is a funny thing.

It's also really hard to draw correctly, like seriously, you keep having to erase, redo, erase, repeat. WHY IS PERSPECTIVE SO HARD?! But I digress…

I now have 6 days worth of perspective from my last bout of rambling and i can vigorously and honestly say that those 6 days have been mighty helpful. Before I was feeling a bit "UGHHUNFFHGUHH HARD WORK" about this teaching thing but now I'm totally like "OKAYYEAH TOTES DOABLE." A lot less grunting now. I'm not making much sense, am I? The point is, one of the lessons that didn't go according to plan on Monday, was much better the next time around, in fact, I've been asked by 2 other teachers to do it for their classes. I'M IMPROVING, GUYS! I'm learning that things won't always work in a classroom, and that it's no big deal. It's no one's fault, the teachers won't hate me, and the students will put up with my novelty.

This past week was incredibly tiring,  fun and fruitful. I've been getting lots of happy feedback from the teachers about the students' general reactions to me. aka THEY LOVE ME. Also, I'm slowly weasling my way into the teachers' hearts as well heh heh heh. Hopefully more baked goods are in my future. So far, my lesson topics have been:
- Introductions
- Health and Fitness, with the help of Michelle Obama and Beyoncé
- T.V.
- American High School
- Teen Problems

I haven't picked these bad boys myself, and i have a feeling they will only get more bizarre as the year goes on…OH WELL. I'm currently working on setting up an English hour somewhere in the city once a week so the kidlets can talk about things they actually want to, not just why Americans are so fat, Romney is an insane loon, and High School Musical…Hopefully I get that straightened out before November :D

This week was both fun and fruitful because, guess who came to town?! MY PARENTS. The mom and pops joined me on the continent for a weekend of eating, walking, shopping, picture taking and more eating. There was a lot of eating involved. We ate a lot of pumpkin. Styria (the province I'm in) freaking loves pumpkin. If Graz could marry any vegetable, it would be the pumpkin. (are pumpkins vegetables or fruits…?) They also really like wild meat here, so of course deer gulash and deer schnitzel were on the menu as well. Mmmm…Though, I could definitely go for a detox right about now…SO MUCH BUTTER. Anyway, took the parents out for food, castle viewing, shopping, sturm drinking, beer drinking, etc. etc. While they were here we more or less planned the upcoming Heinrichs Family Christmas. I'll be flown to Brentwood for the actual festivities, but afterward we're going to GRANADA OH YEAH SPAIN WOO MOORS YEAH AL HAMBRA! I'M SO EXCITED. Eeeeeee! But more on that later.

Although my week didn't actually involve much fruit, it was fruitful in the sense that now my room feels like my room. The giant white walls now have things on them, I bought MOOD LIGHTING and the number of scarves hanging from their hooks tripled. LIFE IS SO GOOD. As you may well know, a Kat Heinrichs room needs mood lighting. (we all remember the Love Lair) So, I will post pictures of my cozy cozy domicile soon…I still need to clean it.

THERE YOU GO. My week in a nutshell. Oh, also, roasted chestnuts are still gross.

THAT IS ALL.

Monday, October 15, 2012

things and stuff

Today I learned several things, most of which were rather on the lame side of things. So I'll start with the non-lame things!

1. There are some sweet inexpensive boots at a store near my house, and I'mma buy them tomorrow.
2. I can make really good chilli-noodle-spicey-vegetable-y soup stuff. Even the roommate said it smelled good.
3. I have tomorrow off.
4. I have 1 less class than expected Wednesday.

The lame things:
1. A successful lesson plan is harder than it looks.
2. The vacant stares of teenagers is physically painful.
3. I need to simplify my lessons.
4. My German feels stunted. Super stunted. Like, pre-Munich stunted. UGH.
5. I think I feel a cold coming on.
6. Austrian schools could use some organization.

But whatever. Today was the first day I had to do something other than an introductory or pre-arranged lesson. So it was bound to be challenging, right? Sure. Now I more or less know what to expect from now on.

Back to things that are on the brighter side, I'm having just a swell time. I made new friends this weekend, hung out lots with the ones I already made, saw some people run a marathon, ate my weight in chinese food, and decided to go to Munich in two weeks~ MUNICH I LOVE YOU. I will get to play with pals, revisit old local haunts and bask in the memory of two years ago. Mmmm. Also, my parents are popping in this weekend for some touristy fun. Woo!

i'm too tired to be witty, or regale you with detailed retellings of the past week or so but…whatevz. DEAL WITH IT. I love you? I'll get better at this blogging thing with time. Maybe. Hopefully.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

graz--y photos

the other side of the opera house! also a 6 minute walk from my house

Kaiser-Josef-Platz. There's a biggum market here always.

Fall is finally here.

Gorgey, non?

Entering Hauptplatz

Leaving Jakominiplatz. AKA bus/tram haven.


Inside the previous church

Graz Rathaus

The river Mur and it's island

fish!

Turtle!

Schloßberg from a distance.

Kunsthaus Graz


Schloßberg


'nother church.

Let them eat cake.

Bicycle training ground for children in the Stadtpark.

Sunday, October 7, 2012

lange nacht der museen

Last night all over Austria was the Lange Nacht der Museen--the long night of museums. Most, but not all (the natural history museum was closed. jerks...) of the museums here in Graz were open from 6 pm until 1 am and one €13 ticket got you into everything! I went with four other TA's and our first stop was the Universalmuseum which is an old several story building containing several museums, and random exhibitions.
Joanneum
One of the museums is the Bruseum which showcases only pieces by Günter Brus, a famous and potentially completely bonkers artist from Austria. He filled notebook after notebook with ideas and stories, and had walls and walls of illustrations. None of it made sense but I loved it.
Sample of Brus' work
After this slightly overwhelming venture (there was also a normal exhibit for classical, impressionistic and expressionistic Austrian works which we saw.) we decided to go to Schloss Eggenberg which was also part of Die Lange Nacht. What was special about the castle last night? CANDLES. Over 600 candles were used througout the castle, including in the driveway! IT WAS SO GREAT. We accidentally had a long tour of the coin museum there but were lucky enough to have the last tour of the Planetensaal.
Planetensaal
It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. IT WAS LIKE A PERFECT DREAM. And you can rent out this room! WEDDING WHAT?! Anyway. Not only did we see this glorious room, but all the others on this floor! IT WAS SO GREAT. Candles! Baroque! MORE CANDLES!

I was floating on cloud nine the whole way home. oh, and before we saw this MASTERPIECE we stopped for drinks and dessert. COULD LIFE GET ANY BETTER?

Oh wait, it can...I HAVE MONDAY OFF.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

glimpse of graz

Mausoleum

Mausoleum

Castle clock

Graz

Sweet frescoes

Sankt Martin

My street

One of my schools!

The neighbors

Monday, October 1, 2012

and so it begins

Good golly, Miss Molly! (who's Molly?) It's been ages since I've bothered to write some words and send them into the vast mysterious cavern of collective thought that is the internet (waxing poetic today, apparently) Since the last blip, things and stuff have happened! For starters, last weekend my new pals (I HAVE PALS!) and i watched all three Lord of the Rings in one sitting. With pizza. And snacks. SO MANY SNACKS. It was a heroic undertaking and I regret not a minute of it. Although Boromir's death took a lot out of me right at the beginning. (Beginning in the scheme of things. 2.5 hours into things, really.) Anyway. I'm acclimating! And being more or less social! I think my social quota for September was tripled last week during orientation..

For four days and nights, I divided my time between a nunnery in Graz, complete with blue habit wearing nuns, and a castle thing in the hills surrounding Graz.. (Unfortunately the word castle here is rather liberal. Think really nice mansion with turrets!) During those four days I was oriented again and again with powerpoint presentations, classroom seminars, games, and a morning in a REAL LIVE AUSTRIAN SCHOOL TEACHING CHILDREN!! CHILDREN!!  The week felt like a month, but despite the ad nauseum repetition of what has already been in every packet we've been mailed, I think it really did prepare me for my upcoming year. Our morning in the school went really well, it was a business school, and the classes we talked to were between the ages of 16-18. They listened and took part in our silly activities and didn't make any of us cry! (I was in a group with two other lovely ladies here in Styria.) The highlight was when the professor asked us when we were coming back for a lesson! HE LIKED US THAT MUCH. That thursday in the maze that is the Austrian school system really eased most of my nerves and stopped the panicked wailing deep in my soul.
When I wasn't learning about classroom management or eating strange vegetarian cabbage casseroles (yeah…) I was smoozing and friend-making. Most of the pals I made during orientation are in the province of Styria, so they're all a stone or boulder's throw away! We spent our free time giggling, mocking and drinking. Three of the best pastime activities there are in this world. I hope to see more of their happy faces soon! SOON I TELL YOU.

Now, you know what day it is, don't you? It's October 1st and that means that today was my first real live day at my schools. Today I became a teacher. Assistant. Thing. Whatever. I have a job now! I woke up at the disgusting hour of 6 to get to my school well-groomed by 7.30; Now there is still some confusion as to what role my two schools play: I was told one would be my main school however what the Fulbright Commission told me, and what one of the schools believes are two very different things. I've registered all my bank info at one school, and they will be paying me, and they are quite certain they're in charge of me, so to speak but…I am not one to get in the way of bureaucracy. I'll let them handle this on their own and go about my business.
Both of my schools specialize in different things. The first one I visited today is called a BAKIP which essentially means a high school for students who wish to become a kindergarten teacher. It's not strictly vocational but also not as academically strenuous as, say, an academic Gymnasium. (there you have to learn dead languages, English and a modern romance language…) So far the teachers at the BAKIP have tucked me neatly under their wings and shown me several ropes. Most of the faculty are women, including the headmistress who is a short, stout and incredibly friendly woman with whom I will have coffee next week! She was also impressed with my German heh heh heh. As were the students! I was allowed to teach the greater part of a class this morning, where we played a game all about me. As two girls were chattering in German, asking what exactly the rules were, I answered her question in German and she was most impressed. Apparently they don't expect much of me, which is good! The class had about 30 kids, 3 of which were boys. Apparently the overall school ratio is 10-90. And I thought the odds at Lewis and Clark were bad…

After my morning there, I wandered three bus stops down to my second school which is more of you average high school with oodles of subjects, all meant to send you to university. Here I met another of my head teachers, who was very friendly and quick to throw me into the mix. I was introduced to about 5 English teachers before my first lesson with him. Again we played the game, the kids were interested and paid attention and thought I was kind of cool. Or at least goofy in a charming sort of way. When I returned to the teacher's lounge (a safe haven from the zoo of the hallways) i was quickly fought over for the next lesson! PEOPLE WERE FIGHTING OVER ME. So, I went with another English teacher to her class of 17/18 year olds and repeated. They were equally fun and engaged. This was the 3rd time that day I'd done this lesson so I was beginning to fade. But I didn't let it show! After that there was a 20 minute break where I tried to speak German, but was too tired so made lots of idiotic mistakes and made a very nice lady probably think my brain is the size of an underfed turnip…But she did take my phone number so I can hang out with her daughter! WOO! Her class was the least responsive, but not at all rude. Afterward I was glad to take the bus home, buy a schnitzel sandwhich and curl up in bed with How I Met Your Mother.  I have already taught 4 lessons and will probably have a very similar day tomorrow and will hopefully be given a schedule of some sort…I also still need to pick up my visa! Which is ready! HURRAH!

I'm vair excited for this year and am feeling much more confident in my abilities to be a TA. Now, I want to eat some soup.

Liebe Grüße aus Graz!