Thrilling Classes and Chilling Stories

January 21st

I once again didn't do too much. I made some no bake cookies for the history professors who are leaving on Friday, because we are having a good bye party for them. I have to admit that I am sad that they are leaving because they have been very nice to me, but I will still be seeing them on Fridays when we meet for our Stammtisch.

January 22

We actually had beautiful weather today. The sky was blue and it wasn't very cold. The weather has become a lot milder since about the second week of January. I prepared a lesson on the Simpsons for a year 13 class. My teacher had given me the episode copied onto DVD that she had acquired from her student. The episode was the first one of this year's season and was about the U.S. primary race and basically mocks the entire media and the idea of a forerunner being named after the New Hampshire Primary. There were a lot of puns and inuendos and I wasn't sure how many the class would catch, but they seemed to do a farely decent job. I had never taught this class before, but it turned out really well and they actively participated, which always makes things go more smoothly. I have a long day on Tuesdays and tutor a boy after I am done with classes, so I came home and fell asleep watching tv. Earlier that day, I was asked by my school director if I would be willing to tutor another student, a girl, and of course agreed to do so. Her mother called and wants to meet me next week, before I start the tutoring. I guess I can understand that she doesn't just want to hire anyone, so I am invited to her house for coffee in the afternoon on Wednesday of next week.

January 23

I was invited to go on a tour of a Marine bunker in Kiel by the two History teachers that I go on trips with from the school. The bunkers are/were apparently all over Kiel, but you don't know what they are until someone tells you (well at least I didn't). There were a total of 12 here in Kiel during WWII for the marines only. There were underground bunkers under where the train station currently is and where the market square is. Also, behind the city hall building was a large one. Civilians were not allowed to use them (with the exception of marine family members) until closer to the end of the war. Only a little over 2,000 people were killed in Kiel during WWII. This low number is due in part to the numerous bunkers. At the time of the war, Kiel housed one of the largest marine operating harbors in Germany, making it a target. It still has a small portion of the harbor that houses marine ships, but very few. In the 1890's, Bismarck turned Kiel into a marine hub and the population skyrocketed, increasing from a mere 2,500 to 250, 000 in around 20-30 years.

Mrs. Hamman, a survivor of WWII, lived in Kiel during the war and came to share some of her experiences and tell about how the past unfolded here, while we toured through the bunker. There was also a man from Berlin who came, but didn't have as much to tell. Mrs. Hamman talked about being sent to Austria, while the rest of her family remained here. Apparently they sent as many of the younger children there as possible. She told of how her father was sent to Russia and was killed on the front there and about how he was forced to join the NSDAP just to get a job. You would pretty much do anything in these times, I guess, if you wanted to support and keep your family alive. She remembers Kristallnacht and the synagogues burning and said that this was never explained to her at the time, but keep in mind she was only around five then, so her family probably didn't want to try to explain what was happening. After the war, her family relocated to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to live with her grandmother and when they came back to their house here in Kiel, it was still standing, but it was inhabited by another family. She explained how the two families lived together for about two years. They had to plan when meals would be cooked, when the bathroom was to be used by which family, etc. The man talked a bit about underground connections from one house to another in case one was to be hit, then the families could flee in this manner. One of the girls in the class asked about the Hitler youth and told us that her grandfather was in it and that he had talked some with her about it. I must admit, that this supprised me a bit, as I didn't think that most people who were a part of this would want to discuss it.

Kiel was 80 percent destroyed during the war and there were pictures in the bunker that showed the City hall building still standing, but everything else around it destroyed. The road I live on was also in the picture. My building that I live in actually survived the war at least to some extent, because it is referred to as an 'Altbau.' After the war, the Americans/Brits drilled into and bombed the bunkers so that they could not be further used. It is a shame because a lot of families could have lived there after the war, but we destroyed them out of fear so that they could not be used in the future.

They are now turning the bunker into a museum and Mrs. Hamman believes this is a great idea and has supported the cause by donating some of her own art and money to it. She said that it is important for generations who are out of touch with the idea of World War II to be informed and hear how it was from someone who lived through it, so that something that treacherous "never happens again." Mrs. Hamman looked me in the eyes and said that "Man creates war." "I think you agree with me, right?" Of course I agreed with her. I don't know how anyone could look a survivor of a war in the eyes and answer 'no' to this question. She said to me that she believes the war in Iraq is all about oil and we talked about American support for the war there.

All of the 10th graders were impressed with the tour and information and said that it is something that they can't imagine. I agree with Mrs. Hamman, in that the only way to imprint just how horrible war is to someone who hasn't experienced it first hand is to hear it from the mouths of others who have. This makes the connection and event real for the listener, when they know someone who has actually lived it. This is also dangerous, however, because once history becomes distant and the understanding of how terrible these things can be is lost (meaning those who have experienced it are gone), then there is a better chance of reoccurance. For me, this was a chilling expereince in more than one way. Not only was it freezing outside and in the bunker, but the stories and facts themselves were chilling.

January 24

I had a really easy day at school with not much to do and didn't do much after school because the weather was stormy, rainy, and really windy. I spent the day relaxing and reading.

January 25

We had breakfast with one of my classes since it was the end of term and grades were going to be handed out to the upper level students. This was nice and laidback and I got to put my German to use, which always makes me happy. I took "no bake" cookies to them that I had made a few days earlier. I explained that they were a very typical American food and that they should try them. It was interesting to see their response after eating them. They all found them very sweet, but most of the kids seemed to like them. I began working in a new class this week. Basically, I am working with three students who are preparing for the "Abitur" (German test required to go to the University) in English and my teacher requested that I work 1 on 3 with them so that they can practice their conversation skills an hour a week. The topic for this lesson was once again Primaries in the U.S. This has become such a major topic in the news here. My students informed me, that prior to this year's primaries, Germans never cared about them or had even heard of what they were. I think this shows, just how intense the race is this year and how up in the air it is. Usually parties have some idea at this point, as to who will win the nomination, however, this year there is no steady leader. Also, it shows how interested the rest of the world is in who will possibly be taking over the White House for the next few years. Other countries are just as eager to see change in U.S. politics and are therefore heavily following the race for the White House.

After fourth period, school was out for the day and the students recieved their grades. This allowed the faculty time for a Goodbye Party for a retiring faculty member and two of our so-called "student-teachers." In Germany, student-teaching (known as Referendar) lasts two years and is completed with a series of observation and exams that have to be passed. Unfortunately the two teachers who are leaving our school just happen to be the two history teachers that I get along with really well. It is sad to see them go because they always invited me along on field trips and have been very helpful in my adjustment to Kiel, but they have new positions at schools in the area and will be staying in Kiel. This means I will still be seeing them on occaisional weekends and therefore didn't really have to say goodbye. The party consisted of a huge table covered in food, to which I also contributed more "no bakes," and short speeches given by our school director Mr. Scholz. Of course what is a party without a little music...yes, that's right. My cell phone rang as Mr. Scholz was speaking...talk about embarassing!! Most of the time I never get phone calls, unless I am expecting them and I especially don't get them while at school! Of all of the moments that whoever it was that was calling me could have called, they just happened to do so while I was at school and during a speech that my school director was giving!! In a room of about fifty people, this can be quite uncomfortable when they are all staring at you. I felt horrible the rest of the afternoon, even though I realized that this could have happened to anyone. It was the fact that of course it had happened to me.

In the evening, I met Dee, Siobahn, Sabine (Dee's roommate) and some of Sabine's friends. We had planned to go to the movies all together to see "Keinohrhase" or No-ear Bunny. Unfortunately, the theater had changed the time that it was to play that day and we had already missed it. Instead we decided to go to a nearby restaurant where I just ordered a coffee. Following this, I met up with the two history teachers again for yet another Stammtisch Friday night at Wubbke, the Irish Pub/Restaurant.

January 26

I was Invited to one of my English teacher's that I work with for cake and tea. She wanted me to read an article out and record it for the department. I left here at 3 for her place which is about a ten minute walk down the street from mine. I didn't arrive back until 8 and could have stayed longer, but my family was supposed to be calling. In the five hours that I was there, we had tea and Darth Vader Cake (left over from her son's birthday party), recorded the reading of the article, played games with her two children (Mathilda 4, Aurthur 6), ate dinner, and conversed. It was a very nice day spent there. She even sent me home with lots of sweets, Darth Vader cake, muffins and fudge. I think they would like for me to babysit for them because they asked if I have any experiecne and because their kids really like me. Mathilda was begging me to stay the night and asked when I would be coming back. She also invited me to her birthday party. The evening I spent talking to family and friends from home. Nicholas left in the morning for Canada, so I once again have the apartment to myself and it is quite quiet, although it is quiet when my roommates are here, too.