Being a born and raised Tacoman means that one doesn’t get to experience a white Christmas very often. The most recent white Christmas I’ve experienced was actually Christmas 2008 when I was abroad in Munich. The picture on the left is of the larger-than-life Christmas pyramid at the Viktualienmarkt in Munich during that Christmas.
All signs are pointing to another white Christmas for Germans this year. They had a terrible winter last year and this year looks like a repeat, but could possibly be even worse. Many have told me the outlook for this winter: the worst winter of the century for Germans. We’ll have to see if this forecast holds up.
Although the snow has added an element of Christmas cheer to the generally gray and heartless architectural structures of Berlin, it has caused many problems. The top two problems would be: the S-bahn system and the airports. The airports are straight-forward but the S-bahn system may need a bit of an explanation for those of you unfamiliar with the German public transportation system. There is the underground, called the U-bahn, which is the subway system. The faster and above-ground counterpart to the U-bahn is the S-bahn. The S-bahn is vital to Berliners because many take the S-bahn to get from point A to point B. I need the S-bahn because the public transportation stop closest to my school is an S-bahn one. This is a problem because I’ve found myself standing in the cold with the rest of the commuters on the platform and being thoroughly confused about how I was going to get to point B in time for school. The S-bahn tends to break down without any forewarning. One of the S-bahn lines that is breaking down frequently is the Ringbahn, which is the S-bahn line that goes in a circle (check out the map here to see what I mean). It is one of the main lines that many commuters take and for this one to break down in the particular section that I take to work is very problematic for me, especially because most of these stops are not connected by U-bahn.
Electric star lanterns that are typically sold at Christmas markets throughout Germany. Nuremburg’s Christmas Market Dec. 2008.
Besides the snow causing some minor problems in my life right now, the Christmas season also brings about antsier students. I was once in high school, and so I completely understand that students do not want to work during this time and find their motivation levels declining as they daydream about Christmas break. The problem with this is that I’m substituting during this time and feel that the students should still soak in some elements of English into their brains before break takes over. I know that they’ll forget the majority of what they’ll learn after break is over, but that doesn’t mean that they should completely lose their entire grasp of the language. I’ve tried some seemingly fun lesson plans in order for the students to not do so much work but still utilize their English. However, it’s been quite difficult because they have prematurely shut down their brains this week. I feel badly that I’m making them work but it was so frustrating this week that I’m even looking forward to break. Heck, I barely work (12 hours per week, remember?) and yet, I need the break. I never thought the attitudes of the students would affect me so much but I was clearly wrong in thinking that I’d always assume a cheery attitude with them. Many of the teachers need the break, but I can’t really say I really deserve one as much as them. On the other hand, I’ve come to appreciate the really motivated students because despite the break looming on the horizon, they were still so wonderful in their attitudes towards learning and me as a teacher. Who would’ve known that “I spy” could brighten up a 5th grader’s day? I couldn’t stop smiling after playing that seemingly insignificant game with them.
A glimpse of Nuremburg in the snow (Dec. 2008).