Author Archives: kschmidt

Nineteen days.  19.  Oddly, the “culture shock” has been more abrasive upon returning to America than it was when I entered Germany.  Perhaps because, when I went to Germany, everything was new and exciting, an adventure!  I tried to absorb … Continue reading →

May!  Joyous, beauteous May!  The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and ALL of my pupils are most anxious to forsake their classrooms and schoolwork.  They have another 7 weeks until their summer vacation starts, but May is peppered … Continue reading →

Germans do not understand the difference between cupcakes and muffins.  I have tried to explain, several times, and I have even baked both, as examples, but they do not understand.  This completely mystifies me, since I have seen muffins all … Continue reading →

I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of friendship. The combination of 1) graduating college and 2) moving to another country has had consequences. New friends entering my life, new friendships forming. Other friends moving on, following their own … Continue reading →

According the the Ostsee Zeitung, last month was unprecedentedly cold, dark, and sunless.  We were granted about 27 hours of sunlight in 28 days.  Ugh.  No wonder there is a plethora of sun lamps up here.  Greifswald spent almost all … Continue reading →

I am no longer convinced I work at the Gymnasium.  On Monday, I was feeling sick, so I stayed home and rested.  I mostly slept and drank tea.  On Tuesday, I was needed in neither the 8C, or the 7B.  … Continue reading →

You may be wondering what a typical work-week looks like, for me.  Wonder no longer!  For I have obliged to satisfy your curiosity, and describe last week in the paragraphs below. I normally teach in three classes on Mondays: the … Continue reading →

Today is Sunday, and I have done nothing except bake, cook, Skype with Paul, and lounge around on my bed, catching up on the Daily Show and Colbert Report episodes from last week.  This is in stark contrast to my … Continue reading →

One of the worst preconceptions of Germans is that they are all Neo-Nazis.  This is the legacy handed down from Hitler, from the Third Reich, that Germans today must contend with, both at home and abroad.  Within Germany, they are … Continue reading →

Happy Belated St. Nikolaus Tag! Okay, so it was yesterday, but yesterday, I went to yoga, and narrowly escaped with my life, so please forgive me for not writing this last night. Let me back up. On Monday, nothing interesting … Continue reading →