Week #40 in Germany

My doppelganger

This past Friday began my farewells. We have a 2-week vacation for Pentecost and then I will only work until Wednesday after the vacation, so Friday was my last lesson with my 5th graders. It was an amazing goodbye. First, they put on a skit with one student playing me, another student playing my colleague, and the other students played different stereotypes (geeks, jocks, the pretty girls, the trouble maker, etc.). Then, one student played a few songs on his guitar and we had a delicious breakfast, with muffins and scones the students had made themselves. After that, they had put up baby pictures, so we played a game where I had to match the baby picture to the student. Finally, they ended with a beautiful song that one of the students wrote herself. I was so proud of her, because she wrote it all in English without any help. I was able to avoid crying until the song. It was happy because they were thanking me for being there and helping them with their English, but it was also sad because they were saying goodbye. It was really perfect.


Earlier this week, I was helping a student prepare for her English presentation. After we finished, she asked me if Germany was completely different from the U.S. In all honesty, I'm starting to forget what's "normal" in the U.S. because I've been here so long. I've grown accustomed to walking to one of several bakeries for breakfast so I can order a Butterbretzel und Schoki. I've gotten used to saying "hallo" or "Tag" to strangers as I pass them on the street. I find it typical to bring a bag for shopping so I can pack my groceries at the checkout. I don't expect classrooms to be silent, even when the teacher is talking, and I'm not surprised when I hear swear words in the hallway, or even in the classroom. These are things that I know are different, but I don't notice them like I did when I first arrived. 


I'm sure I'll fall back into old habits when I return home, but I know there will be a re-integration process. So, when I'm back in the U.S. and you notice I do something a bit odd, you might have to explain, "This is how we do it in America..."