Before you leave the foyer in a Czech household, you take off your shoes and exchange them for 'house shoes' or whatever they call them (slippers/sandals). This is pretty common among lots of cultures, I know, but I can only speak for this one.
This custom extends to kindergartens and elementary schools as well. Everyday I teach kids adorned with Crocs, Birkenstocks, and other slipper/sandal type shoes that are only worn in doors. In the elementary school, (I only teach at one of these which is grades 1-9 and they call it primary school) each class has a giant cage in which the kids can hang jackets and change their shoes. Once safely equipped with the proper footwear, they are free to roam about the halls. Or you know, go to class. In this school, they allow me and other special visitors to keep their street shoes on. Which is good since I don't have a giant cage, and all of the others are locked by the time I get there.
The kindergartens are a different story. If you want to drop your child off at kindergarten, you walk them into the building, get them changed into their indoor shoes and apparently change there pants. (Maybe that's just a winter thing, but I've noticed lately the last few stragglers that are still in the foyer changing pants.) And then you walk your kid up to his or her classroom. Therefore, you must remove your shoes, or by the door, they have these little cloth bags to go over your shoes which you can use if you don't want to take off your shoes.
I don't mind walking around in socks all morning, so I go shoeless. This works well for running around and playing games (or chasing the kids that scream and run into the corner) but doesn't bode well for the transition between classrooms. Stairwells are not carpeted. Last week the inevitable happened. The static friction between my stockinged feet was less than the kinetic friction of the movement down the steps, and I slipped and bounced the rest of the way down. The only things bruised were my pride and my right forearm. I might start bring my Birkenstocks. Just don't tell them that I consider them 'all-terrain' footwear.
Showing posts with label prague. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prague. Show all posts
Friday, October 30, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
trampen
The cheapest way to get to Prague (or anywhere, I guess) is to hitchhike. I’ve done so twice so far with Miki. He advises against my going alone, for safety reasons. And I agree with him for linguistic reasons. I think I could get myself into the Czech Republic, but seeing as I can only say “My name is Maggie. I’m an American.” and “I live in Berlin.” I don’t think that would really help me get to Prague. Miki has hitchhiked almost every time since the weather got nice to Berlin and back. The only thing is that it takes an indeterminate amount of time, so if you have some place to be that evening, chances are high you might not make it. Miki has a lot of luck alone on Weekdays. He usually goes with truckers. The two times we’ve gone together have been on a Friday that was a German public holiday and a Sunday. Neither of which are the best choices since most of the people traveling already have full cars. So we receive a lot of the “I would take you, but I have no room” shrug and gesture to the back of the car. Regardless, on both occasions we ended up at our destination at the end of the day, and I thought they were both pretty pleasant experiences.
Of course I say that now. However, hitchhiking requires a lot of patience. It’s a philosophy that requires patience, faith, and trust. So says Miki. This past Sunday we stood for almost two hours in Berlin before finding a ride just 50 km down the road. But that first ride is all you need to prove yourselves a trustworthy trekker, because in our new spot, it was obvious someone had to have dropped up off there in a car. We found the next ride within 10 minutes. Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind if you ever wish to hitchhike around Germany. Yes, I know, I’ve only done it twice, so I have no credibility, but most of this is information from Miki.
1. Use signs so it is clear where you are headed. This eliminates unnecessary stopping which could annoy the drivers as well as you, since it gets your hopes up.
2. Stand somewhere where it is easy for cars to pull over and stop, or where they are already stopped (like a gas station or rest stop).
3. Shave. This one doesn’t really apply to me, but in general, look nice. They have to trust you too.
4. When you get a ride, follow the lead of the driver and other people in the car. If they want to start a conversation, have a conversation. If they just want to drive in peace and listen to the radio, keep to yourself. But don’t fall asleep. (Okay, so I broke this when driving from Dresden to Prague on Sunday, but only because it was like one of those sun ovens we cooked pizza in in girl scouts in the backseat. And Miki was in the front seat having a conversation with the driver in Czech.)
5. Know where you want to go. Sometimes people offer their own ideas, and that’s great. But you should still have some idea of where you want to go, and make sure they are going past that before you get in the car.
On both occasions, the first ride was a married couple. The first time I almost didn’t spot him since he was just gesturing us over from the gas station while he was pumping gas with gloves on. But it was a nice quiet ride and they ended up giving us a box of Rittersport chocolates. They took us to the last gas station before Dresden, which also happens to be the last gas station in Germany on the highway to Prague. We found that out with the next couple who offered us a ride. I think he was German and she was Romanian. They were awesome and obviously just liked adventure. They lived in Dresden, but offered to stay on the highway to Prague and take us to the next gas station. They specifically cleared out their backseat for us, which had been filled with lots of lumber, and gave us beer. She kept saying that they would go with us to Prague, if it weren’t for the fact that they hadn’t fed their cat. And her reaction when they accidentally ended up in the Czech Republic was hilarious. The final leg of that journey was on a bus full on 6 or 7 year old soccer players. They were just starting a movie too, and about 10 or 15 minutes into the drive, someone changed the subtitles to English.
This Sunday was a little less exciting, but it didn’t take nearly as long. (We stood in the first gas station in the Czech Republic for an obscene amount of time the first time we went. We got on the soccer bus at 10 or 10:30pm. So like I said, you can’t make same-day plans.) The first couple was nice, but the ride was short. The next guy was the most interesting. He took us to the last gas station before Dresden. He was coming from a poker tournament in Berlin in which he placed third. He was Austrian but lived in Dresden. He’s been to Las Vegas 27 times. He knew Pennsylvania because he flies into Philly and takes a train to Atlantic City. He loves Las Vegas so much, he flew his wife there to marry her in the little white chapel (I pretended to know what that was). The last guy was the Czech who talked to Miki the whole time while I slept. But he seemed nice. He had an ostrich egg in the back seat which I almost sat on. Perhaps I should add that to the list. Don’t sit on someone’s ostrich egg; you might break it. Luckily the egg was not harmed.
Of course I say that now. However, hitchhiking requires a lot of patience. It’s a philosophy that requires patience, faith, and trust. So says Miki. This past Sunday we stood for almost two hours in Berlin before finding a ride just 50 km down the road. But that first ride is all you need to prove yourselves a trustworthy trekker, because in our new spot, it was obvious someone had to have dropped up off there in a car. We found the next ride within 10 minutes. Here are some helpful hints to keep in mind if you ever wish to hitchhike around Germany. Yes, I know, I’ve only done it twice, so I have no credibility, but most of this is information from Miki.
1. Use signs so it is clear where you are headed. This eliminates unnecessary stopping which could annoy the drivers as well as you, since it gets your hopes up.
2. Stand somewhere where it is easy for cars to pull over and stop, or where they are already stopped (like a gas station or rest stop).
3. Shave. This one doesn’t really apply to me, but in general, look nice. They have to trust you too.
4. When you get a ride, follow the lead of the driver and other people in the car. If they want to start a conversation, have a conversation. If they just want to drive in peace and listen to the radio, keep to yourself. But don’t fall asleep. (Okay, so I broke this when driving from Dresden to Prague on Sunday, but only because it was like one of those sun ovens we cooked pizza in in girl scouts in the backseat. And Miki was in the front seat having a conversation with the driver in Czech.)
5. Know where you want to go. Sometimes people offer their own ideas, and that’s great. But you should still have some idea of where you want to go, and make sure they are going past that before you get in the car.
On both occasions, the first ride was a married couple. The first time I almost didn’t spot him since he was just gesturing us over from the gas station while he was pumping gas with gloves on. But it was a nice quiet ride and they ended up giving us a box of Rittersport chocolates. They took us to the last gas station before Dresden, which also happens to be the last gas station in Germany on the highway to Prague. We found that out with the next couple who offered us a ride. I think he was German and she was Romanian. They were awesome and obviously just liked adventure. They lived in Dresden, but offered to stay on the highway to Prague and take us to the next gas station. They specifically cleared out their backseat for us, which had been filled with lots of lumber, and gave us beer. She kept saying that they would go with us to Prague, if it weren’t for the fact that they hadn’t fed their cat. And her reaction when they accidentally ended up in the Czech Republic was hilarious. The final leg of that journey was on a bus full on 6 or 7 year old soccer players. They were just starting a movie too, and about 10 or 15 minutes into the drive, someone changed the subtitles to English.
This Sunday was a little less exciting, but it didn’t take nearly as long. (We stood in the first gas station in the Czech Republic for an obscene amount of time the first time we went. We got on the soccer bus at 10 or 10:30pm. So like I said, you can’t make same-day plans.) The first couple was nice, but the ride was short. The next guy was the most interesting. He took us to the last gas station before Dresden. He was coming from a poker tournament in Berlin in which he placed third. He was Austrian but lived in Dresden. He’s been to Las Vegas 27 times. He knew Pennsylvania because he flies into Philly and takes a train to Atlantic City. He loves Las Vegas so much, he flew his wife there to marry her in the little white chapel (I pretended to know what that was). The last guy was the Czech who talked to Miki the whole time while I slept. But he seemed nice. He had an ostrich egg in the back seat which I almost sat on. Perhaps I should add that to the list. Don’t sit on someone’s ostrich egg; you might break it. Luckily the egg was not harmed.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Hip Hip Hurray for All of Us!
On this Earth there are some seas,
And the forests filled with trees.
There are mountains up so high.
Above it all is the blue sky.
Different people everywhere;
Different voice, face, clothes, and hair.
And over in Africa having fun,
There lives a hippo that weighs a ton!
Hip-hip-hippopotamus
hip hip hurray for all of us!
hip hip hippopotamus
hip hip hurray for all of us!
After a few minor adjustments, this church camp favorite about God creating all of us, turns into a fun song about diversity. It fits nicely into a lesson on 'Animate Nature' right after you ask the kids' names and favorite animals, making sure to spend some time acting like each animal that gets mentioned.
On Thursday I went to the Prague, where I gave a demo lesson at Bumble Bee School of Creative Children. It's an English speaking preschool. The position they can offer me is that of a 'Free Time Specialist'. But in order to get the job, I had to do a demo lesson. Meaning I came into the school and did the theme lesson of the day. The entire month of March is focused on 'Animate Nature', so after the above mentioned acting like animals followed by hippo song, I then got out a map of the world and clip out pictures of animals that I had printed out from the internet, which probably violated some sort of copyright law. We went around talking about the different animals they had and where they lived, and then glued them on the map. Then they colored the map with the animals. Then we acted like trees and did the 'Goin' on a Bear Hunt' song/chant.
The entire time the head teacher and the director of the school were sitting in the back of the room silently watching (and judging) so of course, I'm simultaneously teaching and criticizing myself on how things are going. If you look at the website, it mentions often how they are a school that uses 'non-directive teaching' meaning, teachers are just there to give suggestions and let the full creative potential of the students blossom and blah blah blah. So I was trying not to be too directive, but at the same time, not lose control of these 10 screaming 5 year olds. At the end of the bear hunt song, I looked at my watch. I had been instructed to give about a 30 minute lesson. It had been about 30 minutes, but I also had two other things I could do if I needed to keep going. I then asked the director, "is that ok?" or something to that affect, I don't remember now, and she responded, "sure, just finish up however you want to". Well I didn't exactly have some sort of grand finale planned, so I just reviewed the two animals whose names they didn't know in English and said my goodbyes.
Off I went into a room with the director. "So, how do you think it went?" This woman is the queen of showing no emotion. I had no idea what she was thinking, so I began spewing all of the things that I had noticed were going wrong. Finally she stopped me and asked for positive remarks. And then said "I think it went great; a little long, but great." She was super impressed with my organizational skills and ability to control some of the out of control boys in the class. And was impressed with how quickly I picked up some of their names. (Of course the only ones I could pick up were David and Victor and the other ones that weren't ridiculously Czech sounding). But I apparently gave one of the best demo lessons she has ever seen. She seemed the most worried that I wasn't interested anymore (because some of those boys were really unruly).
The next step was taking 3 Psychological Assessment Tests to make sure I'm a good fit for the job. I finished those last night, so hopefully my motivation and priorities are a good fit to be a free time specialist. If all goes well, I'll have a job in Prague for next year, and can begin the long, tedious, Czech work visa process. Hip Hip Hurray!
And the forests filled with trees.
There are mountains up so high.
Above it all is the blue sky.
Different people everywhere;
Different voice, face, clothes, and hair.
And over in Africa having fun,
There lives a hippo that weighs a ton!
Hip-hip-hippopotamus
hip hip hurray for all of us!
hip hip hippopotamus
hip hip hurray for all of us!
After a few minor adjustments, this church camp favorite about God creating all of us, turns into a fun song about diversity. It fits nicely into a lesson on 'Animate Nature' right after you ask the kids' names and favorite animals, making sure to spend some time acting like each animal that gets mentioned.
On Thursday I went to the Prague, where I gave a demo lesson at Bumble Bee School of Creative Children. It's an English speaking preschool. The position they can offer me is that of a 'Free Time Specialist'. But in order to get the job, I had to do a demo lesson. Meaning I came into the school and did the theme lesson of the day. The entire month of March is focused on 'Animate Nature', so after the above mentioned acting like animals followed by hippo song, I then got out a map of the world and clip out pictures of animals that I had printed out from the internet, which probably violated some sort of copyright law. We went around talking about the different animals they had and where they lived, and then glued them on the map. Then they colored the map with the animals. Then we acted like trees and did the 'Goin' on a Bear Hunt' song/chant.
The entire time the head teacher and the director of the school were sitting in the back of the room silently watching (and judging) so of course, I'm simultaneously teaching and criticizing myself on how things are going. If you look at the website, it mentions often how they are a school that uses 'non-directive teaching' meaning, teachers are just there to give suggestions and let the full creative potential of the students blossom and blah blah blah. So I was trying not to be too directive, but at the same time, not lose control of these 10 screaming 5 year olds. At the end of the bear hunt song, I looked at my watch. I had been instructed to give about a 30 minute lesson. It had been about 30 minutes, but I also had two other things I could do if I needed to keep going. I then asked the director, "is that ok?" or something to that affect, I don't remember now, and she responded, "sure, just finish up however you want to". Well I didn't exactly have some sort of grand finale planned, so I just reviewed the two animals whose names they didn't know in English and said my goodbyes.
Off I went into a room with the director. "So, how do you think it went?" This woman is the queen of showing no emotion. I had no idea what she was thinking, so I began spewing all of the things that I had noticed were going wrong. Finally she stopped me and asked for positive remarks. And then said "I think it went great; a little long, but great." She was super impressed with my organizational skills and ability to control some of the out of control boys in the class. And was impressed with how quickly I picked up some of their names. (Of course the only ones I could pick up were David and Victor and the other ones that weren't ridiculously Czech sounding). But I apparently gave one of the best demo lessons she has ever seen. She seemed the most worried that I wasn't interested anymore (because some of those boys were really unruly).
The next step was taking 3 Psychological Assessment Tests to make sure I'm a good fit for the job. I finished those last night, so hopefully my motivation and priorities are a good fit to be a free time specialist. If all goes well, I'll have a job in Prague for next year, and can begin the long, tedious, Czech work visa process. Hip Hip Hurray!
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