November in a Nutshell

I received a gentle reminder from my dad last night that its been a while since I updated the blog, so here it is. November was a very international month--fall break in Germany, Volleyball tournament in Zurich, and a couple American Thanksgiving celebrations. 

First up, fall break.  Jen and I headed off for a few days in Berlin.  A city filled with an interesting history, shopping, and entertainment; as well as beautiful fall colors.  I did not know what to expect, but its a city that many people I have talked have described as "great." 

The agenda for Day One was full of sights--we walked to the Bradenburg Gate (stopping for a delicious German pretzel on the way), to the Jewish Memorial, to the Topography of Terror (former SS headquarters), found a piece of the wall, walked past Check Point Charlie and finished off the day with a few hours in the Jewish Museum.

 

Where East meets West

Check Point Charlie

Day two we did a bit more exploring, but we also decided it was a girls' trip so why not do a little shopping.  We finished up the day by meeting up with a colleague, so we could enjoy a few German beers.

On our final day, we headed towards the Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island, and Charlottenburg Palace.  The palace is surrounded by a beautiful garden which we walked through and enjoyed the fall colors.

       

One of the bigger highlights came that night when we went to a show at the Friedrichstadt Palace.  The lead was a cross dresser who sang and danced, but it was the other performers that were most entertaining.  The show included every thing from trampolines, dancers, acrobatics and a creepy face on the ceiling that all added to the experience.

After two days back at work, it was time for the next adventure.  Erin and I headed off to Zurich, Switzerland with our team for the ISSTs Volleyball tournament.  Unfortuantely, our plane was delayed on the way and a lot of our time was spent in a gym, so we did not get explore too much of the city of Zurich. From our brief taxi ride through the city and short walk in the hills, it is definitely a city I would like to return to someday.
We played teams from Austria, England, Israel, Greece, and Switzerland.  The girls played well all weekend, we had a lot of fun, and finished the tournament in second place.  Last weekend, we held our end of the year party.  We had two players from Japan who taught us how to make sushi. 

A team picture at 11:11.11 on 11-11-11

            

 
 
Once the season was over, it was time to start planning my American Thanksgiving celebration.  I couldn't let my favorite holiday pass by without having some turkey and cranberry sauce.  So I held the second annual Thanksgiving and Minute to Win It night.  I am thankful to have found such great friends here that are willing to celebrate with me, even if I was they aren't from the US.  There were 7 Canadians, 2 British, and 1 Belgian, and myself as the American contingent.  Following the meal, we played the always competitive Oven Mitt-Dice game, introduced to the group by Will.  Then the "Minute to Win It" games began.  There were a few repeat games from last year, and few new one.  But most importantly at the end of the night, the ladies pulled out the overall victory! 

This year's Oven Mitt-Dice game winners

I am thankful for the experiences I have had over the last 16 months and for all the fabulous people I have met along the way.  I am also thankful for all the support I have from everyone back home. 

November was another good month, filled with more new adventures to add to the list!

Off to the Races

What could add to a beautiful warm weekend in Paris with good friends?  Horse Racing, of course.  I have always wanted to go to the Kentucky Derby.  I had mentioned this to a friend of mine, who looked in to horse racing on this side of the ocean.  It turns out that the European equivalent is called the Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, and it is held at a horse track (hippodrome) in Paris.  So we rented a car and drove the three hours to Paris.  As it turns out the weather was beautiful, so on Saturday night we strolled along the Seine and took in some of the sights that Paris has to offer.  Food, drinks, atmosphere and friends all contributed to a rather enjoyable evening. 

Cheers to a good French Dinner

A drive down the Champs Elysees and a visit to Notre Dame...

In the morning, we got dressed in our Sunday best and headed to the Longchamps Hippodrome.   Fortuantely, when we arrived the tickets were still available and we got in.  Not knowing exactly what to expect, we walked the grounds and then found a place to sit right on the finish line.  A few of the horses I placed my bets on even came through for the win.  As the day progressed the crowds began to grow, some were in hats and dress clothes, while others were in jeans and t-shirts.  All were there to cheer for a few brief moments as the horses ran for the finish.  As far as betting was concerned, we were doing quite well on the bets as a group, so when the big race was up we were feeling rather confident.  We each placed a bet on a different horse as well as a group bet on another.  Who would have thought, none of them even placed in the top three. 

Before the races...

The main event...notice the increase in crowd size.

Even though our bets did not pay off, it was a great weekend at the races.  Better luck next year! 

Moving On Up

The school year has kicked off and things have been busy. I returned from a great summer in the States in mid August. The first task was move into the new apartment. I moved down to Boitsfort; which is a bit further outside of the center, but closer to school. My new apartment is double the size of the old place and I now have a spare bedroom, so visitors will no longer have to sleep on the floor. However, at the moment that room would be considered a storage room rather than a bedroom. With the help of the school van and several strong friends, the move was relatively easy. Only two pieces have to be tied up and lifted through the window.

After 3 trips to IKEA and what seemed like endless hours of building furniture my apartment went from completely empty to feeling like home. Here is a little tour of the place, along with some before and after pictures.

When you enter my apartment, you are in the living room/dining room. I now have a dining table that seats up to 12 people, which was useful for my shrimp boil that I hosted last weekend.

Walking through the door you end up in the kitchen. It's close to 5 times larger than my old kitchen and the best part is the dishwasher.

Just off the kitchen is my bedroom. If you haven't noticed yet, my apartment is quite colorful. Each room is a different color.

Through the other bedroom door is the shower room. After two days of sitting showers, I decided I need to hang a shower rod. It is likely to fall down some day soon as its not really being held up by much, but it does the job for the moment.

Through the next door in my shower room is my spare bedroom. Although it is a storage room right now, guests are always welcome.

Back through the kitchen and towards the door we are back in the living room. It has an open by comfortable feel.

So after only a month and a half of living in my new place, I feel at home and enjoy coming home to my new colorful apartment.

My life as a chaperone...

So the school year is all wrapped up, and it was a good one. However I feel like I am a professional chaperone rather than a speech therapist. It is tradition at ISB for the students from 3rd grade up to go on a week long field trip and with that they need chaperones. So I accompanied 3 classes and had a few other field trips thrown in.

Trip #1 was with 100 3rd grade students to the Belgian coast. We spent a week building sand castles, playing in the dunes, and visiting a wildlife sanctuary. Not quite beach weather, but I always love a day at the beach (thanks Mom!).

I also had the opportunity to join the Middle School Outdoor Education trip. We went down to the Ardennes for a little kayaking, camping, and high ropes climbing.

Trip #2 consisted of chaperoning 100 or so 7th grade students to the Alsace region, specifically Strasbourg, France. We did some sightseeing, went to a gingerbread factory, climbed in trees, and took a boat tour. A great week and definitely a place to visit if you are coming this way.

Trip #3 a week with 108 5th grade students to the oldest city in Germany. Trier is a city filled with Roman ruins and its only a few hours drive from Brussels. We visited Roman baths, an amphitheater, and a Basilika.

I had a few days off and the next trip was soon to arrive. I headed off to Special Olympics in Hasselt, Belgium. It was an incredible experience. Opening ceremonies with 300o Special Olympics athletes who are excited and ready to have fun is an experience I will always remember. Our 14 students seemed to come alive and really enjoy their time. They participated in horseback riding and track events.

Finally, a day a Walibi with the 6th graders. Walibi is an amusement park just outside of Brussels. So we took the train and enjoyed a few hours of roller coasters. It was a lot of fun, but not sure my body likes roller coasters so much any more.

Now the summer has begun and I am headed to the French Riviera to enjoy some sun and learn a bit of French hopefully.