Vacation from the Vacation

That is what I need. This week was just a bit too hectic. I could really use more time to settle in and rest from our time in the States. Monday we started school with a staff breakfast and the kids came 1.5 hours late. It was a nice slow start, but those three hours were my prep time, so that was gone. In the afternoon our consultant, Peter, came and what happened was a bit disappointing. Some of us were under the impression that he would solidify the school rules and such so that the teachers know more what to do and what to expect of the students. Instead, he basically just said we are experimenting this year and we would work towards setting them for next year. So nothing changes - we were doing that already.

Tuesday I had to go to the US Consulate in Amsterdam to get a form stamped that I need to get married here in the Netherlands. Entering this fortress felt like trying to get into a maximum security prison. It seemed rather strange as the Consulate is a very nice old Dutch house on the Museumplein which is a very nice, touristy part of Amsterdam - and they turned this place into a foreboding fortress with a tiny American flag hidden behind the 12 foot iron fence. Strange. On top of all that, I had to miss most of the rest of my prep time for the week and spend 50 dollars for a stamp! On the other hand, walking around this nice area of Amsterdam was quite enjoyable.

Typical houses in Amsterdam.

Museumplein tram stop.

Rijksmuseum.

Across the museumplein.

Clash of cultures.

Jet trails.

On Thursday school was finished after lunch so that our school group could have a new-years celebration. We took a water taxi (which was really cool) out to an old submarine factory that they have turned into an innovation center. Inside the warehouse they have set up greenhouses (a common industry in the area) for climate control and all sorts of schools and businesses have set up shop. It is a cool concept, and Detroit could learn a lot from it.

What little school that I was there for this week did go pretty well - even though I didn't have much of any prep time. The students did presentations about Skyscrapers. They made up their PowerPoints before the break and now, in pairs, they are presenting them to the class - in English! This is a big deal. It is, for some, proof that a bilingual education at this lowest caliber of student is possible. It took a lot of yelling during the transitions, but during the presentations, even though the English was a struggle, the audience stayed silent for the most part. I was quite nervous that this would not be the case - so I consider this particular experiment a great success!

Yesterday we finally had some time to relax and get a few things done. I haven't been getting back into my exercise routine and I was pretty stressed out about all the things that need to be done, so I did not sleep well last night. It was so bad that we ended up making a 4:30 am pancake breakfast - by candlelight. It was very tasty - especially since we got to use the Maple Syrup! After that I slept pretty well and took a nice jog around the lake this morning. This afternoon we will meet some friends in town for a snack at the Hotel New York (an integral part of the old Holland - America cruise line) and the photography museum. Then we will meet another friend for dinner. So much for all that stuff that needs to be done!