Hey everyone!
Sorry it has been so long, but school has gotten insane lately! I am officially looking down the home stretch, so that is really exciting. And God has been totally rocking my life. I have had such an awesome experience over here but it has been really stressful. I feel like Truman has basically forgotten that they have interns in Germany right now. Maybe that will change down the line as we have a few more professors coming to observe our experience over here, but frankly, I don't believe it.
The following weekend, I visited Berlin and went to my first professional soccer game! Go Heretha BSC! It was incredible! Hertha was in fourth place and was playing the first place team from Hoppheim (Sp? I know its wrong), so this game actually mattered and the stadium was completely filled. I can't even describe the energy coming from the stadium. And when they scored a goal to go up 1-0, WOW. I literally thought Olympic Park was coming down. It was nothing like an football game in the states, no artificial sound, just 78,000 people chanting and singing for their team. It was awesome! We sat in the 6th row down with the soccer crazies and it was by far the coolest sports experience I have ever had. We had some drunk German fan if we were just enjoying the game, but my buddy David told him in German that he was a Hertha BSC fan and he bled white and blue. The guy pours him a beer, and says to him, "we bleed together" and goes back to singing and chanting... I have never been more impressed or scared in my life.
Also really cool was that the team plays at the stadium where Jesse Owens single handedly beat Nazi Germany in track and field. Now Jesse Owens has some sentimental value to me because he was my first history report ever and frankly I am super impressed with his accomplishments in the 1936 Olympics. It was pretty cool to see the place where Jesse Owens said "up yours Nazi Germany" and took home all the gold that he did.
During the day, we went and saw Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin wall, and it was really incredible to see how close we were to war here in Germany. I never realized that they had a tank confrontation and were basically at a high noon showdown daring the other person to draw first. I really admire the soldiers on both sides for not getting an itchy trigger finger and starting world war III. Being at the Berlin Wall also reminds you of the extent of the Cold War. It was an awesome time, and Berlin seriously must be like New York, because that city never sleeps. (Although I have never been to New York... maybe that will come along later)
School has been challenging, but I have decided that I am no longer going to let that stress me out as much. I am going to give the kids my best effort, and if they want to get a great education from me, then they will accept it. I hope they do take it. Psychology has been going way better than expected and I am having a lot of fun learning along with them, although they will never know it. We are talking about conditioning, and I have been telling them that I have been conditioning them from day one, and if they can figure out what it is, I will stop it. So far they haven't figured it out yet, but it is basically the way I operate class, turn on the lights, the know notes are over... turn off the lights...notes start up. And it is quite funny. I also used the Office clip of Jim conditioning Dwight to show them what classical conditioning is... they thought it was hilarious.
I miss you all so much, but like I said, I am definitely in the home strech! Keep praying for me, as I am finishing up my classes at Truman, and my classes here in Germany. :) I miss you and love you all, and I leave you with pictures from the Checkpoint Charlie, Dacchu, where the now infamous line "work will set you free" as you enter the gate, and the soccer game at Hertha BSC. Love you all!
Hey everyone!
Sorry it has been so long, but school has gotten insane lately! I am officially looking down the home stretch, so that is really exciting. And God has been totally rocking my life. I have had such an awesome experience over here but it has been really stressful. I feel like Truman has basically forgotten that they have interns in Germany right now. Maybe that will change down the line as we have a few more professors coming to observe our experience over here, but frankly, I don't believe it.
The following weekend, I visited Berlin and went to my first professional soccer game! Go Heretha BSC! It was incredible! Hertha was in fourth place and was playing the first place team from Hoppheim (Sp? I know its wrong), so this game actually mattered and the stadium was completely filled. I can't even describe the energy coming from the stadium. And when they scored a goal to go up 1-0, WOW. I literally thought Olympic Park was coming down. It was nothing like an football game in the states, no artificial sound, just 78,000 people chanting and singing for their team. It was awesome! We sat in the 6th row down with the soccer crazies and it was by far the coolest sports experience I have ever had. We had some drunk German fan if we were just enjoying the game, but my buddy David told him in German that he was a Hertha BSC fan and he bled white and blue. The guy pours him a beer, and says to him, "we bleed together" and goes back to singing and chanting... I have never been more impressed or scared in my life.
Also really cool was that the team plays at the stadium where Jesse Owens single handedly beat Nazi Germany in track and field. Now Jesse Owens has some sentimental value to me because he was my first history report ever and frankly I am super impressed with his accomplishments in the 1936 Olympics. It was pretty cool to see the place where Jesse Owens said "up yours Nazi Germany" and took home all the gold that he did.
During the day, we went and saw Checkpoint Charlie, and the Berlin wall, and it was really incredible to see how close we were to war here in Germany. I never realized that they had a tank confrontation and were basically at a high noon showdown daring the other person to draw first. I really admire the soldiers on both sides for not getting an itchy trigger finger and starting world war III. Being at the Berlin Wall also reminds you of the extent of the Cold War. It was an awesome time, and Berlin seriously must be like New York, because that city never sleeps. (Although I have never been to New York... maybe that will come along later)
School has been challenging, but I have decided that I am no longer going to let that stress me out as much. I am going to give the kids my best effort, and if they want to get a great education from me, then they will accept it. I hope they do take it. Psychology has been going way better than expected and I am having a lot of fun learning along with them, although they will never know it. We are talking about conditioning, and I have been telling them that I have been conditioning them from day one, and if they can figure out what it is, I will stop it. So far they haven't figured it out yet, but it is basically the way I operate class, turn on the lights, the know notes are over... turn off the lights...notes start up. And it is quite funny. I also used the Office clip of Jim conditioning Dwight to show them what classical conditioning is... they thought it was hilarious.
I miss you all so much, but like I said, I am definitely in the home strech! Keep praying for me, as I am finishing up my classes at Truman, and my classes here in Germany. :) I miss you and love you all, and I leave you with pictures from the Checkpoint Charlie, Dacchu, where the now infamous line "work will set you free" as you enter the gate, and the soccer game at Hertha BSC. Love you all!
No comments:
Post a Comment