You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November, 2005.
To do list:
Moving on, I had to teach two clases outside the school today and thought I had taken all the materials I needed for them, but wnen I got to the second one I realised that I had forgotten the binder that I had put the marerials in! The group works off photocopies and I had nothing that I had prepared with me! Luckily, I’ve been teaching long enough to be able to pull a lesson out of my hat. We were working on Present Simple questions and negatives, so we did more work with that for the sixty minute class. All in all, it went over pretty a well and the students didn’t even realise that I didn’t have my materials with me (I had them write the examples and tasks on their own paper and used their flipchart for mine). Lunch today was leftover mashed potatoes, stuffing, broccoli and cranberry sauce. Delicious!
Make 2 CAE grammar exams by ThursdayGrade 15 quizzes by WednesdayCorrect 15 essays by Thursday
To do list:
Moving on, M and I had a brief chat today in one of the classrooms. We’ll be getting together on Sunday afternoon (at my request) and having a stroll (if the weather’s nice) and a ‘Where do we go from here’ chat due to the fact that I want to tie up this loose end before 2006 begins. Where do I want us to go from here? I’m not sure, but by setting a time and date for us to talk about it, it forces both of us to figure that out (he usually sticks his head in the sand). I know that we both miss hanging out together and were great friends for quite a while and had lots of fun together, so that’s what I want (and I’m relatively sure he does too) – without all the other crap this time that happened towards the end. All we have to do is figure out how to do that.
Grade 15 quizzes by Wednesday
To do list:
While I’m doing all that, here are few links for you enjoy: I’ve added eight photos to the beginning of my Darmstadt album I added about 15 photos to the beginning of my Bonn album last week (primarily of the Christmas market). The first snow I’ve seen this autumn (Mainz train station – click to enlarge)
Just back from Thanksgiving dinner. Too full to type, so the delicious details will have to wait. Thanks again, Jen and Sparky
(click here for Thanksgiving, part 1)
The weekend has been going well. I finished work yesterday at 15h45, went to the grocery store and then went home due to how cold it was. I made a nice dinner of chicken, pasta and broccoli and then watched a DVD. It was a relaxing evening.
I stayed home until 15h30 on Saturday, when I went drove across the river to a gym in a suburb to watch a basketball game. My friend’s wife plays on the team, so I decided to go to a game. It was a good time and I’ll definitely go to another.
I’m spending this evening at home also. I’ve gone into ‘hibernation mode’ for the winter, I guess. I hate being cold, and going outside means being cold.
I miss my bike. No, nothing has happened to it, but I’m using the school car more on weekends now due to the cold.
My blog reached 20,000 visitors today at 15:59:59 pm, and number 20,000 was my mystery reader in Dortmund (I’m glad it wasn’t just an anon that surfed in from a search engine).
I’ve bought quite a few tickets this month. Other than the two Thailand tickets I mentioned earlier this month, I’ve bought two more internal flights (3200.43 Baht (€62.33), a train ticket to the airport for my trip to Thailand (€51.50), a ticket to the place I’m going tomorrow (€24.70), an one way air ticket to Viareggio for Carnival €19.43 (I bought the return a few months ago) and a (return) ticket for a day trip to Milan next year (€35.58). Here are some breakdowns on the flight tickets (Deutsche Bank doesn’t provide breakdowns):
Thailand 1
999.00 THB Adult Fare
450.00 THB Airport Taxes
101.43 THB Thailand Value Added tax
1550.43 THB Total Paid
Thailand 2
1308.41 THB Adult Fare
50.00 THB Airport Taxes
91.59 THB Thailand Value Added tax
1450.00 THB Total Paid
Viareggio
2.99 EUR Adult Fare
11.20 EUR Taxes, Fees & Charges
5.24 EUR Aviation / WCHR Levy
19.43 EUR Total Paid
Milan
0.02 EUR Adult Fare
25.08 EUR Taxes, Fees & Charges
10.48 EUR Aviation / WCHR Levy
35.58 EUR Total Paid
Tomorrow’s going to be a great time – tune in next week to read about it.
(other than my city)
Cold snap grips Europe
A sudden winter freeze gripped parts of northern Europe on Saturday with heavy snowfalls cutting power, cancelling football matches and spreading air and road traffic chaos.
The entire article is posted in the comments
You have got to see this Thanksgiving card! It’s an absolute scream (make sure your speakers are on).
Thanks to K. for alerting me to it.
I love Christmastime.
I love coloured, lights (and find the mostly white ones in Europe boring) and tacky decorations. I love the neighbourhoods in the USA where everybody totally decorates their houses and can walk around them for hours. Once again, judge me as you as you will, I don’t care.
I don’t like the commercialism of Christmas and really don’t care about the religious aspects.
When I lived in the USA, I used to put up my Christmas tree and decorate my flat the day after Thanksgiving every year, if I wasn’t travelling (the day after I got home if I was). It was a lot of fun, and usually I had friends over for it. They all brought a decoration and a snack, and we used to listen to Christmas carols while decking the halls.
I love Christmas carols also. Some of my favourite are O Holy Night (only when sung well), Silent Night (even though it’s originally a German carol, it sounds awful in German), Carol of the Bells (a cappella), etc.
My favorite Christmas song (I don’t think it can officially be called a ‘carol’) is ‘We Need a Little Christmas’, from the musical Mame (one of my favourite musicals). For those unfamiliar with it, the characters are going through a rough time and then Mame decides that decorating for Christmas (since it’s December) will help lift their spirits. I can relate to that, as no matter what challenges life brings me each year, I always look forward to the atmosphere of Christmastime. Here are the lyrics:
We Need A Little Christmas
Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again, nowFor we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinetYes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn’t snowed a single flurry
But Santa dear we’re in a hurrySo climb down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of light I’ve ever seen
Slice up the fruitcake
It’s time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen boughFor I’ve grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little olderAnd I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas nowFor we need a little music
Need a little laughter
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafterHaul out the holy
Haven’t I taught you well to live each living day
Fill up the stockings
But Auntie Mame, it’s one week past Thanksgiving Day now.But we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinetYes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn’t snowed a single flurry
But Santa dear we’re in a hurrySo climb down the chimney
It’s been a long time since I felt this neighbourly
Slice up the fruitcake
It’s time we hung some tinsel on that bayberry boughFor we need a little music
Need a laughter
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafterAnd we need a little snappy
“Happy ever after”
Need a little Christmas now
Finally, one thing that sticks out in my mind is an editorial on Christmas Day evening in about 1992 or so. The newscaster did an opinion piece and said:
Now I’m talking to you…the guy watching this from the bar or the person watching this sitting home alone this evening. Christmas isn’t about presents, it’s in here [points to his heart]. It’s your hope for better times in the future. It’s a hope lives inside of you and always will.
The reason I remember that is because I was sitting home alone that evening.
I love Christmastime.
I love coloured, lights (and find the mostly white ones in Europe boring) and tacky decorations. I love the neighbourhoods in the USA where everybody totally decorates their houses and can walk around them for hours. Once again, judge me as you as you will, I don’t care.
I don’t like the commercialism of Christmas and really don’t care about the religious aspects.
When I lived in the USA, I used to put up my Christmas tree and decorate my flat the day after Thanksgiving every year, if I wasn’t travelling (the day after I got home if I was). It was a lot of fun, and usually I had friends over for it. They all brought a decoration and a snack, and we used to listen to Christmas carols while decking the halls.
I love Christmas carols also. Some of my favourite are O Holy Night (only when sung well), Silent Night (even though it’s originally a German carol, it sounds awful in German), Carol of the Bells (a cappella), etc.
My favorite Christmas song (I don’t think it can officially be called a ‘carol’) is ‘We Need a Little Christmas’, from the musical Mame (one of my favourite musicals). For those unfamiliar with it, the characters are going through a rough time and then Mame decides that decorating for Christmas (since it’s December) will help lift their spirits. I can relate to that, as no matter what challenges life brings me each year, I always look forward to the atmosphere of Christmastime. Here are the lyrics:
We Need A Little Christmas
Haul out the holly
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again, nowFor we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinetYes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn’t snowed a single flurry
But Santa dear we’re in a hurrySo climb down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of light I’ve ever seen
Slice up the fruitcake
It’s time we hung some tinsel on that evergreen boughFor I’ve grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little olderAnd I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas nowFor we need a little music
Need a little laughter
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafterHaul out the holy
Haven’t I taught you well to live each living day
Fill up the stockings
But Auntie Mame, it’s one week past Thanksgiving Day now.But we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Carols at the spinetYes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
It hasn’t snowed a single flurry
But Santa dear we’re in a hurrySo climb down the chimney
It’s been a long time since I felt this neighbourly
Slice up the fruitcake
It’s time we hung some tinsel on that bayberry boughFor we need a little music
Need a laughter
Need a little singing
Ringing through the rafterAnd we need a little snappy
“Happy ever after”
Need a little Christmas now
Finally, one thing that sticks out in my mind is an editorial on Christmas Day evening in about 1992 or so. The newscaster did an opinion piece and said:
Now I’m talking to you…the guy watching this from the bar or the person watching this sitting home alone this evening. Christmas isn’t about presents, it’s in here [points to his heart]. It’s your hope for better times in the future. It’s a hope lives inside of you and always will.
The reason I remember that is because I was sitting home alone that evening.
**** Update 8h50****
I’ve just come across Lite-FM, a radio station in NYC that has switched to an ‘all Christmas’ format and can be listened to online.
It rarely snows here.
Granted 10 kilometres away they get a lot of snow, but the valley floor almost never gets snow and I’m very happy about that. The surrounding regions (EMS, WW, SIM and COC) all got quite a bit of snow last night (30 centimetres in parts of the Westerwald), but the city only got rain.
