![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
olorielI don't really have time for a long post, but I'll try to preserve some happy memories anyway.
On Thursday, I went on a school trip with half of my class (grade 7) - the other half was doing work experience - to the nearby open-air museum for crafts and technology. Despite bad auspices - unseasonal cold, some very unenthusiastic students (ugh, a museum! and not even a cool one like the chocolate museum!), both other adults who were meant to come along dropping out, overcrowded buses, and an unexpected addition to our class (another grade 7 had everybody doing work experience... but somehow managed to overlook the Ukrainian girl who didn't get a placement and showed up to school as usual so she was unceremonially added to my group whether she wanted or not) - it was a really nice day. It was cold but sunny and the open-air museum was, if anything, even better than it was when I last visited (in 4th grade, which was *mumblemumble* 30 years ago).
I had booked two workshops for my class so it would still be in line with the work experience theme of the day, although it would be historical work experience. The first was at the rope factory. The museum education officer was slightly challenged by the morbid humour of my students ("Now, what do we need ropes for?" - "Tying people up." - "... yes, I suppose... any other ideas?" - "Making a noose.") but made the best of it. Students managed to work together in small groups and produce four perfectly decent hemp ropes ("Hemp. Hurr hurr, get lit" - "No, this is a different plant. But fibre hemp is related to medicinal hemp, very well spotted" - "Medicinal, hurr hurr"). Without tying anyone up.
One student who is usually a bit of a nuisance (rarely pays attention, constantly moving around and touching everything) asked lots of questions that showedthat the poor fellow has never seen a single episode of Sendung mit der Maus that he may not know a lot, but has decent observation skills and curiosity. This was one of the loudest "ugh, a museum" kids, so it was great to see that he was actively enjoying the museum.
The second workshop at the oil mill wasn't quite as successful. It did exactly what it set out to do - show just how much effort there is in getting oil from seeds or nuts - but of course it was frustrating for the kids that after an hour of hard manual labour they had about a teaspoon of oil to show for it. But again, there were lots of questions and curiosity.
Student: "Why can't we see the oil mill in action?"
Museum lady: "Unfortunately we currently don't have an oil miller here."
Student: "Oh is that like a real job?"
Museum lady: "Sure, although the modern oil industry works differently. This is a historical mill of course."
Student: "If you still don't have an oil miller when I finish school, can I come and work here?"
Museum lady: "Well, you'll have to do three years of job training first, but generally, yes."
Student: "Cool!"
Between workshops, we raided the museum bakery. There's just something delightful about the sight of twelve extremely cool (TM) teenagers sitting by the roadside and tearing into whole loaves of museum bread like Hobbits on the lose. It is very good bread. Back in fourth grade, when they heard that we were going to the open-air museum in Hagen, all sorts of neighbours and family members gave us shiny 5 DM pieces to bring them a loaf of museum bread. I was kind of curious whether the real bread would hold up to the memories, and it did. (The loaf now costs €3.50, which, all things considered and inflation-adjusted, is actually cheaper than back then.)
Student, mouth full: "BEST BREAD IN THE WORLD."
When we walked past the bakery again, after the trip to the oil mill, there was a sign on the door reading SORRY, WE'RE SOLD OUT. Oops!
After that, the students had an hour to roam the museum freely, which a couple of students chose to tag along with me even though they didn't have to (with the exception of V., the Ukrainian girl, they all had a slip from their parents which allowed them to roam the museum in small groups). Had a chat with a very enthusiastic blacksmith who made a tiny horseshoe, and an even more enthusiastic printer who extolled the virtues of the Gutenberg press and its products (It's a pity they didn't have design awards back then because Gutenberg would be sure to have won one. He'd still get one if he were alive today. Did you know that modern grouped style printing is less precise than Gutenberg's. Did you, did you?) By the time we met up in the playground to take the bus back to school, everybody was slightly sunburned and pretty tired, but buzzing with excitement. One of the "ugh, a museum" kids asked if we could do another trip here soon. Three of the other "ugh, a museum" kids talked about coming back at the weekend. Even though we had to let the first two buses go because they were stuffed with other classes returning from their respective school trips, and thus got back to school later than planned, that makes it the most successful school trip I've ever been on.
And now there's a long weekend ahead, which is also very good news.
On Thursday, I went on a school trip with half of my class (grade 7) - the other half was doing work experience - to the nearby open-air museum for crafts and technology. Despite bad auspices - unseasonal cold, some very unenthusiastic students (ugh, a museum! and not even a cool one like the chocolate museum!), both other adults who were meant to come along dropping out, overcrowded buses, and an unexpected addition to our class (another grade 7 had everybody doing work experience... but somehow managed to overlook the Ukrainian girl who didn't get a placement and showed up to school as usual so she was unceremonially added to my group whether she wanted or not) - it was a really nice day. It was cold but sunny and the open-air museum was, if anything, even better than it was when I last visited (in 4th grade, which was *mumblemumble* 30 years ago).
I had booked two workshops for my class so it would still be in line with the work experience theme of the day, although it would be historical work experience. The first was at the rope factory. The museum education officer was slightly challenged by the morbid humour of my students ("Now, what do we need ropes for?" - "Tying people up." - "... yes, I suppose... any other ideas?" - "Making a noose.") but made the best of it. Students managed to work together in small groups and produce four perfectly decent hemp ropes ("Hemp. Hurr hurr, get lit" - "No, this is a different plant. But fibre hemp is related to medicinal hemp, very well spotted" - "Medicinal, hurr hurr"). Without tying anyone up.
One student who is usually a bit of a nuisance (rarely pays attention, constantly moving around and touching everything) asked lots of questions that showed
The second workshop at the oil mill wasn't quite as successful. It did exactly what it set out to do - show just how much effort there is in getting oil from seeds or nuts - but of course it was frustrating for the kids that after an hour of hard manual labour they had about a teaspoon of oil to show for it. But again, there were lots of questions and curiosity.
Student: "Why can't we see the oil mill in action?"
Museum lady: "Unfortunately we currently don't have an oil miller here."
Student: "Oh is that like a real job?"
Museum lady: "Sure, although the modern oil industry works differently. This is a historical mill of course."
Student: "If you still don't have an oil miller when I finish school, can I come and work here?"
Museum lady: "Well, you'll have to do three years of job training first, but generally, yes."
Student: "Cool!"
Between workshops, we raided the museum bakery. There's just something delightful about the sight of twelve extremely cool (TM) teenagers sitting by the roadside and tearing into whole loaves of museum bread like Hobbits on the lose. It is very good bread. Back in fourth grade, when they heard that we were going to the open-air museum in Hagen, all sorts of neighbours and family members gave us shiny 5 DM pieces to bring them a loaf of museum bread. I was kind of curious whether the real bread would hold up to the memories, and it did. (The loaf now costs €3.50, which, all things considered and inflation-adjusted, is actually cheaper than back then.)
Student, mouth full: "BEST BREAD IN THE WORLD."
When we walked past the bakery again, after the trip to the oil mill, there was a sign on the door reading SORRY, WE'RE SOLD OUT. Oops!
After that, the students had an hour to roam the museum freely, which a couple of students chose to tag along with me even though they didn't have to (with the exception of V., the Ukrainian girl, they all had a slip from their parents which allowed them to roam the museum in small groups). Had a chat with a very enthusiastic blacksmith who made a tiny horseshoe, and an even more enthusiastic printer who extolled the virtues of the Gutenberg press and its products (It's a pity they didn't have design awards back then because Gutenberg would be sure to have won one. He'd still get one if he were alive today. Did you know that modern grouped style printing is less precise than Gutenberg's. Did you, did you?) By the time we met up in the playground to take the bus back to school, everybody was slightly sunburned and pretty tired, but buzzing with excitement. One of the "ugh, a museum" kids asked if we could do another trip here soon. Three of the other "ugh, a museum" kids talked about coming back at the weekend. Even though we had to let the first two buses go because they were stuffed with other classes returning from their respective school trips, and thus got back to school later than planned, that makes it the most successful school trip I've ever been on.
And now there's a long weekend ahead, which is also very good news.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-29 11:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 10:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-04-30 05:29 am (UTC)And I did know that Gutenberg's press was, in some ways, superior to later versions. I also know that movable metal type was in use in what is now Korea at the time of Sejong the Great, roughly contemporaneous, and half the world away. When it's time to print, it's time to print.
One of the things that I have long lamented about not having in The States, which I had ready access to in Göttingen, is bakeries. The walk between the home of my host family and the pedestrian zone downtown had at least three. Even if I were to be foolish enough to attempt to walk downtown from my current residence, I would not find any bakeries along the way.
no subject
Date: 2023-04-30 06:45 pm (UTC)Also, "What do we need ropes for?" "Tying people up!" "Er, yes, and...?" "tying people down!"
no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 10:40 am (UTC)I think the surprise is not so much that Gutenberg's press was superior to later knock-off presses, but that the mechanical press was more precise than digital printing is today. IDK, I'd just have expected a digitally printed text to be more perfect than a manually set text. But I suppose someone would have to care about getting it perfect first, as opposed to making it look just neat enough for the ordinary reader.
The lack of bakeries was one of the few things I didn't enjoy about my stay in Japan, too. There was a German bakery in Karuizawa (a proud purveyor to the Imperial Household, which apparently also appreciates some good bread every now and then), but I was only in Karuizawa for a weekend...
no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-04-30 10:14 pm (UTC)It sounds great.
Also: Happy Birthday!
no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 10:41 am (UTC)Thank you! <3
no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 07:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-05-01 10:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-01 09:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-06 08:00 pm (UTC)Fangen wir mit dem Positiven an: den Katerchen geht es gut, sie wachsen und gedeihen und haben sich seit ihrem Einzug bei uns verdoppelt (also, von der Größe her, nicht von der Anzahl). Kastriert sind sie inzwischen auch. Wir selber sind ein bisschen am Schwimmen. Bei der Arbeit ist eine Kollegin komplett ausgefallen (Angststörung) und muss kurzfristig über Vertretungsstunden ersetzt werden, sodass ich ziemlich am Limit bin. Die Feiertage machen die letzten Wochen abstruserweise nicht entspannter, sondern noch hektischer, weil ja alle Klassenarbeiten und Schuljahresendausflüge und Projekttage usw. irgendwie dazwischen gequetscht werden müssen. Hier in NRW gehen die Sommerferien ja schon am 22. los.
Die Angststörung (schon wieder) der Schwiegermutter hat sich indes zu einer ausgewachsenen Depression entwickelt, die aufgrund der spezifischen Symptome erst mal für eine klassische Demenz gehalten wurde (die möglicherweise nach wie vor auch noch mit reinspielt). Nun wird sie momentan stationär behandelt, muss aber natürlich täglich besucht werden, sonst fühlt sie sich ungeliebt. Sie weigert sich auch schlichtweg zu akzeptieren, dass sie ein psychisches Problem hat; stattdessen wird jedes körperliche Symptom (Kurzatmigkeit z.B. oder der Schwindel, der als Nebenwirkung der Medikamente auftritt) als lebensbedrohlich wahrgenommen und genauso kommuniziert - auch gegenüber Bekannten, denen gegenüber sie bis jetzt jegliche Erkrankung verheimlicht hat, oder gegenüber den Kindern, die das verständlicherweise ziemlich verstört. Ich verstehe auf einer intellektuellen Ebene, dass das wohl ein Resultat ihrer 1940er Erziehung ist und sie wahrscheinlich (zusätzlich zu der diffusen allgemeinen Angst) auch noch fürchtet, als unwertes Leben abgeschoben zu werden oder so, wenn sie "bekloppt" ist, aber die totale Verweigerung, sich selbst gegenüber einzugestehen, dass man ein psychisches Problem hat und gar nicht so sehr ein körperliches, verhindert natürlich auch, dass sie die angebotenen Hilfen und Therapien sinnvoll nutzt. Stattdessen erwartet sie, dass die Ärzte ihr kein Wundermittel verschreiben, mit dem alles wieder gut wird, weil: Ihr Problem ist ja der Schwindel. Oder die Atemnot. Ich hätte auch Atemnot und Schwindel, wenn ich bei jeder Belastung anfangen würde zu hyperventilieren. Und wenn man wie Schwiegermuttern inzwischen schon das Entgegennehmen eines Anrufs als schwere Belastung empfindet (nein, nicht wegen der Person am anderen Ende oder des Gesprächs - sondern weil man ja möglicherweise auf den falschen Knopf drücken könnte und dann explodiert wahrscheinlich das Telefon), dann passiert das halt sehr häufig. (Aber wehe, man ruft sie nicht an. Dann wird sie nicht mehr geliebt und am besten erschösse man sie doch gleich, weil: sie ist ja nichts mehr wert.)
Eeeh, das wolltest du jetzt wahrscheinlich alles gar nicht wissen. Tut mir sehr Leid. Aber das beschäftigt uns gerade natürlich massiv - zusätzlich zum regulären Berufs- und Familienleben und der Hausrenovierung, die im letzten Jahr ja wieder angelaufen ist. Daher auch die erneut lange Funkstille. :/
Und bei euch?
no subject
Date: 2023-06-07 11:31 am (UTC)Bei uns... Also, ich weiß auch nicht, aber dieses Jahr ist echt der Wurm drin. Zum Glück nicht alles schlecht, aber es reicht.
Bei meiner Mutter steht eine Krebsdiagnose im Raum, aber das zieht sich mit der Diagnostik in einer Weise, dass es nicht mehr komisch ist. Sie will sich der Situation auch nicht wirklich stellen, also nimmt sie die Verzögerungen gerne in kauf und besteht nicht auf der schnellstmöglichen Option. Mein Papa kommt GottseiDank wohl um eine schwerere OP herum, aber bis das abgeklärt war (vorgestern), war das auch nicht wirklich lustig. Und ich muss jetzt langsam selber anfangen, zu Ärzten zu rennen, weil bei mir eine OP (Entfernung der Eierstöcke wegen gutartigem Tumor) ins Haus steht.
Dann ist mein Mann von seinem Boss und einem Kollegen ganz übel gemobbt worden und hat die ersten Monate des Jahres mit Jobsuche verbracht. Zum Glück hat er jetzt einen neuen Job und das Elend bald ein Ende.
Weil das alles noch nicht reicht, kam noch ein Todesfall im engen Freundeskreis dazu, und mein bester hiesiger Freund und Gartennachbar hatte wieder einen Schlaganfall, weil die Ärzte die Umstellung seiner Blutverdünner nach einer OP vermasselt haben. Und ich hab eine neue Redakteurin, die mich schon gewarnt hat, dass sie wohl keine Zeit haben wird, mir regelmäßig Aufträge zu geben (und wovon soll ich dann leben?).
Das alles hat meiner Angstproblematik natürlich nicht wirklich gutgetan. Insofern ist mein Nervenkostüm momentan ziemlich angeschlagen. Ich versuche natürlich, mich auf die Lichtblicke zu konzentrieren, aber ich würde lügen, wenn ich behaupten würde, das ist leicht.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-07 04:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-29 10:41 pm (UTC)