All posts filed under: Blog

baking, cookies

Baking Apprentices

Published by Sula H.

Die Back-Praktikanten Ok, I admit it: You could blame me for making my students labor like slaves in my home. Almost, at least. Why? Because I make my students come  and cut cookies for me for hours. But then, please, don’t blame me too horribly. Because my students actually really enjoy doing it. Why? Because hardly any of them have ever done anything like baking or cutting cookies. And for them it’s like an exciting adventure. Something they can’t get enough of. So, in the end, one hand washes the other: While I get to have loads of cookies (of which they they devour a good portion, of course), they get to have all the Christmas magic and excitement we used to have growing up. And that’s how things are supposed to be, don’t you think? Ok, ich geb’s ja zu: Man könnte mir ja vorwerfen, dass ich Sklavenarbeit in meinem Hause dulde. Zumindest beinahe. Warum? Weil ich meine Studenten für Stunden rackern lasse, damit sie mir meine Plätzchen ausstechen. Dabei dürfen wir allerdings nicht vergessen, dass meine …

Christmas tree

And the Lights Are On

Published by Sula H.

Und dann gingen die Lichter an In a land where Christmas isn’t a holiday, it’s always an adventure trying to do something festive. Especially when among people who care very little for such festivities. So, when you ask me how this years Christmas tree lighting fest turned out – let’s just say it was very noisy and reminded me and a lot of my colleagues of a circus. But at least I got my piece of pie (which is huge, because there were far too many people for the few treats that were being offered), and sang my part of the Christmas carols as loud as I could. If I couldn’t hear the rest of the other carolers, at least I could hear myself.  So, all in all, I’d consider it a successful Christmas tree lighting fest. In einem Land, in dem Weihnachten kein Feiertag ist, ist es immer ein Abenteuer, zu versuchen etwas festlich zu gestalten. Besonders wenn unter Leuten, denen solche Festlichkeiten nichts bedeuten. Wenn ihr mich nun also fragt, wie das Weihnachtsbaumlichterfest (wenn die Lichter …

orphanage

Play Time (November)

Published by Sula H.

Spielzeit (November) Oh, yes! We got to have fun again with the kids! It was our first visit to the orphanage this semester, but the kids loved it, and we loved it, too! Hurra! Wir hatten mal wieder sehr viel Spass mit den Kids im Kinderheim. Es war unser erster Besuch dieses Semester, aber die Kids haben’s genossen, und wir auch.          

christmas, purple

A Purple Christmas

Published by Sula H.

Lila Weihnacht Christmas in the city is purple this year! Or, at least in that part of town where I went this weekend. Or at least in the mall where I went this Saturday. But then, with colors for Christmas around here being limited to about exactly 4 (red, gold, silver, blue, and yes, … the occasional purple), this purple shopping mall might actually be a welcome change. Weihnachten in der Stadt ist diesmal lila. Oder zumindest in dem Teil der Stadt, wo ich am Wochenende war. Oder zumindest in dem Einkaufszentrum, in dem ich am Samstag war. Aber wenn Weihnachtsfarben hier ungefähr auf genau vier reduziert sind (rot, gold, silber, blau, und jawohl … das gelegentliche lila), dann ist ein lila Einkaufszentrum fast mal eine willkommene Abwechslung.                

winter, snow, collage, photography, misty hilltops

Winter Is Fading

Published by Sula H.

Der Winter vergeht We’ve been so lucky with the snow this time. It snowed a lot, and even the most of the winter wonderland is gone, you can still find beauty here and there, if you just look closely enough. Wir haben’s mit Schnee diesmal richtig gut getroffen. Es hat ziemlich viel geschneit, und obwohl das Winterwunderland so gut wie verschwunden ist, kann man immer noch hier und da ein paar schöne Motive entdecken.            

Sweet Thanksgiving

Published by Sula H.

Liebe Grüße, Thanksgiving I admit it. Not being from the U.S. Thanksgiving doesn’t mean as much to me as to those folks from around there (which also would be most of my colleagues). But when I get such sweet messages from my students and friends, my heart melts, and I start to think: I really do like Thanksgiving a lot. Thanks a lot, dear friends, for such sweet notices! Ich geb’s zu: Thanksgiving bedeutet mir nicht so viel wie den meisten Amiländern (unter anderem fast allen meinen Kollegen), weil ich selbst ja nicht aus Amiland komme. Aber wenn ich solch nette Nachrichten von meinen Freunden und Studenten bekomme, schmilzt mir nicht nur das Herz, sondern ich denke mir auch: Eigentlich mag ich Thanksgiving doch ziemlich. Lieben Danke, liebe Freunde, für solch liebe Worte.                

winter, campus, misty hilltops photography

Snow Day

Published by Sula H.

Schneefrei It happened! We’re having our first real snow day! And this is what you see when the students are having a (snow) day off: Es ist passiert! Wir haben zum ersten Mal schneefrei. Und hier kommt, was man so sieht, when die Studenten einen (Schnee)Tag frei haben:   Take note of the sign that informs everyone that the ground might be wet. Thanks for the reminder, mate! I almost missed that! And of course, you can see the thoroughfare I talked about the other day (top right picture). The one which students use for sledding. Needless to say, though, the students were having a great time! Achtet mal auf das gelbe Schild, das sagt, der Boden könnte nass sein. Danke für den Hinweis, Kamerad. Das wäre mir fast entgangen! Und natürlich könnt ihr den Weg sehen, den die Studenten in eine Schlittenbahn verwandelt haben (Foto oben rechts). Es muss aber nicht erst gesagt werden: die Studenten hatten Spass!               And I kept walking around campus, capturing the quieter …

winter, snow, photography, collage

A {Most} Perfect Winter Day

Published by Sula H.

Der allerbeste Wintertag Guess what woke me up this morning. Snow! “Wait!” you say, “How can snow wake you up? Isn’t falling snow like the most silent thing on earth?” You’re right, of course. And yet, I was still all cozy and snug, lying in bed at the crack of dawn when a noise from outside drifted through my bedroom window. It took a moment for me to register that scraping sound. And then it hit me! Was someone out there, clearing snow? And then I was out of bed in a flash. Run to the window, pull back the curtain, and there: it was snowing! You see, snow is such a rare thing that I care to get up as early as possible, before about 28.000 students descend on it, and turn the soft, snowy white into a field of brown ugly slush. Needless to say, I was outside within a quarter of an hour, to capture the first signs of winter this season. Of course, by that time I had no idea that …

misty hilltops designs

Ready for the Cold

Published by Sula H.

Der Winter kann kommen So, for the last two weeks they’ve been predicting snow for Tuesday. I still don’t think that’s actually going to happen. But the weather forecast has also been saying that it’s about to get cold today. So, I’ve made sure the get all my winter things ready for the season. Now winter may come. Also, seit zwei Wochen haben sie für Dienstag Schnee vorausgesagt. Ich glaube zwar nicht, dass es so kommt. Aber der Wetterbericht sagt außerdem, dass es ab heute kalt werden soll. Also habe ich meine Wintersachen auf Vordermann gebracht. Jetzt bin ich bereit für die Winterzeit!