Shouldn’t we be able to learn German with relative ease?

January 26, 2010 at 10:30 pm (History, Misc.)
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I have been trying to learn German for just over a month now.  I try to practice a little everyday, of course I don’t spend as much time on it as I would like.  I really don’t remember anything from the on semester I took in college, so I feel like I’m starting from scratch.  I think I’m doing ok, especially since I’m learning on my own.  I’m using several resources:  Rosetta Stone, Livemocha, Amazon (for all sorts of books), and have even joined Der Deutsche Stammtisch, a local German meetup group.  A friend mentioned today that English speakers should be able to learn German pretty easily, since English is a derivative of the Germanic language.  I wish this were true, and maybe it is for some people, although I do not feel like I’m picking it up easier than Spanish.  (But I also do not feel that I’m really having a harder time than I did with Spanish.)  For me it just comes down to studying and practice. 

I was a little nervous about joining the German meetup group, since my vocabulary is very limited and I know I wouldn’t be able to really join in a conversation anytime soon.  It looks like they meet about once a month, and the first meetup that I could attend is in mid February.  I can’t decide if I’ll attend.  I’d like to go and at least listen (and eat German food) but it’s also the day before I head to D.C. to take part in a focus group for the Smithsonian. 

I’m really excited about the focus group.  I’ve never participated in one before, and neither has Sarah, the other specialist for Portsmouth, she’ll be part of it as well.  They’re putting together a traveling exhibit, which the group will get to check out.  It’s taking place at the Museum of the American Indian.  I’ve been there once several years ago when they opened the museum.  Jeff and I are going, as well as Sarah and her husband, and we’ll spend Saturday in D.C. and part of Sunday so that we can visit a few other museums while we’re there.  I want to visit the Holocaust Museum since I’ve never been and the newly renovated American History Museum.

Speaking of the Holocaust Museum, tomorrow is Holocaust Rememberance Day and the 65th anniversay of the liberation of Auschwitz.  There are of course many activities planned in Poland.  It’s sad to note that the main gate at Auschwitz will not be hung in time for the ceremonies.  They’re not even sure they’ll ever hang it up again.  That really makes me sad, that these five guys might prevent millions of visitors from seeing such an important part of history.

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Team McGraw Update

January 24, 2010 at 9:13 pm (Running)
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Today is the final day of week 6 of training.  I’m scheduled to run 8 miles, which I will gladly do since it’s warmer today than it has been in awhile. 

I haven’t done well with my training the past two weeks.  I’ve had to stay late after school several times, or had to work at Running Etc., and plan for the charity poker tournament I had for Team McGraw last weekend.  I’ve missed quite a few workouts.  (The weather hasn’t helped.  Trent and I actually cancelled a run because it was cold and pouring rain, and that’s unlike us.) 

The poker tournament was a success however.  I only had 9 people show, but I raised about $250 for the charity, which puts me at $605 raised so far.  I’m still hoping to raise the full $1000, and I’ve got about eight more weeks to do so.  I had a good time at the tournament, I hope everyone else did as well. 

This week I hope to get back on schedule with my training.  I’m not very worried about missing those workouts, I know I’m in decent shape and I’ve still got 8 weeks of training to go.  But I hate to miss workouts and deviate from my schedule.  I plan on joining the gym this week as well, which will help with the days when we have nasty weather.  I’m also looking forward to being able to take classes.  I tried hip hop cardio with Sarah a couple of weeks ago and loved it.  Great workout.  I think the classes will motivate me when it comes to cross training.

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Another year

January 6, 2010 at 1:53 am (Misc., Poland)
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Although this is several weeks late, they did find the sign from the gate at Auschwitz.  The thieves had already unfortunately cut it into three pieces.  I hope it can be repaired.  They’ve also recently linked the thieves with a larger plot to sell the sign to a collector, and use the funds to commit terrorist acts in Sweden.  I haven’t heard anything else on this story in the past few days, but I’m keeping an eye out.

Christmas has come and gone.  2009 will always be the year I didn’t watch “A Christmas Story.”  We just never got around to it.  I did get Rosetta Stone’s German Level 1 and I’m working on the first unit now.  I’m also using Livemocha, which is a program similar to Rosetta Stone, although it’s a free website.  I’ve made a rather long wish list on Amazon of books I’d like to purchase to help me as well.  I think I’m building my vocabulary ok, I’m having a little trouble with a few conjugations and sentence structure.  But I’ll keep at it.  Hopefully I can pick it up.  Hopefully I’ll get to go to Germany this summer and use what I know.  Of course I won’t find out for awhile if I’m chosen to go to Germany, although if I am that would be a huge motivator to study harder.  There is a German meetup group in the area, although I’m not sure I’d have much time to get together with them.  Maybe a little closer to the end of the school year (once all these workshops are over) I’ll have a little more time. 

I’ll also have a little more time once Shamrock is over.  I’m in week 3 of training and doing well getting my runs in, not so well getting my toning workouts in.  I’ve got to do better with that.  I felt much better after the minimal ab work I did while training for OBX, so I know it’ll help me.  I’ve raised $275 towards my goal (which is $1000) for Team McGraw.  My charity poker tournament is next weekend.  I’ve only got a few people who have said they’re coming, I’m hoping more will show up and that this tournament will get me a long way towards my goal.  I’ve still got some time, but it would be nice to know that I’ll have a good turn out.  We’ll see.

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Shocking News

December 19, 2009 at 12:38 am (Poland)
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Main gate at Auschwitz

This morning while I ate breakfast, I checked cnn.com as usual.  I saw a headline that said “Nazi sign stolen from Auschwitz gates.”  I immediately assumed that they meant a small sign, similar to the warning signs for the electrified barbed wire, that was near the entrance.  (One that I had probably walked right past without noticing.)  I clicked on the link and was horrified to find that the “Arbeit Macht Frei” at the top of the main gate was stolen.  I first wondered how someone could steal then, then who, and why.  What are they going to do with it? It’s not as though you can auction it off on Ebay.  Or display it in your living room.  While discussing this at work today, someone pointed out that maybe someone wanted to destroy it.  This also horrifies me. 

I hope they recover the sign soon and can restore it to the complex.  It is a defining symbol of the Holocaust, and should be left as it was to remind people of what happened at Auschwitz.

I am also glad that I had the opportunity to see the gate this past summer on my trip.  I hope they can restore the original gate, and do not have to use a replica.  At least I had the chance to see the original.

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A PR during a near perfect weekend, and on to the next goal

November 18, 2009 at 2:34 am (Running, Travel)
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The OBX Half Marathon has come and gone.  It was a great weekend, I set a PR, although I did not quite make my goal of 2:10:00.  Actually, 3 people in our house set a PR, one of them by 20 minutes!

We headed down on Friday afternoon and hit the race expo which was pretty difficult to find and very tiny.  I did get a cool OBX race shirt and a couple more of those Bondi bands I like so much.  One even has skulls and crossbones on it, in honor of the pirate theme for the race.

After the expo we checked into the house, which was awesome!  3 floors, a doorway onto the deck in almost every room, and a nice view across the sound and coincidentally the huge bridge into Manteo at the end of the run. 

Saturday we did a couple of touristy things, like visiting the aquarium on Roanoke Island and Jockey’s Ridge.  I’m not sure Jockey’s Ridge was the greatest idea, I don’t know if we should have been climing enormous sand dunes the day before the race.  Aside from jumping up and down on the sand dune, and trying to be in sync with three other people for a picture, I took it easy and watched where I was going. 

The aquarium was nice, there were few people there so we could take our time.  In one of the shark/large fish tanks they had divers cleaning with little vacuums.  That was interesting to watch, the fish paid them no attention and it was funny to see someone vacuuming underwater. 

Saturday evening (with about 12 people in the house) we fixed a huge pasta dinner and carbo loaded like crazy.  After a round of Scattergories everyone headed to bed early since we had to be up at 4am and out of the house by 5:30.  The 6 of us running took the shuttle to the start, where we had to wait about 45 minutes until the gun.  It was chilly, but warmed up fast once we got going.

I wasn’t happy for the first half of the race, I felt like my pace fluctuated too much and I kept getting stuck behind people and did a lot of swerving.  I actually thought for a long time, until about mile 7 or 8, that I wouldn’t be anywhere near my goal.  I was hoping to run 9:45 minute miles, but it just wasn’t happening.  Somewhere between mile 6 and 7 I fell in pace with an older guy and I stuck with him for most of the second half of the race.  He got me over the bridge, which is what I was dreading.  It looks very intimidating when you’re running towards it, and feels like it’s never going to end when you’re running over it.  We did of course slow down quite a bit over the bridge, but we ran every step of the way. 

The bridge took a lot out of me so I took my last gel a mile earlier than I had originally planned, but that was ok.  After the bridge we turned towards Manteo and were in the home stretch.  I picked it up as much as I could, because at this point I knew if I missed my goal it wouldn’t be by much.  And it wasn’t, my chip time was a 2:10:50.  Not quite what I was hoping for, but a PR nonetheless. 

And now I’m already looking towards my next goal, which is the Shamrock Dolphin Challenge.  The Dolphin Challenge is an 8k race on Saturday followed by a half marathon on Sunday.  While yes, I would like to hit that 2:10 at Shamrock, my main goal is to raise $1000 for Team McGraw, an organization that raises money for brain cancer research.  My grandfather died last year from brain cancer, and I’m running in his memory.  While I’m sure the time goal will float around in the back of my head, what I really want is to raise the $1000 (or more!) in honor of my grandfather.  If I can do that, my race will be a success, no matter what my time.

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That feeling

October 1, 2009 at 1:45 am (Running, Travel)
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I made it through Rock n Roll, and very well I think.  I ran a 2:30:49, I said I wanted to run a 2:30.  I took it slow, had fun, and felt great afterwards.  (This was the first Rock n Roll where I didn’t throw up before or after the race.)  We had great weather, not too humid, and it was overall a very pleasant race. 

Leonard and me after Rock n Roll

OBX is rapidly approaching, I think training wise I’m in week 9 of 14.  I’m looking forward to it and hope the weather is nice.  I’ve set a time goal for myself, I’d like to run a 2:10, which would take 2 minutes and 47 seconds off my best half time.  We’ll see, there’s the big bridge at the end heading into Manteo to contend with.  I’ve got to do some more speedwork. 

Working at Running Etc. is going ok.  I’m allowed to answer the phones now.  Eventually I’ll be trained in shoes.

I’ve been working on my unit plan for Poland.  It’s nearing completion, I’ve gotten 3 of 5 lesson plans (and supplemental materials for each of those plans) completed.  The other two I have outlined and almost complete, then I’ll just have to do the materials to go along with them.

So thinking about Poland and traveling (and listening to “The World at Large”) has given me that “I’m ready to go somewhere” feeling.  I’ve already looked into study abroad seminars for next year and have decided to apply for a two week seminar to Germany.  Based on some blogs I’ve read from past participants, it looks as though you can extend your stay to travel after the trip is over.  If I can work that out, I’d like to stay a few extra days and visit Switzerland.  I think I’d like to see the Alps.  I’ve got to work on my application, which is not due until February 15th, so I’ve got some time.  But that’s the plan (right now) to get me out of the country next summer for a couple of weeks and see a new place!

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Rock n Roll

September 4, 2009 at 1:54 am (Running)
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A couple of weeks ago I signed up to run the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in VA Beach.  I’m even partially sponsored, a friend of mine paid half my registration fee if I’d run it.  He said I didn’t even have to run with him, he just wanted some more people he knew out there.  (I’ll stick with him, unless he decides to speed up.)

I haven’t properly trained for this race, not like I normally would, which is a little nerve wracking.  I did do two 8 mile and one 10 mile long run and made it through those with no problem, so hopefully I’ll be ok.  (Well, I did fall down during the 10 miler, but that’s because I turned around to ask Leonard if he was doing ok.  Big mistake.)  The biggest concern is that I have never tried the sports drink they’ll be offering along the course.  They’re using Cytomax, not Gatorade or Powerade which I’m used to.  So I decided to try out the energy gels.  (I also needed to start trying them because I started working part time at Running Etc. and I need to be able to offer advice to customers.)  I tried the Strawberry Kiwi and it went ok, so I’m going to go with water and the gels and hope I make it through. 

I’m also a little concerned since I participated in the Wellness Walk at work today.  The winner (whoever walked the most laps) will receive a $100 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods.  I decided I’d like to go for it.  So I got to Wilson and started walking as soon as they let us, which was around 8:20am, and didn’t stop until it was over at 12:05 or so.  I walked 141 laps around the Humanities wing.  I wasn’t allowed to run, no one was, although some people did.  But I think I may have finished ahead of them, I haven’t received official word yet.  I hope I won, I spent a long time walking, and I could definitely use some new running clothes. 

My legs are really tired now, and the lower part of my left leg, right above my foot, is very tight.  I’m trying to massage and stretch it out.  Hopefully my legs will loosen up and be ok by Sunday.  I’m taking tomorrow and Sunday to rest (although I’ll be on my feet quite a bit at work.)  We’ll see how it goes, I’m planning to do RnR just for fun, and I’ll shoot for a time goal at OBX.

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My books, Mud, OBX, and the Holocaust

August 12, 2009 at 9:05 pm (Running, Work)
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After the ASYMCA Mud Run at Little CreekThis past Saturday I did the ASYMCA Mud Run at Little Creek Amphib base with Jeff and 3 friends from HRR.  (HRR is the Hampton Roads Runners, a running group to which I belong and am an assistant organizer for.)  We were “Team Clean Freaks.”  It was an awesome race and I’m glad we had a team together.  (Last time I did this individually, it was so much nicer knowing I had teammates who were suffering as much as I was.)  The weather was perfect, not too hot, and some cloud cover which really helped.  First mile was entirely on soft sand with some berms.  To me a berm is a method of torture, to other people I guess it’s just a hill.  A lot of the race was on soft sand, there were a few spots here and there on trail or pavement which was nice and where I felt like I knew how to run.  I do not feel like I know how to run when on sand. 

There are mud pits and obstacles.  The obstacle that worries me most was the 5 foot wall, since I don’t work my arms at all and must have the weakest arms in the world.  (Don’t worry, I’ve decided to work on them during cross training for the OBX Half.)  I figured one of the guys on the team would have to boost me over.  The two I was with however, leapt over it before me and I was left on my own.  I managed just fine, and got myself over.  Big accomplishment. 

An hour and 22 minutes later we collected everyone on our team and crossed the finish line.  Several pieces of pizza and a wade in the bay, and we headed home.  Good start to Saturday!

My package containing all my books and papers from Poland arrived yesterday.  I was pleased to see everything intact.  I took everything on the Holocaust to work with me, since I know for sure that I’ll do a lesson plan on the Holocaust.  It’s hard to decide what to focus on though, so I emailed Shelby for help and she called me!  It was nice to hear from her, and a big surprise.  She had a few good ideas, we brainstormed a little, and once I get my lesson finished I’ll share it with her.  There’s just a lot of information to get across to the students, and I don’t want to just focus on the horrors of the Holocaust and the camps because I don’t want to finish the lesson and have a room full of kids who have decided they don’t like the Germans.  Hopefully what I come up with will give them a good understanding  of what went on. 

And lastly, I guess since I’m an assistang organizer for HRR, that makes me the automatic organizer whenever the people I usually run with decide to do anything as a group.  Several of us are running the OBX Half Marathon in November and thought it would be nice to rent a place in Manteo together.  I’ve been working on this for about a week now and have finally received the lease and am hopefully close to getting the thing booked.  But then I may have another immediate project (besides remembering to get the balance of what we owe in on time) and that is another Mud Run in Roanoke in September.  This is a better Mud Run than the one we just did, because when you finish you are actually covered from head to toe in mud.  It’s a long drive for a short race, but we’ll see.  There are people interested and I would really like to do it, but first I’ve got to finish booking the house in Manteo.

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Computers and Costumes

August 3, 2009 at 12:50 am (Running)
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My computer is finally fixed!  I took it to work for the tech people to look at it (since it is a school laptop) and I had some spyware.  They reimaged it, which meant that I had to take all my pictures off the computer or else I’d lose them.  So I backed them up, and I need to get them put back on the laptop so I can post more pictures from Poland. 

It took a few days adjusting to being back home.  I was tired for about a week.  I do miss the 17 or so hours of daylight in Poland, that was nice. 

I haven’t done very well getting back into a regular running routine, but that will change tomorrow, since I begin training for the OBX Half Marathon.  I’m looking forward to it, both the race and the training.  I do so much better when I have a training schedule to follow.  There are also quite a few people from my running group doing this race, which makes it more fun.

I’ve also signed up for the Blue Moon Wicked 10k, which will be held on Halloween.  This will actually be my last long run before the half marathon.  It’s a little longer than my scheduled long run (which is 5 miles) but I’ll take it easy, it sounded too fun to pass up.  This however, poses the question of costume.  What costume will I wear for the race?  I’ve started looking around online, and found a couple I like.  (One is Marily Monroe in her white dress, though I think the wig might fall off, and the other is a pregnant nun, which I just think is funny.)  A couple friends also plan to run this race, so we may get together and figure out something that goes together.  But whatever it is will have to be somewhat comfortable because I don’t want to regret my costume for the entire 6.2 miles.  Suggestions?

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An uneventful trip home

July 22, 2009 at 1:32 pm (Poland, Travel)
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I got up early to wander Warsaw before I left, but it started raining so I didn’t make it very far.  Ola came to the hotel and took me to the airport, which was nice, and she got me in the right line to check in and left.  The line to check in at LOT was very  long, and when I finally got up to the desk, my suitcase was overweight.  So I had to repack.  The woman at the desk told me I didn’t have to get back in line, and she had someone else who was free help me when I was finished, and I was still overweight.  So I rearranged things some more.  This time she ignored me, and the other woman walked away from the counter.  She had sent me to an empty line to rearrange my stuff, and people kept trying to line up behind me, and since I was tired of confusing them and being ignored, I just got back in the long line.  Luckily, this time my suitcase was ok and I got checked through.  I had awhile before the plane took off, so I found my gate (stopped to get a candybar along the way) and read.  We were a little late taking off, about 35 minutes, but we landed in Chicago right on time, at 3pm. 

I couldn’t really sleep on the flight, and there were quite a few noisy kids.  I finished my book and watched one of the movies.  In Chicago I was starving (the food on the plane was not good, and for dinner I ate only the Kit Kat type candybar that was our dessert) so I got a Chicago style pizza.  I made it through customs and everything ok, I didn’t have to wait too long in line for anything, it just took awhile to get from one part of the airport to another.  But we left Chicago right on time and it was a short flight to St. Louis.  By now I was really tired, since it was starting to be the middle of the night for me, luckily it was only about a 45 minute layover in St. Louis.  Again we took off right on time and I couldn’t stay awake on the flight to Norfolk.  It was also a short flight, an hour and a half or so, and I dozed most of the trip. 

My luggage made it home and I pulled out most of the stuff I bought to show Jeff when I got home, but I wasn’t up long, since I’d been awake (with the exception of the doze on the St. Louis to Norfolk leg) for almost 24 hours.  On Monday I got Chinese food for lunch and then took a 3 hour nap.  Yesterday was ok, I didn’t nap but I did go to bed pretty early. 

I still have pictures I want to post, that I’ll work on periodically, and now I’ve got to think about putting together my curriculum project for this trip.  Well, when I go back to work on August 3rd I’ll start thinking about it.  I’m going to enjoy the two weeks of summer vacation that I do get.  And when I go back to work, I’ll also start trying to figure out where I’ll go next year.

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