I’m sitting here listening to the sweetest sound. One of my second grade reading students is illustrating a story he wrote. While he’s working, he’s singing a praise song about loving Jesus. What a way to get to spend my days!
Mrs. Klein: I’m sorry, it looks like your computer froze.
Andrew: Hmmm…maybe it has a cold.
I had my 9th grade computer class record an interview with their favorite geek or nerd…or nerdy geek. Many of them do this in a radio show format, but this is the first one I’ve ever received that features an original theme song.
The subject of this interview is Chad Hurley(pictured), one of the creators of Youtube.
Click play and enjoy the interview!
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The fifth grade class has a special place in my heart because they were my class last year and therefore were greatly involved in “helping” to plan our wedding. It’s beyond cute how excited they get whenever they see Matt and I walking together or talking. Today took the cake, though. Matt walked into my lab to give me a package my mom had sent. As soon as he walked in, the fifth graders stopped their work, looked at him, and applauded. Yep, my husband is so amazing he gets applause simply for entering a room. That was a great moment.
On Saturday I had the opportunity to take a Korean cooking class with several people from our church. Our friend Myunghee hosted the class to raise money for a missionary family that is doing work in Kenya. It was such a fun way to meet new people. We learned how to make Jabchae (noodles with vegetables) and LA Galbi (beef in pear sauce). It was all delicious! One of the exciting things I learned is that we live right next to an Asian grocery store that has all the ingredients I need, so hopefully I’ll be able to make these dishes on my own.
There are more photos here: Korean Cooking Class.
Ever since moving to Austria and discovering that there is no canned pumpkin, I’ve wanted to learn how to make pumpkin puree from scratch. I decided that this was the year, so Matt bought me a pumpkin and the adventures have begun. First let me say that making fresh pumpkin puree is soooo easy. Second, the one thing I’ve made so far has tasted way better than it ever did with canned pumpkin. Third, it’s a good thing it’s yummy because pumpkins here are expensive. Our little pumpkin cost us 8 euro. Crazy.
So far, I’ve made Macadamia Nut White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies – so yummy – and creole seasoned pumpkin seeds. The rest of the puree is in the freezer until I can decide the best way to use it. Some good suggestions I’ve received so far are pumpkin soup, pumpkin brownies, and pumpkin bread. If anyone has good pumpkin ideas, let me know.
You can see the rest of the pumpkin excitement here: Pumpkin Pics.
Here is the latest edition of my videography classes news segment. Also included is a a commercial for our school’s Fall Festival.
VCSNN Episode 2
Fall Festival Advertisement
This was the picture on the front page of the “Heute” this morning. The “Heute” is a free daily newspaper available in all Ubahn(subway) stations. Roughly translated, the text says:
* Change – The black Kennedy has done it.
* The Blitz – Special edition about Barack Obamas’s clear victory
* All the news, photos about the US Election.
The typical European, and Austria is no exception, is unapologetically pro-Obama. After the last presidential election many Europeans I know were completely baffled as to how George W. Bush was elected for a second term. They honestly couldn’t begin to comprehend why anyone, much less the majority of Americans, would cast their vote for him.
There are a few reasons for that and I think a lot of those pertain to the fact that the issues effecting the average European are not as broad as the ones that effect the average American. Europeans see a fumbled war in Iraq, a financial meltdown, and a frankly uncharsimatic Commander in Chief. And while these issues are important to Americans, things like domestic tax policy, education and health care reform, and ethical issues such as abortion also factor into the mix.
What was really interesting to me is how fervently people in Europe supported Obama. It wasn’t like this when John Kerry ran 4 years ago. Sure Europeans disliked Bush and wanted him out of office, but I never saw people walking around Vienna with John Kerry buttons pinned to their lapels. I’ve seen Obama buttons and T-shirts worn by European Obama supporters, and I used to think, “Why do they care?” They can’t even vote.”
Now I think a bit differently. Europeans care because the actions of the US President effect the whole world. This is clearly demonstrated by a number of decisions, but two big ones are the War on Terror and the current financial meltdown. Each of these circumstances has had a profound effect on the world. It’s not only US troops fighting and dying in Iraq and Afghanistan, and terror attacks have been seen in England, Spain, and Denmark just to name a few. Likewise, the financial crisis has a broader impact than the borders of the USA and has bottomed out stock markets in Europe, Asia and beyond.
So even though they don’t have official votes, I think it wise for people in Europe to care who our president is. And for better or worse they agree with the nearly 63 million Americans who believe Obama is the better choice.
Last Monday and Tuesday were Fall Break here at VCS, so I decided to stay up Monday night and watch what I hoped would be the final game of the World Series. (God bless MLB.tv).
What followed was a game full of excitement, rain, and the first ever World Series game suspended due to rain. So there I was: the middle of the 6th inning, the score tied at 2 watching in disbelief a man with a microphone in his face talk about how they don’t know when they will complete the game. Not hours…days. I crawled into bed disappointed, but hopeful.
Tuesday was more rain.
Wednesday the air was cold, but the sky was clear. Time to finish Game 5. Since I had school the next day I went to sleep early. Or rather I should say I tried to go to sleep early, but giddy anticipation only allowed for about 2 hours of sleep before my watch alarm woke me at 1:30 am. I slipped out of bed and planted myself on the couch just in time to see Geoff Jenkins slam a ball into the left field gap for a lead-off double. This was going to be a good game. I knew it.
It was better than good. After a back and forth struggle Brad Lidge took the mound in the 9th with a 1 run lead, striking out Tampa’s final batter to seal the win, and commence the celebration. A dogpile of jubilation. The Phillies are the World Series champions for the 2nd time in their history and the first time in 28 years.
And though I was a bit tired Thursday morning, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. Not that day.
More Fall Festival Pictures are here!
Every Halloween at Vienna Christian School we host a Fall Festival at school. It is a fun time for students, staff, and parents to get together, play games, eat good food, and hear a short performance from the school’s choirs.
For the past few years Tricia and I have been tasked to shoot pictures and compile them in a slideshow to watch while everyone is moving up to the AP room to listen to the choir concert. Because we’re always behind the camera, we don’t show up in too many pictures, but we think you really want to see the cute kids anyway.
In addition to that, I “participated” in a fundraiser put on by the Student Council. Teachers names were put on jars and whoever’s jar collected the most money got a pie in the face. Fortunately, or unfortunately for some, my jar didn’t top the charts and I avoided a faceful of whipped cream.
