So we've been home for just about 2 weeks now. I can't believe we've already been home this long. I miss all my fellow travelers! I really enjoyed their company and had a wonderful time with them.
I'm waiting to hear back from a program, called Bearing Witness, that I applied to go to this summer. Mrs. O'Dea got a thing in the mail and gave it to me. I had my application ready to send that same night! According to the website, Bearing Witness is:
"This program is a unique professional development opportunity designed to provide Catholic school educators with the training and resources necessary to teach their students about the historical relationship between Jewish and Catholic communities and the impact of that relationship on Catholic teaching, catechesis and liturgy."
What does that mean? I might get to go to Washington D.C. for a week this summer and learn! Woo hoo! The program is a partnership between the Anti Defamation League, the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA- remember the 3 conference all the teachers went to last year?), the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and local dioceses. I am very excited and should hear by May 20th if I got picked. Keep your finger crossed!!!
And now that I am back it's time to put my portfolio together. We don't have much time to do it... and it's going to be more than 20 pages when I'm done! YIKES! Seeee... even I have homework! It's going to be nice to reflect about the trip. I've been working on it ever single night a little bit--- I'm making progress but I still have lots to do!!
... Now to get back to the portfolio!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
The journey home...
I'm sitting on the plane over the Atlantic Ocean. We left the hotel at 7:00 this morning and drove to the Berlin airport. This has to be the strangest airport I've ever been to... You checkin and go through security all right outside your gate. We had to stand in like for a long time. It was fun, and the airport was very hot.
The flight took off on time and we landed in Frankfurt with no problem. Our connection was tight so we had to get through the airport quickly. Thankfully we were all seated close together again!
However... We left 2 hours late because they were waiting on a delivery for the plane, the there was only 1 runway open at the airport due to high winds. Let me tell you.... It really STINKS sitting on the plane for 2 hours before an 8+ hour flight.
According to a Germany time it's 5:30-- so we have already been up for 12 hours. (No wonder why I am tired!!). At home it's 12:30. According to the monitor we are 4 1/2 hours to our destination. UGH... we aren't even half way there. I'm already on my 2nd movie, taken a nap and had lunch. Now what to do for another 4 and a half hours...
The flight took off on time and we landed in Frankfurt with no problem. Our connection was tight so we had to get through the airport quickly. Thankfully we were all seated close together again!
However... We left 2 hours late because they were waiting on a delivery for the plane, the there was only 1 runway open at the airport due to high winds. Let me tell you.... It really STINKS sitting on the plane for 2 hours before an 8+ hour flight.
According to a Germany time it's 5:30-- so we have already been up for 12 hours. (No wonder why I am tired!!). At home it's 12:30. According to the monitor we are 4 1/2 hours to our destination. UGH... we aren't even half way there. I'm already on my 2nd movie, taken a nap and had lunch. Now what to do for another 4 and a half hours...
Friday, April 19, 2013
"The final solution to the Jewish Problem" : the Wansee House
For our last full day in Germany we went to the Wansee house. This is where the Nazi officially decided to commit genocide. Minutes were taken at this meeting (notes) and there was a movie created based in those minutes. I've seen the movie twice, which was actually filmed here, so it was creepy being here on so many levels.
Wansee is just outside of Berlin and is a gorgeous lake side community. The houses are large and almost everyone has a best in the lake. It's so sad to think that such horrible choices were made in such a beautiful place.
Inside the house there is a museum exhibit, which was very interesting. I was also able to walk the grounds. It was a lot cooler today than it has been but the sun was still warm. I sat outside on the lake for at least a half hour reflecting on all that I saw this week.
When we returned to the city I packed up most of my things. At 3:00 Amy and I were meeting a friend of a friend at the Holocaust Memorial. Michael, who we were meeting is... Now follow me here because it gets confusing... My day's best friend from high school, cousins, former co-worker. He's been living in Berlin since August and was going to show us around a bit after the museum.
We were in the Holocaust Museum for close to an hour. I think this was my favorite museum we have gone to. The audio guide was excellent and it was very well put together. The museum is below the memorial and it reflects what is above,this was definitely my favorite place we went and I will be doing my museum review for my portfolio on this museum.
We had to wait to get in to the Holocaust Museum so we were running short on time. We decided to get a cab instead of public transportation. Michael took Amy and I over to the last remaining section of the Berlin Wall at the East Side Gallery. The wall is painted by many different artists and was really cool. We followed the wall then crossed the river into a different part of the city. This area was very cool- it was very artsy with lots of graffiti. Amy and I were very excited to see such a different part of the city.
From there Amy and I said bye to Michael because we were meeting the rest of the group for one final dinner together. We ate outside and it was a lot of fun to all eat together on our last night. Here is Janet and I!
I can't believe the week is over and we leave tomorrow. The wake up call is at 5:30am... I better get to bed!!!
:-)
This is the actual room where the meeting took place.
Jen and I out back of the house waiting for the group.
Wansee is just outside of Berlin and is a gorgeous lake side community. The houses are large and almost everyone has a best in the lake. It's so sad to think that such horrible choices were made in such a beautiful place.
Inside the house there is a museum exhibit, which was very interesting. I was also able to walk the grounds. It was a lot cooler today than it has been but the sun was still warm. I sat outside on the lake for at least a half hour reflecting on all that I saw this week.
When we returned to the city I packed up most of my things. At 3:00 Amy and I were meeting a friend of a friend at the Holocaust Memorial. Michael, who we were meeting is... Now follow me here because it gets confusing... My day's best friend from high school, cousins, former co-worker. He's been living in Berlin since August and was going to show us around a bit after the museum.
We were in the Holocaust Museum for close to an hour. I think this was my favorite museum we have gone to. The audio guide was excellent and it was very well put together. The museum is below the memorial and it reflects what is above,this was definitely my favorite place we went and I will be doing my museum review for my portfolio on this museum.
From there Amy and I said bye to Michael because we were meeting the rest of the group for one final dinner together. We ate outside and it was a lot of fun to all eat together on our last night. Here is Janet and I!
I can't believe the week is over and we leave tomorrow. The wake up call is at 5:30am... I better get to bed!!!
:-)
Thursday, April 18, 2013
A full day in Berlin
Our first full day in Berlin was just that... FULL!! Jenn, Amy, Mike and I got up early to do a few things before we met the rest of the group at the Jewish Museum at 10:00. We walked across the city from our hotel to the Tiergarten. The Tiergarten is a large park/garden in central Berlin. Think central park in NYC. While on the way there we came across a marked ate where the Berlin Wall used to stand. After that we continued on our way to the Tiergarten where we walked around a bit.
At 9:00 the Gedenkstatte Deutscher Widerstand opened. This was an exhibit on German Nazi resistance. What's cool is the exhibit is located in the offices where a plot was created to assassinate Hitler. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful. There is a memorial in the courtyard where the conspirators were killed. (There is also a movie about this with Tom Cruise.)
From there we walked to meet the rest of the group at the Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum chronicles the history of the Jewish Religion. There is a new special exhibition that we all wanted to see, but it didn't start until 2:00. Most of us decided to come back later for this.
Instead, we walked down the street to the Topography of Terror Museum. This museum was very interesting and sits on the location of the former Gestapo headquarters. The building is gone and in its place is a very unique building. I really liked this museum. It was a lit,of reading but it was very interesting.
From there we walked to Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie is where you used to be able to cross between east and West Berlin from 1961-1990. During the Cold War Berlin was separated in to East and West and if you wanted to cross over this is one of the locations. By now it was time for lunch, so we grabbed something quick to east before heading back to the Jewish Museum.
We got back to the Jewish Museum and went through it fairly quickly. The museum was not my favorite. It was very disorienting and I found it to be very confusing. The special exhibit was interesting. It was titled "everything you wanted to know about the Jews,". The exhibit has caused some controversy because it feature a Jewish person in a box. No, I'm not kidding and I literally mean in a box. She is there and can answer questions. (See why we wanted to be there for 2:00?). I would best describe my reaction to this museum as puzzled. I still don't know how I feel about it or what I think about it.
From there we got a taxi to cross the city to see the synagogue. Jenn's great aunt was married there and she wanted to see it. The girls I was with took a can back to the hotel and I decided to walk back and do some shopping. It was a gorgeous day and I wanted to be outside!!
Tonight for dinner we went back to the same restaurant we went last night, but with a bigger group. We wanted to take Janet Applefield out to dinner. (Remember Janet?) It was a really great evening with friends and new friends. Janet shared some amazing stories and letter with us tonight.
Today was a busy day... I can't believe tomorrow is our last day then we'll be in our way home!!
We'll be back at school before you know it!!!
:-)
These are on the ground outside of homes of Jewish families that were forced from their homes. Each marker represents one person. This was located next to our hotel.
Marker from the Berlin Wall
Amy, Mike, & Jenn taking a picture of where the wall was.
A piece of the wall.
The Tiergarten. (Berlin's version of Central Park.)
At 9:00 the Gedenkstatte Deutscher Widerstand opened. This was an exhibit on German Nazi resistance. What's cool is the exhibit is located in the offices where a plot was created to assassinate Hitler. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful. There is a memorial in the courtyard where the conspirators were killed. (There is also a movie about this with Tom Cruise.)
From there we walked to meet the rest of the group at the Jewish Museum. The Jewish Museum chronicles the history of the Jewish Religion. There is a new special exhibition that we all wanted to see, but it didn't start until 2:00. Most of us decided to come back later for this.
Instead, we walked down the street to the Topography of Terror Museum. This museum was very interesting and sits on the location of the former Gestapo headquarters. The building is gone and in its place is a very unique building. I really liked this museum. It was a lit,of reading but it was very interesting.
Topography of Terror
From there we walked to Checkpoint Charlie. Checkpoint Charlie is where you used to be able to cross between east and West Berlin from 1961-1990. During the Cold War Berlin was separated in to East and West and if you wanted to cross over this is one of the locations. By now it was time for lunch, so we grabbed something quick to east before heading back to the Jewish Museum.
Checkpoint Charlie
We got back to the Jewish Museum and went through it fairly quickly. The museum was not my favorite. It was very disorienting and I found it to be very confusing. The special exhibit was interesting. It was titled "everything you wanted to know about the Jews,". The exhibit has caused some controversy because it feature a Jewish person in a box. No, I'm not kidding and I literally mean in a box. She is there and can answer questions. (See why we wanted to be there for 2:00?). I would best describe my reaction to this museum as puzzled. I still don't know how I feel about it or what I think about it.
Jenn speaking to the woman in the box.
From there we got a taxi to cross the city to see the synagogue. Jenn's great aunt was married there and she wanted to see it. The girls I was with took a can back to the hotel and I decided to walk back and do some shopping. It was a gorgeous day and I wanted to be outside!!
Tonight for dinner we went back to the same restaurant we went last night, but with a bigger group. We wanted to take Janet Applefield out to dinner. (Remember Janet?) It was a really great evening with friends and new friends. Janet shared some amazing stories and letter with us tonight.
Today was a busy day... I can't believe tomorrow is our last day then we'll be in our way home!!
We'll be back at school before you know it!!!
:-)
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