Week Two - Settling in well - 27th Feb 2014

At the end of another busy week with beautiful weather it is time to reflect on events here in Kreuzlingen.  Once again there have been many more memorable events coupled with settling in that little bit more in my new ‘home’. 

Introducing our housemate Yuexin to some
 Irish beer! 

The reality of living away from home really landed on me this week as I faced the challenge of housework and cooking.  One event that will live both with me and my housemates was my attempted arson!! Somehow I managed to set fire to my tea – yes in actual flames! Looking back now my housemates and I are finding it hilarious although it was far from funny at the time.  Understandably I am now being known for nearly putting the house on fire.

Everyone at the meal

It has also been a week of getting to know our fellow international students that little bit better.  Last Friday we were very kindly invited to celebrate with our Israeli friends at a traditional gathering meal which consisted of their songs and prayers and the sharing of Hala bread and wine.  Other girls from our university were also there and we had a great evening sharing our cultures and beliefs.  It was a truly brilliant experience and one that we all thoroughly enjoyed!

On Sunday Kreuzlingen hosted their annual ‘Fasnachts Parade’.  This parade can be described in only one word - and that is madness! With nearly 100 floats and everyone dressed in crazy and traditional costumes we were able, through a fun event, to gain a better insight and understanding of the Swiss culture.  It was a day of lots of laughs and screams as we got covered in confetti and my run of  bad luck continued as I got picked up and carried down the street in the middle of the parade by one of the ‘monsters’.  To my embarrassment all the onlookers were laughing as were Ashleigh and Sarah and instead of helping me they decided it would be better to take pictures! Thanks for that girls!! But all in all it was truly enjoyable. 

The girls and I with a member from the parade. Note the confetti in our hair! 

Inside St Peters Church Zurich

This week also heralded the start of our travels as we finally plucked up the courage to leave our little town that we now know well to experience some of the other sights in this picturesque country.  As Rosalia de Castro stated:

“I see my path, but I do not know where it leads.  Not knowing where I am going is what inspires me to travel it.”

We made our way to the city of Zurich and became tourists for the day with cameras around our necks and a packed lunch in our bags.  This day consisted of sightseeing and visiting some beautiful buildings with yet again many more laughs and embarrassing moments!

Now that I have completed two weeks of classes in our new teacher training university, Padagogische Hochschule Thurgau, some of the differences between our system and the one which this university uses are starting to become clear.  Here students have the opportunity to choose what they want to study from a range of different modules, such as: Religion and Ethics; Philosophy for Children; The study of Stone Age History; and Global Education – just to name a few.  Each one of these modules gives the students a vast amount of detail and understanding.  Philosophy for children was developed by Matthew Lipman who quoted “…a paramount objective of education is to help students develop their ability to think for themselves and to learn to use this ability in responsible ways.” This is the module that I have chosen to study and one that I feel will benefit me hugely within my future teaching career. 

Until next time,

Stephanie.