The last day at work

 

This has been my home and workplace for past three months. There were times when I was so homesick I could not wait for the days to pass. Now I can't believe how fast the time has gone. Today was my last official workday. Everything that is left now is a christmas party tomorrow. After that I will be like any other tourist in the city.

Now I'm looking back at some of the nice things that have happened during the last few weeks. First, the famous Nürnberger christmas market opened on the first advent. The market is overcrowded almost any time, but I have been looking around there three- four times. Yesterday it was not only the amount of people that made me feel uneasy. On monday night someone drow a truck on Berlin christmas market killing 12 people. This was the first piece of news I got in the morning. Luckily everything here is secure and I had a nice time on the Nürnberger christkindlesmarkt. 

 

I got myself a different kinf of advent calendar this year. I found a book called Der Henken von Nürnberg which means the executioner of Nuremberg. 50 cents in a library used books sell and I got a crimi story based on middle age Nürnberg for each day of december. The stories become more alive when I have been to the places mentioned in the book. One of the places is the ancient rock-cut dungeon, Lochgefägnisse.

 This is old news as well, but since I haven't published about it before here it is! On november I was arranging a cultural event night together with other Finnish exchange students. We prepared a presentation and lots of traditional Finnish food. The evening was super fun both for the participants and us.

Routine work

Getting lazier and lazier with the blog. I actually got my laptop back too so there is no other reason for not publishing of my German adventure.
....well actually I could blame schoolwork. Today I will present my first paper here in Germany. Three pages of text and 45 minutes presentation. All in German. I think I'll die. For the other project I'll not be there to present. The project is a group work to theme anti-feminism. The theme is super interesting, but I have been paralyzed by the fact that I really don't know where to search information and what is the context here in Germany

So what has happened past two (or is it even three!) weeks? In internship I have been vo-leading political and social education seminars for youth. The first day I was super nervous, but then gradually stopped caring about mistakes in grammatics. The youth seminars were super fun and I learned a lot.

Now it is the last week at work and I am really sad I have to leave soon. I have gotten used to the work here and now I am actually useful. If I would stay longer, I would be able to take more and more responsibility. But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts...I would have a nice overlaoding Christmas table.

I am feeling at home here. Sure the work going more and more in routine has a part in that. But the biggest reason is rhat I have hobbies and I have friends here. I meet people in freetime and they ask me to meet up again. In Finland I have been really anti social lately. Here I kind of had to go out more and meet people. And it is lovely. I now speak German relatively fluently and am enjoying company. I just don't want to leave all this behind. Well, I know I don't have a choise and that after a month at home with my cats I will say I never want to leave home again. However, right now I feel good being here and the thought of leaving makes me sad.

Praksismarkt - an internship market

So on wednesday 23.11. there was a market in the ohm university. It was meeting-point for students and potential employers. My experience in Finland is that internship placemants are fought over and employers are sick of it all. Some of my classmates have been yelled at phone when asking a placement. Here dozens of employers came in tables full of flyers and candy, lurin in students. I went to look, even when it is not possible for me to take another internship here, jusy to look around. I took with me a pile of adverts. I don't think I can take them with me so I took pics and the rest I'll just link to their websites.

First of all. There was a lot to be seen

I believe every studet would find something interesting there. But what does it give to employers? I can only guess. Of course guiding a student takes a lot time and effort. I know in Finland some employers require to be paid for taking a student. Personally my goal in internship is always to be actually usefull. And I strongly beleive most studets are more plus than a burden. So employers get an extra pair of hands. In Praksismarkt they can reach the students that are actually interested in the place and motivated. They get a first look of the applicants. Some of the employers had prepared a print with all the essential information: How many students they take, How long placements they offer, If it is a paid internship and which tasks include. That is so practical. Saving effort for everyone. Below there is one good example. All I would need to ask them is when can I start. ( And by the way the place is councelling centre for people that get out of jail. Also helping to get back to normal life.)

The employers represented a wide range of social work. For example councelling and activities for the homeless, homes and activities for the disabled and for people with psychological problems. The place below is from Frankenalb-klinik Engelthal. (would link it but this freaking app is not working).

Moving forwards.... Working with drug abusers and in dug prevention was offered for example by (www.mundra-online.de). 

Social work with the youth and children was widely represented, too. Experiental pedagogy, culture, media, politics and enviroment... you could just pick your interest. 

What else... I aldeady mentioned the candy and informative flyers. I especially enjoyed the design in some of the handouts. Like these below:

My laptop should be on its way back now, so I really hope next time I can make a proper post without losing my mind. Today was the opening of Christkindesmarkt - the famous Nürnberger Christmas market, which I'd love to photograph and make evertbody jealous ;)

A dull and grey text of a colourful week

My laptop is still broken - hopefully in good hands now and will be back soon - which is not good in terms of keeping up with this blog. I can write something although with phone it is not so fun and easy. I have taken photos, but they have to wait. So just boring text for a while. I am sorry for that.

Last week I was in a couple of seminars. They are called Wir sind Klasse or Meine klasse und Ich. It is social training for school classes. During a day we went through definitions for bullying and conflict, talked about their class situations and looked at their co-operational skills with cool exercises. I am sure I was not so little in 7th class! Or so annoying and loud. Well, about being so cute and clever I am not sure either. The days with young people were long and tiresome. But I did gain a tiny bit more confidence to instruct exercises myself. And seeing the profis lead though sensitive discussions was enlightening.

In school everything is going smoothly. I am a bit stressed how to get the papers written in german. I have still huge difficulties with the language.

I have played enough horror games to find this creepy installation oddly intriguing. It had tv-screens looping weird shapes and pictures, a brick stuck onto it with duct-tape and cryptic scripts. Awesome...and very, very creepy

Last weekend the weather was surprisingly nice. I sat on the balcony reading and drinking coffee. I also visited some of the attractions for tourists. On this point I really would like to add photos but it is not possible. Anyway, one was Turm der Sinne ( The tower of senses) where were cool scientific experiments to fool one’s senses with and lots of information. The next day I went to the church st. Sebald. It is one of the buildings that has took damage during the history, but has been restored to its former glory. From st. sebald I went to medieval dungeon prison. It was surprisingly lame. Yeah, it was exciting to think in 1500th century someone was there being tortured or sitting there making sure the prisoner won’t make a suicide before execution. But the place was small and we were given no time to really look around or take photos. The tour was rushed and did not wake emotions.

This monday I have to mention, too. It was my birthday. I must be more homesick than I thought. I was so moved by all the messages I got in social media and other ways. Then after the workday I granted myself a relaxing night in sauna. It felt so good! I had missed the swimming part too, but lying on wooden bench of sauna - life does not get better than that.

Yeah, I don't have anythin better on my phone right now. It is a statue. And sun is shining.

A small photo tour in Nürnberg

This is Nürnberg

This landscape was captured by the old castle Nürnberger Burg

Outside the Burg walls opens the old city center

 

 

Seein the patina of the years on every wall really wakes the history qeek in me

This is the Nürnberger Burg

Unfortunately there was a construction in the inner yard so this is the only decent photo I got

These ruins used to be yet anoteher churc - Katharinenkirche

Now it is yet another construction site of which I take weird pictures (notice the shoes)

Relaxing for a while

This week I have been taking it easy. And why not, there were another national holiday and the schools were closed for a week. Beside the essays to Finland and the studies and internsip here I have been taking part to few free time activities. I go swimming and to a ”nice to meet you”-club in a cafe once a week and then to occational events. Last weeks event was a murder mystery dinner party. It was so much fun even thuogh I did not catch the killer. But this week I was lazy. Just lying in my room doing pretty much nothing. Plus I have slept like princess Aurora. This has – not surprisingly- lowered my stress level. Now it is sunday and I am actually willingly writing my essay.

Yesterday I had a long day at the university. It was one of two saturdays in a ”block study” called social therapeuthic role play. With a small group of students we played and learned about this method. For me this kind of role play is something new and I am happy I got opportunity get to know it here... even when it was really awkward and at times I felt like I woud rather be anywhere else.

In cph I am looking forward next week when the youth work starts again after the holiday. Even though there will be some horrible rebellious adolecent kids making my life difficult, I can't wait to see the methods I have been reading about for the past two weeks in practice.

Then some random pictures:

This week there was a lebkuchen market nearby.
 I bought a delicious chili-chcolate covered lebkuchen and later a crepe. Yummy <3

Lebkuchen is usually eaten only in christmas time,
but in Nürnberg you can buy and enjoy them every time of the year

 And the autumn is here! I'm dying of happiness

It is soooo beautiful

Sooooooo beautiful

Since I live in the old city center I tend to photograph it more,
but there are other sides to Nürnberg too.
This street for instance is more modern and kind of cool.
I go this way when I go to swimming hall.

I am not sure if this teeny tiny restaurant screams to me "I definetly want to eat here" or "Health hazard"

Bad luck

In university I had another day of "Sozialtherapeutische rollenspiel für Kinder und Jugendliche" which I really enjoyed. I would say so far it has been one of the best experiences here. In cph I got in youth work as well and was observing an event for future co-leading. Even with these nice moments I have been upset the whole week. That is because my computer broke plus the 80e opera tickets I bought a month ago have mysteriously gotten lost during delivery and I am currently trying to get either my valuable ticket or the money back. Appropo money - I don't have any. So yeah, I'm not on the best mood. A walk around the city with my camera calmed me down a little bit. And it is good I did get some photos before the leaves fall of and everything is just grey and cold. I will get back blogging when I am less stressed.

It is unbilievable that I have already been here for a month!
On the other hand it feel everything has just started and then again I am already sttled in pretty well. I have my favourite coffee shop and routes and steady weekly routine. 

In university I had to make a choise between two courses after coming to the realization that I don't have the time for everything. So nowI am only doing Cultural diversity, incluvive language and two-weekend course of therapeutic role-play for children and youth.

At cph I have have been introduced to the methods and their theorethical backgrouds used in work here. That means a lot of reading and convesations with employers. Furthermore I have focused in the project Human. I have browsed through the book and wached the movie (link to part 1) and some extras. 

On tuesday lectures were cancelled and suddenly I had a whole day free. I used it for a trip to Documentation centre nazi party rally grounds. Here is a part of describe from museums.nuremberg.de :

"The Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds, often shortened to Dokuzentrum (Docu Centre), is located in the north wing of the Congress Hall, designed by the National Socialists to house 50,000 spectators, remained unfinished, though. With its "glass and steel arrow", piercing the north wing, the Documentation Centre is a widely visible architectural counterpoint.

On 1,300 square meters, the permanent exhibition "Fascination and Terror" looks at the causes, the context and the consequences of the National Socialist reign of terror."

The lacation could not have been more effective. Apparently the architect was aiming to intimidation and demonstration of strenght. Job well done. The staircase leading in the building was added later when the unfinished and damaged construction was renovated into a documentation centre. The same strongly atmosphere continued inside.

The building is so huge I could only get a picture of a small corner.
But you can see the massive propotions and the "glass and steel arrow" piercing it.

The exhibiton was built on second floor of the new interior.
It was actually pretty high from ground.
(It is finally autumn here. Even when I am learning about history of national socialism
 I can't help noticing how beautiful it is outside)

Everywhere I could see rough unfinished surfaces.
I could only guess if they were left so when the construcion ended
or is there marks of war to be seen.

One part of the exhibition was the story of the building.
I learned that some of the marble used on the facade was mined in concentration camps.
 People have actually died workin on the stones.

In the bathroom there were another kind history written on walls.
Every brick was covered in script of teen spirit, cuteness and one very unappropriate one.

Downstairs were a temporary exhibition featuring portraits of concentration camp survivors.

After a long day it was nice to sit down and enjoy a bowl of soup and orange-pannacotta cake

Plus I finally went to see the Handwerkhof! It is almost next to my place here, but for some reason I have always walked past. It turns out there were nothing for me to purchase, but still a beautiful part of town.

Being busy

The beginning of studies here was nothing but easy. The course that I originally wanted to attend was cancelled so I was left with basically no other choice than to take classes in German. My German is good, but -as I would very soon find out- not enough to take a class in politics. It would perhaps be easier if I had any prior knowledge of Politics in Germany. I can’t even express how stupid I felt myself in the first lesson. There was a discussion about AfD, which is a right wing party in Germany. Even if I had enough knowledge of the topic to have an opinion, I had no means of expressing it. Furthermore, we were given a written task via moodle. Where is this moodle and how do I use it! Another info that was forgotten to tell me. Shortly put my first week at the school was utter nightmare. Nothing went right and I felt like there is no way I’m going to make it. 

Well, now the second week has come and gone and I am feeling good. The classes are interesting and I actually know what I am doing. I stutter a lot,but mostly I actually can speak my mind. In German. I refuse to take the easy path and use English.

In the meantime the work in cph has went on as usual. I took part in two seminars. One was about youth work. The other was held by many different organizations with presentations and workshops around the theme globalizing. I met so many people and learned not only facts, but also work methods and really cool tools to use in future work. I focused especially on methods suitable for children and youth. I played a board game. In the game players are focet to balance between climate chance and economics. More info here (in English). I love board games and was actually hooked on when I got into it. So it's not only education, but a nice game.

Another example is the phone-kit below. There you can see where the parts of your phone actually come from. The kit is able for renting and comes with all the necessary info and tasks to make a informative and nice lesson.

Apart from games and learn-kits there is a ton of inspiring material online. There are countless of animated videos and documents. Some of them are good, some of them great. But they are nothing new to be completely honest. For me this game was something that stopped me for a while. In the game you choose a person and make their life decisons. The choises are hard and can lead either to happines or sorrow. The game shows very realisticly how hard life can be. The websites http://www.flucht-und-migration.org/ are great also in other aspects. Too bad it is all in German, again.

It is kind of sad almost all material I gathered there is in German and is thus harder to use back in Finland. But here is some I'm going to bring back anyway:

This booklet is an example of making global learning fun.

There were few offerings of learning material -kits for schools.

Combining getting to know towns eko-shops and treasure hunt is inspiring and fun. Thumbs up!

Itroduction of the treasure hunt and one task.