where the actual work begins...sort of

Hello all!

I write to you after having participated in a very fun and worthwhile experience known as the Fulbright Orientation. It was essentially a 3-day crash course on the entire Fulbright deal, from the logistical stuff like our insurance plan and how to get paid, to our role in the classroom and how to come up with lesson plans.

During the day, we had a jam-packed schedule and it was quite tedius (although I did learn a lot). However, on the evenings, the Fulbright staff opened up a makeshift bar and sold beer and wine to all of us Fulbrighters (there were also assistant teachers from England, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia that were on a Fulbright, but I'll say 'Fulbrighters' to keep it simple). This turned out to be a blast b/c we were able to actually meet one another and do some networking. I made some great friends and can now visit them where they are staying throughout the country.

Here is a so-so shot of a bunch of people in the courtyard of the monastary (yes, we partied in a monastary) that we were staying/learning at. It is called Haus Altenberg.

The one guy in the blueish looking shirt that seems to be looking at the camera actually is from the Seattle area and went to PLU. I met several people from the Pacific Northwest, one of whom went to Inglemoor High School, my bitter rivals! He was a cool guy though, like everyone else there.

From left to right: Alex Behm, Ian Hooper, and myself.

The three of us kind of cliqued up and hung out a lot during the week. Both are very cool dudes. Alex is from Michigan and went to D3 Hope College. Ian is from Gig Harbor, Wa and went to D3 Lewis and Clark College. It turns out that Ian's dad, Kent, was one of my German Professors at UPS!

Another shot of a bunch of us hanging out in one of the hallways during Ian and Alex's jam sessions - both could really wail on the guitar.

All-in-all, the orientation turned out to be a blast. This is great because, at first, I thought it was going to be a drag.

Also, I just wanted to throw this beautiful shot up for fun. It is of the Dom (big, German cathedral) in Cologne, which is where we all met before going to Haus Altenberg. It was one of the first things that I saw when I got into Cologne.

Other noteworthy things:

-I had my first "all German" dream the other day during a nap. Boy, it sure was a trip. In it, I was completely fluent (that's why they call it a dream, right?) and I woke up so confused. I can't wait until that dream actually comes true!

- Yesterday, I took the train into the Bremen city-center and just cruised around on foot. I took Professor Hooper's advice from class and purposely got lost. This turned out to be a great time, as I saw all sorts of cool things and got some great exercise. I took some photos, but they aren't on my computer yet, so I'll put them in my next post.

- I start teaching tomorrow!

Ok, that's all for now. If you are reading this, please feel free to comment and give me any advice on how to make my blog better for your viewing/reading pleasure.

Your favorite Fulbright Fellow,

Russ