Time flies wherever you are and I can't believe that I'm already celebrating my second birthday in Germany. The only thing significant about 29 seems to be that it makes you feel dreadfully close to 30, which seems like the time when you're supposed to be doing big-boy things in life...............buying a house, starting a family, listening to talk radio, having your prostate checked..........those kind of things. It's weird to think back to when I first turned 20 as a second-year college student and how quickly I've arrived at the "end of my 20's".
Unofficially, my birthday celebration began last weekend when we visited Dublin for the second time. It was an amazing trip that will be posted separately so we will move on to Monday, January 24th, on my actual birthday. Normal wo rk day with the exception that one of my Korean students brought in a Korean version of "moon pies" and surprised me with my class singing happy birthday.The other unusual event of the day took place after school when I should have went straight home to relax, but instead stayed to participate in a meeting for the GEW which is a teacher's union that wanted to start up a "work council" to rep resent the employees of the school to the administration. This proposal, that turned out to not be an option, wasn't very popular with most of the existing staff and tensions were high. It's a long story for another time, but it lasted over two hours after school and I learned a lot about German law in regards to labor and all in a setting that wasn't too far from a Jerry Springer show.
We met up with a few folks at a local German restaurant (not our neighborhood joint, but a fine establishment nonetheless) for some schnitzel and beer to cap off a long Monday. We ended the night splitting a bottle of prosecco in our local wine cellar that made it feel like an official celebration.
Gift-wise..........Marisa hooked me up with an Eintracht Frankfurt jersey and a Rick Steve's travel guide to eastern Europe. Altogether it was a sweet birthday.........I'm just waiting to bake my yellow box cake from the States this weekend to make it official.
--Justin
