Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Yesterday, it started snowing. This wouldn't be so shocking if I hadn't been wearing t-shirts last week. Nothing stuck to the ground, but there was a contast snow/slush/rain/hail mix falling out of the sky. Listened to Christmas music as I ate my breakfast. Despite the weather, I went to the park after school to take some photos of the snow. The mountains were covered in it and shrouded in clouds and mystery. I got home from the expedition, turned on all the radiators in my apartment and made some tea. The German news showed a major car pile-up in Northern Germany. I checked outside just before I went to bed - no accumulating snow (but some form of liquid was still coming down).

Fell asleep (and woke up) with some very strange in-between reality-and-dreams thoughts, but I couldn't tell you now what they were for the life of me. Showered, made breakfast, finally looked out the window - one inch of the cold, beautiful, white stuff. I was shocked. And it was still coming down. Finished getting ready and trudged my way to school in the onslaught. All of the teachers in the staffroom were talking about the urgent need for snow tires and the morning's harrowing journey to work without them. Students were late, (blaming their parents tires) and in the 2nd hour, the firehouse alarm kept going off, which caused the students to speculate at the nature of the emergency. One girl shared that there was a suicide on the train tracks yesterday outside Bad Mitterndorf. During the break, I learned that the emergency was in the direction of Grundlsee and was invited to learn how to shoot a crossbow (I think...) this evening with teachers, parents and students. I sure hope I'm not on anyone's "hit list" yet.

Today, I taught about the American school system, interviewing for a job and Feminism/the Glass Ceiling. Really enjoyed all of it, and realized I had a lot more to say about high school than I thought. The students in the "interviewing for a job" class are sweet and quite sharp. In the Feminist class, the boys-in-the-back-of-the-room had more opinions on the topic than the quiet-girls-in-the-front, but I was glad to let them share because they did make some valid points. The teacher now wants to read The Feminine Mystique. One boy asked me if I want to be a manager when I'm done teaching in Austria, which actually made me wonder why all the professions I aspire to are female dominated. I think/thought that I'm quite the emancipated woman, but what does this say about me? Society? - these are thoughts for later, I think. Also realized I'm not too good at explaining things. Hopefully this is a skill that comes with time and practice.

Each time I think the dialect is getting easier to understand, someone comes along and shatters my hopes. I was sitting in the conference room today, drinking a coffee with some other teachers. I never really partake in conversation (I throw in a laugh and a smile here and there), but I mostly just listen and try to discern, so that is what I was doing. I had no idea what one woman was saying everytime she spoke. Previously, I hadn't had trouble understanding her, but today? Oy.

Well, it's still snowing, only outlines of mountains can be seen in the distance and I have to teach in 9 minutes. I'm already obsessing about/craving my daily grilled cheese for lunch (ha.) - almost there!

Until next time.
Cheers,
Alaina