The End of an Era...

...was the title of my last class newsletter sent last week. Thursday officially marked my last day with my students. I am still struggling to grasp that my first year is actually over, and that I made it. And not only made it, but had the most amazing experience a first year teacher could ever hope for. Maybe it was because it was my first class...maybe it was because I don't have another class to compare them to...but I just adored my class and am going to miss them terribly, each individual personality, each sense of humor.
I have to keep this brief, as I am off to Slovenia in just a few hours, but I wanted to touch base before taking off on my last adventure. I will try to include more photos and details from my last days as a teacher at ISB in my next blog.
I am so excited for Slovenia. From what I hear, it's quite small, quite beautiful, and quite filled with lakes and mountains. All I am hoping to get out of this trip is a serene experience with which to say goodbye to Europe. Should be nice. :)

Change

Well, here is a new topic for this blog: politics. Even though I've been overseas I have still, at least for the last 7 months, tried as best I can to stay up to date on the upcoming election. At least in my lifetime, never before has it been so crucial that we elect the right president. Living abroad has given me, I suppose, a relatively unique perspective on our government, becoming almost an onlooker surrounded by other onlookers who are just as passionate about this election as many Americans are. I feel like living in Europe has made me realize just how critical other countries are of our government and how important it is that we have their support.

I was elated to find out Barack Obama will be the democratic nominee. The way I heard about it, too, was a bit random. I will occassionally get ready listening to music on the radio in the morning, even though I usually don't know the music nor do I understand the radio DJ's when they speak between songs. I happened to be listening to a Flemish radio station, tuning out, as usual, to what was being said, when all of the sudden Barack Obama's voice came on stating,"I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for the President of the United States of America." I stopped brushing my teeth midbrush, and waited with baited breath for the explanation, only to be followed with the realization that I didn't understand what the radio DJ had to say to follow. It was an occassion I knew would be very momentous, the announcement of the Democratic nominee, and there I was alone in my bathroom, toothbrush hanging out of my mouth.

Today I listened to Hilary Clinton's speech to officially resign as a democratic nominee and to also endorse Obama. I actually found myself in tears, listening to the grace and humility of this woman as she expressed her relentless support for the very man she had, until just days ago, been rivaling with. I found her speech enthralling, but what stood out to me most was this quote:

"Every moment wasted looking back keeps us from moving forward."

Couldn't be better stated. These will be a very interesting next couple months.

PS: I don't know if this will work, but here is a link where you may be able to watch the video:
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/06/07/us/politics/20080607_CLINTON_GRAPHIC.html#

Unspoken Understandings

Living in a country in which I barely speak the language has given me a newfound appreciation for one very important thing: understanding someone without having to speak. I have had to rely on a few things in order to either understand someone or be understood this year:
-My survival level of French
-The fact that almost everyone living here speaks English
-My incredible talent in miming and performing distressed sign language

The latter has been what has allowed me to buy tickets, find a pair of scissors, and even comment on the weather. But it is when all it takes is a look to understand a situation that I have come to appreciate most. This has happened several times, but two times that stand out to me now.

The first was when I, completely in character, was running late to an engagement. I was on my usual springing-on-cobblestone-in-heels mode when I turned a corner and ran past another woman who was doing the same thing. We made eye contact for only a few seconds, but both burst into laughter at the absurdity of both our situations. I keep running to and from places in hopes of achieving the same outcome, but normally am just greeted with looks of confusion, pity, or even hostility.

The second and more recent instance of an unspoken understanding was this morning when I was on my way back from church. I was stopped at a cross walk about ready to cross a rather busy road to get to my house. Parked in the street next to me was a car whose front was edged so far into oncoming traffic that a line of cars began to form, forced to wait until their lane was no longer blocked. The owners of the car, a middle-aged couple, scurried about the car, taking things out and putting things in, almost seemingly unaware of the angry honks directed at them from the line of cars that was steadily growing. They eventually got back into the car, drove out, and even gave a little wave of apology to the lead car, whose driver just glowered at them menacingly. I glanced across the street at a couple who, like me, was enjoying the spectacle and made eye contact with the woman sitting at the table. We both smiled at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and gave a "Wow, wasn't that guy an idiot" laugh.

Language has become something so fascinating to me since I've moved here, and the longer I live here and take visits to English speaking countries, the less I take for granted the fact that there are some places I can go and be understand, and in turn, understand those around me. In the meantime, I will accept the fact that I will not understand a lot of what's going around me, but still appreciate those little moments, fleeting at best, when I completely understand what someone around me is thinking, just by meeting each other's gaze.