Dönerstag

Today was our last 'Dönerstag' together! Every Thursday of our trip the kids went in the city to eat the Turkish specialty 'Döner'. It is very thinly sliced lamb, beef, or chicken in a toasted bread pocket. You can either choose sweet or spicy sauce and an assortment of vegetables. 

We say Dönerstag, because it sounds a lot like the German word for Thursday (Donnerstag). Therefore, we always had a good laugh and a nice lunch on Thursdays!

14.06

Greetings from Krefeld, DE!

June 14th - our first full day in Krefeld!

We started things off with a bang @10am this morning - by having a scan-tron and listening comprehension test!  I think the kids were really excited about that ;).  The same test will be given at the end of the program and the data then will show how much their language skills have improved.

More action happened as we then explored the city as a group.  The kids are finding their way around Krefeld for the first time.  They are determining the best way to get from our school to the grocery store, or from their house to school, in their own way, making their own decisions and being independent.  Of course, they may encounter a few wrong turns along the way, but this really forces them to learn the layout of their new (temporary) home.  This is a great sign about this group of kids - learning lessons on day one, exercising their autonomy, pushing forward, and not giving up when something stands in their way.  Blooming where you are planted is a great lesson to learn as a teenager!

After some free time either eating a packed lunch from the host families or purchasing something from the local bakeries, we all rode on the S-bahn (street car) to the Zoo.  For many students this was their first street car/tram experience.  All students were provided a public transportation card that allows them to travel through Krefeld and even all the way to Duesseldorf, without having to purchase any other ticket.

I've included some photos of some zoo animals as well as their German names.  The zoo was well maintained and a meaningful mini-field trip.  These types of group outings are really helping us get used to public transport travel, how best to function as a group of 34, and function in our smaller support groups.  It is great practice for upcoming Berlin, Koeln, and Aachen excursions.

Here are Adrienne, Annie, and Elizabeth in front of the parrot cage (der Papagei). 

Die Kamele

Das Nashorn

Here are Sean, Eric, and Sean watching the Sea Lions (Seehuende).


More later!
-Joy

Orientation @ IU

Guten Tag Familie und Freunde!

Thank you all for making the trip to Bloomington this past Sunday as we took part in the IUHPFL orientation for this summer!  We are all very excited to get to know the Krefeld students better and provide a great summer experience for all.

While the parents were at their orientation, we had our own fun!  We were able to break into our small groups (our support groups) and play some circumlocution games with each other to get the idea of what it will be like to be only speaking German in Krefeld this Summer.

Some other activities we did while parents were away:

• Played human bingo - while getting to know one another a little bit better
• German Taboo
• Opened up to our small groups about what situations we work best and worst in, goals, fears, and ideas for the Summer
• Heard from 5 IUHPFL Krefeld alumni and got to ask them any questions about the site
• Worked in 3 groups to find the best German words to represent Krefeld and then voted for the top words as our 'Krefeld Motto' :) 
• Took a small walking tour of campus and took our first group photo outside

We hope that this experience made each child feel even more confident about their choice for the summer.  It may have seemed like information overload, but it will all be worth it for an easy send off and an unforgettable summer in Krefeld! 

Thanks again to all the parents and families for your support of your child in this process! 

I am ready for this journey to begin! Who is with me!? :)

-Joy