Moin!
I have now been in Hamburg for about a month, and it has been nothing short of wonderful. Hamburg is more beautiful than I could have imagined. Our apartment is near the main train station, Hauptbahnhof, so getting around has been easy. Some of the highlights have been: an HSV football match, touring the St. Pauli Bunker, visiting the Poggenmühlen-Bridge and looking at the picturesque Wasserschloss, seeing the Kontorhaus District with the Chilehaus, visiting the St. Nikolai Memorial Church, seeing Rathaus, and visiting some of the really wonderful museums here. The Hamburg Dungeon was also an amazing (and frightening) experience. Honestly, this trip has had no shortage of highlights, and there are still a million things to see. Hamburg is one of the most interesting places I have ever visited, full of history, architecture, and beautiful canals. I am so excited for what more this trip has to offer. Aside from Hamburg, I have visited Munich, Regensburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Budapest, and Mallorca, with some other trips planned!
As far as school, teaching at Hansa-Gymnasium has been fantastic. The students are wonderful, lively, and very interested in us foreigners. Most school dialogue is in German, which can be challenging at times when you don’t understand the conversations going on around you, but it’s been a great experience regardless. As I begin to teach my own lessons, I am having fun interacting with the students and learning what works for each class. Currently, I have Grade 7 & 8 English and History, as well as a Grade 11 IB English class.
It’s been wunderbar so far!
Sydney