Saturday began well with the hopes of attending a protest to oppose the recent cuts program. The evening prior, I was invited to attend the protest which whould take place on O'Connell Street (one of Europe's widest streets and Dublin's main thoroughfare) outside the General Post Office (GPO) -- fitting spot considering the revolution, and all (Easter Rising of 1916, Irish Civil War of 1922). Anyway, although the protest wouldn't begin until noon, my cohorts were going to leave four hours early --- ostensibly to meet prior to said protest and make signs, placards, and banners. I told them I'd meet up with them and they left their mobile number with me.
It had snowed the night before, about an inch or so, and the whole area was in a whirl. Seems this type of weather hadn't been seen in decades, maybe never. It was quite cold as well -- 10 degrees below, so I opted to skip said protest and join others for a trip to a mall situated in Swords. I was able to secure a digital recorder so the trip was fruitful to my resesearch -- a definite need. I saw many lovely things I wanted but only purchased a sliced turkey sandwich and a diet coke which set me back about ten Euro ($18). I still am amazed at how high the prices are for food and clothing -- some items are four times more than in the States.
I heard later that there were over 50,000 people on the streets opposing the cuts. The rally was peaceful for Ireland standards although scuffels at Dail occurred during the breakaway event (after the rally). The rally was organized by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in protest at the Government. At the main rally at the GPO speakers strongly criticized the Government's four-year plan for economic recovery. Many feel Ireland can't afford to pay the terms of the proposed 85 billion Euro bailout package. The aim of the rally was to object to the insistence of a Government with no mandate to draw up a plan and sign an agreement which will decide the future of one or two generations. Some speakers criticized union leadres and calle for a series of national strikes unless there could be an alternate to the four year plan by bringing down the debt over a longer period of time. A number of portesters threw paint bombs that hit the railing of Leinster House. Fireworks and glass bottles were also thrown at gardai (police). One person was arrested. In retrospect, I guess it was just as well I didn't show. I could see the headlines now -- 'American Fulbright scholar arrested today in Dublin' -- will be deported and stripped of Fulbright...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Pamela Louderback, Day 35
Today was a long day that started early (6:30 a.m.) with breakfast (same as yesterday) and a taxi ride to the Swansea train station. My destination -- Cardiff -- where I was to board a flight to Shannon to attend an international law school educators conference in Limerick. Now, as I have mentioned in prior postings, any journey in Europe seems to be rife with danger and intrigue. Okay, not danger and intrigue, but much knashing of teeth and wringing of hands. And, ultimately in most cases with me, an unforseen glitch in plans. My plan was to get the London Picadilly line from Swansea to Rhoose station where I would depart and catch the shuttle bus to Cardiff airport. Sounds easy, right? HA! Needless to say, I missed Rhoose station and had to backtrack.
Because of this, I did not make my Aer Lingus flight to Shannon. So, here I was, in the Cardiff airport trying to figure out how to get a later flight that wasn't so late that I'd miss the conference. There was no later flight that would get me there on time. So, at this point I thought I'd just fly back to Belfast. To make matters more interesting, Aer Lingus doesn't fly to Belfast. Yep, that's right, Aer Lingus doesn't fly to Northern Ireland. Go figure... Plan B -- there was a later flight to Dublin so I figured I could always get that and take a train to Limerick. Cut to the chase -- after arriving in Dublin -- there wasn't one that would get me there in time for the conference. Plan C -- I decided to visit my Donabate contact for the weekend.
So, after making some phone calls regarding Plan C, I got a taxi from Dublin to Donabate. It would all work out well in the end as my contact made subsequent plans (based on my Plan C) to visit with a political leader in the area on Saturday, attend a birthday party, and visit an Irish Medium secondary school on Monday morning. It all sounded like a dream come true. They say things happen for a reason...
Because of this, I did not make my Aer Lingus flight to Shannon. So, here I was, in the Cardiff airport trying to figure out how to get a later flight that wasn't so late that I'd miss the conference. There was no later flight that would get me there on time. So, at this point I thought I'd just fly back to Belfast. To make matters more interesting, Aer Lingus doesn't fly to Belfast. Yep, that's right, Aer Lingus doesn't fly to Northern Ireland. Go figure... Plan B -- there was a later flight to Dublin so I figured I could always get that and take a train to Limerick. Cut to the chase -- after arriving in Dublin -- there wasn't one that would get me there in time for the conference. Plan C -- I decided to visit my Donabate contact for the weekend.
So, after making some phone calls regarding Plan C, I got a taxi from Dublin to Donabate. It would all work out well in the end as my contact made subsequent plans (based on my Plan C) to visit with a political leader in the area on Saturday, attend a birthday party, and visit an Irish Medium secondary school on Monday morning. It all sounded like a dream come true. They say things happen for a reason...
Pamela Louderback, Day 34 (recollections)
Thursday began in a lovely fashion with Merle and Richard cooking a sumptious breakfast. When I made my way downstairs to the kitchen table, I could smell the delicious meats and butter waft up as I descended the stairwell. Tucholl (pronounced Too tuch -- with the 'ch' sound similar to that one makes when spitting), one of the other Bed and Breakfast boarders - was already seated at the table. Merle called him Tudor so I inquired about the origins of his name. That's how I found out the correct spelling and (almost impossible for me) pronunciation. He's performing a post-doctoral study at Swansea University with two other colleagues -- all engineers of some sort. He's a computer programmer and the team is working on a project dealing with water flow. I'm still practicing how to properly pronounce his name five days later and haven't quite gotten it down perfectly. It's the double 'l' I have difficulty with. Supposedly, it closely resembles the sound you make deep in your throat right before you spit. The Welsh language is a difficult one to speak.
After stuffing myself with a heaping bowl of fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, pineapple), srambled eggs, rash bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes (fresh from their garden), and brown bread -- I set off with Angela Jones (in the International Development Office of Swansea University) who works with our study abroad program - specifically, the Brad Henry Scholar program. It was she who suggested the B & B and I am forever grateful to her for that suggestion. Angela has the energy of a five year old -- nonstop vibrant energy that lasted the whole day into the night -- but I get ahead of myself. We drove downtown to pick up Dr. Richard Carhart. He was staying at the Marriott -- not a 'B & B' kind of guy he claimed.
Angela took Dr. Carhart and me on a breath-taking tour of the area. We saw several key tourist spots in the Centre city of Swansea (quite the hot spot in the spring and autumn months for surfing), and Mumbles (birthplace of Catherine Zeta Jones). Angela drove us all around the coast -- I think we saw every bay in the area - one more gorgeous than the next. Worms Head was the masterpiece, though. It's supposed to be one of the most photographed areas -- I now know why after visiting the spot. The roads are quite narrow in most spots -- oftentimes barely enough room for two way traffic - which made for a few hair-raising moments on our journey. I dare say that Dr. Carhart probably will not soon forget the drive either! If anyone has ever taken a bus tour up to the Eagles Nest (Hitler quarters) -- this was reminiscent of such a trip. If you don't normally find yourself in a position to pray -- you soon find yourself doing so - and doing so quite fervently, and often.
After our tour of the 'hot spots' of the area, Angela took us back to Swansea University where we met the other members of the International Development team. We also toured most of the campus. It seemed almost every building was under construction - due to the increase/growth of the campus. However, due to space availability - or lack thereof - building construction was done via upwards -- not outwards -- with additional floors being added to existing buildings instead of extensions or new buildings being constructed. Scaffolding could be seen throughout the campus. Swansea, being a port city, has always been 'continental' and this fact was bourne out by the diversity of students milling about.
We ended our tour by making our way to 'The Village' -- apartment area where the Brad Henry scholars from Oklahoma live. We even were fortunate to get a tour of one of the units to see first-hand what living quarters looked like. Everywhere we went, Angela seemed to know somebody -- not surprising given her bubbly outgoing personality - so it helped to get the 'insider' view of campus. The Village was an interesting concept where five males and five females all share a 'unit' - something that I would not want to do, nor the type of set-up one of our scholars particularly cared for (as shared later that evening over dinner conversation). After our tour of the Village, we made our way to Toby's Carvery for our Thanksgiving dinner.
When we arrived at Toby's Carvery, two of the six Oklahoma scholars (Aleshia and Tori) were there. They were making final plans for their trip to Barcelona, Spain (i.e., their train would be leaving at 7 p.m. that evening). Soon afterwards, three of the remaining four arrived (Susan, Erika, and Christina) . The remaining scholar, Valorie, called -- deciding to 'pass' on joining us. For those who may not be aware, the first Brad Henry scholars came to Wales in September 2008. In 2007 Governor Brad Henry visited Swansea University and was so impressed he persuaded the State Regents to fund a semester-long scheme for students from regional campuses across the state. Oklahoma students can apply through their home university for an on-campus semester at Swansea in the American Studies program. Six students from Oklahoma’s regional universities were designated Brad Henry International Scholars and are spending the fall semester participating in an international study abroad program at Swansea University. hey include our own Summer Hill, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah; Erika Christner, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford; Christina Isom, East Central University, Ada; Aleshia Richardson, Langston University, Langston; Tori Strecker, Cameron University, Lawton; and Valorie Vernon, Rogers State University, Claremore. Students are nominated by their institutions for the international study program and are chosen by the RUSO Board. The State Regents provide a $10,000 stipend for students selected to participate in semester-long study or research programs affiliated with Swansea University. Academic credit for these programs are awarded by the Oklahoma regional universities.
Susan Hill, is a senior studying cellular biology at NSU. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to attend medical school in Oklahoma. Hill wants to be a physician so she can help people and make a tangible and direct difference in their lives. She comes from a long line of doctors -- her grandmother (who still lectures) and her father are both physicians. She is a member of the NSU Honors Program and the President’s Honor Roll and is also a Baccalaureate Scholar After meeting with Susan, I can definitively say I am proud to call her one of ours. All of the scholars represented Oklahoma extremely well.
After stuffing myself with a heaping bowl of fresh fruit (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, pineapple), srambled eggs, rash bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes (fresh from their garden), and brown bread -- I set off with Angela Jones (in the International Development Office of Swansea University) who works with our study abroad program - specifically, the Brad Henry Scholar program. It was she who suggested the B & B and I am forever grateful to her for that suggestion. Angela has the energy of a five year old -- nonstop vibrant energy that lasted the whole day into the night -- but I get ahead of myself. We drove downtown to pick up Dr. Richard Carhart. He was staying at the Marriott -- not a 'B & B' kind of guy he claimed.
Angela took Dr. Carhart and me on a breath-taking tour of the area. We saw several key tourist spots in the Centre city of Swansea (quite the hot spot in the spring and autumn months for surfing), and Mumbles (birthplace of Catherine Zeta Jones). Angela drove us all around the coast -- I think we saw every bay in the area - one more gorgeous than the next. Worms Head was the masterpiece, though. It's supposed to be one of the most photographed areas -- I now know why after visiting the spot. The roads are quite narrow in most spots -- oftentimes barely enough room for two way traffic - which made for a few hair-raising moments on our journey. I dare say that Dr. Carhart probably will not soon forget the drive either! If anyone has ever taken a bus tour up to the Eagles Nest (Hitler quarters) -- this was reminiscent of such a trip. If you don't normally find yourself in a position to pray -- you soon find yourself doing so - and doing so quite fervently, and often.
After our tour of the 'hot spots' of the area, Angela took us back to Swansea University where we met the other members of the International Development team. We also toured most of the campus. It seemed almost every building was under construction - due to the increase/growth of the campus. However, due to space availability - or lack thereof - building construction was done via upwards -- not outwards -- with additional floors being added to existing buildings instead of extensions or new buildings being constructed. Scaffolding could be seen throughout the campus. Swansea, being a port city, has always been 'continental' and this fact was bourne out by the diversity of students milling about.
We ended our tour by making our way to 'The Village' -- apartment area where the Brad Henry scholars from Oklahoma live. We even were fortunate to get a tour of one of the units to see first-hand what living quarters looked like. Everywhere we went, Angela seemed to know somebody -- not surprising given her bubbly outgoing personality - so it helped to get the 'insider' view of campus. The Village was an interesting concept where five males and five females all share a 'unit' - something that I would not want to do, nor the type of set-up one of our scholars particularly cared for (as shared later that evening over dinner conversation). After our tour of the Village, we made our way to Toby's Carvery for our Thanksgiving dinner.
When we arrived at Toby's Carvery, two of the six Oklahoma scholars (Aleshia and Tori) were there. They were making final plans for their trip to Barcelona, Spain (i.e., their train would be leaving at 7 p.m. that evening). Soon afterwards, three of the remaining four arrived (Susan, Erika, and Christina) . The remaining scholar, Valorie, called -- deciding to 'pass' on joining us. For those who may not be aware, the first Brad Henry scholars came to Wales in September 2008. In 2007 Governor Brad Henry visited Swansea University and was so impressed he persuaded the State Regents to fund a semester-long scheme for students from regional campuses across the state. Oklahoma students can apply through their home university for an on-campus semester at Swansea in the American Studies program. Six students from Oklahoma’s regional universities were designated Brad Henry International Scholars and are spending the fall semester participating in an international study abroad program at Swansea University. hey include our own Summer Hill, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah; Erika Christner, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford; Christina Isom, East Central University, Ada; Aleshia Richardson, Langston University, Langston; Tori Strecker, Cameron University, Lawton; and Valorie Vernon, Rogers State University, Claremore. Students are nominated by their institutions for the international study program and are chosen by the RUSO Board. The State Regents provide a $10,000 stipend for students selected to participate in semester-long study or research programs affiliated with Swansea University. Academic credit for these programs are awarded by the Oklahoma regional universities.
Susan Hill, is a senior studying cellular biology at NSU. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to attend medical school in Oklahoma. Hill wants to be a physician so she can help people and make a tangible and direct difference in their lives. She comes from a long line of doctors -- her grandmother (who still lectures) and her father are both physicians. She is a member of the NSU Honors Program and the President’s Honor Roll and is also a Baccalaureate Scholar After meeting with Susan, I can definitively say I am proud to call her one of ours. All of the scholars represented Oklahoma extremely well.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Les Hannah, day 59, part final
Following classes I had to make a quick trip to the Esbjerg Museum; I had a scheduled meeting with Ingrid, one of the curators of this museum; she is also associated with the Viking Museum at Ribe. Joan, one of the teachers at the school, helped to arrange this meeting. Ingrid and I discussed the potential contact Vikings had with Cherokees. I mentioned this some time ago in previous posts. Ingrid was convinced there was contact, but not direct contact – not between Danish Vikings and southeastern woodlands tribes. She was confident that direct contact happened between Norwegian Vikings and northeastern tribes; any contact between Danish Vikings and southeastern tribes was indirect. However, it was clear that cultural aspects were exchanged, perhaps over several hundred years, but cultural influences with each other did happen.
Ingrid also gave me a personal tour of the museum. Again, as in Ribe, I saw many things similar, and we discussed the striking similarities between peoples of great geographic differences. Humans are a very interesting species. We are more alike my friends, than we are unalike – to quote a little Maya Angelou here. Check her poem “Human Family” and you will see what I mean.
Following my time at the Esbjerg Museum I had just enough time to return to the flat, drop off my things and walk to Soren’s company. Soren made an appointment for me this afternoon at the Esbjerg Maritime Museum and Aquarium. The director there is one of his many friends. I swear I think Soren knows most of Denmark and certainly every person in Esbjerg, and he is friends with all of them. I can understand why too; he’s a great guy. Anyway, I got to his company just in time. Soren’s mother arrived just before he and I were to leave for the museum, and she brought fresh, home-baked cake. You already know how I feel about the food here in Denmark, well let me just say that cake improved my thoughts on the food. It was outstanding. So, after two pieces and a coffee Soren and I headed to the museum where we spent the next two hours visiting with the director. We talked about a great variety of things. This man is also a professor and he has been all over the world, spent a good deal of time in the US actually. Seemed like every place I mentioned he had been there. He did offer personalized tours and study opportunities should I bring students back some day. Plan on it.
Following the discussions, Soren and I walked through the museum and aquarium some. Took a quick self-guided tour. It is not a huge place but they do have quite the impressive collection. Once that was completed Soren drove me to the flat. However, I did not stay long. I still had one more event to attend: the final hockey game of the season.
I went by myself to this one, but I really was not by myself because I know so many people here now. Saw several that I know. I truly like that, being able to go somewhere and know some people there. I saw several of the students from the school, even saw a few people from previous hockey games I’ve attended, regular fans. We recognized each other and started talking. Wish we could have talked the team into a better game; they lost. Crap. All of the scoring was done in the first two periods, and there was quite a bit of it. 5 – 4 other guys. That just made the walk back to the flat even colder – and it was still snowing.
Once back at the flat I thawed out, made show nothing had frozen off, then I did some reading of a few articles I was given while at Aarhus University and finally headed to bed. What a day. Great day. The only thing that could have made it better was Esbjerg winning that hockey game. I really love this city.
Les Hannah, day 59, part 1
Well it was certainly cold this morning – and that snow I mentioned in yesterday’s entry found its way to Esbjerg. It was snowing quite hard at times, but funny thing, as cold it is was the snow was not sticking. Surely the ground was not still that warm, but I suppose it was because although it was snowing quite steadily and even hard at times, nothing really stuck. Sure, on the cars and certain places where the snow drifted some, but for the most part it melted as quickly as it hit.
I had the second and third lessons today at school, but as I do even at home, I went in early. I worked on answering emails and trying to promote upcoming courses in Languages and Literature. Getting ready for the forthcoming semester is always a hectic time, especially so with so many miles distance between me and the offices and people I need ready access to. Nonetheless, I did what I could in the time I had before classes.
The classes again, as has been typical – especially lately, went very well. Dialogues have certainly improved since the student became more comfortable with me. The afternoon class I had to myself and we used it to discuss the forthcoming merger this school will soon have with another handelsskole. The new school’s name was announced today in a general assembly to the student body. The new combined school will be called Esbjerg City College. The students and I discussed the implications of the new name and the potential struggles they may face, but in the end it seemed as if they were not too overly worried about it. That is one thing I have noticed about Danes in general; they seem not to worry themselves too much over things that in the end do not really matter. They have priorities I can admire. Several of the students commented that in the end it is not really the name that matters but the education.
Les Hannah, day 58, part final
This morning was cold. Colder than usual. And the snow is flirting with falling more seriously. I heard talk of lots of snow in Aarhus, where I just was a few days ago. It was snowing a little then, and quite cold, but word is it will be colder and snowing more, even here in Esbjerg, soon.
Regardless of the cold and the snow I made my way to school; had a meeting this morning with some of the administration concerning Danish students coming to NSU for a cultural exchange program. We discussed a few students potentially for the Summer 2011 sessions, particularly the Cherokee Programs summer “camp” style classes. Summer of 2010 we ran a limited set of offerings in two week sessions. This coming year the Cherokee Program group has discussed three week sessions, which would give students more social time and more time for activities. Plus it will allow students to absorb and reflect more on the actual experiences. That comes directly from student feedback. So, back to the discussions about the Danish students; we discussed having only a few come, perhaps 10 or so, maybe more during later seasons, but the preliminary plan is in the works for the first wave of students from Esbjerg.
I had only one lesson today, shortly after the meeting. It was with a class I had been in before but this time with a different teacher. Unna, the teacher, wanted me to spend time with this class discussion the difference I have noticed in American systems and Danish systems. I had been in this class about three other times before, so they knew me, which helped to open an immediate line of dialogue. The discussions were good. So many of these students are now much more comfortable with me and readily converse, whereas before they hardly spoke. I repeat what I have said all along, it is not a lack of English skills but a confidence issue in those skills. I like these students here, and I will miss them when I leave.
So we finished out this class, rounded off the discussions before lunch and called it a class. I had lunch at the school and talked with some of the teachers before I had to leave to take care of some pre-departure business.
I am getting close to the end of my time here, and with that comes the end-of-time business. I went to the property management offices, which are just around the corner from the school, to get an estimate on the utilities charges. We worked out a better way to close out; the day before I leave I will go to the office and they will have an up-to –the-minute bill for me and give me the last day free; I will still have one day (actually more like sixteen hours) before I leave Esbjerg.
From the property management office to the bank; there I had to make preparations for the closing of the account. There is no further expected mail so a visit to the postal office were not necessary. A few other minor errands were necessary, but those were easily handled. And once I had handled them I grabbed a quick bite to eat at a little kiosk grill just a few blocks from my flat. I returned to the flat and settled in for the evening. I actually began to pack some things, clothes I knew I would no longer wear while here. That gave me a much more immediate sense of departure and also set me to reflecting more on my time here. So of the questions in the class today were exactly about that – my time here and what my impressions of Denmark are.
I love Denmark.
Les Hannah, day 57, part final
I went to bed with much on my mind and awoke early with the same. I remained in bed for a while thinking about prioritization, and ultimately ended up finishing a book I purchased in Ribe about the Vikings there. Once I got up I spent much of the day working. Sorry – no adventures to write about today, thus this entry will be short and relatively boring, but that’s just how it happens sometimes.
What I did do, that is even worthy of mention, was think about the young man, Alex, who interviewed me for the local television stations a few weeks ago. I have actually been thinking about him quite a bit lately, and I want to clarify something. In the initial post I mentioned that I initially felt a mix of emotions, including anger. That is the part that has been bothering me lately. I want to make it clear I was not angry at Alex but at the situation, the stereotypical situation that occurs way too often, when someone raises and open hand, palm out, to an Indian and says “How” as a form of greeting. Don’t do that people, not even jokingly. Alex, first of all did not know any better, and this has nothing to do with his condition. Many people have done that to me over the years, and it has angered me every time. Yet I remind myself that I must educate people, tell them it is wrong and why it is wrong. That is why I tend to give long, detailed answers to what on the surface are relatively simple questions. For me, the “why” is just as important (often more so) than the “what.”
So I wish to make it clear right now the anger was not at or with Alex, but the historical situation of that word as a greeting to American Indians of any tribe. “How” as an Indian greeting exists only in Hollywood – and that is the “what” and the “why” of my anger. Alex has nothing but my best wishes and prayers for him.
Les Hannah, day 56, part final
The snow I encountered yesterday in Aarhus followed me back to Esbjerg. I awoke this morning to a light dusting on the ground and the cars. A slight bit was still falling as I looked outside to see that is appeared cold enough to go back to bed. Which I did not really do – but thought about. I got up and set about doing a few tasks, like planning from the previous days’ meetings. Many things happened in the last forty-eight hours that I have to sort and plan for, then present to the NSU upper-administration when I return.
I also made what very well may be my last grocery run. I have only one full week left; I have come to buy groceries for a week at a time, and this time I purchased a limited amount of things, honestly mostly snacks. I am trying to pace the groceries so that I have enough to get through to the end and not leave anything. So mostly snacks (that’s my excuse and I’ sticking with it).
In the early afternoon I did go into town, as I have so many times just to walk around, no particular destination in mind, just getting out to walk. While on my walk I was thinking about the past few days and what they will likely mean. All of these are possibilities arising from my meetings and contacts this past week: book(s) deal, 4 or 5 city powwow tour, exchange programs with two universities, and participants in the NSU Cherokee summer programs. Lots of thoughts to line out.
Following my aimless walk of around an hour I returned to the flat where I set about the task of line these out as I sat about the flat. Nothing much else happened the remainder of the day.
Les Hannah, day 55, part final
I then made my way to the Theology department where I finally met Armin. We talked for a while in his office, had a bite of lunch and then talked some more as he took me on a small tour of a large campus. While at lunch I met several of Armin’s colleagues. By a strange twist of fate I also met another American, from a university in southern California, who had applied for the exact same Fulbright position I did and ultimately got. In other words I met my competition for the Fulbright I received. What are the odds of that? This professor had been to Denmark before and wanted to come back, so when he applied he specifically requested a teaching assignment in Denmark. The only teaching scholar’s assignment in Denmark was this one, the one I have. It wasn’t awkward, but it certainly was interesting. He was at Aarhus I guess on sabbatical from his university in California; I was only around him for a few minutes but it was still interesting to meet the competition.
Following lunch Armin took me around the campus. By this time it was raining a bit heavier so the tour was hampered some by that, but I got a decent look at several places. Armin and I bade farewell in the midafternoon as he dropped me off at the Fine Arts museum. I spent some time there looking about. Could not take any photos, but enjoyed the time there nonetheless. The walk back to the train station was cold and damp, but short and quick.
Back to Fredericia, where I again changed trains and then on to Esbjerg. I got back to the flat in the early evening and made a quick decision to do my laundry tonight before the mad rush of everyone trying to do theirs in the morning. So as the 200 minutes ticked away I watched television and did some reading.
Les Hannah, day 55, part 1
Up early and once again to the train station; this time I rode the bike. In Aarhus I had appointments with two people. One is Ann, a coordinator of foreign exchanges, and the other with Armin, a professor in the Theology department. I was introduced to Armin through a mutual friend in the US, Jace Weaver. Jace is a professor of Native Studies in North Carolina and has apparently been to Aarhus University before; this is where he met Armin. Jace e-introduced Armin and me, and arranged a visit long before I arrived in Denmark.
I had to change trains in Fredericia, which is common for such a trip as this. Each leg of the journey was about an hour. It was actually a quick two hours as I was watching the scenery, as I typically do when I ride a train. Additionally I was watching the rain change to snow. I suppose it was inevitable, as much as it has been raining here and with the temperature dropping steadily snow was bound to fall. It was not much and not until I got closer to Aarhus, which is farther north, but it was a rain/snow mix.
Once I got off the train I walked to the University, taking the opportunity to walk through the city centre. I have been told that Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and it did have a bit of that large city feel similar to Copenhagen, but also different. The walk turned out to be longer than I thought it would be, but I still had time; however, the university also turned out to be larger than I thought it would be and I ended up being a bit late for my first appointment, the one with Ann, the foreign exchange coordinator. I did ultimately find her office though, with the aid of a lovely young lady who took pity on this lost Cherokee and allowed me to follow her to the correct building.
Once I found Ann’s office she and I set immediately about discussions of potential exchanges between NSU and Aarhus University. She said there are on average 600 Americans and/or Canadians here during a term, so they are accustomed to handling people from our corner of the globe. Before my trip here Ann and I exchanged emails and I gave her the link to NSU’s home page. She had checked us out and found NSU to have some compatible programs. She seemed particularly interested in some of the language programs. The talks went well, and now I have more talks to do when I get home. Got to get NSU’s administration in the loop on this.
Les Hannah, day 54, part final
This morning was travel time. Headed to the English Teachers’ Conference in Middelfart. I decided to walk to the train station; it’s only about thirty minutes, but it was cold and sprinkling slightly. Two colleagues were also doing to the same conference: Metta and Ulla. Turns out Maj was also on the same train, but not headed to the conference; she was headed to Copenhagen.
Once we arrived at the destination and made our way to the conference hotel, we got checked in at the conference and found the coffee. Once that mission was accomplished it was time to meet and greet. I was introduced around to several people and held brief conversations before the start of the conference. Now I have to admit this was perhaps the most unique English Teachers’ conference I have ever attended. Though it was an English teachers’ conference it was almost all in Danish. In fact I was the only presenter to speak in English, but I had to remember that English is a foreign language here. Still, it was interesting to be at an English Teachers’ conference and have the content delivered in a language other than English. Obviously I was not able to follow much of the presentations, but that is not an indictment of the conference, merely a mention of my Danish language deficiencies.
Then came my turn in the mid-afternoon, time to deliver the full version of Indigenous Peoples in a Globalized World. I think it was received well; there were lots of questions and a great deal of interaction between the audience and myself. I really enjoy that type of exchange, where the audience gets caught up in the presentation and asks driving questions. This was a great audience. They must have enjoyed my presentation because I had tons of questions following its conclusion, and even out in the hallway and afterwards at dinner. Some representatives of a school south and west slightly of Copenhagen talked with me about visiting their school before I return to the US. There is only one possible time that may happen and that is the last Monday I am in Denmark. We discussed the preliminary details at dinner and worked out a potential schedule. Of course this is all pending approval of the proper administration at the school. So if approved I may have yet another speaking event added to my schedule; additionally, there was talk of a short trip into Sweden with this group. Wait and see I suppose.
Following dinner – here I am just going to stop talking about the food; by now you know what I think of Danish food, and this meal was no different – I returned to the train station and boarded a west bound night express to Esbjerg. By the time I got back to Esbjerg, and then walked to the flat it was nearly midnight. Pretty much straight to bed for me as I had to get up early once again in the morning to board yet another train to Aarhus. There is a university there I am to visit.
Les Hannah, day 53, part final
I am making it a mission once I return home to see about getting Rene to NSU. I would like to see him as a guest artist in our Art department. However, I think what I would like to see most of all is a collaborative work with him and a Cherokee artist or two. With Rene’s style so closely matching what I have seen from some of the artists around home I think this would be an interesting partnership. These two items are my mission for Rene and his art: get him to NSU and get him paired with a Cherokee artist.
All too quickly our time was once again up. Soren had to return to his company; after all the man is trying to run a business. I am just so very thankful for the time he took to make this meeting with Rene happen. So, Soren and I went to his company for a short while so he could mind the shop until quitting time. He and I sat and talked and watched the ocean; from his offices we can see the harbor and out to sea a little. It’s a good view.
Once again it was not long until time to go. Soren returned me to my flat; thank you again Soren for another great day. But the day was actually not finished yet; for speaking at the Rotary meeting today Soren had given me several tickets to the hockey game tonight. I of course kept one for myself but was able to give away the others to some colleagues at the school. So it was time to get ready for the hockey game.
Claus and his daughter Mia were among those to join me, also Christen, another of the teachers at the school. Tonight’s game was awesome: Esbjerg won; they never trailed. Esbjerg scored three goals in the first period and set the tone for what might have been the best hockey game I have ever attended. The opponent was a team from near Copenhagen, and a good team I might add, but Esbjerg was simply better tonight. The Copenhagen team scored in the second period, and then again early in the third making the score close 3-2 in favor of the good guys, but then Esbjerg scored again to make it 4 – 2. And what has got to be every goalie’s dream, late in the final period Copenhagen pulled their goalie for an extra attacker – open net. Esbjerg’s goalie made a save, slapped the puck and it went the length of the ice to score with only a few seconds left on the clock. I love it when the goalie scores. 5 – 2 Esbjerg. YEAH ESBJERG!
I walked back to the flat with Christen, one of my colleagues at the school. He too had taken a ticket and joined us at the hockey game. We had a good conversation on the way back; turns out he lives only around the corner from me. I enjoyed his company during the cold walk back. What a great day.
Les Hannah, day 53, part 2
Following the meal, there were a few announcements and then it was time for my presentation. I used this as a warm-up for the larger presentation I shall deliver tomorrow (more on that in tomorrow’s posting), so this was a scaled down version of that: Indigenous Peoples in a Globalized World – The Cherokee Nation. The theme of the larger speech and presentation for the Handelsskols’ teachers at the conference tomorrow is Globalization; the Rotarians got to see it first. I rushed through it because of the time constraints and even stopped it short from its full version to allow for some questions, and there were questions. This was a curious group, as I have found most all Danes with whom I have had contact. They want to know more, and they especially want to know more about American Indians – something they admittedly know little about but have a healthy curiosity with. I appreciate this sort of curiosity and am certainly eager to work with it.
As my time ran out and the meeting came to a close I tried to address as many questions as I could and then engaged in conversations while the time lasted, but it was not long before Soren and I were headed back to his company for a short while. He had arranged for me to meet an artist friend of his, Rene Holm, a bit later at Rene’s studio. We were only at Soren’s company for a few minutes when Rene texted and said he was clear from another appointment and we could come by any time. Soon we were on our way.
We walked into Rene’s apartment-sized studio and found him at work on a painting. This man is talented; I first noticed his work in Soren and Pia’s home when I was there for dinner. What caught my eye about that particular painting was first and foremost the size; it is nearly floor to ceiling and more than a meter wide. This is a massive painting, but it is also good. I know very little about art appreciation and technique and the other technical aspects of art, but I do know what I like and what I consider to be good art – this is good. One thing in particular that caught my attention was a similarity to some Cherokee and other native artists’ works I have seen. This particular painting I am writing about has a naturescape: a –somewhat abstract couple (faces obscured) standing in the woods, and it is the woods and the depiction of nature wherein I saw the resemblance to some Native artists’ works I know.
At Rene’s studio was more evidence of these similarities. Rene is an interesting fellow to sit and talk with; Rene, Soren, and I spoke about many things other than art, and the conversations were outstanding. I really enjoy dialogues with people who can hold an intelligent conversation on a great variety of topics, and in the hour or so we were in Rene’s studio the three of us covered a variety of topics. The conversations never lagged. And then we finally got around to talking about Rene’s Art.
Les Hannah, day 53, part 1
I had the day off from the school because of the speech I am scheduled to deliver to a meeting of the Rotary at noon. I did, nonetheless, go to the school during morning to use the server connection to upload some things back home. The school’s Internet connection is more reliable than what I use at the flat. I was there for a couple of hours working before I headed back to the flat to drop off some materials and gather what I needed for the presentation.
I walked to Soren’s (Pia’s husband) company. It was his chapter of Rotary where I spoke at their lunch meeting today. I was welcomed and introduced around to the membership. Several of them I had already met at other functions; recall the concert from several postings ago – that was connected with the Rotary as a fund raising event to help raise money for Polio research. Additionally, another Rotary friend from a different chapter and my eel-eating buddy Claus was there. If Claus and his family make it to Cherokee Country I shall have to host a hog fry or onion dinner in their honor. Claus came as a guest of this Rotary Chapter and to hear me speak.
I must pause here for a moment and acknowledge the hospitality of the Rotarians I have met while here. And while I am certain that it is not a membership requirement that all Rotarians be extremely friendly, it does seem to be a trait here in Esbjerg. Rotary has treated me with great kindness and friendliness during my time here. In particular I wish now to acknowledge the two with whom I have had the most contact and the most fun: Soren and Claus. I have come to think of these two as friends. I have spent a good amount of time with each and thoroughly enjoy their company.
We had a fine lunch, and once again I must also acknowledge the fine food of Denmark. I swear by every menu I have ever ordered from, Denmark has the best food I have ever tasted. I have eaten in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Cherokee Nation – in many parts of the world, and the food here is the best. I wonder what they could do with wild onions and eggs?
Les Hannah, day 52, part final
I had a full day this day. I was in a class every period except the fourth. But then in the fourth period I had a combined lesson on powwows and powwow etiquette. In the classes I worked with the students on some literature, a mix of poetry from different Native poets. During these discussions we talked about identity. So many students this age and even a bit older are trying to find who they are and have not really stopped to think about it yet. That’s what I use these types of discussions for, to cause students to think; that’s the type of discussion we had today.
In a later class I showed and discussed artifacts; I believe this is the final class for that. All of the classes I have been scheduled to visit have now seen these and heard the short lectures on each item. Following this class I held the powwow demonstration in the gym. This was interesting. Probably around 100 students showed up for this. It was just supposed to be a demonstration and a few short lessons on drumming, singing, and dancing so the students would have some exposure to a powwow. Of course we could get nowhere near the grandeur nor exactness of a real powwow, but we did the best we could with what we had. For a powwow drum we used a bass drum from a kit, and we could not find the sticks so we used a small piece of wood. Hey – it worked. I tried to get the experience close. We had a grand entry, did some round dancing, the two-step, a snake dance. It was fun while it lasted. All of this was practice for a more “realistic” powwow to come on my last day here. Of course I use realistic with a very elastic definition. It will not be a real powwow but it is not the realism that matters here; it is the spirit of the event. It will be my last full day in Esbjerg, and this will be a farewell powwow. We will have fun.
I returned to the flat shortly after the powwow rehearsal where I settled in for the evening to put the finishing touches on the PowerPoint for my presentations; those begin tomorrow. I did some reading, watched a little television, then headed to bed a bit early.
Les Hannah, day 51, part final
Back to school. I had the first three periods today, one with Joan and two with Pia. The classes went well, as they have for some time now. Not to say that the classes have never gone well, but they became better when the students began to get more comfortable with me. That comfort level makes a huge difference in the progress of students. It is clear to me, has been for some time but the immediate evidence I have witnessed here has taught me it is more important than I have given it credit for in the past. I have always thought I was a good teacher (not to sound narcissistic) but I always felt I had a feel for the pulse or personality of a class. Here I have seen quick evidence that the students’ trust in the teacher is also paramount for learning. These students have (I think) become more comfortable with me and have opened up. Granted they have different reasons for being timid or distant (initially) than American student normally do. These students were initially concerned about their English skills and that caused them to be hesitant. However, they are now more forward in their confidence and thus their English skills, which were not bad to begin with.
Now American students, university level mind you, I think are initially timid but for different reasons; I think it is because they are unprepared for the rigors of university studies. I know I was when I first entered the world of academe, and I can only imagine it has become worse since the advent of No Child Left Behind. (I really hate that high-stakes testing system of education.)
So I say this to my Danish students here in Esbjerg. Have confidence in yourselves.
And I say this to my American students back home at NSU. Have confidence in yourselves.
And I say this to my colleagues both here in Denmark and at home – especially at home. Have confidence in your students. Your attitude toward them makes all the difference in their minds, and that makes all the difference in the world – their worlds.
Following classes I returned briefly to the flat where I deposited my things and then headed into the city just to walk around. I felt like walking; it was a nice day, though it was raining this morning the sun came out in the afternoon and the day warmed up nicely – too nice just to sit inside. I had no particular destination, just went walking. During this walk I discovered another tidbit of information. I have come to feel very comfortable here in Esbjerg. Not because of the city but because of the people. What I mean is this: when I walk around in Tahlequah I see so many people I know and they know me. That has come to happened here in Esbjerg, at least to some degree. The past few times I have gone into town I have heard my name called from across the street or within a store. I like knowing people, being able to go somewhere and have people I can talk to. Lexi is like that too; that child does not know a stranger. Could not have cloned one any more like me.
I finished my walk and returned to the flat to settle in for the evening. Did some reading and watched a little television before calling it a day.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Les Hannah, day 50, part final
Bit of a lazy morning again, at least initially. Watched a few minutes worth of television, but then did some reading. A bit later in the morning Pia and her family came by to get me. We went out to Fano Island and went amber hunting. They have a summer house on the island and go there often to relax. Don’t blame them; I would too if I lived here.
I have been told by several people that there is an ancient forest, long sunken, several kilometers out in the North Sea. And this ancient forest is the source of amber. Especially after a storm the beach at Fano is very fertile with pieces of amber of all sizes. I have to be honest here and admit that most of the pieces this day were found by someone other than me; after all, I am a rookie amber hunter, and I was hunting with seasoned veterans. I did, however, find two small pieces all by myself. My hosts were gracious enough to give me all of the pieces they found. So the lies that I will tell when I return home about all the amber I found are to be believed as if I cleared the beach of every nugget all on my own. Got that!
Following the amber hunting we went back to the summer house for a few minutes, long enough to change shoes. Then we headed to the opposite end of the island for lunch. Soren, Pia’s husband, took us to an inn that had more amazing food. You recall I have been absolutely amazed by the food here. Denmark has incredible cuisine – from simple sandwiches to elegant fine meals this country knows good food, has good food, and that alone is with a trip to Denmark. If you are into good food, forget France and come to Denmark. Soren and I split a meal designed for two; it included smoked salmon – the most incredible smoked salmon I have ever known, a soup that I may very accurately describe as nectar. I was told it was made from a potato-like vegetable (not truly a potato) that grows locally. I honestly do not remember the name, but the soup contained small bits of bacon, and the combination of those flavors made this small container of soup worth its weight in gold. The second course was highlighted by a serving of lamb. I thought I would have to travel around the world to find anything better than that soup; all I had to do was wait for our server to bring the second course. There is a god, and god orders take-out from Fano Island in Denmark.
Following this most incredible meal we returned to the summer house for a few minutes where the family had to rearrange a few things, and then we returned to the mainland and Esbjerg. We returned to the family’s home where Pia and I discussed scheduling for the remainder of my time here. Soren and I then discussed contact between Vikings and American Indians, in general, and Cherokees in specific. We did some research on the Internet, found evidence of rune stones scattered about the US – Indian Country. Vikings were in the Americas long before Columbus – that is not in question. What I think the question is, is what type of contact (direct or indirect) and with what specific Indian tribes. More research.
We capped off the evening with hamburgers and fries, a home-made dinner worthy of praise. Soren was worried (not really) that since I was so impressed with the food at the inn that his burgers would be a disappointment. The burgers were great – I had two and enjoyed every bite. Thank you Soren; thank you Pia for another fabulous day in Denmark.
Les Hannah, day 49, part final
This morning I slept in a bit, not too late, but late enough to be borderline lazy. I went over the line when I took a nap a bit later. Seriously, I seem to have fallen into my pattern of weekends while at home. I usually push myself so hard during the week that one the weekends I am nearly worthless. Typically that is Sundays when I can barely stay awake. I had a similar sort of day today. Once I got up I may as well have gone back to bed.
But I did stay up long enough to finish (well, almost) the accompanying PowerPoint to the speech I must deliver this coming week. Another speech has been added to my schedule. Now I am speaking on Wednesday to a chapter of the local Esbjerg Rotary. Thursday I will be speaking to the Handelsskoles’ English teachers – not just Esbjerg but the English teachers from all over Denmark. Then on Friday of next week I visit a university in the city of Aarhus; that is about two hours or so north and east of here. I shall be busy next week.
Though I was feeling lazy today I was not completely worthless. I get around some this afternoon and accomplished a few things. I managed to do a little grocery shopping. Also I worked a bit more on some curriculum for the Folklore class I will be teaching in the Spring. I am finished with the basic outline of the curriculum, just need to add the finishing touches. I still need to work on my Cherokee Literature and Texts course and I will be doing that in the coming days.
During the evening I attended another football (soccer) match with Thomas and his family. For my KSU friends Thomas is the David Swisher of this campus; for my NSU friends he is like our Kip Finnegan. Thomas gets things done around here. I arrived at the stadium about twenty minutes before the match began; got myself a beer and hot dog, a tradition here, and set off the join the fun. The game began incredibly well for Esbjerg. They scored within the first two minutes, and I, along with the hundreds of other fans, thought the game would be fantastic. But it turned into a defensive struggle for the next seventy minutes or so. About that time the other team scored to tie the game, and it remained tied throughout regulation.
In extra time, with only a few seconds to go, seriously only about five seconds, the other team scored what looked to me to be a fluke goal. Now I will admit that I was seated at the far opposite end of the field, and nearly every player on the field was standing between me and the goal, but from where I was it looked to be a fluke of a goal. The player who scored was hit in the head, not deliberately headed the ball, but it appeared was accidentally hit in the head with the ball, and the ball took that crazy, lucky bounce that can only end badly for the home team – it bounced right into the goal. Damn! Fluke goal or not it counted and Esbjerg lost 2 – 1. It’s too bad the statistics do not count, only the score. Esbjerg outplayed the opponent and by all rights should have won. But games have scores that supersede statistics. I was really pulling for Esbjerg. They played their hearts out and deserved the win. Some of the students at the school play for this team, and I recognized them. I really like these kids. They are incredible people. I want them to win, not just this game but in life too. I want them to win.
Les Hannah, day 48, part final
I had a relatively busy day at school today. I was in three of the four periods – well sort of. The fourth lesson was cancelled because of the high percentage of absences. It seems that two of the teachers for this class were away at training or conferences or something of the sort, and most of the students took advantage of the situation to leave early or extend their weekend by a day. Not faulting them for that, just making an observation. I might have done the same had I been in their shoes. The teacher and I rescheduled this visit for my last full week.
The first two periods were both with Kent. He took about the first fifteen minutes in both classes to do some housekeeping sort of things, and then I joined the classes and addressed questions the students had. I like this sort of interaction where the students drive the dialogue. I like to see how their minds are working. The first class had read some literature, yes a little Robert Conley, but this time something other than “Witch of Goingsnake;” they had taken up that particular work the last time I was with them. I like this class; this is one of the more inquisitive classes. Several students in here ask questions, good questions that have depth: questions that make me have to think about the answers I present. I also like the way this particular class approached the literature. It was in a manner very similar I might have used in a literary criticism style class. Some of the questions were from a very colonial/post colonial perspective, and a few from a quite advanced level of feminist criticism. I am not sure if these students knew exactly what they were doing, by that I mean applying literary criticism, or if they were just asking questions as they came to mind; no matter – they were good questions and I really enjoyed this session.
One question in particular I enjoyed was about religion and how Native theological beliefs compare to Christianity and other religions. This is something I know a little about; this is (to some degree) what I lectured on during my time at Oxford a few years ago. Once again while trying to answer this question I turned to Ohiyesa’s “Soul of the Indian.” I really like this work for its simplicity; pretty much just tells it like it is. I would recommend “Soul of the Indian” be read by every living human being. Takes only about thirty minutes to read the entire thing and it can change perspectives.
Following the day’s class commitment I worked in my office for a few minutes, doing a few things to prepare for forthcoming events next week. I now have another presentation added to my calendar. I will be in three different meetings or forums of some sort on three successive days next week. Only two days of classroom time and then the remainder of the week on the road.
Back to the flat; another school week in the books. Only two more full weeks to go for me. Hard to believe it is almost to the end already. In many ways I feel like I am just getting warmed up. By that I mean the students are finally starting to open up with driving questions. This again goes back to their confidence in their English as a second language skills and certainly not a lack of academic ability.
In their fundamental studentness these Danes are no different from Americans and their studentness. There are differences of course, subtle differences in culture and obviously language. But certainly no difference is what makes them students. They want better, and they see education as a means to that. In some of the discussions I have had with these students, however, the subtle differences emerge. Most American students will say they want an education so they can get a better job, which almost always means more money. Degree = money. Here most of the students have told me they want an education so they can have a better life. When I asked what they meant by that, i.e. “Do you mean more money?, most answered no, not necessarily. The most common answer I got went something like this: More money would be nice sure, but what we want is a better way of life.
A better way of life. I like that answer.
Les Hannah, day 47, part final
I had a relatively light day today, only one class during the second period, and I bet you can’t guess what the topic was. Yep, “Witch of Goingsnake.” I have really done well with that, but I think that is about it for the classes that received this short story. There may be one more class, but I know I am reaching the end of the list on classes that received this work.
Immediately after class I met with Pia again briefly to plan some events during my final days here. Again I cannot believe this time has gone by this quickly. I noted previously that as I first began this Fulbright assignment it seemed as if the end would never come, but it is upon me soon. This week is nearly over; I am traveling some next week for speaking engagements and meetings so I do not have a full week at the school; one more full week following that and then I leave the week after. So, anyway, back to the present day.
At noon nearly all of the school, and here I literally mean nearly all, went to a local cinema, very nearby, to watch the movie The Social Network. I think this may be a monthly event, not Social Network every time but going to the movies once a month. Last month during the Remember the 80s events, nearly all the school went to the cinema to watch Flashdance. I did not go then, but I went this time. The movie was good, and I recommend seeing it should you have the opportunity, but that is far from the point I am hoping to make with this particular entry. The point I wish to make is this is yet another example of socialization the students have with each other and the faculty and staff. The afternoon classes were dismissed and the entire school practically shut down so everyone who wanted could attend the movie. And from the looks of it nearly everyone attended.
Now I know and fully understand that something like this will never happen at NSU and quite likely any other university/ school in the American system. Our system is simply not structured in such a manner that anything like this would ever be possible. I am not advocating for the redesign of an entire system just so I can go to the movies with students. The point I am trying to make is once again these people have demonstrated that they associate with each other. They actually do things together. This seems to me to be a more holistic approach to education, getting to know the students as more than just a number (GPA). On the walk to the cinema (yes, they even walked together) I conversed with one of my officemates. He was telling me that there is a movie club, that once a month members of this group make it a point to go to the movies together and then afterwards for coffee or drinks and discuss the movie – just so they can be in each others’ company. I am impressed, truly impressed.
Following the movie I returned to the office briefly where I called my family for our regular Skype session. Lexi has a cold, or at least the sniffles. And following that I headed to the flat to do the glorious task of laundry. I have learned to do it on a weekday if possible; laundry on the weekend is near impossibility. Everyone in this building is trying to do their laundry, and at 200 minutes a pop, well …. As luck would have it the only working machine was open. I will not bore you with the remaining details of this. And that is all the news that’s fit to print – well, for today at least.
Pamela Louderback, Day 33
What a glorious country Wales is and a gorgeous city, Swansea! I left Belfast very early this morning to catch a flight out of the George Best (famous futball player of the 1970s) Belfast City airport. I was running late so I decided to opt for a taxi instead of trying to figure out the rail and bus journey that I had mapped out previously. Upon learning of my home land -- my cabbie had much to say on the topic of the Federal Reserve, George W., poltics, oil, and the economy as well as assorted other topics revolving around Tory's and capitalism. It made for a long journey considering the hour of the morning and lack of sleep from the night previous. I'm not sure if I will ever "catch up" with the week-long sleep deprived existence brought on by the gas boiler and unit.
The trip from Belfast to Cardiff was pleasant and uneventful. Once the Flybe aircraft arrived in Cardiff, we passengers (all 35 of us -- I know this because the airline hostess shared this bit of information with the attendant on the tarmak) were led around the tarmak to another building where our luggage would arrive momentarily. From there, I caught a shuttle bus to Rhoose station -- a ten minute journey. The next leg found me traveling on the rail from Rhoose station into Cardiff Central -- another 45 mintues journey. Once I arrived at Cardiff Central, I used a self-help ticket machine -- my first go at it -- as I had pre-booked passage from Cardiff to Swansea via the online route. I had assistance from a gentleman in performing this task -- very simple, by the way -- but he was behind me and obviously in a hurry and my motions were a bit slower than he wished. As I was reading directions, he would chime in what the next step would be, and so on. Very helpful people -- the Welsh!
The train ride from Cardiff to Swansea took almost an hour but it seemed like only minutes -- the scenery was breathtaking with shorelines and lushly covered green pastures and mountain-sides. Once I had arrived in Swansea, I opted for a taxi (again) instead of trying to figure out the bus schedule. When the cabbie told me what the fare was, I began to pull out a 20 pound note from my wallet. Now, for those who may not be familiar with the practice, in Northern Ireland, each bank has their own bills with the name of what ever the banks name is -- splashed across the bill. It's legal tender, but the cabbie refused to take it. I guess you can't blame the guy if he was not familiar with the practice. Thankfully, I had just enough money in change to cover the tab but nothing, save about 10 pence, for a tip. He dropped me off at the bed and breakfast and sped off.
Once at Chatcoombe, the bed and breakfast near Swansea University that Angela suggested, I settled in quickly and Merle offered some tea. An opportunity to sip tea? I'm there! Much to my surprise and delight, she also proffered a plate of what looked like silver dollar pancakes from IHOP. These little cakes were Welsh cakes - a lightly sweetened cake with raisins. I'm still grappling with the decision of whether these are better than scones -- and they may just be! After explaining my dilemma with the Ulster Bank of Ireland pound situation, she offered to take me in to town. Actually, her husband Richard would do the driving -- he had to drop off some money at the bank anyway. So, off Richard, Merle and I went into town. They took the scenic route -- driving up and down the back roads along the coastline -- reminiscing of their younger years and how they met -- very romantic.
The bank easily swapped my Ulster Bank money for pounds with the Queen's visage blazened across it -- suitable currency for any respectable cabbie! I walked around town a bit, purchased some 'Love Spoons' and an umbrella. You can never have too many umbrellas and I had left mine in Belfast! I settled for some bangers and mashers and pastry washing it down with diet coke and decided to try the bus line. According to Merle, the 3A line ran every 1/2 hour and would take me to the Singleton Hospital -- a mere seven minutes' walk from Chatcoombe. However, by the time I'd finished shopping and eating, it began to get rather cold and dark. So...characteristic of my past behavior...I opted for a taxi! And here I sit in my spacious room, looking out the huge window out on my second floor veranda taking in the sights of the water. I could get used to this life...
A few bits of trivia on Swansea:
- Swansea has the second largest tidal range in teh world -- and I have a splendid vantage point from my room!
- The Gower peninsula is the UKs first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (It gets my vote)
- Country Life readers voted Three Cliffs bay on the Gower Peninsula as the fourth best view in Britain
- Swansea people are referred to locally as 'Jacks'. Swansea Jack was a flat-coated retriever who lived in the City during the 1940s and was reputed to have saved 27 humans and 2 dogs from drowning. Hwe sas awarded teh canine Victoria Cross for his efforts.
- Gower's Cefn bryn is 'one of the richest archaeological sites in South Wales'
- Swansea had the worlds first passenger railway (1807)
- Worm's Head is reputedly the 7th most photographed sunset in the world.
I'm off to watch futboll -- Manchester United against Rangers. Rangers must win to stay in contention for the knockout stage. Cheers!
The trip from Belfast to Cardiff was pleasant and uneventful. Once the Flybe aircraft arrived in Cardiff, we passengers (all 35 of us -- I know this because the airline hostess shared this bit of information with the attendant on the tarmak) were led around the tarmak to another building where our luggage would arrive momentarily. From there, I caught a shuttle bus to Rhoose station -- a ten minute journey. The next leg found me traveling on the rail from Rhoose station into Cardiff Central -- another 45 mintues journey. Once I arrived at Cardiff Central, I used a self-help ticket machine -- my first go at it -- as I had pre-booked passage from Cardiff to Swansea via the online route. I had assistance from a gentleman in performing this task -- very simple, by the way -- but he was behind me and obviously in a hurry and my motions were a bit slower than he wished. As I was reading directions, he would chime in what the next step would be, and so on. Very helpful people -- the Welsh!
The train ride from Cardiff to Swansea took almost an hour but it seemed like only minutes -- the scenery was breathtaking with shorelines and lushly covered green pastures and mountain-sides. Once I had arrived in Swansea, I opted for a taxi (again) instead of trying to figure out the bus schedule. When the cabbie told me what the fare was, I began to pull out a 20 pound note from my wallet. Now, for those who may not be familiar with the practice, in Northern Ireland, each bank has their own bills with the name of what ever the banks name is -- splashed across the bill. It's legal tender, but the cabbie refused to take it. I guess you can't blame the guy if he was not familiar with the practice. Thankfully, I had just enough money in change to cover the tab but nothing, save about 10 pence, for a tip. He dropped me off at the bed and breakfast and sped off.
Once at Chatcoombe, the bed and breakfast near Swansea University that Angela suggested, I settled in quickly and Merle offered some tea. An opportunity to sip tea? I'm there! Much to my surprise and delight, she also proffered a plate of what looked like silver dollar pancakes from IHOP. These little cakes were Welsh cakes - a lightly sweetened cake with raisins. I'm still grappling with the decision of whether these are better than scones -- and they may just be! After explaining my dilemma with the Ulster Bank of Ireland pound situation, she offered to take me in to town. Actually, her husband Richard would do the driving -- he had to drop off some money at the bank anyway. So, off Richard, Merle and I went into town. They took the scenic route -- driving up and down the back roads along the coastline -- reminiscing of their younger years and how they met -- very romantic.
The bank easily swapped my Ulster Bank money for pounds with the Queen's visage blazened across it -- suitable currency for any respectable cabbie! I walked around town a bit, purchased some 'Love Spoons' and an umbrella. You can never have too many umbrellas and I had left mine in Belfast! I settled for some bangers and mashers and pastry washing it down with diet coke and decided to try the bus line. According to Merle, the 3A line ran every 1/2 hour and would take me to the Singleton Hospital -- a mere seven minutes' walk from Chatcoombe. However, by the time I'd finished shopping and eating, it began to get rather cold and dark. So...characteristic of my past behavior...I opted for a taxi! And here I sit in my spacious room, looking out the huge window out on my second floor veranda taking in the sights of the water. I could get used to this life...
A few bits of trivia on Swansea:
- Swansea has the second largest tidal range in teh world -- and I have a splendid vantage point from my room!
- The Gower peninsula is the UKs first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (It gets my vote)
- Country Life readers voted Three Cliffs bay on the Gower Peninsula as the fourth best view in Britain
- Swansea people are referred to locally as 'Jacks'. Swansea Jack was a flat-coated retriever who lived in the City during the 1940s and was reputed to have saved 27 humans and 2 dogs from drowning. Hwe sas awarded teh canine Victoria Cross for his efforts.
- Gower's Cefn bryn is 'one of the richest archaeological sites in South Wales'
- Swansea had the worlds first passenger railway (1807)
- Worm's Head is reputedly the 7th most photographed sunset in the world.
I'm off to watch futboll -- Manchester United against Rangers. Rangers must win to stay in contention for the knockout stage. Cheers!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pamela Louderback, Day 32
Late posting… am flying in the morning to Cardiff , Wales Ireland and off to Limerick where I will be there for an international law school educators conference . More later on my Thanksgiving adventure!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Pamela Louderback, Day 31
Up and out early this morning to be out before the gas maintenance guy shows -- hopefully, the last day in a run of six (but who's counting) nights of very little (if any) sleep! I know I've only been here a month but noticed while trying to 'clean up' for the maintenance guy that I've become quite comfortable in my surroundings with assorted pieces of clothing hanging about that are best removed prior to the arrival of said gas man. It's beginning to look more like a 'bachelorette pad' of late! I've also become a bit free in my display and quantities of 'piles' of research. Of course, when my family reads this, they'll understand -- given the state of disarray my house has been in for the last five years (during- and post- dissertation) -- they'll feel 'right at home' when they visit next month. I've come to the conclusion that once home, I'm going to consolidate all of those 'piles' into ONE room and foreever more, make that my research nook. Visions of that movie 'Proof' that Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins starred in -- something along the lines of that room...
It took me only a few minutes to 'tidy up' though; off I was to the office to compile some brilliant interview questions for my impending meeting with Ms. Linda Martin, a civil servant for many a year in the Department of Education (DE) in Northern Ireland. I garnered a meeting with her through my Fulbright buddy, Eileen. Ms. Martin works in the Policy and Planning area of the DE -- which was perfect for my research needs. We had originally planned on meeting in my office but we walked over to the Student Union instead for 'coffee' (read one more chance for Pamela to sip tea and munch on scones) -- because, of course, I was just being a good hostess.
We talked for an hour straight about the education system in Northern Ireland: the overall responsibiilties of the administrative branch of the DE; the Education and Library Board (funding agencies that provide capital and running costs, the management of schools, as well as being responsible for the provision of in-service teacher training and resources); curriculum and assessment; examinations [there are competitive transfer exams that take place in the last year of a child's primary education, and the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams usually taken in year 12 of school (when the student is 16 years of age)] -- each exam determining where (and later) whether you go on for studies/programs; and the types of schools found in Northern Ireland (controlled, voluntary, integrated, and Irish-Medium). I apologized for 'grilling' Ms. Martin as if it were an interview. She came back with the obligatory Irish biting wit with a retort that I will not share here -- but suffice it to say, it was all in fun.
She was very helpful, accommodating, and even offered to send along additional documents as well as contact the Chair of the Irish-Medium Education in the DE. I bet she forewarns him about my interviewing scheme! I'm really hopeful that I'll be able to meet with this gentleman as well -- and he isn't scared off by anything Ms. Martin shares with him regarding my 'grilling' techniques. He may be able to more fully provide me with some information on the distinct characteristics and growth, the development of policies, as well as the outcomes of policies in the recent years. I would like to further investigate the challenges facing Irish-Medium education (beyond the obvious political aspects) and see what recommendations he might suggest for the future. As a whole, I would surmise that consolidation and collaboration would do much to advance the success of Irish-Medium education.
I have a bit more to do on transcribing my notes from this afternoon's meeting with Ms. Martin, then I may actually take in a movie at the Queen's University Theatre. I've been meaning to do so for the last two weeks but always either lose track of time, or become so worn out that the thought of a 9:00 p.m. showing is not as exciting when the time comes as it seemed in hours or days prior. I may also need to do some laundry before heading off to Cardiff (and subsequently Limerick and Dublin) on Wednesday. Of course, I still have two books I need to either finish or renew before I leave. So many choices...
It took me only a few minutes to 'tidy up' though; off I was to the office to compile some brilliant interview questions for my impending meeting with Ms. Linda Martin, a civil servant for many a year in the Department of Education (DE) in Northern Ireland. I garnered a meeting with her through my Fulbright buddy, Eileen. Ms. Martin works in the Policy and Planning area of the DE -- which was perfect for my research needs. We had originally planned on meeting in my office but we walked over to the Student Union instead for 'coffee' (read one more chance for Pamela to sip tea and munch on scones) -- because, of course, I was just being a good hostess.
We talked for an hour straight about the education system in Northern Ireland: the overall responsibiilties of the administrative branch of the DE; the Education and Library Board (funding agencies that provide capital and running costs, the management of schools, as well as being responsible for the provision of in-service teacher training and resources); curriculum and assessment; examinations [there are competitive transfer exams that take place in the last year of a child's primary education, and the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams usually taken in year 12 of school (when the student is 16 years of age)] -- each exam determining where (and later) whether you go on for studies/programs; and the types of schools found in Northern Ireland (controlled, voluntary, integrated, and Irish-Medium). I apologized for 'grilling' Ms. Martin as if it were an interview. She came back with the obligatory Irish biting wit with a retort that I will not share here -- but suffice it to say, it was all in fun.
She was very helpful, accommodating, and even offered to send along additional documents as well as contact the Chair of the Irish-Medium Education in the DE. I bet she forewarns him about my interviewing scheme! I'm really hopeful that I'll be able to meet with this gentleman as well -- and he isn't scared off by anything Ms. Martin shares with him regarding my 'grilling' techniques. He may be able to more fully provide me with some information on the distinct characteristics and growth, the development of policies, as well as the outcomes of policies in the recent years. I would like to further investigate the challenges facing Irish-Medium education (beyond the obvious political aspects) and see what recommendations he might suggest for the future. As a whole, I would surmise that consolidation and collaboration would do much to advance the success of Irish-Medium education.
I have a bit more to do on transcribing my notes from this afternoon's meeting with Ms. Martin, then I may actually take in a movie at the Queen's University Theatre. I've been meaning to do so for the last two weeks but always either lose track of time, or become so worn out that the thought of a 9:00 p.m. showing is not as exciting when the time comes as it seemed in hours or days prior. I may also need to do some laundry before heading off to Cardiff (and subsequently Limerick and Dublin) on Wednesday. Of course, I still have two books I need to either finish or renew before I leave. So many choices...
Pamela Louderback, Day 30
On the way to church, I met a young man dragging along what appeared to be a wee English Springer Spaniel puppy of no more than 7 or 8 weeks. I was late, as usual, but given my need for a 'dog fix' I enquired whether I could pet his puppy. His gruff reply, 'no, I was out for a walk only'. Of course, uncharacteristic of me (but considering the awful plight that I found myself in) I snuck a quick pat on the puppy's head despite his refusal, and scratched it's ears with my right hand while cupping it's sweet little face in my left -- all in about two seconds -- before he could stop me. I know, it was very horrible of me to do so, but desperate times, as they say, call for desperate measures. I left him to his grumbling - sneaked one last peak - as he continued to drag the poor thing down the street.
Mass was especially nice this weekend as the choir was present. They were quite talented and even sang a few songs in Latin. This time, unlike my previous visit, the church was almost completely full. There was mention of during Mass as well as in the bulletin of consolidating/changing mass times -- this may have accounted for the increase in people. I mention this primarily because the close proximity of other parisheners provided me with a different perspective than my previous visit. I noticed that at certain times, during well-known, oft spoken portions of the Mass, different words were used than what I was accustomed to. I found myself tripping over phrases immediately following - getting caught up in the moment of, 'wait, what was that she said...oh, no -- where was I!' And at times, parisheners spoke so quickly, I fell behind -- only able to blurt out every other word or so. And to make matters even more confusing (but, in retrospect, rather cool) there was an older gentleman in front of me who interjected responses in English, Latin, and Irish at certain times throughout -- in no particular order.
Since I had been late departing for Mass, (a 20 minute walk), I had forgotten my umbrella. Unfortunate for me, five minutes into my walk home, it began to rain, and rain quite hard. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at my apartment soaking wet! The coat I was wearing is 100% wool so not only did I probably ruin this really nice coat, it now has a 'smell' to it as if it were still attached to a very smelly sheep, and a dying sheep at that. Note to self...always take the umbrella!
After having a really long hot shower, I turned the heat on full blast -- I logically decided that since it was daylight, it didn't matter how noisy the banging, hissing, gurgling gas heating units became. And quite frankly, at that point, I didn't much care if my 'noise level' was bothering the neighbors. Afterward, I climbed back into bed and read the Sunday paper for a good two hours - taking in all the news, some local (most comments lost on my ignorance of the local nuances), some national (again, many comments meaning little to me), and international news. Later, I went to the Student Union and was surprised by a real treat -- the radio station was set to a station with a D.J. interviewing, none other than the 'Divine M' - Bette Midler who happened to be in London pitching a new CD. Being a HUGE Midler fan, I sat there enrapt in wonder, listening to her every word. To make things even better - she sang a couple of tunes from the CD - one entitled -- 'He Was Too Good to Me'
He was too good to me.
How will I get along now
So close he stood to me.
Everything seems all wrong now.
He would have brought me the sun.
Making me smile, that was his fun.
When I was mean to him
he'd never say, 'Go away, now.'
I was a queen to him.
Who's gonna light my way now
It's only natural that I'm blue.
He was too good to be true.
You'd never recognize the room.
The pictures all have different frames now.
And all the chairs are rearranged now.
Somehow, I've thrown out every souvenir.
Yes, there've been changes made
since you stayed here.
You'd never recognize the street.
The neighbor's kids play different games now.
The colors in the trees have changed now.
Strange how I've hardly thought of you this year.
Yes, there've been changes made since you stayed here.
The same address, the more or less.
More happens, less matters, I guess.
You'd never recognize my life.
The party-givers know my name now.
And when I cry it's not the same now.
Somehow, I never waste a single tear.
Yes, there've been changes made
since you stayed here.
You'd never recognize the room.
You'd never recognize . . .
-------------------------------
Maybe it was the rain...maybe I'm missing home.. Of course,.it was always (and still remains) one of my favorites -- and as always, it brought me to tears.
Mass was especially nice this weekend as the choir was present. They were quite talented and even sang a few songs in Latin. This time, unlike my previous visit, the church was almost completely full. There was mention of during Mass as well as in the bulletin of consolidating/changing mass times -- this may have accounted for the increase in people. I mention this primarily because the close proximity of other parisheners provided me with a different perspective than my previous visit. I noticed that at certain times, during well-known, oft spoken portions of the Mass, different words were used than what I was accustomed to. I found myself tripping over phrases immediately following - getting caught up in the moment of, 'wait, what was that she said...oh, no -- where was I!' And at times, parisheners spoke so quickly, I fell behind -- only able to blurt out every other word or so. And to make matters even more confusing (but, in retrospect, rather cool) there was an older gentleman in front of me who interjected responses in English, Latin, and Irish at certain times throughout -- in no particular order.
Since I had been late departing for Mass, (a 20 minute walk), I had forgotten my umbrella. Unfortunate for me, five minutes into my walk home, it began to rain, and rain quite hard. Fifteen minutes later, I arrived at my apartment soaking wet! The coat I was wearing is 100% wool so not only did I probably ruin this really nice coat, it now has a 'smell' to it as if it were still attached to a very smelly sheep, and a dying sheep at that. Note to self...always take the umbrella!
After having a really long hot shower, I turned the heat on full blast -- I logically decided that since it was daylight, it didn't matter how noisy the banging, hissing, gurgling gas heating units became. And quite frankly, at that point, I didn't much care if my 'noise level' was bothering the neighbors. Afterward, I climbed back into bed and read the Sunday paper for a good two hours - taking in all the news, some local (most comments lost on my ignorance of the local nuances), some national (again, many comments meaning little to me), and international news. Later, I went to the Student Union and was surprised by a real treat -- the radio station was set to a station with a D.J. interviewing, none other than the 'Divine M' - Bette Midler who happened to be in London pitching a new CD. Being a HUGE Midler fan, I sat there enrapt in wonder, listening to her every word. To make things even better - she sang a couple of tunes from the CD - one entitled -- 'He Was Too Good to Me'
He was too good to me.
How will I get along now
So close he stood to me.
Everything seems all wrong now.
He would have brought me the sun.
Making me smile, that was his fun.
When I was mean to him
he'd never say, 'Go away, now.'
I was a queen to him.
Who's gonna light my way now
It's only natural that I'm blue.
He was too good to be true.
You'd never recognize the room.
The pictures all have different frames now.
And all the chairs are rearranged now.
Somehow, I've thrown out every souvenir.
Yes, there've been changes made
since you stayed here.
You'd never recognize the street.
The neighbor's kids play different games now.
The colors in the trees have changed now.
Strange how I've hardly thought of you this year.
Yes, there've been changes made since you stayed here.
The same address, the more or less.
More happens, less matters, I guess.
You'd never recognize my life.
The party-givers know my name now.
And when I cry it's not the same now.
Somehow, I never waste a single tear.
Yes, there've been changes made
since you stayed here.
You'd never recognize the room.
You'd never recognize . . .
-------------------------------
Maybe it was the rain...maybe I'm missing home.. Of course,.it was always (and still remains) one of my favorites -- and as always, it brought me to tears.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Les Hannah, day 46, part final
I also had another engagement tonight – two actually. They coincided and were about 6000 miles apart; I made both. How: you ask? Modern technology, I say. Remember my dinner of fried eels from a little over a week ago? The father of one of the students (Claus) invited me to join him at his Rotary meeting and the main course was eels – well, he invited me once again to a meal, this time with his family at their flat. This event, from what I gather, is similar to Thanksgiving in the US, the tradition of the family meal at least. On the menu – not, not eels but roast duck. And it was fantastic. Roast duck, potatoes, gravy, a good wine and excellent conversations. Mia, the daughter and student, was an excellent hostess. Family members at the dinner were of course Claus, the father, Mia, Ulla wife/mother, and an older sister (Line) and brother/son-in-law (Henrik). I shall never forget this evening and what this family did for me this night. They welcomed me into their home, someone who is in essence a total stranger; most of the people in the room I met for the first time tonight, yet that made no difference. I was welcomed to this evening and their table as if I were an old friend. We discussed many things during the course of the evening, and the conversation was always lively.
Yet I had another engagement; recall I said two and the other was many, many miles from where I was. I had informed Claus of this and told him that I would need to be back to my flat by a certain time to make a Skype call to Kansas State University at Salina. Claus told me to bring my computer and I could sign on from there, so that is what I did. A few days previous I had received an email from one of my dear friends at KSU, and she informed me that I was being recognized for some pioneering distance education I did while still at KSU. I have not been there in almost a year now – hard to believe it has already been nearly a year, but it has been. Here I go getting nostalgic again; nevertheless, I was being recognized for a few distance ed projects I had worked on while at K-State. One in particular I partnered with another friend of mine, Jennifer Molidor (an English professor at KSU) to co-teach a similar section of Composition with another professor at Iowa State. Jennifer got recognized as well.
So anyway, when the time came I excused myself from the conversations and Skyped into K-State at Salina. Several people had gathered for this little awards assembly. I think I knew everyone in the room; I recognized faces, voices, and laughter. Once the presentations of the awards began it did not take long to get around to Jennifer and me. My certificate was held up to the camera so I could see it, and it was announced that it would be mailed to me in Oklahoma. I really do not do such things as this for recognition, but it is nice when colleagues and peers take notice and say “good job,” especially so long after I have left. That felt good to know my friends and colleagues at KSU still remembered. Thanks Wildcats.
I stayed on the Skype call as long as I could, but the video froze up and I eventually lost the signal, so I rejoined the family in conversations in the living room. We talked for some time longer about different aspects of life and culture, mainly comparing/contrasting cultures and languages (Danes/Cherokees). Soon it was approaching midnight and time to call it an evening. Claus' older daughter (Line) and son-in-law (Henrik) gave me a ride back to my flat. By the time I did make it to bed it was right at midnight; it had been a long but really good day. I truly enjoyed this day. Wado, Claus and family; I shall never forget the hospitality and kindness you all showed me this evening.
Les Hannah, day 46, part 1
Today I had two early classes by myself. The first was a class I had been in a couple of times before, so today was a day of literature. I once again used Conley’s “Witch of Goingsnake.” I am getting good mileage and dialogues from this work, not because of the complexity and length, more accurately because of its simplicity and brevity. Readers must work their imaginations a little bit in this story, challenge their linear system of beliefs. That is what I have been working to my advantage with this story, and once again the discussions this story produced were excellent. I am able to challenge shallow belief systems. By shallow I do not mean superficial, more like ones that have been given little true thought. Students (and here I am including American students as well) often accept things as true or real without thinking about what makes them true or real. For example, “It’s in the textbook so it must be true.” Or my favorite, “I found it on Wikipedia so it has to be real.” That is the shallowness I mean. With this story I can take students to the deep end of the thought pool quickly.
The second class of the day was a younger group of students, and this was only the second time I had been with them. They got to see the artifacts I brought. Many of these also stimulate good discussions, especially the stickball equipment. Someday soon we are going to play. Several students have already noted they wish to try, so Pia and I are planning, trying to find a place and time to make that happen. Stay tuned.
My day was finished at lunch, so I did a few things around the office, answered emails mostly and did a small bit of planning on some forthcoming events before heading to the flat and then on to the city centre. I had a few small errands to run and then I was going to visit a sail factory. Yep, a sail factory. Pia’s husband, Soren, is co-owner of a sail factory. He invited me this afternoon to stop by for a tour. So I took him up on it. Now the place is small, not what one might expect for a sail factory, but it is certainly an impressive operation. They make not only sails, but tarpaulins, covers, and even an extremely impressive emergency evacuation system for ocean liners. There are only a few employees and the building is much smaller than Seminary Hall, but it is an impressive operation. I was given a tour of the building top to bottom – literally. Most of the manufacturing actually takes place on the second floor. Large, and I mean very large, sewing machines are on the floor and the operator is recessed into the floor, thus turning the entire floor into a sewing table.
Soren also showed me some historical photos and drawings of what Esbjerg harbor looked like many years ago. For a point of comparison, to my fellow Riverhawks, take a look at campus now, Seminary Hall now, and then pay close attention to the historic photos of campus that are scatter around NSU. Even though I am not a Dane and am not from Esbjerg looking at these photos invoked in me a sense of nostalgia, and understanding (to a point) of the way things used to be here. Things have changed, certainly a great deal since Denmark joined the European Union. I do not have a full, barely even a partial, understanding of what that means, but I know enough to know that life here changed for many people when that happened. The Esbjerg fishing fleet went from around 600-plus fishing vessels to only a couple of dozen practically overnight, and it affected a great many lives – including this factory. But they have adjusted, diversified, and found ways to adapt and carry on. In spirit that qualifies them as Cherokee I think. In all I was at the factory a bit over an hour.
Les Hannah, day 45, part final
Following class I stopped by the flat for a few minutes before heading into the city centre for a few minutes. I wanted to get a little cash from my account so I could pick up a few groceries, which is what I did shortly thereafter. Nothing major, just a few things to hold me over for a couple of days, snacks mostly. I have been taking most of my meals at the school lately. I have found that to be just more efficient.
Throughout the day today, several students asked me about the party over the weekend. They asked if I was shocked or surprised at anything I saw, and I think some of them may have been expecting an affirmative answer with a negative connotation. By that I mean I think they were expecting me to say something like this: “Yes, I was shocked and upset by _______.” I was surprised (shocked is probably not the best word so I will go with surprised) by the level of socialization I saw between the current students and the alumni, and between the teachers and both former and current students. They truly enjoyed each others’ company. I know I alluded to this in a previous posting, but that did surprise me. I have not seen this previously in my career and I do not see it now – and yes I think that is a problem. I think students and faculty should be more social. Now perhaps I am being optimistically naïve but I think many of the “differences” I have experienced in the world of American Academe would never have happened had a small bit of socialization occurred rather than the things that did happen. I shall take this lesson the Danes have taught me and try to be a better person at this.
Les Hannah, day 45, part 1
I awoke unusually early, even for me, this morning and simply could not go back to sleep. I was working (mentally) on presentations and other academic situations, trying to resolve them mentally before my body even knew what was happening. It did not take long for me to realize that it was hopeless in trying to go back to sleep, so I got up and actually did begin work on several of the projects. I had a full day of classes today, so this morning and this evening, after class, was the only time I had to work on things today. The presentation for the Handelsskoles’ English teachers is becoming more pressing. What was once a distant speaking engagement is now a pressing event. It is next week, and I work on the accompanying PowerPoint every chance I get.
But today I had a heavy day of classes, three of the four periods – the final two periods of the day I was on my own. The first class of the morning, I had only been with them once before, so this class got to see the artifacts I brought with me and watch some videos. The artifacts have been generating good discussions in previous classes, and this class was no different. I had the second period off, so I worked on scheduling for the remaining days of my time here. Seems hard to believe that the end is now quickly approaching. As I write this I have only fourteen classroom days left. Some of the students vie for my time, for me to come back to their classes. And I wish I could; they are actually very eager to learn – I have no doubt of that. One of the teachers also told me today that the students really like my teaching style; they say it is so different from what they are accustomed to. I think they see me as entertaining, which is good, but I hope I am also informing.
In the final class of the day, I gave these student some literature. We read a selection aloud in class, a short interview titled “Women and War” conducted with a Crow woman named Prettyshield. It is collected in the short anthology called Voice of the Turtle edited by Paula Gunn Allen. For the work I had several of the students take turns reading aloud; their English reading skills were quite good, dare I say some have better reading skills than some American university students I have had in the past. I can say that and provide this evidence to support it. These students at least try to read, though English is not their first language, they try to read it. So many of my students at universities where I have been would not read. A person who will not read holds no advantage over a person who cannot read. I also gave these students “The Witch of Goingsnake” for discussion on Thursday. I’ll see how they like a little Robert Conley.
Les Hannah, day 44, part final
In this third lesson the class just wanted to talk to me, not necessarily about American Indian things, but things in general. Several students had questions about coming to the US to attend university. Other questions were about education in the US, life in the US, things that many of these students know only from television and movies. This was a good lesson; I did not teach/lecture – just talked to them and answered as many of their questions as I could. The fourth session was a first-year class that I had visited only once, so I took the artifacts I brought with me into the class and told about those, showed a few videos and called it a class, then headed to the flat for a short while.
I went to a handball game this evening. Now this is not handball in the sense that many Americans understand it. I have known some people who played the smaller, one-on-one or two-on-two handball game, the game where the players slap the ball with their hands against a wall and play it off the bounce. No, the game I watched tonight is more like soccer, but with hands. It is apparently very popular in this region as I see it on television all the time, but tonight I was able to watch in person. Esbjerg was playing Ribe. As with the other games I have attended while here, I saw no fighting. This is a very physical game and there were moments when the players got rough and came close to confrontation but they backed off from actually fighting. I have read, while here, that Danes have rejected what they call “hooliganism” in sports. This extends to the fans in the stands as well. There are no soccer riots here, and so far as I have seen there is no fighting between the players. Apparently socially it is frowned upon. I even commented to this in one of the classes today. Students asked me about some of the differences I have noticed in American culture and here, and that is one of them. Personally, I am tired of the fighting in American professional sports. Either play the game or get off the field/court – whatever. I made the point about fighting in American sports by noting that if two men were fighting like what happens in some games and that fight were out on the streets someone would be going to jail, but put skates or shoulder pads on these guys, put them on ice or on a field and suddenly it’s OK? Give the referees Tasers, and place cops all around the court/rink/field. Should a fight break out, Tase them, anyone and everyone who fights, then haul them all off to face felony charges. Tell me what is the difference between a baseball brawl and a riot – a uniform, that’s all.
OK, so my rant is over. Back to the handball game. It was exciting, but I think Ebjerg lost. I left a few minutes before the game was actually over and Esbjerg was behind by eight. The game looks tough, by that I mean physically demanding. One thing I will note here is I feel sympathy for the goal keeper. Once the offensive player taking the shot on goal gets past the line of defense it seems the goal keeper can do little to stop a score. The goal is large, about the same size as an indoor soccer goal, and the goal keeper has so much area to cover. It seemed that only one out of about eight times was the keeper able actually to stop a goal once the offensive player broke through the outer defenses. Nevertheless, the game is intense, action filled and fast paced. I enjoyed watching it.
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