Montgomery's New Staff Academy

I am actually skipping the vast majority of Montgomery's New Staff Academy, held Tuesday-Thursday of this week, due to my prior commitment to Hopewell Valley's marching band. I did head to Montgomery today though so I could fill out all of my pension/benefits paperwork and attend a Montgomery Township Education Association welcome dinner tonight. I'm glad I did.

I was nervous about missing all of the new staff days because I know how important they were for me at Ridge. That's where I met some of the colleagues that eventually became close friends and it's great to know a few faces on the first day of school when all teachers report. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to other new teachers during my brief visit to the academy today though because it was a working lunch. I met the president of the union and found that when he first moved to New Jersey about 11 years ago, he began as a leave replacement English teacher at Ridge High School. He told me how dreadful of a place it was for him and how glad he was to get out and into Montgomery. This is becoming a theme with everyone I meet that once taught at Ridge and now teaches elsewhere...

After the paperwork session, I headed to the high school and met up with my supervisor for a little while. Now I have copies of the World Studies and United States History II curricula in my hands so I can begin preparing for September. I am teaching two freshmen classes and three junior classes and this will be my first time teaching an actual American history course so I am excited about that. My schedule isn't great with a late lunch (7th period out of 8) and a floating hall duty, which means I won't be able to sit and grade or plan during my duty period. I am also teaching in three different classrooms.

Later on in the evening, I headed to Charlie Brown's for a nice prime rib dinner, some social time at the bar and a new member MTEA meeting. This was the highlight of my Montgomery day because I actually got to meet and talk with other new teachers. There were only ten of us at the dinner (although there are other new teachers) and eight of the ten are brand new first year teachers who just graduated college. I sometimes felt a bit on the outside because most of the topics of conversation were ones I discussed excitedly my first year at Ridge - anxiety over finally teaching for real, college memories, being new to the area, etc. It was all good though.

Two of the teachers I sat near at dinner will be at the high school as well (Spanish and math) and most of the union officers present are high school teachers too. Like teachers at Ridge and William Annin, teachers in Montgomery (especially the younger ones), meet up regularly on Friday afternoons for relaxation time. One of the new high school teachers suggested we all go out after New Staff Academy tomorrow afternoon and we proceeded to exchange cell phone numbers. I will be at Hopewell until 5, but I plan to meet up with them then if they are still out.

One of the things I loved most about Ridge was how close-knit the young teachers were. We hung out all the time and got along great and I was nervous about losing that. It turns out that that group of friends is rapidly fleeing Basking Ridge for greener pastures anyway and I am finding more great people in Montgomery.

Every teacher and administrator I've met so far, with no exceptions, glows with enthusiasm about how much they love the district. The administrators talk about how wonderful the teaching staff is and how great of a place it is to work. My first day of new teacher orientation in Bernards Township, on the other hand, included administrators telling us how lucky we were to get a job in such a great place and how we should be thankful for the opportunity. The value placed on teachers there is pitiful and the double-digit turnover rate reflects how teachers feel about the treatment.

New Appliances

So last weekend, I went to Home Depot to order a new refridgerator and dishwasher. My existing ones were here when I moved in and could use some updating and I wanted to upgrade to Energy Star quality. The sales associate warned me that many people have trouble with the dishwasher installation and she just wanted to give me a heads up.

Yesterday, both were delivered. The delivery/installation guys came in and immediately informed me that they could not install the dishwasher and I'd need to call a plumber to hook up the water line. Then I could have him finish the installation or I could call Home Depot and reschedule installation once the plumber was done. Either way, I would wind up with both an old and new dishwasher here until those things were taken care of. Great.

They brought in the fridge and as soon as they left I noticed that there was no rack/ice tray in the freezer so I called customer service because I assumed they forgot it. It turns out that my model doesn't come with this rack, but I could purchase one for $45. It seems crazy to me that a $600 fridge doesn't come with such a simple thing like a rack for the freezer. So I went on Ebay and purchased one for about $25 with shipping.

Today the plumber came, spent 30 minutes doing what needed to be done and that cost $250. I called Home Depot and they are going to come back next Saturday to actually install the new dishwasher. I expect there to be a problem with the electrical part of the installation that will eventually require me to call an electrician.

I should have learned my lesson last year when I bought my stove and microwave and had to have an electrician come and install a new outlet for $350.

These are the fun parts of owning a place.

Monty Marching Band and Other Thoughts

So today was my first day teaching the Montgomery Marching Band. As of right now, I am only contracted to help our with band camp, but since I'm teaching at the high school, if they can find the money, I may wind up staying on for the season.

The Monty band program is only in its fourth or fifth season now and they have grown to have approximately 120 members. The band does not compete, but performs at a few festivals each year that include ratings (ie. superior, excellent, good, etc.). They actually rehearse more than most other bands I've been associated with with 2.5 weeks of band camp on the schedule.

Prior to this season, the band has done very traditional programs with simple, follow-the-leader drill for the most part and a staff of 4 (two directors, a color guard instructor and a percussion instructor). This year there is a full staff for band camp and a more modern show designed by the same guy who used to write our drill at Ridge.

At the same time, the commands, marching style and general approach are not what I'm used to working with competitive programs like Ridge and Bridgewater and with drum corps. It is most similar to my college marching band experiences at the University of Delaware. Student leaders do most of the actual teaching (instead of just sectionals and lead-by-example style of student leadership we had at Ridge). Today, I probably only spent 30-minutes actively engaged in teaching and I was present at rehearsal from 8:30-11:30 and then 2:45-4:30. It was actually kind of boring, but it's a nice paycheck.

I left Monty to head to Hopewell's final pre-camp rehearsal. We actually taught the students there how to read drill charts and marched two pages of the show in the gym due to a rainstorm. I am much more involved at Hopewell as the assistant director and drill designer and we are creating a brand new marching band program from scratch which is pretty exciting. The director, a former member of The Cadets and on the same page as me with teaching style and approach, likes to do things himself though. I can understand this; he was hired to create a marching band and there is a lot of money on the line in addition to his actual job to be quite serious.

I am finding myself missing my role at Ridge though. There the director and I reached an understanding on Day 1 of my first band camp back in 2003. I was much better prepared to teach the visual side of things and music was definitely her forte. That day I took over marching and rapidly took on additional responsibilities. I felt like an influential part of the design process, the planning of the season, leadership selection and training, scheduling, everything. It was as close to being a director as I could get without a music degree - and I loved it.

Anyway, that's what's on my mind about marching band right now. Monty is going to be good, at least in terms of a non-competitive band. The student leaders are outstanding and the kids respond extremely well to the peer instruction and are incredibly disciplined as a full ensemble. Perhaps some of my preconceptions about non-competitive bands will change as a result of this experience. There is no external motivation for this band program. They aren't concerned with judges or being better than anybody else. It is all about being the best they can be and it is an interesting case study because Hopewell Valley is now where Montgomery was just a few years ago.

More to come I'm sure...

Rescue Me

I reactivated my Blockbuster Online account after a few months off and the first two DVDs are from the TV show Rescue Me. I watched Seasons 1 and 2 in late September or maybe October, early into my suspension. Just the theme song from the show brings me back to sitting on my couch for hours on end doing nothing but watching it and 24. Even the nagging anxiety returned to the pit of my stomach now after finishing two episodes. It is pretty amazing how powerful association can be for this sort of thing.

I love the show and how it is written. It's biting and funny at times (Denis Leary is the lead actor) and centers around an FDNY firefighter and his crew in a post-9/11 world complete with serious struggles with major vices like alcoholism, womanizing, infidelity, and other addiction behaviors. The storylines are complex and the characters' lives are interwoven to a degree that is pretty unbelievable.

Okay, I'm going to cleanse my palette with an episode of Last Comic Standing and then dig back into the DVDs.

8/8/07 - Croydon, United Kingdom - Hillsborough, New Jersey, USA

Wake up call came at 5:45 after about four hours of sleep. To the best of our knowledge, there weren't any serious problems last night. Our last check of the halls took place at 1:30.

There was a lot of crying from a small group already at breakfast this morning. This has been a touchy-feely group all along with lots of hugs when they said "good-bye" to each other every night so this isn't much of a surprise today. Due to a group of 153 Boy Scouts without ready passports, the check-in process was long and slow even before metal detectors and a separate shoe screening. I even got patted down. We finally arrived at our gate ten minutes prior to our scheduled boarding time.

Then the capstone moment of the trip. The three other delegation leaders were called to the checkin and told they were moving to first class. Tony gave his seat to me and so I boarded to the posh surrounds of row 1.

I enjoyed a mamosa prior to take-off while reading over my menu options for the flight. Once in the air, the meal service that took 2-3 hours began. This is all quoted from the menu.

To Begin
Warm roasted nuts with your preferred cocktail or beverage

Hot Appetizer Cart
A demitasse of tomato and baby shrimp soup accompanied by vegetable-filled pastry and Thai peanut chicken kabob with coriander sauce.

Salad and Warm Breads
Blend of lollo rossa, red leaf lettuce and field greens with dried cherries, orange segments, melon and strawberry. Your choice of olive oil vinaigrette or creamy yogurt dressing. Freshly baked garlic bread and assorted rolls with butter.

Main Course
My Choice: Roasted Chicken - Served with herbes de Provence and meridionale sauce, couscous with herbs and white bean and eggplant confit.

I selected this over grilled tenderloin, tilapia and shrimp and pasta.

Fruit and Cheese Cart
Select European cheeses, fresh seasonal fruit, assorted gourmet crackers and rolls, served with Port wine.

Dessert Cart
Vanilla ice cream with choice of toppings or a petite dessert cup.

Fresh Brew gourmet roasted regular and decaffeinated coffee or tea with your choice of milk or lemon.

Enjoy a cup of freshly brewed Emilio Caffe Italian Espresso or Cappucino.


Then about 45 minutes before landing we had our pre-arrive refreshment.

Appetizer plate of sliced smoked salmon accented by dill mustard sauce.

Fresh seasonal fruit.

Pizza bread with roasted chicken, red bell peppers, onions and Emmental and provolone cheeses, accompanied by a pickle, Kalamata olive, cherry tomato and pearl onion.

Chocolate.


I checked online when I got home. A coach seat for this flight is approximately $800. First class is $2200. I was stuffed; I had to eventually turn down some of the food and alcohol that was being offered to me. It was wonderful until after I was home and realized (for the next 24-36 hours) that something I ate wasn't cooperating well with my body. All in all though, first class was great. The staff there was extremely friendly and accomodating and I lived up as much as I could.

7/8/07 - Croydon, United Kingdom

We began the morning of our ifnal ful day by traveling into central London. Stop 1 was the London Eye, a large ferris wheel built for the millenium celebration temporarily but kept due to its success as a tourist stop. This is no ordinary ferris wheel. Each capsulte holds 25-30 people and the top is the highest ferris wheel in the world. One full revolution takes 30 minutes providing plenty of time to see the city all spread out.

We had a guided bus tour on the way to our next destination and had another encounter with a cynical Brit, incredibly sarcastic sense of humor here as with the Member of Parliament last night.

Lunch: Checken, boiled potatoes, carrots, burssel sprouts (1st time for me to my knowledge) and green apple pie.

Next up was the Tower of London. This site includes a number of palaces and the Crown Jewels. I skipped the long line to see the biggest pure diamond in the world and instead toured a medieval armament display, medieval castle and torture exhibition. The grounds were extremely crowded, but one highlight was the live theater taking place on the grounds - Shakespeare and other period pieces always.

Dinner: Fish and chips, ice cream.

Wew went to see Blood Brothers in London's famed West End entertainment district, very similar to Broadway in New York. The show was about twin brothers separated at birth, one raised in a wealthy family, one poor. Their paths cross, they become best friends and tragedy ensues with the big "you're brothers" revelation at the end. Like RENT, my favorite show, the tragic ending was evident from the beginning. I quite enjoyed the show, as did most of the students. It's in its 20th year in London and did a two year Broadway stint. It also kept us out of the hotel until 11:45pm so no free time on this last night although we'll have to stay up a few hours to intercept any escape attempts. We also gave back a student to his junior high delegation here in this hotel with us tnoight so he can travel home with them on Thursday. We picked him up on July 31 because there were some problems in his delegation with threats or even alleged acts of violence against him earlier in his group's program. His older sister is with us so his parents and P2P felt he would be best served with this change. He worked out fine with us, but it was one more thing to take care of tonight.

6/8/07 - English Channel - Croydon, England

We got up at 5:30, after four hours of sleep, for our breakfast on the ferry. After disembarking, we drove a couple hours to Stonehenge. Smaller than expected, I spent 30-45 minutes walking in a circle around the prehistoric stones while listening to the audio tour. Little is known for sure, but the stones are arranged in such a way that the sunrise shines through a different particular sequential arch every month. Truly a wonder to be sure, but not all that exciting really.

Next up was lunch, a light buffet near Hampton Court Palace, our afternoon destination. The palace was not as lavish or ornate as Versailles for instance with mostly wood paneling rather than gold and marble. Even the audio tour said British monarchs were inspired by the French kings but struggled to keep up. I've never been especially interested in the history of the British monarchs; I think I'd have taken more from today if that was different. The extensive gardens were impressive with a hedge maze, fountains, etc. I also learned about and saw Real Tennis, older than the tennis we play today, it seems like a cross between tennis and raquetball.

We checked into the hotel and headed for dinner - more pizza. After dinner, we met with a Member of Parliament (MP) for a lecture and Q&A. What could have been a boring 90 minutes turned out to be entertaining, informative, even emotional at times. He gave us a good overview o the role of the monarch vs. prime minister, comparisons to American government and finished with a passionate plea that we be supremely thankful for having been born American citizens, actively engaged in the 2008 presidential election and even proud and patriotic regardless of any ideas to the contrary our travels to Europe may have put into our minds. I was moved by his words and so was he as he cried unabashedly as our students gave him a standing ovation.

Then we had the students fill out their evaluations of us and the program. Things are much more positive than last year. The students really don't seem to like Nancy (some unfairly), but otherwise they seem content with things.

Our hotel is in London in a district with a number of bars, restaurants and even a few clubs so hopefully this two hours of free time will end safely. Tomorrow night we'll be out late at our show so there won't be any free time...a blessing for our final night of the program.

5/8/07 - Rosny-sous-Bois, France - English Channel

Moving. In a word, today was moving. After 4+ hours on the bus, we began with a speech from the mayor and a flag-raising ceremony at Omaha Beach. For the delegation leaders and most of the kids, it was a bit emotional as the flags of the United States and seven other Allies were raised to their national anthems. Eight of our students had the opportunity to do the raising. Then one other student placed flowers at the abse of a monument. We had bagged lunches on the actual beach that the 1st US Infantry stormed at 6:30am on June 6, 1944. I sat by myself to tryt o take it all in. Now once again a recreational spot for Europeans on holiday, we passed the D'Day and Omaha restaurants nearby, capitalizing on the historical events.

Next was the American cemetary. The perfect alignment of the simple crosses (and stars of David), much like Annapolis, was stunning with the English Channel in the background. One student was able to find her grandfather's grave and again I was struck by how few Americans have the opportunity to visit such a sacred place in American history...25,000 buried at this cemetary.

Finally, we toured a museum in the nearby town Caen dedicated to WWII, especially D-day, but also all the way through the Cold War and to the present. The tour began with a powerful 30-minute movie told entirely with photos and authentic video from both sides leading up to D-day and through the liberation of Europe. Sometimes graphic, always informative. I'd like to get my hands on the video for future class use (I didn't see it in the gift shop). There were some great artifacts in the museum; my favorites were basic everyday items like ration boxes, playing cards and stationery packs.

Dinner: Pizza.

We boarded our overnight ferry to England at 11pm French time. The students had time until 12:30am French/11:30pm British time to see the ship, dance at the disco or whatever. They got whiny about not having more time, but thankfully the ship's crew showed up at the disco and made it clear that 11:30 was bedtime. We're up at 5:30am for a 6:00 breakfast and Tony and I are probably going to rotate hall duty through the night. Lessons learned from previous trips.

My Schedule for the Rest of Summer

August 13-14: Clear
August 15: Hopewell MB 12-? (probably around 5)
August 16: Hopewell MB 12-2, Montgomery MB 8:30-4:30
August 17: Monty MB 8:30-4:30
August 18-19: Clear
August 20: Hopewell MB 9-5
August 21-23: Hopewell MB 9-5, Monty MB 8:30-4:30, Monty New Staff Academy 8-3:30
August 24: Hopewell MB 9-5, Monty MB 8:30-4:30, Fantasy Football Draft 6:45-10
August 25: Opie & Anthony
August 26: Clear
August 27-28: Monty MB 8:30-4:30
August 29: Hopewell MB 10-2, Monty MB 8:30-4:30
August 30: Monty MB 8:30-4:30
August 31-September 3: Clear
September 4-7: Monty In-Service
September 5-6: Monty MB 4-8
September 8: Clear
September 9: P2P Reunion Party 1-5pm
September 10: First Day of School

4/8/07 - Rosny-sous-Bois, France

Unlike two years ago, we had time for a less hectic tour of the Louvre this morning. Like most guided museum tours, the students weren't all that interested and eventually began paying more attention tot he comfortable benches than the art. We saw the requisite masterpieces and a few additional galleries, just a tiny sample of all the Louvre has to offer. New since last time - tours designed to give a behind-the-scenes look at The DaVinci Code. Whatever it takes to get people interested I suppose.

Lunch: Louvre's "around the world" food court. I ate tapas at the Spanish place - yellow rice, green beans, chicken, something unidentifiable and crabmeat salad.

This afternoon led us to the Eiffel Tower, our final stop in Paris. We waited in the always long line to take the elevator up to the second "floor." The third floor, the top, was closed temporarily so we visited here. When the top re-opened, I decided to skip the extra-long wait and climbed down the tower via stairs. It wasn't so bad considering how far it was. Then I walked along the streets surrounding the tower until I got out of the touristy parts before circling back to a park bench at the base of the tower to relax. Like many of the students, I am wearing down a bit. My main problem is Tony, my delegation roommate, snores, and loudly. I don't think I've slept straight through any night we've shared a room and that isn't helping. Tomorrow we have a long bus ride so I should be able to sleep some then.

Dinner: Flam (thin, crisp dough with sour cream and ham or mushrooms), dessert flam (chocolate chip or apple cinnamon), great Greek salad with feta cheese.

I pretended not to speak English this afternoon when an Indian woman came up and asked, "Do you speak English?" I shrugged, tried to look confused and went back to my journal. If I said yes, she'd have shown me a card in English begging for money.

Also, I forgot from In Flanders Fields museum that the first German chlorine gas attack took place in Ypres. The soldiers, who didn't succumb to the gas immediately, attempted to wash their eyes out with water, but chloring plus water leads to hydrochloric acid and blind soldiers.

3/8/07 - Rosny-sous-Bois, France

A full day in Paris began cloudy with rain seeming likely, but it cleared up to be a great day. We arrived at Versailled before any other bus, making the chateau almost our own private playground. I took an audio tour quickly to brush up on the areas (like the famed Hall of Mirrors where the treaty ending WWI was signed) that were closed two years ago. Then I explored the village of Versailles surrounding the palace. Because it was early, I saw shopkeepers opening up for the day and people going about their daily business, a welcome break from tourist crowds.

Lunch: Pork, potato hash brown, an unidentified appetizer, chocolate eclair.

We came into Paris after lunch with no traffic, unbelievable for Paris, likely due to people taking their holidays in August. A brief guided tour of Notre Dame Cathedral was followed by free shopping time in the same tourist traps as every other P2P trip I've been on. Then our tour guide joined us on the bus for a driving tour of the city. We stopped for photos at a cathedral built for Napoleon I don't ever remember seeing before. We saw the requisite sites: the river Seine, Eiffel Towers, Champs d'Elysses, national government buildings, etc.

Next was way up the steps to Sacre Coeur and the Montmartre area, the artist, bohemian part of the city. I'd been here too so I explored the area in search of a drink before meeting the group for a long walk to dinner.

Dinner: Ikea-esque store - chicken, baked potato, mashed potatoes, green beans, amazing cake/pie, ice cream.

We brought the kids back to Montmartre for 45 minutes free time for shopping or relaxing. I sat on the steps leading up to Sacre Coeur and listened to a guy sing American songs while playing guitar with a bongo accompanist. He was all set with a mic and amp and he wasn't bad. I left after La Bamba complete with audience members dancing, but he had played pop songs as well.

We kept the group in the hotel tonight to get them some extra rest and because they are still not walking well as a group, with large gaps opening between segments. We also met in our small groups to discuss life. I had them all tell the group what they've enjoyed the most so far and then I went down the list of concerns we had and also shared information on what is to come. I'll reassure them tomorrow that we're still very happy with the group in general - all that good, fluffy stuff. Four more days to go.

As an aside: unlike most of the other places we've visited, I could never imagine myself living in France, specifically in Paris. It's a beautiful city to visit with lots of history, but something feels cold or distant. I think it may be the language or perhaps the people really aren't as open and inviting as in other places.

Case Closed

I have been approved by the Montgomery Board of Education. My letter of resignation was received in Bernards Township on August 1, the day after they reimbursed me for my final two graduate school courses. My Bernards Township benefits continue for 30 days, until the final day of August and my Montgomery benefits begin on September 1 so I won't need to purchase gap insurance. And so, that's it I guess. I need to go to Ridge once more to pick up anything still there that is mine, but other than that, it is time to move on.

2/8/07 - Bruges, Belgium - Rosny-sous-Bois, France

First stop was the unexpectedly quite and empty city Bruges in Belgium. Bruges is a beautiful, well-maintained medieval city with its earliest buildings dated back tot he 9th century. We had a horsre and carriage ride through the city with a local driver/guide. We also visited a lace store and chocolate shop for brief demonstrations and shopping. The lace production, for which Bruges is famous, is expected to decline or even cease to exist in the next decade because the expert designers are 70+ year old women earning as little as $1.50/hour to compete with mass produced lace from China. I bought a little chocolate to take home, but it may wind up a melted mess by the time I get home. Apparently the secret to Belgian chocolate is that it's made with 75% cocao butter while other chocolate contains only 20-25%. The two truffles I bought to eat on the spot were good but not extraordinarly so.

Next we drove to the smaller town of Ypres. Although it looks like a medieval city, it is really a facade. The city was completely destroyed by the three Battles of Ypres that took place during WWI. The city never fell to the German and many wanted to leave it in ruins as a memorial. Instead the city was restored to its medieval style painstakingly brick by brick.

Lunch: chicken, french fries, salad, ice cream bar.

The In Flanders Fields museum was great, but we had only 45 minutes when we needed at least two hours minimum. The displays are set up to be interactive with computer consoles allowing you to go in depth on topics of interest. One room was set up with surround audio and video to give the feeling of attempting to cross the no man's land between the trenches. This was powerful even without shells falling, frostbite developing, our feet in three inches of water or rats scurrying about our feet the eway it really was during WWI. I bought a deck of playing cards depicting scenes of the war and propaganda posters that could come in handy in class and three postcards showing th Ypres belfry in 1911, 1914 and 1917. We walked to the Menin Gate, built by 1927 as a memorial to all those soldiers who never received a proper burial, 55,000 at this memorial although the total is nearer to 100,000. We didn't have much time here either, but I did see some poppies and poppy wreaths, telltale symbols from the fighting in this region.

Dinner: Truck stop (!). Pasta, salad, pudding.

During free time, I played cards (BS and a German game called Ligretto) with some students. Then they went to McDonald's and graciously bought me a vanilla shake and fries. Last night a different group came to sit with the leaders during free time voluntarily, just to talk. Imagine that! There is a student here who will be drum major at South Brunswick next year so he has shared his Ipod with me and we've talked drum corps and marching band. They aren't all cherubs of course, but it is nice to have mostly friendly, relaxed relationships. It makes for a more enjoyable experience all around.

1/8/07 - Utrecth, The Netherlands - Bruges, Belgium

Our first stop this morning was the Peace Palace in The Hague. It is a magnificent building, built from 1904-1913 to house the Court of Arbitration and the United Nations' International Court of Justice. Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia are held through the ICOJ. A cool part of the structure is that it was built using materials and gifts from various countries - oak and a statue of Lady Justice from the United States, marble from Italy, tapestries from Brazil, rugs from Turkey, etc.

Next we went to the town of Kinderdijk, containing 19 windmills, still working and lived in by families today although they were originally built a few hundred years ago in the 17th century. We had out first really nice day today, warm and sunny, which was perfect for our bike out of Kinderdijk. I didn't enjoy it as much as I could have because I was busy trying to keep 40 teenagers staying to the right on the narrow path without fooling around. In fact, one of the girls managed to lose control and fall into a murky, still canal. Tony and Ellie spent the rest of the tour talking her to a shower. The group stopped for a picnic lunch (cheese and sausage sandwiches, apple, twix bar) and then finished the tour. After turning in our bikes, I went into a windmill. The engineering, again, is astounding for the time of construction with an intricate system of wheels, levers and pulleys all made out of wood. Individuals can still live in the windmills for free, but they have to take on the responsibility of restoring and operating them too...no easy task.

Now we are in Belgium for one night. Dinner at the hotel (onion soup, spaghetti with meat sauce, ice cream bar) was slow and, for some plates, barely edible. To date, the food and service has been excellent so I think it will pick back up tomorrow.

31/7/07 - Utrecht, The Netherlands

Today began earlier than usual; it will continue this way for the rest of the program. After a 40 minute delay due to bus trouble, we made our way to a clog/cheese making farm. The husband and wife team presented things humorously and it was interesting to learn they met when the wife, originally from Wisconsin, visited the farm as a tourist.

Next was lunch in Amsterdam: Dutch pancake with bacon, ice cream.

I'd been looking forward to the visit to Anne Franke's house all trip. It was our first extremely crowded tourist stop. We cut the long line wrapping around the block to our group, educational tour. A program guide spent about 90 minutes providing us with an overview of Anne, the house, theo ther inhabitants, and the people wh helped them and of course Anne's writing. Interestingly, we learned that most American visitors have read the diary while only 1-2 Dutch students in each group have. The diary is one of the five most read books along with The Bible, Koran, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. There was a great educational program which included a photo timeline of Anne's life and the Holocaust, a video of Anne's father (who survived) and hands-on activities. Then we joined the crowds moving through the store, house and secret annex. I wish it wasn't as crowded, but it was amazing to actually get to walk up the steep, narrow staircases, through the moveable bookcase doorway, and into Anne's room with postcards, and newspaper clipping still posted to the wall. The rooms (with the exception of the attic) were all open, ot just viewable through glass. We could hear the floorboards squeak, see the view Anne had through her window and on and on. The original diary and other writings were also present. This was the historical highlight of my trip so far, but I still ancitipate Normandy anxiously.

Next was some free time in Amsterdam. The smell of marijuana and the sites of the red light districts immeidately became evident, right? Wrong. Well, kind of. It is not legal to smoke marijuana ont he street, but it was obvious as I walked past bars and cafes. I stumbled upon the red light district while walking near the old cathedral (kind of ironic, don't you think?). Things were pretty tame though, perhaps because it was the middle of the afternoon. We weren't about to give students free time here at night though.

We also enjoyed an hour-long cruise through Amsterdam's canals. The old architecture was great to look at including the hooks at the top of every row house used to move furniture into the homes due to the narrow, steep staircases. The students weren't really listening to the narration during the cuise, but I can't do much about that unfortunately.

Tonight we had a late dinner at our fancy business hotel so we suggested the kids wear their dress outfit. It's always nice when we do this every year, to see the students looking a little more mature.

30/7/07 - Koblenz, Germany - Utrecht, The Netherlands

Last day in Germany! We started in Cologne, a much larger city than I expected, the 16th largest in the European Union it turns out. The highlight of the city was the cathedral (Koln Dom in German), built between 1248 and 1880. I can't imagine a building project of that length. You begin building knowing you'll never see the fruits of your labor. I climbed the 509 narrow, spiral stairs to the top of this largest cathedral in Europe and found that it wasn't much of a view (more rain too). This cathedral survived World War II unscathed although 90% of Cologne was destroyed. Inside the cathedral is a sarcophagus supposed to contain the remains of the three kings who followed the star of Bethlehem to the stable to see baby Jesus. That sarcophagus was gained when the Holy Roman Empire took it as spoils in some conflict in the 1100s. I got the awestruck feeling in this cathedral missing from the others so far on this trip.

Lunch: Hard Rock Cafe. Cheeseburger, fries, ice cream.

Just before lunch, I stopped in a cool cafe for an espresso. There were large picture books on a variety of interesting topics and each book came with four CDs the photographer felt captured the mood of the topic. After lunch, I had a cafe latte in an Italian cafe to avoid the ever present rain.

We spent four + hours traveling into The Netherlands on the bus. We arrived and took a long walk through another bicycle-heavy town to our dinner restaurant. Although Dutch is the main language in Holland, nearly everyone speaks English, mostly due to the influence of American music and movies and the heavy influence of English and German on the Dutch language.

At dinner tonight and even at my free time "detention" at the hotel, I had some good, fun conversations with some ambassadors. A lot of joking around, sarcasm and just loose interactions to be had. It's nice to be able to go back and forth from rules enforcer to travel companion without too much resentment. Hopefully things remain positive as the trip gains speed and stress with earlier wake-up calls and busier agendas for the remaining eight days.