Christmas Marketing

The Christmas Market in Melle was extremely quaint, but definitely smaller than the one in Hamburg. I would say the food was equally delicious and the crafts were just as adorable, though. It was right in the center of town by the Rathaus, so Alex and I could swing by the bratwurst stand on the way home from school if we were hungry. A rather convenient setup for us… too bad it’s only up for the month of December!

Klaus invited Alex and me to see the Christmas Market in his town, Bad Rothenfelde, with him, his wife, and one of his sons. It was amusing for us to see how many Christmas Markets we would have the chance to visit. They all have the same cheery atmosphere, but vary in sizes depending on how big the town is. It was a cold night, but it made me happy to be a part of their family for the night. Only 13 more days until we go home to America for two weeks!

The Christmas show is going well. Everyone has memorized their lines, and I’m really happy to see that they are all becoming more comfortable with each other. The older kids usually sit on one side of the room, and the younger girls sit on the other. Lately, they are starting to interact more. Practicing on stage has helped them get into character more and bond with each other. They will perform the show twice at the school’s annual Christmas bazaar, and I am excited for my fellow teachers to see the progress these students have made with their English. They’ve come so far in such a short period of time.

Alex and I also attended the school’s Christmas concert which was held in the church by the Rathaus. With very short notice, we were asked to say a few words about our experience so far. We both agreed to speak in English, but at the last minute, my traitor-fiancé left me hanging and opted to show off his German. Clearly, I had no other option but to talk these non-English speakers in my native tongue since I could only compose sentences in German comparable to a two-year old. It was basically all crickets until I said, “Merry Christmas!” Naturally, that won me applause.