It is nine ten p.m. as I sit upstairs in the library, alone and content. There's something peaceful about being surrounded by bookshelves and magazine racks, and knowing you're the only one around to affirm their existence. You feel like you're in a secret world. But of course, the job I have at the library here in no way compares to the family I've got in the educational studies suite 301 back in Galesburg. Miss you guys! The supervisor here does not take me to zumba. Such a poor thing, right?

London was absolutely wonderful. I felt as if one of my senses had been reopened, and I was no longer blind to a good portion of the world around me. I could understand the train conductor's announcements on the tube, I could read the menus at restaurants, I could understand and talk to the children at the schools without any difficulty. Quick tangent though, I've been loving my time at the practicum site here in Denmark. Today was the first day in two weeks that we went, and every time I'm nervous that it will finally fall through and the kids will get tired of trying to work with someone who doesn't speak their language and seems to be clueless about everything they're saying. But every week they are just as ticklish and love to be chased around the playground just as much as the week before. I'm appreciating the value of 'play' so much more than I ever have before. I feel like even I learn things about the grand scheme of social behavior from simply playing with them, and I see how important it is for the children to have a realm of their lives where they are in complete control. And besides all this, its a chance for me to be a part of something where they can appoint me a role and I can show them that I am indeed a competent person. Check it out, I CAN shovel up that sand pile you're pointing to, and I CAN help you with the creation of this sand cake that I don't completely understand. But hey Kristin, its your decision to dump more sand onto the pine needles you so artfully placed on top. And then you know what else? I CAN run away and have all of you ride after me on bikes, and then I CAN rough house and tickle you guys on the pillow pile when we get inside! Needless to say, Thursdays are good days.

And now back to London. The days were jam-packed with tours around the city. One of the first nights we rode on the London Eye, a huge ferris wheel that looks out on the London skyline. It was so beautiful at night, and gave you the opportunity to see just how HUGE London really is. Since I'm not on my computer I don't have any of my own pictures, but here's a couple shots of the eye.

 

And the next few days were spent going to see schools full of motivated teachers and well funded schools. A lot of what I see here makes me really jealous, since us Americans can only dream of the facilities and supplies that some of these public schools have at their disposal.


Ok, I've got to end this entry abruptly because I need to catch my train home. I will finish it later, vi ses!