Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Auschwitz, Important to Remember

While in Poland, we toured the Auschwitz Concentration Camps. This is the entrance to Auschwitz 1. The sign reads, "Arbeit macht frei". The Polish army used to train on this site, so the barracks were taken over for prisoners when the concentration camp was established here. There were lots of people touring Auschwitz. The sun was shining, although there was a very quiet and somber feeling in the air.
These are written records that the Germans kept on the prisoners of Auschwitz. Towards the end of the war, they quit keeping these records for prisoners who were sent directly to the gas chamber from the trains. As a result, no one knows exactly how many people died here.
These are the beds in the women's barracks at Auschwitz 2, called Birkenau. Crammed with bodies, lice and rats, freezing cold in the winter...these were certainly miserable places of rest.
Only one gas chamber remains at Auschwitz. The Germans tried to destroy as much as they could before the occupation ended. The inside was dimly lit; it was startling to see a cement room where so many innocent people died. In the neighboring room stood two ovens, used to cremate the bodies after they were pulled from the gas "showers".
This memorial stone pays tribute to the victims of Auschwitz. The stones were laid there by visitors as a token of remembrance. May we never forget the horrors we are capable of.

Krakow - "The Other Prague"

Josh, Beth, Amanda, Carrie and I took a trip to Krakow, Poland over Ski Week. I'd heard wonderful things about this city from some of my students and their parents. I was pleased to get to see it myself! It's a beautiful, clean city, easy to navigate and lovely to explore.

We took a golf cart tour of the Jewish Quarter and the Ghetto. It was a narrated tour, full of history about the sights we saw, but our tour driver was just as informative and very entertaining. He was a university student, who joked that he didn't have a driver's license. At one point, he drove us onto the sidewalk leading up to a cathedral and dropped us at the door to have a peek inside. He energetically declared, "Everything is possible in Poland!"
This is Schindler's factory, featured in the movie 'Schindler's List'. Mr. Schindler employed many Polish Jews here during the German occupation. He was able to save over a thousand Jewish lives by keeping them from being sent to the concentration camps. Pictures of Jews who survived the holocaust because of their employment in Mr. Schindler's factory are posted in the windows.
This is Wawel Castle. The varied architecture and building materials made this castle really interesting to see. So many different spires stand tall above this part of the castle. We weren't able to take a tour of the inside, but we certainly enjoyed walking around the outside and courtyard of the castle.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Korean Children's Symphony

This is the Musikverein in Vienna, the famous concert hall where the New Years Concert takes place each year. I was given a ticket to attend a performance here this week. The performing group was the Yeodo Korean Children's Orchestra.
Eighty children performed in this orchestra, playing works by Wagner and Dvorak, as well as traditional Korean pieces. A group of boys played Korean drums and gongs in the first traditional song. A group of girls played long, narrow harps in the second traditional song. The sound of these traditional pieces was so different from other orchestral music I've heard, but very beautiful nonetheless. It felt so special to sit in the concert hall where the New Years concert is given and enjoy this performance. I know that I could appreciate the music of these children because of the experiences I've had working with Korean children at school. The dedication and intensity I've seen ICSV students put into their music lessons makes me appreciate all the work, talent and heart behind the music floating from this stage in the Vienna Musikverein.

Ice-Skating - Week 2

This week we got a class picture with the Wien Energie mascot. Afterwards, the students asked me, "Why did that orange guy get in our picture?!?" Mascots aren't quite as common here; nor is joining a class photo uninvited, apparently.

Rathaus Eistraum

It's ice-skating season in Vienna. The rink in front of the Rathaus (City Hall) is open and bigger than ever. It's three rinks with connecting paths off to one side. There's also a small rink with wooden penguins and bears for young skaters, who are just learning, to hang on to. On evenings and weekends, this rink is used for an ice-bowling game.
S.G. got to go skating with our class before he moved back to his home country. We were so thankful that he could come along and have that experience with us at the end of his time here in Vienna.
These 5th graders enjoyed skating with their German teacher, Frau Deisenberger. She is especially good at instructing the kids in extra-curricular activities, like skating. She does a great demo on how to carry, put on, and use your skates before we start our ice-skating field-trips. She also goes to the rink early to arrange the skate rentals so the kids can hit the ice as soon as we arrive and get the most out of the time we have there.