Tuesday was much busier. After everyone was out the door in the morning, I slept some more (as I typically do), went for run, and then had to rake some leaves. HP have decided that they want me to spent an hour a day a few days a week doing some kind of household chores, ranging from raking leaves to doing laundry, basically whatever is needed at the time. If nothing is needed, then I won't do anything. As I was outside, M drove past me and invited me to lunch with them. When we were finished eating, I spent half an hour helping L with his English and French homework. I was quite impressed with myself, being able to help with both French and English while explaining things in German. I often have trouble switching between my second language (French) and my third (German). I was pleasantly surprised by the low level of difficulties I experienced. I plan on eventually taking a French class at the Bildungszentrum. I need to keep up with my French and not let it backslide too much. The evening with the kids was fairly typical. After dinner, HM went to her dance class and I was left alone to put the kids to sleep (HD is away on business, as he usually is in the middle of the week). The only thing out of ordinary was how easy it was to get Two to sleep. Normally he cries a little bit when it's time to get into his crib. That evening he didn't do it at all. Maybe I am finally becoming commonplace and safe to him!
Wednesday was a day of exploring. I went to the other side of town to a cemetery by the name of Johannisfriedhof ("Friedhof" in German means "cemetery"). As weird as that sounds, it's actually listed as a thing to do here. A number of famous people are also buried there, the most recognizable name being Albrecht Dürer. It was quite beautiful, even though it was also quite cold. The high was only 42F! I also noticed that the professions of the people buried there were written on the grave stones. I didn't expect to have a vocabulary lesson during my outing. To get to the cemetery I used the subway for the very first time. The subway here isn't extensive, as there are also many buses and trams. I really enjoy using public transportation, maybe even a little too much. That evening HM dropped One off with me and then left with Two for his swim class. After dinner, HM left again for dance class. She was hesitant to go, afraid that it would be too stressful for Two with his swim class and then her leaving (remember, Two cries when HP leave the room. It's 10x worse when they leave the house). Wednesday night is her favorite class and she usually doesn't go. She asked me a couple times if I was sure, and I insisted that she left. As soon as she walked out the door, all hell broke loose. One was overly tired and acting accordingly. Two was overly tired and also screaming because HM left. For a solid 15 minutes, it wasn't pretty. Eventually they both calmed down and both kids were in bed on time.
Johannisfriedhof
Johanniskirche (the church, right) at Johannisfriedhof
Found this gem in the Hauptbahnhof today. I had somehow never noticed it before. It's a map of the old city on a wall.
Today/Thursday was cold and rainy, but I decided to make it another day of adventure. I took the opportunity to go to the Nuremberg Trials Courthouse, or the "Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse." Luckily for me, Courtroom 600, the actual room where the trials took place, was open. Some days it's closed when they are holding court in there. Anyways, I started the tour sitting in Courtroom 600. It was humbling to be in a place where history was not only created, but also revisited for the world to see and understand. It was also eerie to think about all of the men and women who were on trial there for such abominable actions. You don't remember how small you are until you're faced with such grandiose events. I continued the tour through their exhibit. The information started in the late 1800s and went to modern day talking about a number of wars, nations, and powerful individuals. Obviously the Nuremberg Trials were covered the most in detail. I learned about everything from the judges, to the prosecutors and defenders, to the defendants, to the physical logistics of the trial, and even the translators and interpreters. One unexpected thing was how it highlighted international law and how this type of law evolved in the wars leading up to, including, and following WW2. All of that background information made it much easier to understand all of the post-WW2 trials. I ended up being there for a full 2 hours. I could have probably been there another hour if I had taken the same time with the last fourth of the exhibit that I had with the first three-quarters (I had to get back home for work). As far as work goes, it was a normal day. There wasn't anything particularly abnormal or interesting to report on concerning my working hours.
The outside of the Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse and Courtroom 600. This is actually just the right wing of the building, The whole thing is ginormous.
Courtroom 600 today.
Courtroom 600 then and now.
I have a big weekend ahead of me. I'll be going to a couple events to try and make friends. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
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