Archive for the ‘Austria’ Category

Autobahn

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Well I am running a little low on sleep. Was up to midnight last night with the student’s then woke up at 3:00 and drove 5 hours to a speaking engagement with HP (Director of Tauernhof) then 5 hours back, then church, followed by outreach meetings, a phone call, and a quick post to you guys.

Oh … and I drove through the largest tunnel I have ever bin in, which went under a mountain and was about 2km in length. Then I drove on an autobahn again and let’s just say there weren’t to many people passing me if you know what I’m sayin’.

All in all a good time, lots of bonding time with HP, and now I am hitting the sack.

Fear Factor

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Last night we played Fear Factor with the students. Very entertaining. I will see if I can get some pics, but other wise your imaginations are probably good enough. First they had to swing through the leftover food in the pig bucket. The fastest times then had to bob for cow eye’s like bobbing for apples and followed by which eat sardines and snails. The fastest time then had to race across two ropes suspended between trees. The fastest time then won a Tauernhof hoodie. Maybe one day they can win teeuwsen.com hoodies if it ever comes together. Oh what a prize that would be. 🙂

Upward Bound

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

As I mentioned before this is the first year that Upward Bound hasn’t filled up almost instantly. There are still about 10 spaces left. I have put up some Upward Bound Pics from last year for you to have a look at. If you want to go just get in touch with Tauernhof or you can send me an email and I will point you in the right direction.

Excavator

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Today I got to drive the excavator. Not much else to say except that I am considering a career change.

Time is Flying

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

This weekend has been pretty busy. We have been running back and forth between the school and a youth conference that Tauernhof was helping out with. Good opportunity to mingle with locals and meet some new people. Things here are in full swing. I think the next two months are just going to fly by. Before we or you know it we will be home again.

Spring School – First Week

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Well we are now cruising through our first week of Spring School. It has been great so far. Our main responsibility is to spend time with the students. So that results in a lot of sports, talks, helping people with problems, answering questions, some discipline, and so on. We have a great set of students so I think it is going to be a very good couple of months. I will be sure to let you know how it goes.

Spider Wars

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Ok… another Tunisia Story. Kim and I are sitting in the airport waiting for our flight back to Austria. It’s probably about 3am and Kim is sleeping against me and I am just kind of watching other people in the waiting area when I look down and out from the wall walks this big spider whose body is probably 2 inches wide with big meaty legs. One of his legs is folded over his back and he looks like he has been through many spider wars. I look at Kim then the spider then Kim, smile, and then wake her up when the spider is close to her she jumps and is now clinging to my arm. As we watch the spider just keeps cruising across the floor past this old German couple when the lady looks down and see it she jumps so high and fast bumps into her husband who also jumps, but then pushes her closer to the spider so that it will get her instead of him. So now I am starting to laugh quite a bit and the spider seems to not to notice anything and just keeps on cruising across the waiting area and heading for this ladies foot. It reaches her foot and then walks around, but never comes out the other side. All I can think is this poor lady is for one rude surprise. So… I walk over to her and try to explain to her that a spider is probably crawling up her leg, but she is deaf and has no idea what I am saying. So I just grab her leg and shake to which she is kind of wondering who is this guy getting fresh with me. Then looks down and steps on the big spider. She sits there in shock for a little while and then hides behind her friend from this big spider who is now dead.

Heading back I think it is all over and we can rest in peace even though Kim refuses to put her feet on the ground, but then this cat shows up and starts throwing the spider all over the place and eating and spitting it up and eating it and tossing it at peoples feet. Well needless to say I was quite entertained till our flight came.

African Satellite Dishes

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Ever wonder why in a poor African country, or many other 3rd world countries like Indonesia for that matter, that each house, shack, tent, camel and so on has a satellite dish. Well while we were in Tunisia we went for coffee with a local and he informed of us of many interesting facts including that they pay just a small setup of fee to purchase the satellite and receiver after which they can use it for free and have access to many satellites including two Arabic satellites some European satellites and at least one American one. No monthly fees just free access. Being as astonished as I was I soon learned that it is the same in Europe and it turns out it is just North Americans that pay for Satellite access. Since I don’t watch that much TV anyway it’s not a big deal, but it’s something for all you satellite watchers to think about. Maybe you need to buy your equipment from Tunisia.

Tunisia Update

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

We’re Back!!!

Tunisia was a great time. The sun was hot and there was a constant wind that helped make it more bearable. We played lots of volley ball and other sports including wind surfing and even water skiing on the Mediterranean. Water skiing was fun, but the two foot waves made it a bit difficult to really cut hard or just stay up for that matter. None of the Tunisians had ever met Canadians before so we were sort of like mini celebrities. Everywhere we went people asked if we really were from Canada and if we could speak French. The Tunisians actually learn 4 languages in school Arabic, French (were colonized by the French), English and then a choice between German, Italian and Spanish. We would like to have thought we could escape all the Germans, but no luck. Most people spoke French and if the didn’t speak French it was almost guaranteed that they spoke German. Not much for English speaking people there. Every night there were dances and shows to go to. One particular night was a skit night put on by the staff. I was luckily chosen to participate in the French salon skit which included them filling my hair with about a can of shaving cream and molding it in to different shapes and designs. I washed my hair twice that night and still had shaving cream in it for the next day. On the last night I was chosen to participate in a competition where they choose which Country had the best man. I had to compete with the French, Germans, Italians, and Portuguese. The vote was audience decided and unfortunately for Canada there was only one Canadian in the crowd, and about 100 French and another 50 Germans, Italians and Portuguese. To make matters worse I had to sing and convince the crowd to sing along with me, flex in a muscle competition, kiss as many ladies in 30 seconds as I possibly could, put on an aerobics program, and in a race gather as many women’s shoes as I could before the other countries. Well considering that I can’t sing, I don’t have muscles, while racing to kiss the ladies I tripped on a chair and cut the end of my toe off and proceeded to bleed all over my sandals, followed by which I only got 20 some women’s shoes (although I saw the German and French guy taking men’s shoes as well, Cheaters!), and not to mention that I am to out of shape to do aerobics I did OK. I only lost to the French guy, but not before stealing some of his countrymen into the final vote for me. Considering I forgot the words to YMCA I think I did pretty good.

Other then that I laid in the sun, read 3 books, and ate lots and lots of free food. Well I hope you had a good week too.

On our way to Tunisia

Author: Jeremy Teeuwsen

Well it has been a little while since my last post and it is going to be a little while till our next one. We are heading to Tunisia tomorrow at 5 am. Then nothing but hot sun, food, the beach, and the Mediterranean. Should be good as I have been so kind as to remind you. Since it has been so long since my last post and so long till the next I have added a movie to the teeuwsen.com movie library. It is a promotional movie that I am working on for the Tauernhof Ski Camps. Let me know what you think. Till next time!