The Exciting Search for....

History Textbooks!!!!!!!!!!

I have spent far too much time this week attempting to find history textbooks for my history classes. Guess what, no publishing company is going to put enough content from their textbook online for me to ever know if it would meet the needs of my students. Not that it's possible to meet their needs anyway, but hey, I could get close. I have no way of browsing through English language textbooks at the non existent English Language Textbook store... so I am sort of lost.

Luckily during my exciting journey through Basel today I found a guy in an English language bookstore who offered to do some research for me on history textbooks. We'll see how that goes.

In other news, today I completed the process of getting a Swiss bank account. I'll have the paperwork by the end of next week, so then I'll be paid. The truth is, I have no idea how much I am getting paid...but I do need the money. In between converting from swiss francs to euros and figuring out what is taken in taxes, I decided to just wait and see what the first check is.

Speaking of money, I realized the coffee I have been indulging in is incredibly overpriced so I am banned from buying coffee in the train station. This is very difficult for me, because by the time I get to the train station in the afternoon I feel like I am about to collapse and really need a caffeine jolt. This week it has been rainy and chilly - perfect coffee weather. I did have a good excuse to buy the coffee the first time. I owed Patrick from Ireland 50 swiss francs after he so generously saved me from life under a bridge in Basel. So, in order to pay him back I got 100 swiss francs out of an ATM. Shockingly, instead of 5 20s, I ended up with a 100 swiss franc bill. Of course, I needed to break this, hence the coffee. That does not explain the three subsequent coffees this week...but I do have some sort of excuse.

And speaking of living under a bridge - I will entertain you with the solutions my students suggested to me when I explained my no money, no train ticket, no ID etc predicament.

1. There are lots of bridges in Basel, you can always sleep under a bridge.
2. Beg...but of course first make yourself look dirty and poor.
3. Are you asking us to give you money? Because we won't.
4. My father flew to the US without an ID or any money. My mom just wired money to him and it was no problem.

Very helpful kids. (By the way, this was educational because we were speaking English in our English language class.)

I also had an interview this morning at the Sprachlerinstitut. The SI is a language school affiliated with the University of Freiburg. They pay well, they are located in the middle of the city...basically perfect. At the moment they don't need me, but I am assured that as soon as anything opens up they will get in touch with me. The sad news is that I could have taught conversation class to university professors...but the class in on Weds. mornings while I am in Basel. I am quickly realizing that I am far too busy to really work more, but it definitely is good to get my name out there.