Quote from Forum Archives on October 5, 2003, 3:48 pm

Posted by: homenews <homenews@...>

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THE HOPE CHEST

with Virginia Knowles

Tidbit #11 on October 4, 2003

Home Schooling Around the World

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Welcome to the Hope Chest!

The Hope Chest is a free e-mail newsletter with encouragement and practical teaching tips. The writer is Virginia Knowles, wife of Thad, mother of nine children, and author of Common Sense Excellence: Faith-Filled Home Education for Preschool to 5th Grade, and The Real Life Home School Mom.

Hope Chest Contact Information

• Personal E-mail: [email protected]
• Subscription: [email protected]
• Unsubscription: [email protected]
• Change your subscription: just unsubscribe from your old address, and subscribe from the new one.  This will save me a lot of time!
• Web site: www.thehopechest.net will be up soon! I am no longer on Homestead.

 

Dear Hope Chest readers,

A while back I asked Hope Chest readers from around the world to share what their lives are like.  This issue, I am including replies from readers in Germany, Norfolk Island, and New Zealand!  I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

Now you have two more chances to send your stuff into the Hope Chest.  Here are two other topics scheduled for this month, so send your thoughts as soon as possible.

• Family story:  Share a favorite true family story, preferably one handed down from a previous generation.  If you don't know any, ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.  What a great opportunity to connect and find out about your own family history!
• Why the Church?  In honor of Clergy Appreciation Month, please share with us what you appreciate about being part of a church, especially as it relates to home education!

Also, later this month, my daughter Mary is interviewing Stanley Oakes, President of The King's College which is located in the Empire State Building in New York City.   Mary and I met President Oakes a few weeks ago, and he graciously agreed for ME to interview him, but then Mary asked for the privilege!  I must say she did a wonderful job with her questions!

 

Well, that's all from me for now!  Until next week, I remain...

 

In His Sovereign Grace

Virginia Knowles

 

P.S. The new web site, www.thehopechest.net, will be up and running soon!  I'll keep you posted!

 

 

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Dear Knowles Family,

 

We are a home-school family stationed in  Stuttgart, Germany for the last two years.  We have at least one more, maybe three more years to go.  

 

What a culture shock when we first got here!  Not so much the people, but just the way life goes.  Instead of running to Wal-Mart or Sam's Club and stocking up on things, you go the market every other day or so and get what you need to get through.  The eggs are not refrigerated in Styrofoam containers but in a lighter weight paperboard type group of ten, some with the feathers still attached!  Milk still comes in bottles, or you can get a sealed large "juice box" that you store on your shelf. 

On Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday there are the open air markets in each little town and city where you can get your produce for the next few days from the farmers themselves.  You can visit the Backeri (bakery) and get fresh breads and rolls as well as the Metzgeri ( Butcher) who will slice your meats or cut some fresh chops for you. There is even a Getranke markt ( drink market) on almost every corner where people buy a months supply of soda, juice, water etc... in recyclable containers that they have to haul back to the market and get credit for.  They have fresh fish and herbs and no visit is complete without a bunch of flowers, usually whatever is in season, in August for example you can get a beautiful bunch of sonnenblumen (sunflowers) and hydrangeas.  After visiting the vendors, there are little cafes here and there to sit and have a nice cup of dark rich kaffee uder thee uder heiss chocolat and apfelkuchen (apple cake).  Dogs are pretty much allowed everywhere as long as they are well behaved so it is common to see the dogs on the subways and trains (S and U Bahn)  and throughout the stores and markets.  Stores close between 4 and 7 taglisch (daily) and used to only stay open till noon on Saturday.  In June a new law said they could stay open as late as 7 on Saturdays. Nothing is open on Sundays except gas stations and restaurants.  While not an overly religious country they do honor all the "holy" holidays throughout the year with a day off and some places shut down for the month of August for "holiday." 

 

People walk everywhere and take the public transportation much more than we do in middle America. On any given Sunday afternoon whole families, moms, dads, young children and grandparents can be found pushing the prams and just walking and enjoying the day regardless of the weather.  Watching TV is not an all day experience unless fussball (soccer) is on.  A soccer game in town could mean hours of traffic jams and sometimes even mobs of revelers in the streets and on the buses for hours! They have volksfests for any reason.. fruhlingsfest (spring fest), herbstfest ( Fall festival), Weinachtsmarktfest (Christmas Fest)  any reason at all to serve beir and dance and sing and enjoy a fair somewhat like our own state fairs with out the animals!  That's another thing, bier is the national drink. It would be cheaper to purchase a beer over a soda or a water any day!  They even serve it at the McDonalds!  They are generally a friendly people, not overly so and too familiar, but a Grosse Gott! ( God is Good) Guten Morgen! ( Good Morning) Guten Abend!  (Good Evening) or Tchuss! ( See you!) are often heard on the streets between strangers or every time you walk into a shop. 

 

They are very practical people and are not inclined to spend money in a frivolous manner.  They repair things long after we would have discarded them and bought new ones.  They have very tiny washers and dryers as they don't wash clothes as often as we do.  They generally hang their suits out on hooks on their balcony to air before wearing again. They recycle EVERYTHING and have several different trashcans as well as drop off points for your glass which you separate by color.  They have "recycle police" who make sure everyone is putting the right stuff in the right trashcans.   

 

Germany is a wonderful mix of cities and countryside that flows from one to the next. The castles of King Ludwig are breathtaking as are the mountains and rolling green fields.  While the language is a little more difficult than say French or Spanish, you will find you pick it up easily and the Germans (for the most part) love a chance to try their English out on you as it is taught in the schools from around second grade on. 

 

There are so many things I could go on and on about but I have to close here.  Visit www.expatica.com as it has many interesting facts about the various European countries that many expatriates come to live and work in. 

 

As they say here

 

Auf Weidersan!

 

Frau Barbara Wagner

 

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Greetings from Norfolk Island!

 

My name is Frances Goddard and at present I am living on Norfolk Island with my husband Andy, and three children, Noah (5), Madison (3) and Esther (7 weeks). I would love to tell you all a little about the island and what it is like living here.

 

Norfolk is a tiny island in the south pacific between New Zealand and Australia. As the island is very small many world maps don't actually show it. Norfolk measures about 8X4km. It is about a 1 1/2 hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand and about 2 1/4 hours from Sydney, Australia.

 

The geographical make-up of the island is stunning, with cliffs rising steeply out of the ocean and the coastline levelling out to small beaches and a lagoon bordered by protective reefs. The island has patches of sub-tropical rainforests and gently rolling countryside with thousands of Norfolk Pine trees.  The climate is sub-tropical. In the summer the temperatures reach no warmer than 28 degrees celcius and in the winter 13 degrees would be considerated a very cold day.

 

Captain Cook discovered Norfolk in 1774 and named it after a 'noble' English family. At the time of Cooks landing the island was not populated. The first settlement of Norfolk began 14 years later with a penal settlement which lasted until 1814. In 1825 a second penal settlement was set up. The third settlement was in 1856 by descendants of the famous mutineers of the Bounty. Initially they settled on Pitcairn Island, but, when it became too crowded, all families moved to the recently evacuated Norfolk Island. About one third of Norfolk's population still carry the names of the original Pitcairn islanders. In 1914 Norfolk was placed under the authority of Australia. At present the population of Norfolk is about 1500.

 

Life of Norfolk is a lot slower and quieter than that of cities in New Zealand or Australia. We have no movie theatres, malls,traffic lights or MacDonalds! People come and go from the island by plane, which come from either New Zealand or Australia Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

 

There is one school on the island which takes children from Kindergarten to year 12. Our family and another family from New Zealand are the only families to homeschool on the island.

 

Most supplies (food, building,cars etc) come to the island by ship about once every 3 - 4 weeks from New Zealand and Australia. Because of the rugged coast line ships have to anchor about 1km off the island and goods are transported onto a small wharf by small boats called a lighters. Two or three lighters are roped together for bigger loads like buses and trucks.

 

Living on a remote island like Norfolk can take some getting used to. We have been living here for 2 years and love  the quietness and simplicity of the island compared to that of New Zealand. It is easy to appreciate God's awesome creation when you live on such a beautiful island!

 

Please feel free to email me if you would like to know anymore about Norfolk Island or what it is like living here.

 

God bless you!

 

Frances

 

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Here's a little story about something that happened in New Zealand.
 
In 1975 Mr and Mrs Power and their little family moved from Catford, London
to Nelson, New Zealand.  They didn't like what they saw happening in the UK,
so they sold their tiny little terraced house, packed up almost everything
and made the arduous journey by plane.  They had a little boy aged 8, and a
girl of 5 - her name was Debbie.  Mr Power was a draughtsman for the London
Electricity Board and was transferred to the New Zealand Electricity Board.
Mrs Power was a housewife and mother.
 
In the same year another little girl, named Tracey, was aged 8 and her
brother was 7.  They were making an even longer trip from Hackney, London to
Nelson, New Zealand.  Their Mother was travelling with them on the boat.
Their father, a Policeman, had transferred from the Metropolitan Police to
the New Zealand Police and he had already arrived in New Zealand and found a
house for the Cole family to rent.  Mrs Cole soon found employment working
for a solicitor.
 
Both little girls grew up in a land of sunshine and green grass.  Debbie and
Tracey found it hard to remember their lives in England.  Tracey had more
memories of the cramped apartment building with no garden and the tiny
playground outside than Debbie had of her home.  In contrast they both lived
in large houses with gardens and swings and bikes to play on and guinea pigs
and dogs for pets.  They biked to school, to friends' houses and played
happily by themselves quietly too.
 
Debbie and Tracey didn't actually know each other, the Power and Cole family
lived in different places.  Tracey's family were in Nelson City, Debbie's
family lived in the suburbs.
 
They both attended (different) primary school from ages 5 - 10 (Primmer One,
Primmer 2, Standard 1 to Standard 4) ; Intermediate schools (Forms One and
Two) and College (Form Three, Form Four and Form Five).  Both girls left
school at the end of Form Five - they were 16 years old.
 
When Tracey started work she found a job in an office of a large furniture
company.  A few years later when Debbie was 16 and left school she went to
the Nelson Polytechnic and did a secretarial course.  During the year she
went for a job as an office junior in a small law firm, and a week later was
offered the job, so she never completed the full course - but at the end of
the year when everyone was looking for a job, Debbie was pleased to have
made the decision to leave as jobs were getting harder and harder to find.
 
Tracey had a few jobs including working for a transport firm.
 
Tracey's brother had the odd job here and there, but decided in the end to
move away from Nelson.
 
Debbie's brother left school as soon as he turned 15.  He got a job in the
boning room of the local freezing works.  From there he moved to the car
factory, then he was a sales rep for a paint firm.
 
So how did Debbie and Tracey finally meet?  They both married boys from the
same family.
 
I am Debbie.  The first time my husband-to-be introduced me to his brother
and his brother's girlfriend (Tracey) I knew Tracey and I would be firm
friends.
 
And yes, 14 years later we still are.  We have taken very different paths to
our lives, but our bonds are strong.  I am a Christian mother of three,
homeschooling and making many choices for my family that are seen as
"extreme"!     Tracey and her husband are childless by choice.  Tracey works
at the Police Station, and is the New Zealand Western Shooting Women's
National Champ.
 
Hope you have enjoyed reading this!!
 
Blessings
Debbie