I studied history and philosophy/ethics to become a teacher for integrated secondary schools and grammar schools and successfully completed my Master of Education degree last summer. Unfortunately, alternative forms of schooling such as Montessori and Waldorf were not covered during my studies. My houseparents' children go to the private Waldorf school Hawthorne Valley School, as do all the other children of the houseparents in Triform. I have already written a blog post about the school between weeks 15 and 16. The school has a focus on agriculture and is part of a large farm, while the nearby public Taconic Hills High School is a huge school complex like the ones you see in Hollywood movies. My house parents offered to ask the teachers if I could visit the Waldorf School before the summer vacation and observe their children's lessons. When my house parents asked, a teacher actually got in touch with me and offered to accompany me for two lessons in Year 4 on my day off. Although I didn't study to be a primary school teacher, I was delighted to be invited, especially as geography/history was on the timetable. I could have gone to school early in the morning with the children of the house parents, but then I would have had to wait until 15:00 for the return journey. As the weather was good that day and I wanted to have lunch with my off-day group, I decided to cycle to school. The school is 12.5 miles away from Triform, which is 20km. I cycled a total of 47km that day, as I took the opportunity to explore the area around the school. In Triform I was told I was crazy for doing this, but I really enjoyed the ride along open fields, hilly forest roads and small settlements. I was immediately welcomed at the school and taken to the classroom. The room is very nice, jackets are hung on the right, old-fashioned chalkboards with beautiful chalk pictures at the front (which are increasingly being replaced by smartboards in Germany), windows on the left with a view of the schoolyard and an aquarium with a lizard, and a kitchenette at the back. Before the lesson, each child had a task, such as feeding the lizard, wiping the board or cleaning something. The children all had potatoes wrapped in aluminum foil and gave it to the second teacher in the room, who set about preparing mashed potatoes for the children during the lesson. The other teacher finished the topic she had started earlier and talked about Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and immigration to the USA, which was only regulated in the late 19th century. The children copied part of the poem "The New Colossus" from the blackboard, which has been on a bronze plaque inside the Statue of Liberty since 1903:

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame
With conquering limbs astride from land to land
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

„Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!“ cries she
With silent lips. „Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.“

In the second half, the teacher moved on to Norse mythology. She spoke of Hati, a wolf descended from Edda of Fenrir and the giantess Gyge. While the twin brother Skalli chased the sun, Hati chased the chariot of the moon god Mani across the sky and drove the moon to haste. On the day of the end of the world (Ragnarök), the wolves will catch up with the moon and the sun, causing the sun to darken. The pupils listened attentively to the teacher and then copied the most important points from the blackboard.  This break from the previous topic really confused me. 

I noticed that the pupils don't use worksheets or textbooks, which is probably typical of Waldorf lessons. Instead, the teacher talks a lot while the pupils copy from the blackboard. It may be due to the fact that it was in elementary school, but the lessons were very frontal. There was no group work or opportunity for the pupils to express their own opinions (what do I think about the poem?) or experiences (have I ever visited the Statue of Liberty and what did I see there?). They try to use as little technology as possible in the classroom, whereas the trend in public schools is to use more technology. I can understand this, as smartboards, iPads and laptops are often touted as a panacea, while more fundamental problems are not recognized. Technology cannot turn bad teaching into good teaching. If the teacher cannot engage and motivate the pupils, even popular teaching applications such as "Kahoot!" and "Mentimeter" are of no use. Nevertheless, I wouldn't want to do without the Smartboards, as they replace the long search for overhead projectors, TV cabinets and CD players in the school. The blackboard images can also be prepared in advance in the form of a Power Point, so I spend less time turning my back on the class. Instead, I can spend more time supporting individual students (with or without special needs). I have also discovered many parallels to our Camphill, such as the lighted candle during class, the regular singing, the sports exercise outside where the students dance and clap together in groups and the prayer before meals. Many thanks to the teacher and the 4th class for allowing me to experience the lessons! Two weeks later, I visited the school again, as the son of my house parents successfully completed eighth grade and received his certificate. Eighth grade graduation is special in the USA, as this is the last stage of middle school before the children move on to high school. One student presented an anecdote for each grade level, as most of the children from grades 1 through 8 attended one class together. Individual speeches were also given, which gave a nice impression of the cohesion in the class. In fact, this class of 20 is the only class of eight in the school. The children sang and played music, which was very nice to listen to, as great importance is attached to the artistic and musical education of the children here. After the graduation ceremony, the family stayed to have dinner with the other families. Instead, we went to Philmont with our residents and had a pizza picnic.

Since our play at Christmas (see blog post week 17), where we performed the Shepherds Play, our theater group has been meeting every week on Monday and Wednesday afternoons to rehearse a new play. The Scottish volunteer from my house runs the drama group and has rewritten the well-known play "Romeo and Juliet" and set it in modern times. I played Lord Montague, Juliet's father. She also tailored the roles to our residents so that everyone could get involved. We volunteers spent a lot of time learning our lines and practicing our lines with the residents at the same time. Each volunteer had their own area of responsibility, I took care of editing the music and the projection technology, others took care of the stage design, ordered and painted props, managed the stage lighting, played the songs, prompted texts and accompanied residents on stage who needed more support. A lot of effort, but it was definitely worth it! Of all the three plays I was involved in at Triform (Halloween, Shepherds Play, Romeo and Juliet), I enjoyed this one the most! We also grew together as a team over the long period of time, it was great to see how much the residents had developed in such a comparatively short time! Some had a lot of stage fright at the beginning and forgot their lines, others fell out of character and ran around nervously. But in the end, everything worked out and everyone successfully mastered their challenges. We had three performances in total, on Saturday for the residents and house parents of Triform, on Sunday for the residents of Camphill Hudson and Copake and on Monday for the employees of Triform. This demanded a lot from everyone involved, especially as there were also theater professionals from Hudson in the audience, who we wanted to win over for future larger theater projects. Unfortunately, it was the last theater performance I was involved in at Triform, as I only have six weeks left at Triform. I am incredibly proud of our residents and our team! After the performance, I went out for Indian food with my Scottish colleague in Hudson, where we looked back on the great time together. On the last afternoon of theater, our instructors bought ice cream, so we had a big ice cream party to thank them for all their hard work.

A little later, a talent show was organized in Triform, where all residents, house parents and volunteers could perform something. It was great fun, some residents sang and danced their favorite songs, one house held a Miss Universe performance where dances and dresses from the different countries of origin were presented, a volunteer recited a self-written poem, a resident from the neighboring Camphill told a funny story and in the end we all danced Bollywood together. I also wanted to perform something and remembered the coworker networking event in Copake (see blog post "Training and Networking" between week 15 and 16) where we sang the song "Greek Wine" karaoke. That was a lot of fun, so why not introduce the residents to this German classic? So I rounded up all the German volunteers, prepared the equipment and signed us up for the talent show. We took over the entire stage and sang the pop song at the top of our voices. The residents and our house parents were completely thrilled, and some of our residents' parents also came to the talent show and thanked us for the great performance after the show. Before the performance, as a historian, I - of course - gave a short talk to give those present some context so that they could put the German song into context. I explained that Germany had to be rebuilt after the Second World War and that more workers were needed than were available at the time. Therefore, guest workers from Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, among others, were recruited to rebuild German industry. While some guest workers felt very comfortable in Germany and made it their new home, other guest workers were very homesick. The song describes their longing for the family they had left behind and the child they had never seen, the "green hills, sea and wind" of their homeland and the feeling of always being a stranger here. A very emotional song that still moves many people after 50 years. I would have liked to talk more about it, but I kept it short because people had signed up for the talent show and not for the introductory lecture on German immigration history. But even some Germans came up to me after the song and said that they didn't know anything about it and were only now realizing how sad what was being sung about actually was. 

Photos and videos talent show:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7puThXRXav/?img_index=8

Video Complete performance Greek Wine (small excerpt in better quality in the Instagram link):

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CgeS4rn30sJGtYtLbuPTWFI1gc__JUWc/view?usp=sharing

On Memorial Day (27.5) the US soldiers who were killed were remembered. We gathered in front of the Phoenix Center, residents and house parents here had the opportunity to remember soldiers in their communities who have died in past and current conflicts. Sadly, a soldier died in the family of my farm work manager and his wife, whom we remembered.  Army Sgt. 1st Class Schuyler B. Haynes died on Nov. 15, 2006, during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 40-year-old from Manhattan, assigned to 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, died from injuries sustained from an improvised explosive device that detonated near his vehicle during combat operations in Baquba. 

Afterward, we enjoyed a large buffet, with each house contributing something. 

On our day off, we had a movie night in my pantry apartment. A German volunteer has now joined our off-day group, who requested the movie "Super Mario Bros". We ate delicious snacks and enjoyed the relaxed evening.

On Saturday we drove to Mettabee, a farm in Hillsdale where many cultural events take place. The 100th birthday celebration (1924-2024) of biodynamic agriculture took place here. 

What is biodynamic agriculture? Biodynamic agriculture is a method of farming, livestock farming, seed production and landscape conservation based on a series of lectures given by Rudolf Steiner in 1924. In 1927, the Demeter Society was founded in Germany, which today certifies biodynamic farms. This form of agriculture is characterized in particular by the use of biodynamic preparations for soil and plant treatment. 

Health

Biodynamic agriculture awakens the deep reservoir of vitality in our soil, our food, our farms, gardens, landscapes and communities. This awakening brings health and healing to the earth, to ourselves and to humanity.

Spirit

Biodynamic practitioners view farming and gardening as a sacred calling that awakens awareness of the interconnectedness of all life. By working in this way, we can create farms and gardens that are a source of nourishment for our body, soul and spirit, our local communities and our entire culture.

Creativity

Biodynamics began in 1924 with the life's work of Rudolf Steiner and is now a worldwide movement encompassing thousands of successful gardens, farms, vineyards and agricultural enterprises of all shapes and sizes. Biodynamic practitioners are leading the way in environmental activism, organic farming, community supported agriculture, raw milk production, alternative beekeeping methods and much more. Biodynamics continues to evolve through the creativity of each practitioner.

Biodiversity

Biodynamic farmers and gardeners create balanced, species-rich communities of plants and animals that mimic and integrate the wisdom of natural ecosystems. Preparations of fermented manure, minerals and herbs are used in combination with healthy crop rotations, composting practices and animal husbandry to realize the full potential of each farm and garden.

We ate delicious burgers and then attended a talk by Gunther Hauk. Gunther Hauk has been a teacher, lecturer, biodynamic gardener and beekeeper for more than 35 years. He co-founded the Pfeiffer Center in Chestnut Ridge, New York in 1996, and in 2006 he and his wife Vivian founded Spikenard Farm, Inc. a non-profit bee sanctuary. Over these decades, he has given many workshops in the US and Canada on the successful application of biodynamic principles in horticulture and naturally harmonious beekeeping methods. In his book Toward Saving the Honeybee (2002), he calls for a radical departure from current approaches to beekeeping. In the lecture he reported on the success of biodynamic farms in Egypt. The residents were able to pet goats, pigs and chickens, paint vases and talk to the residents of other houses who had come. There was a small market in the farm where biodynamic farms from the area introduced themselves and sold produce from their farms. Triform also had a stand, as our garden and the farm where I work also practice biodynamic farming. It was a great day out and I learned a lot about biodynamic farming! 

On Tuesday afternoons, there are now weekly open-air concerts behind one of our houses by the pond. The householders daughter lives in Berlin (right on my running route, what a coincidence!), who is a big fan of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. We recently had a picnic while a performance by Sir Simon Rattle in the Berlin Philharmonie was broadcast on a large television. I was very happy about that, because shortly before I started university in 2017, I visited the Berlin Philharmonie with my grandmother and saw a live concert by Sir Simon Rattle. I remember the concert and the wonderful feeling of having finished school and now starting my studies after the concert. The resident assigned to me has a habit of getting restless after dinner and shouting loudly, so I had to calm him down regularly so as not to disturb the concert. A great evening! 

We had our Bible Dinner and the Festival of Offering last time. We all dress very formally for the Bible Dinner. Before the Bible Dinner begins, we sit together in silence and then someone takes the lighted candle and goes into the dining room to light the candle there. Once this has been seen, we go into the dining room together, where we stand behind our chairs and sing a song together. At the table, our householder reads a long passage from the Bible, which we then discuss over the meal. We eat bread with egg and tuna spread, butter, cream cheese and peanut butter. The table is beautifully set and we use the good tableware. We say grace and eat a meal together. Afterwards, the Gospel text is read out and some of the participants try to share with the others what inner experiences they have had over the past week while meditating on the Gospel text. After reflecting on the Bible text, we go around the room and share our highlights of the past week. These three parts of the Bible Evening are a different form of the three mantras included in the Foundation Stone Meditation. As we sit quietly and wait for the Bible Evening to begin, we practice Spirit Recollection. As we share the meal and talk with each other, we should practice mindfulness of spirit, and as we talk about the gospel, we should be guided by spirit vision. Sitting in front of the altar always reminds us of the fourth part of the foundation stone meditation - that at the turning point of time, the spirit light of the world entered the stream of the earth. We had this tradition of Bible Dinners at irregular intervals on Saturdays in the winter, but this tradition is paused in the summer. 

The Festival of Offering, to which all houses were invited to the assembly hall, is also paused. At irregular intervals, all the houses gathered on Sundays and celebrated a kind of anthroposophical service. Three formally dressed householders light candles at the front under a picture of Jesus, read out an anthroposophical service text and sing songs together with us. They then walk through the rows, touch the foreheads of those present and say "The spirit of christ lives in you". The response is then "May I receive the spirit of Christ". I have only had little contact with the Christian religion so far and could only gain little from this service, especially as it was repeated every time. My Nigerian colleague misses her African church services, which often take place in huge halls and sports facilities and where the priests grip their worshippers with emotional speeches and provide guidance in life. Think of priests like Dr. Martin Luther King and gospel churches, who pursue the same goal but use completely different ways to inspire their audience with their topics. 

I celebrated my 27th birthday on 18.06. Never in my life have so many people congratulated me as here at Triform! 

The day began with breakfast at 7:45 a.m., where I sat in a beautifully decorated place and received wonderful cards from my residents.  Before the meal, we read from the Bible as usual:

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way”[
“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.’”

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

We sang the song "Old St. John's Song", based on "Nun kommt daher die Sonnenwend". 

Then we went to the farm, on the way I met numerous residents and colleagues who all congratulated me and wished me a great day. My colleagues also congratulated me on the farm, after which we moved the pigs and prepared the farm for the upcoming Family and Friends weekend. After the farm, we went home to eat pizza. In the afternoon I went to Camphill Village Copake with my excursion group, where I got a free drink for my birthday. I chose an ice chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Although many people don't know me, many Copake residents came up to me and congratulated me. It was really nice to get to know some of the residents in the café! 17:00 I went back to prepare for my birthday party. I was allowed to invite six guests and had a hard time deciding as I work with so many fantastic residents and colleagues at Triform. I ended up choosing two residents that I have worked with since my first day on the farm. They were each accompanied by a coworker from their house, who also work on the farm. I was also accompanied by a resident and a colleague, with whom I was on stage for the three theater performances. We lit a campfire on the lawn behind the house and prepared hot dogs and stick bread with s'mores over the fire. Afterwards, the householders came out of the house with a cake and I got to blow out the candles. She baked "No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake". I have attached the recipe as a photo, but she made it without ricotta. A week later, I received another cake from the parents of a resident at the graduation ceremony. My houseparents and the parents of the resident I look after most of the time gave me a voucher for a canoe rental in Hudson and we had a round where everyone present said a few sentences about what they liked about me. This round was the highlight of my birthday because I heard so many kind words. This appreciation of my daily work made me very happy on the one hand, but also a little sad on the other, as I realized that I will only have one more month with these great people. I have been described as very reliable, when I am given a task people are very sure that it will get done. Even when it's over 30 degrees and we're digging trenches in the field with a pickaxe, you don't hear any complaints from me, I work until I've achieved my goal. I always offer my help and take the time to spend the evening playing puzzles with the residents. I am always open to new knowledge and ask lots of questions to show my interest. Since I've been here, I've developed a lot, I'm more sporty, more open and have a different approach to nature and nutrition. Thank you so much for your words, they mean a lot to me! After the party, it was time to clean up, and I had to hurry because there was another party coming up. In the evening, we met at the pavilion near the farm, where we celebrated my birthday again with the volunteers. I was surprised again with a cake and we played lots of games. At the end, we lay down on the grass and looked at the beautiful moon that lit up the night. It was a wonderful day and one of the best birthdays I've had since I was a child! 

The Family and Friends weekend took place on 22.6 and 23.6. On Friday there was a charity concert with the Triform Bell Choir and a star guest, Jonatha Brooke. Brooke is a folk singer and songwriter who was part of "The Story" and "Jonatha Brooke & The Story" before going solo. She is best known to Triform residents for two songs she contributed to the soundtrack of Disney's "Return to Never Land" (2002). The residents were very happy about the songs "I'll Try" ( https://youtu.be/L3FV1g0wWm4?si=6q-90G8eQc7OGE-2  ) and the cover "The Second Star to the Right" (https://youtu.be/mtcAgs9o1MY?si=D8kbkskuUYB0x7DU ). She spoke about how her apartment in a high-rise building in New York was on fire, she grabbed her guitar and watched from outside as the fire approached her apartment. At that moment, she realized that her possessions in the apartment were actually of little value to her and that in the end, they were all just objects. The bell choir performed the songs "Fairly's Love Song" by Elk Herd, "An Droichead" (The Bridge) by Liam O'Flynn and arranged by John Billing, "Aqua" by Ryuichi Sakamoto and "Tshela Moya/Ke nna yo Morena" by Michael Barrett. We coworkers helped to prepare the sports hall for the concert, cleaned it up and feed the residents' families who attended. There was an extra cocktail reception for particularly generous donors to thank them for their financial support. Many larger projects, such as the construction of a bridge and the purchase of the adjacent land including the farm, could only be realized thanks to donations from parents and other supporters. This year, a total of 160,000 dollars was donated to Triform! Most of the residents then spent the night with their parents in nearby hotels. This gave us a longer break, which I used for a 12km run to clear my head. A thunderstorm started on the way, so the electric music mixed with the thunderstorm outside and created a sound. The next day was the Triform Graduation, the residents' graduation ceremony. As already mentioned, the residents are "students" at the beginning and get a taste of all areas of work. After graduation, they concentrate on their favorite area of work as "Apprentices" and pass on their knowledge. After that, the residents usually leave Triform and move to Camphill Copake or other facilities. There are only a few places for "Journeypersons" who continue to live at Triform after graduating as an Apprentice. A total of four students and three apprentices celebrated their graduation and received their certificates. The parents were very proud and I was delighted to be able to accompany the residents for a year on their way to graduation. I wish you all the best of luck and success for the future! It's great to see how far the residents have come in such a comparatively short time. There was a big buffet where I served the food and was able to meet many parents in person. The Triform yearbook was also published, presenting the highlights and best photos from all the houses, work areas and afternoon courses in 2023/24. I am in many of the photos and was allowed to design the pages of our house. Instead of simply introducing each resident with a photo, we used a well-known meme as a basis: "What I want to do", "What my family thinks I do" and "What I really do". Self-perception and external perception are sometimes very different here, which introduces the individual residents in a very entertaining way. 

Photos Graduation:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/vKY7ZDKezgNsmMxF/

Are you interested in the yearbook? Write me an e-mail and I'll be happy to help you order it.

damonruhlaender (at ) gmx (dot) de 

Some householders are now retiring, others are leaving Triform, some are joining. There is also movement among the residents, with several houses now moving before the summer vacation. With so many residents and sometimes large families of house parents, there is a lot of work to be done, so volunteers have been taken from the work areas to help with the moves. I really enjoy helping with the removals and driving the boxes from house to house in the truck. Once we had to swap sofas and we circled for an hour until we finally unscrewed the doors to carry the sofa from the upper floor to the first floor. Some of the boxes hadn't been opened by the families for 9 years, so there were quite a few surprises. My highlight was a rusty long sword that we found in the garage of the Farmview house. I joked that this was probably proof that the Crusaders had discovered America. I am now waiting for the Nobel Prize in Archaeology for this discovery.

The year 2023 was very eventful for me: I successfully completed my Master of Education, ran two half marathons, was awarded the bronze badge of honor for my commitment to the Red Cross, explained on Finnish radio how National Socialism is taught in German schools, worked as a youth group leader in Spain and have now been living in New York since August, where I work in a community for people with disabilities.

Unfortunately, due to my work at Triform, I was unable to attend the graduation ceremony in Berlin and receive my Master's degree in person. After attending the wonderful graduation ceremony of my residents in Triform last weekend, I was a little sad. I realized that there was never an official graduation to properly celebrate the six years of study with my fellow students. After receiving the Master's certificate unceremoniously by email, I would like to share my Master's thesis with you. The master's thesis explores the question of what influence ancient films had on historical images in strategy games of the early 2000s. What continued traditions, but also what differences in the aspects examined can be recognized in relation to the antique films, possibly for game-mechanical reasons? Which topoi are transported in the games' narratives? What image of the past do the investigated strategy games create in the (re)construction of historical cities? Pursuing these questions seems more profitable than simply proving that the media have made historical mistakes. The thesis is that the games do not so much simulate the construction of Roman cities and the development of this ancient culture, but rather convey modern ideas of Roman culture and the construction of cities, thereby tying in with the historical representations of popular films known to recipients and developers. This investigation promises insights into the media transformation processes that took place at the time and the genesis of the historical images that, triggered by the popularity of media products dealing with antiquity, can still be found in games and films today. The thesis will examine three representatives of the genre that appeared in the first decade of the 21st century: "Caesar IV" (2006), "CivCity: Rome" (2006) and "Grand Ages: Rome" (2009). In order to contextualize the depictions, "Quo Vadis" (1951), "Gladiator" (2000) and "Augustus - My Father, the Emperor" (2003) were selected as the films to be examined. An examination of historical images in strategy games is not only relevant because they paint a picture of everyday life in cities of past cultures like hardly any other genre. Digital games, films and series shape the image of history of many pupils. The research findings can be used for history lessons so that pupils can develop a reflective historical awareness. For example, by addressing and problematizing individual experiences in the virtual past. Digital games also provide information as sources about the perception of historical processes in our society. 

I hope you enjoy the work and that it enables other researchers to delve deeper into the topic. You can read my master's thesis here, an English translation is available on request:

https://www.damonruhlaender.de/woche-40-49#h.wzo57b4kel3z:~:text=https%3A//www.researchgate.net/publication/381735292_Digitale_Re%2DKonstruktion_romischer_Stadte_%2D_Uber_die_Einflusse_der_Antikfilme_auf_die_Geschichtsbilder_in_Aufbaustrategiespielen_der_fruhen_2000er%23fullTextFileContent

I don't often watch sport, but it's always fun together with snacks and good friends. My colleagues were really looking forward to the NBA final, which we watched together after work as a live broadcast with a projector in the sports hall. The game was between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Most of my colleagues were rooting for the Dallas Mavericks, but I bet on the Boston Celtics instead because I enjoyed my vacation in Boston so much. The team from Dallas led for a long time, but in the end the team from Boston prevailed. The Boston team finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA. They never trailed in a series and won 15 of their first 17 games. They took a 3-0 lead against Dallas, but the Mavericks avoided elimination with a 122-84 victory. It is said to have been the third biggest defeat in the history of the Finals. It was a special game during which emotions ran high. A great evening that I really enjoyed!

While in winter we used to watch a movie together in the evening, which our housemates were allowed to choose in turn, we've been playing baseball together since it got warmer. All the houses take part and the teams are made up of a mixture of residents and coworkers. Many residents grew up with baseball and play independently, others have a coworker to support them. Residents who can't or don't want to play cheer on the other residents from the sidelines. I played baseball here for the first time in my life and was very excited. Unlike soccer, where you get lost in the group, in baseball you are the focus of everyone's attention. That made me very nervous at first, when you have to hit the ball with the bat and 100 people are watching you. But how does baseball actually work?

Two teams face each other, normally nine players per team. They take it in turns to form the fielding or batting team. So everyone has to hit the ball once, you can't just choose to run or catch.

The pitcher throws a ball and the batter tries to hit it with the bat. If he hits the ball and it flies into the field, the fielding team must quickly catch the ball and throw it back to the pitcher. The batter immediately drops the bat and runs once around the square playing field. There is a base at each corner, where he can stop and is safe. Only when he passes all three bases and reaches his home base does his run count as a point. However, he can also stop at any base and continue running the next time a team member successfully hits a base. If the fielding team throws the ball to the pitcher and the batter is still running, he is thrown out, regardless of how far he has come. As we play with disabled people, we are not as strict in our interpretation of the rules as in big competitions, we make sure that everyone has fun. That's exactly what took away my initial fear, nobody gets angry if you miss a ball, and you get more than the normally allowed three attempts to hit a ball. I now really enjoy baseball, even if I still have more fun running around the bases and catching as a fielding team than hitting the ball.

Photos baseball game:

https://www.instagram.com/p/C8CS_z5RRp5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The next day off I was on my own and rode my bike to Mane Street Hair Salon in Hudson, where I got a summer haircut. Since I do a lot of sports here and we have a lot of ticks and other insects on the farm, I decided to try a very short haircut. I could still remember the great hairstyle of the American football player Travis Kelce, which I had seen at the Superbowl. Taylor Swift's boyfriend described his hairstyle like this:

"It's a two on top, a nice high to mid fade with a taper on the back"

At first, the new hairstyle was still unfamiliar, I can't remember the last time I had such a short haircut. But I received a lot of positive feedback and now feel very comfortable. A short hairstyle is very practical, especially on the farm. For the first few days, I always reached for the hairbrush in the morning only to realize that I didn't need it anymore. I'm looking forward to your opinion! After my haircut, I got my new favorite American dish at Food Singh, General Tsos Chicken, and had a picnic on the lawn in Promenade Hill Park, with a view of the Hudson River, a huge American flag and the lighthouse, which I visited together with the house on my first day in Triform. In the afternoon I sat down nex to the Claverack Creek, a small stream that runs past our property. I enjoyed the peace and quiet, read my book and then cooled off in the creek after my long bike ride. Unlike our swimming pond, there are no aquatic plants here, which was really nice. At the end of the day, I wrote posts for my blog in the library. The small library contains numerous basic works on anthroposophy, theater texts and literary classics. I really enjoy the space, especially before I got air conditioning in my room installed for my birthday, I always found refuge from the heat here at lunchtime. 

For Camphill, I had to repeat my tuberculosis test and have a general health check. I was sent to Urgent Care in Hudson for this, which confused me at first because it wasn't an urgent emergency. Urgent Care is not an emergency room, but a treatment center that is the first point of contact for medical problems and refers people to specialists. I cycled 15km, so a total of 30km there and back. The appointment was at 8 a.m. and I didn't know how long I would have to wait, so I didn't ask anyone to drive me. It was a good decision, because with waiting time and the various tests, I was there for 2 1/2 hours, which my driver would have had to wait. Right at the reception I had to pay 135 dollars with my credit card, which will be refunded later, but it felt unusual to pay so much money for a simple examination. In the waiting room there was free coffee and, to my surprise, free slushies! I wasn't expecting this sugary drink, as doctors and dentists usually try to promote a healthy lifestyle. I was thoroughly checked (BMI, height, weight, vision, peripheral vision, hearing, blood pressure, pulse, urine, protein, blood, blood sugar, tuberculosis) and passed all the tests. I had a nice conversation with the doctor's assistant, who told me about his vacation in Berlin. He had never eaten Indian food as well as in Berlin. I asked him if he had eaten at AMRIT Kreuzberg, and he had indeed eaten at this very restaurant. It's one of my favorite restaurants in Berlin and I used to take the bus from my shared room to the university every day during my year at university. It's a small world! The other staff were also all very nice and accommodating. After the appointment, I treated myself to a free slushi and cycled 15km back.