Language is a powerful tool. Choose your words wisely. Enrich other people’s life by sharing them.

Taken from Care2 website to help spread the word:

Last Friday, Norwegians faced the deadliest attack in the country since World War II. After building and detonating a bomb in central Oslo, extremist Anders Breivik opened fire at a youth summer camp. By the time the police arrived, Breivik had killed at least 70 young adults, including the stepbrother of the Norwegian Crown Princess.

Send a message of support to those mourning in Norway.

Fueled by his rage against Norway’s multicultural policies, Breivik lashed out at representatives of Norway’s left-wing Labor Party. His actions demonstrate the immense cruelty and suffering that hatred can cause.

The people of Norway have spent the weekend in mourning, and the country will face more hardships in the next few weeks. Please sign.

As parents of an International Summer School of Scotland (ISSOS) alumnus, we get regular updates by newsletter.

For one, they launched a new ISSOS website. Students can now access full information about The International Summer School of Scotland programs in St Andrews and Cambridge with ease and with interest.
The new website details all you need to know about their prestigious locations, the diverse range of classes available, group cultural trips, ISSOS workshops and much, much more.

Availability Update – ISSOS 2011 (posted 30 March, 2011)

St Andrews Session 1

**Please note that we are now full for GOLF in St Andrews Session 1

**We are now full for IB Extended Essay in St Andrews Session 1

**We are full for German students in St Andrews Sessions 1 & 2

**There are only 2 spaces left for French students in St Andrews Session 1

**There are only 3 spaces left for Italian students St Andrews Session 1

**1 place left for PRE IB in St Andrews Session 1

**1 place left for FILM in St Andrews Session 1

Cambridge 2011

**1 place left for a German student

**2 places left for Photography

2011 Session dates:

St Andrews

Session 1:    July 3rd – July 24th
Session 2:    July 27th – August 17th

Cambridge

Session 1:   July 20th – August 10th

To apply, visit ISSOS apply.

Son Thomas spent three weeks visiting ISSOS summer program for St Andrews last year. He attended Debate and joined the Golf sessions. Next to learning quite a bit, he also found it very enjoyable. Definitely recommendable.

It is quite astonishing to have young students ask me what a mailbox is. This only happens when they realize I am not referring to their e-mail box. In our neighborhood, there are a couple of bright and yellow boxes, which they pass by every day.

Deutsche Post/ post horn

Not having any need to post letters via the old-fashioned way of communicating, their perception has become immune to this big yellow box sitting there near the sidewalk.

Alone talking about my mail box at home causes confusion. You know, the one which receives paper bills, paper junk mail,  paper ads, and even requires a manual key to open it. A few young expats even claim their moms do not even have the key for it as it is the dad’s job to clear it out once a month. Paying bills can wait, I’d suppose. (more…)

After a little row with our teenage son, just before he walked out of the house, he smiled at me. It was obvious he had forgiven himself already, when he turned to say good bye. But all I could muster was: ” I forgive your hormones.”, which left him laughing.

This immediately reminded me of the book The Wonder of Girls : Understanding the Hidden Nature of Our Daughters (Amazon.com), which I had read in anticipation of our daughter turning into a teenager.

This book helped me a lot in knowing what to anticipate, when to take your parental position serious or when to bite your tongue.

It might be wise for me to read Michael Gurian’s book The Wonder of Boys (Amazon.com)  before our son moves out next summer.