Training Day

Each day starts with a self-serve breakfast. In the past, breakfast was prepared by the food services team and was served at a scheduled time. The recently changed that to self-serve starting basically whenever you want to 8:15am. First person into the dining room starts the coffee and tea pots.

At 10am we had an overview of TCM and the tour of all the buildings with history about the house and the expansion. You can read the history here to find out more. The buildings and grounds are very impressive and immaculately maintained.

Lunch was again hosted at each table by one of the staff members to show us a few more times before we are on our own.

After lunch we broke out into our assignments and began training for our job functions. I am the only short-term worker on my team with Jim. I am responsible for collecting all the recycled materials from there collection bins and taking them to the neighborhood collection containers. Taking the scraps from the kitchen to the compost pile. Cleaning the floors of the main building and dining areas. I have not learned the coffee and tea part, but on Monday I am responsible for coffe and tea for the meals and keeping them filled in all the rooms where people dine. We are also responsible for the setup and teardown of tables and chairs in the classrooms. Some of the classrooms double with other functions. The worship center is the largest room and is used for classes during the week. There are translator booths connected to that room where the student translators sit to translate the instructors leason. Sorta like the United Nations hall.

I just finished cleaning the kitchen floors before the dinner meal is prepared. The floors need a bit to dry and the kitchen is locked after the floors are cleaned to keep people from falling.

Well, that is all I can remember and all I have time for right now. Dinner starts in 15minutes and I have to see what else there is to learn.

If we have energy left, we might hike down the path to the monistary where there is a cafe to have desert and fellowship with the other team members.

Arrival Day

The team from the Hauss picked up around 14-15 of us at the airport and had a quick drive (20 minutes maybe) back to the house. Lunch after that. They gave a brief overview of the upcoming events and some down time before dinner. They encourage you to stay awake until that night to help adjust to the time shift.

We took a walk around the neighborhood and sat by the pool until dinner just trying to keep our eyes open. I don't think there will be many more times like that to rest.

Everyone hosts a table for dinner starting Sunday night. The full-time staff hosted tables on Friday night to teach us the ropes before we take over our tables. There is a lot to remember, but mainly it is just like having people over for dinner at home. Make sure they have drinks and cleanup the dishes. They have a procedure for everything, including clearing the table. After dinner everyone helps take leftovers and dishes to the kitchen. Dishes are washed and everyone helps dry including the students and the professors. Of course, there is a specific procedure for returning the dishes to their proper place.

I think everyone pretty much crashed after dinner and cleanup. I don't remember anything after the Tylenol PM.

I am trying to write down what I remember because it is fading fast.

Sattelbach Brucke

Haus Edelweiss

We've arrived to Vienna

After a long hot flight we have made it safely to Vienna, Austria. We
also made it through customs with no problems.

Austrian Air Gate

Boarding passes lie. Changed from terminal D to B.

At Dulles

What is he doing here? He was a bit flat today.