Dear Alva,

I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. I have always admired your unique combination of talents — running a cozy fish shop and teaching at the old school. It’s not often that someone can balance two such different worlds with so much kindness and dedication.

Your fish shop has always felt warm and welcoming, filled with the smell of the sea and your wonderful stories. And at the school, you have inspired so many students with your patience, wisdom, and gentle humor. It’s clear that everyone who meets you is touched by your caring nature.

Wishing you many happy days, fresh catches, and bright, curious students.

Anna

Dear Alva,

I am Nevena, and I’m thirteen years old. I liked your story in Klaus and I would like to tell you why. Because you never give up, and I like how you taught the children of Smeerensburg to write and read so they could send letters to Santa and get their toy.

What will you do next Chrismas? Will you teach more kids?

I hope to hear back from you.

Best wishes,

Nevena

Dear Klaus,

I hope this message finds you well in your quiet workshop among the pine trees. I wanted to take a moment to thank you—for your kindness, your generosity, and for reminding the world that a simple act can truly spark another.

Your toys, your spirit, and your willingness to believe in people, even when they struggle to believe in themselves, continue to inspire far beyond Smeerensburg. The way you helped transform a town filled with feuds into a place filled with laughter is something I won’t forget.

I imagine you’re still carving, creating, and listening closely for the sound of a child’s joy carried on the wind. If there’s ever anything you need—whether it’s a helping hand, a new idea for a toy, or even just someone to share a warm cup of cocoa—I’d be honored.

Thank you again for everything you’ve done, and for everything your story continues to inspire.

With gratitude, 

Irena

    This week's English Club meeting wad full of laughter and a touch of holiday magic. To inspire the students' writing skills and spark their imagination, we watched the animated film 'Klaus' - a beautifully crafted story about kindness, friendship, and the power of a single good deed. 

    Even though the movie is set in the snowy town of Smeerensburg, the warm message definitely reached our classroom. Students were fully engaged, reacting to the plot twists, the humor, and the touching moments that make is such a memorable film. Anna, Irena and Nevena enjoyed watching the antics of the townspeople and the many troubles of the hapless postman Jesper.    

    For this week's assignment, they were given a fun and meaningful task - to finish watching the movie at home and then write a letter to one of the characters of their choice - Alva, Jesper, Klaus, or even one of the children on the island. The goal was to practice expressive writing, develop their own voice, and connect personally with the story. The combination of a cozy movie session and the creative writing assignment made this English Club meeting particularly special. Students left the classroom smiling, inspired, and excited to share their letters during the week.

For this assignment, Anna has prepared a PP presentation, the text of which shall be transcribed here.

1. What are Christmas markets?

Christmas markets are traditional fairs that take place during Advent in many towns and cities in Germany and other European countries.

They usually start at the end of November and last until Christmas.

2. Atmosphere

The atmosphere at a Christmas market is warm and festive.

Everywhere you can see colorful lights, decorated Christmas trees, and hear Christmas music.

People often meet there with friends and family.

3. Food and Drinks

Typical Christmas market specialties include:

 • Glühwein (mulled wine) or children’s punch

 • Bratwurst

 • Gingerbread and Stollen

 • Roasted almonds and other sweets

4. Stalls and Handicrafts

Many stalls offer handmade items such as candles, wooden toys, jewelry, or Christmas decorations.

Visitors can buy unique Christmas gifts.

5. Special Attractions

Many Christmas markets have an ice rink, a carousel, or a small Christmas village.

For children, Santa Claus often makes an appearance.

6. Importance

Christmas markets are an important part of German Christmas culture.

They bring people together and create a cozy, festive atmosphere.

    Christmas in France is a really important holiday and a lot of people celebrate it in different ways. One thing that is very interesting is that French people start getting ready way early, sometimes even in November. They put lights all over the streets and there is Christmas markets that sells toys, food, and decorations. I wish we had more markets like that where I live because they look really fun and cozy. In France, kids don’t wait for Santa Claus exactly like we do. They call him Père Noël, which means Father Christmas. He brings presents on the night of December 24th. Some kids put their shoes by the fireplace so Père Noël puts gifts inside them. I think that is kind of funny because shoes don’t seem very clean, but I guess it is tradition. The food they eat on Christmas is super fancy. They have a big dinner called le Réveillon. The meal can have stuff like oysters, roasted goose, or even snails, which I would not eat even if someone paid me.

    They also eat a special dessert called Bûche de Noël, which is a cake shaped like a log. It’s supposed to look like the wood logs people used to burn for good luck, but now it’s just a dessert. Another cool thing is how they go to church at midnight sometimes. It’s called Midnight Mass, and a lot of families go together after their dinner. It sounds really late for little kids, but maybe they don’t get tired as fast as I do. Overall, Christmas in France is kind of similar to Christmas here but also different in many ways. They have their own traditions that make the holiday special. If I ever go to France, I want to see a real Christmas market and try the log cake, but we will see when that happens.

    Once upon a time, in a land far away, there was a city called Jerusalem. It was a really special place for Jewish people, like their main home. But, things were not always easy. One day some bad people tried to take over, but a brave group of locals called the Maccabees fought back. T0hey won! But, when they went to light a fire in the temple there was only a little oil left. They needed it to light the lamp, they thought it would only last one day. Guess what?! It lasted eight days, and that was a miracle. That is why Jewish people celebrate Hanukkah. They light eight candles representing the eight nights in a special holder called a menorah.

They remember the story by eating their traditional food, and talking about the story.

    Christmas in Mexico is a long holiday season from December 12 to January 6 known as Guadalupe Reyes marathon. The key celebration is Las Posadas, which starts on December 16 and ends on December 24. It reenacts the journey of Mary and Joseph as they sought a place to stay in Bethlehem. 

    The celebration involves nightly processions where people dressed as Mary and Joseph, and other participants sing their traditional songs (villancicos) as they go from house to house asking for lodging. The residents inside sing back a response, initially refusing them. Once the group is “let in”, they gather inside the home to pray, often around a Nativity scene. After praying, the feast begins. 

    They eat traditional food like tamales, buñuelos and atole. Children often break open a piñata filled with candy as a finale to nights festivities. The nine nights represent nine months of Mary’s pregnancy.

     In today’s English class, we kicked off the festive season by exploring Christmas traditions from around the world. The students—Anna, Nevena, and Irena—did a fantastic job working through their holiday-themed worksheets. Together, we read about unique customs from different countries and had a lively discussion about how people celebrate in their own cultures.

        We also spent some time reviewing holiday vocabulary, which the students used confidently during our conversation. It was wonderful to see their curiosity and enthusiasm as they compared traditions and shared their own experiences.

        To build on today’s lesson, the students have been asked to write a short piece about different December holidays. This will help them practice their writing skills while learning about celebrations beyond Christmas.

        I’m looking forward to reading their reflections next class!

    Na današnjoj sekciji nam se pridružila i Anna iz 7. razreda.

    Učenici Nevena, Irena i Stefan su imali zadatak da prevedu ovu kratku priču. Rezultat možete pročitati u nastavku.

Vi možda nijeste upoznati sa sakupljačima vremena. Sakupljači vremena su ljudi koji kupe svo vrijeme koje je izgubljeno ili protraćeno. Ne možete ih vidjeti, no ako ste na željezničkoj stanicii vidite nešto krajičkom oka to može biti čistač vremena koji čisti klupu na kojoj sjedite. Ako se desi da ih vidite, vidjećete  male plavkaste ljude koji imaju pogled punkoncentracije, kako drže metlu ili džoger. Muškarci nose tregere, a žene stare tvidane suknje sa maramama na glavi.

Sakupljači vremena su uvijek prisutni onamo gdje se vrijeme gubi. Uvijek ih bar sedmoro ima na željezničkim stanicama, i bar jedan u doktorskim ordinacijama. Muškarac koji je čekao godinama da se vjeri svoju djevojku, toliko da je ona u međuvremenu posijedjela, sigurno ima svog ličnog sakupljača vremena koji ga svuda prati. Zbog žene koja je provela trideset pet godina mrzeći svoj posao agenta za nekretnine, sanjajući da će otvoriti svoju cvjećaru, sakupljača vremena iz komšiluka uzdahne i pođe po veći škovacijer.

Ne trebate osjećati grižu savjest zbog sakupljača vremena, iako je njihov posao skroman: oni nikad nijesu bolesni, niti brinu da li su odabrali dobar posao, a imaju odlične uslove za rad, mada se ne zna šta rade u slobodno vrijeme. Oni ne rade državnih pa zato nam se čini da tada ima više vremena nego uobičajeno. Za Božić i Novu godinu oni ne rade čitave sedmice, zato ih kada se vrate čeka ogroman posao da pokupe svo to izgubljeno vrijeme, koje je neiskorišćeno i protraćeno, zbog čega nam se i čini da januar traje duže nego ostali mjeseci.

Sakupljači vremena postoje od davnina, mada su novija vremena napravila tolike gomile protraćenog vremena da su u nekim mjestima sakupljači vremena bili prisiljeni da industrijalizuju svoje operacije, kupujući mnoštvo kamiona za sabijanje vremena sličnim onima koje koriste obični smećari. Ove kamione koriste za najveća sakupljanja, u zatvorima i šoping centrima, dvije lokacije gdj talas izgubljenog vremena prijeti dapreplavi čak i najposvjećenije radnike.

Ako bi pitali sakupljača vremena, oni bi vam rekli jednu iznenađujuću stvar: vrijeme koje ste proveli uživajući nikad nije protraćeno. Čisteći u velikoj kancelariji punoj zapanjujuće dosade, čistači vremena će proći pored stola žene koja čita praznični katalog za odmor ispod stola, temeljno proučavajući slike tropskih plaža. Oni će proći i pored sledećeg stola, gdje čovjek uživa razmišljajući šta njegova tašta sprema za ručak, i stati pored stola jednog mladića koji broji svaki minut i prezire sate.

Možda se pitate šta se desi izgubljenom vremenu nakon što se očisti. Nemojte se bojati, sakupljači vremena su veoma strastveni po pitanju reciklaže. Vrijeme je sakupljeno i spakovano u velike kontejnere, poslato do liverpulskih marina, utovareno na brodove i poslato za Indiju. Tamo u prašnjavoj industrijskoj zoni negdje blizu Bombaja je očišćeno, razvrstano i ocijenjeno. Najtoksičnije otrovano vrijeme – ostaci propalih mirovnih pregovoa, nepravedno provedeno vrijeme u zatvoru i istinito toksični brakovi, je površinski pokupljeno i zakopano u buretu ispod stare nekorištene vojne baze. Tamo će mu  biti potrebno dva-tri vijeka da istrune i opet postane bezopasno.

Ostatak vremena – sačinjeno od besmislenih stvari poput dosadnih sastanaka, propuštenih obaveza, zakašnjelih autobusa i loših noći u pozorištu, je očišćeno i stavljeno nazad na brod gdje je poslato za Guangdžou industrijsku izvozno-prerađivačku zonu. Tu se kompresuje i stavlja na čekanje distribucije. Otprilike dvadeset posto ide direktno u fabrike izvozno-prerađivačke zone koja ima najveću produktivnost u cijelom svijetu. Četvrtinu za  čiste dolare otkupi kineska vlada. Deset posto najkoncentrovanijeg vremena se prodaje kriogeničkim laboratorijama u Kaliforniji. Još dvadeset posto se diskretno prodata raznim bogatim privatnim klijentima, većinom starim ljudima koji su oženili jako lijepe mlade đevojke.

Međutim, sakupljači vremena to ne rade zbog profita. Novac od ovih poslova finansira njihovo poslovanje, uključujući krpe za prašinu, kese za smeće, kombinezone i troškove isporuke. Ostatak se raspodjeljuje u dobrotvorne svrhe. Niko ko dobije dodatno vrijeme ne mora da popunjava ikakve formulare ili da traži donacije. Svi su oni potpuno nesvjesni da primaju pomoć.

Jedan od tih korisnika je zapušteni i premoreni naučnik uoronuloj javnoj laboratoriji u blizini Novosibirska, koji će biti čovjek koji će pronaći vakcinu protiv malarije. Drugi je ulični prodavac iz sitorinjske četvrti u Najrobiju koji je odgajio sedamnaestoro dece i koji, uprkos dvadeset godina u poslu, nikada ne obolijeva. Treći je indijski taksista u skučenom stanu u Torontu, koji, između slanja novca kući bolesnoj ženi i djeci, piše ono što će kasnije biti priznato kao najveći roman vijeka.

Nijesu svi primaoci velikodušnosti sakupljača vremena ljudi. Oko 40 milja od Timbuktua, srednjevjekovna džamija zakopana u pijesku, prima isporuku otprilike svake decenije. Negdje u dubinama Egejskog mora, trojanska galija je čudesno sačuvana u blatu. Slično tome, sakupljači vremena poklanjaju malo dodatnog vremena jednom hramu u Meksiku i čuvaju riznicu blaga iz mračnog doba u močvari kod Golveja.

Određena količina dobrotvornog vremena se čuva za hitne situacije, i male i velike. Spušta se padobranom u vremenima očaja i olakšalo je mirovne sporazume, promijenilo tok bitaka i omogućilo brojnim očevima da stignu do porođajne sale na vrijeme. Sakupljači vremena su, po svojoj prirodi, uredni i organizovani ljudi. Željeli bi da ljudi više razmišljaju o bacanju ove vrijedne robe, ali ne očekujte da će se to dogoditi uskoro.

U ovoj priči nema pouke. Samo, ako planirate da bacate svoje vrijeme, zapamtite — neko mora da ga pokupi.