Home- Anna Mac

My song at the moment. By kiwi girl Annah Mac.

coming home

Some of you may know this, but most of you probably not. Over the last while I've been waging a vicious battle between my head and my heart. Let me explain: back in October I needed a light at the end of the tunnel, so I booked tickets to come home for Christmas. To cut a long story short, I then (almost on the same day!) began to wonder whether coming home would amount to quitting when the going got tough - and although I am many things, a quitter is not one of them. From then on, I've been going back and forward regarding 'to fly, or not to fly'... I had until last Wednesday to make the final decision. Come Tuesday night I had convinced myself I would stay in Germany. Come Wednesday morning I once again had no idea. Come Wednesday midday I decided to go home. Come Wednesday evening I had thrown some stuff in my suitcase and left for Frankfurt. On Thursday it snowed and Frankfurt airport was thrown into chaos, but thankfully by Friday the Germans had dealt with the snow and I was able to fly out. Totally disorganised, goodness knows what I've taken and what I've left behind, having to cancel my commitments at extremely short notice - but the feeling of making a decision was absolutely immense. The feeling of coming home was even better.

I despise flying at the best of times, but decided fairly quickly that I despise flying with Lufthansa more than usual. No onboard entertainment, "food" (apparently...) and it was even more crammed than usual. I was beyond thrilled to get to Los Angeles, for several reasons. I've never been to America, so was fascinated to see what it's really like. Plus, I'm a closet celebrity junkie so L.A. was of special interest to me. I almost changed my mind though as I stood for 2 hours, first in a queue to get through passport control (which includes getting printed and having a photo put on file...), and after that in another queue for customs! Despite having my bag checked through to NZ, even in transit you need to go through the controls. Mind you... I was waiting in a line about 100 people long, and I saw someone who looked a bit familiar. I stared for a while before realising it was Sienna Miller. My first 'real' celeb sighting! I was probably a bit more excited than I should've been, haha.

I had 9 hours transit in L.A. - reduced down to about 6 after I got through customs and worked out how to leave the airport, haha. I was amazed that I could actually leave the airport though, as I'd had images of my having to sleep huddled up under a bench somewhere. So, I wandered out and found a hotel shuttle. After discussion with the driver, he told me that the hotel he was working for was too expensive and he'd take me somewhere cheaper. It was only after I got into his van (alone) and we took off that I started realising how potentially dangerous the situation could be. He could've been anyone; he could've taken me anywhere - but thankfully he was just being genuinely nice. It was like a breath of fresh air! Every single person I dealt with during my 9 hour American adventure were extremely helpful, friendly and charming so I've come away with a good impression. Unfortunately, by the time I got through the airport and then slept a few hours I didn't have time to actually see anything in L.A. (sad!) I just HAD to get a meal at McDonalds though, haha. I had images of a gigantic 'Supersize Me' style meal, and was amazed to discover that American 'large' is the same size as in NZ and Germany. Hm. I was kind of disappointed! Ha.

My next flight was from L.A. to Auckland - another 12 hours of fun, although at least I had an entertainment system this time (go Air New Zealand!). I began hearing Kiwi accents all around me, so was beginning to get excited. Watching the line on the map come closer to NZ was almost unbearable! I touched down in Auckland... caught a plane to Christchurch... waited... caught a plane to Dunedin... then after 45 HOURS of travelling, was finally home. I didn't mention before that hadn't told my family or Florian that I was coming back, haha. My Dad met me at the airport, took me to Mum's, then I rang her from outside the house and asked her if she could help with my suitcase. Being home again was just... I can't even describe the feeling of happiness and relief. It was just beyond words seeing everyone again, speaking English without anyone mocking my accent, relishing my familiar surroundings - I immediately felt my mood lift out of the basement. I am so lucky, and there is nothing else to say. I am lucky, and I am happy. So, One Wandering Kiwi is home in paradise for a month, and will be reporting from here for a while. I'm viewing my country from the eyes of a tourist, so be prepared. NZ = LOVE.

thought for the day

Zufriedenheit:

'Denke nicht so oft an das, was Dir fehlt, sondern an das, was Du hast.'

Contentedness:

'Don't think so often on what you miss, rather on what you have.'

if you weren't already feeling chilly....

You guessed it - fast internet at McDonalds equals uploaded pictures! Below, taken on my birthday, are some chilly photos of my current surroundings. Yes, it's cold...

(and I can't work out how to correct the layout, or add subtitles - oh well, can't have everything I guess! haha)

happy birthday to me

Sooo... on Friday I turned 25. I feel as though I should put 'The Big' in front of that number, as suddenly I feel... older. Every year, on every birthday people ask that ridiculous question - 'do you feel older?' - and for some reason this year I really do. Where on earth does time go? However, if I start getting philisophical I might never get around to writing about the actual event, and will you will probably end up asleep on your desk. So, here goes.

My birthday began at midday on Thursday, when I was in one of my year 9 English classes. I suddenly realised that with the 12-hour time difference it had clicked over to the 26th in NZ, which of course meant it was 'officially' when I was born 25 years previously. Cue Happy Birthday being sung in German, English and Portuguese (yes, I'm not joking) - then an ... interesting ... falsetto duet sung by the teacher and a student. On Thursday evening, my birthday-eve, I was invited to dinner by ze twins plus one - charming! We went to an Italian restaurant with an all-you-can-eat scampy (spelling?) menu. Big shrimps, anyway. I was totally thrilled as behind my family, girls at work and wide open spaces, FISH and seafood is what I miss most about NZ. So, we spent an evening consuming goodness knows how many scampy, washed down with (what else?) German beer and then gelato. Once again I stress, I HAVE to work out some way to import some real Italians to NZ, haha.

On my birthday I woke at 6am to a call from home - cue tears, of course. It's no secret I miss my family more than anything, and speaking to them was really special. I spent some time opening my birthday cards and post (the postman must've been slightly perplexed this week - I've had a bumper post week - THANK YOU ALL! :) ... then it was off to school. The walk to school was fantastic. The day before the marketplace had been decorated with lights and the MASSIVE Christmas tree put into place. It was FREEZING, dark and there was even some snow around. 'Magical' would be a good word.

The highpoint of the day was in my politics class. (Never thought I'd be writing that particular sentence, haha!) Decorated blackboard, CAKE (yum), singing, and even a little gift. Said gift came from a student who I absolutely love to have on. And vice versa, I might add! He gave me a little red stone heart - I, in turn, hugged him in front of the whole class. Guess we're even, haha. That class made my day, even if we did have to talk about politics after a while.

In the evening was my planned 'English Language Extravaganza' - which fell flat on it's face, haha. It was my plan to speak only English with ze twins plus one, which turned out to be much easier said than done. FAR too quiet - so we kind of mixed the two, whilst playing cards. Really nice evening. After a while it was decided we'd go to the movies. We tried to get in to Jackass (well, I WAS with two 17 year old boys) - unfortunately as it was R18 we didn't get far, despite laying on the charm, the foreign guest AND the birthday girl routine. We had some time to kill before the next session, so we went and drank cocktails in the upstairs bar. Highly ironic how in the very same establishment they'll serve minors cocktails, but not let them into a film. We ended up going to Harry Potter at 11.15pm. Needless to say, it was so late that I slept through the whole first half and woke up with about an hour to go (HA!) Oops! Apparently I really am getting old, haha.

So, now it's over. Thank goodness. But thanks to everyone for your birthday greetings. It was possibly the strangest birthday I've had to date, but somehow it turned out to be a really nice one too. Have been trying to upload photos for an hour, but having no success. Methinks a visit to McDonalds is on the cards in the near future...

better letters

I began to write some philosophical blog about today being the eve of my 25th (gasp) birthday - but stuff it, I'm scrapping that idea. I will only write this: I feel a bit... apprehensive... about my birthday, as for me the best celebration involves my family, mum's homemade burgers and a pavlova. This year, I'm thousands of miles away from all of this and ... meh. It's just going to be different. But hey, let's see how tomorrow pans out before I cast my verdict, haha. As mum wrote to me recently:

"Keep your face towards the sunshine, and let the shadows fall behind..."

Although, at the moment I could rephrase: "Keep your face towards the weak, cold half-light that creeps out every now and then between 8am - 4pm, and let the shadows fall behind..." I always wish sunshine for my birthday - this year I'm (honestly) more likely to get snow. Woo.

However, I decided to keep this blog upbeat, so instead will write about my most positive moments - all of which happen in school. I have a year 9 class I particularly enjoy - though recently we're making decidely less progress. Why? Because they've decided that my accent is absolutely hilarious and I can now barely say 5 words without the class disintegrating into laughter. The problem lies in the humble letter 'e'. Today we were writing 'formal letters', which was diabolical.

Miss Wilson: "Read the text so you......"
Class: (amidst laughter) "Read the WHAT?"
MW: "The text"
Class: "The tixt?"
MW: "The text" (...you little smartarses...)
Class: "Which tixt?"
MW: "Read the text so you learn how to write better formal letters"
Class: (amidst laughter) "bitter litters?"
MW: "Read the t-e-x-t so you learn how to write b-e-t-t-e-r formal ... uh... things"...
Class: (by this stage almost rolling around on the floor)

Thank goodness I'm not Australian, then they truly WOULD have something to laugh about. Hehe.

But, I am actually really aware of my accent. Earlier this week I downloaded some Shortland Street off the internet. For those non-kiwis, Shortland Street is a highly educational, classy TV programme from NZ. Only kidding - it's a trashy NZ soap opera set in a very fake hospital. Totally addictive. I played some to my year 10 class and just about died - far out, is my accent THAT strong??? I was absolutely horrified! Nothing much I can do about it though - so students, like it or lump it. And as for me, avoid 'better letters' at all costs. Ha.

thought for the day

"Wer Schmetterlinge lachen hoert, weiss, wie Wolken schmecken."

(Those who hear butterflies laughing, know how clouds taste...)

coming to life

Soo... a mid-week update with no special rhyme nor reason, just because my internet is actually working at the moment! I have been back to my normal timetable this week, somehow still feeling absolutely exhausted from last week despite having the world's laziest weekend on record. The moment came yesterday when I'd come face-to-face with my students who I met whilst at the Kirmes fest two weekends ago. I must confess, I had been looking forward very much to bringing up the topic, especially with the boy who very suavely purchased me a drink (it wasn't a coke, either). It didn't surprise me at all that he took my public ribbing extremely well, and even attempted (in English) to give as good as he got, so real kudos to him. Perhaps that's part of the reason he had a massive gaggle of girls flocking around him at the Kirmes (and at all other times, now I think of it...) I broke the news to the class that unfortunately I would henceforth be declining invitations to events which involve socialising with 15/16 year old students, just as another boy said he had planned to invite me to another such fest in December. Uh huh, apparently I'm doing SOMETHING right at the moment! Haha.

It occurred to me that perhaps I should write something about my 'normal timetable'. I write these blog entries without actually knowing if anyone even reads them, so they generally just contain snippets about what I'm feeling at the time, in no logical manner. So, for the first time on this blog I shall try to be informative, haha.

I work Tuesday to Friday in the KHS (Koenig-Heinrich-Schule), which is in good old Fritzlar. On Monday I (possibly illegally, haha) lend my skills elsewhere. But, Tuesday to Friday is my official working week. According to my job description I am contracted to work 12 hours a week, which I do not do for several reasons. One: if I'm only in school for 12 hours, what exactly else do I have to fill my time with? And two: my job is extremely good fun. I love it. Have probably written that before somewhere I imagine, haha. Because of those reasons, I am usually in school between 20-25 hours over 4 days. Each day I start at 7.55am, and before that I walk 30 minutes to the school. That gives me sufficient time to at least half wake up.

I am a 'Fremdsprachassistentin' (Language Assistant)... or basically, a 'jack-of-all-trades' to do with the English language. Or a walking dictionary. Or whatever the teacher wants me to be. I am currently involved in ... hm ... 9 different classes across a variety of levels. I am in two year 6 classes (age 11-12), three year 9 classes (age 14-15), one (aforementioned, many a time!) year 10 class (age 15-16), one year 11 class (age 16-17) and two year 12 classes (age 17-18). I am also the English speaking team member of a bi-lingual Politics/Economics year 9 class, which does my head in for many, many different reasons, none of which I can write here apart from my complete disinterest in and ignorance of either subject. Ha. Just trust me when I say it's *quite* difficult to appear even halfway knowledgable when 5 minutes before class you're handed a complicated text (in German) about the progression from an agrarian society to modern time, with the instructions 'translate and explain'. Ha. Good times.

So, a jack-of-all trades English assistant does more or less the following over the course of a week: walks around assisting students; participates in group work (which can involve anything from comparing answers to acting in a highly embarrassing roleplay; motivates and encourages; speaks ONLY English to the students and then cops flack for it; laughs a HELL of a lot; sits and counts the amount of times the boys in the front row smooth down their fringes; acts as a walking dictionary; corrects numerous exercise books full of work; laughs a lot more; tries to convince students I'm not a terrifying language monster... etc. You get the picture. Once a week, for 45 precious minutes I am the teacher. Lesson 5, class 10c, every Tuesday. I have no idea how this was worked into the timetable, but I love it. Every week I prepare something educational, and I can recall having pulled off a complete lesson ONCE. Every week after the lesson I always feel vaguely annoyed with myself that the class have (yet again) managed to convince me that games and conversation are more important than actual work. At this point, if any of my former students from NZ are reading this they may well be thinking "some things never change..." haha. Thankfully my mentor seems to be of the opinion that all the students need is to hear me speak, so each week the students have 45 minutes of the dulcet tones of my voice, and I have 45 minutes of laughter. When you have the task 'get them to talk as much as possible', it is absolutely hilarious some of the things you find out. One student ate a 1.5 kg burger last weekend, which cost 15 Euro. (I told him he obviously has too much time and money, haha). One student has a sister who has 33 pairs of shoes. One student's favourite food is doner without the vegetables. For example.

My absolute favourite part of the job is the students. I mean, ever since I first set foot in a classroom it has been. I'm not teaching because I'm so passionate about my subject that I feel I need to go and share it with the youth of today. I'm not teaching because I like the power and authority. It is the small things like finding out about a 1.5 kg burger that really makes my day. My special favourite students are in year 9/10, as they're old enough to have a good grasp of English, but still young enough to not care (much) about mistakes and just go for it. One of my colleagues paid me the greatest compliment recently without even knowing it. He said "in the classroom you come to life." And I think I somehow agree.

networking

Hello, and greetings from McDonalds in Kassel. In the last few days my internet has all but given up the ghost. I am guessing it has something to do with the wind/generally awful weather, but I nevertheless can't quite fathom how it's possible for no better connection to exist in Fritzlar. Anyway, in the meantime I'm enjoying a McFlurry and an hour of free super-fast internet at McDs. Thank goodness for the golden arches.

I have just survived an extremely busy week with the school network (as mentioned in my previous post, if I remember correctly). I woke up yesterday feeling totally 'fertig' (finished off, basically). Apparently it's been a very long time since I worked so hard. But overall it's been an absolutely fantastic week. I imagined I'd be tearing my hair out by Tuesday afternoon (the theme of the week was 'energy' ...), but no. It was *gasp* good fun. On Tuesday out whole group of around 60 bussed 3 hours to Wolfsburg, home to the original Volkswagen factory. Ding, ding, as a lifelong VW fan AND Top Gear devotee this was pretty neat. The set-up is amazing, they have not only a factory there but basically a theme park with all sorts of high-tech exhibitions. The best part was this: on our tour our guide (who was the splitting image of Tom Cruise, I kid you not!) took us into the 'executive lounge', or something to that effect. I was supervising a group of 15 students (all 16-17 years old) - somehow I'd managed to get an all-boys group. Do you want to know how to bring a group of teenage boys to absolute silent reverie? Take them to an exhibit containing nothing other than a Bugatti Veyron. Thanks to my Top Gear devotion, I also was aware that this was a pretty special car. There are only 300 in the world (mostly owned by Arabian Sheiks, David Beckham and the like). It was very, very cool. The boys stood with jaws on the floor for probably 5 minutes - as a teacher I can appreciate that it was kind of a miracle, haha. Perhaps my McDonald's internet will even allow me to upload photos!

On Wednesday... eugh. Not such a high-point. A "fascinating" tour around the rubbish-burning plant in Kassel. I could smell rubbish for the rest of the day. Thursday was my personal challenge. The whole day was devoted to chemistry and physics workshops, where I was expected to a) assist and b) translate from German to English. Those who know me may also know that my final science grade in school was really something to laugh at. For a while. So it was kind of funny getting my white coat and safety glasses on and making out like I had the faintest idea what I was doing. The highlight of that day: having a photo taken for the local paper, complete with scientists kit and boiling experiment. As yet it hasn't appeared in print, but I SO cannot wait to laugh at myself. It's going to be funny.

Yesterday was the final day. The whole day was devoted to preparing items about the week's activities for the students to present at the farewell evening; as well as so-called 'national items'. I was instructed to motivate a group of highly un-motivated boys with their presentation. Lo and behold, we managed to cobble together what I thought was a fantastic sketch. I was feeling pretty proud of myself (and the boys)... until they had to practice on stage and they froze and decided to not perform half of it. I could've ... hm ... I probably shouldn't think ill of students (or at least not write it in black and white!) But I was dissapointed. The farewell evening was still a fun experience though. I slept extremely well last night. I can't wait for my 'normal' timetable next week.

The best part of the whole week? Getting to know so many students better. The German contingent was made up of ... probably 30-40 year 11 students, 95% of whom I hadn't known before this week. The whole week was (in theory) conducted in English, and I was blown away at the effort the students put into actually speaking the language. I often have a problem that students are hesitant to talk to me (the scary native speaker, haha) - or they know I speak German so they don't try to speak English. Happily, this wasn't such an issue this week. The more and more time I spend around the students, the more I'm convinced I'm doing the right thing with my life. It's fun.

revenge is a dish...

Life is on the up. Definitely. There's no other way to describe it. If you read my last entry (EDIT 19/11 - which is now deleted) you could probably deduce that for around 3 weeks my life was a bit shit. I really had no idea if I could feel happy again, but thankfully I've discovered it is possible. Since I've returned to Fritzlar after the holidays I've had the best 2.5 weeks here since I arrived... for no special reason, really. I've just been reminding myself to stay positive, make the most of everything, and most importantly, not care overly about what people may or may not be thinking about me. This formula seems to be working, touch wood. Feigning self-confidence doesn't come easily, but I think I'm improving haha.

It all started the first day back at school, when I volunteered to help a colleague mark a stack of English exams. Now, in NZ we generally tick, cross, then give an Not Achieved, Achieved, Merit or Excellence. In Germany, to grade a paper involves giving separate marks for style, content, and then an extremely complicated error index. You can probably reckon with 30 minutes per paper. If you're quick. Marking is a bitch of a job, BUT I discovered that night when we were still only halfway through at 11pm, it can also be incredibly social. Oh my exciting life, haha. But it put me out there, and it's a great way to get to know colleagues better.

The pinnacle of my social life was last Friday night. At the end of my last blog I promised a witty story about the antics of German students, so here goes. I went with the twins plus one to a 'Kirmes' fest. Of course, I was none the wiser as to what that actually meant, and truly found out the hard way. The fest took place in a village, and was basically a school disco with alcohol. Literally two minutes after I stepped out of the car I saw one of my students, and by the time I'd actually reached the hall I felt like quasimodo or some other circus attraction, haha. "Miss Wilson!! Aaahhahahaha!" (<<<--- screaming year 9/10 girls) All of a sudden I felt my full 24 years and was regretting immensely being the sober driver. Thankfully, after not long I decided to just go with it and not give a stuff. After all, it was actually hilarious entertainment watching all these 'good' students downing tacky vodka shots and chasing each other around. The absolute highlight of my evening was when I was approached by one of my year 10 boys and he'd bought me a little bottle of vodka. (When I mentioned this to a colleague the following day he pointed out this was actually illegal as the boy was underage... oops. I just think it makes the story even better!). I have a feeling that the highlight of my upcoming week will be when I run into the poor boy and he's sober. Hopefully this happens first during class time, haha. I am so mean.

This week I am involved in the school 'network week', which is kind of an exchange run between KHS in Fritzlar, and schools in Hungary, Holland and Italy. There are around 50 students involved here and several guest teachers. I am involved the whole week to translate (as everything's done in English), but I think my official title should be "general dogsbody". The theme for the week is 'energy', which doesn't especially excite me, but so far it's been not bad. Highlight of the week so far - finally getting some English from one of the twins. After 2 months of him hearing my faltering German, I have a feeling I'm going to enjoy that sweet dish best titled 'Revenge', haha.

the freedom fiat

So... it's been ... 3 weeks since Ingrid visited me and we first discussed the possibility of me buying a car. I've faced 3 weeks worth of problems since then - sorting insurance, being ingulfed in a river of paperwork, understanding, and even more fun: speaking the language of buying a car. Oh, I haven't even mentioned actually finding an appropriate vehicle. I've met so many swindlers I've lost count. One guy even showed me a car which had 120,000km on the clock but a ticket in the engine saying the oil was changed at 214,000km. Busted? The worst thing was that I had a time limit: school holidays and plans which hinged on being able to drive on my own 4 wheels speedily away from Fritzlar. Last Monday was the last-ditch effort. After that I was going to give up and resign myself to paying the equivalent of $30 to get the bus to and from Kassel as my only form of escape. Thankfully, thankfully, thankfully we arrived on Monday to look and a little red Fiat - met the sellers (not swindlers), saw the car (not about to break apart) and even managed to bargain the price down a bit. So, car found - cue paperwork. My GOD it is impossibly difficult to buy a car here. I walked back and forward to the insurance office and the registration service so many times I could do it blindfolded. Not to mention having to bus then taxi back to the car twice, first to pay and collect the papers and second to attach the new plates. Fuuuuuu............

But! As of yesterday I am UNDERWAY. My car is a 2001 Fiat Punto, AKA the Freedom Fiat or my lovely little Italian friend. I'm especially enamoured by the colour - bright red. It's been pimped out with FLAME patterned seat covers and an awesome mp3 stereo. Couldn't want much more! I made my maiden journey from Homberg to Fritzlar (about 20km) totally shitting myself. Not only was it my maiden journey in a new car, but also my maiden journey driving on the right side of the road AND in a different country with new rules and regulations. Like the bloody speed changing from 100km to 70km every time you pass an exit on the road. Grrr. Well, obviously I made it and I was totally elated. I was so hyped up on adrenaline I could hardly sleep last night. I have MISSED driving like you wouldn't believe.

Today I faced two more ominous driving tests. Firstly, driving to Kassel - which involves a decent stretch of Autobahn. For the uninitiated, that means NO speed limit, lots of massive Audis, BMWs and Mercedes whizzing along at 220km and generally a bit of a free-for-all. My second test was driving into Kassel - the city centre, which turned out to be the more onorous task. The Autobahn was so much fun it should be illegal. Oh wait, that speed IS illegal everywhere but Germany... ha. I went at a time when traffic would be reasonably light, so I had a good deal of the road to myself. For your info, the Freedom Fiat can do 145km/h haha. But I usually sat around 120km. What a lead-foot, I'm truly going to find it difficult sticking to 100km back in NZ! Driving into Kassel was itself wasn't too bad, but finding a park was another story altogether. Although I have to say, when I did find one it was 50m from the shopping street and only cost 1 Euro per hour (eat that, Dunedin City Council $4 per hour...). So, I have changed my holiday plans slightly and next Tuesday I'm driving to Hoogeveen to stay with Ingrid for some days. What can I say, 3-4 hours on the Autobahn, bring it on! Ha. Photos to come, of course.

On another note, I have had the best week at school ever. Things are really starting to fall into place now and I have a routine, regular classes and know the students. I did a lot of relief this week as my mentor was away so I took both his German and English class with 'my' fave yr 10s. That meant we had 8 hours together, all English lessons. I learned that this class has a 'reputation' for being trouble. I, on the contrary, think it's fantastic. They're alive! When they like things, they LIKE things. When they hate things, they HATE things. On Tuesday I taught them the word 'pushover' after they convinced me that we should walk to Fritzlar and get ice cream. I also taught them 'whiny' 'persistant' and 'pain-in-the-ass'. The boys in question took it as a compliment. Haha. Said young man convinced me that if we went to Fritzlar that everyone would speak English to act as a tour-group, and to their credit they actually DID it. I walked along sneakily listening in, and heard the most random conversations - but all conducted in English. Good on them! I can't even get some of the older students to say 2 words to me in English, so this felt like a massive triumph. Good times, good times.

my daily giggle

Every day I walk 25 minutes to school. En route is a tunnel under the main road, totally covered in some wonderful graffiti gems. I always slow down for a read - onlookers must really wonder!

The pick of the bunch...

Did this student pass English?...

Lucky guy!

'History is shit (school subject)'

'The real players come from Fritzlar/Dortmund' Really... I highly doubt it! Haha. Not Fritzlar, anyway...

crime busting!

On Friday I finished school at the ungodly hour of 8.45am, having taught only the first lesson. Tough life! I decided, instead of suffering through a four-day weekend, that I would take myself to Kassel to see Eat Pray Love at the movies, as I'd just finished reading the book. I arrived in Kassel at shortly before 11am, found the cinema opened at 1pm and the movie played at 2pm - I had some time. Of course, first on the agenda was treating myself to a fish lunch at Nordsee and then a lengthy browse in Thalia. Afterwards I decided to play tourist for a while and I walked along to St. Martin's Cathedral, which has two really impressive looking spires. Unfortunately, I discovered Kassel to be possibly the scariest city I've ever been in: literally half a block away from the main shopping area was like gangster-ville and I felt less than safe being on my own. Still, I perservered to the cathedral, which was jammed in between shops and apartment buildings quite unceremoniously. Up close St. Martin's looks really trippy - in WW2 the spires were destroyed, so it's another sad victim of being 'half ancient/half modern' as many buildings here in Germany are. In this case, the spires were rebuilt - you can't quite make out on the photo, but they're hollow with these cool gaps - kind of looks like a 'jenga' construction.

Once in the cathedral it took about 2 minutes before I was approached by a woman begging. She told me she came to see the priest but since he wasn't there perhaps I could help her with some money to buy bread. Oh damn, I really had to turn on my cold heart - and I HATE doing that. Who knows, perhaps she was genuine, but I just got the feeling she probably sat near the cathedral all day and preyed on tourists. I felt really uncomfortable as I was alone and we were the only two people in the building, so I told her I had no money (none that I could spare for her, anyway!) and waited until she had her back turned before running away. Literally, running. Until I got back to the 'safety' of the shopping street. I couldn't believe that I'd been accosted in a CHURCH of all places - obviously I'm a bit naive. There are a lot of beggers in Kassel; they line the main street in fact. I don't understand it, the idea of people literally begging is really foreign to me. I mean, in Dunedin we have buskers but it's not quite the same concept haha. I think I need to learn more about how and why all these people end up begging... it's so sad! I always think... "well, maybe I can just give 10c", but then I see lots of them smoking and drinking and think twice. I remember when I was in Austria in 2008, my host used to buy them a bread roll or something: perhaps that's a better solution.

However, I guess if I did get into trouble in Kassel I could always go to the 'Police Laden' (police shop)... haha. And they could chase the criminals away in their powerful Smart Car!

the dreaded GYM

Last night I finally got up the courage to put my gym membership to use. I signed up at the gym on my second day in Fritzlar, but until now had only been once to check it out. I put it off and put it off, making myself nervous with images of flocks of fit Germans leaping around and of me not understanding a word of what the instructor was saying. Of course, that guilty feeling had been plaguing me: the one that comes when you're a) effectively throwing your money away for nothing and b) being incredibly lazy. However, 6pm rolled around last night and I mustered the courage to crank out my gym shoes. I got to the gym (which is located in a beautiful fachwerk building - you would never know it was a gym from the outside!), and found the room. To my genuine surprise, once inside I felt less 'obvious' than I usually do just walking down the street. There were about 8 of us in total; all women, apart from one older guy. At home I went to a girls-only gym and had been worried about myriads of fit men, but turns out this wasn't an issue! Phew! I managed to get myself 'stuck' in the front row, but by this stage I'd done the hardest work of the night (walking in the door) so I was feeling reasonably confident. The room where the class took place was like a ballet studio - all mirrors, and there were disco lights! Ha. Seriously cool.

The instructor was really nice, AND my concerns about language were unfounded:

• "Laufen!" (run)
• "Marschieren!" (march)
• "Hoch" und "Tief" (high and low)
• "Einmal, zweimal, dreimal..." (once, twice, three times)

The moves were all exactly the same as at my old gym, including "step-touch". When the instructor yelled out "step-touch" (in English) I almost burst out laughing. What was I worried about? The gym class was DEFINITELY the best thing I've done in Fritzlar so far; I felt absolutely elated afterwards. I did NOT shower in the communal showers afterwards, instead walked home and felt totally justified in eating 'vollkorn' (mixed grain) bread, egg and fresh mozzarella for dinner, haha. I can't wait to go to the gym again tonight. Honestly, living in a town like Fritzlar where the most exciting thing is the gym (!!) - might make my fitness goals a reality. Then again (cheese... mmm...)... who knows?

fußball äpfel müde löschen ßßß

äääääääääää ahhhhhh
ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ
ööööööööööö
ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖ
üüüüüüüüüü
ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ
ßßßßßßßßß

Look, smiley faces! ÜÜÜÜÜ
And little ones: üüüüüü

Just a little bit shocked... ö
WOW: ÖÖÖÖ

Pregnant: ßßßßßßßßß

ich heisse pip und ich kann auch deutsch!

I can barely believe it's been nearly a month since I flew a whopping 18,000kms outside of my comfort zone. There were a handful of reasons why I wanted to spend 9 months in Germany; the most obvious of which is that I want to improve my language skills: my German, which I've been learning on and off for the best part of a decade.

I absolutely love this language, it makes sense to me (usually), and it just sounds so ... crazy, harsh, angry, beautiful ... foreign ... I love it, love it, love it, but have to confess at the moment it's driving me mad. I constantly feel foreign here, like a strange and exotic alien. Sometimes I feel like people can tell I'm not German just by looking at me. As soon as I open my mouth I'm a goner. These thoughts spin around in my head, so bear with me as I vent. Please note, this is not a personal attack on anyone, just general thoughts and a my own experiences and opinions.

1. I am a language learner, not a 'vollidiot' (complete idiot). Sometimes I just want to explain that to people. German is my second language; sometimes I have to formulate sentences in my head before replying straight away. Sometimes I don't know the right word. Sometimes I make mistakes. That does not mean you have to talk slower, convert to English or stop talking. I can understand 99% of what is being said; I can follow conversations - I may not understand every word but I get the gist. Do not stop the conversation to ask if I understand what such-and-such means. Even if I don't, I won't necessarily ask unless it's appropriate. I am not in a language school, I am in real life. I am not stupid or slow, I am learning and I am trying.
2. Please, don't be afraid to talk to me. I want to talk German. I am not shy, just hesitant. I don't like making mistakes and it takes a while to 'warm up'. Be patient.
3. Not being understood is HARD. There are a million things I want to say, but sometimes I just can't formulate it in time, or indeed at all. Although I know I'm not stupid, sometimes it's easy to get down on yourself. Please know I have ideas, I have opinions - all of which I'm articulating in my head while the conversation goes on around me.
4. Praise me - but only when it's due. People tell me my German is perfect, which is NOT true. I know it. You know it. The cat knows it. I am not German, I'm not a native speaker, therefore my German isn't perfect. I make mistakes and have a funny accent. Sure, you can tell me it's not as bad as I think, haha. I could handle that.
5. Trust! This comes from my own personal, current experience. There are some people I have no issue speaking German in front of. I can just let go and talk. Other people make me ... nervous? Maybe not the right word. But it's just not as easy. If I feel confident and relaxed, then the language comes across that way too. Usually, haha.

Apart from personal issues, there are a number of language-based issues I face constantly in society.

1. Du or Sie? Oh my gosh, this does my head in. For the non-German speakers: du and Sie are both words for 'you'. You use 'du' with friends and in informal situations, and 'Sie' is reserved for more formal occasions or polite encounters. Sometimes the division is clear. I always use 'Sie' in shops or when talking to strangers, the school principal etc. Then there's 'du'... I never know when it's appropriate to use 'du' - like, with my colleagues at school? The ones I work with anyway? At school, even the teachers refer to each other as Frau So-and-so or Herr Whatever - excessively formal. However, when I addressed a fellow teacher as 'Sie' she laughed at me and told me to use 'du'.
2. On the phone. Germans answer using their last name. In NZ, we just say 'hello'. But, what do I say when I answer the phone at my host's house? Do I use her last name, or mine? For the record, I've just being saying 'hello' (haha) - she's lucky I even muster the courage to answer the damn thing!

So, there goes the musing of a frustrated language learner. I will persevere and keep in mind that over time things will get easier. I hope.

coats, cars, company - a weekend with a PLAN

So, another week has gone by. I'd been looking forward to this weekend, as I had PLANS. The absence of work on the weekends has been quite a hard pill to take and I've found myself not altogether looking forward to days of 'free time'. How to fill them?... Although I don't consider myself high-maintenance in terms of needing to be entertained, there are only so many books I can read, letters I can write or times I can wander through Fritzlar before I start wondering whether there should be more to life.

However, as aforementioned, this weekend I had plans. To be precise, Ingrid was coming to visit me from The Netherlands. I've been home alone all week, so it was extremely nice to have some company other than the cat. Of course, it was great to see Ingrid again full-stop! So, on Friday I discovered her little yellow 'foreign' car in the school carpark and we went from there. Friday was fairly uneventful - well, we walked through Fritzlar, but that can hardly be classified as an 'event' haha. It was over in 30 minutes. On Saturday we DROVE to Kassel (big thrill for me, just being in a car - oh, my sad life). We embarked on what I can only describe as the most successful shopping trip I've ever been on. I needed jeans: I found the perfect pair after 10 minutes. Ingrid wanted a certain top: we found that too. I decided I wanted some colour in my life: I happened across the most amazing coat I've seen. My coat was like love at first sight. "Hey, now THAT'S cool..." ... "try it on!" ... "but I don't need a winter coat" ... "but it's perfect and it's so you!" ... "OK..." What more can I say? 5 minutes later I was paying for it, and that guilty feeling that comes when you buy something extravagant never even came close. Damn it, I worked bloody hard for months to get here, why can't I treat myself? I'll only be wearing the coat every day for several months once winter arrives. And I can still get use out of the ridiculously expensive winter coat I already own, haha.

After hitting the shops, our next stop was IKEA. Now, 'spaghetti eis' might be culinary heaven, but IKEA is honestly, truely, seriously retail heaven. Walking through the little model rooms, going into raptures about all the furniture and accessories. I have to go to Sweden one day; the Swedes must be the coolest, most stylish people on earth. Anyway, I was there with a mission: my room at Inge's is (well, WAS!)... um... not my style. I needed something colourful to cheer me up; something bright and vibrant. An hour later I am the proud owner of a beautiful new red/pink duvet cover, and a few other colourful items. My room is still not amazing, but it's better. My bedding makes me happy. Cheap thrills.

Last night Ingrid and I searched online for cars. Now, I can't get my hopes up too far, but I'm really really really sold on the idea. Just a little cheapy that I can gad about in; nothing too big, fancy and especially not expensive. Within reason, of course. I don't want a car which'll crap out on the Autobahn - or anywhere, for that matter. But my lack of freedom has really been getting me down. I'm used to being able to do what I like and go where I want at home, but here I'm really feeling confined. There are a million things I need to investigate before I dip further into my savings (which are already descimated - damn Euro!)... insurance, taxes, costs in general, HOW I go about looking and finding a decent car. In other words, I need to find an expert. Well, at least it's going to give me something to do this week, haha.

Photos once again not uploading........................ so please look under 'moments' at top right of blog. My internet connection is as medieval as this town.

So anyway, it's been a wonderful weekend and I'm sad it's almost over... Although life is perhaps not as exciting as I'd like at the moment, there are so many things to remain positive about: nice coats, red bedding and best of all, great friends xox

heaven looks like spaghetti eis!

I had such a nice day yesterday! I caught the train to Sontra and spent the day with Katrin, who I had met earlier this year when she was studying in New Zealand. Talk about refreshing - spending the day talking English with someone not only familiar, but also my own age haha. Katrin drove to Bad Hersfeld, where we wandered around the town and shops and then the highlight: ate Spagetti Eis. Oh my goodness, I think I found heaven! A huge mound of vanilla ice-cream in strands like spaghetti... on top of cream, which freezes. On the ice cream is strawberry sauce and then white chocolate shavings. For an ice cream lover, this is like the ultimate. I seriously think NZ needs to import some Italians to open ice cream cafes. Nothing beats them!

Today I was back to school and got a nice surprise to find that I was actually scheduled to teach a Year 10 English class by myself - apparently this is my own class every week! (I find this out... an hour before class starts?) Thankfully, this is a 'conversation hour' so I decided to get them to introduce themselves to me and tell me the most interesting thing about themselves. Bingo, instant lesson! All I did was poke and prod the discussion, but they were happy to talk so it was hardly strenuous. They were amazed when I remembered all their names (oh thank you, special teacher tricks!) And, FYI, the most interesting thing anyone came up with was one boy who doesn't eat any vegetables. At all. What does he eat? Meat. Bread. Cheese. Pizza with Cheese. Doner with no salad (which exists, apparently!) That's all. Yum.

I amused the class highly by once again being a total prude (in the eyes of Germans, anyway!) As I was walking to class, all along the corridors I passed about 5 couples *ahm* in the throes of passion. Like, eyes closed, fully wrapped around. I was kind of horrified, but couldn't really avert my eyes as they were lining the halls. No-one seemed to care that people were watching or walking passed or whatever. In NZ we would call this PDA (Public Display of Affection) of the highest order. It just would NOT be done, haha. Certainly not in a school, anyway. Possibly in the privacy of your own home? I went into the classroom and told the class this, and they killed themselves laughing. Unfortunately AT me, not WITH me, although I did have a chuckle at their reaction too. "Oh Miss Wilson, OF COURSE that's normal!" (Oh yes, according to who?) I KNOW I'm going to like this class, they're full of life and crack me up. Next week they are giving presentations on New Zealand - (can't miss that lesson!) - and two of the boys asked me what I knew about the haka. After a lenghty discussion we have now shaken on the fact that they will both perform one in front of the class. Now THAT should be interesting.

mushrooms

I feel like I've been quiet for a while. Busy? Can it be?!

After a shaky start, which involved me spending an entire day sitting in the staffroom alone on Wednesday, school is picking up. I finally got my hands on some sort of timetable, which suits me at the moment. I would much rather have someone tell me "we expect you to be in X class on X day at X o'clock", instead of me having to sort of 'lend myself out' to the teachers, which is what I was expected to do. Not really the best solution for someone who is a) new in the school and knows no-one, b) is speaking a foreign language and trying to be understood, and c) not the most confident of people at times! So, on Thursday and Friday I had full-on days, and I even taught a class on my own on Friday - the school did seem quite pleased when they discovered I'm actually a trained teacher... under the table relief teaching, anyone?! In general the students are all really enthusiastic and well behaved - I believe they get graded for their participation in class, so whenever you ask a question it's like a vertiable forest of arms waving. Quite refreshing!

On Thursday I also braved the gym for the first time. I won't deny, I was so nervous of making a complete idiot of myself. Luckily, all the machines seem to function the same as in NZ (ha) and there were also only 2 other people there so no huge audience. I also voiced my concerns to the receptionist about going to the classes and she soothed my worries - so I'll just have to steel myself and turn up. I'm thinking Tuesday. The worst part of the gym? Um, the showers!! It's one huge shower room. I was the only one there on Thursday, but I still couldn't face it - what if someone walked in? Apparently the Germans don't mind? I hurridly showered in my knickers. Methinks I'll be working out and showering at home in the future, haha. Does this make me a prude? :D

The weekend. I was preparing myself for a quiet one, but it was actually not as boring as I thought. On Sunday I went off mushroom picking with the Gurkes. I have to confess, I wasn't overly sold on the idea. The Germans seem to love this concept of 'walking in the forest', which doesn't do much for me. However. I take it back. It was peaceful and quite nice poking around for mushies, even though all the ones I found were highly poisonous. Apparently there are varieties growing there which would only take one mushroom to finish off your entire family. Eek. After a while we turned back and went to drive to the next top-secret location. All fine and good, until the car got stuck whilst being driven over a large amount of felled branches (I will say no more). At this point the day got really interesting, haha. A good half hour of pushing, shoving, trying to give the tyres something to grip onto... and the car finally came free. Only to slide into a muddy ditch 50 metres away and we had to do it all again. In times like this I guess one can only laugh, and actually I found the whole situation quite good fun, haha. Schadenfreude? The fantastic German word which means 'to take pleasure in the misfortune of others'... Although I think we were actually all laughing.

We were invited to the Gurkes for dinner to try out the fruits of our labour. Or the mushrooms of our labour, I should say! I don't normally like mushrooms overly, but I have to say, they were absolutely delish. Yummy... It was a really nice evening, nice people, nice food... perfect.

a sad city

Apparently uploading photos is going to be an issue. It took 20 minutes to upload the above image, so I'm going to have to come up with another solution. Anyway, at least now you can get a sneak peak at just how pretty Fritzlar is. I took this on the 'Marktplatz' (market place), and honestly, if you turned the full 360 degrees then all the buildings are like this. I think I will die and go to heaven when it's Christmas time here... dark, cold, snowy, a cup of mulled wine. But I digress.

Yesterday I skipped school (sports day, haha, some things never change!) and went to Kassel, which is the nearest big city with ... 200,000 (ish) people. The bus cost the earth, but was actually worth the money as it wound in and out through several cute little villages en route, which was quite interesting in itself. Once I got to Kassel I worked out how to get myself into the town centre, and off I went. I had been told that Kassel isn't a pretty city, and turns out that sentiment is very much true. In fact, so far (apart from the shops) I was struggling to find a redeeming feature. Of course, there ARE surely nice parts (Till and Malte tell me there are great discos there, haha...) - and over the course of my 9 months I will surely explore further afield than the 'Hauptstrasse' (main street). Kassel had the life bombed out of it in WW2, and was apparently before that also a 'Fachwerk' city, like Fritzlar. I felt sad when I heard that, as Fritzlar is sooo pretty and Kassel obviously was once as well. The city felt lifeless; it was grey and basically a big concrete jungle. But, I'll go back.

What WAS fun about yesterday was shopping. I tried my credit card out (on the off-chance), and it worked! I hurridly withdrew enough cash to last me until my next trip to the same ATM, in case I can't find another one that works for me. I had a few presents to buy, so I went into Thalia. Germany has the BEST bookshops in the world, I'm absolutely convinced. I could browse for hours... and the books themselves are much nicer quality (and cheaper) than what's available in NZ. Afterwards I treated myself to lunch in my absolute favourite German fast-food restaurant, Nordsee. They make the most delicious fish, chips and remoulade... mmm. I'd really been hanging out for some fish, my favourite! It's quite good that there's only a Nordsee in Kassel, so I can only treat myself every now and then :) So, I wandered around Kassel for the afternoon - next time I go I'll plan an inventory as there are definitely things to see, I just didn't know where. One thing: Kassel is home to the Brothers Grimm (as in, the fairy tales!) There's a museum and 'Brother Grimm Platz', which might be worth a look.

Photos of Fritzlar etc are now under 'memories' (thumbnail pics on right-side of blog, at the top). Click on a picture to get to the album.

O.M.G (Oh Mein Gott!)

No people, I am NOT dead!...

Back to the start - on Thursday morning all the assistants were bussed back to Cologne, where we then dispersed out across Germany. I was naturally worried about the whole train situation, given my experience a few days earlier, but thankfully everything went to plan. Travelling on the ICE (super-fast) trains is an absolute b**** with a 25kg suitcase, as they didn't seem to factor in that people may just have luggage with them. Consequently I had to sit with my legs scrunched up on top of my suitcase - luckily for just an hour until Frankfurt, then I changed to a slower and much less busy train. In Frankfurt I attempted to look for a cellphone shop, but directly outside the station is apparently Frankfurt's VERY red-light district and I felt a bit 'obvious' walking around with my case, another bag and also cash, passport, camera etc. Mission aborted. I probably would've looked a bit harder if I'd've known how hard it would be to get anything done in Fritzlar.

So, I finally arrived in Fritzlar, where I was met by my mentoring teacher (Stefan), my host (Antje) and Antje's mother (Inge). I'm happy here, and am sure I'll remain happy here :)

On Friday morning I went into school for the first time. At 7.30am, none the less. There are some aspects of starting so early that I like - such as being finished by 12 - 1pm. However, it's just too damn early! I feel like if I force my brain into action it's just going to rebel and eventually wake up at 9.30 - 10am, by which stage the school day is half over. Anyway, on Friday I had the school tour (if I write 'typical German 1970s style school I probably don't need to elaborate), met 1000 colleagues, got introduced to the principal etc - all of which now fades into a blur. I went to a few classes too, but for some reason I seem to be only a few actual English classes, which I find a bit odd. Something to remedy, although I told myself I'd wait a week or two to see how everything pans out. So, school is OK I guess. I don't have to go today as it's sports day (or something), so I'm off to the 'big smoke' (Kassel).

I have to admit, I am excited to go to Kassel - Fritzlar is... sleepy. I wouldn't've thought I'd mind so much, but there really is not much here, and also not many people under the age of 70. If I didn't know there was a large school here then I'd be concerned. However, it's not all negative - Fritzlar also has to be the most beautiful, picturesque little town I've seen in Germany. The 'Fachwerk' buildings are in adundance (think, the whole town centre - about 500 buildings in total, I read somewhere). Oh, and there are also 'rules' in Fritzlar - for instance, between 1-3pm every day is 'ruhe' (quiet) - that means shops close, you can't mow the lawn or make any noise really. It's also 'ruhe' from 7pm every night AND the whole day on Sunday. I don't mean to be critical, and I say everything with love (as despite all this, I DO love Germany)... but I think this is just a tad OTT!

On the weekend I met one half of the twins (quite glad to meet one at a time, in the hope I can pick up on even a subtle difference in their very identical selves!) Anyway, I met Malte and his girlfriend Anna, who were kind enough to entertain me not only on Saturday evening with a personalised city tour (MUCH better than the official one - I now know where McDonalds, the cinema and the pool (haha) is); and also on Sunday we went on a long walk in the forest, which seems to be a favourite Sunday passtime here. So, overall a quiet weekend but a nice one!

I met Till, the other twin, yesterday. Who knows how I'll tell them apart. At least they don't dress the same, although after a while I started second guessing myself ("crap, which one was it wearing blue?...") Isn't it cruel enough to have to meet and memorise 1000 new names/faces, without having to distinguise between two identical twins?! (haha) So, my lesson in twin psychology is ongoing.

Yesterday I also FINALLY sorted the internet and phone, and also got a gym membership (the trainer looks like rambo - I think I'll miss Configure... however, got to do something so I can continue eating cheese!) The internet/phone was the biggest stress EVER. There is one phone shop here in Fritzlar and I went in FIVE times (over 3-4 days) before I finally got served by someone who knew what he was doing (a nice Dutch man). Even then I had to walk to and from town twice more as it wasn't working. I gave up eventually, then woke up this morning and it functioned straight away. Perhaps there is a god. Being here without connection to the outside world (especially when the earthquake hit NZ) was honestly like missing a limb. I was about to pack everything in a resign myself to a life of boredom (dramatic, but Sunday was a bad day for me!) Isn't it pathetic? That I can't survive without internet... I convinced myself that if I were at home then it wouldn't be such a hardship, but here it's been really hard. I feel instantly better!

the stress - the recovery

Yesterday was quite honestly the most stressful day of my life. I left Ingrid at 7.07 from Hoogeveen, and successfully navigated the Dutch train system until I reached Arnhem, which is a border town to Germany. Once I reached there I heard over the intercom (in Dutch) something about 'ICE' and 'Cologne' which instantly rang alarm bells. After tracking down an English speaking official I discovered my train had been cancelled due to there being too much electricity on the lines which power the engine... The next train was at 11.37, so I patiently waited for 2.5 hours, only to discover that that train was also delayed 30 minutes. I finally boarded the train at just after midday - and I needed to be in Cologne for the start of my induction course at 3.30pm. Phew... still had enough time. I was relieved to be underway - for a whole 10 minutes until the train encountered the same problem with power as before. We drove back to Arnhem, then had to take a looong detour to finally reach Cologne at 4.30pm. The bus to the course left an hour earlier. I was a stressed out wreck, I won't deny it. I rang up the course director (my #1 hate - speaking German over the phone) and she explained that I needed to catch another train and then take a taxi... The aforementioned train, I discovered, departed in 10 minutes. I went to withdraw some cash - my card didn't work. At this point I almost wished someone would just strike me down to put my out of my misery!! (For some reason, looking back on this it almost feels humerous, but at the time I was just about ready to just sit down and bawl!) Thank goodness I had JUST enough for the taxi and the course fee (to be precise, I have currently 3 Euro and 3 cent left in my wallet). I finally arrived at Altenburg at 5.30pm, quite literally ready to collapse. I was partnered in a room with Eva, a fellow kiwi (there's 5 of us) - it's basic accommodation but the whole complex is INSANE. More on that later though. Last night I actually felt like I was dying - my whole body was aching and I felt like I was going to vomit. Apparently I don't 'do' stress very well... I felt soooo homesick and even went so far as to question what the hell I was doing here in the first place. I had just come away from a fantastic week in The Netherlands with Ingrid and her family and I was thrust into this horrible foreign nightmare where every single thing went belly up. Anyway, that was yesterday.

I woke up today to the church bells (from my window I can see a cathedral built in 1200 about 50 metres away, ah Germany!). I was determined that today was going to be infinitely better than yesterday, and, thank goodness, it has been. I went for a long walk before breakfast to clear my head. This place is like something out of a freaking fairytale! It's a massive ex-monastry with the aforementioned cathedral towering over everything. It's all green and beautiful and I felt like Drew Barrymore in Ever After walking along these tree-lined lanes. It was really peaceful. There's even a 'Maerchenwald' (fairytale forest) 20kms away! After my walk I had breakfast, and then we got on to our day's tasks - I won't bore you with the details but basically talking about the school system and planning a lesson for tomorrow. There are about... 100 - 150 of us here... 5 kiwis, 2 Aussies, 7 Canadians - and the rest are British. Talk about MINORITY! All the Brits are here for their overseas year as part of their University course. I was initially so confused when I kept getting asked how many other people from my University are here. Um... none? I actually feel like I'm learning more about the British than the German schools etc - it's like a massive social experiment, there are people here from every single area. I love the accents, and I SWEAR there's a girl in my group who looks and sounds exactly like Vicki Pollard (Little Britain). I was sitting at the breakfast table with her today and I almost choked on my brotchen when she described one of the boys as 'right fit'. HAHA! The downside of having such a large group is that they're quite cliquey (spelling?) as lots of them know each other already, so I mostly find myself socialising with the Canadians and other kiwis - nothing wrong with that though!

What else to report on? Well, tomorrow is my last day here and on Thursday morning we all leave for Cologne and then our respective homes. I can't quite believe the state of disorganisation some people are in - for example, my room mate has got no accommodation and has also had barely any contact with her teacher either. Frankly, if I were her I wouldn't've even left NZ before I had that all sorted! She's also certainly not the only one who has no clue about various things. It seems like the majority of people are staying in flats (no thanks) - apparently I'm the only one who this has no appeal for. One girl is paying 400 Euro per month in Frankfurt, I mean, that's the majority of our very meagre pay!! No thanks... I feel extremely lucky to say 'Yes, I do have accommodation AND my mentor is picking me up at 7.20am on Friday to take me to school' haha.

I'm posting some pictures below from Altenburg, the cathedral, view from my room etc...


Well, perhaps I'll post again tomorrow, but if not then I'll write to give my first impression of Fritzlar! Love xox P

a casual trip to germany

So, yesterday Ingrid and I took a trip to Germany. Yes, it's that easy, apparently. As an island dweller it's something that never ceases to thrill me; how it's possible to hop into a car/train and just go to a whole other country. In this case, it was a boat. We set off and drove north to the coast, then boarded the ferry to Borkum, an island which lies off the Dutch coast but belongs to Germany. And boy, does it belong to Germany. I mean, there was a freaking brass band with an accordian playing on the way over. From my viewpoint I couldn't quite see if there were Lederhosen involved, but I'd hazard a guess as YES. At 10am there were guys buying crates of beer and dancing to the oompah music. Official 'pinch-self' moment!

Unfortunately the weather was total crap, to put it frankly. The trip up was just sheeting down rain, as was the trip on the boat and our whole time on the island up until about 15 minutes before we gave up and decided to catch an early ferry back. Typical? Luckily, it could hardly dampen my spirits as it was such a huge adventure and great to spend the time together with Ingrid. In Borkum there wasn't a great deal to do other than visit souvenir stores (what a hardship!) and hide from the rain in a cafe (equipped with a waiter who greeted us with 'Moin' - a greeting I've never come across before other than in textbooks). I wasn't going to leave the island without setting foot on the beach, which was a bit of a mission in the rain. But, as I said at the time, who knows when the next time I'll see the beach will be?! (sad face!) So. Borkum. It was really cool hearing German again, and even cranking some out at the station, although the assistant clicked in about 2 seconds that I was a foreigner and automatically resorted to slowed down speech and OTT hand gestures. I think my greatest day as a language learner will come when this does NOT happen, haha. I'll let you know.

We reached The Netherlands again just as the sun came out. From the car we got the view of the zillion wind turbines that dot the coastline. I'm *almost* in two minds about the turbines. On one hand, yes they are an eyesore.... but they're also kind of fascinating. They are extremely imposing and only when you drive past one at close range do you realise just how massive they are.

They kind of look like big metal flowers, right? I think it's kind of horrifying the sheer quantity of them, but there's just something about them...

Later yesterday evening we went into Hoogeveen for some late night shopping. At this point I had remembered my camera so went into tourist mode and snapped some of the bikes. I even had a photo shoot with Ingrid the night before just to prove I even rode one myself. I remain a huge fan. Look how ridicuously happy I look, it's ludicrous! :)

Until next time, love xox

cultuurschok

My first post - exciting! Bear with me, technology usually takes it's sweet time accepting me as a friend so we'll just have to see how I go. Right now I'm sitting in Ingrid's kitchen in Hoogeveen, The Netherlands. I flew for what felt like two weeks to get here, although it was really "only" two days. Jetlag is being kind to me this time, touch wood. After touching down in some state of delirium I've been able to sleep reasonably normal hours so far and am feeling really good. It's so fantastic (surreal!) to finally be here... it's taking some time to just relax, unwind, and accept that I actually made it here with my sanity (mostly) intact.

I want to write about this amazing country. It'd be rude not to write this in ORANGE! As soon as I hit Schiphol airport all the million reasons I loved it here so much in 2008 came flooding back. It took 40 (anxious) minutes for my bag to come off the carousel, but I amused myself by listening in to the Dutch guy standing next to me having a loud conversation on his phone. Dutch is such a 'curious' language - a real mix of English, German, a twist of something totally unique and a lot of guttural sounds thrown in for good measure. It sounds crazy, in a cool way. I don't feel too far out of my comfort zone as I can piece bits and pieces together, pick out some words and occasionally even get the gist of a conversation - woo! (that's not to say I didn't scuttle around the shops yesterday with my head down so no-one would speak to me, haha).

Being here is still a mega culture-shock, however. Or 'cultuurschok', I should say. In a good way though - I absolutely love all the little things. The lightswitches are different, the cars (and bikes!) drive on the right; even the toilets are different! How exciting, right? I love the foreign-ness of everything - seeing Dutch instead of English; all the different food (trust!); the old buildings.... I could go on. Back to food though. Breakfast. My favourite meal of the day. Hagel Slag, need I say more? I suppose Hagel Slag can be roughly translated to 'hail... (something)' and it's sprinkles for bread. YUM. Chocolate, fruit flavour, best of all ANISEED flavour. Am I in The Netherlands, or am I in heaven? This is something close to sensory overload.

Yesterday I biked into town with Ingrid's mum, Tinneke. Yes, I BIKED. Of course, my suburb in Dunedin probably lies higher than the highest hill in Holland, so biking is actually a pleasant experience instead of a form of torture involving a mountain bike. After initially biking on the wrong side of the road (well, it's right for me... just temporarily forgot about the 'right-hand traffic here...), I think I had it down. Albeit slowly. And blindly. Thank goodness I wasn't alone, as Dutch roads are insane to navigate... cars, people AND about 2000 bikes and each mode has their own lane. Very confusing. I just put my head down and rode. It was heaps of fun, extremely peaceful and quite exhilirating! I wanted go today to take a picture of all the bikes parked around the middle of town, but my plans have been thwarted by the rain. Meh. It was quite a sight yesterday - about 500 bikes all parked in the middle of town. Love it!

So, can you gather I'm enjoying my time in The Netherlands so far? The best part are the people. It's so nice to go into a shop and be greeted or to walk past someone on the street and have them say hi (even though um... how do I reply?... eeek! uh....) Staying with Ingrid and her family is fantastic too. I feel well and truly at home. Lucky me :)

Until next time, tot ziens! Love xox