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.
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.
