Here , and Loving it!

Well – I have now been In Germany for (about) 5 days. I can’t remember the exact number, because I have been too excited and too busy to pay too much attention!

First – the course…

Well – as a course on the whole, not too amazing.

On a personal level, and as someone who has some teaching practice, it was very much teaching a granny to suck eggs. But for those who had never done anything like this, I can imagine that it was pretty useful!

The two full days basically went along the lines of

-          Wake up at about 7:30

-          Have a cheese sandwich for breakfast (continental breakfasts are weird!)

-          Lessons ‘till 12:30, when you have your main meal

-          Lessons till 6:30, when you have what we would normally have for lunch in the UK

-          Then , a piss up*

*we were staying in a former monastery that is attached to a cathedral. Normally alcohol is not allowed on the premises at all, but they make an exception for the British council Fremdsprachassistanten, so that they can (and I quote) “get a taste of German life”

Not only did they provide beer that was strong enough to put hairs on your teeth, but they also put a break in the day at 3PM, for coffee and cake – so not too German then!

the pictures show the building we were in, and the cathedral - to show you that i ws actually a really nice place!

 

The course has another side to it though – the ability to meet new people. Everyone’s in the same boat. And (though I can’t speak for previous years) there was not a single bad person there. Not a single person that you wanted to keep away from.  The tutors are exactly the same – not all of it is in English – they are more pissed than the ‘students’ and they really do want what is best for you.

I do have to put in a shout for a guy called Günter Jakob. He is the ‘big cheese’ (much like the majority of my breakfast) but he really is a sound guy – a good sense of humour , but definitely there to make Germany your home for the next few months – absolutely great fella!

the last day was interesting though – we HAD to be awake at 5:50 pünktlich, which for those who don’t speak German, means “exactly” or “on the dot”. We had to tidy the rooms, get sorted, have breakfast and somehow (after the 3 days of being hammered) get to a bus that would leave Altenberg at 7:30 – tough going!

We were dropped off at Köln HBF (the main station in cologne) and told to make our way to our schools. 

I had about 4 hours travelling in total – and was very impressed when the train I was on said that it was cruising at a somewhat ‘unimpressive’ 300KPH!   I got to Frankfurt which is well qualified in “ways to get a tourist lost” the boarded the regional train for Bad Sondern Samünster. Where I would be staying with a colleague for the next 2 nights.   She has a Husband as well as 2 girls and one boy, ranging in ages from 3-10. (the kids, that is!)

Well – they are lovely!   A really nice family that have made me feel INCREDIBLY welcome!  We have been shopping, played in the yard and I have even helped one of them with their English homework! (would be pretty bad of me not to!)    The place they live is a lovely little town that seems very close-nit. All of the locals have said hello and they don’t seem in anyway perturbed by the presence of me (which is nice!)

With the children being young I can almost feel my German get better!     I have learnt new words from helping with the English homework, as it was revision for a vocab test – and I can understand almost all of the TV!  (For those who are interested, there is a guy on ZDF who has really wonky eyes!

On Friday, we went to the school – it’s an old monastery that has (obviously) been converted into a Gymnasium (or school for the brighter german teenagers)    I was introduced to the staff and was shown around briefly. I went to three lessons, those being a german class (which is the equivalent to our English classes and 2 english lessons – one older and one younger.    When I asked one group what you can do in Schlüchtern, they all replied , with not a single moment for thought ; “Mcdonalds” I loved that !

Then – I was given.. THE KEY!    In this particular school, the staff room is always locked and teachers need a key each to get in!  I have mine now and its weird being staff in a school! 

Then, the boy from the family that I’m staying with got good grades at school , we went out for a german version of the donner Kebab, called a Dönner (pronounced ‘dunner’) it was lovely!   The beer was too!

I moved into my flat today  - its very nice , but more about that later!  ...

As you can probably tell, I love it here at the moment – I have a but on contact with dad which is enough to keep me from being homesick without me being pestered (partially because – its dad) It still hasn’t hit me that I am in Germany yet – but I’m sure it will come! – the thing I have to come to terms with now Is the time I start work …

7:30!! 

A long one, but I think I got everything from the last few days!

Tschüss