Last week in school and home for Christmas!

Despite me only having four days of school left, I struggled to motivate myself on Monday morning. Christmas seemed so near, but yet so far. But I had a long lie in as my first lesson wasn't until lunch time, so I mustered up some energy and began the final week. I showed my Christmas Quiz to the year 10 class, which went ok. I was surprised at how much they knew about Christmas time in England. After that I had my double lesson with the year 6 class. This also had a Christmas theme to it as I had prepared some Christmassy exercises. This did however make them super excited and I found it hard to control the class, who kept breaking into Christmas songs and wouldn't shut up! However it ended well, as not only did I get a slice of cake that had been made by one the students, but I was also given a mandarin, on which a smiley face had been drawn, as a gift from one of the students. How nice.

On Tuesday I was back in school and taking part in more festivities. I told the year 8 class a little bit about Christmas in England (and also learnt that the name of one of Santas' reindeer, actually means something very rude in German!) and also learnt a bit about German Christmas from the students. The students loved the fact that we call sausages wrapped in bacon 'Pigs in blankets'. I also discovered that the Germans have their own version (obviously! If it contains Sausage, then the Germans have it too!) and the name that is given to them is fantastic. They call them 'Würstchen im Schlafrock' which translates as 'Sausages in dressing gowns' Ha! Isn't that just great! Oh, how I love the German language. Following this, I visited a year 5 class and sang some carols with them. It was also a girls birthday, so we sung Happy Birthday too. The Germans have a real problem with the 'th' sound and they really have to make an effort to get it right. Seeing as though these students were only class 5, they hadn't yet mastered this sound. So 'Happy Birthday' became 'Happy Birsday' which I found quite funny. But it was good fun singing the Christmassy songs. After this I had my own class to teach, but seeing as though the class had no computer / projector, I was unable to do my Christmas Quiz that I had planned to do and consequently had nothing to do! I let them leave early rather than suffer 45 minutes of awkwardness. They loved it, but I'm not sure what the teacher will think if she finds out. I hope I'm not in trouble when I return!

Wednesday was a fairly uneventful day. I taught another year 6 class and we did some more Christmassy activities and then did my quiz again with a year 10 class, who seemed to really like it. On my way home a little snow started to fall, which just added to the festive feeling. One more day to go!

Thursday was another eventful day and rather easy day for me. I only had two lessons and I did the quiz in both of them. I was actually really proud if the quiz that Lois and I made together and I really hope the students remembered some of the interesting facts that I told them about. I like to think that together, Lois and I have informed the school children of Bavaria about Christmas time in England. One of the questions asked what doesn't traditionally take place on Christmas day and gave a choice of answers. One of options was 'People jumping in the sea and swimming' - i.e The traditional Christmas Day Swim in Brighton. Many Students were surprised to learn about this, and I was shocked when one of the students asked me if I had ever done it?! I explained that you had to be pretty crazy to do something like that, so no, I hadn't. I must come across as one of those crazy wackos who's into that sort of thing!

I left school on Thursday, after having been wished a lovely Christmas time by almost every teacher, with a little spring in my step / spring in my pedal. I caught the train to Lois' and spent the entire journey listening to Christmas music. Michael Buble, Slade and other classics all helped the journey fly by and I was soon at Lois' to begin our Christmas holidays! We were both very excited on Thursday evening and we watched 'Love Actually' - It was such a nice feeling and I was reminded again, why 'Love Actually' is one of my all time favourite films. Watching it after spending time in a different country, really made us aware and appreciative of all the lovely things in England during Christmas time.

Friday was spent chilling and packing. And blogging. Tomorrow, we go to Munich. We plan on visiting the last of the Christmas Markets and soaking up the festive atmosphere. We're staying in a hotel, so we don't have get up too early for our midday flight from Munich to Manchester. We're both really excited and can't wait to see our families again, but equally, we've had such an amazing time so far. From doing a Segway tour through Vienna to discovering the wonders Prague, visiting Dresden, Frankfurt and many other beautiful German cities along the way. From drinking Bavarian beer in a  Bavarian restaurant to actually becoming official residents of our towns, we really feel a little bit German now. Our language skills are improving and we really hope to build on this in the new year. After 15 weeks here (105 days!) we both feel like we've grown up a lot, learned loads and will approach things with a new mind set - and we're not even half way through it yet!

So all that is left for me to say is, thank you for reading and

Frohe Weihnachten und ein gutes neues Jahr! 

Bis Januar,

Marcus

'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas' (Although it started looking like Christmas in November over here!)

(A long one I'm afraid guys! I'd get a cup of tea!)

The penultimate week before the much needed Christmas break had an intense beginning. On Monday, I had not one, not two, but three lessons with year 6 classes. I hadn't met any of these classes before, and as always (especially with the younger pupils), they were very intrigued by the presence of a real Engländer. Now, I know that I've said I enjoy working with younger pupils, and I do, but after almost four hours with extra loud, extra enthusiastic pupils and after answering question after question is does wear you out! But I would much rather it be this way, than them not saying anything at all. It was all good fun and I started with introducing myself with the help of some pictures ( including one of my family - I hope you don't mind guys!) and then got them to prepare a little information about themselves to read out. I was very surprised to learn that at least half of the pupils in these classes, had one parent from another country. But this just made the presentations more interesting! Especially when they had to tell us about their favourite food - Food from Kosovo, Brazil, Spain and Poland where all mentioned - and that's just mentioning a few! In the afternoon, I had a solid two hours of this and when it finally was time to leave, I was pleased - that was until I exited the school and discovered the rain. So, remember I cycle to school? And remember it takes about 30 mins? Yes, well it was a wet ride back on Monday afternoon. In addition, my current bike doesn't have any mud guards, meaning all the dirt and water from the road gets thrown up onto me and my face! I arrived back with a mud-splattered face and some very dirty clothes. Thankfully it was on my way home (it could have been embarrassing if this was the case on my way TO school!) and there is a washing machine here (although the less said about that the better - I very nearly flooded the room because I added too much powder and couldn't read the German instructions! Oops!). This Year Abroad really is character building!

On Tuesday, I was with another new class. Here, we talked about England and the symbols they associate with England and then the same for Germany. So for England we had things like Big Ben, the Royals, Manchester United, Fish & Chips and strangely The Golden Gate Bridge was suggested (what is it with Germans and their lack of Geographical knowledge about the Golden Gate Bridge!?) but we quickly established it was Tower Bridge that was meant. A particularly interesting one, was one boys suggestion of 'The cool pronunciation of words'. I think this is nice to know - Never be afraid to speak to a German people, by the sounds of it, they will love your voice! For the Germany ones, we had lots of football related suggestions (FC Bayern, Allianz Arena etc) and unsurprisingly 'Beer' was the first suggestion. Of course Lederhosen, Bratwurst and Pretzels were also on the list. It was a fun class and they asked if I would come back again - I'm sure this 'phase' of pupils wanting me to come back will wear off soon. I think I'm still a novelty.

 This was taken on my way home from school one evening. I thought the Regensburg Cathedral against the red sky made for a very tranquil setting and a good picture.

On my return to the house on Tuesday afternoon I discovered a table full of biscuits and treats. A little note had been left basically saying 'Help yourself'. With no one else in the house, this could have been a dangerous manoeuvre on Beates part! (I contemplated devouring the majority and blaming it on the cat, but decided against it) These 'Plätzchen' (Cookies/Biscuits/Treats) had been baked by Beate the previous night. I spoke to her about it and she explained that it is very traditional for Germans to bake these types of things at Christmas time. She only made about five different batches (only - pfftt) but she told me it isn't uncommon for people to make twenty or thirty different batches of these for the Christmas period! I think it's really nice, that simple traditions like home baking at Christmas certainly hasn't 'died out' here in Germany. I know people in England do a little baking during Christmas, but this is definitely on a much bigger scale! And yes, they taste delicious! In other festive news, my evenings of lesson planning have been accompanied by Christmas songs which has been really nice and exciting. I love it!

On Wednesday in school, I discovered my talent (or maybe 'lack of' is more suitable) for acting. Myself and a fellow teacher did a 'role-play' in one of the English lessons, to introduce some new phrases and vocabulary to them. We had a few props, but I left them in my bag. Although it didn't go completely to plan, we still got a round of applause and hopefully it did the job. I didn't have anything planned on Wednesday evening and was consequently feeling bored and a little fed up, but fortunately for me Beate came to my rescue! At about half past six, she spontaneously invited me to a Christmas Concert, to which she had some spare tickets. It turned out that, not only were the tickets 30 Euros each (and she was offering them to me for free) but they were also to see the Regensburg Domspatzen (or Regensburg Male Choir). Now this choir is world famous - They performed for the Queen when she visited Germany, they performed at a NATO summit for world leaders and in 2006 they performed for the Pope himself in the Vatican city. I had heard about them and I was looking forward to seeing them. The performance took place in one of the big lecture theatres in the University and there was a good turn out. The Choir sounded heavenly (can't believe I just used that word) and they are seriously talented. They have a range of ages, from very young boys who sing the high notes, to the older boys, who sing the lower tones, but everything just fits together so well. The first half consisted of traditional German / Latin Choir songs, which I didn't recognise or understand, at all. However, after the interval, it got a little more festive and I recognised just a few songs. I did enjoy it, but it doesn't give me as much of a 'buzz' as maybe it does with others. Nevertheless, another good experience (which, according to Lois is becoming my phrase of the Year Abroad)

Thursday was simply 'another day in school'. I had a particularly unmotivated group of students, and despite my best efforts, the only answers I seemed to get were 'Yes' or 'No'. Some students really are keen to talk and make the most of having me around, but others, and I totally understand it, are very intimated and as a result, just don't talk! It's very difficult and at times awkward trying to motivate these particular students. On Thursday evening Lois and I made our way into Regensburg to visit the markets and to meet with another language assistant based in Regensburg. We had a catch up, had a Bratwurst (obviously!) and enjoyed the Christmassy atmosphere.

Friday was 'Christmas Shopping Day'. After a haircut (Despite getting maybe a little too much taken off AGAIN (I'm sorry Lois), this experience was much more pleasant and I created small talk with the hairdresser - much more like England and less of the sitting in awkward silence, which the Germans seem to prefer), we began the task. We both had good ideas of what we needed, so it was a really fun day. I even managed a little 'haggling' with a market trader - ok, I only saved 1 Euro, but it's still a deal, and surprisingly, we both had ticked everything off our lists by the end of the day.

On Friday evening, it was party time! We had both been invited to a Christmas Party at one of my schools. We went along, wearing a Christmas Jumper and armed with Mince Pies, but still with a little trepidation. There was that awkward standing around, like at any party and I was really glad to have Lois with me, as otherwise I would have been a right loner! The teachers already had little groups, but as the night went on, the situation eased. We enjoyed some tasty German party food (Ham, Potato Salad, other salads, pasta...) and had a really fun time doing the quiz. We were both in demand as English speakers, and we were split up as the team were organised into months of birth. My team aced the music round (thanks to my amazing knowledge on Christmas Music and we actually ended up winning! Woop!) and fortunately both Lois' team and my team got the question about the Queens speech correct. We chatted a bit, practised German and met some new people. It was a very calm 'party', but it was nice. All that was left before we departed, was for me to embarrass Lois a little by joining the group of teachers signing a few festive hits. I was asked, and since the songs were in English, I felt I had no excuse. Much to Lois' embarrassment and horror, I left my mark on the Christmas party by singing Jingle Bell Rock with the teachers - it was all good fun. On our way out, we were disappointed to see that, of the six mince pies we had brought to the party, only 1/3 (that's right 1/3) of ONE Mince pie had been 'nibbled' - it seems Mince Pies are even more unpopular in Germany than they are in England!

Saturday was another day to be merry and festive. We did a little more shopping and browsing in Regensburg, really trying to make the most of our last full weekend here before Christmas. Our afternoon got a whole lot warmer, when we discovered the free Jägermeister samples in one of the shopping centres. Only in Germany! After a warming hot chocolate and Jägermeister (it works surprisingly well!), we merrily went on our way and returned to the house to continue the festivities with a Christmas film. 'The Holiday' was Fridays choice and it was lovely to watch together and left us feeling all festive. We ended Saturday with a delicious meal at a Mexican restaurant in Regensburg. Seeing as though this was our final weekend in Germany, and we have successfully made it through almost half of our Year Abroad, we figured a celebration was in order, and we can think of no better way than to celebrate with Nachos, Burritos and Enchiladas! Like I said it was absolutely delicious and whilst eating we laughed and reminisced about all the great things we've done. It was a real celebration, and we feel it was thoroughly deserved. We waddled back, with stomachs almost bursting and big smiles.

Free Jagermeister Hot Chocolate!

                                                                                                NACHOSSSSS!

On Sunday, we continued with the Christmas theme and decided to visit the daddy of all Christmas Markets - Nuremberg. Nuremberg is famed for its Christmas Market and it's easy to see why. No, it's not as huge as we were expecting, but it's still pretty sizeable and it's just so Christmassy! There's a real mix of things for sale and some beautiful decorations on display. We arrived about 10:30 and fortunately before the crowds. We explored and the fact it took us two hours to see it all, shows how much there is to see. By lunch time it was getting very busy and the small paths between stalls became slow moving queues of people waddling whilst at the same time eating sausage and drinking Glühwein. We saw some really cool things, tried some new foods and had a great day out. We were both impressed with the Market and would definitely agree that it is the king of Christmas Markets.


















There really are some beautiful gifts at the Weinachtsmarkts.







The Market Square in Nuremberg is just full of stalls






















                                                                                                 
                            A Lebkuchen Heart to share. Ich liebe Dich = I love you

 And of course, no Christmas Market experience is complete, without seeing Santa playing an accordion with his little helper sat patiently by his side.                                                                                                     


So with one week to go, we are both super excited. This week in school, we are both doing various Christmas themed lessons. For example, we prepared a British Christmas Quiz together, which should be fun (I think I've been asked to do the quiz with around 10 classes - I will know it off by heart by the end of the week!) and it should make the last week a little more relaxing. But to think that this very time next week, we will both be home is a spine tingling thought. It's not that we aren't enjoying ourselves - totally the contrary - it's just that we haven't seen family and home for a while and we both need a little break. I plan on doing another post at the end of the week, before we make our way to Munich on Saturday and then fly home on Sunday, so check back soon!

Below are two pictures that I would like to leave you with:

 
 
 



This German Pun actually made me laugh. Let me try and explain.
Many Germans eat Goose for Christmas dinner. Got it?
The German word for Goose is 'Gans'.
Still with me?
'Ganz' (which when pronounced sounds just like 'Gans') means very or much.
Therefore this reads "A Goose Merry Christmas".
But if someone were to say it, it would mean "A very Merry Christmas"
Get it?
It's like us saying "A turkey Merry Christmas"
(If turkey also meant very)
Ok, scrap the last bit. But the Germans find this funny, OK?!






And here, we see a clever system which enables us to tell the weather. The sign reads:
Stone Dry - Nice
Stone White - Snow
Stone Wet - Rain
Stone Shiny - Frost
Stone Invisible - Fog
Stone on the ground - Earthquake
Stone no longer here - Stolen

Oh, those crafty Germans!

 

That's all for now folks! Until next time,

 

 

Tschüß!

More festivities and a weekend in Frankfurt

Monday morning began with an unfamiliar greeting. As I entered the staffroom, a teacher greeted me. "Good Morning Rudolph". "Oh, hello" I replied. She was, of course, referring to my little red nose, which I had acquired after my very cold cycle to school. Obviously, since I'm now living a little further from school, it takes me a little longer to get to school - My commute to school takes around half an hour on the bike, but it really doesn't phase me. When I leave it's often very dark, but there is something really quite nice about a cold morning bike ride in the dark, that I enjoy. ("what a freak" I hear you think. Oh and don't worry Grandma, I have lights on my bike) Yes, ok, my hands get cold. Oh, and my ears. And my nose obviously shows signs of penetrating through the cold, German morning air, but I really do enjoy it. The route is relatively flat, bike paths are provided and the surface is smooth. And I like to think that it helps me maintain some of my 'form' that I built up over months of summer cycling, so that when I get back and hop back on the bike, I won't be huffing and puffing by the time I reach the end of the driveway. In addition, the lovely Beate, with whom I currently living, allows me to use one of her bikes. It's a lot lighter than my previous one and much more enjoyable to ride.

So back to school - On Monday, I had a very easy day. I only had two lessons scheduled and one of those was cancelled due to a test. I spent most the day wandering round Regensburg and doing a little Christmas shopping at the markets. I could definitely get used to that! But I did assist in the school in the afternoon and did some extra work with a few students who were struggling with certain aspects of English language.

Tuesday involved me, once again, working with students who needed a little more practice. I had prepared some worksheets to work through and we went through them together. At the beginning they did struggle a little, but by the end it really seemed as though they had got to grips with it. It really was very rewarding and I think I even saw that 'click' moment (which of course was accompanied by an 'Achh soooo') as their brains suddenly realised what was required. This moment gave me a little understanding as to why teachers teach. That feeling of actually teaching somebody and them understanding it and then them being able to use this, can't be compared to anything else really. (but don't get me wrong, I still don't want to be a teacher)

On Wednesday, I had a very busy day. I took part in several classes, which involved lots of speaking games and moving around the class. Despite my charming looks and attempt to be 'smiley' very few people actually want to be paired with me, so the teacher often has to suggest a specific person comes and work with me. I totally understand this, as even now, for me, speaking German to a native can be a scary experience. I did some more exercises with pupils who were struggling (This time trying to teach them the difference between 'since' and 'for' - they really do struggle with this, as in German you use one word. They really get mixed up ie. "I have been at the school since two years", but by the end of the session, I felt that some of them had it.)

My last lesson on Wednesday was with a totally new class and I spoke about School in England. I had prepared a presentation and they genuinely found it interesting. As the Germans don't wear uniform in schools, the concept of a school uniform really does fascinate them. Many of them even said they would like a uniform (What do you think about that, Freya!?) They were interested to learn that school starts later in England and finishes later and they decided that they preferred school in Germany, because they could have afternoons free. They were horrified by detentions and isolation as punishment (here they get a letter home or even worse, have to bake a cake for the class). I brought an school photo to show them and I had brought in my school tie from high school as a 'real-life' example. Only one boy in the class knew how to tie a tie (Why would the others... they don't wear them, remember!) and he demonstrated how it looked. I then demonstrated how the 'cool kids' wore their ties (big knot, tiny tie) which they found funny. Overall it was a good lesson and I feel like I taught them something which they really found interesting. Following the lesson, some girls started questioning me about various aspects to English and England and I ended up staying for quite a while as we talked. It was nice and they begged me to come back next week. It's nice to be appreciated.








This is an Advent Wreath in one of my schools - Every Sunday in December a candle is lit, until all four candles are lit meaning Christmas is soon!






On Thursday morning, I was in another class. My role was to answer any questions, as they were doing exam practice. This was a year 9 class and it was all boys. The teacher said to me at the beginning "They can be very loud, so you have to treat them like they are complete assholes" - Just another example of how the Germans don't beat about the bush. I joined a year 6 class later that day as a spectator, since the class was being taught be a trainee teacher who was being assessed. The young pupils are still very intrigued by a native English speaker and kept turning around during the class to try and talk to me! I felt very guilty! On Thursday evening I made my way to Eichstätt to see Lois. We had a chilled evening and then did some lesson planning on Friday morning. On Friday afternoon, we had our first meeting with German snow, which got us both worryingly excited, to say that we are both 'adults'. On Friday evening we visited Ingolstadt, a city just half an hour from Lois and went to the Christmas market. It was a really nice market and there was a great atmosphere. It was however, as seems to be the norm now, absolutely freezing, so we didn't stay for a long time, but it was nice to experience yet another market.













 Ingolstadt Weihnachstmarkt






                                Eichstätt looks lovely in the snow










On Saturday, we awoke bright and early and caught a train to Frankfurt. This was a spontaneous trip, planned only a week previously, and we had arranged to meet with two friends from university. Anna, is a friend from our first year at Aston and is doing her second year abroad and is also a teaching assistant (She loved it so much the first time, she stayed for another year!) and Anthony, also a friend we met in first year, is just doing a 6 month placement at a German University. This was the first time, we had seen them for a long time and it was so lovely to see them when their train arrived at Frankfurt station. We all got on immediately and it was just like 'old times'. We laughed about first year antics, reminisced about university life and got all excited in anticipation for our final year together back at uni.

We made our way to the Christmas Market, which was huge. The Christmas Market in Birmingham is the Frankfurt Christmas Market and it was a similar layout, but here it was obviously bigger. We arrived mid afternoon and it was busy and throughout the afternoon/evening it just got even busier. We enjoyed Bratwurst, Sweets and delicious candied nuts, coated in every flavour you could imagine. Once in got dark and we'd browsed all of the stalls, we sampled a few of Frankfurts bars and enjoyed some drinks / cocktails. We visited the Skybar, which is a bar on the terrace of a really tall building and looked at the Market below which was cool. In one of the bars, we decided to make a prompt departure, when Lois noticed a mouse scurry up one of the curtains! This put us all off and we swiftly moved on. It was after midnight, when we decided to head back to our hostel for the night. Our hostel was a short tram ride away but it was a top-notch place. The word hostel, makes people think of dirty, dingy rooms shared with random weirdo's but at a cheap price. This hostel was indeed cheap (less than 20Euros each for the night!) but was a very comfortable place. We shared a 4 bed room and it was spotless - equipped with a TV, a really nice bathroom and beds that were really comfortable ("more comfortable than my actual bed" exclaimed Anna!). The staff were friendly and we were really impressed with our experience. We would definitely stay again. (It was called Meininger and it is a chain - If you ever need a cheap place, check them out - we can thoroughly recommend them!)

On Sunday we woke, packed up and then went back into the centre for breakfast. We returned to a bar / restaurant we had visited the previous night and enjoyed a fantastic buffet breakfast. For less than 10 Euros, we enjoyed the huge spread of food (from bread rolls and meats to cereal and yogurts. From sausages and eggs to doughnuts and pastries) and we all 'filled our boots'. It was delicious! After this we made our way to the station. Unfortunately, due to mine and Lois' train leaving in three minutes, we had to say a quick and rushed goodbye and quickly go our separate ways.

We both had such a great time. It's so nice to meet up with friends and share experiences and laugh about previous ones. We all got on so well, to say we hadn't spent time together recently and we all have many good memories from the weekend. It went so fast and it's a shame we only had such a short time together. In terms on Frankfurt, we didn't really see much. The Christmas Market was very impressive and some of the huts are like houses, built especially for the Market, which shows how much of a big deal it all is over here. The city was very modern and had lots of good shops and since Frankfurt is the finance capital of Germany, the skyline, with all the tall buildings, is very impressive. I'm sure we will visit again.

Frankfurt Station looking very festive

 Enjoying Bratwurst

             I told Santa what I wanted for Christmas

 

I posted my Christmas wish
 

Good times spent with good friends :D

 So many nuts!

 

 

 

 

 

 Classy!

The Christmas coutdown begins...

So another week begins. Not really much to report, as like I said before, I find myself in a fairly standard routine now. On Monday, I was asked to simply read aloud for the class as part of a listening activity. I read a text and they answer questions / fill gaps etc. Hearing a native person speaking is something very valuable for language learners and is so much better than listening to an unrealistic tape recording which is what they normally do. Although this task was very simple for me, I enjoyed it and it felt like it was appreciated. My teacher even went on to say that she "could listen to me all day", which I understood, but still found it a little odd. She said that my accent and the English accent in general is pleasant to listen to and sounds intelligent whereas the American accent just makes people sound stupid. I get the feeling that English (and here I mean British English rather than American/Other forms of English) really is held in high regard by speakers of other languages. So if you're reading and understanding this, consider yourself very fortunate!

Tuesday and Wednesday were also normal days. Although at one point, a whole class started chanting my name as I entered the room. I guess that's not very normal but apart from that, yes, normal. One thing I did notice this week in both my schools was that, since a lot of classes have recently done tests, they received their tests back and if they scored below a certain score, the test had to be taken home and signed by a parent to prove that it had been recognised and (hopefully) the parent has had a stern word with their son/daughter. I don't ever recall this happening at my school and I think its a good idea. This way the pupil can't hide the fact that their aren't working hard enough and their parent also knows this. Good work Germany! On Wednesday evening I also sampled my first German Doner Kebab (or Döner Kebap). These seem to be a staple of most peoples diet here and there are loads of Döner shops. You're probably thinking 'Eurgh!' and I don't blame you, but the Doners here are different. In England, yes, they are something only drunk people eat when they've been kicked out of a club in the early hours of a cold Sunday morning. They're greasy, unhealthy and made from goodness knows what. I certainly wouldn't want to eat one. But here in Germany they are better quality and more healthily. They are often served in proper Turkish eateries, which says a lot too. Mine was packed with fresh salad and the origin and 'make-up' of the meat was displayed. I enjoyed it a lot.

Following this, I continued my run of new experiences and went to my first real German 'Stammtisch'. A 'Stammtisch' is basically just a meeting or get together, often a club or society etc. I received a spontaneous invite from Verena, my tandem partner and as part of my saying yes policy, I simply had to accept. We made our way to a cosy little bar in Regensburg where her Philosophy university class meet on a regular basis. It was a really friendly atmosphere and I was immediately welcomed. It was great to chat with people of a similar age to me and actually speak casual, conversational German. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was actually able to hold a conversation and almost everybody commented that they were impressed with my level. It was really reassuring and I really enjoyed myself. It felt like a very rewarding evening
and I left with a smile on my face (and only €2 down after two beers -two! I told you it was cheap over here!) I hope to go there again sometime.

Following my day in school on Thursday, Lois came to Regensburg once again, this time with a large case in order to help me move out on the Saturday. However, before that, we had far more important business to attend to. Thursday saw the opening of many of the Christmas Markets here in Germany, including the several markets here in Regensburg. Now if you weren't already aware, Germans take the business of Christmas pretty serious. Christmas is up there with Football, Beer and Sausage. (And if you didn't know, that Christmas Tree soon to be erected in your front room has origins right here in Germany!) I would go as far to say that the actual build up to Christmas, ie the first three weeks of December, is more important to Germans than Christmas Day itself! This is shown through the fact that many of the Christmas cards I have seen actually wish a happy 'Adventszeit' (the period before Christmas) rather than a Merry Christmas like in England. So on Thursday we wrapped up warm, thermals and everything, and made our way out to the Weihnachtsmarkt. The recognisable smell of Bratwurst and Glühwein and the glittering lights of the huts could be made out long before we got
there. It really is magical and it really can't be replicated. The market was heaving. The Germans wait 11 months every year for this and when it comes, it appears the entire population comes out to make the most of it. The atmosphere is nevertheless very friendly and warm. Due to the huge crowds, we
didn't get to see many of the stalls and we were disappointed to find that they sold out of Bratwurst long before the market closed - the Germans selling out of sausage! Who would've thought?! Despite this disappointment we had a lovely first experience of real German Christmas Markets.

Regensburg Christmas Markets






















On Friday, we returned and started a little Christmas shopping. Since my flat had been practically completely packed away into boxes, we had no place to make breakfast, so instead, we went to a great little Bagel shop and had a tasty bagel breakfast. Later, we visited market stalls and also went to the large shopping centre in Regensburg which was also decorated all festive. Friday evening we finally got out 'Bratwurst-fix' with a 1/2 meter bratwurst back at the market. Interesting trying to eat it but tasted great! We also sampled some warm, sugared peanuts, which the Germans seems to love and then warmed up in a few bars with a few drinks before heading back.

Picture number one of Marcus' new 'Sausage Cam' album.


                                                                                                                                         Relaxing with a cocktail


Saturday began with the moving of boxes and packing up the contents of my room into three suitcases. We helped load boxes into a van and then made the journey to Eichstätt. Relieved to arrive after heaving bags around several train stations and several train changes, we continued the Christmas market theme by visiting Lois' local market. It was on a much smaller scale, but perhaps even more cute and cosy. There were some really lovely homey things on sale and again lots of tasty Glühweins and foods. (Speaking of Glühwein - The extremely cheap price of a bottle means that we are getting through an increasingly-worrying amount. The other night we purchased one bottle and within an hour it was gone - GONE! But hey, that's how the Germans do it!) There is even a small ice rink here, which we definitely have to try at some point. It's a shame we can't purchase some of the lovley wreaths and home ornaments, but we just couldn't get them back. Some of the gifts that you can purchase are simply wonderful. We both can't wait to discover even more markets! Finally on Saturday, we did perhaps the most important pre-December task of all - purchasing Advent Calendars. Choosing an Advent Calendars here in Germany isn't an easy task. I've already explained how seriously they take Christmas and as a result, the range of Advent Calendars to buy is massive. But we eventually settled on two nice ones, made by popular German chocolate brand 'Milka' - Let the countdown begin!

 

Eichstätt Christmas Lights - I'm sure they look more effective by night.

We got right into the Christmas spirit by watching the first Christmas film of the year on Sunday afternoon. 'The Santa Claus' made us feel very festive and excited. We also re-visited the Eichstätt market and sampled some delicious Jägerpunsch. A sort of hot tea with a dash of liquor. Delicious on a cold afternoon.

And finally I better give you a little insight into where I'm actually writing this post from. Fortunately on Thursday, a teacher came to my rescue and said she had a contact who could offer me a room for December. I was really was saved at the last minute as I had mentally prepared myself for either a long commute from Lois beginning at 4am everyday or sleeping in a room with complete strangers in a Hostel. But fortunately here I am in a lovely house in Burgweinting, just south of Regensburg. I have my own room which is really cosy and my own bathroom. My room is in a lovely, big, modern house with a super kitchen and lots of space. The women who has kindly let me live here is so friendly and has gone out of her way to make me feel very at home. There is also another person who rents a room, so I think the house will be quite an active place. Although it's outside of the city, it's not far on the bike and there are good train/bus connections. I really feel very fortunate.

So until next time,

Tschüß

 

Christmas Cookies, Leipzig and Dresden

Monday consisted of another standard day in the school. I was however approached by a teacher and asked if I could do a spontaneous talk about Thanksgiving. I explained that I don't know much about it, as we don't celebrate it England and the teacher was really surprised at this news. She genuinely thought that it was just as big of a celebration in England, as it is in America. She then went on to describe us as 'boring', due to not celebrating it. A little hypocritical I would say, but we all know the Germans like to speak their mind. On Monday afternoon, I met once more with my tandem partner and we had a good chat. I look forward to it and I really appreciate the fact I get to practise German in an informal and friendly environment.

Tuesday was another normal day in school. However on Tuesday, I found myself amidst a heated discussion about the England VS Germany football friendly which was on that evening. As I've said before, the Germans LOVE Football. And although it was only a friendly, they were getting pretty serious about it. I'm not really sure what happened next. The teachers were speaking very fast German and I didn't understand much of what was being said. The Headmistress had come to join in the conversation too. They were talking with me, but 'with' is a word I use loosely, since I didn't know what was going on. They were laughing a lot (I'm pretty sure it was at my expense - The fact that I'm from England, and we're not exactly well known for having a good football team) Before I know it, the Headmistress offers an outstretched hand and explains that we're going to make a bet. If England win, she will buy me chocolate. If Germany win, I have to buy her chocolate. Everyone was watching and I felt I couldn't refuse so I shook her hand. I know it's only chocolate at stake, which is probably a good thing, since my hopes weren't too high. I almost thought of buying it that very afternoon, just to save an almost certain job later in the week. The other teachers loved the fact they could 'take advantage of the Engländer' and I started receiving other offers. With a strong suspicion that England would lose, I declined all the other offers.

On Tuesday evening, I decided to watch the football. As I'm sure you all know, I'm hardly a football fan, but with nothing better to do, a bar of chocolate on the line and just because it was England VS Germany, I made my way into town to the local 'Sport Theatre'. This is a former cinema, which is now a bar/café and it shows all the major sporting events. It's really cool because the old cinema screen is still used, so I was able to watch the game on a HUGE screen. The atmosphere was surprisingly calm and the place was far from full. But non the less, it was an enjoyable evening. I bought myself a beer and just watched the football - I felt like a proper German! The match was good to watch and I even caught myself fist pumping a few times as England got close to scoring. I decided to control my enthusiasm, as I was surrounded by Germans in a German bar in Germany after all - Did I mention it was England VS Germany? Unfortunately the result wasn't in England's favour (Although losing 1-0 against the super-talented Germans is practically a victory for England). I had better go and buy that chocolate bar!

On Wednesday, it was a national holiday here in Germany. 'Bus und Bettag' is a religious celebration, where protestants are meant to go to church and repent their sins. Not many people actually do this and the children are just happy for an extra day off school. That, of course, means no school for Lois and I either! Hooray! We received an invite from one of Lois' teachers for lunch at her house. I thought it was lovely that I was invited too, considering I'd never met her. The town in which Gisela lives, is located between both Regensburg and Eichstätt, so I met Lois there. Gisela picked me up from the station after already picking Lois up and we then went to her house. Her house was lovely and we were greeted by her husband and two children. They were all very friendly and welcoming and just genuinely lovely people. The house was nice, modern and totally spotless. Very neat and orderly, just as you might expect. I was even given a pair of slippers, from their special 'Slippers for Guests' collection. Wow. We were given refreshments and then proceeded to bake some Christmas cookies with her children. We must have made about 60 different 'Plätzchen' and then decorated them. After this we enjoyed some hearty German soup, followed by homemade Apple Strudel (what else?!). We left around 3pm, as we were pretty worn out from all the intense German being spoken, but not without our own little lunchbox full of cookies. It was a really nice experience and they're such a lovely family. I'm sure it wont be the last time I see them.

Thursday was another normal day and nothing particularly notable happened (apart from Lois arriving in afternoon - hooray!) On Friday morning we began the long journey to Leipzig, where we would stay for two nights. The journey is 5 hours from Regensburg, so armed with a breakfast of Pretzels and Lebküchen we made ourselves comfy. We arrived in Leipzig at lunch time and went to our apartment. The apartment was however closed. and only after knocking on the door several times, were we told that check in wasn't until 4pm. Great. We trudged back to the centre, suitcases in hand, pretty fed up and seriously cold. We strolled round the centre and tried to get a feel for the city. First impressions were actually a little disappointing - We had heard so much about 'the wonderful city of Leipzig' and that following the fall of the wall (Leipzig was in the east) lots of money had been invested to restore it to its original beauty. Yes, it was a nice city, but it really wasn't anything special. Maybe we were seeing it on a bad day or maybe we were in the wrong part of town, but it didn't make a huge impression on us. We warmed up with a coffee and then made our way back to the apartment. We made ourselves comfortable and then went to buy some food and made a delicious pizza for tea. Following this we went out again, back into the centre to meet some other Language assistants that we had met on the course and one of whom, Lois had gone to school with. Here we were shown the student area of Leipzig and enjoyed a really nice evening in one of the bars. It was great to compare stories and reassuring to discover that everyone is experiencing the same feelings as us. It was a really nice evening.

Saturday we decided to see a few places of interest in Leipzig. We visited the Stasi Museum - For those of who don't know, the Stasi were the East German Secret Police, who would spy on the citizens to make sure everybody was staying loyal to the Government and not doing anything untoward. The Museum is in the actual former offices of the Stasi and it was interesting to look round. There was far too much information for us to take it all in, but it was interesting to visit. On our way back, we very nearly got caught up in a huge protest. We had noticed hundreds of police, head to toe in Riot Gear earlier (It's not like English Riot Gear either. These policemen looked like Terminator) and the crowd had gathered just as we arrived in the square. The atmosphere was actually quite scary, but we were both curious so we watched a little bit. The crowd had been drinking and they seemed very aggressive. As the march started it soon became apparent that things were getting violent. We saw pyrotechnics being lit, explosions sounded and fireworks were thrown. Police began running in all directions and lots of police vans suddenly started arriving containing even more police. We decided to move on and stay away.

















We made our way to the Völkerschlachtdenkmal which is a huge monument (the picture really doesn't do it justice) which commemorates Napoleons defeat at Leipzig. It was just outside of town and pretty impressive. Unfortunately, due to the weather, which was grey and miserable for the entire weekend, we weren't able to appreciate it fully and weren't able to visit the observation deck at the top. But it was definitely worth the visit. Following this, and with a desire to make the most of our visit to the Eastern Bundesland of Saxony, we caught a 90minute train to Dresden. As I'm sure you're all aware, Dresden is known for being (controversially) completely destroyed during the bombing campaigns of the Second World War. Dad warned me before the visit "Don't let them hear you speaking English!", but from stepping off the train, it was clear that the city had moved on. From the train station, we wandered through a beautiful arcade area with modern shops and a really friendly atmosphere. Like everywhere in Germany right now, Christmas Market stalls are being set up, which never fails to fill us with excitement. From here we entered the old town district. The city has been rebuilt to look exactly how it was before it destroyed. And they've certainly done a good job. We saw the city as the sun was setting and it was a lovely time to see it. The buildings are beautiful and the little streets are really nice. There just seemed to be a very friendly and warming atmosphere and the city itself reminded us of Prague or Vienna. You honestly wouldn't be able to tell, the city is less than one hundred years old, as the buildings have the architecture and design of a much older era. We didn't stay for long but we felt we got a feel for the city. It really is spectacular and we sort of wished we had stayed there instead. But we made our way back to Leipzig and had a cosy night back at the apartment.

Leaving on Sunday morning, we both said that we had had a really good weekend. It was great to catch up with friends and although we were a little disappointed with the city of Leipzig, we're really glad to have visited it. Maybe the problem was, that it had just been 'bigged up' a little too much. Dresden was however lovely and we could definitely visit again. On the train back we had an exciting chat about Christmas, which ended up making us far too excited and consequently a little homesick. Because of the markets and the decorations that are appearing all around us, it feels like Christmas is actually here, but we need to keep our feet on the ground and hang in there for another four weeks. Hopefully they will go fast!

This week is my last week in my current flat. Unfortunately the flat has to be vacated next Saturday, meaning I need to find somewhere else. Now, I'm sure you remember the difficulty of finding a flat in the first place, so finding somewhere for three weeks in December is almost impossible. Despite the best efforts of my teachers and friends, it's looking unlikely. Therefore I may end up in a Hostel/Hotel. It's only for three weeks and I'm in the fortunate position of having Lois' flat in Eichstätt that I can share at weekends. I'm feeling nervous right now as I'm going into the unknown, but I'm sure it will work out ok. And as Lois' teacher said on Wednesday, there's plenty of bridges on the Donau. i.e You can sleep under a bridge for three weeks. Hopefully not!

So I'm really not sure where I will be writing my next post next week from. But until then...


Tschüß