Barcelona!

 

 

Our weekend in Barcelona began early on Friday morning. We awoke bright and early at 5:00 and got one of the first buses to the train station. At the station however, we soon discovered that the stereotype of German 'Pünktlichkeit' or punctuality, is actually a big, fat lie. People seem surprised when we've told them how impressed we have been with Deutsche Bahn so far. Despite the stereotype that the Germans are always punctual, Deutsche Bahn apparently is pretty unreliable. But like I said, this hasn't affected us at all - until now. And this time we had a flight to catch - Typical. We had given ourselves plenty of time, so as we got to the station and realised our train was delayed by 5 minutes, we didn't worry. As the display changed to 10 minutes we sighed, but still nothing really to worry about. As the time gradually increased we began to get very edgy and nervous. Since we still had to get a bus AFTER our train journey in order to reach the airport, we started to feel nervous. The display now read 20 minutes and as the 20 minute mark approached, and with no sign of the train, we got pretty flustered. We both had visions of a weekend stuck in Regensburg after missing our flight. As the train rolled in 25 minutes later, I glared into the drivers cabin in such a way as to make our feelings about this delay well known, and at this point it all became clear. The driver was a woman. Typical! (hehe). The train journey wasn't very pleasant as we were now cutting it a bit fine, considering we had also missed our connecting bus to the airport due to the delay. As we waited for our later bus, we really didn't know if we would get there in time. As we pulled up to the terminal, we leapt off the bus and did that sort of run / walk thing that can often be seen in airports and train stations and frantically tried to find our gate. We found it and luckily it was still open. We had made it! With our bags dropped off, we proceeded through to departures, where the flight had just began boarding - perfect timing as it so happened. We didn't have to wait around and kill time like most people at airports and we got on the aircraft straight away. Our flight was with Lufthansa and this was the first time either of us have flown with them, and boy were we impressed. For a start, you have considerably more leg space than on lots of other flights. Secondly the service is particularly good. And thirdly, you get food! We weren't expecting our little breakfast package but it was a lovely surprise. Fortunately this journey was on time and relieved that we had actually made it, we arrived in Barcelona at our expected time. The sun was shining, it was warmer than Germany and we were really excited to spend a weekend there.

 

Frühstück über den Wolken - Breakfast above the clouds

After just about working out the ticketing system for the transport network, as well as the transport network itself, we soon found ourselves in the city, trying to find our hotel. I made a complete fool of myself as I tried to ask for directions and pronounced the street that we were looking for in totally the wrong way - but we eventually found our hotel. It was a cute little hostel, very close to the centre but a slight walk from the metro station. Nevertheless for what we paid, it was perfect and it was brand new! Eager to explore, we dumped our bags and set out again. It was 14:00 and we had all afternoon to explore. The weather was positively tropical in comparison to the cold we had left behind in Germany, and I cant tell you how good it felt not to have to wear a big, thick, heavy coat. It really did feel like we were on our summer holidays as we wandered down the palm tree lined streets, as mopeds whizzed around, and tourists in sunglasses gasped at the funky architecture. It was such a good feeling. We strolled around the bustling streets, past posh, boutique shops, through fountain filled squares, past beautiful buildings, took in the sights of the vibrant market selling huge arrays of delicious fruits and meats and made our way all the way down to the beach. I'm sure you can see from the pictures, but the weather was just spot on and it was very easy to forget that it was actually the beginning of February. Lois kept asking me why we hadn't studied Spanish at university, since after a Year Abroad in sunny Spain, we would definitely be coming home with a good tan!

 

 
 

In the very centre is a long boulevard called 'Las Ramblas', filled with outdoor restaurants and places to sit and drink. Yes, it is very touristy and you're often approached and persuaded to take a seat, but the area is indeed really nice and the atmosphere is very friendly and relaxed. We hadn't been in Spain long, but we had already decided that it was time for Sangria and a Spanish beer, so we took a seat at one of the outdoor seating areas, bought a drink each and relaxed in the sun and people watched. It was just perfect and again, we had to keep pinching ourselves to remind ourselves that we weren't on our two week jollies and it wasn't the middle of August! As the sun was slowly setting and we were comfortably 'rehydrated', we made our way to the famous 'Magic Fountain'. This is a large fountain and on a Friday and Saturday evening, once the sun has set, you can watch a water show accompanied with lights and music. The fountain spurts water in different patterns and lights make the water appear coloured. It really was a fantastic sight and the music just completed the show. I can't compare it to anything I've seen before and it was certainly a highlight of the trip. A trip back to Las Ramblas saw us enjoying some more typical Spanish cuisine in the form of Paella and you've guessed it - more Sangria. The Paella was a little disappointing, but we felt it had to be done. We went back to our hotel to rest in preparation for another day of exploring on the Saturday.

Saturday began with another early start. We made our way to the Sagrada Familia, one of the most famous icons of Barcelona. We had heard that if you hadn't booked, you could find yourself queuing for hours. With this in mind we arrived before the opening time of 9:00, and sure enough there was already a queue. We reserved a slot for later in the afternoon and made our way to one of the many parks the city has to offer. A bit like Central Park in New York, there are several parks in the centre of Barcelona. A patch of greenery in a sea of urbanisation, if you like. It was very tranquil walking amongst green open space and flowerbeds, yet still being in the centre of a major city. We came across the Arc De Triomf, which if you hadn't guessed by the spelling, is not the one in France. The one in Barcelona is based on its French brother, but a little smaller and not quite as majestic. Nevertheless, it's an impressive sight. We returned to the city centre but this time via the Gothic area of the city. This was perhaps our favourite part of the whole city. The Gothic quarter is a maze of tiny little streets, densely packed with high rise flats and unique shops. It's a very old part of the city, and there really is so much to see. There are several points where you can go right, left or straight on and each street offers a huge variety of shops which in turn offer many culinary delights, traditional Spanish gifts, unique fashion styles and everything in between. It really is a lovely part of the city and it's so difficult to see it all. It's certainly one of these places where you can go back and see something different each time. We recommend any visit to Barcelona to include at least an afternoon meandering through the maze of streets in the Gothic quarter.

A trip to Barcelona wouldn't be complete without going to the beach and seeing the sea now would it!? I never thought I would be seeing the sea on my Year Abroad but here we were gazing out at it. People were surfing and the promenade was full of joggers, cyclists and other tourists. It's such a cool city, as the golden beach is only a short distance from the sights and sounds of the bustling city. We enjoyed our first ice cream of the year (in February!) and made our way back to the Sagrada Familia for our reserved time. The Sagrada Famila is a huge church, built by Gaudi, a famous Spanish architect, and is actually not yet finished. Gaudi was largely influenced by nature and these signs can be seen everywhere, from the spiral staircases which represent the spiralling of falling leaves to the large supporting pillars which give the illusion of being in a forest. It's a spectacular building and unlike anything else I've experienced - and that's something considering some of the Cathedrals here in Germany! It was a such a calming experience as we wandered around the building and took in the atmosphere. The beautiful stained glass windows gave the interior an amazing array of colour. We then took the lift up one of the towers, following a recommendation from a friend. As we stepped out and looked out over the entire city, we both gasped. The view was incredible, but not in the usual sense. Barcelona isn't a particularly pretty city to view from above. The colours of the buildings aren't really very attractive and the skyline is a little flat. The typical Spanish image of dirty balconies with washing hanging out can be seen everywhere, yet the view is still incredible. You can see so much and you really get an idea of the density of the city. The sea can be seen in the distance and it makes you realise just how big Barcelona is. We enjoyed the view, but looking down gave me wobbly knees, so we soon began our dodgy descent down a long, spiral staircase. At the bottom we returned to the main church and took a seat to soak up the calming atmosphere before leaving and going back to our room for a quick rest. The walking had really taken it out of us, so the rest was very much needed.

Feeling a little more energised we made our way out for our last evening in Barcelona. We found a very, very well priced Sangria bar and enjoyed maybe one too many jugs of deliciously fruity Sangria before making our way back to the Gothic quarter where we enjoyed some typical Spanish tapas. We tried some Spanish ham, Spanish potatoes and we even had some octopus! We were sat outside and it was a lovely final meal out. There was just enough time to sample the Spanish delicacy of hot churros and chocolate as dessert before heading back to the hotel for a much needed sleep! We were exhausted after a very busy few days, but we're so glad we did what we did, as we really feel we made the most of it.

Barcelona should definitely be on everybodys 'places to visit' list. There is so much so see and it's a beautiful city. We've both said that it has been one of the best places we've ever visited. Ok, it's quite expensive, and some parts are a little too touristy, but the city itself has a wonderful atmosphere and we hope to return one day.

 

But for now it's a return to cold, snowy Germany!

 

 

Until next time,

Tschüß!

A little snow and a trip to Stuttgart

On Monday morning I discovered exactly why everything continues to run so smoothly following heavy snowfall here in Germany. And the reason... Because they start shovelling the damned white stuff at 5:00 in the morning! I was woken on Monday by the sound of a spade scraping across rough tarmac right outside my window. Now I knew the Germans were efficient, but not this efficient. The snow had barely settled and already it was being shovelled to the side to allow the week to begin as normal. Although I complain, I guess it's a good thing and I can put the timing down to the fact that everyone begins school / work so early in comparison to the UK. I have to say, the subsequent ride to school was, at times, a little sketchy, but I made it without any problems. This is the heaviest snowfall I've experienced here in Germany so far, but like I said, it doesn't create a problem. Roads are cleared from the early hours, as well as most footpaths, and it really isn't as exciting as it in England. Maybe I've just grown up too fast or maybe because the chance of a 'snow day' is virtually non-existent here (since they are all too good at dealing with it! - Many students can't remember the last time they had a day off because of the snow), but the excitement and joy I used to feel when I opened my curtains to fresh snow has completely disappeared and has been replaced with frustration and a begrudging sigh.

It was a normal Monday for me this week. In one of my lessons I was put on the spot and asked whether the British still consider Germans to be 'Nazis' - I felt unbelievably awkward as the class turned around and awaited my answer. I think its difficult to say, because I know a lot of people strongly associate the two. However I explained that this isn't really case, especially with the younger generation. We didn't experience the era of Nazism and I think young people now are a lot more open minded. But I think for some of the older generations, the Germans and Nazis are always going to go hand in hand. For the past 3 years, I've been met with expressions of shock, surprise and confusion when I tell people I'm studying German. "Why?" is what everybody asks. And I think these expressions of shock and surprise are as a result of the negative, warped image of Germany and Germans, that many people unfortunately still have. One boy was quick to point out, that there is actually more Right Wing extremism in England than in many other countries at the moment, which gives an idea of the real situation.

Also in this class I was asked to act out part of the Year 10 speaking test with the teacher. It's basically introducing yourself to each other for 3 minutes. However when we had finished, and I'm no actor in the first place, I was criticised by the teacher for asking her too many questions about herself. She then put this down to the fact that I'm British and that's just how we are - polite. I would agree, and I think this can be a little strange for other cultures to understand. But I'm certainly proud of the fact that we are seen as a polite nation. We went on to discus how we Brits queue for everything, which is another strange concept for Germans especially to understand.

 

The ride home was a very pleasant one. The sun was gleaming in the sky and the snow reflected the rays, meaning I often found myself squinting. But the snow covered roofs and the covering of snow on top of the Cathedral in the distance made for very pretty sights.

Tuesday was a normal day, with very little to report (apart from the fact I may have treated myself to a new bike for the summer months back in England! I'm excited to ride it already!) On Wednesday, I did some more speaking with a Year 5 class. They are slowly opening up, but it is still pretty hard to get anything other than "Yes/No" out of them and sometimes I have to revert to German, in order to get through to them. I was blown away, however, when one young girl approached me after the class and asked for my autograph. That's right, my autograph! I proceeded to sign her piece of paper. I had barely finished before a hand was thrust into direction, with another girl asking me to sign her actual hand! I did this as well, and before I knew it, there was a line of students, with outstretched arms asking me to sign them! Crazy! Signing on skin is actually pretty difficult, I'll have you know! I hope their parents didn't mind. I can imagine a few confused faces, even angry expressions, when their child comes home with the signature of an Englishman in black ink on their body! Nevertheless, I had to smile about it and as I explained to Anja after "Ich fühlte mich wie einen Star" - I felt like a celebrity!

Thursday was a busy day in school, but with nothing much to report. For the first time in a while, I really enjoyed teaching one of my lessons, which was a pleasant change. Friday was another chilled day in Regensburg with Lois (which involved nearly being charged several hundred pounds when we
mistakenly booked a train journey at the 'Deutsche Bahn' ticket office in the train station. Fortunately we made it out before being forced to pay, but the assistants were definitely not happy with us!) On Friday evening we received news that we had successfully got a flat for our final year at university. This made us really excited and we cannot wait to move in in September. We are living with some really great people, who also study German, meaning there is going to be lots of partying 'German Style!'

Our weekend trip to Stuttgart, which I mentioned last week, took a disappointing turn on Thursday evening, when it turned out that Anna and Anthony wouldn't be joining us. Their journey to Stuttgart would last around 9 hours, meaning the time we could spend in Stuttgart would be even less than normal. They decided that the journey just wasn't worth it and we, although very disappointed, agreed. This didn't stop Lois and I still making our way to Stuttgart on Saturday morning. (The hotel had already been booked, so we didn't really have much choice!) We didn't really know what to expect, but looked forward to visiting one of 'The 10 best reviewed cities in Germany'...according to TripAdvisor anyway (we've done them all, except 3! We're hoping to tick them all off). Stuttgart is famous as the home of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and 'Ritter Sport' Chocolate (The Germans love it!). We successfully navigated the Stuttgart Transport Network, (we're getting pretty good at finding our way round now), but it wasn't made any easier by the fact that the U-Bahn (Underground) actually runs overground. Was it just us, or does this make no sense at all!? Anyway, we found our hotel, which was just on the outskirts of the city and despite the deceptively shabby exterior, the interior was rather posh. We, the two of us, checked into our 4 bed room that we had booked, which probably looked a little odd, but it meant we had lots of space. We went back into the centre and investigated what it had to offer. Stuttgart is a modern metropolis and full of shops. Königstraße, the main street, is almost a mile long and is similar to Oxford Street in London. It is just full of shops. It's a great young persons' city or great for a girly shopping day. It's definitely the best city we've seen in Germany in terms of shopping, but the city lacked culture and history. Yes, you can visit the Mercedes Museum, or the Porsch Muesum, or even the Pig Museum, but I felt it lacked the architectural beauty, and quite simply the 'German-ness' of many other German cities. It could have been a high street anywhere in the world.

The walk around the city was made a little more exciting by the discovery of (another) protest. If you remember, when we visited Leipzig, we almost got caught up in a rowdy protest. Here, with a large police presence, we made sure we didn't get too close. However, as one drunken man next to us, began scuffling with police, we decided to scarper! If you haven't guessed, Germans love to speak their mind and in this case it was concerning Sex Education in schools. Well, they love to speak their mind, or we just choose the wrong days to visit other cities! Protests aside, as the sun set we decided to look for somewhere to eat. Despite the huge collection of shops, we found it difficult to find a good restaurant to eat at. Our search ended up leading us to a 'different' area of town. We soon discovered we had found the red light district of Stuttgart. With flashing signs all around us advertising various 'shows' and with strange men wandering the streets and pavements, we concluded this was not somewhere we wanted to spend a lot of time, so made a quick exit. Fortunately we soon found a really cute little bar and restaurant and decided to make ourselves comfy. We enjoyed some good, and slightly stronger than normal, beer and exceptional food in a really cosy atmosphere. After this we made our way back for a well earned sleep.

 Mercedes Benz is Stuttgarts claim to fame

 Königstraße is the bustling hub of the city with lots and lots and lots of shops

 There is a large house in the centre (in the background here)but it seems to be unfortunately 'outshined' by the shops.     

 

 Having a well earned cake break - This Mohn Streusel has become one of my favourites!

 

Another protest!   

 

 

We discovered that there is a large Turkish population in Stuttgart. This is the biggest Döner I've ever seen!

 

This shop made us both laugh - On the right, the regular 'adult' entrance. On the left a special entrance for children. Or for people under 1 metre. Unfortunately I was a little too tall.

Sunday morning consisted of another quick visit to Königstraße, but as I'm sure you now know, NOTHING is open in Germany on Sundays, so we ended up passing the time in Starbucks before getting our train back. Four hours later, we were back at Lois' flat, another weekend over. Next weekend, we have a particularly exciting weekend trip planned. On Friday we're flying to Barcelona for two nights. We can't wait! But before then, another week at school beckons. With the Year 10 speaking exams getting ever closer, I sense my workload increasingly over the next few months. However, it's now February and it's nice to see the back of January. The weeks are slowly getting ticked off, and I know the end will be here before we know it. But until then, we have lots more to look forward to.

Until next time,

Tschüß

Lots of talking, Ice Hockey and a chilled weekend

Monday began slightly later than normal, as the class I normally attend first, were doing a test (The students here are tested so much! A lot more than in England. They have a test at least every few weeks) Nevertheless, I enjoyed my lazy Monday morning before making my way to school. Obviously, I was very cautious and kept my eyes peeled for any sneaky 'Glatteis'. In my first class, I once again replaced the CD player, which the students normally listen to when practising listening. I rather enjoy this and I think the students prefer it, as it isn't some posh, British women speaking in a false, monotone voice, which is so often the case with educational listening tracks. On my way to the next class, I got chatting to some young students in the corridor. I hadn't met them before, but they had obviously heard about me and were intrigued. They asked me lots of questions but wouldn't believe that I was English! They asked a passing teacher if I was 'wirklich' English. The teacher however didn't help my case by telling them (in German) that I was working for the British Secret Service. I'm really not sure if they believed her, but I liked the idea nonetheless.

After another class and a conversation class with the Year 10s, I left school and came home via the cinema. I had wanted to see this particular film for some time after hearing lots about it from various students and friends, so I decided this was a good opportunity. After a few issues with the cashier (he gave me the wrong change, then, at extra cost, reserved me a seat that I didn't want! But I sorted it out) I made my way to the screen. It was very quiet and there were only about 4 others in there with me. The film was funny and kept me entertained. It was totally in German and it wasn't until after that I realised that I had just watched, understood and enjoyed a film in a totally different language. I find this pretty cool. This is one notable improvement during my Year Abroad. Whilst my speaking skills haven't improved as much as I wanted them to, I feel confident that my listening and reading skills have. I'm keen to keep exposing myself to more and more German in the hope that this improvement continues. The students at school appear to learn English through watching TV and Films, and their grasp of a foreign language is very good. If it works for them, why can't it work for me!? Speaking of listening to German, this week I've got into watching 'Ich bin ein Star...Holt mich hier raus!' or 'I'm a celebrity...Get me out of here' to you folks back home. This is a carbon copy of the British version I watch when in England. Ok, there is no Ant & Dec, but the two presenters give a good shot at making it funny and entertaining. The set is the exactly the same, the format the same and it even begins with the presenters shouting 'Ich bin ein Star...Holt mich hier rrraaaaauuuuuusssssssssss!'. Although the 'Dschungelprüfund' or 'Jungle Exam' doesn't quite have the same ring to it as a 'Bushtucker Trial'. It's often difficult to understand but I enjoy watching it and hopefully it's improving my German. I also used my Monday evening to practise some German Grammar, after I had been embarrassingly put on the spot during a lesson. I didn't know how to form a particular tense, and after studying German for so long, I really have no excuse.

I was relieved to hear from one of the teachers on Tuesday, that she thinks my presence is helping the students. Following my conversation class and told her that I was impressed with their level of English and she responded by saying that she is sure that part of the improvement is a result of me being there and working with them. After a few quiet weeks and the feeling that I'm not really appreciated or even required, this was a real boost.

At another meeting with Verena, my tandem-partner, on Tuesday afternoon, she invited me to 'Mini-Golf' that evening with some of her friends at a new mini-golf place in the city. I immediately chose the easy option and responded that I had things to do that evening, swayed by the idea of a cosy night inside my flat. But after getting home, I realised this was another opportunity I really shouldn't have turned down. You're only on a Year Abroad once, right? Better do it properly! I promptly text Verena and asked whether is was too late to accept her offer. Fortunately I was just in time and we met that evening at this new, funky and very alternative Mini Golf place in Regensburg. You see from the pictures that this wasn't an ordinary course. A Bedroom, crazy ramps, a half pipe and a toilet were all part of the course and it made for a good time. Golf really isn't my strong point, so I didn't win, but I met some more people, spoke a little German and had fun. I'm glad I went.

 The slightly alternative mini-golf course

 

On Wednesday in school, I was doing some more speaking practice with various classes. This is the type of work I enjoy the most. I take a small group, usually 4 students, outside the class and we just talk for about 10 minutes. This gives them the opportunity to speak in a more relaxed atmosphere, and since there aren't so many of them, they're usually not too afraid to say something, which is often the case when in class. I was working with a Year 5 class first of all, one which I hadn't yet met. Their English knowledge was basic (but saying that, it is a lot better than second language knowledge of any Year 5 I've ever met in England!), but we talked about brothers and sisters, pets, hobbies etc. I smiled when one boy got his numbers mixed up and told me that his sister was 90 instead of 19. And then had a little debate with one boy who tried telling me that English was harder than German. Pfft! "German is easy! English is hard." he said. "English is easy! German is hard." I replied. You get the idea. I guess both of us were correct in our own way. On Wednesday I also recorded a listening exercise, which would be played to a class later in the week. Obviously it wasn't an issue for me to just read a text aloud whilst being recorded, but like I've said before, something that is so simple for me, can have a really positive effect on the students. We played it back, and although like many people, I very much dislike the sound of my own voice, I was relieved to hear just the odd short vowel sound that defines the Yorkshire accent. The fact that my accent (which wa' neva strong in't first place) is less obvious, has been noticed not only by me, but also was commented on by Max, my brother, when I was at home over Christmas. I make an effort to speak clearly and annunciate words when speaking English here, so I guess it's affecting my accent. When speaking any language you automatically try to copy others around you (it's been proven, you know!) so I guess seeing as though the only other English person I spend my time with right now (LOIS!) has a very 'neutral' accent, that too has an effect. Anyhow, after spending a few months over summer back in Gods own county, I'm sure those short A's, those monophthong E's and the glottal stop will soon re-emerge.































Some of the work the Year 10's have been doing in class. I'm sure you can guess which ones were written by boys!




 

Thursday consisted of me doing some more speaking with groups of students and also my weekly conversation class. The class varies every two weeks, since half the class also do a German class every other week at the same time. The class is a year 10 class and I do enjoy teaching them. It's voluntary, therefore the students make an effort whilst they are there. I was telling Anja, my mentor teacher, how much I enjoy working with the class. She thinks the only reason I enjoy working with this class is because they are all girls, but that it isn't the case - honest!

 

Some of the German food I've enjoyed this week. On the left is a 'Fleischkäse Semmel' - Very similar to spam in a roll. I really like it and it only costs 1 Euro. Not bad!

On the right is a dish I made one evening. It's 'Gyros Geschnetzeltes mit Knödel' - Pretty much a stew with potato dumplings - Very Bavarian and very tasty!

On Friday, Lois and I made our usual trip into the city to do some shopping (and discovered 'Banana juice' amongst the many delights of the German Supermarket - a little different, but tasty!). We like to have lunch out on Friday and we do appreciate the fact that we can do this together on a weekday. There is something really nice about being able to have lunch out on a day off work and we feel lucky. On the way home, we saw some of my students on the bus. They were so intrigued to see me with a girl! They kept turning round, staring and then whispering to each other. I'm sure I will have lots of questions to answer when I'm back at school this week! On Friday night, we went to an Ice Hockey match. We were fortunate enough to be loaned some tickets from someone I know. Since it was a season ticket, we had reserved seats and were given VIP wristbands which allowed us into a special room during the intervals. Here we helped ourselves to some food and got free drinks. Considering we didn't have to pay for the tickets and managed to get some free food and drink, it wasn't a bad deal at all. Thanks to Peter who loaned us the tickets! The game itself was entertaining and it was a really nice thing to do together. Unfortunately Regensburg were beaten by a much better Freiburg, but the game wasn't without a few punches. Ice Hockey is a very fast, very rough game. And following a lot of pushing and shoving it wasn't long before the first punch was thrown. At this point, it turns into a full on team vs team fight. Helmets, sticks and gloves are thrown on the ice and the two teams really lay into each other. The officials stand around for a little while and simply watch what is going on, whilst the crowd go wild and music plays. Then, once the two teams are tiring, the officials step in and break it up. I found this 'interesting' to watch, whilst Lois found it hilarious and laughed throughout the event. Nevertheless, we both really enjoyed our evening.













VIP!



























The fight which Lois enjoyed oh so much








I'm guessing the first thing that you think of when you see this score (5-1) and the word 'Germany' is the famous England victory in the world cup qualifiers in 2001. However, I'm sorry to say that this score is a little more disappointing. Regensburg were well and truly thrashed by Freiburg. Freiburg 5 - Regensburg 1.




















Our usual Saturday day trip out was replaced this week, in favour of a chilled day around Regensburg. The weather was cold and we had no real desire to visit anywhere this week. Besides, with a trip planned to Stuttgart next weekend to see Anthony and Anna again, we decided to save our energy and money. So on Saturday, after another walk out to the shops to buy some cooking ingredients (and also the discovery of a strange Eastern European shop, where we found a whole shark in the freezer available for purchase) we had a very relaxed, chilled day in the flat. We watched a film in German to compensate the fact we were having a day off from experiencing German culture and also caught up on a little TV. I would say we are both active people, but it was nice to have a lazy day for a change. We awoke to quite a heavy snowfall on Sunday morning and in between episodes of '24', we went for a nice snowy walk. Another chilled day later and the weekend was once again over and another week about to begin.

 The Germans are very efficient. It wasn't even 12:00 and all roads, side roads and footpaths had been cleared of snow. Impressive!

Like I said, next weekend we are going to Stuttgart, so hopefully I will have a few interesting tales to tell about that. A cold spell has been forecast for the foreseeable future, and I feel 'Glatteis' may be making another unwanted appearance this week. I'm going to have to be extra careful! But until next time..

Tschüß!

 This is how I feel with German a lot of the time. "darein ---> daraus" "In one ear and out of the other"

 

P.S - I recently wrote a short piece about myself (in German!) for the website of one of my schools. Although it may be complete gobbledygook to some of you, here it is! http://www.realschule-am-judenstein.de/unser-teaching-assistant-marcus/

A little slip, a mischievous class, a trip to Würzburg and a tasty meal

So another week down just means another week closer to getting rid of cold, dark mornings and getting closer to summer - Call us keen but we're looking forward to getting the next few months out of the way and then enjoying some nicer weather and longer days!

Well, I've had a pretty quite week at school this week. Monday was a normal day, but didn't require me to do much. On Tuesday I experienced my first, of what I imagine could be many, wet bike rides to school. No, it wasn't pleasant and I got a few strange looks as I wandered around school with the front of my chinos a different colour to the back as a result of the rain whilst riding my bike, but I didn't mind really. On Tuesday several of my lessons (when I say several I mean all, except one!) were cancelled meaning I had lots of free time. I decided to use this usefully and did some food shopping. I felt more like a stay-at-home-mum than anyone else, as I wandered round the supermarket surrounded by pensioners, housewives and the standard oddballs one expects to find aimlessly strolling round supermarkets during the day. On Tuesday afternoon, I returned home and began working on my Year Abroad Project, an assignment from the university which will be assessed and contributes towards our final degree. It takes the form of an essay about a particular topic currently in German news. Now, whilst I think keeping up to date with the news is important, and even more so with national news on a Year Abroad, I do struggle to understand the reasoning behind such an assessment. For example, we are not assessed on anything to do with the teaching we're doing. I think a better Year Abroad assessment would be to get a report from our schools and for them to evaluate how we did during the year. At the moment, we have lessons to plan, language to learn, travelling to do and now an essay to write. Ah well, it is what it is, and I'm glad I've made a start. A few teachers understand that this project counts to our final mark and have kindly told me I can do as little or as much as I'd like in the school, which makes me feel easier.

 In further news, on Wednesday morning I had my first 'Fahrradunfall' or bike accident. My 'attacker' was both quick and invisible, and caught me by surprise. Let me explain. I left my flat at about 07:15. All was still dark and the air icy cold. I set off and descended the slight incline off my street. As I breezed around the corner at the bottom of my road, just like I always do, suddenly the bike slipped out from underneath me. I put my foot down to stop my imminent clatter but alas, it was no use as my foot also quickly slipped away. I ended up in a heap on the floor, my bike beside me and was bewildered as to what had just happened. And then I suddenly realised - 'Glatteis' or 'Black ice.' Glatteis is the term the Germans use for black ice, literally smooth/slick/glossy ice (I've yet to see ice that isn't smooth, slick or glossy, but that's what they say) If there is anything scarier than Black Ice, it's Glatteis. Fortunately for me, I was lucky. I jumped up, brushed myself down and surveyed the area to ensure that my high regarded reputation had not been tarnished by anyone seeing my embarrassing fall. Excluding slight chino wear and a little bruising on the knee, I got off scott-free. I think this was Glatteis warning me, not to get too sure of myself whilst riding my bike during these cold German winter months. However I take pride in reciting the old adage that pro cyclists use "If you don't crash, you're not trying hard enough."

Despite the 'shaky' start to my Wednesday, I had a very enjoyable day. I was not required in any classes and to make things better, I received an invitation to the cinema with the Year 10 English classes. We went to a really cute, traditional Cinema to watch 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' which starred Ben Stiller. It's a nice film, with some breath-taking shots of various landscapes. The film was in English but had German subtitles, which I did make an effort read, and pleasantly surprised myself by understanding most of them. Not bad as school days go, eh! In the afternoon I met with my tandem partner in order to practise some German. I still find I'm not improving and I'm still concerned by struggles I'm having, but it was a nice chat and we spoke lots about our Christmases and compared some of the differences between our two countries.

Seeing as though I wasn't needed in school until Thursday afternoon this particular week, I enjoyed a lazy Thursday morning in my flat. I did however make a little more progress on my essay before a leisurely lunch and then departing for school. (It really has been a good week for me, hasn't it?!) This is where my 'easy' week took a bit of a turn. I was working with a Year 5 class and had been asked to assist them in their afternoon lesson as they were doing a 'Comic Book Project' which involved them writing their own comic. Normally the Year 5's are very enthusiastic and are enthralled by every single word you say, so they do listen to you (to some extent). Today, however, was different. I was given my own group in a different classroom and we began designing our comic and thinking of dialogue they could include. But it soon became apparent they did not want to work. It took my about 30 minutes to simply get some of them to write something down and the fact I had to repeatedly keep telling them to turn around and stop talking was getting tiresome. A much needed break came after 45 minutes and they ran around the class for 15 mins, in their usual chaotic fashion. I was hoping the break would have allowed them to burn off all their energy and they may actually work for the next hour, but sadly I was wrong. The break had also given them 'ammunition' in the form of orange peel (They all get given mandarins by the school every break - I'm not sure why) and this became a problem. Orange peel began flying everywhere, even I was caught in the crossfire, and despite me telling all of them hundreds of times to stop, they took no notice. I raised my voice, which I have not yet had to do, but this also had no effect. After 15 minutes of orange throwing chaos, I collected every scrap of the damned stuff and threw it away myself. Some sneaky pupils had hidden some and a few remaining scraps began flying once again, but this was soon also collected and thrown away. Just as I thought I'd cracked it, they discovered how to make, what to them, appeared to be, the funniest noise in the world. Blowing a raspberry. The entire class thought this was hilarious and began simultaneously blowing raspberries at each other. One boy found it so funny, he actually fell off his chair laughing. Despite my increasingly louder voice, they took no notice whatsoever. I was really losing patience and resorted to calling them all babies in the hope that they would somehow feel bad and listen. After about 10 mins of raspberry blowing, they appeared worn out and with only 10 mins left, I pleaded with them to try and do something productive for the last bit of the lesson. At the end, I checked several pupils' work and was horrified to find that instead of the normal 'Oh no!' in a speech bubble, that one might expect to find in a comic, some of the pupils had written (pardon my French) 'Shhiittttt!'. This was Year 5! I told them this was absolutely not allowed, but they insisted that it was and wouldn't change it! I was so shocked. I'm guessing they learnt this kind of thing from unsuitable TV or film, but to them it was just normal. I spoke with the teacher after class and she was equally as unimpressed with her group too. Maybe it was the fact it was afternoon and they were just fed up. Maybe it was the fact they didn't like comics. But what ever the reason, I left the school, breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God that the worst lesson I have ever taken, was over.

My Thursday got miles better when I came home to find Lois waiting for me. We enjoyed a nice tea together and had an early night - I was worn out! On Friday we made the usual trip to Regensburg for supplies and spent the afternoon baking a cake, which was good fun. We made delicious home made pizzas for tea and then watched 'About Time' - A lovely British film which left us both smiling. We were both so absorbed by the film, we forgot we were in Germany until the credits rolled.

 

 

 

 

On Saturday, we made a day trip to Würzburg in North Bavaria. Despite once again greyness and clouds, we enjoyed looking round the old town. Filled with Baroque architecture (much like many of the places we've visited), it was another pretty city and reminded us a lot of Prague. It was another city with a really mix of new and old. We discovered an English Shop called 'Eton Place' and enjoyed looking at the all the everyday English products, that seem so foreign to us now! We walked across the well known old bridge and up to the fortress which overlooks the city. Here we enjoyed the nice views before descending and warming up with a coffee. Following our day out, we made our way back and timed it just right to go out for a meal in Regensburg before coming back to mine. We went to Margaritas, a Mexican restaurant just outside of the old town of Regensburg. The atmosphere was very lively and the Latin American music and décor gave it a real authentic feel. We enjoyed a very healthy portion of nachos to start with, followed by another large main course. The burrito I had was delicious and packed full of tasty chicken, whilst Lois said her enchiladas were equally as good. Washed down with a few beers and cocktails, it was a fantastic meal and we were both absolutely stuffed as we left and opted to walk home, to try and ease the digestion. The meal was very kindly paid for by Grandpa and Grandma, to whom we send our most sincere thanks. Thanks guys! It was perhaps one the nicest Mexicans we've enjoyed and we have vowed to visit again.

 I was pleased to see Yorkshire represented in Würzburg. I know where to come if I run out of tea! 

 Poser?

 

There simply is no better way to end a Saturday - or any day at that!



Sunday began with us organising a few more travel plans for the remainder of our Year Abroad, followed by the, almost now traditional, Sunday walk out. Before we knew it our time together was suddenly over for another week and it was time to say goodbye.

This week I will be keeping my eyes peeled for anymore of that sneaky 'Glatteis'. I'll let you know, how I get on.

Bis bald!

On a slightly side note, I recently did a very short article for the British Council about life here in Germany. It has been featured on their website, on their Twitter page and on their Facebook page. I feel famous! Check it out here: http://www.britishcouncil.de/en/language-assistants_Germany-Experience_part1