There's no denying winter is definitely here now - we've had the first dusting of snow, with maximum temperatures of around -5° predicted for mid next week; all the Christmas markets are open with their very festive atmosphere; and by Monday it is law for all cars to have their winter tyres fitted. Jack Frost is on his way.
In other news of the season, I am really quite tempted to write to the Christkind. Apparently whoever does so, not only gets a letter back by Christmas eve, but also gets a little toy included in the reply! The little kid in me is calling out...
Also, word of the week: wichteln = to do a secret Santa
Saturday, 27 November 2010
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
A visitor, coincidences, and winter cold
As I said last week went well - lessons went without mishap, I was finally being given more to do, and even located the photocopier, not to mention watching Harry Potter. However, winner of the most entertaining moment of the week has to go to Klasse 10 and their teacher. Their lesson was to have a debate about how to cope with teenage pregnancy, so everyone had been given a different role in society to play. After 3 of them had introduced themselves as two girls pregnant by the same guy, their teacher turned to me and said "Let's hope it wasn't a threesome!" Not the words I had expected to hear from her mouth!
Anyway, this weekend Claire came to visit :) and it proved to be a weekend of coincidences. Firstly when at the airport waiting to pick her up I bumped into Marina, and then when on the train we bumped into Ally, another assistant, also headed for Bonn - talk about chance! Anyway, after a trip to the chocolate museum, the Haribo outlet shop, and Bonn's Christmas market, I can safely say that I am more than excited for the next 4 weeks of Christmas and Glühwein not to mention flying home for the holidays, and the actual day itself!
As far as today goes, I discovered that a) Klasse 8's lesson which I had actually had to do planning for was cancelled, and b) that the prep I had done in readiness for tomorrow's Klasse 10 isn't needed until next week. Another half 9 finish for me then. However, on the plus side, my landlord has just popped round (again) with another piece of cake for me - I'm convinced he is trying to fatten me up!
However, I have to say that I find Saturday's weather forecast a little alarming...
Needless to say I won't be complaining if they've got the forecast wrong!
* gefühlt wie = feels like
Glühwein = mulled wine
(Tuesday 23. November 2010)
Anyway, this weekend Claire came to visit :) and it proved to be a weekend of coincidences. Firstly when at the airport waiting to pick her up I bumped into Marina, and then when on the train we bumped into Ally, another assistant, also headed for Bonn - talk about chance! Anyway, after a trip to the chocolate museum, the Haribo outlet shop, and Bonn's Christmas market, I can safely say that I am more than excited for the next 4 weeks of Christmas and Glühwein not to mention flying home for the holidays, and the actual day itself!
As far as today goes, I discovered that a) Klasse 8's lesson which I had actually had to do planning for was cancelled, and b) that the prep I had done in readiness for tomorrow's Klasse 10 isn't needed until next week. Another half 9 finish for me then. However, on the plus side, my landlord has just popped round (again) with another piece of cake for me - I'm convinced he is trying to fatten me up!
However, I have to say that I find Saturday's weather forecast a little alarming...
Temperatur °C : 0° -4°
(gefühlt wie)* : -3° -8°
Needless to say I won't be complaining if they've got the forecast wrong!
* gefühlt wie = feels like
Glühwein = mulled wine
(Tuesday 23. November 2010)
Friday, 19 November 2010
Ich wünsche euch ein schönes Wochnende
It's just gone eleven (in the morning), and my weekend started over an hour and a half ago. Every week finishing at 9.25 still manages to come as a bit of a shock to me - it's just not healthy! Not that I am complaining you must understand.
Today needs to be noted in my diary.... This morning I nearly got knocked over by a cyclist. That in itself is nothing new, the news-worthy part of the tale is that said cyclist actually apologised! Given the whole affair was entirely her fault, in England I would expect nothing less than an apology. Here, however, to have the angry ringing of the bell and deathly stare replaced with an "Entschuldigung" was a nigh-on miracle!
I'm sure I'll waffle on about life this week at some other point, but for now let's just say it's been a good one. Terror alert aside, I can safely say I have really enjoyed my week and am muchly looking forward to having a visitor this weekend :)
Also, paw prints please: http://www.petitiononline.com/BCLA2010/petition.html as at the moment this scheme won't be going ahead again next year. You don't need to be a student / language assistant to sign it.
Today needs to be noted in my diary.... This morning I nearly got knocked over by a cyclist. That in itself is nothing new, the news-worthy part of the tale is that said cyclist actually apologised! Given the whole affair was entirely her fault, in England I would expect nothing less than an apology. Here, however, to have the angry ringing of the bell and deathly stare replaced with an "Entschuldigung" was a nigh-on miracle!
I'm sure I'll waffle on about life this week at some other point, but for now let's just say it's been a good one. Terror alert aside, I can safely say I have really enjoyed my week and am muchly looking forward to having a visitor this weekend :)
Also, paw prints please: http://www.petitiononline.com/BCLA2010/petition.html as at the moment this scheme won't be going ahead again next year. You don't need to be a student / language assistant to sign it.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
What else to do but chuckle?
Prince William announced his engagement today. Naturally it's all over the British media with David Cameron even calling it "a great day for our country". So on bumping into my landlord I attempted to make small-talk about it. The conversation (auf Deutsch) went along the lines of:
Me: "The big news in England today is that Prince William is engaged"
I dutifully put him right only to be asked "So is this a big thing then?" ..."Yes" ... "Oh, that I will never understand". Ohh Germany, you know you're jealous of our monarchy really!
In other chuckle-worthy news of the day... Klasse 6 were learning school subjects and how English schools are different to German ones. Now obviously I'm not going to nit-pick every mistake and demoralise them, but some I can't bear to ignore. Today's highlight? 'Language' spelt "langwich', like a sandwich. Legend.
Next? One of my year 5 classes. Last lesson they learned the alphabet (with the help of a 'rap') so we took half the class each to practise spelling. Fine, as long as the words you want don't contain the letters 'A E I R W'! Not so great idea number one - asking the kids to spell their names... would have been a lot easier if I knew what they were in the first place. Dread to think how many of them can now 'spell' their names incorrectly in English! Second mistake - asking "what other English words can you spell?" Cue one cheeky sod to suggest "f*ck you". Ahh, kids eh?
Somewhat worryingly I have been promoted within Klasse 8 once more, no longer just native speaker who teaches occasional grammar points / exercises, but I have now been given the task of planning their whole lesson next week, on anything :/ uh oh. Suggestions welcome!
Completely unrelated, I have also survived a trip to a German hairdressers! Can't say I'll be rushing back to the same one, but the international language of gesticulation supplemented by some dodgy German seemed to do the trick!
Me: "The big news in England today is that Prince William is engaged"
..momentary pause & slightly blank expression..
Landlord: "Prince William? Is he the younger one? Son of Philip? No?"I dutifully put him right only to be asked "So is this a big thing then?" ..."Yes" ... "Oh, that I will never understand". Ohh Germany, you know you're jealous of our monarchy really!
In other chuckle-worthy news of the day... Klasse 6 were learning school subjects and how English schools are different to German ones. Now obviously I'm not going to nit-pick every mistake and demoralise them, but some I can't bear to ignore. Today's highlight? 'Language' spelt "langwich', like a sandwich. Legend.
Next? One of my year 5 classes. Last lesson they learned the alphabet (with the help of a 'rap') so we took half the class each to practise spelling. Fine, as long as the words you want don't contain the letters 'A E I R W'! Not so great idea number one - asking the kids to spell their names... would have been a lot easier if I knew what they were in the first place. Dread to think how many of them can now 'spell' their names incorrectly in English! Second mistake - asking "what other English words can you spell?" Cue one cheeky sod to suggest "f*ck you". Ahh, kids eh?
Somewhat worryingly I have been promoted within Klasse 8 once more, no longer just native speaker who teaches occasional grammar points / exercises, but I have now been given the task of planning their whole lesson next week, on anything :/ uh oh. Suggestions welcome!
Completely unrelated, I have also survived a trip to a German hairdressers! Can't say I'll be rushing back to the same one, but the international language of gesticulation supplemented by some dodgy German seemed to do the trick!
Friday, 12 November 2010
A collection of musings from the week
Well, today began with not being allowed to touch anything in the staffroom as last night it was broken into for the second time since I've been here. Nothing much ever seems to be taken though, so no-one really knows why... Cue another visit from the police forensics.
Anyway, because of this I was asked to start off Klasse 5's lesson with a game or 2 of hangman whilst their teacher sorted break-in related things. 'Kein Problem' I say smiling until setting off down the wrong corridor, remembering I don't have a key to unlock their classroom, and then pondering how you get 29 excitable ten year olds to shut up and listen to you.
Still, for the rest of lesson I was sent to a different room to work with groups of about 8 students (finally!) on some worksheet that had already been prepped and photocopied for me. Rooms and furniture around the house - deceivingly not as easy as you might think! Turns out I didn't know / couldn't remember the words for 'flower pot' 'stove' or 'wash basin' and much mystery still surrounds 'tub'. Time for charade style gesticulations and dodgy German!
They were my only two lessons of the day so I popped into town before going home - you know it's a bad sign when you find you've finished work so early that some of the shops aren't open yet!
Other 'achievements' of the week:
- getting ill, and then getting better again
- telling the deputy head and his Klasse 8 the wrong word order rule...
- spending over 6 hours in school one day of which only 45 minutes was a timetabled lesson...
- being told a game of 'dominoes' I had prepared for my other Klasse 5 was "witzig" aka. funny (?!) ...
- popping round to pay rent and coming back 2 and a half hours later with a basket of food / drink...
- experiencing the madness of the start of Karneval in the rain, with thousands of people in fancy dress on Remembrance day (the official start is 11:11 on 11th Nov)...
- noticing that Bergisch Gladbach already has it's Christmas tree up and has had for a couple of days...
Also after a day and a half of staring wishfully at my laptop mentally willing the internet to work again, I realised that a) it sadly wasn't going to fix itself without another visit to my landlord, and b) that as a generation we are far too dependant on it (or I am in any case!).
(Friday 12th November 2010)
Anyway, because of this I was asked to start off Klasse 5's lesson with a game or 2 of hangman whilst their teacher sorted break-in related things. 'Kein Problem' I say smiling until setting off down the wrong corridor, remembering I don't have a key to unlock their classroom, and then pondering how you get 29 excitable ten year olds to shut up and listen to you.
Still, for the rest of lesson I was sent to a different room to work with groups of about 8 students (finally!) on some worksheet that had already been prepped and photocopied for me. Rooms and furniture around the house - deceivingly not as easy as you might think! Turns out I didn't know / couldn't remember the words for 'flower pot' 'stove' or 'wash basin' and much mystery still surrounds 'tub'. Time for charade style gesticulations and dodgy German!
They were my only two lessons of the day so I popped into town before going home - you know it's a bad sign when you find you've finished work so early that some of the shops aren't open yet!
Other 'achievements' of the week:
- getting ill, and then getting better again
- telling the deputy head and his Klasse 8 the wrong word order rule...
- spending over 6 hours in school one day of which only 45 minutes was a timetabled lesson...
- being told a game of 'dominoes' I had prepared for my other Klasse 5 was "witzig" aka. funny (?!) ...
- popping round to pay rent and coming back 2 and a half hours later with a basket of food / drink...
- experiencing the madness of the start of Karneval in the rain, with thousands of people in fancy dress on Remembrance day (the official start is 11:11 on 11th Nov)...
- noticing that Bergisch Gladbach already has it's Christmas tree up and has had for a couple of days...
 |
| Karneval - it's far from the best photo, but you can see how far away the stage was / how many people were in this bit alone. |
(Friday 12th November 2010)
Saturday, 6 November 2010
... and a 3-day trip to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Wednesday to Friday was time for a trip to Düsseldorf for a 'Studienkompaktkurs' with all the other assistants from the Köln area. Stupidly I hadn't clocked that 'all' would mean all, ie. also the assistants from France, Italy, Russia etc. - people with whom the only language I have in common with is German. Just as well I've spent the last couple of months practising then! Thankfully the course seemed to have less course like things, and more sight-seeing type activities.
I should add in here the real-life drama that I witnessed whilst on my way. Whilst waiting at Köln-Mülheim station there was a couple just down the platform from me having an full-on argument. Suddenly the guy hit his (now ex?) girlfriend, and just as quickly two people from the opposite platform, jumped up, shouted across at him to stop, before jumping down off their platform, across the tracks, and back up onto my platform. At this point one of them then whipped out his police ID card and proceeded to caution and then report the guy. By the time the Deutsche Bahn security turned up, it had nearly all been dealt with. After much more shouting he was escorted out of the station, and that was that.
Compared to Altenberg, the youth hostel was luxury accommodation and spag bol for lunch on arrival certainly boded well. First stop was 'Landtag NRW' - the home of the state's parliament. After going through security we were then treated to a long talk... what he had to say was probably quite interesting but most of my concentration was on trying to not to fall asleep. It was nap time after all. We also witnessed a bit of parliament in action, although 'action' is a bit of an overstatement! It is quite a nice building though, especially with the view out over the Rhein. For the rest of the evening we were free to explore the town, go for food, go out etc. All good by me!
Thursday started with a coach trip to the Ruhrmuseum in Essen (the theme of the few days being the structural change of industry in the area). Again, this would probably have been much more interesting if we had been left to look around ourselves rather than having a somewhat dull guided tour.
Back on the coach, next stop - Oberhausen. After a break for lunch / shopping (where the Christmas market stalls were already starting to be set up!) we went to the Gasometer. Now this was amazing. The gasometer has been turned into a planetarium which houses "the biggest moon on earth". No photos can do this justice. As well as models of the sun, earth and other planets, there is a 25m diameter model of the moon. You can also get a lift up the gasometer and climb the last steps up to the top of the roof.
Next up, a 'Nachtlichtführung' of the Landschaftspark (Zeche / Hüttenwerk) in Duisburg. Or in other words, a tour of an old colliery / steel smelter, after dark, when parts of it are lit up. Somehow we managed to get some of the windiest days ever when we visited, and if we were in England health and safety would probably have stopped what we did next. Let's just say, when they said "bring a torch" they meant it. If only we had listened. As part of our tour we climbed up lots of metal steps and through the works of an old blast furnace to reach a height of 80m. In England we would probably have been required to wear hard hats with lights on them and harnesses, and even then the weather conditions probably would have cancelled it. But this is Germany, so up we went! It was fairly interesting, probably because our guide was quite funny, not that I can remember much of what he said now! After getting back to Düsseldorf the evening was one more ours to do as we wished.
Finally, Friday morning was a 'Stadtführung' (town tour) round the Altstadt and Medienhafen in Düsseldorf. Our guide was lovely and despite the wind, it was quite interesting couple of hours... Düsseldorf's 'media harbour' has some somewhat different buildings!
If we gloss over the somewhat pointless session that followed and wrapped up the 'course', then there you have it. All in all, a good few days and much better than expected :)
(Saturday 6th November 2010 ... day 60!)
Wednesday to Friday was time for a trip to Düsseldorf for a 'Studienkompaktkurs' with all the other assistants from the Köln area. Stupidly I hadn't clocked that 'all' would mean all, ie. also the assistants from France, Italy, Russia etc. - people with whom the only language I have in common with is German. Just as well I've spent the last couple of months practising then! Thankfully the course seemed to have less course like things, and more sight-seeing type activities.
I should add in here the real-life drama that I witnessed whilst on my way. Whilst waiting at Köln-Mülheim station there was a couple just down the platform from me having an full-on argument. Suddenly the guy hit his (now ex?) girlfriend, and just as quickly two people from the opposite platform, jumped up, shouted across at him to stop, before jumping down off their platform, across the tracks, and back up onto my platform. At this point one of them then whipped out his police ID card and proceeded to caution and then report the guy. By the time the Deutsche Bahn security turned up, it had nearly all been dealt with. After much more shouting he was escorted out of the station, and that was that.
Compared to Altenberg, the youth hostel was luxury accommodation and spag bol for lunch on arrival certainly boded well. First stop was 'Landtag NRW' - the home of the state's parliament. After going through security we were then treated to a long talk... what he had to say was probably quite interesting but most of my concentration was on trying to not to fall asleep. It was nap time after all. We also witnessed a bit of parliament in action, although 'action' is a bit of an overstatement! It is quite a nice building though, especially with the view out over the Rhein. For the rest of the evening we were free to explore the town, go for food, go out etc. All good by me!
 |
| Düsseldorf by twilight |
Back on the coach, next stop - Oberhausen. After a break for lunch / shopping (where the Christmas market stalls were already starting to be set up!) we went to the Gasometer. Now this was amazing. The gasometer has been turned into a planetarium which houses "the biggest moon on earth". No photos can do this justice. As well as models of the sun, earth and other planets, there is a 25m diameter model of the moon. You can also get a lift up the gasometer and climb the last steps up to the top of the roof.
 |
| The moon was much much bigger! |
 |
| View over Oberhausen |
 |
| The Landschaftspark |
 |
| View over Duisburg |
Finally, Friday morning was a 'Stadtführung' (town tour) round the Altstadt and Medienhafen in Düsseldorf. Our guide was lovely and despite the wind, it was quite interesting couple of hours... Düsseldorf's 'media harbour' has some somewhat different buildings!
 |
| See the 'people' on the building? |
 |
| Designed by the US architect: Gehry |
(Saturday 6th November 2010 ... day 60!)
A 21st like no other ...
Turning 21...
Well it was never going to be a normal birthday, but I hadn't expected to celebrate it with a group of people all at least 40-50+ years older than me!
Obviously I had school in the morning which was a slightly weird affair as some people knew it was my birthday, but most didn't. Still in-keeping with staffroom tradition I took in a cake which resulted in lots of hand shaking and many wishes of 'Alles Gute' or 'Herzlichen Glückwunsch'. A sign of how friendly my school is though, is that the headmistress had found out when my birthday was, and made a trip to the staffroom first thing, solely to come and wish me happy birthday.
My landlord had also found out when my birthday was, so not only did he pop round with a bottle of pink champagne for me, but he also mentioned it to some of my pensioner posse... Needless to say within minutes I had an un-turn-downable invite to dinner! Long story short, after champagne and a rendition of happy birthday (piano accompaniment and everything!) we sat down to dinner... Mushroom salad with some veal dish, then a cheese course, before a Käsekuchen as 'Geburtstagkuchen' (a birthday cake in the form of a cheese cake). Can't say any of these things are my favourite foods, and the cheese cake was nothing like cheesecake as we know it in England, but it was a really lovely gesture!
And to finish off the evening? Eiswein. I should explain what this is. 'Eiswein' means ice wine, a sweet wine made from grapes that are frozen whilst still on the vine. Eiswein is a high quality wine, and needless to say usually quite expensive. These people are far too generous towards me!
For those of you who are curious, here is a picture of me with some of my pensioner posse! Sadly Wilfried isn't in it as he was the one taking the photo.
Well it was never going to be a normal birthday, but I hadn't expected to celebrate it with a group of people all at least 40-50+ years older than me!
Obviously I had school in the morning which was a slightly weird affair as some people knew it was my birthday, but most didn't. Still in-keeping with staffroom tradition I took in a cake which resulted in lots of hand shaking and many wishes of 'Alles Gute' or 'Herzlichen Glückwunsch'. A sign of how friendly my school is though, is that the headmistress had found out when my birthday was, and made a trip to the staffroom first thing, solely to come and wish me happy birthday.
My landlord had also found out when my birthday was, so not only did he pop round with a bottle of pink champagne for me, but he also mentioned it to some of my pensioner posse... Needless to say within minutes I had an un-turn-downable invite to dinner! Long story short, after champagne and a rendition of happy birthday (piano accompaniment and everything!) we sat down to dinner... Mushroom salad with some veal dish, then a cheese course, before a Käsekuchen as 'Geburtstagkuchen' (a birthday cake in the form of a cheese cake). Can't say any of these things are my favourite foods, and the cheese cake was nothing like cheesecake as we know it in England, but it was a really lovely gesture!
And to finish off the evening? Eiswein. I should explain what this is. 'Eiswein' means ice wine, a sweet wine made from grapes that are frozen whilst still on the vine. Eiswein is a high quality wine, and needless to say usually quite expensive. These people are far too generous towards me!
For those of you who are curious, here is a picture of me with some of my pensioner posse! Sadly Wilfried isn't in it as he was the one taking the photo.
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| My landlord is the one on the left... |
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