2012

2012

So the world didn't end we'are all still here and what a year it was! Whilst I recognise that some of you won't have enjoyed this last year, I have. It's been the best year I've had in a very long while. I'ave made some amazing new friends, done some incredible things, not been ill, grown massively in my faith and can even do German first thing in the morning, even if first thing in the morning is something I only see one day a week xD.


I could rattle on about the stuff I've done, and achieved and learned but right now I don't feel this is the forum for that.

What I will say is this: I couldn't have made it through the year without my amazing friends and family or God's grace.


Happy New Year and love to you all.

Beth xxx

So, this is Christmas...

Where did this term go? I’m sat on the ICE leaving Stuttgart on the way to Frankfurt Airport. (despite the fact I’m posting from Amsterdam!) And I’m weirdly apprehensive about coming home, for no apparent reason. Lucy informs me that this is what is more commonly known as reverse culture shock.  At the moment I’m in strange frame of mind, I’m bizarrely excited by the though of being able to have a sausage roll or a pie. Amy laughed a lot when I told her how much I wanted pie.  There was a point last year when my section of the freezer didn’t entirely consist of pie and Ben and Jerrys, but neither of us can remember when. 

I am also looking forward to making up my hug deficit, Christmas dinner, English television (tonight I shall be parked in front of the Big Bang Theory claiming I am “unpacking” I shall then binge on How I met you mother, whilst playing with my new tablet, eating proper sausage and demanding Apfelsaftschorle…. Wait! That’s German… hmmm… I foresee an Aldi visit in my near future.  Oooo and also getting my room ready for the visit of the Hannah!!!! EEEEE!!

Anyway, I have survived, learned a lot made new friends, learnt the odd spot of Schwabisch, navigated my few minor catastrophes, dealt with Homesickness by means of tea and Friday morning porridge. I understand what people are saying to me most of the time now, though they are all as bonkers as we are, they too have a casual dislike towards the French,  they have 375 different types of bread. NOBODY needs that much bread. Especially as most of is as one person most eloquently put it, crust bombs.

I have also discovered that most of our German stereotypes are untrue, their bureaucracy, ( a word I can’t spell), is as messy as ours, their buses are as punctual as ours, the very notion of the famous efficiency is a lie and they have well developed and complex sense of humour, in fact  here in the south they even understand, and have been known to giggle at, our own very British brand of humour. Usually followed by pointing out that am a little bit weird, at some point I’ll get round to pointing out that even Brits think I’m weird too… or maybe not.

The stereotypes that hold fast however are sauerkraut and beer. I loathe cabbage. LOATHE IT. And they it like its chocolate, to illustrate teaching Christmas lessons this week, I was explaining Brussel sprouts and why nobody is sure why we actually eat them, after telling them the German word “Rosenkohl” one boy proceeded to announce “Aber die sind voll Lecker!” (But they’re totally delicious!”) I swear I didn’t headdesk.  Or follow up with “Nur in die Land die liebt Sauerkraut!” No that absolutely did NOT happen, much.

Anyway I am hurtling at 200Kmh toward Mannheim where I must change so that later today I can put my feet back on Northern (!) English soil, hug my mother and run into the nearest purveyor of pastry based goodness buy them out of sausage rolls, get into the car, on the left hand side(!!!) before talking myself to sleep. 

Until I get round to rounding up what happened in the last two weeks,

Merry Christmas,

Beth x

In which there is a catastrophic journey, a large amount of beer, the Commonwealth and a Sarai.

So I apologise for my terrible irregularity in blogging, I must get better.

So where to start! At the beginning probably xD so about 2 weeks ago Sarai came to Germany for a week, the majority of which she spent in Heidelberg with Chloe, though on the Saturday we (Mark and I) trooped into Stuttgart, to meet up with them both. They all got on like a house on fire which pleased me immensely, though it did end in extensive mental trauma for myself but then what meet up in which Mark is involved doesn't?! He had a very slapped head by the end of it.
We did various things including the Fernsehturm (Stuttgart is pretty at night) and even discovered the freshly opened Christmas Market where we consumed warming amounts of Gluhwein. Christmas markets in November. Whatever next?!

On the Tuesday Sarai arrived in Tübingen. Where it transpired she was about to be a celebrity at school. Our textbook for the 5 & 6 Kl is set in Bristol. She not only comes from Bristol, this little fact had overexcited the English department far too much, but she had attended the school in the book and was friends with the various stars of our textbook. You have never seen more excited teachers or yr 10s so eager to ask questions!

I should probably here explain the German system in relation to the English.
The Germans start secondary school, whether it be Berufschule, Realschule, or Gymnasium aged 10. This is their 5. Klasse and is equivalent to the British Yr. 6 (Justus is endlessly disgusted when I tell him he'd still be at primary school in England). So then our yr 7 is their 6. Kl. and continue until they hit 18 when they get their Abitur, (A-levels) in the 12.Kl.

Because of Sarai's visit I've been able to work with some of the 5. Kl. earlier than expected. These kids are so cute but are unhealthily obsessed with titles for their work and as to which colour they should write their work in. "Beth! They've used red and green in the textbook should I do the same and which book should I do it in!?" I couldn't careless as to which colour you do it in just do it and as regards to which book? I would probably suggest your English book? What do mean you have 3 English exercise books?! Well I don't know, apply common sense!" Despite this they are so sweet, I came to my second lesson with them to discover they'd covered the blackboard, (did i mention that educationally this country still hasn't left the 90's?), with "we <3 Beth"  surrounded by various cute doodles. N'awwww.
Anyway Sarai's being here was awesome and brought me to the conclusion she and Mark should never be brought together in the presence of naive and innocent individuals like myself.

Chloe, Sarai and Marky Mark in Stuttgart.

But to bring this long over due ramble back on course I come to last Thursday.

The day the Commonwealth hit Munich.

We arrived late Thursday and after spending evening getting to know some of our room-mates (we were hostelling it up) a bit better, one of whom was hysterically drunk, genuinely hysterically funny.  We went to bed looking forward to the next days explorations. 

The next day we went on a walking tour which was really useful for orientating ourselves, plus we learnt a lot of really cool stuff about the crazy kings and electors of Bavaria.

In the afternoon we visited the Munich Residenz which is the 2nd biggest palace in Europe. Anyone who knows the largest may reward themselves with chocolate. This was before we hit the shops and the shops hit my wallet. but not as heavily as we'd expected. I still ended up with a new dress for the opera though :)

During Shopping we met up with the lovely Serena and went for dinner at the Hofbräuhaus :)

We spent pretty much the entire evening there soaking up some very Bavarian Culture, which everyone mistakes as being representative of Germany as a whole. It really isn't - the rest of Germany regards Bavaria as somewhat "special".  (Hint: the quotes strongly imply negativity).

Anyway, the next day Hannah's insatiable appetite for castles took us to the rather impressive Nymphembuger Schloß:

It was very impressive and set in really pretty grounds but very little of it is actually open to the public which was quite disappointing. Especially as we paid €5 to get in, grrr.

We then set off to explore the student quarter, which is really unfriendly to students in terms of shopping!! Undeterred Anna was determined to find Dirndls – traditional womens dress in Bayern.  We found a shop that sold them second hand which made them somewhat more affordable, (however I was feeling far too skint and knackered by this point to start squeezing in and out of boned corsets), however the excitement and joy of Hannah and Anna made it awesome fun, to the point where I tried a couple on, at this point however, it was getting late and I went back to change for the opera as they had decided to wear whichever Dirndls they bought. Hannah bought 2. She was so excited. She also attempted to change in the opera foyer under her coat. I have never laughed so hard. Eventually they had to go outside find a dark corner and hide whilst Hannah finished changing, all because before you have tickets you’re not allowed into the loos.  And as students we had to wait for the cheap seats. Of which there weren't any L, too many rich people taking too many children to the opera!

BAH! so we trundled away sad. And wound up going for dinner in the HB for the second night running xD

Hannah and Anna sporting their Dirndls!

Where we shared a table with a bunch of mad Austrians who kept buying us drinks and renamed us, Blumen, rose and Amy,  heaven only knows why, but it likely had a lot to do with the beer they were knocking back at a rate to put any proud alcoholic to shame! 

Sunday.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Sunday. In one day I lost and found my purse (in the middle of Munich) was involved in an accident and was stuck in traffic by a not so accidental accident.

To start the day: Topping up my phone I managed to leave my purse in the bank. Cos I'm a twerp. Only found out after travelling to the other side of town. Travelled back. Wasn't there of course. Went to tourist info to ask for directions to the police station. Followed directions. Which turned out to be utter rubbish. had minor breakdown and rang mum. Mum understandably bemused. "And I can do what for you precisely?" Rang Mark, flipped out a 2nd time. Found a Starbucks asked nice barista. Found police station. "Ah yes its been handed in. To another police station." More confusing directions. Ask more policemen as to where on earth guy in the Präsidium had been on about. Find Police station. On the other side of the same building as the Präsidum. (the mind boggles). Regain purse, WITH EVERYTHING STILL IN IT!!! :D Dance with utter joy.

We then found lunch and headed off to the Deutsches Museum for an afternoon of looking at impressive shiny objects.

Oh and I also tried sushi. I still don't get it.

Then after coffee, crepes and collecting our bags from the hostel we headed for the Bus.

Anyone who was on Facebook on Sunday night has a notion of what happened.

All was going well until just after Augsburg.

Then the traffic got heavier and heavier and heavier and then stop.

2 & half hours later we are moving freely again.

The accident site consists of one car. surrounded by Police cars and various Rettungswagen.

We are all rather befuddled.

We later found out that the cause of this was one not uncommon in Germany. Someone had driven on to the Autobahn, floored the accelerator and driven straight into the central reservation and committed suicide.
This is why we have speed limits.
This is why I will never support unlimited motorway speed.

Its also inconsiderate and damn annoying for everybody else. I may or may not have ranted at length yesterday to Dieter in the staffroom about this. Germans seem to find my passion for ranting hysterical.

Anyway back to the road, we reached the outer limits of Stuttgart and were nearly at the airport. When a taxi driver rounded the corner at speed with no right of way and drove straight into us taking of his wing mirror and doing the side of his car some serious damage. He then had the gall to blame us for it and we had to wait for half an hour for the police to come and assign blame and deal with insurance.

Finally at just gone midnight we achieved Tübingen Busbahnhof. 2 hours late and with no hope of a bus.

Thankfully Hannah's lovely landlady drove us home.

And thus ended one of the craziest days of my life.

Today I got paid. I totally did not go shopping...

Till I can be trust with a debit card,
Bethxx

The ramblings of Beth...

It’s weird how lonely you can feel surrounded by people. Sometimes living with a family is arguably worse than living on your own. At least on your own you don’t have a constant reminder of what you’re missing back home. Hugs are few and far between and there are times you just need a big hug.  I knew half term would be difficult which is why I’ve spent most of it travelling about. Unfortunately as Mark discovered yesterday when he got off the same train as me, (neither of us had any idea we were on the same train) and kidnapped me for coffee, travelling drains me of any life force and leaves me fit only for the knackers yard. Plus it was probably greatly exacerbated by a social on Monday, which served only to remind me that this 21 yr old revels in being bed or at least home by 1 where it is warm and familiar. I was born middle aged.

So yeah, the travelling. I started over a week ago when I ran off to Zwickau to see Lydia, a friend from Altenberg who looks suspiciously like Alyson. To the extent I accidently call her Alyson upon occasion; thankfully she’s an excellent sport who laughs my incompetence with names off, before thinking up ingenious ways of getting revenge on housemates who make too much inappropriate noise. Damn that was awkward, trying to not to act like we’d heard everything and behave like normal human beings was indeed very difficult. At one point Lyds was convinced they were off again so played Bob the Builder very loudly out side they’re room so as to ward off any further potential awkwardness. I haven’t laughed so hard in a very long time. We then settled down to watch some Mock the Week when both housemate and Gf walked in “Ahhh its mock the Week! We heard Bob the  Builder and were like what the flip?!” (Language Moderated :P) Cue more hysterical laughing.

The next morning still sniggering we jumped on a train to Bayreuth. About half way through this journey I said “Lydi, am I going mad or is it snowing?” I wasn’t mad it was genuinely snowing. Now I realise it snowed in the UK too but I’d like to point out that the amount of snow that fell here would’ve brought the UK to a standstill. There was so much  it was pulling trees down under the weight of the snow! However at this point it snowed for a meagre 10 mins before raining for the rest of the day. Which made all our sightseeing/Shopping slightly soggy. We in Bayreuth to visit Lauren, a friend of Lydia’s who is absolutely lovely J. We had many entertaining encounters Lyds and Lauren even made a new friend.

(That thing is actually a head. A sharks head cushion, they have stags, unicorns and other wacky things too)

It continued to rainb and as such we all decided against the Stammtisch we could go to and instead ate Chocolate, strawberry laces and drank wine watching films and comedy because lets face it, there is nothing better! If only Lidl sold Ben and Jerrys…

Then back home in the snow. Went to bed… still snowing and so I woke up to this:

 I stayed inside as well I don’t need a cold thanks very much.

Monday I went to the bank to enquire as to the whereabouts of my bank card, and internet banking details. To be told… “Hmm it seems we haven’t ordered them…” To which Mark and I simultaneously responded  “What do you mean not ordered? Are they not ordered automatically when the account is opened?” The woman with false eyelashes and too much eyeliner simply stared at us as if we’d grown another head each and simply said “Nein.” And thus was the final nail put into the coffin of German efficiency.

After that Kerfuffle Mark annouced there was nothing for it but Coffee and Cake:

I went home showered ate dinner packed, put washing on – nothing to actually pack- and went out to Social with other teachers, rolled home at 2.30 wondering if getting a train in the morning had really been the wisest plan.

The next morning I promptly fell asleep on the train to Stuttgart where I nearly didn’t get off, I think a nice guy tapped my shoulder to wake me up, but I can’t be sure, from there to Heidelberg to atch up with Anne and Chloe, we had a pretty awesome time, and I’ve discovered I cannot German upon waking up. My brain can’t function in English in the morning. Let alone in German!

But if I’m honest, part of the reason for so much travelling is to run away from my feelings. If I’m busy I can’t dwell on my emotions, missing people, homesickness in general. Sadly it doesn’t exactly work like that and wherever you go you will find something that will serve only to remind you of how far from home you are.

If there’s one thing the year abroad has taught me it’s this: You will never be as prepared as you think you are, or you will leave unresolved issues behind and they will haunt you, and it will make coping with the rest of the emotional overload completely and utterly impossible. So my advice is to leave nothing important unsaid, I was given this same advice and ignored it because the thought of actually saying it was too scared, now every time all I can hear is Hannah saying: “If you don’t… you’ll just be left wondering and you’ll beat yourself up and regret it.”

I’m not the only one who has been in this positions I spoke with a former Year abroader who went through a similar thing, and we both agree, it’s even worse in a foreign country.  It doesn’t decrease the need for a hug, it doesn’t make the feeling of being ignored less painful, it just gets worse and worse and you end up crying to one of best friends on skype because you feel like a total idiot.  You’ll end up crying on skype either way because homesickness +tiredness x not having seen them in ages = emotional meltdown; and the slightest thing can trigger a bad day, from excess waspage in the bakery, (and them not giving a flying monkeys) to getting lost on the bus or even just that you really, really, really, really want a hug and quite frankly sometimes teddy don’t cut it.

It’s the last time I break my own rules. Not that I intended to this time. Never underestimate the importance of a simple reply. Talking is key; and I should have done more of it earlier. 

Now however I’m gonna go hug teddy and make hot chocolate because that’s what I’ve got oh and attempt to communicate in a language in which I have the linguistic competency of a 4 year old. If that. 

People in glasshouses...

Grow plants. Thousands of them. This is not merely a thing in the house in which I am residing but a national obsession.
Last year I did a tour of my house, this year doing a tour of the houseplants may be more relevant. When I arrived there were 3 in my room, I killed one the other was rescued and well the ivy plant seems to be a tough old bird. But just give me time...

I once read a blog by a guy who records his arguments with his german girlfriend, there in were several posts on just this topic. However I was reminded of one particular post (finding a potplant in the shower) after counting not 1, not 2, but 6 plants in the downstairs bathroom alone. There's at least 20 in the downstairs conservatory and more in the upstairs bit and I haven't bothered counting the rest, but they're endemic! And yes I meant endemic! It's the same in school! I can't walk up/down the stairs from the staff room without being assaulted by a tree!!!

I was asked if we had plants in our house in England. I laughed and replied "are you kidding me, I'm a plant murderer! The last thing I had was chives and they died because I watered them too much!!" I went on to say I think my mum has some but upon further reflection I realised they all died ages ago.

I'm pretty sure I live in a conservatory.
I have nothing against houseplants per se, but they are rather a thing that attracts wildlife, and that I can live without! Though here they still have red squirrels and there's one that lives in the garden he's rather a cute fellow I think he likes to watch us eat. Talking of eating...

Stuttgart is a magical place. A land if promise, flowing with milk and honey, or more accurately tea, bacon, Cornish pasties, proper sausages, Jammy Dodgers, Marmite, lemon curd, mince pies, Cadburys, birds custard, stuffing and all the things that this country lacks, however they can make kebabs or as they refer to them "kebaps" the "Yufka" in particular is a must. At home I wouldn't touch a doner kebab with a 100ft barge pole but here, well I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow.

Now having made myself ridiculously hungry but hopefully having splurged my brain enough on the various cultural differences I have to remark upon right now I shall go dream about teaching Germans how to queue for the bus properly the mad surge for the door offends my sensibilities!!!

Nanight!
Bethxx

So far part II!

Its been raining so hard recently I could swear I was in Lancaster, but the fact being that I can only hear German it stands to reason I have simply brought the weather with me.

Anyway we left off with my failing to get up. My failing to get up on my first day of school. After completing my ablutions and having flung clothes on in the fastest time ever I arrived at school to be instantly the subject of great attention and kidnapped by Herr Steinmayer, because I was just what he needed to terrify his students. Like another great language tutor I know he enjoys torturing his students, but not with Morrissey.

Anyway after 2 lessons it was time to go on the teachers trip. Which started with a picnic lunch. And the most alcohol ever seen before 5pm. In response to my very British confusion as to the consumption of so much booze at lunch time one of the teachers told me "In England you have problems with binge drinking students, here in Germany its the other way round." I think he was kidding. I hope he was. 

Anyway after lunch we marched off through the mountains, and I spoke/heard more german than ever before in my life. By 7PM my head had imploded and I was only capable of vaguely English sounding gibberish, which left a large number of teachers as confused as I was, 2 hours later I dragged my carcass off to bed with very little idea of where I was, who I was, what I was doing here, upon which planet I was residing and   if in  fact this was actually one of my weirder dreams. All on absolutely no alcohol since lunchtime. ("What you have nothing to drink, let me fix that!", I honestly thought they wanted me to crawl up this mountainside!)

I woke up the next morning personality crisis resolved to the extent I spoke to everyone in English because it was far to early for German. Also to the weirdo who left the shower on Arctic Blitzkreig, I will never forgive you. I do not wish to be pummelled by hailstones at 7AM. NO ONE DOES. 

Anyway, this is where I stayed:

Yes People, I SLEPT IN CASTLE. 

I'm so cool. No. No I'm not I'm a giant nerd but never mind.

I then dragged myself up and down sheer mountain faces again, because apparently this is what German teachers do for fun. How a friend of mine runs up and down these things for fun is beyond me. 

Completely and utterly so.

The day didn't finish there though. No by the end of the day that felt like years ago. one bout of crying in O2, a Doner, which by the way in Germany are not only edible but also amazing, further crying because Oh my gosh way too much German, I really need my mummy now, I was off to a house warming party, at which I tried to spend the entirety hiding in the corner avoiding the, "Oh dear your glass is empty we can't be having that", that seems to be endemic, also it meant that I didn't have to think or speak German. My plan failed. But it would seem that I have a great competence than I thought and ended up speaking quite alot, though admittedly some of it did descend in to denglisch. Though that was usually because the Germans wanted to show off, most often when I couldn't remember a word.

The next day I moved in to the place where I'm staying for the rest of the year.

I'm living with a family who are absolutely lovely and are taking great care of me. Even if settling in and adjusting are taking some time. 

Seriously, even though I'm in an awesome situation homesickness is still an issue. Seriously, I want English food and I want it now. I want a mummy and a daddy hug and I'd rather like to be in Lancaster. But I'm not and it can be sucky to be reminded of that simply by sitting in the staffroom listening to German, of which you have no comprehension, especially as a large number of people round here speak Schwabisch by default, which sounds about as much like Hochdeutsch as does a particularly drunk Geordie to Standard English. Seriously I could murder bangers, beans and mash about now. 

Monday, Tuesday: School. Yr 6/7's are wayyy chattier than those in the years above, who are really just too cool for talking to the English girl. Though the second the essays come out they're all competing for no. 1 Fan. xD

Wednesday for those who are too young to remember/don't study German, was a german bank holiday as they celebrated being a whole country again. Having a bank holiday in the middle of the week turns out be awesome. Why? Because they then think, "Screw it! Lets have a 5 day weekend!" This is a concept behind which, I can FULLY get. So I relaxed Wednesday  went to my first basketball game - finally!had a bit of a poke about Stuttgart Thursday before running away to Heidelberg for a few days.

 Above: Bball obvs. Right: Moi et Markus hiding from the rain in Stuggart!

So yes, I ran off to Heidelberg. It started with Chloe Caswell and The Cauldron of Coffee.

Seriously, that mug was at least as big as her face!! The first day we mainly did shopping eating and getting me some form of bedding. We also ran into the lovely Marlen. Its weird seeing her in her native surroundings and me being the one out of context. Anne however was away for the weekend. :( Sad faces. ahh well 

there's time yet!!

The second day we did all the touristy things, by a great blessing we ran into the amazing local lady who basically sorted our day for us, by explaining to us that with the €3 mountain train ticket we could get in to all the awesome places in Heidelberg! This brought out a spontaneous burst of positivity from Chloe, who by comparison is really struggling - but then so would I in her situation. Shes all alone, in terrible accommodation, (she doesn't even have her own kitchen), miles from the city and uni and generally rather fed up, though thankfully uni starts next week so hopefully she'll begin to settle and with little bit of Birgit Smith get her accommodation sorted out! 

So we visited the Castle where we encountered the worlds largest beer barrel. Which we decided would probably keep Cartmel bar in stock for the next 40 years...

Shot of the castle from the town.

We also found ourselves in the German pharmacy museum which is in castle where we found these:

The Yellow box is  "Monday Morning Blues Remedy". We thought they were rather fantastic.

We did various things but mainly we just had an awesome time, eating what can only really be described as our bodyweights in chocolate (Blame the lack of kitchen!), before I headed back on Sunday.

Since then I have been teaching, napping extensively, opening bank accounts (despite forgetting my passport! Mark accused me of flirting my way around it... its a distinct possibility.) and reading Joseph Conrad because that's what the Oberstufe are studying. The English is hard enough for most natives! "Nowither", I kid you not! I'd never seen that word before and some of the structures and words are so archaic as to be museum pieces!! Though it has the distinct advantage over a book we had to read last year in that it adheres to laws of sentence structure and punctuation!

Anyway as I have to prepare myself for another long day tomorrow, I believe Mark has arranged a German/English pub date... 

And yet again I've forgotten about the washing I put on 4 hours ago...

So I'll leave you to sort my life out!

Bethxx

I'm still alive!

So I've been here a week and half. But its been rather busy and most of all knackering!
Speaking and listening to German the vast majority of  the time is really tiring.

Things I've learnt so far:

1. German efficiency is a lie.
2. Trains are numbered - DO NOT TRUST THE TIME!
3. They are constantly drinking water or coffee, also hard liquor, beer and Champagne are all acceptable at lunchtime.
4. Bureaucracy is everything.
5. Apparently 17/18 degrees is cold and I must wear a jacket.
6. Not wearing at least a pair of socks around the house is an offence against German common sense. (I have lost count of how many times they've asked me if I need a pair of sock/ begged me to take a pair)
7. English Sausages are vastly superior.
8. Mountain climbing is hard.
9. Mark needs Gibbs slapping more often.
10. Cheese and ham at breakfast will never be right.

I should probably start at the beginning yes?

So, trains are numbered? Who knew, ah yes all the Germans/ Germanophiles I know who never thought that y'know, that might be a hint I might need upon arrival!!!!

You know who you are!

It was in this fashion I let my train to Cologne leave without me.

When I finally arrived, in this fine Rhineland City I promptly got lost, this is because it was A. dark and B. the Germans put up street names in 1. very strange places and 2. only when they feel like it.

However I did eventually after throwing a tantrum with Google maps in the street (much to the amusement of a gaggle of drunk bystanders, it seems cold, tired, scared and anxious English women are funny) arrive at my hotel. It was gorgeous the staff were awesome the wireless free and they left cake and Toblerone in my room. However the shower was slightly broken in that the holder wouldn't stay up and I did end up causing a flood. Mark must have being using up all the common sense at the time...

After spending a morning wandering around Cologne, buying books in bookshops that look suspiciously like Waterstones, realising one cannot write in English and speak German simultaneously and still wind up with an ability to think at the end of it, and being chatted up by a very forward German student, (this seems to be normal for Germans, they keep telling me precisely what they think - it gets awkward, well maybe just for me, they don't seem to be to bothered), it was time to meet up with all the other assistants for the Altenburg Conference. Which is completely bonkers, some one ended up in hospital because they had an epileptic fit, there was far too much/not enough alcohol (on the final night 5 people bought most of it and then wouldn't share, no one had any sympathy for their hangovers), I learnt more about the commonwealth in 3 days than in the last 21 years, and perhaps a little bit about lesson planning.

Oooooh - on the subject of the commonwealth - so we had assistants from Canada, New Zealand and Australia with us as well. The most joyous moment of which was when Hannah said the word "out". My friends, they genuinely do speak just as "How I Met Your Mother" makes out. I was rather excited but 

it would appear that Canadians are now rather bored of this reaction. Sad faces.

Any hoo after 3 mental days in which i had perhaps a grand total of 8 hours sleep it was time.
I haven't the words or the mental acuity at this point in time to describe precisely how nervous I'd been flying out and arriving in Cologne, but Thursday morning it was back and with a vengeance! I don't believe that before last week i ever shook so violently with nerves before.

It wasn't even anything I could control! I have never been so pleased to see Mark - he had forgotten how violently I rant when tired, angry and fed up of course feeding me Mocha soothed my irritability and irrationality some what after we missed the connection from Stuttgart to Tübingen.

Eventually after two trains and pulling a proper English tourists abroad stint - who can be bothered speaking German when English is so much easier - we arrived in Tübingen where Goran came to meet me, and by extension Mark, who pretty much had to leg it to what it later transpired was an argument with the university international office xD! It was at this point that I tried to get in on the wrong side of the car much to Goran's amusement, (he spends far too much time mocking me! And is far too concerned about my lack of sock wearing!) before almost wetting myself in a fit of juvenile behaviour in regards to a dubiously named village. Unfortunately I have to go through this village every time I go direct to Tübingen after school. Hopefully, eventually I'll quit sniggering. If you're wondering what the name is (and are really that bothered), go Google earth Dußlingen or Tübingen and have a look around the local area.

After spending the evening doing the hardest listening exam ever - trying to converse with excitable but shy 4 yr old twin girls who obviously only speak German about everything from Pippi Longstocking to Hello Kitty
I went to bed, and failed to get up.

But that's going to have be another blog. because I'm unbelievably knackered still and my bed is calling me.

Be not afeared, photos are coming, but not until later.

Miss you all!!
Bethxx

A roof over my head :)

So I have some where to live! I shall be staying with a family from whom I shall be renting a room :). Though that wasnt all My Betreuungslehrer, Goran, had to say.

I shall be spending my first weekend in Germany not as previously thought hitting up Ikea with Mark but on the annual KvFG teacher's weekend retreat. There's nowt like being chucked in the deep end! Now if you'll excuse me I need some counselling, auf deutsch.
Beth xxx

1 Week, 7 Days, 168 hours,

and I'm, (to quote a friend), bricking it. Excitement, heavily laced with an overbalancing side of trepidation!

I spoke to my Betreuungslehrer on Friday and he said I should have a place to live by the end of the week, I also somehow ended up speaking to my headteacher, he seems lovely, but it was a terrible line and he was talking like an express train, unfortunately smiling and nodding doesn't work on the phone, I felt a complete idiot for having to ask him to slow down because I couldn't understand. Goran (my Betreuungslehrer), however has so far only ever spoken to me in English, thank goodness, but I suspect that'll change a week Thursday when we meet, which is probably a good thing.

Another good thing is Mark's announcement that he's coming to meet my train in Stuttgart, so we can travel to Tübingen together. This is a good thing, he has put fear in my heart over that station: "You realise half of its underground right?" I can cope with the tube, (more on that later), but I know the tube and its pretty simple and well signed. I will undoubtedly be completely knackered, stressed beyond belief- I do not travel well, particularly in an emotionally explosive state- and therefore my brain will be struggling to compute English let alone German!  Though this is probably nerve induced, hyperbolic rambling.

Ah well...

Last Sunday I went down south to see Hannah. Three things: 1.My feet are now giant blisters, 2.Hannah and I are still unstoppable, 3. My Phone mysteriously disapparated.

In relation to No. 1 - ballet flats are not a good idea for a long day of walking, let alone 2, also my blister went green, it was really weird, there was no rhyme or reason to it, its not green any more, just sorta shiny.

Warning never take a phone to London. They going missing in mysterious/suspicious circumstances. I never knew losing a smartphone could be so stressful, that little mini heartache you have when you think you've lost it? Bah! That's nothing. The unparalleled horror at realising "Pants, its REALLY gone!" then "ALL MY NUMBERS!" then "WHAT IF THEY FRAPE ME!" Before I can get home ring my network and bar my phone. Thankfully it went missing on the last day so it wasn't too bad, but until my new phone arrived on Friday  having to use a phone less technologically advance than my old 3410 ( at least that could access the internet! Sort of), was agony. But its over now.

So what did Hannah and I do? We went shopping (obviously), went on a really long walk, a fact we only noticed on the boat ride back, at the end of that walk tho was some very touristy activity and this:

Shouldn't be let out of the house me.

But then Hannah was at risk of the same thing.

The next day we went into London, coming out of Waterloo we naturally came to the London Eye, where we spontaneously decided to get on it!

We did lots of other touristy things which pleased Hannah immensely cos she doesn't normally get to!

Anyway,

until after I get there

Bethxx

Oh my goodness!

Conflagrations of giddy aunts!!  I’m going to Germany rather too soon!  However rather more pertinently I’m sat on an East Coast Mainline train to London eating skittles.  Why? Because I’m going to see Hannah!  Really looking forward to it after weeks of post camp boredom and work induced injuries, I’m treating myself to a few days away. Admittedly timing could have been better, I would choose the week KvFG go back and as such mean that all the important emails will start coming through. Hence why I’m blogging on a train. I have no other need for my laptop but unfortunately all the important bits and bobs are all stored on here and as suchI should probably find myself a reliable USB drive before I go. Prioritising isn’t my strong point though and as such the 6 DVD Avengers boxset – oh my inner geek is exultant- is far more important. 

At least malevolent  envelopes and parcels wouldn’t be shredding the skin around my fingers then. Or giving me RSIs, my thumb, wrist and arm are all sore.  But work means that I have money and can go to London, buy dvd boxsets, oh and y’know have some thing left to live off upon arrival in Germany.

I really just want to get there now as a lot of my class mates have already made it out there including Miss Chloe Caswell, and Markus, my Schwabian adventure buddies. Mark and I are living in the same Town. I predict entertaining times ahead.

I still have a lot of prep to do, including getting my phone unlocked and cancelling my contract. And with all this extra money I have deciding on how to get more clothes on to the Plane. You see, dragging two bags about would be awkward and something of a bind when on a schedule in a strange place, for instance Stuttgart’s notoriously complicated Hauptbahnhof, “You realise half of its underground right?” Mark could have just hampered my wardrobe.  If anyone tells me again I don’t need two coats and 4 jackets, I’m so overtired I will start crying.

Aside from panicking about packing, I wont even let myself think about anything else that could be a problem, like ooo I don’t know, language skills, it’d turn me in to a puddle of stress, and I let Mark get on with that, what have I been up to?

Camp! Yes  that was a thing that happened it was its usual mental self, fun, drama worthy of a soap opera, difficult children and too much sugar in spades. Also this happened:

Party night always produces moments of hilarity.

Steve’s outfit was so good his own son walked past him several times looking for his daddy not recognising the guy with hair.

This is me and Emibobs with The Dave:

Ooo and I had a new mini leader this year!  Cutie pie alert!

Hannah graduated to the role of Camper meaning that her position was left vacant, it was filled before dinner on the first day when Amy, Hannah’s little sister, came flying over to me and asked if she could be my mini leader because Hannah was a camper now. I agreed and Amy was very happy.

My tent partner Becky is camera shy. She's awesome and a brilliant partner in crime. I merely say dave's torch. xD

Other things that have happened: I got a job.  Sorting Mail for Royal Mail through an agency. In a warehouse in Leeds. In a sexy High Vis Jacket and super stylish Steel toe capped shoes. (Can you smell the sarcasm yet?)  Where I attract far too much undue attention, (how in that get-up escapes me!) , have the skin around my fingernails shredded and give my self tendonitis, which is making texting and typing a bit of a chore. I work every hour they give me, have blisters all over my feet, shift twice as much as the regular RM staff for half the pay, but at least I have new clothes and can be on this train atm.

Any way, until I have fun times in London town to blog about I shall toddle off

Beth x

Stuck in the middle.

I am precisely half way between camping trips.

Yeah, its that time of year again. I'm off camping because its time for camp, well come saturday.

This time last week I was recovering from helping to put camp up, We  have somewhere to cook, eat, wash and Sleep, indeed week 1 are probably using these facilities as I type, what with it being Week 1 and everything. Incidently I now have a small idea how much effort goes into making camp happen.

The campers remain in blissful ignorance of the whacked thumbs, rope burn, and cuts and bruises I seem to gained. Hitting yourself with a mallet of any kind hurts. Spare a thought for Joe who hit himself with a lumphammer.

At the start the field looked like this:

i.e. empty, the blue tents are our accomodation.

By the end it looked like this:

And soon it'll have 50 odd 9-13 yr olds running around it.

I'll be the one  hiding under a GIANT hat.  Well, maybe just a hat.

As for year abroad news, not much has changed since the last post, except I have reverted to my usual "I DON'T WANNA GO!" state.

Its all fine and well everyone telling me its amazing, I'll love it, it'll be a great experience, (the next person to do so is likely to get punched btw), currently, its terrifying, I miss my friends from Uni, it'll be even worse when I have to leave my family and friends here. Admittedly I get to take Mark, but to make him the first port of call for my every emotional wobble would be extremely unfair, particularly as my emotional wobbles are more akin to earthquakes than wobbles.

Living totally on my tod in a language in which I can just about communicate, should scare the pants off most people.

So yeah, feeling rather apprehensive at the moment. Hopefully, it'll die down a bit when I have somewhere to live. No doubt I will get round to liking it, but currently terrified is where I'm at.

The next update will be after camp.

so until I am next awake enough to blog!
Bethxx

The YA begins to get thoroughly exciting!

Planet Beth is going to Germany or more specifically Karl von Frisch Gymnasium, Dußlingen, Baden Württemberg.

At last I have something to get properly excited about :) and have as such spent most of the day fighting the internet trying to get to Cologne for the Altenburg Konferenz.

90 odd quid later we've managed it and I'm rather looking forward to meandering around Cologne city centre for a bit in the morning, I've always been told its beautiful and I want to check it out for myself.  Getting flights to Cologne is a hassle though.
And finding hotels even more so!

And I haven't even started looking at trains to Dußlingen for the end of the Konferenz! But thankfully I have discovered that Deutsche Bahn also works in English, which is reassuring because I get twitchy when travelling and like to have everything nice and ordered and having to add extra energy into working out the German site would only make it worse.

Having now checked into various train times and prices, I now have to Google Earth Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof to work out how on earth one station can have 101 (at least) platforms! Also I feel fleeced by the Deutsche Bahn, when a country is as large as Germany, it is therefore a long way to anywhere and prices should be less! I suspect this particular rant may feature a few times!

The most worrying thing about all of this excitement is that come Monday morning I actually have to ring my school and talk to my Betreuungslehrer (What kind of a word has 2 u's in it consecutively!?)
Grammar is going to get mangled and great whopping misunderstandings will take place. I dislike telephones. They're not good with sarcasm or foreign languages. But then the German's aren't good with sarcasm...

I can see this going terribly wrong xD

Terribly, terribly, hysterically wrong.

For you see this person:

ubiquitous beanie and all will be in the next town!

This is very reassuring, well for me, that noise you can hear is Tosh wringing his hands and hoping Germany survives.

Right,

I've run out of words here.
Bis später!
Bethxx

What happens on holiday.

Not a lot happens on holiday thats what.
Darn I'm sooo bored. and this is only the end of week 2 and already I'm climbing the walls. Only 8 more to go. Admittedly one of those weeks is Camp which will take about a week to get over, its a wonderful if very exhausting week.

Last week was not boring.  I returned home on the Friday, from where followed an awful lot of cleaning, because Anne was coming :)

We went to York, and Betty's which you just have to do, I mean look!

Even if I'm not sophisticated enough to be in a tearoom (Lucy was tempted to facepalm many a time - yes the lovely Lucy-cakes was there!)

We spent the whole time getting intermittently rained on in monsoon like downpours and drying out in glorious sunshine enjoying Yorkshire's finest city, taking some rather touristy shots, (Despite some of us living there xD), and generally having a rather good time.

 The typical look we're on the walls and that's the Minster!

 One is in Betty's ones Pinky is nowhere near ones teacup

The Shambles, funny I thought that was me...

Obligatory shot of Clifford's Tower.

The next day we stayed at home went to the castle and went shopping oh and Anna became entirely addicted to The Hunger Games. She finished it by the time we got to the wedding on saturday. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

(at this point I went to bed)

Anyway where was I? I have important things to say but have rather got to finish this bit first. Bother.

So yeah. I turned 21.

I got 2 birthdays. One in Lancaster, with all the surprises:

Left: Surprise Party       Above: Surprise Ladies Lunch :)

And one here where I went out for a meal with the usual suspects and Anne and then came home to a birthday tea :) Where there was lots of Cake. I like Cake.

Then the next day it was up and at 'em to catch an 8.20 train (who knew that time existed on a Saturday), to get to Andrew and Laura's Wedding. Which was a beautiful day and wedding.

A gorgeous event followed mainly by moving out catching up with Mark, Amy and the legend that is Tosh before interminable boredom set in, in the space of 4 days. 

BAH!

Anyway This is only blog one of 3 for today and Shakespeare will require my full attention. 

So till the next Blog!

 Bethxx

Things Wot Smell Fishy, rambles from a train.

And so here it is. Second year – over.  Packed away, nothing but mere memories, much treasured. Its been amazing, Met many amazing people, some of whom I miss A LOT.  In 9 weeks I will fly to Germany to begin the scariest chapter of my life so far.  What mentalist goes  to live in a foreign country for the sheer hell of it, when they have so much back home?! Linguists who want a degree apparently.  I’ve surprised myself in not crying at all this week, not that I’ve time to. One was kept rather busy particularly by some rather sneaky individuals, but we’ll come to that.

So, Planet Beth is going to Germany, Specifically the south western Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg. But you may have guessed that from the rather manic post below, which I hworfed out in my mindless excitement on Monday. The excitement, I’ll admit was fuelled in large part by relief in finally having a placement, and most reassuringly put to bed any of Birgit’s “Well if the worst comes to the worst you can always study”, at that point one would have become a single honours English student with a minor in German.  Studying is hard enough work in English let alone in German, when you then add my 5 minute attention span and 3 hour block lectures that are beloved of German universities the result is some seriously chewed up nails on my part just trying to contemplate the sheer horror.  Especially if you consider that my A-Level tutor refers to my German essays as a “Form of carnage more familiar to Dresden in 1945”, my issues with cases have thankfully lessened somewhat since then,  and are now unlikely to unteach anyone German as Tosh was once convinced would happen to him.

Instead I am spending the summer revising the latter half of 203 so as to be able to explain my innate English grammar to Germans come September, a thought that simultaneously fills my mother with dread and hysterical laughter.

Hopefully I’ll know which school I’m going to soon enough, though my entire family and friends from a certain time will all laugh if I end up at the school I went to in 2004 on exchange.

How this train is quicker I don’t think I’ll ever know, it stops at every village between Lancaster and Leeds with a functional train station!  But the Website clearly states that it’s 42 minutes quicker.

Tangents aside.

So what have been doing recently other than sleeping badly and packing? A week today I turn 21. A small thing, that my friends weren’t going to let go uncelebrated.  Though they rather gave the game away when I attempted to plan my own birthday shindigs and Amy rather vehemently suggested that it was unnecessary and to leave well alone.

(One is in Yorkshire.)

Anyway, Monday started with a migraine the size of Texas and a refusal to remove ones self from bed because moving was guaranteed to be a very bad idea.  During this time I received some peculiar texts and Phone calls, all concerned with my whereabouts and plans. Something was beginning to smell fishy, particularly as nothing had been mentioned on the Birthday front and Amy was leaving the following day. Being all nauseous and migrainy however one didn’t dwell on it too much and opted for further snoozing. Eventually paracetamol and Imigran made enough of a dent to make making a brew and mindlessly staring at the gogglebox a viable activity. Activity being used very loosely here.  Anne then popped around and dropped off stuff for her visit to the right side of the Pennines next week and treated me to a massage, because they’re good migraines. She then left to catch her flight to Ireland.

Amy returned from excursions of a sneaky nature, (I wasn’t aware of this at the time), and was again very concerned about my plans for the day, and whether getting dressed was on my to do list at all. Her eyebrows wiggled worriedly when I announced it wasn’t likely, this was followed an hour later by Hannah Brown demanding I quit moping, get a wash, get dressed and, come shopping.  Apparently pyjama days are a waste when there are shoes to be bought. Or when Housemates need you out of the house.  I was convinced that I was being turfed out, and was pretty sure why. Hannah only smiled weakly when I announced that something smelt fishy.

Hannah was all too good at distraction and got me there ½ an hour late. It wasn’t necessary to act surprised, far too many Party poppers going off for that. An evening of much frivolity then began.

An evening for reasons that I will never understand I decided to check my emails.  And found out I finally had a BC place.

Hannah Dengate slept over. And in the morning announced we were having a girly dress up day because why not?!  That should have been the first clue. However my attention was focused elsewhere which meant that the very devious Hannahs Brown and Dengate  got me to The Borough without me questioning anything. When we arrived and I put the phone down:

HB:“Fancy lunch?”

Me:“Yeah why not”

*walk in to borough, cue best face Emily says shes ever seen me pull”

Me: “(squee) AS IF! HOW? YOU DID NOT JUST PULL THIS ON ME!”

Ladies Lunch FTW.

Amy then sought to assure me that there would be no further attempts to cause me a heart attack.

With great relief I trotted of to Henry’s birthday BBQ for dinner all fears of further shock allayed.

Tuesday also brought something that would, under normal circumstances, warrant its own post. Lucy has returned. She is back in Lancaster, she is back in Britain. Major wootage!

And as such we all gathered at Emily’s for a much needed brew and catch up.

The rest of the week has consisted of packing, a pharmaceutical farce of proportions only obtainable by the NHS (National Halfwit Society) and Boots and procrastinating with Hannah Dengate.  I now find myself on the train home for a mummy hug an ‘UG and a cooked meal (whatever that is.)

So I’m going to go enjoy the view, readjust to a single bed, scare the living daylights out of Anna, prepare for other Anne (it’s German, pronounced like the English Anna) to come on Tuesday, and prepare to change at Leeds.  Till next week!

Bethxx

PLANET BETH GOES TO GERMANY!!!

BADEN WÜRTTEMBERG,BADEN WÜRTTEMBERG,BADEN WÜRTTEMBERG,BADEN WÜRTTEMBERG!!!




ARGHHHHHH! YES! YES!
WOOT!

I swear I'm not procrastinating ...

...Well, not much.

Ok I totally am. Last night I got so bored I tidied the tip I had laughingly been calling my bedroom. It looked like a combination of Primark during the sales, clothes flung everywhere, and an explosion in rymans, or whatever stationers you prefer.
I'd even taken advantage of the glourious weather and washed my bedding which I was gonna put straight back  on but for the discovery of THE GIANT BEASTIE SPIDER! that made its home in the nice neat pile I'd made.

We also discovered that my shoe collection is rather large. I'll post the photo on my twitter later, because my camera is at home and I am in the LZ, eating a healthy lunch, which was extortionately priced, but has the effect of not making me feel like the pig that ate 3/4s of a tub of ben and jerrys last night.

Hannah also went home yesterday. And we went to the train station to see her off, good job we did really. We literally has to load her on to the train.


She had 4 bags, only the teeny weeny beige suitcase had any clothes in.

She is not amused by this photo. We couldn't help but giggle. Which is bad of us, she was going home because she's ill and stressed, but still when the ruck on her back is almost bigger than her it tickled our collective funny bone.
Brecht is very dry and very dull.
I may go back to my IPA flash cards; though I'd have to sit on the floor because everything about flash cards reminds me of carpet time in Reception and learning to spell.
I may have to go buy wotsits, I'm still hungry and they're excellent revision food.

Bah, I shall have to go revise now!

I shall leave you with a sign that sits next to the main bus stop on campus, which had clearly been ill thought out:

Much love,
Bethxx

My Apologies..

..for my extended leave of absence.

A lot has happened many good times have been had and now I'm drowning in revision.

What fun!

Key points of Interest to note:

Easter holidays happened: A wild Josh was sighted:


A very rare event indeed and therefore worthy of a mention.

Emily and Ollie came to visit to see Becky and Seth:

Seth made a lot of cute faces and ate his bodyweight in formula. 

My Parents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary

And my grandparents their 60th!!!!

The return of the Lucy is but 5 weeks away, Camp is but 13 weeks away which quite terrifyingly means in 15 weeks I... I... I have to do something scary.

Oh and I did something crazy.

My mother is displeased.

But for now I will return to the oblivion of yacky Studying. My exams are trying to kill me and The British Council STILL haven't told me where I'm going!

However this is for those of you procrastinating... a lot like me:

Avengers is awesome and if you haven't seen it; SORT YOUR LIFE OUT! xD

Much love
Bethxx