So last Thursday the gr. 11 class worked on preparing their class presentations on the book "About a Boy" (you may know it as that F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S movie with Hugh Grant, Rachel Weisz, and Toni Collette). I was sitting with Sabine and Isabell, helping them with their material, when I got sidetracked and started reading the book (which was upside down) while the girls wrote down some notes. There I read "Clive said, 'Well, I've had a big think about it...'" I was like, "this can't be right." I mean, I was reading upside down after all. So I read it again. But I got the same result. So I cranked my neck around so that I was reading it almost right-side-up. For some reason the sentence structure hadn't rearranged itself along with my neck and I still read "had a big think." So then I thought maybe it was a misprint or whatever. But when I mentioned it to Sabine and Isabell they said that it was in the text several times. Like, has anyone else ever heard this phrase, "had a big think"? Am I so out of touch? Or is it just so ridiculously British that it has (THANK THE HEAVENS) simply never caught on across the ocean? Doesn't it sound silly? I've had a big think. I've had a big think. I've had a big think. It doesn't matter how many times I write it, read it, or say it out loud. It still sounds absolutely retarded to me.
So anyways, we laughed about it all class last Thursday and then today when they were presenting they totally used it on their overhead transparency and both girls looked at me and grinned when they said it.
What a silly expression.
So anyways, I've had a big think about it and I'm going to go make some lunch. Cheerio.
Geez I wish I was British. Then I might have actually been able to pull off the last two sentences with a straight face... then again, you can't see my face...
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
2 things i know you were all dying to hear...
Taught a gr. 6 and a gr. 5 class by myself today. Was so fun. Plus my usual gr. 11 class. That one wasn't as great cuz I had four new students this time so we kind of had to hurriedly go through what we did last class again and so it was kind of a flustered annoying class, but whatevs. Next week'll be better. All in all, though, it was a good day. I'm starting to get the hang of all this teaching stuff. Woohoo!
l
On to more important things than my future:
l
1) I have now been on the longest train platform in Germany. Actually more like froze my butt off for half an hour while waiting for my connecting train. Said train platform is in Gößnitz. I'm pretty sure that's the only thing worth mentioning in that town...I was sitting on the far right where the blonde chick is ->
The sign says "we welcome you on the longest train platform in Germany!" How exciting...
2) Remember that bottle of ketchup I bought on my first day here in Eilenburg... in September? Well, I opened it for the first time last Thursday! Gasp! I can see the jaws of all friends and family members who know of my 21-year-long unfaltering dependence on ketchup falling to the floor at the mere thought of me not having used my version of crack-cocaine (seriously, I would shoot up with a needle if my veins had taste buds...) since September! Well, let me just calm your tattered nerves. I have used ketchup, just not in my apartment. I don't really cook much meat other than ground beef for spaghetti sauce, and I haven't made any potatoes yet, so I haven't actually needed ketchup. (I'm such a pasta freak. And in my EXPERT opinion ketchup does NOT belong on noodles.) I was kind of shocked myself, at how long I made it without. I have eaten ketchup on weekends when I've been at other peoples' houses, so I wasn't going through complete withdrawal. Plus my Miracle Whip addiction is still goin' strong. Anyways, I visually chronicled the momentous, nay, ceremonious Ketchup-Bottle-Opening to make sure you would not miss out on all the excitement. I nearly fogged up my windows in my tomato-y-goodness anticipation!
Is that pathetic?
Doesn't matter.
I find ways to amuse myself.
I'm gonna be one crazy old spinster!!! Yay!
Endless Devotion
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Where I go You'll find Snow
So it seems that I cause snowfall. I mean, seriously; apparently last year there was no snow. But it's only November and we've had snow on the ground for 2 whole days! Ok, well, I'm not sure about where I live, Eilenburg. But here in Ellefeld, anyways, there's no lack of the fluffy goodness (that isn't so fluffy, cuz it's, like, BARELY under 0 degrees so the snow falls heavy and thick).
Eilenburg is usually quite a bit warmer and snow here in Ellefeld doesn't mean snow in Eilenburg. THANK THE LORD cuz I am still at the mercy of my trusty old bicycle when it comes to getting around at home.
I wonder if German parents have to remind themselves to teach their children of the hazards of yellow snow, seeing as how frozen H2O isn't really a regular occurance in this lovely country anymore... Hmmm. Maybe that should become part of the curriculum...
So anyways, it's been a beautiful weekend. It's just cold enough to keep the snow on the ground, but not cold enough to make you draw tirelessly on your curse-words-vocab-reserves. I've been wearing mittens, but that's mainly because I love mittens. I would wear them all year round if it didn't cause everyone to give me that "oh you poor mentally handicapped girl" look. You know the one...
No? Just me? Well, I get it a lot, I can tell you! I'm starting to get used to it. Maybe by next summer I won't even notice it anymore and I can wear my mittens in August. Yay!
Ok, rabbit trails galore! Focus, Julia.
Well, just a quick weekend report. On Friday I got to Ellefeld around 6pm after a wonderfully relaxing train ride to Zwickau where my friend Claudia picked me up. I basically dropped my bags in my room at Maedlers and then walked over to Christina's house where I spent the evening eating schnitzel and smoking cigarellos. Have I mentioned, by the way, how CHEAP tabacco is in this country? No wonder every other freaking German smokes! I mean, seriously. Less than 3 euros for a 10-pack of cigars! Ridic, I'm tellin' ya. If it didn't, you know, cause cancer...I would totally become a smoker in Germany.
Anywho, yesterday Nancy and I spent the day baking again. Only 7 hours this time, but still impressive. I made gingersnaps, spice cake cupcakes, peanut clusters, and grandma's creme cookies. And once again not one thing went wrong! Like, everything tastes amazing! I am a freaking genius.
Then Claudia came over. Makeover time! lol. She really wanted me to shape her eyebrows and do her makeup (I can hear my few male blog readers groaning in boredom). And I did it all while drinking schnaps.
And since we looked so darn purdy we couldn't waste it on an evening at home hence supper and a movie were in order. Seeing as how both of us are hopelessly single we have to be satisfied with girl-dinner-and-a-movie dates. We went Turkish. Best food ever. Although all the employees (always all-male at Turkish restaurants for some reason...) were a little creepy. They kept staring at us. But on the upside I FINALLY got to watch "Burn After Reading", which I have been waiting to see for half a year. It was HILARIOUS but I need need need to see it in English as soon as possible. I mean, if I was laughing throughout the whole thing DUBBED IN GERMAN, can you imagine how hilarious I would find it in English?
And ya. That's about it. It's Sunday morning right now. The church bells are ringing and snow is lightly falling. And I'm in a heated house for approximately 7 more hours. Reasons to rejoice.
Hope you all had a great weekend.
________
It's official...snow exists because I exist. I got to Eilenburg last night around 9:30pm and there was no snow. I woke up this morning to find my street blanketed in white. So snow. hm.
6am in Ellefeld
Eilenburg is usually quite a bit warmer and snow here in Ellefeld doesn't mean snow in Eilenburg. THANK THE LORD cuz I am still at the mercy of my trusty old bicycle when it comes to getting around at home.
I wonder if German parents have to remind themselves to teach their children of the hazards of yellow snow, seeing as how frozen H2O isn't really a regular occurance in this lovely country anymore... Hmmm. Maybe that should become part of the curriculum...
So anyways, it's been a beautiful weekend. It's just cold enough to keep the snow on the ground, but not cold enough to make you draw tirelessly on your curse-words-vocab-reserves. I've been wearing mittens, but that's mainly because I love mittens. I would wear them all year round if it didn't cause everyone to give me that "oh you poor mentally handicapped girl" look. You know the one...
No? Just me? Well, I get it a lot, I can tell you! I'm starting to get used to it. Maybe by next summer I won't even notice it anymore and I can wear my mittens in August. Yay!
Ok, rabbit trails galore! Focus, Julia.
Well, just a quick weekend report. On Friday I got to Ellefeld around 6pm after a wonderfully relaxing train ride to Zwickau where my friend Claudia picked me up. I basically dropped my bags in my room at Maedlers and then walked over to Christina's house where I spent the evening eating schnitzel and smoking cigarellos. Have I mentioned, by the way, how CHEAP tabacco is in this country? No wonder every other freaking German smokes! I mean, seriously. Less than 3 euros for a 10-pack of cigars! Ridic, I'm tellin' ya. If it didn't, you know, cause cancer...I would totally become a smoker in Germany.
Anywho, yesterday Nancy and I spent the day baking again. Only 7 hours this time, but still impressive. I made gingersnaps, spice cake cupcakes, peanut clusters, and grandma's creme cookies. And once again not one thing went wrong! Like, everything tastes amazing! I am a freaking genius.
Then Claudia came over. Makeover time! lol. She really wanted me to shape her eyebrows and do her makeup (I can hear my few male blog readers groaning in boredom). And I did it all while drinking schnaps.
What can I say...I'm a gifted girl! Everytime I finished my drink a full shot glass materialized out of nowhere! Well, ok, Juergen made it materialize. But it would be impolite to decline... :D Anyways, the eyebrows are symmetrical ... and well-shaped, so obviously it's all good and I am still a genius.
And since we looked so darn purdy we couldn't waste it on an evening at home hence supper and a movie were in order. Seeing as how both of us are hopelessly single we have to be satisfied with girl-dinner-and-a-movie dates. We went Turkish. Best food ever. Although all the employees (always all-male at Turkish restaurants for some reason...) were a little creepy. They kept staring at us. But on the upside I FINALLY got to watch "Burn After Reading", which I have been waiting to see for half a year. It was HILARIOUS but I need need need to see it in English as soon as possible. I mean, if I was laughing throughout the whole thing DUBBED IN GERMAN, can you imagine how hilarious I would find it in English?
And ya. That's about it. It's Sunday morning right now. The church bells are ringing and snow is lightly falling. And I'm in a heated house for approximately 7 more hours. Reasons to rejoice.
Hope you all had a great weekend.
________
It's official...snow exists because I exist. I got to Eilenburg last night around 9:30pm and there was no snow. I woke up this morning to find my street blanketed in white. So snow. hm.
To see more pics of the weekend skip to the new pics:
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Poetic balm for a literature student (i kind of hate the word balm...sounds lame, doesn't it?...)
That could be my best blog title to date. You may not believe this, as the evidence for the following statement might not appear to overwhelmingly agree with your idea of "significant amount of thought", but I usually put a significant amount of thought into my blog entry titles. Today's is an A+ in my books. But I have strange books
Hia. So it's been a few days...let me think...what's been going on?
Um, I definitely made that omelet I wrote about on Monday. Mushrooms, ham, onions, eggs.
It was tasty.
You still there?
Ok, so seriously, life update time. Um, Tuesday was another day of school. Taught the grade 11s on my own for the first time. There were, like, 10 people signed up but only 3 girls from the one gr. 11 class actually showed. So I was very confused. And then I found out today that there had been another 4 students...waiting for me in the wrong room! Their teacher had given them the incorrect information. Oh well, it all got cleared up today. It was a few of the kids from the English class I have Thursday mornings. I've mentioned them a few times to you already - they're the ones I really really like. Today I just walked around from group to group as they worked on projects and that makes it a lot easier to kind of get "better acquainted" or whatever. We laughed a lot, which is usually a good sign, right? :) Plus they can speak to me in German and I actually understand everything, unlike most other foreign language assistants, which really speeds up the ice-breaking process.
Yesterday was really cool. It was a holiday here in Saxony so I spent the day at Konny's (you know, the teacher I've mentioned a couple times - get along with her splendidly...lol...can you tell I'm spending too much time around people who speak British English?) So she picked me up around 8:30 am and took me to her house in Bad Düben, which is a small city (pop. app. 8000) near Eilenburg. It is GORGEOUS! So quaint and adorable! I wish I lived there. lol. Anyways, so we went to her house (and they actually have a large yard and garden! I didn't even know that existed in Germany!) where I got the tour and we just chatted. Then we corrected some exams and tests for a few hours, with a nice little lunch break where I was served a cooked vegetable (among other things of course) that I actually like! They're called "schwarze wurzeln" which means "black roots". But they're white.
Hey, I'm only half-German AND I didn't name them, so don't look at me.
Anyways, it's pretty much a sign that the rapture is near at hand when I like any form of cooked vegetation, so you might wanna start spending all your money frivolously and working on your "things to do before I die...or get beamed into heaven" list. P.S. If you can't spend your $ fast enough call me up and I'll give you my account info...
So after we finished our work we drank many many cups of coffee, ate some typical German cake and Christmas Lebkuchen (YUMMY), chatted some MORE (I love hearing her mom's Cold War stories), and eventually strapped on our boots for an afternoon of exploring in Bad Düben. :) An old castle, a tree-lined lane, cobblestone market places, and beautifully restored German architecture. A cold, windy, grey day; but I LOVE those kind of days. When every tree is bare and the wind bites at the few areas of exposed skin as you set your face against the elements and kick your way through a carpet of brown, red, and orange. When the sky matches the colour of the pavement barely visible under a layer of mildly decaying leaves, giving off an intoxicating musty and rainy, yet familiar and oh-so-pleasant smell. When you not only revel in battling the forces of nature outside, but can also look forward to entering a warm house (not mine, obviously...Konny's...), eating a warm meal, perhaps reading a good book that promises to whisk you away as fast as your eyes can move from line to line, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with a candle burning dimly nearby...and preferably another cup of coffee. Those are fabulous days. Fairy tale days. Getting-lost-in-the-endlessly-creative-depths-of-my-imagination days. Days when I feel so alive and yet so desperately human. Days that should really never find a tomorrow.
I mean, what could be better than getting lost in the forest only to finally arrive at your desired destination, which turns out to be more beautiful and breath-taking than you even expected? A giant cliff of red earth jutting out over a swiftly moving river far below, spinning off into a dark horizon as the autumn afternoon winds down to an early blackness - a perfect, eerie blackness.
We spent the evening with a leisurely supper, where I also met her husband, Dirk, who works in the army...something with airplanes or whatever... Exchanged music, books, movies (I'm gonna give 'em some Matt Good... :)) and drank more coffee. Espresso to be exact. Which, in hindsight, explains my chipper wakefulness when I went to bed. But whatevs. Coffee is always worth it. :D
So ya. That was my day yesterday. It may not sound like much, but it was idyllic to me. There are few things that I describe as "romantic" - at least in a good non-mushy-Walk-To-Remember-movie-crappiness kind of way - and days like these are just one of them. Like a setting out of a Dickens novel. Sigh.
Why am I feeling so sappy and poetic today? I need to watch Fightclub or something...Oh wait...I LEFT IT IN CANADA.
Ok, and here we're gonna make a quick jump to some random Julia thoughts. This may require a strong cup of java...for you, of course, not me...I'm used to it after almost 22 years...
Random Thought #1) I got an email from the University of Manitoba today. Why is this worth mentioning, you ask? Well it was an ALUMNI email. I was like, "this can't be right...They have me on the wrong emailing list." And then I realized that I actually belong on this list! I graduated! From a university! (How irresponsible of them, don't ya think?...) That means I'm technically a university alumni...or alumnus...or whatever the singular form is. I don't feel like looking it up right now but I'm sure my dad will inform me... Wow, and I studied English??? Anyways, it still feels wrong. I mean, first of all, I'm going back to school next year, and second, I'M PLAIN OL' NOT OLD ENOUGH! Am I?
Random Thought #2) Today I was asked to look over and correct some text that had been translated from German to English (person shall remain nameless) and the German phrase for flax field had been translated as "field of rape". I nearly choked on a slice of orange. At least I really really really hope that that 'translation' was a mistake... :P
Oh, will not be home again this weekend. Train ride tomorrow! Yay. I mean, I've been on countless trains since I got here and I still get all excited... Go figure. Apparently it doesn't take much to please me. Dip pretty much anything in chocolate and you should be safe. Hmmmm....chocolate covered train....I need to talk to someone about this...immediately. And about how easily I get sidetracked ... by my own rabbit trails.
Smell ya later.
Hia. So it's been a few days...let me think...what's been going on?
Um, I definitely made that omelet I wrote about on Monday. Mushrooms, ham, onions, eggs.
It was tasty.
You still there?
Ok, so seriously, life update time. Um, Tuesday was another day of school. Taught the grade 11s on my own for the first time. There were, like, 10 people signed up but only 3 girls from the one gr. 11 class actually showed. So I was very confused. And then I found out today that there had been another 4 students...waiting for me in the wrong room! Their teacher had given them the incorrect information. Oh well, it all got cleared up today. It was a few of the kids from the English class I have Thursday mornings. I've mentioned them a few times to you already - they're the ones I really really like. Today I just walked around from group to group as they worked on projects and that makes it a lot easier to kind of get "better acquainted" or whatever. We laughed a lot, which is usually a good sign, right? :) Plus they can speak to me in German and I actually understand everything, unlike most other foreign language assistants, which really speeds up the ice-breaking process.
Yesterday was really cool. It was a holiday here in Saxony so I spent the day at Konny's (you know, the teacher I've mentioned a couple times - get along with her splendidly...lol...can you tell I'm spending too much time around people who speak British English?) So she picked me up around 8:30 am and took me to her house in Bad Düben, which is a small city (pop. app. 8000) near Eilenburg. It is GORGEOUS! So quaint and adorable! I wish I lived there. lol. Anyways, so we went to her house (and they actually have a large yard and garden! I didn't even know that existed in Germany!) where I got the tour and we just chatted. Then we corrected some exams and tests for a few hours, with a nice little lunch break where I was served a cooked vegetable (among other things of course) that I actually like! They're called "schwarze wurzeln" which means "black roots". But they're white.
Hey, I'm only half-German AND I didn't name them, so don't look at me.
Anyways, it's pretty much a sign that the rapture is near at hand when I like any form of cooked vegetation, so you might wanna start spending all your money frivolously and working on your "things to do before I die...or get beamed into heaven" list. P.S. If you can't spend your $ fast enough call me up and I'll give you my account info...
So after we finished our work we drank many many cups of coffee, ate some typical German cake and Christmas Lebkuchen (YUMMY), chatted some MORE (I love hearing her mom's Cold War stories), and eventually strapped on our boots for an afternoon of exploring in Bad Düben. :) An old castle, a tree-lined lane, cobblestone market places, and beautifully restored German architecture. A cold, windy, grey day; but I LOVE those kind of days. When every tree is bare and the wind bites at the few areas of exposed skin as you set your face against the elements and kick your way through a carpet of brown, red, and orange. When the sky matches the colour of the pavement barely visible under a layer of mildly decaying leaves, giving off an intoxicating musty and rainy, yet familiar and oh-so-pleasant smell. When you not only revel in battling the forces of nature outside, but can also look forward to entering a warm house (not mine, obviously...Konny's...), eating a warm meal, perhaps reading a good book that promises to whisk you away as fast as your eyes can move from line to line, wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with a candle burning dimly nearby...and preferably another cup of coffee. Those are fabulous days. Fairy tale days. Getting-lost-in-the-endlessly-creative-depths-of-my-imagination days. Days when I feel so alive and yet so desperately human. Days that should really never find a tomorrow.
I mean, what could be better than getting lost in the forest only to finally arrive at your desired destination, which turns out to be more beautiful and breath-taking than you even expected? A giant cliff of red earth jutting out over a swiftly moving river far below, spinning off into a dark horizon as the autumn afternoon winds down to an early blackness - a perfect, eerie blackness.
We spent the evening with a leisurely supper, where I also met her husband, Dirk, who works in the army...something with airplanes or whatever... Exchanged music, books, movies (I'm gonna give 'em some Matt Good... :)) and drank more coffee. Espresso to be exact. Which, in hindsight, explains my chipper wakefulness when I went to bed. But whatevs. Coffee is always worth it. :D
So ya. That was my day yesterday. It may not sound like much, but it was idyllic to me. There are few things that I describe as "romantic" - at least in a good non-mushy-Walk-To-Remember-movie-crappiness kind of way - and days like these are just one of them. Like a setting out of a Dickens novel. Sigh.
Why am I feeling so sappy and poetic today? I need to watch Fightclub or something...Oh wait...I LEFT IT IN CANADA.
Ok, and here we're gonna make a quick jump to some random Julia thoughts. This may require a strong cup of java...for you, of course, not me...I'm used to it after almost 22 years...
Random Thought #1) I got an email from the University of Manitoba today. Why is this worth mentioning, you ask? Well it was an ALUMNI email. I was like, "this can't be right...They have me on the wrong emailing list." And then I realized that I actually belong on this list! I graduated! From a university! (How irresponsible of them, don't ya think?...) That means I'm technically a university alumni...or alumnus...or whatever the singular form is. I don't feel like looking it up right now but I'm sure my dad will inform me... Wow, and I studied English??? Anyways, it still feels wrong. I mean, first of all, I'm going back to school next year, and second, I'M PLAIN OL' NOT OLD ENOUGH! Am I?
Random Thought #2) Today I was asked to look over and correct some text that had been translated from German to English (person shall remain nameless) and the German phrase for flax field had been translated as "field of rape". I nearly choked on a slice of orange. At least I really really really hope that that 'translation' was a mistake... :P
Oh, will not be home again this weekend. Train ride tomorrow! Yay. I mean, I've been on countless trains since I got here and I still get all excited... Go figure. Apparently it doesn't take much to please me. Dip pretty much anything in chocolate and you should be safe. Hmmmm....chocolate covered train....I need to talk to someone about this...immediately. And about how easily I get sidetracked ... by my own rabbit trails.
Smell ya later.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Sheets and PJs
Nice thing about living alone:
- I can not shower and walk around in my fat pants and sports bra all day without having to worry about running into anyone. Ah luxury.
Not nice thing about living alone:
- Folding fresh bed sheets by myself sucks. It's so much easier when you have someone to do it with. Especially my mom, cuz we have our system down pat! :D And I never fall over when we do it - only mom. :D
- I can not shower and walk around in my fat pants and sports bra all day without having to worry about running into anyone. Ah luxury.
Not nice thing about living alone:
- Folding fresh bed sheets by myself sucks. It's so much easier when you have someone to do it with. Especially my mom, cuz we have our system down pat! :D And I never fall over when we do it - only mom. :D
_______________
Had a really good weekend in Ellefeld. Greatly enjoyed the highly anticipat
ed warmth that I mentioned in my last blog entry. Baked so much stuff for Phine's birthday! Seriously, 9 hours straight! lol. And somehow everything turned out incredibly even though I didn't have some of the right ingredients for my Canadian recipes. At one point I had 3 cakes on the go while I talked to mom on the phone for an hour - and none of the batters got mixed up or anything! One word. MIRACLE.
ed warmth that I mentioned in my last blog entry. Baked so much stuff for Phine's birthday! Seriously, 9 hours straight! lol. And somehow everything turned out incredibly even though I didn't have some of the right ingredients for my Canadian recipes. At one point I had 3 cakes on the go while I talked to mom on the phone for an hour - and none of the batters got mixed up or anything! One word. MIRACLE. My reverse chocolate chip cookies were a huge hit at the bday party, as were the regular choc chip ones...they don't exist here in Germany and everyone was all like "it's just like when you guys used to live here and your mom baked all those amazing things!" What a freaking huge compliment! And my CAKE! I ate two pieces myself it was so good! lol. Nancy has now made it her responsibility to fatten me up on the weekends cuz every time I come over my jeans seem to look a little looser. She is now of the opinion that I don't eat. lol.
Daniel, the eldest Maedler child, was home this weekend as well. Surprised Phine Saturday morning by appearing for breakfast. It was really cute. (He goes to University in northern Germany, so he's not home very much.) It was the first time I'd seen Daniel again since I was 13 and he was 12. Made for a fun weekend.
Today ... hmmmm. I did my laundry, went grocery shopping... now I'm plannning on watching season 2 of Gilmore Girls - borrowed the DVDs from a friend. That's about it. I'm thinking omlette for supper... yes, I have resorted to telling you what I'm making for supper. That's how uneventful Mondays are :)
Oh, here are a few pics from the weekend. It's an old album so just skip whatever you've already seen...
Ciao
Friday, November 14, 2008
Not much to say...
Hia! Well, I don't really have a specific purpose for writing today, but I just wanted to pop in once more before the weekend, cuz after school today I have to book it to my apartment, pick up my backpack, and then book it to the train station. I'm heading back to Ellefeld today. It's Josephine's 12th birthday on Sunday and she really wanted me to come. How can you say no to that child? I couldn't when she was a baby and I still can't today. It's really sweet...she watches everything I do. She is suddenly very interested in make up and shoes! lol. Nice to know I make some kind of impact on people, hey? So I got her a few makeup-y things and some funky face masks for her present. I think she'll have a lot of fun with that.
And on Saturday I'm gonna bake again for the first time since I left home! yay! I'm excited about that. I mean, I know I could do it here in Eilenburg, but that just isn't happening for two reasons:
1) I don't feel like having to buy all those different ingredients that I know I'll never use up
2) If I bake things...that means someone has to eat them...and I prefer not to eat giant cakes and whole batches of cookies on my own. In fact, since I've been living on my own I pretty much only eat "junky" stuff when I go out, or to someone's house! It's the single-living-alone-person's diet... :) The only place I've "gained" any weight is my calves from cycling every day...seriously, folks, some of my skinny jeans don't want to come off in the evenings! Let's just hope my boots keep zipping up. lol.
So you might be wondering how things have been going...since that's actually the purpose of this blog...I mean, I told you already of my love for canned whipped cream (which apparently really got Ruth all fired up :P) but that's not really a good 'life update', hey? Well, I haven't said much else, cuz there's not much to tell! Things are just running smoothly! I'm really really enjoying everything out here. I'm just feeling quite settled in right now, which is a feeling that I've been grabbing onto and consciously taking pleasure in. I'll walk down the street to my grocery store or my bank and just enjoy how it feels like my own little personal home. A home I don't share with anyone else. A place I've MADE to my own home. It's fun to notice that I don't even really pay attention to where I have to go...my feet just take me there. I recognize things... These seem like such stupid simple things, but these are also the moments that will put a spontaneous smile on my face when my brain suddenly perks up and says, "hey, have you noticed this yet?" I can't really describe it, but it's neat. :P
School is going very well. The longer I'm here the more the students warm up to me. My grade 10 class (that I teach by myself on Wednesdays) consists of 4 girls who are FINALLY starting to come out of their shells. And all the other classes are just really really fun. Again, not much to report. There are a couple of classes that I'm only starting next week, so we'll see what that brings! :)
Well, seems that even when I really had absolutely nothing to say as I stared blankly at the "New Post" page, I just can't keep my brain from blaeouieaohing all over the page. So there you have it....this weeks Blaeiouaiuehs. If you don't understand the last two sentences...I can't help you.
Have a fabulous weekend. I am greatly looking forward to being in a heated house for 2.5 days! Wooooo! What are you looking forward to this weekend? Think about and take conscious pleasure from it. It'll make your day, I promise!
And on Saturday I'm gonna bake again for the first time since I left home! yay! I'm excited about that. I mean, I know I could do it here in Eilenburg, but that just isn't happening for two reasons:
1) I don't feel like having to buy all those different ingredients that I know I'll never use up
2) If I bake things...that means someone has to eat them...and I prefer not to eat giant cakes and whole batches of cookies on my own. In fact, since I've been living on my own I pretty much only eat "junky" stuff when I go out, or to someone's house! It's the single-living-alone-person's diet... :) The only place I've "gained" any weight is my calves from cycling every day...seriously, folks, some of my skinny jeans don't want to come off in the evenings! Let's just hope my boots keep zipping up. lol.
So you might be wondering how things have been going...since that's actually the purpose of this blog...I mean, I told you already of my love for canned whipped cream (which apparently really got Ruth all fired up :P) but that's not really a good 'life update', hey? Well, I haven't said much else, cuz there's not much to tell! Things are just running smoothly! I'm really really enjoying everything out here. I'm just feeling quite settled in right now, which is a feeling that I've been grabbing onto and consciously taking pleasure in. I'll walk down the street to my grocery store or my bank and just enjoy how it feels like my own little personal home. A home I don't share with anyone else. A place I've MADE to my own home. It's fun to notice that I don't even really pay attention to where I have to go...my feet just take me there. I recognize things... These seem like such stupid simple things, but these are also the moments that will put a spontaneous smile on my face when my brain suddenly perks up and says, "hey, have you noticed this yet?" I can't really describe it, but it's neat. :P
School is going very well. The longer I'm here the more the students warm up to me. My grade 10 class (that I teach by myself on Wednesdays) consists of 4 girls who are FINALLY starting to come out of their shells. And all the other classes are just really really fun. Again, not much to report. There are a couple of classes that I'm only starting next week, so we'll see what that brings! :)
Well, seems that even when I really had absolutely nothing to say as I stared blankly at the "New Post" page, I just can't keep my brain from blaeouieaohing all over the page. So there you have it....this weeks Blaeiouaiuehs. If you don't understand the last two sentences...I can't help you.
Have a fabulous weekend. I am greatly looking forward to being in a heated house for 2.5 days! Wooooo! What are you looking forward to this weekend? Think about and take conscious pleasure from it. It'll make your day, I promise!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
It may be useless but accepting it was an incredible feeling!
My dad sent me this via email today. It came in the mail after I had left Canada already, but I can live with the scanned version for now. :) As they say, the Bachelor of Arts may be a useless degree, but it sure felt great holding a piece of paper which reaffirmed that my four years of hard work and little sleep were well worth it... I mean, it qualifies me to go back to University and get another degree! ...
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
when Life hands you lemonade...say thank you and drink it!
Hia once again. Well, today is a new day. A Friday. Fridays are glorious, aren't they? I think so. I mean, for the obvious reason that they precede the weekends. But heck, I also only had to get up at 8am today! Reason enough to sing, dance, and rejoice. Which I didn't do cuz I'm not a morning person - just ask my dad. But theoretically speaking....
Anyways, today was awesome for more reasons than that. First I had Transjob class with the grade 12's - those are the ones learning about applying for jobs in English and stuff. It was fun cuz we are such a small group and as the lesson goes I just kind of add my two cents to everything. And I really enjoy it cuz I've had several jobs over the past 5 or 6 years and "sufficient" :) experience applying for jobs. So I find that I can really give lots of practical advice, which they seem to understand and even enjoy ... as much as you can enjoy school. :) ... says the future teacher. I'm terrible.
Then I had to race over to the other school building with the younger kids for my 7th grade class. And I had prepared an entire lesson to do all on my own! Isn't that psycho? And ABOUT HOCKEY IN CANADA! (Ok dad, you can pick your jaw up off the floor now...I didn't have to teach anything in detail. I do know what a hockey puck is... :D ) This was just a tad freaky for 4 reasons:
1) I had only been in this class once before....and the kids were slightly PSYCHO! But in all fairness, it was the last lesson on the Friday before 2 weeks of holidays. Still...they were PSYCHO.
2) The actual teacher sat in the back row with the students while I taught. That's just plain old mean! :) lol. No, it was fine, just a little nerve-wracking cuz it was the first time. But I think it's good for me, cuz by the time I get back to Canada and have to start teaching in a classroom with someone who's actually evaluating my skills (or lack thereof) it won't seem like nearly as big a deal. The teachers out here are just happy to have me and to use me. No one here is going to make a list of all my faults and mistakes. Hopefully...
3) I've never had to prepare an entire 45 min lesson on my own. I have no formal education in this kind of stuff. All I know is that I love to teach people things. That is definitely not enough. Thank goodness I'm naturally thorough and organized. And I never ever attempt to wing ANYTHING. I just can't do it. Goes against every grain in my personality. Preparation is my middle name.
4) I really honest-to-goodness don't know any details about hockey... But I'm Canadian, so that was the obvious sport to teach on...
I was nervous about it all week but it's like as soon as I get up in front of a class all my fears just melt away. And the class went really well!!!! (I hope that as time goes by the pre-lesson jitters and anxieties will kind of fade altogether.) But I love the feeling of standing up there. After 17 years of school, working towards my childhood dream of becoming a teacher, I totally forgot that one day I'd actually be standing there...doing it! And it's exhilarating to realize that after all that waiting it's still as appealing as when I was 5 years old, educating the common neighbourhood dolls and teddy bears while my evil siblings watched and laughed at me through the crack of the door. I was completely oblivious and only found out about this several years ago. lol. :D
The kids were little angels! I couldn't quite believe it. I wouldn't be surprised if my face was set in a completely puzzled expression for the first 5 minutes of class cuz they were so quiet and well-behaved. It's like in Sister Act II where you're thinking "this can't be right..." and then you sit down in the chair covered in glue. If you've never seen Sister Act II...well, that's your loss. :D
However in my case there really was no glue.
Anyways.
Totally made my day. And possibly my weekend, too. :)
Have a good one folks!
Anyways, today was awesome for more reasons than that. First I had Transjob class with the grade 12's - those are the ones learning about applying for jobs in English and stuff. It was fun cuz we are such a small group and as the lesson goes I just kind of add my two cents to everything. And I really enjoy it cuz I've had several jobs over the past 5 or 6 years and "sufficient" :) experience applying for jobs. So I find that I can really give lots of practical advice, which they seem to understand and even enjoy ... as much as you can enjoy school. :) ... says the future teacher. I'm terrible.
Then I had to race over to the other school building with the younger kids for my 7th grade class. And I had prepared an entire lesson to do all on my own! Isn't that psycho? And ABOUT HOCKEY IN CANADA! (Ok dad, you can pick your jaw up off the floor now...I didn't have to teach anything in detail. I do know what a hockey puck is... :D ) This was just a tad freaky for 4 reasons:
1) I had only been in this class once before....and the kids were slightly PSYCHO! But in all fairness, it was the last lesson on the Friday before 2 weeks of holidays. Still...they were PSYCHO.
2) The actual teacher sat in the back row with the students while I taught. That's just plain old mean! :) lol. No, it was fine, just a little nerve-wracking cuz it was the first time. But I think it's good for me, cuz by the time I get back to Canada and have to start teaching in a classroom with someone who's actually evaluating my skills (or lack thereof) it won't seem like nearly as big a deal. The teachers out here are just happy to have me and to use me. No one here is going to make a list of all my faults and mistakes. Hopefully...
3) I've never had to prepare an entire 45 min lesson on my own. I have no formal education in this kind of stuff. All I know is that I love to teach people things. That is definitely not enough. Thank goodness I'm naturally thorough and organized. And I never ever attempt to wing ANYTHING. I just can't do it. Goes against every grain in my personality. Preparation is my middle name.
4) I really honest-to-goodness don't know any details about hockey... But I'm Canadian, so that was the obvious sport to teach on...
I was nervous about it all week but it's like as soon as I get up in front of a class all my fears just melt away. And the class went really well!!!! (I hope that as time goes by the pre-lesson jitters and anxieties will kind of fade altogether.) But I love the feeling of standing up there. After 17 years of school, working towards my childhood dream of becoming a teacher, I totally forgot that one day I'd actually be standing there...doing it! And it's exhilarating to realize that after all that waiting it's still as appealing as when I was 5 years old, educating the common neighbourhood dolls and teddy bears while my evil siblings watched and laughed at me through the crack of the door. I was completely oblivious and only found out about this several years ago. lol. :D
The kids were little angels! I couldn't quite believe it. I wouldn't be surprised if my face was set in a completely puzzled expression for the first 5 minutes of class cuz they were so quiet and well-behaved. It's like in Sister Act II where you're thinking "this can't be right..." and then you sit down in the chair covered in glue. If you've never seen Sister Act II...well, that's your loss. :D
However in my case there really was no glue.
Anyways.
Totally made my day. And possibly my weekend, too. :)
Have a good one folks!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Blowing gaskets and fuses, choking on spit...what else on a Thursday?
So today started off yucky. Actually, come to think of it, every Thursday starts off yucky. Wanna know why? Do ya? Do ya? Do ya? IT'S CUZ MY ALARM RINGS AT 5:30AM. Now I realize that many of you reading this will feel the immediate impulse to respond with "that's nothing...I get up that early every day!" Several of you are mothers, which means you have to get up when the little noises in the next room start to become loud non-sleep-through-able noises. And some of you, like my sister Rebekah, are even mothers of newborns, which means you get far too little sleep as it is! Then there are those of you who have jobs that simply require you to be up oober early (aka. James)...In any case, that is not the point. The point is that I really do detest my Thursday morning wake-up call. Mainly cuz it means that it's still dark outside and my apartment is FREEZING cuz I turn the heat off at night. It's just a dismal combination to wake up to. Plus the weather out here has been the absolute pits this week! Complete grey cloud cover and wet fog every day. Not cold, though, thankfully.
So as I was saying, the day started off yucky with the urge-to-throw-clock-against-wall-inducing
"beep, Beep, BEEP" in my ear and a shower in a frigid bathroom (imagine walk-in fridge...). Then I ate chocolate cereal, which made my day slightly better. Thankfully it wasn't raining on my way to school, which was another bonus. 15 minutes of riding your bike in the rain is...well...the opposite of enjoyable. Anywho, thankfully Thursday is my favourite day in terms of school, cuz it's 2 hours with the grade 11s, who are majoring in English. Meaning they're quite advanced and it's a small group. But the real reason I love it is the teacher. Her name is Konny and I absolutely love her and how she teaches! We get along so freaking well and are always just talking and talking when we meet up. If I had annoying grade 7s after getting up at 5:30am I'd probably blow a gasket....or a fuse....or both. I'm not a mechanic and I'm sleep-deprived. Leave me alone.
Anyways, so now I'm finally getting around to why I started this post in the first place. All the stuff I just wrote wasn't actually part of the plan. Just kind of spilled out. Sorry.
So, 1 cool thing: it turns out Konny can pick me up before and take me home again after class on Thursdays! YAY! That means at least I don't have to ride my bike to school in the dark and potentially icky weather! The other days it's ok cuz my classes start later but Thursdays have now just become a whole lot more appealing! I won't have to plan my hairstyle according to the weather forecast (for Thursdays at least) anymore... :P
And 1 funny thing: Konny totally wants me to marry someone out here and stay in Germany. I almost choked on my own spit when I found out WHO my future German hubby is supposed to be...and no I'm not telling you. Who knows, it could happen, right?! Lol. Doubt it, though. And don't worry, mom, your spaghetti sauce and pumpkin pie totally outweigh any potential German marriage material...at this point anyways. :)
Hope you all have a grand Thursday. Right now ya'll are still snoring away, except for possibly Rebekah M or Ruth or whoever else reading my blog with a little one :), so that's a good start!
Oh and here are some more random pics for those interested...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81672&l=4b7d7&id=573967603
l
So as I was saying, the day started off yucky with the urge-to-throw-clock-against-wall-inducing
"beep, Beep, BEEP" in my ear and a shower in a frigid bathroom (imagine walk-in fridge...). Then I ate chocolate cereal, which made my day slightly better. Thankfully it wasn't raining on my way to school, which was another bonus. 15 minutes of riding your bike in the rain is...well...the opposite of enjoyable. Anywho, thankfully Thursday is my favourite day in terms of school, cuz it's 2 hours with the grade 11s, who are majoring in English. Meaning they're quite advanced and it's a small group. But the real reason I love it is the teacher. Her name is Konny and I absolutely love her and how she teaches! We get along so freaking well and are always just talking and talking when we meet up. If I had annoying grade 7s after getting up at 5:30am I'd probably blow a gasket....or a fuse....or both. I'm not a mechanic and I'm sleep-deprived. Leave me alone.Anyways, so now I'm finally getting around to why I started this post in the first place. All the stuff I just wrote wasn't actually part of the plan. Just kind of spilled out. Sorry.
So, 1 cool thing: it turns out Konny can pick me up before and take me home again after class on Thursdays! YAY! That means at least I don't have to ride my bike to school in the dark and potentially icky weather! The other days it's ok cuz my classes start later but Thursdays have now just become a whole lot more appealing! I won't have to plan my hairstyle according to the weather forecast (for Thursdays at least) anymore... :P
And 1 funny thing: Konny totally wants me to marry someone out here and stay in Germany. I almost choked on my own spit when I found out WHO my future German hubby is supposed to be...and no I'm not telling you. Who knows, it could happen, right?! Lol. Doubt it, though. And don't worry, mom, your spaghetti sauce and pumpkin pie totally outweigh any potential German marriage material...at this point anyways. :)
Hope you all have a grand Thursday. Right now ya'll are still snoring away, except for possibly Rebekah M or Ruth or whoever else reading my blog with a little one :), so that's a good start!
Oh and here are some more random pics for those interested...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=81672&l=4b7d7&id=573967603
l
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Oh Happy Day
Now why would I give today, a completely normal hum-drum Tuesday, such an exuberant and vivacious title, you ask. I mean, it's the very title of one of my all-time favourite songs that I frequently dance in my skivvies to when nobody's around...which is obviously quite often these days as I'm living on my own...ANYWAYS...it's quite simple. I saw three pick-up trucks today! Two of them were old and getting rusty, but, I mean still, that's got to be an all-time record here in Germany. Where did they come from, you say?
WHO CARES?
I'm just happy to see one now and again. :)
l
The Germans may keep bashing us for our typically-American-environment-killing-thinking-only-of-ourselves-truck-driving ways for all I care. I still love a good truck. And so practical! I mean, imagine, for example, James E. lugging his two tons of tools and equipment for carpentry work around...on the train? I don't THINK so people! Obviously impossible. We just do a whole lot more heavy lugging, heaving, transporting, conveying, and toting out in good old North America. What can I say??? We're a hands-on outdoor-working kind of people, eh? :D The Germans just don't know what they're missing...if they started driving pick-ups they wouldn't so easily give them up either... :P
Look dad, I even went to the trouble of finding a GM truck picture. :) :) xoxo
Monday, November 3, 2008
Great Expectations
Where did those two weeks go? Two weeks of holidays, relegated to the shelf of memories and recollections. I never cease to find elements of fascination in the passage of time. Whenever I'm anticipating something exciting I always say to myself: "and to think that this will very soon be over and I'll be wondering where the heck it went...but it's a long time til then..." And then suddenly it's over and all I can do is shake my head because I should know better! Everything awesome goes by twice as fast as everything else. It's like, an hour of certain university lectures seem like an eternity, but when I plop down with a good book I might only look at the clock again 3 hours later.
The past two weeks were really great. Two of the best weeks of holidays I've ever had. Yesterday evening I got home around 9 pm and while I am happy to be back in my own little nest where my mess is my mess, where my organizational system rules, and where I don't have to worry about someone else wanting to use the tv right when I feel like watching a movie. But at the same time I find myself sitting in my chilly little apartment (I've gotten so used to heat over the past two weeks that I think that's what I'll miss the most in the next month and a half as my frugal will battles against my numb fingertips...) thinking to myself: where on earth did those two weeks go? I was just getting excited about them! And now things are ordinary again! Back to school tomorrow. And this time it's for the long haul. No more fun breaks until December 19th.
While I know that once I'm back in the swing of things I'll be loving it, I'm finding it hard to return to normalcy today. I think it's because I'm alone. I didn't come back home to a cozy house with the smells of mom's baking or the comfort of dad's voice echoing up the stairs from the basement. I can't run over to Naomi's house and ask for some of Mark's ridiculously unbelievable lasagna and garlic bread. I can't call Bria up and make a coffee date. I can't text Zoe about which terrible movie trilogy we should start next. I can't just spend the night at my bro and sister-in-law's on a whim. When I'm in Ellefeld with my old friends from "the past" :) I really do feel completely at home. Yet here in Eilenburg, while this apartment has become my little haven and this city is starting to feel quite familiar, it's still not the same as being "at home". The people I know here are just acquaintances who are just beginning to get to know me. And I in turn barely know them. There's something undeniably appealing about being here all on my own and getting to be whoever I want to be....these people have no preconceived notions or expectations. But is that always a positive thing? Sometimes I miss the expectations. I mean, reinventing yourself is cool and fun, but I still find it infinitely "cooler" when the people you surround yourself with know exactly who you are and why you are that way - and expect you to behave in certain "patterns"...or misbehave... :P That doesn't mean you can't break out of your shell and show a side of yourself that people might not otherwise normally see; it just means that there are people out there that care enough about you to go to all the effort of KNOWING you. When was the last time you truly appreciated that?
P.S. Any Dickens fans catch on to my blog title today??? :)
P.P.S. My last Berlin pics are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=80993&l=dd02c&id=573967603and
I added some more randoms to this Facebook album. just skip the stuff you've already seen.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=69362&l=27d46&id=573967603
The past two weeks were really great. Two of the best weeks of holidays I've ever had. Yesterday evening I got home around 9 pm and while I am happy to be back in my own little nest where my mess is my mess, where my organizational system rules, and where I don't have to worry about someone else wanting to use the tv right when I feel like watching a movie. But at the same time I find myself sitting in my chilly little apartment (I've gotten so used to heat over the past two weeks that I think that's what I'll miss the most in the next month and a half as my frugal will battles against my numb fingertips...) thinking to myself: where on earth did those two weeks go? I was just getting excited about them! And now things are ordinary again! Back to school tomorrow. And this time it's for the long haul. No more fun breaks until December 19th.
While I know that once I'm back in the swing of things I'll be loving it, I'm finding it hard to return to normalcy today. I think it's because I'm alone. I didn't come back home to a cozy house with the smells of mom's baking or the comfort of dad's voice echoing up the stairs from the basement. I can't run over to Naomi's house and ask for some of Mark's ridiculously unbelievable lasagna and garlic bread. I can't call Bria up and make a coffee date. I can't text Zoe about which terrible movie trilogy we should start next. I can't just spend the night at my bro and sister-in-law's on a whim. When I'm in Ellefeld with my old friends from "the past" :) I really do feel completely at home. Yet here in Eilenburg, while this apartment has become my little haven and this city is starting to feel quite familiar, it's still not the same as being "at home". The people I know here are just acquaintances who are just beginning to get to know me. And I in turn barely know them. There's something undeniably appealing about being here all on my own and getting to be whoever I want to be....these people have no preconceived notions or expectations. But is that always a positive thing? Sometimes I miss the expectations. I mean, reinventing yourself is cool and fun, but I still find it infinitely "cooler" when the people you surround yourself with know exactly who you are and why you are that way - and expect you to behave in certain "patterns"...or misbehave... :P That doesn't mean you can't break out of your shell and show a side of yourself that people might not otherwise normally see; it just means that there are people out there that care enough about you to go to all the effort of KNOWING you. When was the last time you truly appreciated that?
P.S. Any Dickens fans catch on to my blog title today??? :)
P.P.S. My last Berlin pics are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=80993&l=dd02c&id=573967603and
I added some more randoms to this Facebook album. just skip the stuff you've already seen.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=69362&l=27d46&id=573967603
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