GERMANY
What with all my travelling of late, I'd almost forgotten that Neuerburg exists. It isn't difficult, let me tell you. What's been happening?
School
Now my travelling cravings have been momentarily quenched, I'm as back into the swing as I'll ever be at teaching English. I have less hours for the time being, seeing as two English teachers have left and we're waiting on replacements, because I politely declined the offer of "fancy taking these two classes by yourself indefinitely, Max?"
As well as this, the guys in the final year are currently writing their Abitur (A-levels) in time to finish in March, which means another 2 hours a week gone because their teaching has effectively ended.
In the classes I do still have, I'm still playing the role of dictionary bitch, which is fine by me because the whole standing up in front of a whole class and bullshitting for 45 minutes is always a challenge for me.
If you'd asked me last September something to the tune of "Do you think that post-christmas in Germany, you'll have some half-decent teaching tactics under your belt and a better grasp of the German language?", then I'd have been all "Fuck yeah, maybe!". In answer to that question now, January 2011, It would be more along the lines of "Fuck yeah, maybe! But actually probably not!"
Note to self: learn how to speak German
Language ability (or lack thereof)
My German is still appalling, despite numerous attempts, kicking and screaming, at doing the whole 'completely immerse yourself in the culture' thing. Discouragingly, and worryingly, I'm also becoming aware that constant exposure to the German language, apart from not improving my ability to speak it, is botching my English.
I've spewed such gems in the past two weeks as "I am going to make a photo of that", because that's how the Germans say it, and this absolute terror: "does it pain?" Does it pain? PAIN? I fucking ask you!
Even in lessons, when I'm given words to explain, I still look a retard. You never appreciate how moronic the English language can be until you've tried explaining it. The word that always sticks with me is 'just'. Think of every scenario you can use the word 'just' in; I listed about 6 different contexts. Then try and explain that bitch, in all it's contexts, in language suitable for learners. Gah.
Conclusion: studying abroad can be a hit and miss affair in terms of improving your foreign languages and in managing to speak your mother tongue without sounding like a foreigner yourself. Let's hope that the wisdom teeth which are currently gouging their way through my gums bring me some of their namesake.
Neuerburg
This is old news, but it's no less relevant now it's 2011: hopping round German cities before returning home to Neuerburg isn't the most fun thing. And then, after spending two days just driving round the Eifel region in Germany, you realise quickly that Neuerburg is the most inhabited place in 25km around.
Contrary to all hopes that H&M might see the beneficial value of a Neuerburg branch, or at least that we might have a suggestion box installed on Marktstrasse, our little town remains pretty silent and 98.4% of the population still believe it's the centre of the known universe.
After 5 months, my list of Neuerburg activities has been expanded from going to the bank and Rewe. I eat at the Chinese place pretty much on a weekly basis, they're gonna lose €40 a month when I'm gone. I buy iced coffee in a can and chocolate from the tiny shop that wishes it sold more things. I buy art stuff at our tiny art shop. If I'm feeling particularly debonair, I drink coffee alone with a bun at Cafe Brunker in the main square.
And the weird thing is, I kind of enjoy it. That even after Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, even Barcelona, I come back from the mad chaotic humdrum of Europe and I still sort of bum this town. Drinking alone in cafe's, praying for the internet, sidling away from some of the genuinely insane people who live here, walking a daily route now burned into my soul and observing the glaring lack of a competent police force - it's still awesome.
And that, my friends,
That makes it very special.
What with all my travelling of late, I'd almost forgotten that Neuerburg exists. It isn't difficult, let me tell you. What's been happening?
School
Now my travelling cravings have been momentarily quenched, I'm as back into the swing as I'll ever be at teaching English. I have less hours for the time being, seeing as two English teachers have left and we're waiting on replacements, because I politely declined the offer of "fancy taking these two classes by yourself indefinitely, Max?"
As well as this, the guys in the final year are currently writing their Abitur (A-levels) in time to finish in March, which means another 2 hours a week gone because their teaching has effectively ended.
In the classes I do still have, I'm still playing the role of dictionary bitch, which is fine by me because the whole standing up in front of a whole class and bullshitting for 45 minutes is always a challenge for me.
If you'd asked me last September something to the tune of "Do you think that post-christmas in Germany, you'll have some half-decent teaching tactics under your belt and a better grasp of the German language?", then I'd have been all "Fuck yeah, maybe!". In answer to that question now, January 2011, It would be more along the lines of "Fuck yeah, maybe! But actually probably not!"
Note to self: learn how to speak German
Language ability (or lack thereof)
My German is still appalling, despite numerous attempts, kicking and screaming, at doing the whole 'completely immerse yourself in the culture' thing. Discouragingly, and worryingly, I'm also becoming aware that constant exposure to the German language, apart from not improving my ability to speak it, is botching my English.
I've spewed such gems in the past two weeks as "I am going to make a photo of that", because that's how the Germans say it, and this absolute terror: "does it pain?" Does it pain? PAIN? I fucking ask you!
Even in lessons, when I'm given words to explain, I still look a retard. You never appreciate how moronic the English language can be until you've tried explaining it. The word that always sticks with me is 'just'. Think of every scenario you can use the word 'just' in; I listed about 6 different contexts. Then try and explain that bitch, in all it's contexts, in language suitable for learners. Gah.
Conclusion: studying abroad can be a hit and miss affair in terms of improving your foreign languages and in managing to speak your mother tongue without sounding like a foreigner yourself. Let's hope that the wisdom teeth which are currently gouging their way through my gums bring me some of their namesake.
Neuerburg
This is old news, but it's no less relevant now it's 2011: hopping round German cities before returning home to Neuerburg isn't the most fun thing. And then, after spending two days just driving round the Eifel region in Germany, you realise quickly that Neuerburg is the most inhabited place in 25km around.
Contrary to all hopes that H&M might see the beneficial value of a Neuerburg branch, or at least that we might have a suggestion box installed on Marktstrasse, our little town remains pretty silent and 98.4% of the population still believe it's the centre of the known universe.
After 5 months, my list of Neuerburg activities has been expanded from going to the bank and Rewe. I eat at the Chinese place pretty much on a weekly basis, they're gonna lose €40 a month when I'm gone. I buy iced coffee in a can and chocolate from the tiny shop that wishes it sold more things. I buy art stuff at our tiny art shop. If I'm feeling particularly debonair, I drink coffee alone with a bun at Cafe Brunker in the main square.
And the weird thing is, I kind of enjoy it. That even after Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, even Barcelona, I come back from the mad chaotic humdrum of Europe and I still sort of bum this town. Drinking alone in cafe's, praying for the internet, sidling away from some of the genuinely insane people who live here, walking a daily route now burned into my soul and observing the glaring lack of a competent police force - it's still awesome.
And that, my friends,
That makes it very special.
