"Professionality" and "teaching" ;)

Tuesday morning and at 8.45am it was my turn to get up in front of the class and conduct my "own lesson" with a class full of 9 year-olds. The lesson was sticking to the theme of food and breakfast because, as you know, it takes a while for things to stick in little kids' heads.

Anyway, we had to listen to a cringeworthy "rap" called "The Sandwich Rap." I may have to post it on here one day - just for laughs.

I went on to teach them a couple of knew words which they remembered today - Good stuff! Those words were lettuce, mustard and cucumber. Obviously, they had problems pronouncing lettuce but we worked on that and now it's not an issue.

A worksheet was the last thing they had to do and they did it without problems. So, I was very pleased with how it went. The only pointer the teacher gave me was to allow them a bit of time to write words down because obviously they're younger, therefore a bit slower. Next Tuesday I'll do the same lesson with the other class of 9 year-olds.

My fellow assistants and I have come to the conclusion that kids get away with more in German schools and the British ones are a lot stricter. I'll just let you one thing though - I know that we have such a thing as 'lines' in the UK but when it comes to these 9 year-olds. The teacher I'm always with loves to threaten them with "SCHREIB'ing' DIE KLASSENREGELN AB" (Copying out the classroom rules) - It's like it's all she's got lol. Always makes me giggle to myself.

Lastly, I had a good bitch just now on Facebook about getting up this morning to get to school for 8am! I won't moan anymore on here but I still don't think there's any need for a start that early. It was still pitch-black outside, for God's sake. It'll be even darker after the clocks go back at the weekend.
Oh well, I suppose it's all part of the experience, no?

Plus, it's getting colder here by the day - I'm scared of just how cold it's gonna get over the coming weeks.


Apprentice comments (27.10.2010)

Just watched watched yesterday's Apprentice and I have to say that it was pretty funny. It's always funny but this was an particularly funny episode.

Won't talk about it too much. I will say that even though I knew about Melissa's firing before watching (SOMEONE spoilt it for me on Facebook straight after the broadcast without warning) it was still fun to watch. I found Melissa funny to watch, but she was definitely the right one to go. 

At least, she'll be remembered for her great ending "Get out my face" lol - Don't think I've heard that before and the "great" words she came out with in one episode alone. 

"Manouvrement, professionality and retributed" are just three I can remember. 

I was reading the forums as I was watching it and after she came out with some of these, a page of posts followed with most people simply saying 'manouvrement? (Is that a word).'

Lord Sugar came out with a classic line also whilst talking to Melissa in the boardroom - 

'You remind me of these, like knock-off DVDs. At first glance you're quite convincing and then afterwards, you know, you're just impossible to follow.' Yeah, that one made me laugh.

Have a good weekend folks :)

This week!

A week's gone by and I feel obliged to fill you all in on my life...

I've just had a really good/crazy weekend mainly hanging around the Reeperbahn with Frazier and Joel (and Emma on the Friday night) and I finally made it to the famous Fish Market after yesterday's clubbing. I had no idea how big the whole thing was but it's AMAZING (if you like fish, that is). I over ate and I'm surprised I wasn't sick! Got in at 7am BOTH NIGHTS. I've found that I'm getting into the continental way of going out later and going all night long.

Good times anyway!

Found a drink in one of the bars called 'Kalte Muschi' - I recommend it people. It really does just taste like juice, needless to say, it's fucking you up.
I was also reunited with 'Strongbow' and 'Snakebite' after a visit to the British pub at the busy Hans Albers Platz - It's a smoking pub too which helps in these increasingly cold times.

Drinking aside, the other assistants and I attended a Training Day on Thursday so that meant a day off school! Not that it made a difference, we still had to be there for 9am. Anyway, we got the chance to meet some of the other English Speaking assistants we didn't already know who were mainly Americans. Once that was over, I had a box full of teaching material to take home with me (all for free) so that was worth it. Before taking the box home, the entire gang paid a visit to our mate's flat which was round the corner. There must have been about 15 of us in her one room. As I expected, her one flatmate soon starting complaining saying that she was 'studying.'

 I spent more than 5€ for the first time in a German supermarket, Lidl to be exact. Yeah, Lidl's German for those who don't know. I didn't for years until I came here. So, I went in to spend 7€, ended up spending 23€ - Not on anything big I might add, but the basket consisted mainly of snacks. A can of Lynx or 'Axe' as it's known on the continent and some fabric softner to top it off. I often wonder why Lynx is known as 'Axe' almost everywhere apart from at home. I've come to this conclusion: The Europeans wouldn't be able to pronounce 'Lynx' upon seeing the word due to the weird spelling, but....what do I know!


I've just got one bitch to throw out there: I suppose I don't really have the right to bitch though 'cause it's my own fault. I keep bloody forgetting to take my own plastic bags when I go and they don't provide free bags so I'm forced to spend extra pennies for fucking bags! Oh well, I'm sure I'll learn.


I still haven't cooked here. Well, I can't cook but I have managed to boil a couple of ready made meal type things. They're not hard. So, that means that the only piece of kitchen shit I've used is the frying pan - Fine by me. That brings down the number of things needing to be washed up at the end of the day!
I also know I'm not alone. One of my other mates is also living on bread and cheese!


On the school front, I didn't do much again this week but that's all gonna change this week. Giving my first lesson to the little ones on Tuesday. Looking forward to it but not as much to the bloody singing at the start.
Sat in on one of the English lessons with the older ones on Tuesday. They're quite cool and yes, I still feel sorry for the girl who got an 'F' on the English Test. She was crying, the poor thing!
They certainly know how to shame the kids in German schools when it comes to handing out results. 


Apart from that, that's it really. Getting up in the mornings is killing me. It still takes about 100 alarms to get me up. The first starting 2/3 hours before I actually have to get out of the bed. 


Thursday night was fun. We went to a Shisha Bar in the Schanze and had an hilarious sex discussion. We have them quite a lot when drink's involved but that one was a laugh. I am now accepting the fact that I have no shame sometimes.


...and I bought two books - in English whoops! But, one could come useful with the kids so naff off! It's a book of facts about the UK called '8 out of 10 Brits,' the other is a novel called 'One day' and I've been told that it's 'a really good book' so I'll let you guys know how I get on with it. I did buy some in German too before you lay into me! I've got enough material auf Deutsch to read anyway, including a book about a pisshead. Interesting! 
I'm trying to balance the reading in German and in English. I need to read a bit more German though I would say 'cause I haven't been speaking it as much as I should be. That's naughty of me. For example, it showed during my short visit to the transport centre to get the payments for my transport transferred over to my name. It was laughable but we got there in the end, didn't we luv?


Of course, I'm still missing my baby. I love him so much and I miss him but in 5 days he'll be here with me for the weekend and then AGAIN two weeks after that. Who's a lucky boy then!?


Just before I go, I'd like you to read this article if you have time. 
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/centuryold-teaching-programme-suspended-after-spending-cuts-2114235.html
It talks about how this new annoying British government may be cutting the programme which I'm doing now which would be a GREAT shame I think.

Until next time peeps

Maxed out!

British bank account - Maxed out!

German bank account - Well, there's a couple of hundred left in that and the rent's paid so that's one thing off my mind.

I didn't max out my British account boozing as you'd probably guess but booking a flight HOME for crimbo and New Year!!! Yay, I'm so happy! 

That doesn't mean I don't have any thing to look forward to over the next two months in Hamburg. 

On Saturday, my baby randomly booked a flight to come here in TWO WEEKS :D 

He was already meant to come in four weeks but now the wait's been cut down which makes us both happy :)

I can't wait to see him - in the flesh again (Skype's still serving us well).

So that's that. I'll update you on my weekend now and Saturday night was a crazy one! Thankx to toytown.com the website for ex-pats living in Germany from all the English speaking countries of the world, I had someone to go out with...

Frazier is from the East Coast of America and was up for a night out. He has a pretty demanding job and doesn't know many people in Hamburg yet. Anyway, he came to my place and we sat and had drinks with my flatmate and watched a bit of the boxing before heading out to the Reeperbahn. 

Before we left, my flatmate treated us to some homemade vodka he has here, courtesy of his girlfriend's parents' house in Ukraine. 

Strong stuff! Between 50 and 60% percent and it certainly did its work on me!

We went on to visit about 4 different bars on and around the Reeperbahn, including the 99 cent bar (every drink 99 cent). 

Not surprisingly, it was totally packed and we left to try and get into the famous 'Funky Pussy Club.' Didn't get in though and I can't rememeber the excuse they used. I believe it was that it was already too full inside. Anyhow, that didn't stop us and the night came to a close at 5am with me finally getting to bed at 6am. 

Yesterday, I was "out of action" due to a stinking hangover! Same again next week though, I should imagine.

The mates are coming round tonight for a bit. That's nice. I haven't seen them since Thursday after they pissed off to Frankfurt for the weekend leaving me.

So school's back on in other news. I'm happy in a way 'cause I was getting a bit bored hanging around the flat all day, everyday (although I wasn't complaining about the lie-ins) and when I did go out, it just meant money. Now it's back to what I came here to do. I am, however looking forward to getting up in front of the classes and doing some proper "teaching." I'll soon get bored of just sitting at the back of the class. Maybe I should come up with some ideas of things I wanna do with them then. 

I'm so pissed they already know 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes' lol. 

I've been told that I'll be working mainly with the little ones and the 8th class (I think that's Year 9 in England) I still get confused when working out with class is which in the English system. 

After Christmas, I'll move on to work with the older ones mainly working on mainly speaking practice before their exams in May. I'm fine with the younger ones for now - They're funny! And you know me, I like a laugh! ...Even in the morning!

Until next time people

Mwah! 

 

  

Update:

Today's another day and I haven't done much except walk over the road to go into Lidl for a few bits...
I picked a few things out of the jumble sale style supermarkets they have here in Germany and went to pay. As I approached the checkout, I came across something which generally really irritates the poo out of me in a German supermarket....ONE TILL OPEN!
At that moment, they managed to get another one open so I was served pretty quickly but still - I don't like queing for ages in supermarkets (or anywhere really). That's the London in me!
So I spent 11€ in there. I do love the prices of the stuff over here. I left with a bag full of crap really. You know, the stuff that tastes really nice but isn't really doing the old insides any good. That should keep me stocked up for about ...2/3 days I would say. 


Apart from that, my Haspa bank card came through today so I FINALLY have a German bank card and I can give the British bank one a rest. However, with this German card, I can only withdraw from the cashpoints owned by my bank. If not, it's a whopping 5€ charge on top - Pissed!


Speaking of being pissed, although now switching to the other meaning of the word, I've been on the wine the past two nights with the Brits. Drinking it slowly but still managing to see the bottle off while we socialise. 
I've also throw a couple of glasses of Weissbier into the mix when we've been hanging out at Jungfernstieg. 
We've now realised we need to cut out the daily visits to the bar/restaurant at that place as we're not all made of money. I think it's just boredom during the day due to the fact we're all still on holiday.


You may remember from my last post that I was VERY homesick the other day. You'll be pleased to hear that it's a lot better now and I'm happily getting back into liking the fact that I'm in Germany!
Good! It's better than being miserable and hating every minute here as I'm sure you can imagine.
I cured my homesickness by downloading literally every British TV programme on the box. Obviously, my EastEnders and Coronation Street but also, bloody Emmerdale and Hollyoaks too (two programmes I never watch at home) I think it's just the accents I wanted to hear. 
For me, they're good for giving me a dose of home but now I'm trying not to get hooked on them again and spend every morning downloading each of them (even though they don't take long to download)
...No I haven't downloaded and watched X Factor before you ask. They hype over the programme annoys me and that's one thing I don't miss!


Apprentice tonight! So give it away before I watch tomorrow and I'll speak to you all soon


Have a great Wednesday people 
xxx

My head's bloody hurtin' now!

Hey everyone, it’s 10.10.10 – Thought I’d jump on the bandwagon as everyone keeps banging on about it. I have a reason too though...It’s my guy’s birthday! I won’t tell you how old he’s turning though ‚cause that would be rude!  ;) But a very Happy Birthday to him anyway! xxx

I’m travelling back from Mannheim to Hamburg now. I’m actually writing this as we speed down the motorway (but will be posting it when I’m back in the flat with an internet connection obviously).

We’re speeding now but it was a very different story about half an hour ago when there was only about one lane open causing tailbacks. You may be able to drive as fast as you like on parts of German motorway but apart from that, they’re quite annoying – Roadworks everywhere! A lot of the time you can’t actually see what the hell the point of the roadworks are. They always seem pointless. Are they making them wider? Aren’t they already wide enough....? Anyway this is just me having a little bitch. I’m feeling homesick. I knew it would happen and it’s happening now

I think it started yesterday. We went to see a cabaret (his idea not mine) about some old German singer who’s dead now but was famous internationally...BACK IN THE DAY!  All very funny if you know enough about her and German history...and understand German well enough to get the jokes. You tend to look like a bit of a twit when you’re not in that position though, especially when almost everyone around you is pissing themselves laughing.

So anyway we left during the interval ‘cause he could see I was hating it and I don’t do pretending very well. He took me to see the neighbourhood in which he grew up which was nice for me to see. ...From Vauxhall to his childhood neighbourhood in Mannheim awww!

So then today I felt meh! Happy that it was a nice day (what a difference a few hours make going outside now) and happy ‘A’ had nice weather for his birthday but it was all hitting me – The fact that this is no holiday and I’m here for a long stay! Scary! Yeah, I always knew that but now it’s actually hitting home. We went on to sit around a table for eight with his friends for a birthday lunchtime meal in the sun. I must have come across as an anti-social ****. I can admit that I had no intentions of trying to join in the conversation, making an effort to understand it, making to effort to say anything in German to be honest. Felt disconnected again. I did, however manage to make it clear enough to them that I was sorry for being a bit quiet and that I was homesick. They all understood – very understandable situation, you see.

I’m bit of a shit traveller really. I love the idea of travelling but I can get bored of it and the languages quite quickly sometimes. I think in a lot of ways I can be a bit closed to the way things work abroad. I find it hard to put home aside in my head and get right involved in other cultures fully. I’m sure this is just natural though and I’m sure it’ll just take time. The thing is I’m not always that patient. I doubt that I’m the first person to go through these feelings sometimes. In fact, I can think of a mate here who has been experiencing similar feelings. I keep telling myself that this time in Germany will be good for me and I'm sure it will be.

On the upside though, I don’t think I’ll feel like this for long. I go through phases of homesickness as I said. I like Germany and I like speaking/trying to speak/understand/learning more German (most of the time). I’ll let you know how I go. I certainly need a good night lashin' it up to be honest! It’s been, like two weekends now. Unacceptable! For tonight though, I think I’ll just relax with some entertainment from the UK - IN BRITISH ENGLISH. My head’s been hurting recently.

 I’ll tune back into Germany and German life tomorrow lol plus I’ll keep on telling myself this…I have one week of holiday left!!!

Goodnight xxx

It was cringeABLE!

The Apprentice is back people! Wednesdays at 9 on BBC One if you're in the UK, if not, and you're as sad as me you'll go to the wall to do what I've just done in order to watch it. We all know that the BBC's iPlayer service is literally off-limits once you leave the country unless it's radio you're after. So now here's a quick run through of how to download, not just the Apprentice but almost anything else British shown on British TV if you don't know already..

Go to thebox.bz - create an account for free
Then download a Torrent client. If you don't know what this is, it's just basically enables you do download the file. I recommend uTorrent (That's the one I use anyway) - A fast internet connection would be an idea too. The Apprentice file is pretty big...1.5GB
Once you have the file because it'll be a 'MKV file' which is quite rare, you'll have to download a Codec pack but if you have no idea what this is, there is an easier option. VLC Player already supports MKV files so just download that player and it SHOULD work.

I'll comment on the actual episode in a sec. Before that, here's what I did yesterday...

As I knew that I was running out of money but didn't actually know how bad it was, I went into town to meet Katy and my first stop was the first bank we saw. As I was saying yesterday, Postbank/.comdirect forgot all about so I needed a bank account straight away if I wanted to get paid.
My mentor's husband didn't really recommend the 'Haspa' government savings bank but it was time to just get any account so got that sorted within about 30 minutes. I'll make a point of saying that I did it all in German too which I didn't expect to be able to manage. Sometimes all the bank jargon confuses me even in English 'cause I don't really deal with banks too much! Anyway, so I expected to cave in and go 'Huh? Ich verstehe nicht. Sprechen Sie englisch?' but never needed to. She was very good, spoke slowly enough and offered me a whole bottle of juice the moment I sat down.

Money's on its way.

Thank God it is because after setting up the account with Haspa I called Barclays and got the shock of my life - I'll have about £250 after I come back from Mannheim. I still need to give this guy 130€ more rent. 
Tried to get them to increase my overdraft lol - Not to say I'm gonna hit the limit but just for emergencies. They refused 'cause they haven't got an up-to-date number for me and I need to change it via online banking which I can't do because my PINsentry card reader thing is broken and in England and they won't send a new one to Germany because I don't have Telephone Banking with them and...You know what? It's just a bloody mess. I hate British banks - They never fail to piss me off. Let's hope the German banks are better when it comes to dealing with them. Yesterday was a good start!


I need to thank my mentor - She's a star! Thankx to her, I won't have to wait until after the holidays to get paid :)


Back to Apprentice and I'm glad it hasn't lost it's comedy value! It started making me laugh right from the start, right from the moment the project managers were chosen.
God, the girls seem bitchy! and that Dan guy was entertaining too. I wouldn't have minded if he stayed.
I think it'll be a good series as it's already kicked off with some GREAT lines...
How about...'It was cringable.' Don't worry Justin, English is a stupid language sometimes :) 
'Would you like to let your wife try a new sausage' LOL or something along that line.
Then there was 'I managed to hussle £14 worth of sales' 
followed by the posh guy in the board room pointing his finger exclaiming 'It..it was SHAMEFUL' and then silence haha.
No one I really hate yet, no one I really love either. The girls seems like they'll be a laugh but bitchy. 
The girls' team leader was sweet (I say that now) and then there's that mouthy woman who kept arguing with her: 'It's about PROFESSSIONAAALLISSSMMM' LOL - HER! She may go on to annoy me. At the same time she'll cause arguments which I like and I always tend to like the ones everyone hates anyway ;)
I'm glad they all turned on the Project Manager and I can't say I disagreed with the first firing and at least no hotties went first hehe.
Glad it's back - Shame there's no German version. They have everything else.


That's it from me - Thank you and Goodnight! 
Mwah!

Paris und Herbstferien!

Just a quick one, I know it's been just over a week since I kicked off this blogging thing.

So now it's the 2 week half term (Herbstferien) break from school and I set off straight away for Paris, THE city of love for most people - Not in our case. Well, I lie it started off that way but the mood turned sour Saturday night then remained sour into Sunday morning then we made up again for about 2 hours. What happened next was probably my fault, insisting on talking about our somewhat small issues while having breakfast at a cafe. Anyway we went on to "enjoy" Paris separately on the Sunday afternoon! I really believed we were over but we're stronger than that and now after some civil conversation, we're lovebirds again. Mwah!
I'll just say, if you've read the "new" Facebook relationship status, ignore it. Don't take it too seriously! I don't think I'm the first person to run and change it after things have SEEMED like they could be over. I may change it back in due course, if I do - yes it's with the same GUY! *wink wink* if you haven't yet clocked on.
For now, I think it's best if I just say keep my relationship status private on Facebook - read here for the latest goss.

As I was saying it's Herbstferien here in this German state. Yes Hamburg is its own German state if you know nothing about D-land and I don't really have many plans to be honest. I've been spending FAR too much money and it's time I calmed it down. At least I'm only spending about 5€ a go for food for the fridge. But what I'm really going mad with is eating out (I really need to learn to cook and rustle up the energy to cook in the evenings), travelling, fags, booze, books, phone credit, magazines and I haven't even looked at clothes because they seem more expensive in Germany - which is why I need to make the short trip to Bremen so that I can visit the Primark there! I've been warned it's just as manic as the stores in England, if not worse 'cause there are only two branches in the whole country (The other is in Frankfurt).
So, apart from a plan to SAVE money for the two weeks, I need a bank account because it seems like Postbank/.comdirect have forgotten me so I'll just go out right after this and open up another one pronto because I need to get paid obviously. 
It seems like the rest of the assistants have just gone for Haspa (Sparkasse) so I may follow suit.


I am going to Mannheim, Germany on Friday in the car with a stranger - may seem akward but I'll be saving like 150€ and I thank God that this car sharing practice is common in Germany and I hope it catches on in the UK. 28€ to travel cross-country - can't be beaten.
Why am I going to Mannheim? You may ask.
What the hell's there? You may also ask. I'll tell you what, I'll wink again *wink* and maybe you can guess. I'm going to celebrate the birthday of someone special to me. Awwww. 


...and then I guess I'll return to Hamburg to sit back and indulge in the trashiest TV on offer on German TV in the daytime. RTL's the main provider of it but at least they have a news programme on at midday. I think SAT1 takes the biscuit with their fake Judge Judy, and the fake male equivalent followed by the Jeremy Kyle equivalent which is so cheap the guests haven't even got chairs to sit down on. What follows is EVEN WORST and EVEN FAKER with some AWFUL actors, I'm actually happy when the adverts come on. Saying all that though, they're good for improving da Deutsch. Just so you know, I do watch a bit of news in the middle of all that to hear a bit of proper German.


So when I returned from Paris to Hamburg on Sunday it actually felt like coming home which I think is nice after only a short time. I also like the fact that I was back through the door after landing only after about 6/7 stops on the S and U-Bahn. At least the airport's nearby.
It feels like everybody's going back to England for the holidays. Maybe it's only a few people but it does seem like everyone's running back. I'm quite happy where I am. Maybe my opinion will change after 'The Apprentice' is broadcast in the UK tonight IF I can't find it anywhere online. 
No, but seriously I'm pretty happy and settled in Germany right now. Finding my way around Hamburg well. Walked from the Reeperbahn home at 2am on Monday night. LONG walk but I don't mind walking and it was nice having almost every street to myself. I think everyone was in there bed expect me and people partying on the Reeperbahn. Hamburg looks very nice at night and my walk took me past the beautiful Alster!
Oh speaking of the Alster, that 'Alsterwasser' shandy/beer stuff is bloody lovely. I only had it for the first time last night and instantly fell in love. 


But now it's time to speak of banking if I want my money to survive in this city so...
Have a great Wednesday ladies and gentlemen and I'll speak to you all soon...


Tschuss x