Day 8 - A week in Britain
Hello! (This is similar to the email I sent out. If you're reading the emails, look for the light blue bits, and skip to them.
I wasn't exactly IN Britain over the last week, but it sure felt like it!
After arriving in Hamburg and meeting my lovely generous host family last weekend, and speaking a great deal of German, I was a bit worried about the training week I just survived.
Monday morning I packed my backpack and modest bag (leaving the big monster sulking in my closet), and walked to the streetcar station, leaving plenty of time. Of course, I realized I had forgotten my wallet about two minutes before the train came, so I hustled back, missed the streetcar, and the connecting train to Cologne. Luckily, I'm starting to get quite good at this - I had chosen an earlier train than I really needed, so I was able to just take a later train.
At 4pm I was surprised to be confronted with a GIANT posse of foreign-language-assistants at the Cologne train station - about 150, with many many bags. After standing in the rain for about twenty minutes, we got on the coach busses, and were on our way.
We stayed at a monastary-cum-catholic-youth-hostel thing about half an hour out of the city. There was a beautiful cathedral there (I saw a bit of a local gospel choir rehearsal - the enthusiasm and choreography were good!). We spent our time going from info sessions (where they told us what to do at the schools, how to register, etc) to work groups, (where we discussed what makes up good lessons, and did a practice one ourselves), to mediocre mass-produced meals, where we made never-ending small talk.
Of those 150 students I mentioned, possibly 30 were NOT from England. There were 8 from Canada, 7 from Australia and NZ, and another handful from Ireland and Scotland and Wales and such. So I didn't speak much German this week, but my British is much improved. I can say 'whinging', 'fit' (as in attractive, not just athletic), and 'lorry' with the best of them, and I found myself swallowing all my vowels and sounding, if not exactly British, distinctly less Canadian. I also found myself under attack for spelling it 'mom' and not 'mum', and many other minor things!
Despite this national identity-crisis (I even have to use my British passport while I'm here to avoid a whack of paperwork ), I really enjoyed the week, and think it was valuable. Now I know that the other foreign-lanugage assistants are just as human and afraid as I, and in many cases, younger, and less used to travelling. Isn't it horrible that other people's weaknesses comfort me? I think I just imagined perfect bilingual robots until I met the real people. Now I know we're all struggling away, so I'm willing to. They're also a lot of fun, and I've made some good/interesting friends!
I tried something new that I learnt at the ESL camp I worked at this summer: There was a talent-show at the end of the training week, and I hadn't brought any sheet music, so I planned a Banana Eating Competition. (The following is a silly secret/trick - don't spread it too far!). I asked four friends(well, friendly acquantainces of two days) to take part, and explained that in fact, it's just a trick. (Two of them didn't even like bananas). I called them up to the stage on the performance night, and explained that they were the best banana eaters at the camp, and I didn't think anyone from the audience could beat them, but one person was welcome to try. I got one volunteer, sat her in the middle seat, and blindfolded all 5 contestants. Once I handed them their bananas, I said, 'ready, set, go', and my 4 pre-set contestants took off their blindfolds, and we all watched poor Michelle eat her banana super-fast! She was excited to learn she had won, until I handed her the other four bananas, as her prize. Besides having to avoid her the rest of the evening, it was a success!
I can't tell you how many times I wish I could see a face I knew more than a week ago - even just coming back to Hamburg today was a bit of a relief!
Monday I'll be starting at the schools, I suppose, although they've given me no indication whether I'm working at the primary or the secondary school Monday morning! Perhaps most Germans have ESP?
Ah well, I guess I'll just have to let Monday come. Until then, it's time for a weekend of errands and laundry! The excitement never ends in Germany!
Cheers,
Russ
I wasn't exactly IN Britain over the last week, but it sure felt like it!
After arriving in Hamburg and meeting my lovely generous host family last weekend, and speaking a great deal of German, I was a bit worried about the training week I just survived.
Monday morning I packed my backpack and modest bag (leaving the big monster sulking in my closet), and walked to the streetcar station, leaving plenty of time. Of course, I realized I had forgotten my wallet about two minutes before the train came, so I hustled back, missed the streetcar, and the connecting train to Cologne. Luckily, I'm starting to get quite good at this - I had chosen an earlier train than I really needed, so I was able to just take a later train.
At 4pm I was surprised to be confronted with a GIANT posse of foreign-language-assistants at the Cologne train station - about 150, with many many bags. After standing in the rain for about twenty minutes, we got on the coach busses, and were on our way.
We stayed at a monastary-cum-catholic-youth-hostel thing about half an hour out of the city. There was a beautiful cathedral there (I saw a bit of a local gospel choir rehearsal - the enthusiasm and choreography were good!). We spent our time going from info sessions (where they told us what to do at the schools, how to register, etc) to work groups, (where we discussed what makes up good lessons, and did a practice one ourselves), to mediocre mass-produced meals, where we made never-ending small talk.
Of those 150 students I mentioned, possibly 30 were NOT from England. There were 8 from Canada, 7 from Australia and NZ, and another handful from Ireland and Scotland and Wales and such. So I didn't speak much German this week, but my British is much improved. I can say 'whinging', 'fit' (as in attractive, not just athletic), and 'lorry' with the best of them, and I found myself swallowing all my vowels and sounding, if not exactly British, distinctly less Canadian. I also found myself under attack for spelling it 'mom' and not 'mum', and many other minor things!
Despite this national identity-crisis (I even have to use my British passport while I'm here to avoid a whack of paperwork ), I really enjoyed the week, and think it was valuable. Now I know that the other foreign-lanugage assistants are just as human and afraid as I, and in many cases, younger, and less used to travelling. Isn't it horrible that other people's weaknesses comfort me? I think I just imagined perfect bilingual robots until I met the real people. Now I know we're all struggling away, so I'm willing to. They're also a lot of fun, and I've made some good/interesting friends!
I tried something new that I learnt at the ESL camp I worked at this summer: There was a talent-show at the end of the training week, and I hadn't brought any sheet music, so I planned a Banana Eating Competition. (The following is a silly secret/trick - don't spread it too far!). I asked four friends(well, friendly acquantainces of two days) to take part, and explained that in fact, it's just a trick. (Two of them didn't even like bananas). I called them up to the stage on the performance night, and explained that they were the best banana eaters at the camp, and I didn't think anyone from the audience could beat them, but one person was welcome to try. I got one volunteer, sat her in the middle seat, and blindfolded all 5 contestants. Once I handed them their bananas, I said, 'ready, set, go', and my 4 pre-set contestants took off their blindfolds, and we all watched poor Michelle eat her banana super-fast! She was excited to learn she had won, until I handed her the other four bananas, as her prize. Besides having to avoid her the rest of the evening, it was a success!
I can't tell you how many times I wish I could see a face I knew more than a week ago - even just coming back to Hamburg today was a bit of a relief!
Monday I'll be starting at the schools, I suppose, although they've given me no indication whether I'm working at the primary or the secondary school Monday morning! Perhaps most Germans have ESP?
Ah well, I guess I'll just have to let Monday come. Until then, it's time for a weekend of errands and laundry! The excitement never ends in Germany!
Cheers,
Russ
posted by Russ at 8:30 PM
1 Comments:
that banana thing is awesome. cruel but awesome. BANANAAAAAH.
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