The blog post that almost didn't make it.

A day late thanks to the atrocious internet but we made it in the end...

Another week is over. Although I really like my school I'm still not feeling particularly useful. I'd expected to be sitting and observing for the first couple of weeks but this is week three and there have still been lessons in which I haven't said a word. I'm not saying I want to take a lesson (or even lead activities) but I can cope with reading out vocabulary and answering questions. There is no point in me sitting in a class and listening to Luca, Ellie, Adam and Berry (the characters in their English textbooks) discussing a trip to the beach. Martin was also away for a couple of days which caused a bit of a kerfuffle.

St. Martini Kirche from the Altrathaus

- 5a. Very slow start due to planner checks, homework checks, etc. I really enjoyed listening to Luca, Ellie, Adam and Berry discussing something.

- 9b. The cover teacher thought I was a student (apparently I look 16. I got asked for ID as well last week) and no amount of explaining would change his mind. I was told to sit with the class, join a group and do an A to Z of Australia poster. Fortunately my group was lovely (even giving me a thank you pressie at the end!) and the cover teacher sort-of apologised at the end... it seems that suggesting 'quokka' for 'Q' was enough to prove my Englishness.

- 6d. Not needed so got sent home.

- 7d. More sports but still good. At the end I managed to remember everyone in the class' names... wahoo!

- 7a. Complete fail of a class. There was no cover work and the cover teacher didn't turn up. After waiting ten minutes I went someone to the staffroom to get a teacher. Not ideal really.

- 9f. New class. Not exactly the hardest group of students but they were friendly (even if they'd only talk in German).

- 5c. Uninterested in English. Shockingly Jens hitting the glockenspiel didn't restore control.

- 6b. Another new class. I had been switched out of the less than successful 7abc and this was my replacement. I took a small group out of the class and we had a lovely time identifying verbs in the simple past. So much better.

- 6c. I got to write loads of sample sentences on the blackboard and the students were actually asking me questions. Success.

- 5d. More problems with cover teachers meant I got left alone with the class for half the lesson which was going fine until someone started crying. My ability to comfort in German is limited.

As routine dictates I went into Hildesheim after school on Thursday. This got off to a great start with an out of order ticket machine, so I did the unthinkable and got onto a train in Germany without a ticket. I went to the library but wasn't allowed to borrow anything because I forgot to bring my proof of address certificate. Oh German bureaucracy.

For my new city of the week I went to Braunschweig/Brunswick, the city of Henry the Lion. It didn't do well on first impressions, with a 2km walk from the station to the city centre, past many 'lovely' buildings (including a youth drug rehabilitation centre). I got very confused, walking round in circles in the Aegidienviertel. The actual city was nice (once I made it) with lots of modern shopping in old buildings. This was epitomised in the Residenzschloss [residential palace], the majority of which is now a shopping centre. Interesting. There were a couple of reconstructed rooms in the palace which I was thoroughly confused by and I got glared at for standing less than a meter from the elaborately set dining table. Hmph.

Burgplatz // Alte Waage // Rathaus // Residenzschloss

On a walk into the centre of Braunschweig I saw the Rathaus [city hall] which was very pretty but hosting so sort of wedding expo. The whole Burgplatz area with the Burg Dankwarderode castle, Dom St. Blasii cathedral and of course the Braunschweiger Löwe (lion statue). After all, no self-respecting 'city of the lion' would be complete without a lion statue. Next I headed to the Altstadtmarkt and the Altstadtrathaus which had been made into a little city history museum. There were lots of maps and documents showing the history of Braunschweig and it was an interesting place to hide from the rain. Finally I went to the Old New Town, home of a church, Wollmarkt Alte Waage and the Liberei (so plenty of half timbered buildings). Other things seen at some point (effective exploring) include the Staatstheatre and Happy Rizzi Haus.

Braunschweig was a city which tried really hard to feel like a big place but was actually not. I kept putting the map away, wandering for ten minutes, panicking and thinking I was lost then turning around and being next to a church which I had originally thought was too far away to walk to. This wasn't entirely surprising given the number of churches. St. Martini Kirche, St. Ulrici Bruedern Kirche, St. Andreas Kirche, St. Magni Kirche, St. Aegidien Kirche and St. Petri Kirche. And the cathedral. So on first impressions Braunschweig wasn't amazing but it did improve. 

Bad Salzdetfurth // Presents from England // Bad Salzdetfurth

I headed into Hannover on Saturday to meet my next visitor, contending with a train that completely overshot the platform and had to reverse (standard DB Bahn). Due to the suitcase situation, Reubs and I headed straight to Badse and then back out into Hildesheim (lovely Niedersachsen ticket) and had a wander, schnitzel and ice cream. Hildesheim was slightly chaotic with politcal party members everywhere in a final push for votes and some sort of disaster had happened on a side street. A disaster that required multiple fire engines, police cars and the wonderful Katastrophenschutz. The weekend ended in usual style with Kaffee and Konzert in the Kurpark... ahh, Badse!