Ampelmännchen, Archaeopteryx and the Alphabet.

Firstly apologies for the mammoth blog post. I was originally going to write a little bit about some of my experiences at school and living here in general, but then I went to Berlin for a couple of days. And then Bad Salzdetfurth was looking pretty...

It has been trying so hard to snow.

So. Please bear in mind that these are obviously only my observations of living here. From talking to other students living out here it is clear that everyone is having different experiences but I can only recount my own. They are definitely not representative of the entire ‘English but living in Germany’ experience.

1. The Germans do not speak flawless English. I don’t mean that they are bad at English, more that their English is not as intimidatingly good as I thought it would be. Before arriving, I had thought that I would speak virtually no German at school. The truth is far from it. I speak more German than English. On the whole people are patient with me attempting German and saying multiple verbs and then helping me choose the right one. There are exceptions, such as one of my 5th graders who laughed at my sentence structure(auxillary verb in the wrong place - nightmare). My reply was something like “wellwhenyourEnglishisbetterthanmyGermanyoucanlaughatme.Untilthenifyouwantmyhelpbenice”, spoken in very fast English. Then in slow English. And then in German. He still asks for help...

2. Directness and rudeness are very different things. I’ve received a few comments which would usually offend me but here they are not designed to. This direct approach is continued in the lack of ‘English politeness’. I stand out by saying ‘excuse me’ and ‘thank you’ far too frequently. I also hold open doors, don’t push people on trains and am able to queue. I automatically ask ‘how are you?’ even if the information is not essential to my future happiness. Politeness is the thing I miss most about England.

3. Going to the supermarket is a traumatic experience. Everything is in a strange order (why is the milk next to the to tomato passata? Why sausages next to the cheese?) so it takes me forever to find what I want. Just when you think the ordeal is over you have to go to the checkout. Your items are scanned at the speed of light, leaving you fumbling, simultaneously trying to pack your bags and pay. And don't even think of trying to talk to the cashier. My top tip for surviving is to buy fruit and vegetables that need to be weighed and intersperse them amongst the other items on the conveyer belt. While the cashier is weighing the aforementioned fruit or vegetable, you have enough time to pack the other items into your rucksack. It's taken me nearly three months to develop this technique and it is remarkably effective.

4. Learning the German alphabet is really important. I wish I had realised this 9 years ago. The letter ‘e’ is awful and is irritatingly overused in English.

5. Living here is not easy. There are ups and downs but what matters is how you take them. There have been a couple of moments when going home was all I wanted. I have even got as far at looking up the cost of flights. But you have to experience the downs to notice the ups. I’ve met some wonderful people here. I’ve made it onto ‘best friends’ lists in student planners. I get greeted when walking around the school building.

Now onto Berlin, my destination for the weekend. Berlin is possibly my favourite city, so with an unallocated weekend and free accommodation it was just too tempting. I informed Emma (a friend from uni studying in Berlin this year) that I wanted to visit and 24 hours later arrived at Berlin Hauptbahnhof... not bad going. I had a lovely couple of days, doing plenty of sightseeing (this is me we are talking about) and spending time with fellow year abroad-ers Emma, Vicky and Maia.

Brandenburg Gate // Natural History Museum // Schloss Charlottenburg // Reichstag // East Side Gallery

The first sight seen was Schloss Charlottenburg, the largest palace in Berlin. After dropping my bag off at Emma's we went to an indoor food market near Görlitzer station which was great. Unfortunately we had made the mistake of eating before going! Thursday ended sitting in a pub in Berlin... hard to believe that I had actually been to work that morning.

Emma had seminars the following morning so I had four hours to explore by myself. I set off at Brandenburg Gate, getting there so early that there were no protesters or people dressed up in military uniforms. I walked to Checkpoint Charlie, via the Dom and then along Unter den Linden as far as Alexander Platz. I then got all over excited at the Ampelmann shop. To explain, Ampelmännchen are the little traffic light men which existed in East Germany. Nowadays they have become an icon of East German culture, so much so that there is a shop which sells Ampelmännchen themed products. The final stop on my solo tour was the Natural History Museum where my inner geologist came out and I got all over excited at the brachiosaurus skeleton (the biggest mounted dinosaur skeleton in the world) and the archaeopteryx (widely regarded as the best preserved fossil in the world, and yes they had the real one on display). Enough with the dinosaurs.

I met up with Emma, Vicky and Maia and we had a catch up over a wander and a burger. And because we hadn't eaten enough food we went to the Haagen Dazs cafe.

Once it had got dark (so sometime after half past 4) we wandered to Brandenburger Tor and then along to the already Christmas-ified Sony Centre. In the evening Emma and I headed to VEB Ostzone, an ostalgie bar near Hackescher Markt station. It's actually located under the railway tracks. And ostalgie isn't a typo, it refers to nostalgia for East Germany. So it was decorated in all sorts of GDR paraphernalia including a couple of Lenin portraits. I tried a Rot Berliner Weisse, a type of beer with raspberry syrup in it... sounds strange but tasted good.

On my final day in Berlin Emma and I went to the East Side Gallery, a 1.3km long section of the Berlin Wall which is now covered in paintings and acts as a memorial. The paintings were powerful and more extensive than I had realised, but many have been heavily graffitied which detracts from their message somewhat. Anyway I was pleased to visit before the gallery is destroyed in the name of property development.

Fuelled by my first ever Dönor I went to meet my Mitfahrer for the journey home. The driver and other passenger proceeded to discuss a wide variety of subjects including communism, socialism, consumerism, americanism, advertising, aspirations and unemployment. I found myself in the middle of their debate and unable to add much to the debate which lasted the full 2.5 hours. I was forced to engage in this debate when the passenger started discussing English food, which he described as horrible. I said that I disagreed, and thought English food was actually pretty good. He then asked if I had heard of Marmite, a 'bizarre product which he had bought as a joke'. I informed him that Marmite is amazing, tastes particularly good on toast and that I'd brought some with me from England. Ah. He suddenly realised that I was English! Maybe I should have mentioned it before he started with the insults...

My love for the Brandenburger Tor continues.

So many Niedersachsen tickets.

It's Sunday again! And I'm actually updating on a Sunday! School was the same as usual, although I am gradually getting more involved. The task this week was explaining Bonfire Night and the Gunpowder Plot... miraculously successful. At the end of the working week (so about 9:30 on Thursday) I went to Hannover, primarily to meet Hannah from the airport but also to generally enjoy Hannover. I am proud to announce that I actually found arrivals at the airport. Wahoo. I showed Hannah and her suitcase a little bit of Hannover before grabbing a Ditsch and getting the train back to Badse.

The following day we visited Hamelin: the city of the Pied Piper. Some things don't change... Hamelin's obsession with rats is one of them. To celebrate we had a rat shaped almond-biscuit-cake-type-of-thing. The day was dominated by food (rumball, massive waffle, schnitzel with potato and fennel bake...) but we did squidge in some sightseeing.

Schloss Marienburg

Another day, another Niedersachsen ticket... this time beginning with a journey to Nordstemmen. We then got a mini-car-train-thing (like the sort children go on at the zoo) up the hill to Marienburg Castle. The castle was very pretty but unfortunately the tower was closed for Winter. No panoramic views for us. Instead we wandered in the grounds/courtyard/vicinity. We returned to Nortstemmen station on the road train and got an actual train to Hannover for Meadbh's pre-birthday meal. Fitting eight of us around Katy's table was interesting but it was a fun evening and we predictably ended up on the last train home.

Neues Rathaus - Hannover

Sunday was thrilling as all Sundays are. We went for a walk and discovered that all the coffee shops were closed, so went back to the flat and made cake. And watched a film.

My only other news is that my phone has died. I mean properly died, not just run out of battery. I am already feeling lost without it, so will have to invest in a new one as soon as possible. Good thing Hannah is here so we still have an alarm for school tomorrow morning...

Waffles and Truffles.

Where to begin. It's been an eventful week-and-a-bit (apologies for not blogging sooner... no real excuse).

1. I took my first ever lesson by myself! And then a second one the next day. Both went surprisingly well but I still don't want to be a teacher. I did however enjoy myself.

2. I am feeling German. I now imagine myself driving on the right hand side of the road. Slightly scared to drive when I go home for Christmas.

3. I went to Belgium.

Tyne Cot Cemetery

Time to elaborate on the whole 'going to Belgium thing'. On Thursday I woke up at 6am, had two lessons at school and then hopped on the train to Bruges. Obviously there isn't a direct train from Bad Salzdetfurth Solebad to Bruges, it was more of a Bad Salzdetfurth to Hildesheim, Hildesheim to Hannover, Hannover to Köln, Köln to Brussels, Brussels to Bruges sort of journey. The journey was beautifully straightforward; the German trains were actually all on time and the ICE hit 190km/h! I met Katherine in Brussels station, something which is easier said than done. We had slightly forgotten about the number of people going through Brussels station at rush hour to it took a while to meet up and then a bit longer to identify a train going to Bruges. Anyway, we arrived in Bruges, left the station and DID NOT RETREAT! Definitely progress on our Scandinavian adventure. Using the foolproof method of walking along the peripheral canal until we came across the right street we located our hostel. Yes. A pre-booked hostel. We were so proud of ourselves that we didn't question the lack of room lock, instead keeping everything safe by hiding it in the wardrobe.

After a wander into the Market Square and some exceedingly salty and ketchup-y chips it was time to sleep.

In Bruges

The sightseeing began the next day. We made the most of being able to afford things and understand how much they cost (love Euros), consuming the best hot chocolate, the best waffles in Bruges and a couple of truffles. In between all of this eating we visited an exhibition where you experienced Bruges in the Middle Ages, climbed the Belfry (366 steps) and went on a canal tour. The novelty of being able to eat something other than pastry continued, as we had an after-dinner waffle to share.

The following day began with more of the best hot chocolate and a wander round Bruges. We had waffle number three as lunch and then headed back to the station to travel to Ypres. The train to Ypres was not particularly successful. At Lichtervelde we ended up on the unannounced replacement bus service to Roeselare. Nope, I hadn't heard of them either. The next train only took us to Kortrijk which was lovely but not Ypres. An hour later we got the train to Ypres, arriving just before nightfall and in torrential rain. Undeterred we left the station (and did not retreat) and walked to the main square where we found the tourist information and Flanders Museum. We then walked all around the square trying to find our hotel. It turned out to be opposite the tourist information and we just hadn't noticed. Urgh. Due to the impending darkness we postponed our original plans and instead went to Ramparts Lille cemetery.

After tea we went to the Last Post. It was an unforgettable experience. Being at the ceremony on Saturday 9. November was even more poignant, as there were veterans and other military groups present. A bagpipe band filled the Menin Gate with sound as we waited for the ceremony to begin. I usually hate the noise of bagpipes, but in this setting they contributed to an incredible atmosphere. The crowd were silent, the wreaths were laid and the Last Post sounded. I don't know how to describe the feeling of being there, at that moment. Humbling. At the end of the ceremony we walked past the wreaths and into the memorial, past names and names and names. Overwhelming.

Ypres

The final day of the Belgian adventure began with an early start for Katherine and a lie-in for me. We enjoyed a lovely breakfast in the hotel (first ones down!) and went to the station to catch bus 94 to Tyne Cot Cemetery. This is the largest Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in the world (nearly 12 000 graves) and a reminder of the Battle of Passchendaele. There is also a memorial wall bearing the names of 35 000 servicemen whose bodies were not recovered or identified, a continuation of those inscribed on the Menin Gate. Incidentally the bus back to Ypres was at 11:11.

We made it back to Ypres in time to do two minutes silence on Remembrance Sunday standing next to the wreaths laid at the Menin Gate.

With a quick diversion made to buy waffles and truffles we went back to the station to begin the journey home. This began with an utterly bewildering train to Brussels. Bewildering because it seemed so unlikely that we would ever make it to Brussels. I then met Soufiane, a member of blablacar who was driving me (and a couple of other people) from Brussels to Hannover. Apprehensive doesn't quite cover it, but apparently this sort of thing is normal in Germany. To be fair the journey was fine and I made the last train home with five minutes to spare!

So, to conclude, Bruges and Ypres are amazing. Both places were really pretty, and being in Ypres on Remembrance Sunday is something I will never forget. On a less serious note, I still have no idea what a Belgian waffle is actually like. We ate four and they were all different. And on an even less serious note I have a story. I'm only typing it because Katherine won't forgive me if I don't:

In the hotel room in Ypres...

Lucy: Urgh why doesn't the wifi work. I've tried it loads of times and the stupid thing won't connect.

Katherine: That's weird, mine worked first time. I just typed the password and it was fine. Maybe make sure you're not capitalising the 'R' in Roger?

Lucy: Roger?!?! I'd been typing Nigel! .... I thought they were equivalent names!

Ten minutes later the laughter had not stopped.

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling 21.

So that's it. I'm 21.

I had always expected the birthday to be a difficult day and it lived up to my expectations. I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry (I actually looked at how much the evening flight from Hannover to Heathrow was!) but despite my over-emotional-ness I had a lovely day. I stayed up until midnight to Skype the parents, George and Reubs. At this point I realised that for me it was my birthday but for everyone in England it wasn't yet... cue feeling a very long way from home.

Whilst not a typical birthday it was surprisingly good. The teachers gave me flowers and chocolates, I got a couple of little presents from my students and everyone was nice to me. I had cake in my flat by myself (fruit cake of course) and opened my pressies before heading into Hannover for the evening. Katy and Meadbh cooked roast dinner. There were even parsnips! We finished off with exceedingly lemony lemon drizzle cake. I ended up staying in Hannover for the entire weekend (it was sort of pre-planned).

On Friday evening we went out in Hannover, firstly to a Disney themed party and then to Steintor.  First night out since June. There was a distinct lack of sleep but the night was good apart from losing my coat (I have since got it back). After a pootling nothingyday on Saturday we met up with another couple of language assistants for cocktails in our favourite bar (aka the once with a litre for 10€). I eventually made it back to Badse on Sunday afternoon after an exhaustingly sociable weekend.

So the birthday was happy. I feel incredibly lucky to know such lovely people in both my English world and my German world. People who went to the effort of sending birthday cards (with long messages), people who cooked me dinner, people who left chocolate in my pigeon hole at school. I even got an email from my choir...

Simply amazing. So I'm going to finish this rather blog post by saying thank you for making my birthday wonderful.