The Saturday Update

Let's get it out of the way first - this week I have stayed the same again.  I did well on my other two goals - make up was gone every night and I only drank on one school night which was a big improvement on the week before.  I'm going to keep it to weekends now - I feel much better for it.

New goals for the week are - do my full face routine (cleanse, tone and moisturise) every day before bed and not just remove my make up, and cut out sweets this week.  I did really well for a while just having fruit for afters and recently haribo and the like have been creeping back in so that has to stop.

It's been madder than I expected at work this week given that there were no lessons on Monday and most of year nine were out most of the week.  I've got all my report grades done, prepared as much as I can so far for the new year five and finished teaching year ten!  Next week should be easier as it's the last week of teaching which means films and games but Tuesday night is prom so it's probably going to take it out of me as I am usually in bed by nine!  

We also did quite a lot for us this week.  We had lunch in town on Sunday which was really nice and meant we could make the most of this lovely weather for a little while instead of just having to work in it all week!  I'm almost finished on my office project - more on that to follow.

Next week is also Nico's birthday and we are having lots of people round over the weekend to celebrate.  Last year we were in Whitstable for it which shows you how long this school year really is!!  Not much else to report this week - have a good one!

Shoe Love

The above is the story of my day today.  I don't seem to be having much luck with summer shoes in Germany.  First my favourite and only pair of comfy flip flops fell apart on my feet in Neustadt, and then I lose half of my shoe on a shopping trip with the girls and have to hobble home.  Now I either have to work on breaking in my other flip flops.

It coincided with this brilliant post from Elise...how strange!

Blog Swap Update

  

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I am taking part in the Soak up the Sun blog swap. Last Monday I sent of my little parcel of goodies and on Tuesday I received mine from way over the Atlantic, and it couldn't have come at a better moment. 

Carly sent me this cute pink bucket filled with goodies including a gorgeous scented candle, sweet post it notes, some funky notecards, an amazing 'cool beans' iced coffee set, a cereal bar, a mini body lotion and even a toy for Pete - which he loves!  Such a great idea from Meg - it really brightened up my week and I will be using these goodies all Summer!  Thanks Carly!

Spot the Cat!

On Monday I finally got round to filing the papers that I have accumulated over the last two years, you can see how that looked above.  You can also see where Pete curled up for a nap and has been sleeping every day since!  Strange creature!

Childhood Films

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On Saturday evening I went back to my roots and watched this old classic.  E.T. was one of the big movies of my childhood, it brought me to tears every time I watched it.  Saturday was probably the first time in about twenty years that I watched it and I have to say it's a very different experience as an adult, the movie did still bring me to tears though - the classics will do that to you!  I noticed the music more than ever, not many films have such great scores any more.  I thought the acting from the children was great but was surprised at how poor the mother's character seemed compared to when I was younger and how young the actors looked!  I was also surprised that I wasn't terrified by this film as a child.  I still remember having to run out of the school hall on a snow day so nobody so me cry at the part where he dies!  Classic.

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Here is another of my former favourites - Labyrinth.  I used to love this fantasy tale as it seemed like another world.  I especially liked the bit with the two guys above as I could never figure it out.  It's another one I added to my adult collection but unlike E.T. it seemed more of a let down when watched through grown up eyes.  The effects certainly didn't stand the test of time and I didn't find it as enjoyable but I'm holding on to it for future generations as it's a great kids film.

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When thinking back to the films of my childhood, many Disney ones come to mind but this has to be the top of the list.  Little Mermaid was the first film I ever saw at the cinema.  We were on holiday in Scarborough and my little sister was just a baby so my Mum stayed at the cottage with her while my Dad took my brother and me to the cinema.  I loved the film but cried all the way home and scared my mother to death when she saw me all upset...all because I couldn't believe that Ariel would leave her father and sisters to go off and get married - what a Daddy's girl!!  This one is also in my collection now.

What films take you back?

Interview!

I'm still waiting for some responses from some of my interviewees.  In the meantime I thought I would give you my answers even though you may already have read about some of these things.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Jenny.  I'm a 27 year old languages teacher.  I'm trying to learn new things and find lots of new adventures.

Which countries did you move from and to and why?

I moved from England to Germany to take up a two year contract teaching English and Spanish in a secondary school.  The main reason I found this job was that I was struggling to find a permanent teaching post in England despite the supposed lack of languages teachers.  Actually, it turned out for the best though as I love it here and am currently trying to extend my contract.

What kind of expectations did you have before you moved?

I had a relatively good idea of the school system as I had worked in a German school as a languages assistant for six months during my time at university.  I think I expected things to be easier than they were at first.  I thought Germans were very organised and that things go very smoothly here.  I also read a lot about German customs and got all panicky about things like not being allowed to wash clothes on a Sunday.  I also expected the way of life here to be healthier and greener.

Did your new country live up to these expectations?

In some ways.  The authorities here are very organised in many ways but one of the biggest struggles for me and for other friends moving here has been the amount of paperwork and red tape involved in anything.  For the first three weeks of my contract, I couldn't work as they wouldn't let me sign the contract until a piece of paper from the school I used to work at got sent through.  Of course, this meant I had no income and I'm still paying of debts that I built up getting here and getting settled.


A lot of the strange sounding customs are just guidelines rather than rules so I've never had problems with washing on weekends or such things.  Also, the health benefits are definitely true.  I sold my car after living here a year and now cycle more.  I find the cost of living cheaper and we eat more healthily in general.

What was the best thing about moving?

Where to start?  It's obviously been great for my languages skills and for the lifestyle as mentioned above.  I have a relatively secure job which I love and which allows a much better work life balance than I ever had in England.  The best thing was meeting my amazing boyfriend and setting up home with him, though.

What was the worst thing?

There have been several ups and downs but the worst thing for me is being away from friends and family.  We get back to England twice a year and often have friends and family to stay but I have missed out on things that I would have liked to have seen - my niece's christening and birthdays, my nephew's birth.  Thank goodness for Skype and cheap international calls and flights.

What has been your favourite experience since you moved?

Where to start?!  Being a teacher, my days are filled with good and bad experiences, some of my favourite experiences here have to be with the kids. I love going into new classes where I'm just the crazy English lady as they don't realise that I actually speak German and they make much more effort to practice their English.


Outside of school, my best experiences have mainly been with Nico, whether it's a long summer bike ride in the country here or being made to feel welcome in his family.


I think the best experiences on the whole for me here are those when I've been made to feel welcome and at home in some way as it compensates for some of the downsides mentioned above.

What steps have you taken to accustom yourself to your new country?

The language is obviously a huge one.  Despite having a degree in German, my level had definitely gone down in the years since I left uni.  When I first got here, I couldn't follow meetings at work for more than half an hour, now I follow the whole things and even actively take part!  Getting rid of the car and buying a bike was another huge change but another positive one.

What tips would you give someone else thinking of moving abroad / to your country?

First of all, have back up.  As I mentioned, I'm still paying off debts I built up in moving here.  I can't believe quite how naive I was to pack up my car and drive here with no flat lined up, no contacts here and no back up money.  It was difficult as I only found out I got the job a month before I had to go so I didn't have much time to save, but it would have made things much easier.


Secondly, as the others have said in previous weeks, the most important thing is to make the most of the experience.  Especially if you are there for a limited time.  Say yes to everything, make new friends wherever you can.  While at uni, I spent six months in Germany and four in Spain but crammed much more into the time in Spain as I was on Erasmus and met people through that and said yes to every night out, trip, sightseeing day...everything and they are some of my best memories.  That's part of the reason I'm trying to take on so many new things here, it leaves me with amazing memories of great experiences.


I hope I haven't bored you all today with old news! 

52 Weeks of Grateful - Week 5

49. Lovely sunny balcony weather on Thursday evening.
50. My drawing book arriving in he post - more on that to come...
51. The bulbs on the balcony flowering.
52. A visit to the Anne Frank exhibition with my friend Taisiya.
53. Lovely lunch with the Spanish ladies and tips on Spanish grammar...

I can't believe I got to my 52 and beyond in just five weeks.  I know I am a lucky lady.  I'm going to keep this project up for myself but probably not on the blog as it feels a little bit like I'm bragging every Sunday!  We'll see...