Three weeks to go until Christmas and I'm looking forward to seeing all of you again. In the meantime I'm worried that customs might give me a hard time at the airport for alleged DVD smuggling. My collection really catches on and I've fallen in love with new directors: Herzog and Lynch are the ones who fascinate me most at the moment.
School is fine, my pupils actually showed up last week, apart from one who had a good reason not to come, since his granddad died the night before. One pupil even asked me to do three extra sessions with her because she will retake her AS in January.
Thomas has invited us for another tartiflette tonight and Sandra and I plan on getting drunk big time. I'll go and buy a bottle of vodka and hope it won't survive the night. We have every reason to get drunk: Ben's parents have just left after a week's visit in which Sandra had to entertain them (including getting up at 5 am today to drop them off at the airport), and Thomas will go back to France on Monday, because he has to take exams and will only be back at the beginning of January. Therefore we have to drink to his health, good luck, Christmas, New Year's Eve, etc.
Freitag, 28. November 2008
Sonntag, 23. November 2008
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii have fun!
Francois put pictures from his last visit on facebook and I just have to steal them...again ;)
Some more pictures from a night at Bentleys.
What is so interesting?
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihaaaaw!
Some more pictures from a night at Bentleys.
What is so interesting?
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiihaaaaw!
Mittwoch, 19. November 2008
Status: pissed off and slightly guilty conscience
God, I'm pissed off. Two pupils whom I should have taught after lunchbreak didn't show up today which means that I could have gone home at 1.15 as opposed to 3.20, but of course they didn't bother telling me about it. In the end, I don't care if they want to take advantage of the opportunity they're given or not, but they could at least be respectful and let me know. Graaaaaaaaaaa!
Apart from that, I also feel a bit guilty about something I don't really have reason to feel guilty about. After two months of trying, Sandra and I have finally given up on asking Cecilia out. She didn't go out with us often, anyway, and when she did, we didn't have the impression that she felt comfortable. More often she had excuses not to come which might have been true, but let us doubt her interest in us, as well. I'm tired is just not a particularly good reason not to go out on a Saturday night. Anyway, she doesn't take initiative on asking us to do something with her, but she seemingly prefers to ask total strangers to go to Cardiff with her, for example, without asking us if we wanted to go. When asked what she was up to lately, she told us about it without hesitating. Then, she told us about a meeting at a church where a lot of international people were, had coffee and got to know each other. Once again, she didn't bother asking us. So, taking all that into account, we stopped trying, as well, and went to see James Bond, yesterday, without her. Although, come to think of it, I told her that we wanted to go and asked if she wanted to come last week. I told her to get back to me if she wanted to. She didn't and I didn't remind her of it, because firstly, she didn't look like she was keen on Bond when I told her and secondly, I didn't want her to make up rubbish excuses. So, she knew about it, but didn't come. However, one of the other teachers asked us if we went to see Quantum of Solace and how it was, and when Sandra and I answered, Cecilia looked a bit disappointed and uncomfortable. Maybe that woke her up. If she is interested in doing stuff with us, she should have realised now that it's up to her now, because I've wasted enough money on suggestions in text messages that were put down by her. Another explanation might be that she simply doesn't like us. Fair enough, I suppose. If it was true, at least I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.
If anyone understands all of the above, congratulations. Sorry for writing gibberish.
Apart from that, I also feel a bit guilty about something I don't really have reason to feel guilty about. After two months of trying, Sandra and I have finally given up on asking Cecilia out. She didn't go out with us often, anyway, and when she did, we didn't have the impression that she felt comfortable. More often she had excuses not to come which might have been true, but let us doubt her interest in us, as well. I'm tired is just not a particularly good reason not to go out on a Saturday night. Anyway, she doesn't take initiative on asking us to do something with her, but she seemingly prefers to ask total strangers to go to Cardiff with her, for example, without asking us if we wanted to go. When asked what she was up to lately, she told us about it without hesitating. Then, she told us about a meeting at a church where a lot of international people were, had coffee and got to know each other. Once again, she didn't bother asking us. So, taking all that into account, we stopped trying, as well, and went to see James Bond, yesterday, without her. Although, come to think of it, I told her that we wanted to go and asked if she wanted to come last week. I told her to get back to me if she wanted to. She didn't and I didn't remind her of it, because firstly, she didn't look like she was keen on Bond when I told her and secondly, I didn't want her to make up rubbish excuses. So, she knew about it, but didn't come. However, one of the other teachers asked us if we went to see Quantum of Solace and how it was, and when Sandra and I answered, Cecilia looked a bit disappointed and uncomfortable. Maybe that woke her up. If she is interested in doing stuff with us, she should have realised now that it's up to her now, because I've wasted enough money on suggestions in text messages that were put down by her. Another explanation might be that she simply doesn't like us. Fair enough, I suppose. If it was true, at least I wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.
If anyone understands all of the above, congratulations. Sorry for writing gibberish.
Dienstag, 18. November 2008
Ladiladila
Friday was just the usual again: we met at Sandra's where we had a chat before we dropped Ben who had to go to work. After that, Thomas, Sandra and I went to Bentleys once again where we had a very nice conversation that provided further insight into all of our characters, I suppose. At least, I've learnt something about the other two, you know, personal stuff.
The school's drama group performed Jesus Christ Superstar last week, and Cecilia and I went to see it on Saturday evening. Apart from the fact that I don't like the story at all, the performance totally blew me away. Not only were the actors, who were all pupuils, of course, really convincing, but they also impressed me with their singing abilities. The music was played live by the school band, the props were incredibly complex and all in all, it was a good display of the means the school has.
Considering the job, I feel lazy and not like I'm doing a job at all. The upcoming weekend will be a four-day one, because the teachers at Pate's have an inset day on Thursday to which we assistants don't have to go. When I'm at school, I don't feel like I'm working either, since loads of pupils don't show up in the first place. At least, I'm doing useful things in my free lessons like thinking about Christmas presents, eating chocolate, and the like.
Sandra asked Thomas and me round for dinner yesterday, because she doesn't want Ben to miss out on the socialising. Despite what I've heard about Sandra's cooking abilities, the meal was very nice (fresh pasta with a sauce of minced beef, aubergine, tomatoes and onions and incredibly nice Rolo doughnuts for pudding that Thomas brought). Since J+M offered that I might invite the others over as well, I've done so. They'll come round on Friday evening and I still haven't decided what to cook. Sandra has offered to make a quiche lorraine as a starter, though, and I'll make banana split for pudding. Maye I could just leave it at that. Who says you need a main course? While my mind is busy thinking about it, I'm going to drag my body into the cinema tonight, for the new 007 wants to be seen. Yeeehaaaaw!
The school's drama group performed Jesus Christ Superstar last week, and Cecilia and I went to see it on Saturday evening. Apart from the fact that I don't like the story at all, the performance totally blew me away. Not only were the actors, who were all pupuils, of course, really convincing, but they also impressed me with their singing abilities. The music was played live by the school band, the props were incredibly complex and all in all, it was a good display of the means the school has.
Considering the job, I feel lazy and not like I'm doing a job at all. The upcoming weekend will be a four-day one, because the teachers at Pate's have an inset day on Thursday to which we assistants don't have to go. When I'm at school, I don't feel like I'm working either, since loads of pupils don't show up in the first place. At least, I'm doing useful things in my free lessons like thinking about Christmas presents, eating chocolate, and the like.
Sandra asked Thomas and me round for dinner yesterday, because she doesn't want Ben to miss out on the socialising. Despite what I've heard about Sandra's cooking abilities, the meal was very nice (fresh pasta with a sauce of minced beef, aubergine, tomatoes and onions and incredibly nice Rolo doughnuts for pudding that Thomas brought). Since J+M offered that I might invite the others over as well, I've done so. They'll come round on Friday evening and I still haven't decided what to cook. Sandra has offered to make a quiche lorraine as a starter, though, and I'll make banana split for pudding. Maye I could just leave it at that. Who says you need a main course? While my mind is busy thinking about it, I'm going to drag my body into the cinema tonight, for the new 007 wants to be seen. Yeeehaaaaw!
Mittwoch, 12. November 2008
Blunders, theatre and everything else
After I had officially finished my working day, Lorna asked me to correct the essays her year 13 has written on the environment. Apart from the fact that it took me about three hours, the style of some of them was so bad (sentence structure, lack of knowledge how to use a dictionary, etc) that it increasingly worsened my mood. Some of the mistakes are really funny, though, e.g. die Politiker können Steuern erheben, um die Nachfrage für Kohl zu senken. What's cabbage got to do with anything? Hehe.
We went to see Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular yesterday and it was brilliant. It's about three English middle class couples (ranging from lower to upper middle class, though) who keep visiting each other on three successive Christmas Eves. A manically cleaning housewife, several unnoticed suicide attempts in a kitchen while four other people fix things in it, dancing on tables and, of course, nice dialogues. It was fun, for me, that is. I do have my doubts if the lady who sat next to me enjoyed it as much, since she had to put up with my constant nose-wiping. I've finally caught a cold and received praise from Lorna, since I am the first German she's met who doesn't run off to the doctor, or even stays at home at the first sign of a sore throat.
Did something rather silly the other day. Inspired by the dressing style of British girls, I wanted to prepare a lesson about it. I was at the school computer and googled 'slutty British girls'. The page with the results got blocked and I realised that once again, I hadn't been particularly clever. I just hope the IT blokes don't check the logfiles...hehe.
We went to see Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular yesterday and it was brilliant. It's about three English middle class couples (ranging from lower to upper middle class, though) who keep visiting each other on three successive Christmas Eves. A manically cleaning housewife, several unnoticed suicide attempts in a kitchen while four other people fix things in it, dancing on tables and, of course, nice dialogues. It was fun, for me, that is. I do have my doubts if the lady who sat next to me enjoyed it as much, since she had to put up with my constant nose-wiping. I've finally caught a cold and received praise from Lorna, since I am the first German she's met who doesn't run off to the doctor, or even stays at home at the first sign of a sore throat.
Did something rather silly the other day. Inspired by the dressing style of British girls, I wanted to prepare a lesson about it. I was at the school computer and googled 'slutty British girls'. The page with the results got blocked and I realised that once again, I hadn't been particularly clever. I just hope the IT blokes don't check the logfiles...hehe.
Montag, 10. November 2008
University Challenge
University Challenge is a TV programme hosted by Jeremy Paxman in which two teams of 4 nerds respectively answer questions read out at high speed about topics such as bacteria, admirals, Russian operas, physics etc. Mike likes to watch it and I joined him today. Guess what! I got all the film questions right. I'm such a swot!
News
1. It is easier to get a job at Pate's than to get in as a pupil. 950 pupils applied and took the test last week to get one of the 120 places the school offers. Maybe we should advise the kids to apply for a job there.
2. Ben has finally found a job, even if we could all see him do something better than making sandwiches for Soho Café in the middle of the night (working hours 10pm-5am which keeps him from going out with us at the moment). Still, I'm glad he's got something.
3. I love blunders. Today, a pupil told me: Mein Laptop hat gebrochen. No comment.
4. The Observer magazine had an article about that female serial killer in Germany whose DNA keeps getting found at crime scenes. Bad Kreuznach was mentioned!
5. I missed all the good stuff on Friday evening: meeting three natives, two of which apparently were really handsome, going to the home of one of them for a glass of wine, hiding, because the bloke forgot his keys, had to wake up his parents and didn't want them to know he brought five people to the house and, finally, getting kicked out at 4 am without further warning.
6. The Ladies' College finally had their Guy Fawkes firework display yesterday evening. Was quite nice, but I'm glad I won't be bothered by any more of them for the next 7 weeks.
7. Went to Bentleys again with Sandra, Thomas and Angel, collectively drooled over the hot barkeeper.
8. A propos drooling: Aaron and Veronica, a German/English couple, and friends of J+M, whom I met four years ago, were invited for Sunday lunch and they brought their baby, Elisabeth. They raise the girl bilingually, and hope she'll be able to speak three languages fluently when older: Bavarian, German and English. The only way Aaron practices his German is by watching DSF and reading SportBild. He is quite an avid 1860 München fan and tries to raise his daughter to be one, as well. The poor child has bibs and dummies that sport the 1860 logo and is even a member of the young supporters club. But then, Aaron owns a toaster that burns the logo into the bread. Good fun! They are very nice people, though (even though Aaron hates Jürgen Klopp), and offered to take me along to Stratford whenever they go and they go a lot!
9. After I watched The Cabinet of Dr Caligari yesterday, I now have a wish for Christmas : Von Caligari zu Hitler by Sigfried Kracauer ;)
2. Ben has finally found a job, even if we could all see him do something better than making sandwiches for Soho Café in the middle of the night (working hours 10pm-5am which keeps him from going out with us at the moment). Still, I'm glad he's got something.
3. I love blunders. Today, a pupil told me: Mein Laptop hat gebrochen. No comment.
4. The Observer magazine had an article about that female serial killer in Germany whose DNA keeps getting found at crime scenes. Bad Kreuznach was mentioned!
5. I missed all the good stuff on Friday evening: meeting three natives, two of which apparently were really handsome, going to the home of one of them for a glass of wine, hiding, because the bloke forgot his keys, had to wake up his parents and didn't want them to know he brought five people to the house and, finally, getting kicked out at 4 am without further warning.
6. The Ladies' College finally had their Guy Fawkes firework display yesterday evening. Was quite nice, but I'm glad I won't be bothered by any more of them for the next 7 weeks.
7. Went to Bentleys again with Sandra, Thomas and Angel, collectively drooled over the hot barkeeper.
8. A propos drooling: Aaron and Veronica, a German/English couple, and friends of J+M, whom I met four years ago, were invited for Sunday lunch and they brought their baby, Elisabeth. They raise the girl bilingually, and hope she'll be able to speak three languages fluently when older: Bavarian, German and English. The only way Aaron practices his German is by watching DSF and reading SportBild. He is quite an avid 1860 München fan and tries to raise his daughter to be one, as well. The poor child has bibs and dummies that sport the 1860 logo and is even a member of the young supporters club. But then, Aaron owns a toaster that burns the logo into the bread. Good fun! They are very nice people, though (even though Aaron hates Jürgen Klopp), and offered to take me along to Stratford whenever they go and they go a lot!
9. After I watched The Cabinet of Dr Caligari yesterday, I now have a wish for Christmas : Von Caligari zu Hitler by Sigfried Kracauer ;)
Samstag, 8. November 2008
Rain
Great, Saturday evening and it's raining cats and dogs. I'm not sure if I want to get out there, although I've said to meet Sandra and the others (whoever they are) at 9.45 pm...But after I missed the first contact with English natives our age yesterday, because I left early, I don't want to miss anything tonight. Hrmpf.
Here could be your advertisement
Halfterm is over and I've gone back to work. Since school only started on Wednesday, my working week was rather short, hehe.
Judith and Mike took me to the Cheltenham Film Society on Tuesday evening and we watched a Russian film called The Italian. I'm running out of DVDs I haven't watched yet and the ones I would like to rewatch now I've borrowed to Sandra and Ben. Got to buy some more, apparently.
J+M are taking me to the theatre next Tuesday to see an Alan Ayckburn play (Absurd Person Singular). Yay, culture! Although, I've already enjoyed some culture here: It was Mike's birthday and I gave him a bottle of champagne (30 quid, my wallet is still in pain), but he was kind enough to share it with J. and me. Don't know if it was worth 30 quid, but it was quite nice. And if an expensive bottle of champagne isn't considered culture, I don't know what is.
Some of the other assistants from Gloucestershire came to Cheltenham tonight to go out for a drink, and although I didn't feel that well (and still don't, I think I'm going to be ill), I went along for two hours. The only straight male assistant was there as well, and we had a nice chat about music and films. At first, he made a very good impression on me, being passionate about films (not the Transformers kind, though, but naming Godard as his favourite director) and writing, but in the course of the conversation, he just turned out to be slightly too much in love with himself and his views. One more guy who made my shitlist. Pity; he wasn't unattractive ;)
Judith and Mike took me to the Cheltenham Film Society on Tuesday evening and we watched a Russian film called The Italian. I'm running out of DVDs I haven't watched yet and the ones I would like to rewatch now I've borrowed to Sandra and Ben. Got to buy some more, apparently.
J+M are taking me to the theatre next Tuesday to see an Alan Ayckburn play (Absurd Person Singular). Yay, culture! Although, I've already enjoyed some culture here: It was Mike's birthday and I gave him a bottle of champagne (30 quid, my wallet is still in pain), but he was kind enough to share it with J. and me. Don't know if it was worth 30 quid, but it was quite nice. And if an expensive bottle of champagne isn't considered culture, I don't know what is.
Some of the other assistants from Gloucestershire came to Cheltenham tonight to go out for a drink, and although I didn't feel that well (and still don't, I think I'm going to be ill), I went along for two hours. The only straight male assistant was there as well, and we had a nice chat about music and films. At first, he made a very good impression on me, being passionate about films (not the Transformers kind, though, but naming Godard as his favourite director) and writing, but in the course of the conversation, he just turned out to be slightly too much in love with himself and his views. One more guy who made my shitlist. Pity; he wasn't unattractive ;)
Sonntag, 2. November 2008
Baby in the House
Two of my host parents' three children came to visit for the weekend. Rachel took her one year old baby, Poppy, who brought so much life into the house. It's amazing how much you can laugh just by observing a child that age. Apart from Poppy, the others also amused me with their comments on her actions. She grabbed Private Eye at one point, a satire mag, probably comparable to the German Titanic, and since she wasn't really interested, she threw it away again. Tim commented: 'You're right, it's not as good as it used to be.'
As lovely as Poppy is during the day, I don't want to spend any more nights sleeping next to her, though. Her bed was put in front of my door the first night and she started crying at 5 o'clock in the morning. Since Judith anticipated that might happen, I grabbed the ear plugs that she wisely left on my nightstand and they helped me sleep until 12 pm, hehe.
As lovely as Poppy is during the day, I don't want to spend any more nights sleeping next to her, though. Her bed was put in front of my door the first night and she started crying at 5 o'clock in the morning. Since Judith anticipated that might happen, I grabbed the ear plugs that she wisely left on my nightstand and they helped me sleep until 12 pm, hehe.
Samstag, 1. November 2008
Random Assortment of Pictures
Since I still don't own a camera, but want to show you a few pictures, I've simply taken some from Sandra's facebook album ;)
It's alive!
On the right: Thomas, the French assistant in Charlton Kings and his boyfriend, Francois.
Sandra and Ben whom I've successfully got addicted to Rum Coke.
Sam, one of Pate's German teachers, whom we met at Bentleys.
Sometime last week at the Copa (not THAT Copa, though ;) ).
Last Thursday at Thomas' place where Francois treated us to his tartiflette (probably not correctly spelt, but then, I'm in England, not in France).
It's alive!
On the right: Thomas, the French assistant in Charlton Kings and his boyfriend, Francois.
Sandra and Ben whom I've successfully got addicted to Rum Coke.
Sam, one of Pate's German teachers, whom we met at Bentleys.
Sometime last week at the Copa (not THAT Copa, though ;) ).
Last Thursday at Thomas' place where Francois treated us to his tartiflette (probably not correctly spelt, but then, I'm in England, not in France).
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