Internet - best invention since fizzy water...when it's working

The first week has passed and everything is fine. We had snow (my first snow ever in England, yay!), but it's melted again for which I'm grateful in a way, because it doesn't provide me with excuses to take the bus to school anymore. There are major differences between the English and the Germans in handling snow: 1. no one clears the pavements of the snow, 2. English snowmen consist of only two balls. Very strange to my continental eyes, but maybe that's because the English never have as much snow as we have, so they have to see how far they come with what little they have.
So, here is a melting British snowman.


School is basically back to normal, although I was a bit amazed to see all of my pupils show up (note, I wrote that before today, Monday). I suspect they've realised that the exams are drawing close. I don't mind since it's better for my heart and my blood pressure anyway.
There is news from the language office: Sam's boyfriend has proposed to her. On Boxing Day, he told her she had an hour to pack her bag and then took her to Frankfurt am Main, which is one of her favourite places, and asked her there. Sam's comment to us was "It was our eight year anniversary. It was about damn time!" It's great to see her on cloud nine, she's been grinning all week, hehe.
Lorna is going on maternity next week and the new head of languages, Ferosa, has assumed her post. I just hope she won't make us work harder than Lorna did ;)
It was very good to see Sandra again. The other one seems to miss France even more than before the holidays. No comment!

I'll do it the Thomas way now and only allow my newly aquired DVDs to find their way onto the shelf once I've watched them. Unfortunately, that leads to them piling up next to my bed as you can see.