Learning German. Part two.

Having attempted to learn German on a three week course at a school around the corner from here, where the teacher made us shave balloons, learn about Fantasy islands, world records and how to bid on an antique market ( yes, I really did do all this in German) I have decided to change language schools. At The Goethe instituteI hope to learn things like, how to buy oranges, how to find the toilet and how to buy a plane ticket out of here.... Useful things like that as opposed to the ridiculous information now wasting brain space.
So I turned up at 8.30 this morning, was greeted with a cup of coffee and a map and had a very nice chat with one of the teachers ( in German!!) about balloons, shaving foam and antiques and she put me in group 2.2. What does this mean I wonder? Is my vocabulary a little obscure? Do I not fit into a group 2 or a group 3 or even a group 2.5? Anyway she said there were no classes today ( Hurrah) so I spent the afternoon wrestling with the cross trainer at the gym and I start tomorrow with other 2.2 ers. Can't wait!
Word of the day: Gespräch ( conversation!)

It could be Brockwell Park.....

Saturday

The world here today is covered with orange and yellow leaves. I have never noticed Autumn like this before. Apparently you are supposed to love the season you are born in the most? Today I definately do. Cycled for hours and found the most wonderful cafe literatur haus
Spent a few hours here with the Elf and F and had many thoughts about writing novels, books, articles etc. Beautiful ceilings and apfel strüdels. Cycled home among the leaves. I never will write a novel. It's not me, but I will definately be returning to the Literatur haus with a notebook and pen and a friend.

The Hobby Shop

Just taken the Elf to school and on the way home was distracted ( again ) by the hobby shop. This has to be one of the best shops on the planet and makes the biggest and best 'Paperchase' seem utterly dull in comparison. I don't have a hobby, but they have everything in here one could possibly want for any hobby you might, or might never want to do. You can easily lose a morning in here as I have just done, thinking you have a hobby and need many things for that hobby. It's a bit like when you go into Ikea for one item only and come out with enough stuff to fill a truck. So, I am happily at home now with a bag of hobbys to join the others I purchased earlier and now must crack on with more studying.......or maybe I should just make that cloud covered, mosaic, self-moulded, purplecandle? Later.......

Ich bin Studentin

Yes I have spent the whole day, yes the WHOLE day with my German books. A few minor distractions only:

1) Dying some clothes black. ( 15 mins)
2) Finding winter clothes box in storage somewhere in flat ( 30 mins)
3) Blog reading ( 30 mins)
4) Learning German online research ( 1 hour)
5) Short lunchbreak to Lenzig cafe ( 45 mins)
6) Mobile shop to find out why mobile won't send messages? ( 20 mins)
7) Picking up the Elf ( 1 hour)

Have confused my brain with der, die, dem, den and das and wonder why there need to be so many variations for "the". I am dreading tomorrow because I have set myself the task to tackle the word " one".

Onwards....

Words of the day: I am a student?

Sunday

Rain, rain pouring rain, beautiful skies and wet pavements. Wandered along the river and into a fabulous museum. The Pergammon. This was a typical sunday. Feel like I'm in France ( the markets and the buskers) or Italy ( the flats and the church bells) but not Germany. Going with the flow but today miss all you lovely friends!

Word of the day: regen ( yes, you guessed it.......rain)

Lost in the Rathaus

Spent the morning with the lovely Macedonian.....happy to have finally found a friend to lead me astray. Then to register at the Rathaus ( town hall) for residency, of which you are supposed to do within three months of being in the country. For me that is next week and after this mornings trial I feel sure that they will very soon have me on a flight back to London. I arrived at the rathaus, elf in tow, and was unable to get in the door due to to salvation army band and its followers. Stood in the rain for ten minutes listening, or tying not to, and then fought my way into rathaus amongst 100 pensioners. Having found my way to correct room practising sentence all the way. "Ich brauch ein Stempel für meinen Anmeldung" ( I need a stamp for my registration) I utter my sentence to the receptionist. She shrugs and points in another direction. I repeat sentence to various people in the room and land with a woman who asks me lots of questions and even though I understand nothing I nod furiously. This seems to be happening alot lately. It must be the English in me trying to be polite and amenable all the time. It really isn't helping just now though. Anyway, I left with no stamp and all papers back in my hand and the woman saying Früh alot. Feeling despondent I went to the market and bought lots of vegetables I didn't really need because at least I know how to ask for those and the market seller looked very happy when I parted with 20 euros worth of stuff.

Words of the day: ratty rathaus

Ring the bloody bell...

Starting to really like it here..... Spent yesterday searching for a yoga class that wasn't to pop music or involving an hour of chanting and horrible biscuits after ( My experience so far). Eventually found the lovely ashtangayogaberlin after much searching. A small poster on a gate with locked door and buzzer. Buzzer lead me into huge courtyard which lead into another and another. The door at the back clearly locked and no-one in?
Flustered woman appears from behind on bike, "Du müsst klingen"
I must what?? Anyway after much exasperation because quite clearly the woman thinks I am thick, she rings a bell, we enter. She rings the next bell...we enter, the next we take off our shoes and then I am greeted by Robert in his flat, and lead into the back room where six or seven people are happily contorted into positions I have truly never seen anyone in before. Overwhelmed? Yes! but having got so far I was not going to leave. I fought with my stiff hips for an hour or so and left commiting myself to at least two classes a week. Then happily stuffed myself with three croissants at HäckesherHof and spent the afternoon contemplating the German language. Starting to realise why people stare so much. I have only recently realised that I am forever muttering beginnings of German phrases in the hope that one day soon they will stick.

Best phrase so far: Kanst du mit mir sprechen ( Can you talk to me?)

Lollipop Kids

Decided this week that it is time to embrace the whole living in Germany experience. Need to learn German ( obviously), eat sausages and continue to try my hand at driving on the other side of the road. Having passed my test 20 years ago and not driven since except for on a very quiet straight road in New Zealand I am terrified and I must admit have been putting it off. I am after all driving a big English left hand drive car and have often been doing so in the school rush hour. Children, bicycles and cars parked all over the place, very narrow streets, roadworks, Mr F in the seat next to me and me feeling like I've done a days workout at the gym, sweating buckets and swearing I will never get back in the car again. That was three weeks ago so is time to have another go? Tomorrow, or tomorrow, or tomorrow.
In Berlin you don't get those lovely jolly lollipop ladies ( remember them?). Instead you get very efficient looking seven year olds from the local schools who run into the road and shout at all the drivers and pedestrians........Frei.......Nicht Frei and anyone who dares park in the school bus lane gets a real bollocking. So, off to brush up on the German guide to road signs......

Word of the day: Halt!

Dogs....

Have spent the last two weeks in London so have developed blog neglect, but I am now officially purplemafling as I have managed to snaffle it from another blogster. ( Don't ask)
So London time was filled with seeing all the lovely friends and being constantly reminded of all the things I miss: tea with normal milk as opposed to UHT crap or hot frothy stuff you get here, the view over Waterlo Bridge, Brockwell park, book shops and of course the friends! However, I came back with a bag full of black dye ( sorry shark got the last packets) and chocolate hobnobs for the Elf's teacher. So feeling much more at home now back in the warmth of the Berlin flat.
Yesterday went to the Grünewald with F and the elf......very beautiful except for the discovery that we were in the restricted area for dogs only. Walking, or trying to in the forest with 300 dogs yapping and licking your legs is not nice. Perhaps though I should get one as it might help me pick up a few friends. Never did like them much though. Might settle for a couple of fish, or a floor to ceiling tropical fishtank as wall divide between bedroom and living room. That sounds more like it. The Marriott hotel here has the biggest free standing fishtank in the world. Dead cool. The lift goes up in the middle of it...

Word of the week: London
Word of the day: Hund