Ferien
I have been on "holiday" for the past two weeks, unfortunately. Since I am taking my German course at the local Volkshochshule (kind of like a community college but not a college just a neighborhood school with offerings for all ages) we were shut down for one of the many German school holidays (or Ferien).
For me it was the last thing that I needed. After nearly three months here in the country I found myself with a mere three weeks of German language training under my belt and then a two week break. Whatever progress I had made in German I feel has faded. And although I optimistically thought I would use the time to settle into our new apartment and get caught up on the paper work and other loose ends that we have accumulated thus far, I found my progress slow and discouraging.
I suppose what made things worse is that I have found myself once again in a family way and the hormones and morning sickness coupled with the solitude and frustration of life here was a recipe for slow progress.
For example, I spent one chilly day on the computer trying to determine if the distance from Berlin to Syberia was less than that of Rochester to Alaska. (To add to my sense of defeat I was never able to locate this information (apparently there aren't any major cities in Syberia)).
To paint a true picture I did manage to make some progress, got a few things for the house and for the kids and returned a few things, picked up some papers etc. I should focus on the successes I know.
In any case, my class will resume on Monday and I am glad for the diversion and stimulation. I worry though that the Volkshochshule, a very price worthy find, may not be the best choice for me. Fritz has covered far more at Geothe institue (for around 10X the price).
His course will end on Tuesday and I suspect this is a source of some angst for him. Although they have crammed alot into his quite capable brain, it is hard to assimilate all that information in such a short time. His agreement with work has him starting in November so his schooling must at the very least take a backseat. Hopefully, we will find a solution for him to keep up and improve his German while he starts work.
All in all things have become a bit stressful here. Between the pressures of Fritz' impending start of work (and defining of a new job, etc.) , baby number three looming in the future, the challenges and amount of time it takes to learn a new language, the daily frustrations of living in a strange place and the loneliness and isolation that is kicking in, we are doing the best we can I suppose. We have each other and we have our health and we have a source of income and a roof over our head and food on the table and friends and family even if most of them are far away. So, life is good.
For me it was the last thing that I needed. After nearly three months here in the country I found myself with a mere three weeks of German language training under my belt and then a two week break. Whatever progress I had made in German I feel has faded. And although I optimistically thought I would use the time to settle into our new apartment and get caught up on the paper work and other loose ends that we have accumulated thus far, I found my progress slow and discouraging.
I suppose what made things worse is that I have found myself once again in a family way and the hormones and morning sickness coupled with the solitude and frustration of life here was a recipe for slow progress.
For example, I spent one chilly day on the computer trying to determine if the distance from Berlin to Syberia was less than that of Rochester to Alaska. (To add to my sense of defeat I was never able to locate this information (apparently there aren't any major cities in Syberia)).
To paint a true picture I did manage to make some progress, got a few things for the house and for the kids and returned a few things, picked up some papers etc. I should focus on the successes I know.
In any case, my class will resume on Monday and I am glad for the diversion and stimulation. I worry though that the Volkshochshule, a very price worthy find, may not be the best choice for me. Fritz has covered far more at Geothe institue (for around 10X the price).
His course will end on Tuesday and I suspect this is a source of some angst for him. Although they have crammed alot into his quite capable brain, it is hard to assimilate all that information in such a short time. His agreement with work has him starting in November so his schooling must at the very least take a backseat. Hopefully, we will find a solution for him to keep up and improve his German while he starts work.
All in all things have become a bit stressful here. Between the pressures of Fritz' impending start of work (and defining of a new job, etc.) , baby number three looming in the future, the challenges and amount of time it takes to learn a new language, the daily frustrations of living in a strange place and the loneliness and isolation that is kicking in, we are doing the best we can I suppose. We have each other and we have our health and we have a source of income and a roof over our head and food on the table and friends and family even if most of them are far away. So, life is good.
posted by jackie and fritz at 3:16 AM
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