Oktober Happenings

So this week will be my 4 month anniversary since I've arrived here in Germany. Time is really flying quickly, because four months equals 1/3 of a year, and I definitely don't feel like I've been here in Germany for a 1/3 of the year of 2009. I was working and I was sick for a total of about 10 weeks, that's true, but there were so many other days that just seemed to pass by that I can't even remember.

I started my German class about two weeks ago. The class is filled with people from the US, from Portugal, Kenya, Russia, Japan, Ukraine, Poland, etc. etc... all trying to learn German. I like the class in some ways... although to be honest at times, its not the foremost place I'd rather be, but it does give me a chance to focus on learning the language in an environment where I can feel safe to make mistakes. Maybe one of these days I'll attempt to write a blog all in German and see how that goes. But in all seriousness, one of my most favorite ways to practice German (other than speaking with David of course :) is by reading kids' books. The vocabulary is (usually) simpler and the pictures make it more entertaining, as well as greatly assisting me in figuring out what the text says. My favorite books? Olivia.



Also, as of last week friday, I am officially employed here in Germany. (celebratory fireworks sound off here)... The craziest part about it, was that I was hired by two different companies within a matter of hours. I had an interview at 2:30 meeting with one language school, to teach business English to one client. I go--and basically they agree I can do the job--and then within the same hour--I get a call from another guy, who I assume is from the same school, asking if I can in fact start teaching already the next day, on Saturday, because they just found out that one teacher got stuck in the US, and won't return in time for the lessons. He asks if we can meet in Starbucks, I say okay, and at 4:30, I find myself in an overcrowded coffee shop in the Hauptmarkt, trying to find a "six foot tall, blond haired, blue eyed" man (as he described himself)...in Germany.

After we spot each other, we sit down and he asks me to tell him a little bit more about my experience teaching English. I find this odd, as we have, I thought, had several phone conversations already and I had explained all of this to him. I show him the folder and papers from the school I just came from, telling him I was just at the office in Nuremberg already today. After about twenty-minutes of talking, I realize that perhaps this isn't an employee from the same school... in fact is completely not related at all, and so have to confess embarrasingly that I don't even know his name or which school he is interviewing me for.

Luckily he didn't seem offended and laughed it off--and then offered me to teach two more clients that he needed English teachers for.

So after searching for weeks and weeks and applying to a plethora of schools and jobs, within a matter of hours, on a cold and rainy October Friday, I was hired by two schools to teach three different clients, for a total of seven lessons a week. A coincidence, a helping hand from above, or destiny--however you want to look at it, sometimes things happen and you don't know why.

I have only done one lesson so far, and tomorrow I have another, but I think I'll like it. And I'm excited. And happy to finally have a job! Wooo. Just needed to share that with the world wide web.

Other than that... I just want to share that tomorrow is my little brother's birthday. He's turning 13. A teenager. (gulp)... :P HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN.

Machts gut und viel spaß... until next time.