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| At Dürrenhof Bahnhof, a 'billboard shop' where you can shop while you wait. |
Thursday, November 17, 2011
A Thursday Regular--The Future is Here
A student of mine told me about a trend in South Korea where stores have put up 'virtual billboard shops' in subway stations so customers can grocery shop with their smart phones while waiting for the subway. While surprising as an idea, it wasn't surprising to hear that Korea had thought it up, being that it's the most wired nation in the world. So can you imagine my surprise finding something similar here in Nuremberg? Who would have thunk? It's not food, but it's the same concept...
To my stateside readers: Have you seen something like this in the US as well? Or am I just way behind the times?
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Some happenings...
* I received my Zertifikat Deutsch test results back--did better than I expected :)
Listening + Reading: 43/45
Writing: 18/20
Speaking: 98/100
* I booked my ticket to the US... January 21st - February 6th-- finally going back home for a visit!
* The Christkindlmarkt starts next week Friday (25.11)--looking forward to another season working in the Atlanta Booth with Rod and the gang. (If you're in the Nbg area, come by and visit me in the International part of the market (behind the Rathaus))...
Tis' all for now.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
A Thursday Regular-- German Gangsters at their Best
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| Life is hard on the South Side. Or is it Soute? Sout? |
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Insomniac Attack
Not sleeping. Haven't slept properly in two weeks. I just keep waking up at around 1:30-2:00am and then stay awake. I guess its not a bad thing to cut back on the hours I spend in slumber, just wish I could use the time a bit better.
I know I've said before how much I miss Autumn in NJ, but for some reason, I've just started to notice how beautiful Germany is this time of year as well. The trees all look as if sunshine just spilled from the sky and stuck itself onto the leaves. Golden treetops everywhere, even though Christmas is filling up the shelves and garland and lights are starting to appear in the city.
I know I've said before how much I miss Autumn in NJ, but for some reason, I've just started to notice how beautiful Germany is this time of year as well. The trees all look as if sunshine just spilled from the sky and stuck itself onto the leaves. Golden treetops everywhere, even though Christmas is filling up the shelves and garland and lights are starting to appear in the city.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Golden November
While being abroad is very rewarding and enriching, it can honestly be a living hell when trying to deal with red tape and bureaucracy. October was full of back and forth paperwork between Germany and the US and I honestly think I might have given myself an ulcer from all the stress that went along side it.
Usually I like to sing praises on behalf of Germany, but this time there's nothing good to be said about the customer service for the company FedEx in Germany. So readers, if you ever need to ship something express across the ocean and if you happen to live in Nuremberg, avoid FedEx at all costs. They are a nightmare with a capital N.
Perhaps it was just a lot of Pech, but I've never encountered an employee so apathetic and so rude before in my life. He made a mistake by processing a procedure incorrectly therefore holding up my package in the US and not allowing it to be returned to me. He then refused to do anything about it and left me to sort through the mess, resulting in three hours of phone calls on Friday and an additional hour and half on Monday with representatives in the US and Germany. And for some crazy reason, in Germany, they seem to think it's okay that in addition to having to deal with problems their company created, I should also pay .17 cents per minute to speak to someone on the phone. I did finally receive the package on Wednesday (a week after it was sent from the sender in the US), but was told by the same very unhelpful employee that I would not get my money back and that "it was unfair" what I was doing--trying to 'cheat', as he put it. Seriously?
Despite all that, Germany really is quite beautiful right now. The leaves are golden yellow everywhere and the weather is cool enough for jackets and scarves but not so cold that you want to hide away in doors.
So wishing you all a beautiful November, free of red-tape and full of happier, more beautiful things.
X
diana
Usually I like to sing praises on behalf of Germany, but this time there's nothing good to be said about the customer service for the company FedEx in Germany. So readers, if you ever need to ship something express across the ocean and if you happen to live in Nuremberg, avoid FedEx at all costs. They are a nightmare with a capital N.
Perhaps it was just a lot of Pech, but I've never encountered an employee so apathetic and so rude before in my life. He made a mistake by processing a procedure incorrectly therefore holding up my package in the US and not allowing it to be returned to me. He then refused to do anything about it and left me to sort through the mess, resulting in three hours of phone calls on Friday and an additional hour and half on Monday with representatives in the US and Germany. And for some crazy reason, in Germany, they seem to think it's okay that in addition to having to deal with problems their company created, I should also pay .17 cents per minute to speak to someone on the phone. I did finally receive the package on Wednesday (a week after it was sent from the sender in the US), but was told by the same very unhelpful employee that I would not get my money back and that "it was unfair" what I was doing--trying to 'cheat', as he put it. Seriously?
Despite all that, Germany really is quite beautiful right now. The leaves are golden yellow everywhere and the weather is cool enough for jackets and scarves but not so cold that you want to hide away in doors.
So wishing you all a beautiful November, free of red-tape and full of happier, more beautiful things.
X
diana
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| Beautiful skies, golden fields and construction--a common sight for November in Deutschland. |
Sunday, October 9, 2011
You know life is good when...
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| ... you can drink your money. |
Friday, October 7, 2011
a mini-update
So summer is officially over, and the weather is starting to dip down into cooler temperatures. We had a really nice set of sunny days all last week, but today it's 9 degrees (Celsius) and rainy. The leaves are starting to turn yellowish and brown and there are pumpkins and lebkuchen in all the stores. This is, hands down, my favorite time of year, but this year I fear, I won't get the chance to enjoy it very much. October is turning out to be a very full month for me. Its wake up, work in the mornings, German class (B2) in the afternoons, home, prepare lessons for the next day and sleep. That's been the pattern the last three weeks (including weekends) and until my German course is complete at the end of the month, the following weeks will probably follow suit.
On the 22nd, I'm planning to take the DTZ exam to test my German proficiency. I was a bit confused about whether I should do a Goethe exam or the Deutschtest fuer Zuwanderer, but in the end, opted for the latter because 1) its heck of a big difference in price (Goethe B1 test is 170 Euros and DTZ (which tests A2-B1) exam is 110 Euros) and 2) for the Goethe test, I would have had to commute to Munich two times to complete it. I've gotten mixed feedback from teachers about which exam is actually better for my particular situation, but in the end, I think the DTZ will be enough at least at the present moment. And in America, I don't think it will matter too much which Zeugnis I show (or here's hoping anyway). (If anyone reading this is interested in taking an exam as well, here's a helpful link with the list of exams: (German Language Tests)
Also, started Korean classes once a week on Friday evenings. I've tried studying Korean before, but never really got very far with it, but this time, I'm trying to set time aside every week to study a little bit in addition to the class. I can read the Korean characters now! (S l o w l y .) ^^
Despite all this, life is good with many things to look forward to in the next few months. So--wishing you all a happy Autumn... and until next post. Peace out.
On the 22nd, I'm planning to take the DTZ exam to test my German proficiency. I was a bit confused about whether I should do a Goethe exam or the Deutschtest fuer Zuwanderer, but in the end, opted for the latter because 1) its heck of a big difference in price (Goethe B1 test is 170 Euros and DTZ (which tests A2-B1) exam is 110 Euros) and 2) for the Goethe test, I would have had to commute to Munich two times to complete it. I've gotten mixed feedback from teachers about which exam is actually better for my particular situation, but in the end, I think the DTZ will be enough at least at the present moment. And in America, I don't think it will matter too much which Zeugnis I show (or here's hoping anyway). (If anyone reading this is interested in taking an exam as well, here's a helpful link with the list of exams: (German Language Tests)
Also, started Korean classes once a week on Friday evenings. I've tried studying Korean before, but never really got very far with it, but this time, I'm trying to set time aside every week to study a little bit in addition to the class. I can read the Korean characters now! (S l o w l y .) ^^
Despite all this, life is good with many things to look forward to in the next few months. So--wishing you all a happy Autumn... and until next post. Peace out.
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