As there has been a distinct lack of activity in regards to blogging and because I spent the Christmas period being nagged to update things, here it is!
Winter is now in full swing here in Esslingen as I start my last couple of months in this part of the world. I am sat looking out of my window and the snow is continuing to fall, a fact I am being updated on by the toddler next door who is attempting to help clear the footpath! It's a far cry from the weather during my last week here in 2012, much to the annoyance of my 'three kings' from Bath!
On my advice they had all arrived with walking boots and thick clothing, but there wasn't a single snowflake until we arrived at the airport on our return trip to Blighty! The warm clothes were certainly needed though, to wrap up against the cold and all three of them were definitely exposed to the charm of Germany at Christmas time! Glühwein was consumed and the markets of Esslingen, Stuttgart and Heidelberg were explored. I think that's what I enjoy most about German Christmas markets: each one has a different atmosphere to it. There was the incredibly busy Stuttgart market with everything from socks and pants to a new window cleaner: 100% guaranteed - no marks or stains! Esslingen with it's quaint Christmas market and bizarre medieval market and Heidelberg with more Glühwein, Stollen and Bratwurst huts than you can shake a stick at! Other than a nasty cold, which I was assured was actually a bad dose of 'man-flu', it was great to be able to share my little German world with nearly all of my best friends! They all agreed that it was a fantastic trip - certainly better than going to Copenhagen, for example!!
Work at school is still as crazy as ever. I have now managed to change from 4 days a week to 5, however from 16 down to 14 hours: only 2 hours over what I'm meant to do! In fact this week I did 17 hours, including a geography lesson to a year 6 group about Britain, all in German (something I'm sure I would've spent many a sleepless night worrying about, had it been in October!)
As my time here begins to expire, I really have to knuckle down with
some work for my University study! Granted I have all year to write the
6,000 words, but seeing as I am now talking to myself and even dreaming
in German, perhaps now is the best time! Writing about
the motor industry while on holiday during the summer might not
go down very well! So it is my mini New Year's resolution (that will at
most last for 8 weeks!) to get on with my work and stop being a lazy
sod!
Thankfully the people in Milan finally signed my contract, although I have the feeling they may be some of the most organised Italians ever, something that may not bode well for my frankly anal attention to time-management! As much as I am enjoying my time here, there is a part of me that is really looking forward to the challenge of working in an Italian press office, a language that I have only been learning for two years!
