While the Germans boast the Automobile, technology and green energy as their most successful exports – the United Kingdom boasts the English language.
Language – the source of communication and what makes the Human species so remarkable. There are few who deny the importance of the English language in politics, business and everything else really… it is so widespread and I do feel lucky to have this internationally spoken language as my mother tongue.
SO when I met a nice older lady in the theater last month and we chatted back and forth – I was not surprised when she mentioned that she wanted to improve her English because she was an artist and had many English customers.Anyway we exchanged email adresses and a month later I agreed to visit her at her art studio and help her with some work-related vocabulary.
So I made my way last Thursday to her place easily as I am now a master of the German transport system. Not that it is hard to master…but we don’t mention that. One of the great pleasures I have in life is giving directions in Munich to visiting Germans. Nothing that makes you feel more like a proper Münchner.
The lady lived in an ‘Atelier’ which is the French word for workshop and her house/tower was as amazing as you’d expect a slightly eccentric artist’s house to be.I decided to begin with some small talk. The thing is.. the actual problem wasn’t with her English at this point – it was the understanding of the concept of having a pointless conversation. I’ve mentioned this before but the Germans really just do not get the whole British polite boring 5 minute talk about nothing thing that we do…(why do we do that?).
I found I suffered with the problem that is jumping between two languages – hint: extremely difficult. The lady would pick something up such as a hammer and ask me what it is called in English and I would just stutter and say ‘emm.. it will come back to me.’ I like to describe my year abroad as just a series of awkward moments.
And shocking moments, as when I came home one day I found this note on my door. The handy arrow suggested that I look up and so I did. Only to see the postie had lobbed my package up 2 storeys onto my balcony. The Germans amaze me every day.
Even though I am abroad and have to go through all the stress that is living in a foreign country, I still find that I have not escaped the normal every day problems of life. If anyone knows how to remove pomegranate stains from a white wall it would be great to get some tips as my flat currently looks like I have committed a murder. I tried to use a scourer to remove the stains and ended up scouring off the paint from the wall because I am a class A idiot.
Seriously though if anyone has any tips that would be great because I might resort to tip-exing the wall and that’s just not going to be great. I want my deposit back. There are many jars of Nutella that need to be bought. (and yes that is a University essential).
Going to head into the centre of town later to see if I can purchase anything less abrasive than a scourer. Currently working up the courage to do so as it is a Saturday and although Munich is so quiet all the time and you barely feel like a city, there’s only 1.2 million people or so but they can ALL be found in once place in the city centre on a Saturday and it is somewhat hektisch. 0/10 would not recommend to a friend.
Days til my flight home for Christmas: 33
Jennifer in Germany 