Write Sunday, Post Monday

I wrote the beneath and left to polish it off as I was heading out, but then it was late.. So after a very nice weekend (and current pressure to really learn stuff now). By the way, more pics will be on Facebook soon, probably. I'm feeling a reluctance to put people pics here. So finally, another update.

Neglecting this blog stemmed from not allowing myself to write until my Hausarbeit was through, and now its been a while. Both Hausarbeits are done, the marks have been returned (very happy), and I’ve had a dream-like holiday in England, involving mutually visiting mine and Luke’s families (Dad’s birthday included!) and camping in Norfolk. The first week of the summer term has been survived well, and it looks like a full but productive set of classes I’ll be taking. I’ve been catching up with friends, meeting new coursemates and settling into the new flat of 3. I’m already feeling like I’ve not got so much time till I hop down to south Germany over the long Easter weekend, to visit my old guest family and a friend.

ENGLAND HOLIDAYS (pic right: Chatsworth)

Visiting the home turf was beautiful – I’m privileged to have grown up in such a beautiful area, and now visiting mum and dad is also a retreat, to be able to have time together with family and old friends, rambling the hills once more, popping in to town, cooking with mum… I’m trying to keep whittling down my junk too! It was actually a brief visit, Luke got to see the area (including a walk to Chatsworth and passing David Blunkett), and could meet my parents properly! It was great to show it to someone, especially..

(Pic left: our corner) Me and Luke then headed down camping to Norfolk – after an unrestful blustery first night (the tent next door got taken down), the weather continually improved, giving us sunburn on the beach after a couple of days. We wandered to Holkham hall, found a local pub with own micro brewery, good food and a pub quiz, went to the beach and chilled – a proper holiday for both of us! I’d quite like to introduce Luke in person to some of you readers!

(Pic right: Ship + London? Dedicated to Charles Berrisford) The final trip started with Luke’s parents meeting us for fish and chips by (wells-next-to-the) sea, and by the end of the day had met an aunt and uncle and Luke’s brother+wife, which made for a brilliant (and bubbly) day. I also met Luke’s grandma too… to have a family living so close to each other was something I always saw as odd when I was younger (“you have a class with your cousin?”), but the way it fits so naturally to structure a family community was great to see. The family of arrow makers are a brilliant bunch! Me and Luke took a day trip to London too, starting with a river trip from canary wharf, and including me having a knowledgeable personal guide to go round the Tate modern with, visiting Borough market, and seeing an old friend of ours who has just moved down from Scotland.

SUMMER SEMESTER (yes until mid-July)

I jumped back into term the day after I returned, and have a set of classes which expect plenty, but I’m at university to learn so that is well in order. Our language course teacher has given us a 230 page reader of articles, and we are developing our skills in writing this term, with a focus on “Berlin Reportage und Prose” in the 20s and noughties. We’ll be doing our own report, getting research and interviews and so on to feed back about and finally write up at the end of term as the main assessment. My English-taught linguistics course is semantics (I had the same teacher last term and he is really helpful), and my German-taught linguistics is second language acquisition, at the Humboldt University! That is looking like its going to be quite heavy learning, but it will be fine. The HU is only an easy half hour from where I live, in contrast to the hour’s travel for FU.

EASTER PLANS

For this easter I’m making the most of the lecture free days, and heading down to south Germany to visit my host family from summer 2009, stopping off beforehand in Freiburg to see a friend – such a long journey needs to be made the most of! As ever, going away makes me slightly nervous about keeping up with work, but think sensibly and I can plan around it fine. It will be good to spend Easter with the family. Christian traditional celebrations are still more important and well known here. There are chocolate easter lambs! That’s a quirky transfer of Christ-imagery to chocolate mass production I’ve never really seen. Though I’m not sure exactly what the family will be doing, but regardless, a weekend celebrating faith in what Christ has done for us is always good!

SETTLING INTO A NEW FLAT

I’m enjoying the new area I’m living in, Friedrichshain - “free - dri[h]s - h[eye]n”. Theres a park around the corner, a cute playground going up opposite, a playschool at the end of the street, and not far to get to the market of Boxhangener Platz and all the little cafes and bars around there. Go the other way, and you get onto the more industrial Frankfurter Allee, a big main street with S+U Bahn, your Takeaways and Bakeries, shopping centre and not far along, the Frankfurter Tor (two big towers on either side of the road). It leads to Alexander Platz (10 mins on the U5), you just have to go towards the very obvious Fernsehturm (which I find quite cool). And I'm blessed with great flatmates! Inclusive Harry the Chinchilla, who will sadly have to be taken away as Markus has found he has developed an allergy to them.

So, I think that’s plenty made up for the drought of updates, I’ll let you rest now, and I’ll get to work. A happy Sunday to you all – actually, palm Sunday. Till next time.

And a happy Monday too.