Practically finished

Hello all,
(picture below: just a street near my flat, not amazing.. set the mood)

I've been reminded recently that I haven't blogged in a while.. partly fault of my own expectation of being able to. Yesterday, I had my ( speaking) spoken exam for second language aquisition - my only exam, the others having long essays. This last weekend, I felt I was just waiting on this exam on Monday, for which there wasn't so much more to revise. I'm so glad thats over now.Having handed one essay in, and the other needing only a day or twos tweaking, I have that holiday feeling. In a rather flawed logic, I'm almost apprehensive of finishing my essay, for the thought of not having enough to do once its handed in - how wrong that will be. Dissertation prep, postgrad applications, meeting friends, exploring Berlin together and paperwork will be plenty. There are more and more goodbyes starting to arrive, and more to come. Apparently the only-a-few-weeks homesickness is a common phenomenon, and that has been around, but I'm enjoying the last time here too. Under two weeks!

UNIVERSITY
Our last language course was spent reading a selection of our works to the captive level-below class, with drinks out afterwards. As exchange/foreign students, you have a lot in common that makes such classes into cosy communities. I'll miss that bunch. My other two courses closed quietly, but I can say I've enjoyed them. My semantics class had a few coursemates from last term, and was well taught by really willing-to-help teachers. My HU class (second language aquisition) has given me the inspiration and basis for my dissertation next year. The split between HU/FU days made this term a little trickier, to be honest. The HU is a very business-like an impressive university, but this also made the environment a little colder, and I didn't manage to make particular friendships on my course there. So three days a week there, feeling a bit alone was probably wearing, to say the least. The FU feels somehow more of a community, and I'm definitely going to miss some coursemates there. Mixed meomories, lots learnt.

NOT UNIVERSITY
(picture right: picnic with a french friend, I suggested baguette..)
I've spent the last few minutes trying to sum up the friendships and experiences in Berlin, faith in God and other such "life" topics, that in fact are far better simply coming out in small stories every now and again. So I'll leave that as it is, another time. I'll miss the friendships I've been blessed with here, but I'm not leaving yet!

DOCTORS
I have also taken part in the German health system. After a week and a half, a friend of mine got tired with my right-ear-deafness and persuaded me to go to the doctors. A HNO Doctor (Hals-Nasen-Ohren: Throat-nose-ear) was the type I wanted, as you go straight to the specialist here. It was absolutely fine, 10euros to pay once for a quartal (the 3 months), and that includes access to any doctors. I went to the drop in session, and it was a simple matter of rinsing my ear out, and its much better. And its now too loud in my room to sleep, even with ear plugs. Conquered one problem, created another, but at least its amusingly ironic.

PLANS
I'm looking forward to my free(r) time, and am intending on handing everything in on Thursday, then its just a matter of red tape in uni. We're planning a few trips, lunches out, evenings at mine, and a picnic this Sunday, after a few morning skypes, and going to my last church service. Saturday will involve a bit of baking and foody prep! Flapjacks, the old faithful, I do love it. I still have golden syrup!

CULTURE CLASHES
As a final diverging note, inspired from flapjack, can you clearly answer the following questions:
a) what exactly IS golden syrup?
b) what is treacle then?
Wikipedia gives answers, but I'm still just as confused.
There are alot of funny differences here, in trivial and not so tirival ways. Apparently, I was recently told we (Brits) only eat white bread, as we have an appalling lack of proper dark bread. In return, the Germans have an appalling lack of proper black tea. The rest of Europe sees monolingualism as an impossible eccentricity, while much of (my current) Britian sees a second language as exotic. Berlin takes punk music and parenthood hand in hand without batting an eye (second hand observation). The weather is warmer, meaning that the "overcast" day was my perfect refreshing breeze. I'm looking forward to my return, like so many do when so long away. There are some near and dear who I'm definitely looking forward to seeing. I'm not sure how long I'll appreciate the weather though..

If I blog again, I might blog to a specific theme. Hopefully not in a boring way. Right, time to go..
Till soon.

Wow, almost a month again..

Hello again.

I always think I've blogged about x, y and z, to find I've only blogged up to n, o and p. So, yes...

VISITORS OF THE BEST KIND
(pic left: cyclist on the left there, heat before the rain). First, Luke came. That was brilliant. We cycled around the city a fair bit, over to Tiergarten along Unter den Linden (that unexpectedly wore us out), saw some markets, spent an evening in the old gallery, went out with a couple of friends, and yes.. our next meet is scheduled when I return to Edinburgh, star of August. Skypes and letters and emails until then.

Mum and dad came to Berlin, and rented an apartment from a shifty guy with a limp, who said they need never meet again. Joking mother! It wasn't that bad really! That is a warped telling of the nice chap who didn't grumble when we were an hour late from the airport, apparently sounded like Sven on the phone, but whose English did lead to the odd exchange I mentioned. Me and mum and dad met up a few times, for a lazy sunday brunch and market, dinner out and lunch, and a meal at mine meeting the flatmates (& chinchilla), but really they had their explorations to themselves. I supplied the map and dictionary ;)

(pic right: Karneval der Kulturen parade and spectators) The weekend after came Miss Jenny, an Edinburgh uni friend, for the ascension day weekend (a national holiday in Germany). She'd been here before, so we explored some of the nicer areas like P'berg and Mitte, watched films together, had coffee and cake and ice cream and wandered some markets. We went to Karneval der Kulturen in Kreuzberg on Sunday, which happens yearly on that weekend. Its a bright mix of a music and dance parade, and a street fest area packed with stalls with little gifts and african/malaysian/french/other food, alongside some stages. The most interesting item I found on the programme was "Hungarian speed folk", but unfortunately were there at the wrong time, so we saw some african drumming. Flamenco/jazz/turkish folk/etc. were also on the list. I have also finally taken a boat tour, which gave a welcome breeze for us in the pretty close weather.

VISITING
It was my turn to be the guest last weekend, as the long-promised visit to my flatmates' hometowns came into the programme. They both live a little way south west from Dresden, both in the countryside in small towns.
[Reminder, I live with a couple of friends I met when we both visited our church for the first time. They study in Berlin too, and are going out with each other.]
So, at M's we had an evening at the village fest over across the valley, catching up with M's old school mates, and the next day me and S had a mine tour with M's mum, and a photographer-come-rock expert, who included unofficial mine-photo shoots into the bargain. We joined in on the dinghy race part of a volleyball-canoe tournament M was playing in, and I drove the 10min trip back. Yes, it was all fine, and M was a brilliant instructor, very calmly telling me to move more into the centre of the road now and again, as well as where on earth I was going. The gears were fine, but the whole of the car is on your right. That was odd. That evening, we joined S's family and spent time in family birthday celebrations with them.

(Pic left: palace-y place) I'll break up the chronological story telling with our Sunday trip to Dresden (before our return). Dresden is a city with a very impressive and beautiful old town, which isn't actually old because it was all restored after WWII. The buildings also use sandstone, which doesn't help wear. The riches of the guy who built it were certainly shown off. The new ton is plainer but still nice, with bars and cafes and shops. Incidentally, our trip coincided with a music-street festival, which made it particularly busy and bright. (pic below: cool drainpipes in newtown)

THE LAST BIT OF TIME...
The weekends have been spent pretty eventfully, this last bit of time.Now its back to work, but making sure to keep the balance right and not let work get (by perception) out of proportion, a bad habit of mine. Hausarbeit, German course, Language Aquisition German exam, dissertation prep.. goodbyes, birthday celebrations, seeing friends, making the most of Berlin.. (side note: riding my bike is great). Under 6 weeks till I return, I am looking forward to it, but these weeks are all the more to make the most of. I wonder if I'll manage another blog before I'm on UK soil..

Kt
PS Unpolished blog, hope I've not blundered too much.

A brief hello at a busy time

[Pic left: Frankfurter Tor with Fersehturm]

I have not written f or a long time. There are alot of things I would love to write about, but haven't really got ar ound to doing so. Since my last... oh dear goodness, before easter? That is alot I've missed out. Ok.


Easter was brilliant, good to see Freiburg with my freind and I really felt a part of the family on my visit back to my hosts of summer 2009 - I went on their bi-annual trip to grandma and great-aunt! Easter was a good day too, and we had a BBQ with a few friends to catch up. The weather was amazing too. And oh the beautiful countryside south. I'm yet to explore the beautiful wild of the north here. It was great to see the whole family were doing really well, and the kids were older, they could talk more to the point the youngest matter-of-factly corrected my German.

[Pic middle: At Alex toward Unter den Linden]
Then more term, finally got into it. The weather has had some reaally good spells, and is currently not bad at all, not shorts and sunglasses every day but still pretty good. Then I had a bit of a rubbish time. I just worried too much. And then got more planned for doing work, and thats good. And today realised you can never think you will never worry again. But so it goes. Knowing that our worth is not based on others is precious and amazing, and that this life is not all about us, in a major respect, is freeing. I have some brilliant friends who I'm very blessed by, no matter what.

Speaking of which, Luke is coming tomorrow! I'm not sure I've managed enough work, but I/we will have to work that out (this blog is a result of being v tired for work, and I feel bad for not keeping in touch with you I know who read this too! Side track, my best wishes to various parts of the UK to you, I'm guessi ng few strangers read this blog). Thank God the ash could is over, I think, and we will enjoy the few days :) And then Mum and dad! And then an Edinburgh friend for a weekend! Summer visitors, I can't recommend it more..

[Photo left: going past the cathedral on the museum island]
One theme I wanted to put in was my cycle to the Humboldt uni (yes got a bike :) ), 2 days a week. An easy 30mins, basically all along Frankfurter Allee to Alex and then along Unter den Linden. I can't write too much now, lots to do, but the photos in this blog entry I took on my journey, particularly with this blog in mind. Needless to say I think that time it took a bit over 30 minutes. Berlin by bicycle is definitely the way to go. My amateur cycling skills won't do it justice, but I can sample bits of this huge metropolis.

Till soon, work seems hard but at some moment, you realise a bit more of a much bigger and greater perspective, and those 10 minutes of presentation seem pretty trivial once more. And Luke arrives tomorrow! And Happy 50th celebrations Crazies ;)

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.

Kind of half way - adjusting lifestyle

I didn't quite realise I'd left this a whole a month..

I've practically done one Hausarbeit, with the next to complete, and just had my long-weekend trip for a wedding in Scotland.

This weekend, having only just travelled back this afternoon, is foremost in my mind. On top of being able to celebrate the marriage of two friends in the pretty little west-coast town of Largs, I was able to catch up with a few friends in Edinburgh and see Luke, who was playing at the wedding After two months of only electronic communication, actually properly seeing each other was brilliant. Skype and written text can never truly replace being with a person. Long distance relationships mean that the time you spend feels very - almost too - precious. There's little room for just an average evening, a greeting or goodbye that is not in some way significant, or sharing so much everyday ordinariness. But its better than no relationship, by far.

However, I should talk about the weekend generally, yes. Slept at my old flat (and other friends'), caught up with my old flatmate and a friend or two or more, got to know a few new people, was introduced to Dutch rap music, saw a new record in grinning from a groom, danced, saw Largs, had time with Luke, saw Romeo and Juliet, heard Scots again, went to my old church... that got a little more jumbled, but represents the weekend in a way.

I think I have realised that Edinburgh is comfortable, known, and safe in my head, while Berlin is somehow in a way disjointed and less sure. Not only in terms of a foreign culture and language. The geographical dispersion of friends, work and social life reflects the distance of isolation you can feel in such a large city when you live almost alone. Living as a two person flat, when you always seem to miss each other, makes 'home' much less of a community to relax in. And when you do meet with others, you'll need to take at least 30 minutes on the public transport to get there. I don't mean Berlin is not an amazing experience and an amazing city. I've realised how much your environment influences your lifestyle.Edinburgh is so much smaller, friends are around the corner, flatmates are around, university interweaves with the people who live in the flats near you, social life is provided in the student bubble... Maybe living as a three, by the end of this month, will change life here a little too.

Before my second term starts (April 11th - July 18th lectures) I'll be back in England for ten days in April, in the home town with mum and dad (and Luke!), then we go camping in Norfolk, and i'm meeting some Fletchers in Chelmsford too! For now, I'll get this next essay done, hopefully soon be able to choose courses for next term (Edinburgh are asking about next year), and right at the end, move flat.

For now (right now), my travelling has made me quite tired. This isn't the most polished entry - but I'm still thinking of you friends and relatives, and wanted to send a greeting and alls-well. Till soon.

Checklist items (political toothpaste, tick)

So, since last time... panicked about uni, calmed down, panicked again, calmed down... and now writing this blog after today doing my first ever proper German exam in Germany, and feeling that God will honour whatever work I put in (it was fine, I think). There has also been other stuff in the weeks I'll mention, and as I've titled, a few more 'should do that' expreiences from this year abroad actually got round to... (and the toothpaste -in picture - is my flatmate's, theres some subtle brainwashing here).

What a nice feeling of finishing an exam, having a chapter done - put those notes away, suddenly your life is no longer filled with revisereviseandrevise, and this time, it was do-able. And something never-done-before, which feels quite cool. The never-tried plan fitted well. Ok, I had made sizeable notes on large texts to needless avail when the Professor decided to sum the exam up in the last lecture, but I learnt more and practised German, no bad thing. Step two here is Hausarbeit frenzy - I think it should just about neatly fit, all being well. Not that I've ever done anything like it. It will have a scottish-wedding weekend of two Edinburgh friends at the start of March, and then deadlines/home trip with Luke and parents at end of March. So thats uni. Friends doing one semester here are leaving within the month, that will be sad, but plenty are staying, and we'll stay in touch.

I've done a few cultural bits and bobs recently too. Der lange Nacht der Museen was a couple of weekends ago. 10euro for students, for all participating museums, 6pm-2am Saturday night. A bunch of us went to the Museum for Photography (Alice Springs - brilliant portraits and brash nudity), Checkpoint Charlie (anti DDR, wild escape stories), and the Computerspielmuseum (you pretend to read the numerous snippet side texts about every game made but really don't and just try out all the demos). We also popped in the sankt Marien Kirche next to Alexanderplatz, just as it turned midnight. Thats a picturesque place with a decent organ.
This weekend me and a friend went to a photography exhibition Dignity in Willy Brandt Haus - a really clear cut impressive building that made me think of posh hotels, all glass and wood and carpet and brushed steel. After walking up to several locked doors, we got a good look round. The exhibition seemed to be pretty western-subjective, indigenous people were 'our roots' and 'how we once were', an American photographer capturing the soul of this era that we are about to lose or something similar. Undoubtedly good material to see, whetever perspectives we all took. And we found the italian opposite checkpoint charlie actually hasn't got such extortionate prices.

Other random items... had very good Kuchen at a very nice nearby vegan cafe Vux with Susi, and discovered Hasenheide park on a beautiful balmy damp day (where there was NOT a market on Sunday) -the parks will be brilliant when its warm enough. Strasse des 17. Juni does do a pretty Flohmarkt, which is open in the colder weather too. I've managed to uninstall my webcamera program (because it requested me to). I've got a bit more involved in JKB church and get to know a few more there, and thats good.

I'm enjoying the sounds of people here, travels in the SBahn give you a chance to hear... the turks always "eeeeh" and "eh", the germans "nayaa" und "zvo", the "rrrrrrringeinundfeertsig" SBahn announcers, the banterful "bwoah, richtig krass, geil!" from the guy on his mobile in the corner seat, berliner 'ik vill dat nix, so yuut...' (hope thats accurate) the definitely-not-german jabber...

To think 6 months ago I was walking down to a beach with a friend in North Berwick, at the edge of my summer in Edinburgh. And now... yes, an eventful time of life. Blessed to learn more and more, whether fun or not so. Next step of term, next few months, lets see how this goes. Empty boxes to tick. More than just boxes, of course :)

Back in the swing of things

Hello again, a couple of weeks later..
(picture right: Berlin street at night. Not alone Mum :P)
Last time I wrote I was definitely homesick and slightly uni panicked. This only really lasted the first two days back. Prayers, a revision plan and seeing Berlin friends again brought me round well, I'm glad to say (though I still miss you Brit-dwellers, or non-Brit but at least not here).

My flatmate is back from her US trip tomorrow and she will probably be thrown by a 9 hour jetlag, and I'm crunching through the wadges of German text that we've been reading this term, and making it make a bit more sense. One downside is that our lecturer tends to throw in comments during the lecture, dispensing with a couple of pages as 'rubbish - burn it' (and why do we have it? No I do understand why, flippant comment for those who might otherwise read that), which I'm never sure I always catch, but ah well. Me and one coursemate have started doing library work sessions together, and its always good to have someone you know around. Unfortunately shes a perfect English (as second langauge) speaker who is 'speaking too much German', so I'll have to do a deal with her sometime to keep my German going! Hopefully uni stuff should fit together, the plans looking a little tight, but its a never-before-tried-Katie-attempts-German-uni-assessment-plan, so I can only have a go!

I've sampled a couple of new bars with Vorkurs (pre-semester language course) friends these last few weeks. Kuschlowski's is a cosy little bar, with a log stove in the corner and stools topped with upturned buckets. An intensely smoky night, has to be said. I can appreciate why they banned smoking in the UK (in enclosed public places or whatever it is). The other was zu-mir-oder-zu-dir (translates "my place or yours"), which is very cool, good music mix and was packed by 10pm, you couldn't see floorspace for people somehow perching on some surface.

I've found next semester's flat (April - August) too, with a friend of mine from JKB church (later friends when other friend's current flat is filled). They're a couple, similar age as me (can I name you, Susi and Markus? I think I'm safe, and they could be bogus names for all you readers know). I'm really looking forward to it. They're at one of the city's uni/colleges doing social-academics/work stuff, not exactly sure of the titles (hmm, Hochschule isn't easy to translate. Not polytech, not just college..). And Markus has a chinchilla! I think thats the first thing I tell anyone about the flat, exposing my childhood vetinary dreams... its further from uni (1hr), but other pro-s weigh that out. Its near to Frankfruter Allee SBahn, the really wide street, which leads to the centre. That street also has an impressive Fernsehturm view and imposing communist housing too. But I'm off the side from that, up plenty of stairs to get me serviceably fit (I feel a little sedentary with all this U bahn travel). Spring and summer in Berlin, I cannot wait!

Anyway, thats all for now, I think. God bless, keep well. I'm not regretting the name of my blog one bit.