It is 2:30am and I am wide awake. Argh. I was lying in bed with German verbs and phrases floating through my head and trying to master verb conjugation in the wee hours of the morning isn't a good idea...too much thinking, not enough brain rest.
I suppose this restlessness is a good thing because it means that my brain is starting to think in German. I started a new German course on Monday through the Berlitz School in nearby Krefeld. It is for 4 hours every weekday, which is much more satisfying and challenging than the 2 hours per week of German lessons I was getting before. We are also getting homework, so I am forced to learn and practice spelling and grammar at home as well.
Krefeld is a 25 minute train-ride from where I live and so I take the train to and from class. This allows me a little independence from Georg and the Maas family, something which I haven't had the luxury of enjoying these past few weeks. A bonus is that I really love riding on the train. I find it very relaxing and rejuvenating...watching the countryside and daily life in the nearby villages and cities, thinking, reading, people watching...
One of the best things about this course is that it is allowing me to talk Englisch to people other than Georg and select family members! I have made instant friends with a woman from Thailand and have several friends in class...it is about time! There are about 20 people in the class and what I find absolutely amazing and inspiring is that the majority of these people are learning their third language with this class! Russian, French, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, English, Turkish, Spanish, and numerous languages that I can't remember...
What I have learned this week:
Ich heisse Siobhan und ich komme aus Kanada, aus Winnipeg. Ich bin 26 Jahre alt. Ich bin seit 2 Monate in Deutschland. Ich wohne in Geldern mit meinen Freund. Ich spreche Englisch, Französisch, und ein bissen Deutsch.
Möchtest du Kaffee oder Tee? Ich trinke Tee mit Milch und Zucker.
(My name is Siobhan and I come from Winnipeg, Canada. I am 26 years old. I have been in Germany for 2 months. I live in Geldern with my boyfriend. I speak English, French and a little German.
Would you like coffee or tea? I drink tea with milk and sugar.)
Pretty cool, huh? It is basic stuff, but you have to start somewhere. It really helps that I am around Georg's family so much too, because then I hear German all the time, even if I don't understand it.
Back to bed for me...although it sounds like there is a snoring bear in my bed, will I be able to sleep???