Freedom!

.....well for 2 weeks, anyway.

So things are going significantly better these days, I'm definitely more settled in and actually starting to feel like I'm part of the staff at school, but even better than that, Autumn holidays mean I've got 2 weeks off!

So I went to Wuppertal zoo on Monday, that was great fun. Anyone who visits me should probably expect to go there, because I like it so much :). I also got to ride on the Schwebebahn...which is apparently unique in the world. It's like a monorail that hangs from the rail rather than sits on top of it. It swings from side to side as it goes, doesn't feel all that safe. Didn't do my sea legs any good either.

I've also discovered I'm really fond of the year 5 classes.....10 year olds are much friendlier than the older kids, even if they're too shy to speak English. I also got to have a class to myself on Wednesday (year 8) and they were actually really good for me. Despite being a foundation course they've really surprised me with the level of English they can come up with, I've realised that it's my job now to build their confidence.

Herr Taeger, who is responsible for international projects has also asked me to help with the Comenius International project, which is a group of the best students from the 9th and 10th classes. I'm just hoping I get to go on the trip with them, it's looking like they're going to Majorca :). I've also decided to observe some German and French classes on top of my English ones, figure I can get some more teaching tips that way.

So the plan for the holidays so far is just to see as much of Northrhine Westfalia as possible.....Muenster this weekend, then Koeln, Aachen, Essen, Duesseldorf and maybe even Steinfurt ;). Nathalie and I have also decided to go to Holland for the day at some point as well.

Dad and Jen are heading over on the 19th too....fabelhaft! Looking forward to seeing you guys.

I still haven't managed to sign up at the Uni in Wuppertal, I'm thinking I may have to write it off as a bad job, take it that it just wasn't meant to be. Shame though, would have definitely been nice to get that Semesterticket, see some lectures and meet some people. Other than that I suppose my only other option is to head for Cologne, one the one hand it's a bit of a pain to get to, but on the other I really really do want to do it.

I really am starting to miss people now though....... all the guys from manc, and a few from brum, too. :) xxxx