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During a lesson earlier this week with our bilingual secretary program (that will be taking final exams next week and graduating in July), the student in the seat directly to my right didn’t understand something and she asked for clarification. Since the rest of the class clearly understood, I leaned on her desk and explained it to her.
Then one of the students said, ‘J’ – to get my attention.
I looked up, saw most of the class pointing their mobile phone cameras at me and before I could react, they all snapped photos.
I wait in line for only two minutes.
I had the lady the letter DP had left in my PO Box.
She reads it.
She asks for my new address.
I tell her the address on the letter.
She reiterates her request for my NEW address.
I tell her that that is my current address.
She asks when I moved.
I tell her 5 years ago.
She doesn’t look surprised.
I ask her why I got the letter
Unsurprisingly, she doesn’t know and gives me an ‘I don’t care either’ tone of voice.
I ask her to call the number on the letter
She tells me to do it myself.
CALL THE NUMBER ON THE LETTER! I’VE WASTED MY TIME COMING HERE TO FIND OUT WHAT’S GOING ON AND AM NOT GOING TO WASTE MY MONEY ON A PHONE CALL!!!!!!!!
She calls.
Predictably, no one answers.
She tells me she’ll fax it to the people with the correct info.
I ask her if that’ll solve this?
She shrugs indifferently.
I give the German Fuck Off Sigh and leave, knowing that it’ll probably take me at least two more trips back there to sort this out.
(PS: The reason I got the PO Box five years ago was due to the fact that Deutsche Post once sent a letter to my house telling me that they couldn’t send letters to my house).
this is how to do it!
(Still in Exam Hell this week so no time for blogging – it should start slowing down the end of next week.)
The Museum of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain. Taken on 11 May 2007
If you happen to have any time you don’t need, please donate it to me. Exam season is in full swing now (a bit early due to the odd way summer holidays work in Germany) and between that and my regular work, I have no time at all.
None.
Typical day:
1. go to work;
2. plan lessons;
3. teach;
4. correct essays/quizzes/dictations;
5. go home;
6. attempt to wind down and sleep.
7. back to step 1.
Not to mention my allergies (hay fever) going ballistic – which also causes me to have asthma (something I only have in the spring and only when I have hay fever, as odd as that may be.)
also known as Ascension Day when not translated word for word from German.
Another public holiday means I’m outta here for the long weekend again. I’ll be training off in about an hour to Germany’s Bicycle City (or so I’ve been told – any guess as to where?) for a couple days of cycling and sightseeing. The weekend days will be spent watching baseball.
So, adios til next week!
Since I’ll be on holiday this weekend (this was originally posted on 10 May) and most likely won’t be blogging, I thought I’d put up a post about the Meet-Up this autumn. I do realise that it’s only May and too early to decide on a date, however, it’s not too early to start thinking about a location.
Anywhere can be nominated in this first round, and later there will be a second round in which you can’t vote for your own city (we started that last year and it seemed to work well).
Here’s a map, so those that need it can see where various places are.
Finally, for readers that haven’t a clue as to what I’m talking about, The Whiney Expat Bloggers in Germany invade one of our towns every year for a weekend for sightseeing, camaraderie, delicious meals, lots of photography and a bit of whining. New attendees are definitely welcome.
Go on then, nominate a place.
**** Update 15h36 14 May ****
No time for blogging Mon – Wed this week and I`ll be on the road again starting Thursday, so I’ll leave this as the top thread for a bit to get as many options as possible.
Thursday
• Arrived at the airport at 13h10 and checked in. Friend arrived at 14h and did the same.
• Flight was turbulent on takeoff and landing, but uneventful otherwise.
• Took the metro from the airport, which surprised me. When I last visited Valencia three years ago, the metro didn’t go to the train station and I had to take a bus.
• Walked to the hostel we had booked single rooms in (and I highly recommend for independent travellers) and dropped our bags off. Noticed a few thermometers along the way that read 28°C and 29°C.
• Strolled around for a while, found a place for dinner, strolled around more and then returned and went to bed.
Friday
• Booked bikes the hostel to be picked up at a nearby bike shop (€6).
• Walked across the road to the Central Market for breakfast. Ended up with a slice of Manchego cheese and an onion/meat empanada each.
• Walked to the bike shop and picked out or bikes – me a mountain bike and him one with more upright. Had to leave a €50 deposit.
• Cycled down to the beach – not an easy thing in all of the traffic in Valencia. Cycle paths are not good in the central part of the city but get better as you get closer to the beach.
• Spent most of the day at the beach. Exploring, cycling, having lunch, beachcombing, enjoying the sunny and quite hot weather.
• Left the beach, managed to avoid most of the city traffic by cycling through the dry riverbed that circles the city and is a recreation area. Watched a few soccer games, sat in the grass, etc.
• Saw digital thermometers close to the accommodation that read 35°C and 36°C in the shade. The high temperature turned out to be 38°C.
• Found a great place for dinner. Small, delicious food, inexpensive.
• Sat outside at a busy café afterwards and enjoyed the atmosphere as Spaniards came out (around 21h30) looking for places for their dinner (which usually starts around 22h at the earliest).
Saturday
• Walked across the road to the Central Market for breakfast. Ended up with two slices of a different variety of Manchego cheese, 3 empanadas (two onion/meat and one spinach) and a corn muffin.
• Took the train to Sagunto (30 minutes, €2.50).
• Spent the day sightseeing in Sagunto (lovely castle there) and taking way too many photos.
• Much cooler – only 29°C
• Took the train back to Valencia, but not all the way. Stopped a few stops short of the main train station (Valencia Nord) and walked to the beach. Spent the late afternoon there and then took the tram back to the old town area and to the hostel.
• Separated for about 90 minutes – I went to watch some kind of event that was shaping up in the square next to our accommodation and he went back to his room to rest.
• Went out for dinner around 21h, strolled around after, took some photos, found a place to sit for a beer and watch Spain go by.
• Returned to the hostel, found some other travellers in the common room and talked with then before returning to my room and going to bed (friend was tired and went to bed earlier).
Sunday
• Spent the day enjoying the 34°C Spanish sun (again).
• Walked along the dry riverbed park, past the futuristic museum and to the beach. Spent most of the time at the America’s Cup Experience.
• Returned to hostel to pick up our bags, took the metro to the airport (18 minutes, €1.70) at 16h58 for our 18h10 flight. One of the great things about flying into Valencia is how close the airport is to the city. That means one can spend almost a full day there before leaving for the airport.
• Flight was uneventful other than five minutes of turbulence just after take off and twenty minutes of it 30 minutes before landing.
• Walked home from the bus station in the pouring rain.
Great time.
Where I live:
Where I’ll be spending the weekend:
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