written 12th september 2006
So another couple of days have passed since my last entry and I can safely say that I haven’t been just sat in my room counting down the days until it’s over, I’ve actually been out enjoying myself and making new friends
On Sunday I was supposed to meet Harriet and go on a bus tour of Hamburg but she had to cancel because her mentor had cooked a big dinner for her, and obviously she felt rude saying she couldn’t stay because she was coming to meet me. Anyway, instead, I decided to go shopping again and try and find some decent shops, but everything in Germany was closed! It was strange. In England, shops have been opening on Sunday’s for years now. So, I wandered aimlessly around looking at the shops in the train station, I saw some really nice boots which I liked but they were a little expensive for me at the moment at around €70 which is about £50, but what I’m going to do is wait until Andy comes out for my birthday and ask him to buy me them -lol- a bit cheeky I know!
After leaving the city centre, I ventured to Altona in the hope that something there would be open, which there wasn’t. Well, a few shops were open and I did manage to find a real gem of a shop. It’s a little home ware/gift shop type place and it had really pretty candles, glasses, note books, photo frames etc which were really cheap too, I’ll definitely be going back. I also managed to buy a News of the World to catch up on news and gossip from good old Blighty.
Whilst I was walking around Altona, my mummy phoned me which was nice. She was telling me all about when they went to London and how everyone back home is doing. When Andy comes out, he’s going to call at my house and pick loads of stuff up for me, like my birthday cards etc and most importantly shoes (I miss them so so much!) and she’s going to put all the pictures of London on a USB stick so I can have them. She tried sending them by email but got confused bless her. I’m going to send it back with all pictures from Germany.
Later on Sunday evening when I was back in room, Huw text me and asked me if I wanted to go out for something to eat and as I didn’t have any other plans apart from sitting on my own in my room I said I would go! He was an hour late meeting me at the train station because he hadn’t changed his clock on his computer from English time to German time!
We he did finally arrive, we went to a Chinese restaurant and it was hilarious! Firstly they had pictures of George Bush and his wife with the staff on the wall, presumably as they had visited, it was pretty funny but I guess one of those you had to be there moments. The waitress was really moody with us too and at some points downright rude! It just made us laugh even more though! The dish I chose (Fried noodles with chicken) was lovely but Huw wasn’t so lucky! He ordered duck and it was really fatty and tasteless so he wasted pretty much all of it. However, he didn’t want to appear rude by not eating it so he wrapped it up in a serviette and flushed it down the toilet -lol-
After leaving the restaurant we went for a little walk along the harbour where ate some crepes and had a drink before coming home. It was a good night. I was quite worried as to what Andy would think about me going out with another lad, as me being me, would probably be freaking out completely if it were the other way round -lol- It just makes me love him even more, aawww how cheesy!!
Yesterday I met Harriet and we went to try and register with the university. We’re only working 12 hours a week at the schools so we thought it would give us something to do and also it’s a good way to meet some German young people so we can speak more German.
We got a little bit lost when we first arrived, but a kind girl spotted us with our map and puzzled expressions and told us where to go. When we finally arrived at the registration office thing, it was closed. So we are going back again tomorrow. Harriet also tried putting her name down for a student Wohnheim - the German equivalent to halls of residence but in order to do so you need to have registered with the university, so all in all a wasted trip!
After we’d finished at the university we tried to go shopping but couldn’t find a shopping area! We ended up out in the ghetto thinking it would be good for shopping but there was a huge Wal-Mart and that was it! Feeling quite deflated we decided to head home and had arranged to meet later as I was going with her to view a room in a house before going to Stammtisch.
I, however, did not go straight home; I stopped off in Altona to go to the shopping centre there. It wasn’t a wasted trip either as I got some quite good bargains from H&M. I got two pairs of jeans - a skinny pair and a short pair and a dress which you could either dress up with leggings or down with jeans all for €42 which is about £26 so not bad really! I’ve seen some other things which I quite like so I’m definitely going back when we’ve been paid!
It was a bit of a mad rush getting ready to go back at out but I’m quite the pro now at getting ready in short spaces of time. The room was interesting. It was nice and clean and everything but the guy was a bit creepy. He tried insinuating that Harriet was a typical English person who likes to get drunk and be rowdy every night. He also took her picture before we left to help him make his decision. I don’t think she will be gutted if he doesn’t call! We made a new friend though in another girl who was enquiring about the room. We walked back to the tube station with her and exchanged phone numbers. She doesn’t know many people in Hamburg and she wants to get to know some English people in order to improve her English.
We got a little bit lost in meeting the others for Stammtisch. We finally found it though after asking for directions from some helpful strangers. I don’t know what the word Stammtisch, but I’ve just looked it up and it means “meeting of the regulars”. Last night it was at jazz club called The Cotton Club. It’s not usually my thing but I went anyway and it was good just to catch up with every one. We got told off a couple of times for talking quite loudly whilst some of the people were playing, oooopppps! I left a little earlier than some of the others to get the train back with Emily, the girl I shared a room with in Altenberg, and plus I was absolutely knackered. I get so tired here because everything is different and your brain is working overtime!
I had pretty much a full day of lessons today. It wasn’t really anything too exciting. I was with my favourite class 5b twice today so that was good! I also got to do some correcting in a 9th class which again was good, it made me feel like a proper teacher -lol- It was my first time meeting one class, so they went through the rigmarole of asking me questions and me asking them questions! One girl asked me for my msn address so I think she’s going to add me -lol-
Tonight I was going to go and see The Kooks with Harriet but we were both tired and I wasn’t actually even sure that they were playing. It said so in the paper but when I checked the places website it didn’t have any information. Instead we are meeting tomorrow to try and enrol at the university, followed by some dinner and then to Stammtisch.
Other important or not so important news: my mentor has gotten me a bike from somewhere which is cool, seriously, it’s all about the bikes here, and everyone has got one! And also Andrew has book his flights out here he’s coming on the 20th September until the 25th! I seriously cannot wait! I just wish it was for longer. His flight was so cheap too - £27 return including taxes and airfares! His return train fare down to London costs more!
Days until it’s all over with: 170
Days until I see Andy: 8
Days until my 21st: 15
On Sunday I was supposed to meet Harriet and go on a bus tour of Hamburg but she had to cancel because her mentor had cooked a big dinner for her, and obviously she felt rude saying she couldn’t stay because she was coming to meet me. Anyway, instead, I decided to go shopping again and try and find some decent shops, but everything in Germany was closed! It was strange. In England, shops have been opening on Sunday’s for years now. So, I wandered aimlessly around looking at the shops in the train station, I saw some really nice boots which I liked but they were a little expensive for me at the moment at around €70 which is about £50, but what I’m going to do is wait until Andy comes out for my birthday and ask him to buy me them -lol- a bit cheeky I know!
After leaving the city centre, I ventured to Altona in the hope that something there would be open, which there wasn’t. Well, a few shops were open and I did manage to find a real gem of a shop. It’s a little home ware/gift shop type place and it had really pretty candles, glasses, note books, photo frames etc which were really cheap too, I’ll definitely be going back. I also managed to buy a News of the World to catch up on news and gossip from good old Blighty.
Whilst I was walking around Altona, my mummy phoned me which was nice. She was telling me all about when they went to London and how everyone back home is doing. When Andy comes out, he’s going to call at my house and pick loads of stuff up for me, like my birthday cards etc and most importantly shoes (I miss them so so much!) and she’s going to put all the pictures of London on a USB stick so I can have them. She tried sending them by email but got confused bless her. I’m going to send it back with all pictures from Germany.
Later on Sunday evening when I was back in room, Huw text me and asked me if I wanted to go out for something to eat and as I didn’t have any other plans apart from sitting on my own in my room I said I would go! He was an hour late meeting me at the train station because he hadn’t changed his clock on his computer from English time to German time!
We he did finally arrive, we went to a Chinese restaurant and it was hilarious! Firstly they had pictures of George Bush and his wife with the staff on the wall, presumably as they had visited, it was pretty funny but I guess one of those you had to be there moments. The waitress was really moody with us too and at some points downright rude! It just made us laugh even more though! The dish I chose (Fried noodles with chicken) was lovely but Huw wasn’t so lucky! He ordered duck and it was really fatty and tasteless so he wasted pretty much all of it. However, he didn’t want to appear rude by not eating it so he wrapped it up in a serviette and flushed it down the toilet -lol-
After leaving the restaurant we went for a little walk along the harbour where ate some crepes and had a drink before coming home. It was a good night. I was quite worried as to what Andy would think about me going out with another lad, as me being me, would probably be freaking out completely if it were the other way round -lol- It just makes me love him even more, aawww how cheesy!!
Yesterday I met Harriet and we went to try and register with the university. We’re only working 12 hours a week at the schools so we thought it would give us something to do and also it’s a good way to meet some German young people so we can speak more German.
We got a little bit lost when we first arrived, but a kind girl spotted us with our map and puzzled expressions and told us where to go. When we finally arrived at the registration office thing, it was closed. So we are going back again tomorrow. Harriet also tried putting her name down for a student Wohnheim - the German equivalent to halls of residence but in order to do so you need to have registered with the university, so all in all a wasted trip!
After we’d finished at the university we tried to go shopping but couldn’t find a shopping area! We ended up out in the ghetto thinking it would be good for shopping but there was a huge Wal-Mart and that was it! Feeling quite deflated we decided to head home and had arranged to meet later as I was going with her to view a room in a house before going to Stammtisch.
I, however, did not go straight home; I stopped off in Altona to go to the shopping centre there. It wasn’t a wasted trip either as I got some quite good bargains from H&M. I got two pairs of jeans - a skinny pair and a short pair and a dress which you could either dress up with leggings or down with jeans all for €42 which is about £26 so not bad really! I’ve seen some other things which I quite like so I’m definitely going back when we’ve been paid!
It was a bit of a mad rush getting ready to go back at out but I’m quite the pro now at getting ready in short spaces of time. The room was interesting. It was nice and clean and everything but the guy was a bit creepy. He tried insinuating that Harriet was a typical English person who likes to get drunk and be rowdy every night. He also took her picture before we left to help him make his decision. I don’t think she will be gutted if he doesn’t call! We made a new friend though in another girl who was enquiring about the room. We walked back to the tube station with her and exchanged phone numbers. She doesn’t know many people in Hamburg and she wants to get to know some English people in order to improve her English.
We got a little bit lost in meeting the others for Stammtisch. We finally found it though after asking for directions from some helpful strangers. I don’t know what the word Stammtisch, but I’ve just looked it up and it means “meeting of the regulars”. Last night it was at jazz club called The Cotton Club. It’s not usually my thing but I went anyway and it was good just to catch up with every one. We got told off a couple of times for talking quite loudly whilst some of the people were playing, oooopppps! I left a little earlier than some of the others to get the train back with Emily, the girl I shared a room with in Altenberg, and plus I was absolutely knackered. I get so tired here because everything is different and your brain is working overtime!
I had pretty much a full day of lessons today. It wasn’t really anything too exciting. I was with my favourite class 5b twice today so that was good! I also got to do some correcting in a 9th class which again was good, it made me feel like a proper teacher -lol- It was my first time meeting one class, so they went through the rigmarole of asking me questions and me asking them questions! One girl asked me for my msn address so I think she’s going to add me -lol-
Tonight I was going to go and see The Kooks with Harriet but we were both tired and I wasn’t actually even sure that they were playing. It said so in the paper but when I checked the places website it didn’t have any information. Instead we are meeting tomorrow to try and enrol at the university, followed by some dinner and then to Stammtisch.
Other important or not so important news: my mentor has gotten me a bike from somewhere which is cool, seriously, it’s all about the bikes here, and everyone has got one! And also Andrew has book his flights out here he’s coming on the 20th September until the 25th! I seriously cannot wait! I just wish it was for longer. His flight was so cheap too - £27 return including taxes and airfares! His return train fare down to London costs more!
Days until it’s all over with: 170
Days until I see Andy: 8
Days until my 21st: 15