This week has been the busiest week and it feels like I have been here for such a long time already.
The conference – Monday to Thursday
On Monday I caught the train to Köln with Jessica where we were to meet everyone to go to the conference. We thought that it would be just the New Zealand Assistants, but no there was like 120 of us from New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the UK. (Mostly from the UK).
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| Der Dom (Church) in Köln |
The wall of “Love Padlocks” on display on the Hohenzollernbrücke bridge in Cologne, Germany. 40,000 padlocks hang on the bridge to date - each inscribed, painted, or otherwise decorated by the couple that hung it. The couples come to publicly honor their love and to symbolize the everlasting nature of their love. Then the key is dropped over the edge, tumbling far below into the eternal waters of the river Rhine.
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| Maria an der aue |
We were taken by bus to Maria an der aue, which is this conference centre about 30km from Köln, sort of in the mountains. It was really pretty! We were all assigned rooms with people who would be living near us. I got roomed with the (only) Australian – Maddie, who is also living in Mainz. The next few days we spent learning how to plan a class lesson and then practising this. Every meal was a buffet style, so we were well fed! Everyone was so friendly and I met a lot of awesome people.
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| The view from the Terrace - Maria an der aue |
Thursday
We had to get up super early and were bussed back to Köln, where we were left to catch the train home. That evening I went with my flatmate Nadin to a rock climbing centre. It was a lot of fun, but hurts your hands and feet (the shoes must be super tight and a bit smaller for better grip). We will go once a week!
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| My Schultuete |
Friday
This was my first day at school! Nadin was so kind and walked me there and helped me find the right office. I had to fill out a lot of forms and then I was shown around and then the English teacher who will be in charge of me also showed me around and introduced me to some of the teachers. Then I was allowed to go home. I start again on Monday at 8.45am and will just sit in on some English classes before I get a set timetable.
In Germany it is a tradition that on the first day of school you receive a 'Schultuete' It is filled with lollies and stuff you need for school like pens and a lunchbox etc. So Nadin made me one for my first day of school
I also bought a new bike! It cost €20! Such a bargain.
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| My bike! |
I also joined a gym (the same one Nadin goes to) and we went there in the evening and took a TRX class.
Saturday
I spent the morning with Maddie exploring Mainz a little bit more and we had lunch at this Thai place (I know we should be eating German food!), then we decided that we would go to Italy for the upcoming school holidays in October.
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| Thai Food |
Sunday
Everything is closed on Sundays in Germany, so there isn’t much to do. Nadin had to go into work for a few hours, so I changed the inner tube in my bike wheel and then went to the gym. In the evening we went to Nadin’s friend’s house for dinner. Nadin is such a good cook, she makes everything from scratch – including the vegetable stock for our risotto and soup. We had zucchini and tomato soup with olive bread to start, pumpkin risotto for tea and then apple cake for dessert. Everything was soooo yum!
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| Apple Cake |
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