Packing

[mk_tortie]

I'm packing up my room... well, using packing as a reason not to go to work, anyway! Tis a bit scary really, sorting through all my stuff and binning a load of crap, and deciding what I'm not going to need for a year. Reason tells me that if I'm not going to need it for a year, I should just bin it, but some of it (French and Spanish workbooks, books that are really English texts not light reads that I probably won't have time for etc) I just can't bring myself to throw out, because they still seem like they could be useful. And some of it I just have a strange sentimental attachment to, like a piece of paper from the order pad at the Old House at Home (the pub I worked at for 3 years) that says 'Friday, 20th May' on it. It's strange how these things can be so innocuous in themselves, and yet bring back so many memories.

I'm a bit scared about the uni in Germany, too. In my experience, a lot of the German students at King's, here in London, are unwilling to talk in German to you unless you are completely fluent (as in, proper teenage slangy conversation fluent). Which I'm not. And pretty much everyone my age in Germany speaks English. So I'm worried that, because my German won't be up to scratch as soon as I get there, no one will want to talk German to me, and I won't want to speak in English, so I won't make any friends. Silly, I know, but I don't want to spend my whole time with other exchange students just speaking in English. That's not the point of going.

I'm also really hoping I perk up a bit when I get there. I seem to spend my whole time feeling absolutely shattered at the mo. I think it's all the stress I've been going through. Funny, I always thought I dealt with pressurised situations quite well, but it's just been kind of neverending since last summer or even before, and I think it's just finally taking it's toll. Parents moving, me moving, living with people who are more friends with each other than me, dealing with leaving Trev for a year, exams and essays and other normal student stresses, having no money for months (I'm so fed up with living on under 60 quid a week), trying to act as a go-between with my parents and the people I live with, health issues, and loads of other stuff. Meh. Hopefully things will settle down when I get sorted.

In the mean time, some random kid just called my phone and demanded to know what I was doing with his sister's phone. How bizarre!

Comments

[anna-in-the-sky.livejournal.com]

I feel you, really I do. That's a lot you're coping with right now. Moving within Germany makes me lose sleep right now, so I can't imagine what it must be like for you. Anyway, maybe I can alleviate (sp?) some of your fears.

In my experience, a lot of the German students at King's, here in London, are unwilling to talk in German to you unless you are completely fluent.>/i>

I know what you mean, I think I have made that mistake myself in the past. However, don't think they're unwilling to talk German to you because your German isn't good enough. Most of the time, it's more about them wanting to show off their English (as I said, I was gulity of that, too, at the time). Anyway, I think you should be fine if you just patiently explain to them again and again that you need them to speak German to you, so you'll learn. They won't be offended by that, at all. You might have to remind them again in the beginning when they fall back to bad habits, but you'll get used to it, and so will they. Just tell people how you feel! Most Germans don't even notice how frustrating they're being. It's not at all intentional.

Jetzt, nachdem ich das geschrieben habe, fällt mir auf, dass ich es besser auf Deutsch getan hätte. Ich verspreche, ab jetzt mehr Deutsch zu schreiben. Ich muss mich eben auch umstellen - livejournal ist für mich bis jetzt eine rein englischsprachige Angelegenheit ;-) Kopf hoch!

[anna-in-the-sky.livejournal.com]

Hmm, obviously I carn't spel or use html without making a mess of things. Damnit, LJ, why can't I edit my own comments?!

[mk-tortie.livejournal.com]

Danke, das werde ich ausprobieren :) Ich denke, dass das Hauptproblem ist, dass ich mich unter Druck fühle, wenn ich Deutsch spreche (oder Franzoesisch oder Spanisch, wenn wir schon dabei sind). Wenn ich naemlich ein Wort vergesse sprechen wir dann nicht weiter auf Deutsch. Hoffentlich wird das aber weniger passieren, also wird es kein Problem sein :)

[anna-in-the-sky.livejournal.com]

Das wird schon ;-). Vielleicht ist es die ersten Wochen über schwierig, aber nach spätestens einem Monat wirst Du vermutlich gar nicht mehr darüber nachdenken und einfach weiterreden. Irgendwann kann man die Wörter, die einem fehlen, so gut umschreiben, dass man gar nicht mehr auf die eigene Sprache umstellen muss. Sag bescheid, wenn Du anfängst, auf Deutsch zu träumen...