Bloody hell it’s a busy week I have one day left at school and a whole lot of other things to do before I leave the country (such as booking my tickets, which I still haven’t done!
Today has seen me running around doing a couple of things in particular doing some photos of a couple of the other language assistants and I probably won’t get a chance to edit the photos until I am back in England, then it was off for a meal with all the remaining English Language Assistants and then abandon them after the meal and hurry off to meet a couple of others at the Irish Pub to sat my farewells there as well as entertain a couple of request for songs for some blondes and so I sang “Angels” by Robbie Williams and at the request of another I did a duet with her of “You’re the One That I Want” – I think I left the pub at about six thirty and I am due in school in a couple of hours.
As for today I have four lessons to teach, laundry to do and I have to meet up with a couple of people in the evening to say goodbye to them in person (but only after having a meal with a few other people) and organise the return of different items that have been lent to me whilst I have been in Germany. Tomorrow I have to pop into my first school and organise a couple of things there and take a couple of quick classes, actually start on the packing and go to watch Romeo and Julia in the evening and then Friday all I have to do is pack up the last few things and I have been told the school want me to come in on the Friday for an official goodbye so I have to do that and I’ll return the bike I have been using at the same time as the teacher lives near the school and that I have to make sure that the flat is kind of tidy before I leave and then I somehow have to get myself and all of my luggage to a coach station in Hamburg.
And that leaves me just about enough time to have a shower and breakfast now before I go into school.
Way back at the beginning of my time in Germany we were shown a video which was basically about how not to do lessons and one of the examples shown featured someone who didn’t have a clue trying to do a lesson based on the song ‘Homeward Bound’.
Seeing as how I will be homeward bound in a few days I decided to combine the songs ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ and ‘Homeward Bound’ into my lesson despite the fact I will be leaving on a coach, (once I have bought the ticket) and I am actually homeward bound and wishing I wasn’t unlike the singer who wishes he was homeward bound but isn’t.
The lessons themselves were pretty normal although when I asked at the end of one of my lessons, what they remembered from my lessons and what things they had learned the first response was, “to talk to god on the great white telephone” and the second was, “to have a bun in the oven”.
I feel that my work here is done!
After commenting about the uncertainty of my future and I now know how imminent my departure from Germany is and I have a week until I finish working and I am leaving a week on Friday.
At school today Herr Seifert the Head of English informed me that the people controlling the purse strings were prepared to offer me €500 for the remaining six weeks of the school term and that combined with the fact if I accepted the offer I’d have a week to find a new place means that it’s a little impractical for me to take up the offer and if I did take up the offer I certainly couldn’t return in September as I am currently considering.
Still at least I know what is happening even if it hasn’t quite sunk in yet; still I now have a lovely four day weekend thanks to a public holiday and a school day off so I only have two days left to work and a few days to pack.
It’s lucky I’m known at the pub as tonight most of FABRIKA are out in Croatia and they’ve left me behind and although my role is to answer a couple of questions in between wandering off to chat with the people I know on other teams it was a bit odd to head to the pub knowing I’d have to find myself a team.
I had even been abandoned by Becky, because she didn’t fancy going into a smoky pub and probably needed a break from being around me. Luckily for me however I managed to find another team quite easily though, which was good as I’ve tried the quiz on my own before and I know that even with help from the barmaids I have no chance.
Still it didn’t mean that I had to trade off on quality as the team I joined is also one of the teams of the better teams and if anything thanks to gaps in musical knowledge I am more useful to them, even if I did miss a couple of obvious songs (but then again so did everyone else one the team.)
I even managed a couple of guesses on questions which I meant I scored major kudos for obscure knowledge, although my guess for the number of traffic lights between Stansted airport and central London was hopefully inadequate as I guessed that for what I reckoned was a ninety minute journey that 60 sets was plenty and apparently it was just under ten times that number, although I want to know how they found that fact out.
Eurovision is something that is usually guaranteed to provide some disappointments with the music, but by far the biggest disappointment of the night was the inability to hear the commentary of Terry Wogan.
Obviously being in Germany I didn’t expect a commentary by Tezza on the TV, but co-opting my housemates TV and setting my computer up next to it to access the BBC live broadcast I hoped to rectify this problem, but I was cruelly denied as it looks like people outside the UK couldn’t watch it, although we could get the BBC Radio 2 live feed, so in the absence of Terry to make comments Becky and I decided to take up the slack and become Statler and Waldorf for Eurovision.
Switzerland – six4one – “If We All Gave A Little” If we all gave a little to these buskers maybe we could get the to sing over the hills and far away, as far as I am concerned the blonde is the only one I’d consider giving a little.
Moldova – Arsenium – “Loco” Looks like tonight could be a long one, as I already have to use my “the best thing about this song is the girl in the bikini” review. (Becky – They could have given the girls something to look at as well) Because it sure wasn’t worth listening to!
Israel – Eddie Butler – “Together We Are One” C‘mon it’s Eurovision so sing in English, are you French or something? Besides this year I don’t have the subtitles to translate for me. (Starts singing in English) That’s better although as I suspected the words weren’t worth listening to. Double points for singing in English when I said to.
Latvia – Cosmos – “I Hear Your Heart” Judging from the intro the only thing that this a capella group forgot to leave out after the musical instruments was their voices although I have to admit it did improve and is the best so far (although that doesn’t say much!) Double points for weird robot thing.
Norway - Christine Guldbrandsen - “Alvedansen” They should have won last year but I don’t feel the same this year. (Becky – Nice flowing dress, nice legs, pretty girls, all good distractions from the ready salted music.) Double Points for legs.
Spain – Las Ketchup – “Bloody Mary” Shame they couldn’t enter with the “Ketchup Song” which although incredibly annoying was so much better than this although I did as the chorus instructed and I looked at them but I couldn’t help but think that I didn’t mind looking at them it was the listening to them I had problems with. (Becky – I could have done with a couple of Bloody Marys to help endure tonight.) Double points for their last song, but nil pois for this one.
Malta - Fabrizio Faniello – “I Do” …Not think much of this song. If only the song was as impressive as the eyebrows. Double points for eyebrows.
Germany – Texas Lightening – “No, No Never” …gonna win with this song, which is a shame as by Eurovision standards it’s not actually a bad song. Besides I live here at the moment so I have to support Germany. Double points for having Jamie Cullum’s dad on banjo and the illuminated cacti.
Denmark - Sidsel Ben Semmane – „Twist of Love“ She sang he didn’t know how to twist and the breakdancer certainly didn’t, but the songwriter didn’t know how to without rhyming. Double points for singing about the twist but using a breakdancer.
Russia – Dima – “Never Let You Go” If he could dance I’d say he was gay, but no gay man would dance like that – it’s worse than me after one to many. Double points for mullet – taken away for the appalling dancing – given back as Becky thinks he’s hot. (I just hope for her sake he moves better horizontally.)
FYR Macedonia – Elena Risteska – “Ninanajna” “I want to give it to you” she sang and unlike Switzerland I’d happily give her a little back in return. Double points for being distilled Eurovision.
Romania - Mihai Traistariu - “Tornero” I was left speechless by this song as I can literally say nothing bad about it – mind you I can’t say anything bad about it either. I can’t even give this a double point for anything, although I can’t help but think that in itself might be worth double points.
Bosnia and Herzegovina - Hari Mata Hari - “Layla“ This “Layla” didn’t have me on my knees. (Becky – Isn’t it funny that when the music’s good the looks of the singers aren’t?) Double points for Becky’s comment as the way she said it cracked me up.
Lithuania - LT United - “We Are The Winners ” A bit optimistic perhaps, but I cannot help but hope they are right because of their sheer cheek even if the dancing was more worthy of losers. These winners have both mine and Becky’s vote. Double, double, double points for optimism.
UK – Daz Sampson – “Teenage Life” The moment I’ve been dreading (and Becky has been anticipating as she hadn’t seen it yet thanks to being in Poland for the past two months) the UK entry and it’s annual humiliation although this year it’s worth slightly more than ‘nil pois’, if only by one or two. Isn’t it somewhat ironic though that we have someone sing about teenage life when from the look of him it’s been a couple of years (at least) since he’s had one himself. Double points for schoolgirls.
Greece - Anna Vissi - “Everything” I think I’ll let Becky sum this up. (Becky – God it’s awful it’s tedious, it’s the kind of thing that makes me hate Eurovision as it’s not even bad enough to become good entertainment.)
Finland – Lordi – “Hard Rock Hallelujah” Oh Lordi! At last some real music at Eurovision and the act I have been waiting for. “It’s the arockalypse” I think that’s tomorrow as I am pretty sure it’s Eurovision tonight. Once again Becky comment about good music= ugly singers is borne out. Double points for rocking, fireworks, wings and battleaxe!
Ukraine - Tina Caroll - “Show Me Your Love” No politics this year just a wannabe Shakira. Still a girl in a short dress is easier on the eye (if not on the ears!) Double points for the dancers with skipping ropes.
France - Virginie Pouchain - “”Il était temps” Nice song shame about the singer, (Becky - They could have at least found someone with a nicer voice) or knows English! Double points if they ever enter a song in English, which probably means never.
Croatia - Severina - “Moja Stikla” “The dress Dave wants” award this year goes to Croatia this year. (Becky – A very performance full of expression, even if the facial expressions were surprise and pain. More character than any of the other woman tonight.) Double points for dress removal homage to Bucks Fizz although after Finland my mind is already made up.
Ireland - Brian Kennedy - “Every Song is a Cry for Love” If he thinks that every song is a cry for love he obviously hasn’t heard “I Hope You Die by the Bloodhound Gang. Ireland is and still will be sever time winners of Eurovision at the end of tonight I reckon. Double points for the cry of hope that there are only 3 songs left.
Sweden - Carola - “Invincible” Without a doubt it’s a bit of Waterloo for Sweden, only without ABBA and on the side of Napoleon! (Becky – I’d rather eat a raw swede than listen to any more of this one.) Double points for gold trousers.
Turkey - Sibel - “Superstar” (Becky – She sure ain’t no Turkey!) I don’t know what she’s saying but it sounds filthy. Double points for saying what sound like rude things at Eurovision.
Armenia - Andre - “Without Your Love” It’s nearly over and I stayed to watch it just in case they had saved the best for last, but as expected I was sorely disappointed. (Becky – with all those ropes why don’t they gag him?) Double points for stretchy band dancing.
Today has left me wondering if I will be in Germany for much longer as I have heard nothing about the school paying to keep me for another month and teachers have been observing today that the classes I have today are my last Friday classes.
I hadn’t really thought about it and I assumed that this was a not so subtle hint that I was not going to be kept around until the end of the year and so when I told another class it was my last lesson with them, but I had enjoyed working with them I was surprised to see the teacher’s jaw drop as well as it looks like it was news to her as well.
Speaking with her a couple of minutes later established that she knew nothing about it and had been assuming that I was being kept around and going back to the staff room we ran into the head of the department and asked him if he knew what was happening, he couldn’t tell me one way or the other and so next week it looks like whether I will find out if I need a single ticket to England or a new place to live, as I also found out today that the room I currently have is not available next month so I better find out what is happening soon.
The indecision continues….