I find it really funny that yesterday I left the Fatherland and flew to the Motherland...Where do I come from??? Uncle Sam or Big Brother I guess. Never thought about it before, but I wonder if every country has some kind of family/relative nickname.
Anyway, a little about my trip...
Things I forgot (momentarily) about Russia - how dirty the bathrooms are, how angry some people can sound when giving directions or talking to strangers, the crazy driving (this is a positive for me - some people like the rides at the fair; I like Russian driving), the way every city looks like some kind of giant lego construction, the warm hospitality and welcoming from 'family', the way every man you walk by in the airport walks up to you and whispers "taxi? Taxi Madame" if they think you are from a different country, and that I can't drink tap water.
Things I remembered about Russia - The smell (I guess after 4 years as home I will never forget it - not bad, not good, just Russia), The way to my old apartment (across from Johan and Judy's apartment where am staying this time - Thanks guys!), the way that Russian women dress as if they are walking out of a fasion magazine, and 24 hours supermarkets.
Things that surprised me - Being met at the airport by my friend in a Lexus SUV - nice - very nice, being greeted with flowers, electronic immigration forms, a smile from the passport control woman, and last but not least - the fact that I am in Russia right now.
I am still surprised that I am here. Two weeks ago my friend Ira called o say that she was getting married - in two weeks. I wasn't really sure that I would be able to get everything in order (visa, plane tickets, time off), but somehow it all worked out and here I am. Still surprised to be here. So, that's all for now... Keep reading, as there will be more to come this week, and hopefully wedding pictures!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Carjacked....again
Okay, well clearly I wasn't carjacked in the sense that someone stole my car, but this strange thing happened to me today that has happened once before. I'm not sure if it's a common thing around here, or if I just have really strange "luck". I am sure that this kind of thing doesn't happen in the US, or at least not the US I remember...Ahhh, it's been so long.
So, I was driving home from my morning class at about 9am (also about the same time the previous incident occurred.) I was stopped at a stoplight when all of the sudden my passenger door opens. I woman leaned in and asked if I would mind giving her a ride downtown. "Ummm, sure, ok." I answered (except in German). I definitely felt more prepared and less shocked as this was my second German carjacking. So, she got in and I gave her a ride downtown. Of course we chatted, about work and how she was running late, and my work, and how the weather was nice, and how she thought I looked like a safe person to catch a ride with (no comments on my driving please ;))
That was about it. Completely uneventful. Just like the last time it happened about 6 months ago when I helped a woman who was late for her driving test. You would think that in driver's ed she would have learned not to open a strangers car door uninvited...Of course they have stricter gun laws here, so maybe your worst consequence would be getting driven to a German beer festival or being yelled at in German (which can be scary and always reminds me of some world war two movie - am I allowed to write that?)
Anyway, that's all I had to say about that.
The End
So, I was driving home from my morning class at about 9am (also about the same time the previous incident occurred.) I was stopped at a stoplight when all of the sudden my passenger door opens. I woman leaned in and asked if I would mind giving her a ride downtown. "Ummm, sure, ok." I answered (except in German). I definitely felt more prepared and less shocked as this was my second German carjacking. So, she got in and I gave her a ride downtown. Of course we chatted, about work and how she was running late, and my work, and how the weather was nice, and how she thought I looked like a safe person to catch a ride with (no comments on my driving please ;))
That was about it. Completely uneventful. Just like the last time it happened about 6 months ago when I helped a woman who was late for her driving test. You would think that in driver's ed she would have learned not to open a strangers car door uninvited...Of course they have stricter gun laws here, so maybe your worst consequence would be getting driven to a German beer festival or being yelled at in German (which can be scary and always reminds me of some world war two movie - am I allowed to write that?)
Anyway, that's all I had to say about that.
The End
Monday, September 12, 2011
"A Little" daily life in photos
From http://lizandkarl.blogspot.com
This is what Karl means when he says he is going to make "a little" pesto...
Okay maybe he didn't say "a little" but he didn't indicate in any way that he was making a gallon. (Also notice he bought "a little" Parmesan to go with it.
And this is what I mean when I say I organized my office and needed to recycle "a few" pieces of paper.
You probably can't tell how deep this pile of paper is, but it's no small amount.
And just for fun, a little neighbor and her friend who came upstairs to make cookies with me one day. Although they couldn't quite understand why we were making Christmas cookies in summer. (Apparently Germans can only make sugar cookies at Christmas...we'll teach them otherwise.)
This is what Karl means when he says he is going to make "a little" pesto...
Okay maybe he didn't say "a little" but he didn't indicate in any way that he was making a gallon. (Also notice he bought "a little" Parmesan to go with it.
And this is what I mean when I say I organized my office and needed to recycle "a few" pieces of paper.
You probably can't tell how deep this pile of paper is, but it's no small amount.
And just for fun, a little neighbor and her friend who came upstairs to make cookies with me one day. Although they couldn't quite understand why we were making Christmas cookies in summer. (Apparently Germans can only make sugar cookies at Christmas...we'll teach them otherwise.)
Friday, September 2, 2011
Invoice Day - or what it's like to be a freelance teacher
So many of you back home have no idea what I do in Germany aside from "something to do with English". So I decided now would be a good time to give you the low down.
I am a freelance teacher, which means that I am contracted by different English companies to go into normal companies to teach business English or conversation. (Confusing right? for example the company "Perfekt Englisch" hires me to go into "Hans and Franz Accounting" to give company courses.) I also have some companies who have contracted me directly or through my website, and some private students. Mostly it's all business English, but sometimes I have the occasional high school student or kid. Oh, and I also work in English testing as an examiner, where I give 15 minute speaking tests for a few hours, 2 or more times a month.
At the moment, I am contracted by 11 different companies (of which many send me out to multiple other companies)...This means two different things.
1. My schedule is like a big puzzle that only I can put together. With each of these different companies booking 90-180 minutes courses in different locations on different days and for different durations, this puzzle is definitely a headache. (Skip the rest of this paragraph if you want to avoid your own headache.) So, I offer availability to company A "I can teach a class from 9-12 on Mondays starting in October", and then company B calls and asks if I can take a course on Mondays from 7:30-9:00...I'm still waiting to find out about company A and might have to wait for another week or two. Company B needs to start the class soon, so they need to know tomorrow. So I either have to gamble and assume I'll get the 4 hour class with company A, or I accept the work that will happen now from company B and hope that I'll be able to shift the course from company A by 30 minutes so I'll have time to get from A to B. Now add in companies C-K and their different schedules, and you might have an idea about how crazy the whole process is. I might work anywhere from 20-60 hours a week depending on which classes are starting and ending and how many hours my private students have booked. Thankfully I've been around 40-50 every week for the last few months.
2. I have to type up 11 different invoices, 11 different ways, with 11 different kinds of additional documents every month. This part is just pure hassle. Every company has it's own form, and it's own attendance sheet. Some require signatures from each student each week, and some require copies of lesson plans, then some others (my favorites) require that I send copies of the material I used with the class. Then just to make it a little more fun some of the companies need the invoices by e-mail, some by post, and one of my favorites (My boss swears all is on the up and up) requires me to bring in my invoice personally where I am paid with a large wad of cash. Interesting, right?
So, today is invoice day...Which means that I am adding up hours, making copies, scans, stuffing a few envelopes and arranging one meeting to get that wad of cash. Fun, right? Exactly! Which is why I'm procrastinating and writing this blog post instead. I should also say, please don't take this as a big complaint post - I'm just trying to give a little insight. I am very happy with my work, and very blessed to have so much!
I am a freelance teacher, which means that I am contracted by different English companies to go into normal companies to teach business English or conversation. (Confusing right? for example the company "Perfekt Englisch" hires me to go into "Hans and Franz Accounting" to give company courses.) I also have some companies who have contracted me directly or through my website, and some private students. Mostly it's all business English, but sometimes I have the occasional high school student or kid. Oh, and I also work in English testing as an examiner, where I give 15 minute speaking tests for a few hours, 2 or more times a month.
At the moment, I am contracted by 11 different companies (of which many send me out to multiple other companies)...This means two different things.
1. My schedule is like a big puzzle that only I can put together. With each of these different companies booking 90-180 minutes courses in different locations on different days and for different durations, this puzzle is definitely a headache. (Skip the rest of this paragraph if you want to avoid your own headache.) So, I offer availability to company A "I can teach a class from 9-12 on Mondays starting in October", and then company B calls and asks if I can take a course on Mondays from 7:30-9:00...I'm still waiting to find out about company A and might have to wait for another week or two. Company B needs to start the class soon, so they need to know tomorrow. So I either have to gamble and assume I'll get the 4 hour class with company A, or I accept the work that will happen now from company B and hope that I'll be able to shift the course from company A by 30 minutes so I'll have time to get from A to B. Now add in companies C-K and their different schedules, and you might have an idea about how crazy the whole process is. I might work anywhere from 20-60 hours a week depending on which classes are starting and ending and how many hours my private students have booked. Thankfully I've been around 40-50 every week for the last few months.
2. I have to type up 11 different invoices, 11 different ways, with 11 different kinds of additional documents every month. This part is just pure hassle. Every company has it's own form, and it's own attendance sheet. Some require signatures from each student each week, and some require copies of lesson plans, then some others (my favorites) require that I send copies of the material I used with the class. Then just to make it a little more fun some of the companies need the invoices by e-mail, some by post, and one of my favorites (My boss swears all is on the up and up) requires me to bring in my invoice personally where I am paid with a large wad of cash. Interesting, right?
So, today is invoice day...Which means that I am adding up hours, making copies, scans, stuffing a few envelopes and arranging one meeting to get that wad of cash. Fun, right? Exactly! Which is why I'm procrastinating and writing this blog post instead. I should also say, please don't take this as a big complaint post - I'm just trying to give a little insight. I am very happy with my work, and very blessed to have so much!
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