April

The 3 week countdown is here and I am looking forward to being annoyed by my mum and having my furniture and cupboards utterly rearranged by my dad. 6 weeks of it in fact.

In that six weeks I have to:

1. Find a new flat, something much cheaper than I have now, which won't be hard. It will just be further to go to school each day.
2. I must get my German drivers license. Which, the way the technical side of it goes, should also qualify me for the NASA shuttle piloting program. It will cost me 1500 euros to get everything I need for this.
3. I have to look around for a new job. I had an interview yesterday for a great company in Kiev but to be honest the utter lack of support sorta moving and visas etc outweighs the whole new horizon new adventure kick.
4. I had a lot of time to think over Easter and I am a few steps closer to being clear of this fog I have been in for almost a year. I am getting flashes and glimpses of what I want and perspectives I should have in my current situation, so that is progress. Perhaps until now I have had S.A.D. But the warm breezes and the bright sunshine have helped me along. Speaking of Sunshine I saw a photo taht reminded me about sunshines past. in fact it reminded me of the most glorious sunshine I was ever bathed in. Ah, that is facebook for you...
5. Language - seems my german is slipping, no surprising since my classes were cancelled a few months ago, but I seem to get by better and better as the days go on. Ironically I am finding the language Swedish a surprising hidden passion. I have a dear friend who inspired me to learn in the first place many years ago but I lost it because life got in the way. Now all these years later I have the connection back and the passion to learn it, to be honest I would rather speak Swedish than German... and of course my search fro Annika continues...
6. Spring has sprung and now I am looking at myself - I need to lose at least 20lbs and my diet should improve, but it takes a rare discipline to be bothered to cook gourmet meals for one. probably the reason I like to cook for others so often. Although I rarely get the chance...
7. Not much news from oz these days, people just aren't interested in keeping up. I can't say I blame them. It has been 3 years I have been away and it seems like I have had at least 2 life times in that period. It would be a difficult bridge to traverse. But looking to the future and not looking back is part of my newly forming manifesto.
8. Relationships and friends. Well I must say that is the disappointing thing about Germany, people are nice to your face but do not extend that hand of friendship. Sure I am a teacher and get along very well with all my students, most of my students are from 25 - 50 so you would assume a deep pool of possible friendships to dive into. Yes, you would assume that. But that is just not the way Germans are wired. Hence my trouble finding a German woman to date or explore a realtionship with. I have dated Americans, I have dated Russians and even Poles here in Germany, but the elusive key to the German womans psyche is just out of reach for me. I have a current odd but comfortable realtionship with a Russian woman I met, she is sweet and attentive and full of trouble, much like a woman I knew 10 years ago who we will call here - Joanna. For those that know me, know that situation was toxic. So I am looking and so is she but at the moment we are casual and conmfortable. Worried about a Dublin friend, but less so because I realised that ican do nothing to improve the situation, it is all in her hands. If anything from what I have seen and understood from my friends actions of late via discussion and observation etc. I have lost respect for this persons seeming lack of character and fortitude and life saavy which I had attributed to their wonderful nature. Perhaps It is a case of little fish out of the little pond and into the ferocious ocean, but still the point of make or break for each person is not in my hands. It is for them to discover for themselves. and for me to worry about a whole lot less...

All in all at the moment I have very little work, and getting paid my full wage - so I am winning here but I would rather earn what I get, classes just seem to be dropping off and people are blaming the financial crisis but I think it is more than just that.

Tho oddly, the boss has seen fit to hire another full time teacher when we, in my opinion have one too many. He has a plan but he tells no one anything at all so all I can do is laugh and go along for the ride.

OBI on the move...