Jul 2006

After the whole ‘feeling sorry for myself because I had no friends’ episode – I took everyone’s advice and joined a club. I racked my brain, thinking of something I was passionate about, but I was stumped. So in the end I found a group on the Internet called the English Round Table (ERT) which as you may have guessed is a group of people – mostly expats, who live in the Mainz area and get together occasionally. As luck would have it, they had their annual BBQ just last weekend. There was a wide mix of people from the UK, Australia, the US and of course people from Germany. I was the youngest and only New Zealander – but they instantly welcomed me and I ended up staying until the very end. I got lots of new contacts, and met a few people who are keen to catch up outside of the group and do things i.e. tours of the area, going to the English Theatre they have in Frankfurt, and teaching me some German. I met a lovely woman who is an Irish Author – my favourite kind! And she has a daughter my age; I am going to meet as soon as she gets back from Africa.

Lisa one of my high school friends from Gisborne, came to stay last week. She was on her way back to Sicily and managed to get a 4 and ½ day stop over here. Although it may not have been the best time for her to come stay – the school holidays have just begun and I have the boys full time, and the weather is almost unbearable – it was good to catch up all the same. My severe tiredness (combo of the heat and undiagnosed Anaemia methinks) and Lisa’s jetlag made for a good combo, neither of us were up to doing much – so we bummed around a lot. I did however manage to show her around some of Wiesbaden and Mainz.

We even went to a birthday party of René’s friends, out in the middle of nowhere (we couldn’t even locate the town on any maps) but we miraculously didn’t get lost! Well ok, maybe we did but it was for like five minutes and only because I couldn’t remember the exact address. It was Yvonne’s 26th birthday, but they were also celebrating Torben’s which was back in May. Yvonne and Torben are lovely – can’t remember if I’ve said that already? We met some locals, who tried to convince Lisa to drink Wine mixed with Coca-cola. I was driving, so luckily I missed out! But seriously, most of them were drinking the stuff, and swearing that they enjoyed it. Apparently red is better than white! When I told Opa about it he said “Young people are not crazy, they’re SUPER crazy. If you did that in Bavaria you would get shot.” Good to know. I have also seen Cola Beer here as well, and that is much more common, than you would think. Oh and before I forget I have also seen Guinness with ice, which I am told is not the done thing! We felt a little awkward because we were a little too dressed up, but better than the alternative. So I kicked of my shoes, and began to feel right at home. A lot of the people could speak English, and it was funny listening to their interpretations of life in NZ.

Before Lisa left I got to have one whole day to drive out into the countryside and show her a bit more of German life. After the incident in the forest, and only seeing the two cities, her opinion of Germany wasn’t exactly glowing. First we went to Eltville, a small Wine village which is around 1000 years old with the narrow streets to prove it, and we strolled around. Then we went to the Schloss Vollrad which is like the equivalent of a French Château. When we got there the sky turned dark, and the thunder/lightning started, we had just made it back to the car when the rain started. We got to see a very surreal windstorm as we drove along the Rhine, very eerie. Then we stopped off at the very touristy town of Rüdesheim. The rain had set in, but it was a nice change from the heat. We popped into a bakery and sampled some of the local pastries, and walked around the streets. Unfortunately the only picture that wasn’t fuzzy is this one above of me singing in the rain. We had begun to get a little silly at the craziness of the situations we were constantly getting in and I was just so overjoyed at the relief from the heat – I got a little carried away. We then drove through the vines on the hills - growing grapes for Riesling, with castles popping up at you around the corners and in the distance, and churches everywhere, mostly gothic and all old. We were going to have dinner on a boat in the middle of the Rhine, but the weather put a stop to that and we settled for Sushi. It ended up being one of my favourite days, since arriving here.

Mike, Max, Jaoa-Gabriel and Andre at Taunus Wunderland

I will eventually get to describe the boys in more detail – but I might wait until the holidays are over and I’ve been with them for weeks on end. Right now, I find the boys relatively easy to look after. They’re used to having Au Pairs, and they’re used to seeing their parents only at the weekends. They have everything in the world, but not the attitude you would expect them to have. Max can be quite a serious wee thing, and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He is incredibly intelligent for his age, and is wiser than his seven years. He is crazy about Pokemon and Soccer at the moment, and loves Lego. He helps me chop the veggies, plays cards with me, lets me read Roald Dahl to him, explains the ways of the Germans to me and is my personal translator. Mike is the one I can’t put my finger on – well not just yet anyway. He has taken the longer of the two to get used to me – and is still not completely there. He is mischievous and cheeky, but quite sensitive at the same time. He has made huge improvements with communicating with me, for awhile I don’t think he could quite work out my accent. He is not as keen to try things as Max is, although you would expect him to. He can sleep anywhere, and is quite the exhibitionist. He is the king of his Kindergarten, and is a real little cutie. His favourite things are Pokemon, Soccer and Lego – are you noticing a pattern?

Since arriving eight weeks ago, I have been asked many times how have I found driving on the right (wrong) side of the road? Most of the time I reply “Not to badly, haven’t killed anyone yet!”. Don’t worry, in case you’re alarmed I haven’t killed anyone, but I have had my first official (and hopefully only) car crash in Germany, in fact my only car crash ever - where I have been at fault anyway. It wasn’t even because of being on the wrong side of the road, it could’ve happened anywhere. Let me explain – I was driving towards an intersection and I stopped at the traffic lights, in the far left lane, and indicated to turn left. I was the front vehicle in the queue of traffic, and when the lights changed to green, I drove slowly into the middle of the intersection, and waited for a bus going straight (northwards up the road I was waiting at) to pass, before completing the manoeuvre. The bus driver then gestured (rather rudely and aggressively I might add) that there was not sufficient room for him to pass easily (of which there was plenty). So, I put the car into reverse, and moved the car backwards. When doing so, I accidentally bumped the front bumper of the car directly behind me. Of course it had to be a brand new, flash convertible. Don’t ask me what kind – it was Blue okay! Actually I think someone said it may have been a Rover.

When the bus passed, I carried on down street until it was safe to pullover. There, I got out of the vehicle and apologised profusely to the woman driving the car. Thankfully she wasn’t really angry and spoke English. There was not sufficient enough force from the impact, to leave any visible scratches, dents or damage to either car, much to my relief. Details were exchanged regardless, and because of the apparent lack of damage – no police were called and neither of us had a camera readily available. The boys didn’t have a clue I’d crashed at all, and were wondering what all the fuss was about! The moment I got home I told Frank and thought that was that. But oh no! A few days later we got a letter from the Insurance Company saying that she’d filed a claim. For what I have no idea, as the phone number she gave me isn’t correct. So now I’ve written out a statement, and I am waiting to hear what’s going to happen.

Here is me standing in an old Castle Mote in Eltville, filled in now with roses. I just thought it might break up the monotony of all the text!

Now as you will remember, I said three things had happened. Yup, just a few short days later I got a speeding ticket! I wasn’t going too fast, I think 45km in a 30km zone. But as it was a speed camera, I will have to wait until the mail arrives to find out how much that will be. The streets here aren't as heavily speedsign posted like they are back home. If that wasn’t the final straw that broke the camels back then the next saga was. When Lisa was here we tried to find one of the big monuments, on top of a hill overlooking Wiesbaden. We were surrounded by a large forest, we had our maps out and after going around in circles (we were having a bit of a problem trying to match the roads on the map, to the roads in front of us as there were no signs anywhere, and after passing some very angry looking women) we stopped and asked some men working on the side of the road for directions. We basically had to speak ‘Germish’ (the pathetic little I know of German, mixed with basic English in which a lot of people seem to understand) and after only a few seconds it became very clear we most certainly were not allowed to be there. The paths (which look exactly like roads) are strictly for cyclists and pedestrians. The ‘paths’ were clearly displayed as roads on the map, there were no road signs at all that we saw indicating we weren’t supposed to be there. But the men said if we didn’t leave immediately they were going to have to fine us, and if we had come across their boss he would have done it regardless of our situation. So they opened a gate for us and shooed us out, with some very strong ‘tut, tutting’ directed our way. We learnt a lot about Germans that day, you are no allowed to make mistakes! In the end we found the monument, which is accessible only by foot and it wasn’t even that great.

I put this shocking last week down to several things. The heat at the moment is terrific, most days it’s around 34/35oC and the humidity is unbearable. You can’t think, sleep or move it’s so bad. Nicole says it’s never like this ever in Germany. The thunder storms, and lightning shows are almost worth it - almost. But I am not sure how much more I can handle. So the heat, mixed with feeling awful (I blame dehydration and lacking Iron) and concentrating so hard on keeping to the right side of the road, has severely compromised my concentration on everything else. Oh and Bus drivers are bullies, who need to be taken down a peg or two!

Well that’s all for the moment. Expect another instalment in the next day or two, going over Lisa’s stay, the boys and of course making new friends.

Well after my sad pathetic ‘poor me’ rant from last week, lets just say I have found the light! Last week was not good, I was sick, Max was sick and we were both housebound, so let’s just put my entry last week down to ‘Cabin Fever’. This week however you could almost say I have a spring in my step. It all started getting a bit brighter when I got my act together and hopped in the car and speed off to Frankfurt for the day. Now bare with me, I’m just going to blow my own trumpet for a little bit, although I may end up occasionally in a few sticky situations (get your mind out of the gutter!!!) I actually have a pretty good sense of direction. Somehow I have miraculous found numerous places, with no navigator, map and with only vague directions not to mention also driving on the wrong side of the road – and I’ve only been here a few weeks. As I’ve never been there (to Frankfurt that is), I had no idea how to get there, and my navi refuses to work for me so I just headed east, and miraculously I made it to the centre. Found a parking building and started walking around. Frankfurt is often described as the Manhattan of Europe, and although I didn’t see all that much I was pleasantly surprised. As the World cup was drawing to an end there was still a festival/party atmosphere in the streets.

Ok what was I talking about? Ahh yes Frankfurt, well right when I was about to accost a poor couple who were walking beside me and talking in English, and begging them to talk to me “Please just talk to me, say anything I don’t care” (I didn’t do that, just in case you were confused, just being hypothetical) I found the movie theatre with the Original English versions. Can you be in love with a building at first sight? I went to see the ‘Lake House’, new Sandra Bullock-Keanu Reeves chick flick. Pure escapism, just what the doctor ordered. I think I should just point out at this point, that Germans don’t just put subtitles on top of English movies/television. Oh no, they dub over everything!! They have one person who does all of Tom Hanks movies, and another who does Julia Roberts etc, consequently who ever does Julia Roberts is also likely to do Monica on Friends – you get the gist. So you can imagine just how heartbreaking it is for me to watch them destroy House and Lost, way too painful to sit through.

After feeling positively rejuvenated I then decided to hop into the car and played the game ‘Left, Right’ usually played with other people (only a minor detail). For those of you clueless, when ever you come up to an intersection, just pick the most interesting looking road, and take it. Or if you’re lucky enough to have a passenger*, flip a coin. (*Sorry just a bit of sarcasm). I ended up in a small country town, up on a hill in a middle of a whole lot of vines. Not sure if I was allowed to be there but no one came running at me in shorts, braces, socks and sandals! So I sat on this hill, looking at the village, and church bells started to ring, I could see all the little people as small as ants on their weekly Saturday bike rides (which is big here, bike riding that is), and I began to think – this is why I am here.

The next day was even better, after a glorious sleep in (oh I’ve got curtains now by the way.) I got back into the car, played another game of ‘Left, right’ and ended up in Rüdesheim. Rüdesheim is a very touristy little town right on the Rhine River, and is surrounded by hills which are covered in lots of vines, which is mostly Riesling I think.

I then met up with some of René’s friends in Mainz, for another tour of the City. Torben and Yvonne, are lovely. Both born and bread Germans, and they both speak excellent English. Torben’s even been to Gisborne, and I am also told he even has an NZ flag in his kitchen (a remnant of his Tour of NZ, when going to visit René). They are the answer to my prays! One of Torben’s friends, had a friend that is learning to be a tour guide, and used us as test dummies. So I happily went along (Lisa’s wise words of wisdom, to never say no to an opportunity, ringing in my ears) he basically took us on a loop around the City showing the various churches and statues.

Now it wouldn’t have been everyone’s cup of tea, but as some of them were 1000 years old I was a little impressed. They’ve survived bombings and floods, and attacks from various other elements. Having a wee bit of prior knowledge about the old Catholic religion and so fourth, actually came in rather useful, just don’t tell my mother! But of course the best part of the tour was being around fellow twenty-something’s. When they decided to go for drinks afterwards I was in heaven. Torben has a bit of free time up his sleeve at the moment, so we’re going to go explore some of the surrounding area together in the next few weeks, and Yvonne is going to Paris for a couple of months and has already invited me to go and stay with her! We’re also going to the Open-air movies they have here, down on the Rhine. Can you see my glow, from here?

To top it off I have found an English-speaking group who meet twice a month, and I am going to a BBQ this Saturday to meet the crew and see if I am interested in joining. I’ve also found a small job, talking English to a Turkish couple for an hour each weekend, which is paid!! I also have a brand spanking new Gym membership. Things you could say are looking up!

Look after your selves, and I miss you all heaps
Niki

P.s. for those of you who don’t actually know me, and for whatever reason have actually made it to the end of this odd blog – please rest assured I am not a fanatic of the English language, or desperately needy for friends, I am simply a small duck in a rather large pond, and clinging to whatever is familiar as I find my way

Well the anticipated first few niggling thoughts of homesickness are beginning to creep in. The honeymoon is all but nearly over. The reality that I am in a foreign country, of which I don’t speak the language and have actually no friends, is kind of daunting. I am not saying I’m overly depressed, or even regretting my decision, just lonely I guess. I have been trying to think of ways to get out there and make friends, short of walking up to randoms in the street :o) I didn’t really think it would be too bad a problem as I have always made friends so easily before. But the thing I hadn’t really thought too much about is that before I’ve always been in a situation where friends were always more readily available. If I ever started somewhere new, there were others in the same boat nearby. High school, University and starting a new job all mean you’re usually surrounded by people if not your own age, then you’ll at least share something in common. But when you move to a new country, and you know no body, and your work means you’re surrounded by children, and the parents of those children are usually 10 to 20 years older than you are - it can be a little isolating.

Kj's song from 'Dirty Dancing' - "I've had the time of my life", has plagued me for the last month. When I was entering Narita Airport in Tokyo, it started playing on my MP3 player and it was so cliché. I was in this massive Airport, one of the biggest in the world, utter madness - people everywhere, all in a hurry and looking like they know where they are going and me little old Niki from New Zealand, standing with my backpack and as I step into the giant check-in hall, I look up to the flight board and that song starts to play. I just had a huge grin on my face, and if anyone had seen me, they would have put me in the crazy bin right there!!!

Then last Monday night I met up with a friend of Ro's and we went to an Irish Pub, with Karoke. Of course what is one of the last songs to be sung before I had to leave - but you guessed it "I've had the time of my life", as I had had a few I don't mind saying I got a little teary eyed! Not enough for anyone to really notice mind you! Sadly Ro’s friend, René is already back in NZ, he was only here for a months visit.

This week has been very low key, I've been sick since Saturday and so has Max (the older boy) so he's been off school. We've both been pretty much housebound, and to make it worse it’s the middle of summer here - equivalent to January in NZ.

I have managed to do a little bit of shopping here, of course you've got to keep in the back of your mind that I'm not shopping in NZ dollars and so everything is really twice the price of what you think it is. But the shoes are quite cheap, and the only embarrassing situation I've had so far is when trying to go bra shopping. Not my most favoured task anyway, but when you can't speak the same language your not quite sure what the woman you just asked a question is actually screaming across the store and then you have no idea why everyone stops and looks at you oddly. Not pleasant!! I'll stick to Internet shopping methinks, or pestering people into doing it for me in NZ :o)

I’m looking forward to Sunday afternoon, where I’m meeting up with some locals (a few of René’s friends) and they're going to show me a bit more of the area. And as you can imagine I'm getting super excited about Lisa arriving, only a little over a week to go!!!