Beertastic, sliding snow spastic....

Yesterday I experienced a true local German bottle shop and also what it really meant to drive in a snow storm. At night.

Firstly, me and G went to the shops to get ingredients for the pizza we were cooking last night (and a yummy as hell rumball mmmm), then went to the bottle shop for some beer. Yay!! I was missing the yummy brown stuf :) I walked in - and let me say this wasn´t a particularly large shop - but I was simply staggered at how many different varieties of beer there was! I mean, every colour, flavour, idea imaginable... it was awesome. We just chose some simple pilsner and went on our merry way. But man, give some respect to ze Germans for that lot!

Then, later that day, I was asked by J to drive her to her friend´s place in the next village to get some herbs for her depressed horse. It had been snowing a fair bit all day and when I started driving, the first snowflakes were starting again. Now there are several things alarming about this picture... firstly, I am Australian. I drive on the left side of the road. Secondly, I have never driven in the snow. Thirdly, the car was a piece of shit and did not have snow-worthy tyres on. So I just gripped the woollen-covered steering wheel and smiled pleasantly as I drove carefully through the slippery streets.

After some freshly baked brownie cake, "mystical" herbal tea and a fairly deep conversation with someone I'd just met, we ventured outside to find the weather had pretty much turned into a snowstorm. This shit was currrraaaaazzzzyyy. I could hardly see 2 feet in front of me, the car was slippin' a little and to top it off, it was getting dark.

Then came the hill. A truck had already given up and was slowing traffic in both directions. The truck in front of me also didn't take long to lose steam and as I stopped to let him pull over, I then had the challenge of starting my own car up the hill. It was a bloody hard thing to do! And then when J was out pushing the car, I had to stop again. When 2 German men jumped out of their cars to help, they started shouting through the window at me. Seems this time I neglected to take the handbrake off. I was just laughing as J jumped into the car as it slowly made it up the hill, and the men were shaking their heads saying, "Bloody woman". Or the equivalent in German speak.

So I made it home alive. And then we made pizza. I've gotta say, it wasn't my finest product but they seemed to enjoy it. I was STUFFED, ate so much, and then waddled off to sort out this bloody resume for South America.

South American plans... going south already??

The most remarkable thing about today was the progress I made in my plans for South America. After receiving the positive, hap-hap-happening Couchsurfing response... actually before I continue I will copy exactly what he wrote and you can tell me if it seems at all like something I would be interested in:

"During Carnivall we have a lot of diferent parties, usually some song in a big car, everybody singing or dancing. It's cool, but really hot. Bring light - or even lighter clothes. There is a lot of cars, everyday, in a lot of diferent places. It's also a party where you can date anyone. Usually is like a summer passion. What happens in the Carnival, stays in the Carnival. If you can live a passion like that, be gratefull, usually they are very intense, and ends in 7 days, but we can remember things like that for all our lifes. It happens just once or twice in our life, anyway, so don't worry too much.

It's also a party where you can be who you want. Bring a costume - or don't - dress like a poor girl, a princess, guys dressing like prostitutes, a lot of beer, a lot of sun. Yeah, it's a hell, but can be good.

What more can I say about carnival? Sometimes I just want to stay away from Rio, it's a too passional party, sometimes I just want to sleep in the beach, enjoy, go out without know when I will come back.

The best place to stay during carnival is a central place, or near the beaches. Do you want to stay here? I will host a couple, but I might host one people more. It will be a little crowded, but it's carnival. Bring some beers (I will wait for you with at least 100 cans in my freezer) and let's party!"

So there it is. Exactly what I wanted to hear in one message, wrapped up in a neat little package. Since I got that, I have been off the CHAAAAAAIIN trying to organise myself to get there and as excited as I am, even I have to admit I am continuing hitting barriers.

Firstly, there is the issue of price for the flight there. It is never cheap to get to South America at the best times of times, let alone Carnivale, so that is a challenge. Then I find out all the requirements I need to actually get into the country... those visa things and oh yeah, an onward ticket... WTF?? I don´t DO onward tickets. It means I need to put a semi-definite date to returning home for sis´ wedding, which scares me a little.

Then there´s the issue of earning money while I´m there. On what I will have left in the bank, I will last about 1 week (esp in Carnivale) so a job is a must. I already have 1 hostel saying I can work there but they have a 2 month minimum and also don´t feed me so I would still need money to spend. And I don´t particularly like the thought of being trapped in this hostel for 2 months, esp since I imagine I would be digging for another job straight away and want to move to that asap.

Ideally, I need a hostel with a 1 month minimum or even a salary (unlikely) instead of just accommodation but who knows... The search continues. Bless me world, you know I´m good for it.

A glorious day

I had a wonderful day today. I did my normal waking up by 8am to feed then falling back asleep til midday routine, so I was plenty rested and had lots of downtime to think about my plans for next year. Who knows how I will manage to meditate in Prague, my mind is constantly going.

At the midday feed, it started snowing again but beautiful, fat clumps of snowflakes that I am still fascinated by, and I didn´t mind at all being out amongst it all so I decided to pick up all the leftover apples. Then after some internet surfing, I knew it was time. Time to tackle the beast that is my hair. It was dirty, I have a wedding coming up and I could not go with my hair in that state.

I decided to use the bath tub for better mobility and also the shower fills up slightly around my feet and if I was washing my hair, the hairs would be floating around and possibly start to touch me and cling to me. Hideous. So the bath it was. But before the big wash, I slid into the steaming water to just soak myself. As I did so, I looked out the window at the falling snow and white everything, and wondered if I´d ever have such an experience again. After a while it got too hot and I opened the window to let the cold air in. What a feeling...

Then, just as I was snug n warm in my fisherman pants, J came in asking if I wanted to ride to the shop for some chocolate. I fashioned my hair middle eastern style with a towel under my hoodie and was ready to roll. Quite effective really. I´m still wearing it as I type this.

The ride was beautiful, not really cold at all, and the snow had stopped so everything was just that beautiful white silence that only fresh snowfall can bring. I wish I had my camera.

Then when I was tidying up the kitchen, J came over with their cute little 4 year old daughter M because she said she wanted to hang out with me. They had explained I couldn´t understand her but she didn´t care, and just followed me around jabbering in German and throwing my sparkly tutu around the place. So easily amused.

And now I´m about to eat pumpkin soup for dinner. So yes, I would say that today was possibly the nicest day I´ve had here so far.

And this was before I got drunk...

Scaring Slovakian traffic

Toasty warm with chicken curry

Thank goodness I was picked up from the random train station I got off at - it´s moments like these I wish I was a little more organised, like maybe have the address or full name of the people I was staying with, you know, just in case I actually didn´t have a lift and was stuck at the station forever and ever. Just a thought.

Anyway, I am now safe n sound in G´s house fully fed up with a nice chicken curry dinner and satisfied I have been for a ride in the forest. But fuck me it was cold. Not as cold as last time though, so I have to be thankful for that. But I wore one less jacket and by the end of the ride, I was rethinking just why I did that. And my flimsy stockings did almost nothing under my jodphurs. This Aussie just cannot dress for winter!!

I am currently entertaining the thought of South America for next year. Yes, yes I know I change my mind every second day but I am really vibing on this South America idea. I am thinking maybe I could hook up some work at a hostel for free accomm and food or whatever, and just work some Sophie deLightful magic in town til I find something to do for actual cash. Hopefully stay there for a few months... Otherwise just bail and go work on a farm somewhere in South America.

Apple tea, olives, extra seats = sweet sweet bus ride

That´s it, I´m outta Slovakia and back in Germany! And it seems I was running away from the snow, which was my exact idea really... I got on the bus in Bratislava and it had just been lightly snowing, then as I traveled through Czech it was evident it had been really pouring recently. However, it held off largely until - when I was semi-comatosed from a sleeping pill - the bus had to slow to a virtual crawl and therefore ended up adding another 1.5 hours to the already 14 hour journey. Now in Germany, there´s little evidence of recent downpours and I´m hopeful I can ride some at G´s place.

I am so thankful for sleeping pills. Except when you´re woken by a jab from a policeman at the German border asking for your passport. That is one confusing wake-up call. I must´ve looked like a drugged-out escapee from the forests of Slovakia (I´m sure there are some out there) with my lion hair spurting all directions and unable to fully open my eyes for them to compare my passport photo with my actual face. Perhaps the pill worked so well because I´d lubricated myself up before I got on the bus with 5 beers and pasta with a sauce I created myself that included a Baileys-styles white liquor before I got on the bus. Mm mmmm...

The times I did look out the window it was quite pretty, with little mounds of snow everywhere and white roofs and streets covering the scars of the world. Nothin´ like a good bandaid hey.

I tell you, it is quite a weird experience teaching kids while looking out the window at their playground just covered with snow. I know I have been away long enuf to appreciate the look and experience of snow but somehow I just can´t get over it.

And speaking of kids, me and N did our presentation with them for the parents, teachers and virtually all the students and it went much better than expected. I was super stressed because the boss had arrived from Budapest and I didn´t want him to think he couldn´t leave the week to us and not screw it up. But everyone seemed to enjoy watching it... I guess it helps when we dress up one of the kids as Santa and get him to throw lollies into the crowd.

But regardless of the delay, the bus ride was pretty sweet. From Prague, the numbers started to dwindle - even tramp lady with evil smelling feet got off, thank fuck - and I was able to stretch across the whole row of seats and enjoy several free cups of apple tea and hot chocolate. Yum. Oh, and I popped out at one stop to get a sandwich and found the BEST olives EVER. Oh yeah mama...

Now I have to chill in Hamburg - which I´ve just found out is the sex capital of Germany (lucky chance or not...???) - for a little while before heading back to Lüneburg and then Göhrde, wherever the hell that is. I just hope someone is there to pick me up!

Third week aint so weak

I know I have been slack and I apologise. Well, not exactly slack - WORKING - but still I am deeply sorry you havent been kept abreast of all my activities. Turns out working with kids is more time consuming than I thought.

This week has probably been the easiest, I have felt more comfortable and in control especially since we had to be, given my Boss E was sick and not teaching this week. He came today and no doubt we will be having a few bevos this eve, but basically me and N are rockin this shit.

The kids are generally nice, the younger ones a little more - well, a lot more - energetic so we just basically play bloody games with them. The slightly older and more experienced English speakers, in my class, are a little harder to entertain although still do make the effort which I appreciate.

On Monday, the teachers asked if they could pop their heads in and see us in action so of course they decided to do so just after the most... special... of the students fell over and got a big bump on her head. Shiezer. But it was all ok... kinda.

Me and N have spent the week jamming on his guitar, practising a song for the kids at the end of the week, and organising the presentation etc. I must say I am even impressed with our organisation. I know big boss man is!

Anyway, time to jet, final evening festivities to get to!!!