Deutsch kurs

So.... my german lessons are in full swing. I go every day, driving into the city which in itself is a challenge – I cant go on about it enough how bad the driving and the traffic is here! It takes me about 40mins to get there and its like 11kms away.
I park at ‘Happy Car Park’ which is just opposite. Parking is another nightmare in the city. What isn’t!
Happy par cark is just the funniest place. There are 5 guys in action there... and one of them takes your vehicle over as you arrive. You just get out at the entrance and pay your 150Ksh at the little shack. There are no specific parking places... just 3 rows of cars parked bumper to bumper. No space between the cars! So you leave your keys with them and they find a spot to squash your vehicle into. This invariably means all 5 guys reversing various cars, jumping in and out and shouting to each other from across the parking lot, gradually making space for the new arrival and generally co-ordinating quite a lot. Kinda like playing a computer game. So my car sometimes lands up 3 cars deep in the back row.... parked in to the nines. Only in Africa can they run parking lots like this!!
Surprisingly it works quite well and they certainly utilize the space they have to the fullest. And I usually only have to wait a few minutes to get my car back, which entails x number of guys moving x number of cars to make a path to get mine out. And I have become buddies with all the guys... so they actually let me park my car and drive my car out myself now!

So each class is 2 hours long which is just the right amount of time I reckon. Any longer and I’d fall asleep. Its a 3 month course which will teach me entry level german. I intend doing the next level in January, another 3 month course, which will get me speaking it quite well. Lets see if I do the next level after that! No need to get too good at it :-)

There are 25 students and I am the only white face in the class! There used to be 2 but Joan left. Which is a good thing. She was a REAL pain. She a LOUD and slow 60 year old amercian who thought the class was all about her. ‘I’m sorry, can you repeat that?’ Or ‘I just don’t get it. Please can we go through those last 5 chapters again’ or ‘I’m totally lost. What page are we on?’ - The teachers speak german the entire time, so you have to pick up the instruction words really quickly! Since she left the pace of our classes has certainly picked up.
I have become friends with most of my classmates – they are a cool bunch. Young and fun. Most of them are learning german because they want to go and study in germany next year. Apparently it also makes getting a german visa easier.

We wrote our first test today. It was pretty easy. Although I don’t think everyone thought so...I think a lot of my fellow students are lost! It definitely helps to have Benedikt, and a german influence via our neighbours and others too. Benedikt often helps me with my homework and then my class gets irritated the next day cos I answer all the questions no problemo! But I do seem to be catching on quicker than everybody else... knowing Afrikaans has helped a lot. And my pronunciation is ok. I am definitely very vocal in class! I used to sit in the front too like a real nerd and teachers pet. And I've been elected as the class rep :-)

Some pics of our RockMonster:

Germany Part 3 - Koln and Belgium

So... we arrived in Köln on the Monday and Benedikt took me around to show me the train station and, heaven forbid, the main shopping streets. We stopped on the way to buy a new camera and a FAT lens with the insurance money - Benedikt’s camera went missing when we moved here.
Benedikts conference started on Tuesday so I was officially free for 4 days to shop and explore. I browsed a bit on Tuesday morning before being escorted around by Andrée in the afternoon. (I got to know Andrée when she came to Kenya for Bayer business a couple of months ago) She showed me Leverkusen which is basically BayerTown, and she showed me ALL of Köln which was very interesting. The fancy suburbs, the war relics, all the houses that survived the war, the cathedrals, the green belts around the city, the chocolate museum and of course, the Rhine river. We then went for a really yummy meal at a Morroccon restaurant.
On Wednesday I headed out to Belgium to visit a friend (well, he thinks he is a friend) in Gent. It took all afternoon to get there and 3 different trains, one of them being the Thalys which is one of those super duper fast ones, and it was worth it. Dieter took me to the Eddy Merckx Velodrome / indoor cycling track. It was my first time at a track and boy did the sides look steep! I was pretty anxious. Even with 2 chick beers inside me! And for those of you who don’t know, a track bike has no brakes and you can’t stop pedalling at any stage – the pedals keep going round and round non stop. All new to me. Anyway, Dieter was very patient and a very good teacher.... yelling at me to ‘pedal pedal’ around the corners where the banks are the steepest. I think I got the hang of it ok... Although I didn’t venture all the way to the top :-( and my line was as bit of a weave. Eddy Merckx’s fat brother ;-> was overseeing the track and he passed on a compliment to Dieter about my good cycling style so I was chuffed. That evening was a real highlight of my trip, I wish Kenya had an indoor track! As if! Thanks Dieter :-))
So I travelled back on Thursday morning, shopped a bit, went for a run along the river and then just chilled. I ventured into the sauna / steam baths at the hotel. And was SHOCKED!! There is no separation between men and women! And everyone just walks around naked! Apparently this is very normal in Germany and there are many many public baths centres like this where its all nude nude nude! I guess I have been sheltered in SA where men and women are always separate. Which is the way it should be. I don’t want to see ugly dirty old men naked and I don’t want them to see me either! I was in there for exactly 5 minutes... and kept my towel on the whole time!On Friday I shopped till I dropped. But didn’t buy much at all. Everything is so expensive in Germany man! There are great shops for sure.... but somehow I like shopping in SA more. Not that I’m a Saturday Mall rat by any means but I guess I have grown accustomed to malls where it is so easy to find any shop you need. I like to go in a buy my stuff and get out. Although its not like I had anywhere to be so spending an entire day walking around the city of Köln’s shops wasn’t so bad :-)
Oh and this was officially the first time I have ever lost weight on a holiday. It was all that walking I reckon. What with walking to and from the train station more than twice a day too... I estimate I did like 25kms per day! Friday evening we went to a very popular brewery in Köln, the Frűh, where we met up with a bunch of Benedikt’s friends... it was packed. We had a 2 kegs of beer dumped on our table from which we could all fill our beer glasses all evening. It was a fun evening.... the guys were all quite stoked when Sabine Schmitz came and sat at our table. She is a german race car driver who also hosts her own tv show (I think). She gave out tattoos and autographs and schnaps – she was a hit!

Another thing I found interesting about this trip was the number of people who read this blog! Benedikt would introduce to me people who I’d never even heard of and they’d say.... oh yes, I read your blog. How is your puppy? Or Nice car :-) So all of you secret readers out there.... I know who are now and I want to see your comments and see you under the ‘Followers’ list ok?!!!
On Saturday we flew back home and I got bumped up to business for the Frankfurt Dubai bit – woohoo! What luxury! I was like a little kid I was so excited.... Benedikt who is a seasoned business class traveller got very irritated :-)
Oh and Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher were on our Dubai Nairobi flight – in first class though so I didn’t see them. Benedikt did... he said Demi looked so old. And tiny. Apparently lots of celebrities come to Kenya and go to secret fancy lodges and things.
Coming home was cool too as we got to pick up Mahindi from her summer camp... she’d been back to the breeder where we’d bought her from and had been playing with her sister (and 13 other dogs) for 11 days... she was a real Dirty Dawg. We hardly recognised her! Sign of a good holiday for her too I guess.

Germany Part 2 – The wedding!

So I met the rest of benedikt’s family on the Friday afternoon and evening... everyone gathered together at the hotel in Trento before we went for a really quaint, typically Italian meal in a nearby village. Benedikt’s grannies didn’t stop checking me out the whole time! They really want the best for their grandson :-)
Quite a few of his family members spoke English so that made things easier... Although my german vocab suddenly grew from about 200 words to 2000 words over the weekend. (So it also really didn’t matter that I was missing 6 lessons of my german course with the trip) But everyone really made such an effort with me...all sehr freundlich!
The wedding service was really pleasant... with everything happening on time of course. Afterwards everyone drove in convoy to the reception... with ribbons on all the cars and much festivity and hooting while driving through the little Italian villages.
After chilling around drinking champagne for a while at the beautiful setting, the wedding moved inside - we were seated at the main table which was an honour. And then the courses started! There were 6 of them... all just as delicious as the last. The food kept coming until 1am! Unglaublich! (And we partied till 4am)
Nina, Benedikt’s younger sister, is gorgeous. She is a petite blond with beautiful big eyes. Her English is perfect so we were able to chat quite a bit... and she is good fun. Thomas, her new husband, also seems like a really nice guy. Nina has great girl friends too. They got dressed up and did a skit at one stage during the reception which was entertaining.... even though I didn’t understand a lot of it ;-(
One thing I really liked about the wedding was how personal it was. A lot of Nina and Thomas’s friends and families would come up and do a little presentation with their presents. And the presents were all very personal with a lot of thought put into them. For example, her friend made her a recipe book where everyone had had to send in a recipe along with a photo of themselves (I had done this a month or so ago) and she put it all together in a book so nicely. Nina’s cousins made her this big picture display with photos from her youth and various interests she had. Benedikt also made a really cool speech and presented her with the 2 wooden (funny) Masai statues we’d bought them.
These mini presentations happened at regular intervals all through the evening. Apparently this is quite a normal thing to do at a german wedding.
On Sunday we drove to Ingolstadt (where Audis are made) to visit a friend of Benedikts’- Florian, and his wife Sandra and their cute little boy, Dominik. We had a lovely supper, long chats and some great entertainment from Dominik. It was a really cool evening. I have to say nice things because they read my blog too ;->

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Germany holiday part 1

So... the flight over: Benedikt had a business class ticket cos part of his trip was for work and I had a measly ecomomy ticket. We weren’t able to get an upgrade but we did manage to get me into the lounges. In Nairobi it meant a 10usd bribe (no surprises there). Benedikt was impressed and chuffed that the dodgy little Kenyan version of a lounge stocked Tanqueray gin... so we proceeded in drinking the entire bottle between us. Well, one or two went to a friend that we bumped into-Pontos. He was travelling to Berlin to run his first marathon. So I made him even more scared :-)
We had a 3 hour stop over in Dubai (in India :-)) where the very nice lady let me into the business class lounge – what a bonus because the airport was just chaos. SOoooooooo many people running in every direction non stop. There we had a little snooze and some yummy breakfast.
One thing we both liked on the aeroplanes was the ability to watch, on our little screens, the view from the planes’ forward downward facing cameras. It made landing and taking off much more interesting.
So on arrival in Germany I was immediately impressed:
- First of all the airport was clean, spacious, organised and FAST moving. No one walked slowly. YAY – I hate foot shufflers. We got our rental car and in 5 mins we were out of there.
- All the bins everywhere (airports, streets, houses) are separated into the different rubbish categories. And so many cars are eco friendly. Africa has lots to catch up on.
- There are little sealed glass rooms everywhere too for the smokers... so all those stinky puffing people look like caged animals!
- All the bike and walking paths that are EVERYWHERE. It seemed cyclists, pedestrians and drivers never have to share a road ever. Bikers and walkers use the paths next to the roads, or the networks of paths that take them through parks, and next to rivers etc. And cars are on the road. Only. (I was trying to find a train station in the beginning and walked on the road for a bit – I got some funny looks and some beeps)
- The roads and the driving. WOW WOW WOW!! I guess it all made an ever bigger impression after coming from Kenya... but boy the driving is really of a high quality in Deutschland. NO ONE hogs the fast lane. NO ONE pushes in anywhere. Everyone uses their flickers and stops at red lights -behind the line. There are NO old cars or dodgy overloaded vehicles. The trucks STAY IN THE SLOW LANE. Have you ever?!! Amazing I tell you!
- Going 220km/per hour on the autobahn. We did this several times. It was a real novelty in the beginning but it felt so normal by the end of the holiday. The system makes so much sense.
- I was really impressed with just how pretty it all is. Germany is SERIOUSLY green. And just PROPVOL of trees. Trees are everywhere, tall and green, either in forests or just lining the roads. And there were so many green fields everywhere. And beautiful houses. There is a big English influence on the houses so I guess thats why I liked them so much.
We drove from Frankfurt airport to Uffenheim where Benedikt’s parents live. And we passed lots of tudor style little villages with houses close to the road, quaint little stores with plenty of flowers outside... wooden shutters everywhere, cobblestone lanes branching off, plenty of farmyards with barns and tractors etc. I felt like I was driving through English countryside! Benedikt argued that its all German style. Ja whatever!
- Adidas!!! Our first stop was at the adidas outlet store. Hee hee!! I loved it! I could have spent hours there.... my eyes were on stalks. I didn’t too badly though: I got running shoes, hiking shoes, 2 shirts, one gym top, socks, and 2 pairs of shorts
- Then the quality of life in Germany is just so good. You are encouraged to live an outdoor lifestyle, to walk from A to B and to enjoy your surroundings... its so easy to take your kids out for a walk in the park or to go for a run or a ride. And its just SOooooooooooo UBER safe there. People are never scared of being hijacked or by walking alone. So safety and health. Check. 2 very important aspects of life.
We spent our first night at Benedikt’s parents house which was great. They have a really pretty, neat and efficient home and Benedikt’s mum made us a really nice meal. Lots of veggies for me! I had met his parents once before and since then my german has improved... so communication was a lot easier this time round.
We had had LOADS of online orders delivered to their house in the preceding weeks.... so our 3 empty suitcases that we went over with were immediately stuffed full. Within hours of our arrival!

The next morning we left at 8am to drive to Italy. So we drove through Austria and then stopped in Bozen, Italy for some shopping.I had been unable to find a dress here in Nairobi (not surprisingly) and we knew we'd find something nice in EyeTaly... which we did. It took a few hours though...

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Matatus

So now that I have been driving for a couple of weeks I have new found feelings towards Matatus (pronounced mat-ah-toos), Kenya’s version of south african (kombi) taxis.
Some of these feelings are ones of anger (as they jump long queues and push in at the front), horror (as they overtake into oncoming traffic) and pity (for the passengers).
But I mostly find myself highly amused by them. They are often decorated wildly and comically and they have all big words painted across the front windscreens. Some examples of these totally random names are:
Altar boy (yeah... whatever)
Baby bytes (wonder if they know what a byte is?)
FREEZA
Area code
King Kong
Flex
Mr Chicks (Big egos or what?!)
Hurricane
Facebook (quite trendy huh)
The Matatus here are way more organised than their south African counterparts. Each matatu has a big number displayed that indicates which route it runs on. There is even a map with the Matatu routes available! And they all have conductors. The matatu conductor is usually a very lively fellow who always has his upper body out the window, signing and gesturing and shouting away in an eternal attempt to pick up pedestrians. I have been asked countless times while out running if I want a lift :-)
When the matatus do one of their usual unpredictable and traffic jam causing stops, the conductor jumps out even before the matatu comes to a stop and starts to round up passengers. When the last (slow moving) passenger is almost in, he bangs on the roof and the driver pulls away. He runs after the matatu and jumps on, and just hangs onto the door frame. Often he wont even bother to slide the door closed.
Their behavior on the roads is just diabolical. They overtake on the inside, on pavements, on dirt, into oncoming traffic, in groups of 10, and on the other side of an island. They never wait one behind another at a circle or a junction, they squeeze in next to the car in front. And they don't wait for gaps, they just nudge further and further into the junction until the flow of cars have to stop.
They really are quite something.
Benedikt's aggression has rubbed off on me a teeny bit... If I see them trying to pass a whole queue (where they will just push in at the top) I block their way. Only sometimes though :-)
They are ALWAYS very confused to see a white chick doing this! Like why would I do that? The roads are theirs man. The thing is, most other cars just let them behave as they like. I know I will never win the war. Benedikt things he will though ;-)

So we leave for Germany in just 2 sleeps time! I am SOooooooooooo excited. Benedikt's sister is getting married in Italy... wish is lovely of her. So we spend 3 days in Italy, 1 day in Munich and the rest of the time in Koln. I will be popping accross to Belgium for a night too. So 10 days of fun and shopping and great travelling is coming up. This is one very excited girl. Its been like 4 years since I was last in Europe!

We will really miss this little thing though. But I'm sure she will be fine. We'll leave some pellets and a blanket in the cupboard that we're locking her in.






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Nakuru national park

So four of us went off camping at Nakuru national park this weekend. It was good fun. So we had a bit of shenanigans getting into the park and paying for our campsite... Kenyans do have convoluted ways of doing things. And queues and order just don’t happen. So we just had enough time to get to our campsite at the bottom of the park, pitch our tent and make our beds (lucky Benedikt had 3 girls in the tent with him) before it got dark on Saturday evening. So Rosie managed to get some firewood from the Spanish overlanders and we had roast penis for supper. And we played a cracking game of ‘Would you rather?’ And we were confronted by a baboon or 2 at our campsite. Of course.
So all these ‘so’s are for Rosie by the way :)
So we got up just before sunrise, packed up and did our main game viewing on Sunday morning. So we saw: rhinos and BABY RHINOS, lots of buffaloes and BABY buffs, giraffes, a lioness, impala, Thompsons gazelles, dik diks,warthogs, eagles, a lake load of pink flamingos (which were quite spectacular). And a jaguar and lots of water buffaloes. According to Linda anyway. Forgive her, she is American ;)

So we thought the park was good, the lake provides such a great setting. Its just a pity there are like no rules. So people drive anywhere they like...and get out of their cars at anytime and walk about... And there was some litter around. I think SA parks have set quite a high standard for us seasoned-game-park-goers cos so far we’ve been a bit disappointed with Kenyan parks. More by the way they are run than by what’s to be seen.

So in my first german lesson today, amongst some other random words, I learnt:
Guten tag. Ich bin sarah. (OR Ich heiBen Sarah. OR Mein name is sarah) Ich wohne in Mathaiga. Ich komme aus Sudafica. Das ist sarah. Sie kommt aus Sudafrica. Sie spriecht enlgish unt ein bisschen Deutch.
I think you should all learn with me... cos soon I’m gonna start blogging in german.



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Kenya’s Awesomest Vehicle

And you know why its Kenya's Awesomest Vehicle???
Cos its MINE!!! Yippeeeeeeeee!!!
I got a car! Yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
And not just any car... its a four times four. Yipppeeeeeeeeeeee!!
And not just any old four times four... its an automatic.....yipppeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Its a Mitsubishi Pajero IO. Its a little 1.8 and has 115000kms on the clock. It has air con, electric windows, an mp3 player, a choops choops to open all doors, NO CLUTCH... and whatever else it has I don't care.
When its parked next to Benedikt's GIANT (and pretentious) prado it looks like a baby car... but its really quite big. And its high. The suspension is a bit rickety but that just makes driving here more fun.

I love it love it love it.
I've driven it a total of 3 times. And total distance – 13kms :)
Its my first time driving an automatic.... WHAT A PLEASURE! I can email, eat sweets, fiddle with the radio, send sms’s, drink coffee, brush my hair, take my sweater off, stretch my left leg up on the dashboard, paint my toenails, tie my shoe laces.... ALL WHILE DRIVING! Its such a luxury having one whole hand and one whole foot free! I never want a manual car ever again. They are so like eighties man.
So as of next week I start SCHOOL. BLEH. So I will be doing some hectique driving – into TOWN!! Its gonna be hardcore man. These nairobians are lethal on the road. Although in a sick way its hilarious how they drive. VERY entertaining. Until someone gets hurt. Although thats also entertaining.
I start german lessons on Monday. I go EVERY day for a 2 hour lesson. For THREE MONTHS! Quite intense hey. Hope I have fun classmates. And a good teacher.
Its really going to upset my little cosy routine though... I have become a very happy homebody. I'll have to go for my run earlier, I'll have to wolf down my oats instead of eating them leisurely looking out over the swamp, I'll actually have to put on proper shoes instead of slippers every day... and I'll actually have to look at my watch all the time. Shhhhheeeeesh.
It feels like I’m returning to work. Imagine what a state I’d be in if I had to do a full day! AAAAHHH... what a prospect. I hope I never have to go to work again. :(


By the way, in 2 days time we'll have been here a full 3 months.

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