I’ve spent the week running round trying to make appointments. My phone German is rubbish, and I find it much easier to communicate face to face. I need to book appointments for the tick vaccination for both the children and us (more later), I need to try to find some music teachers for the children, and I need to book a dentist appointment for the children.
So I spend my time and energy going between doctors, kinder doctors, dentists and the music school, smiling and engaging eye contact, apologising sweetly for rubbish German and gesticulating wildly. I must be known round here as that loony English woman.
By Thursday I’ve managed to book the first in a series of three jabs for us all inoculating against the disease spread by ticks in the forests (good) and the dentists appointments for the children. Fantastic ! I can speak German ! I’m not completely stupid ! In my disproportionate euphoria at my small achievements I completely forget about the pillar in my blind spot where I’ve parked the car in the underground car park, and trash the passenger door and wing mirror. Again. For the second time in 8 months. Perhaps I am completely stupid. I manage to get home without any more incidents but take myself off to bed, bawling uncontrollably.
Later in the day I force myself to go to the Gemeinde musik schule and try to book lessons for the boys – I feel I have to, since the Leitung is only in the office for 3 2 hour sessions per week and if I don’t do it today I can’t get there until next Tuesday. Back to smiling like a madwoman and gesticulating wildly, but we understand each other, and he’ll ring me back when he’s found some slots for them.
Home, for a stiff gin. It’s a bloody rollercoaster, this life abroad business.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment