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On the Road with Fast Eddie
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On the Road with Fast Eddie |
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| July 4, 2001 Guten tag: In my last few correspondences I've focused on my travels outside of Germany, but I'll now share some of my experiences here. Regarding my new job that I started a month ago, it's been going as well as I could ever have hoped for. The company is extremely professional and well organized, and the support that I get is outstanding. My first class was a "hotel course" in the Black Forest. I spent a week in a four-star hotel with nine students from Bosch (which is where the bulk of my company's clients are from). All of my classes are "intensives", which means that I spend all-day with them for an entire week. I prefer this to teaching groups for only 90 minutes once a week, as so much more can be done - significant progress can clearly be seen, which is gratifying to me. "Learning English" 90 minutes a week, if that's all that the language is used that week, is often a waste of time in my opinion. And that's if the students make every class, which is often not the case due to the demands of work. With this company the students are isolated in a classroom atmosphere without distractions, truly captive students, and we can progress step-by-step addressing their specific needs. This course was in Obertal, a tiny village tucked away in the Black Forest, a beautiful, densely wooded area nearby Stuttgart. Our hotel was perched on the side of a hill with a stunning view of nature at its best. I had to keep reminding myself that I was there "to work" as I relaxed in my vast suite, ate sumptuous meals, and, if I chose to, played squash or took advantage of the sauna, whirlpool or indoor swimming pool. Tough gig, huh? Since that week, I've taught three additional intensives one-on-one, where I can focus on a single student for an entire week. My typical day starts at 8:30 and ends at 3:30, a far cry from my past job where I staggered out of bed before 5 am and returned home at 8 or 9 pm. and for the same compensation! And yes, I really enjoy teaching. I've always found myself at home in front of a group and my varied and extensive experience in the business world has really paid off since Business English is the focus and my students are motivated and work hard. There're so many creative ways to help students learn that I learned either from my CELTA course last year in Krakow (now I actually get to apply what I learned there), or through other teachers or just on my own. My classes look nothing like the traditional learning environment I always was forced to endure while growing up and going to school. And… I've been amazed to discover that I actually find grammar quite fascinating now! My new flat is working out well and I'm enjoying getting settled into my new community of Esslingen, taking in the close-by jazz cellar, Irish Pub, biergartens and cafes... also finding out where to buy what I need, enjoying the parks and the atmosphere of a medieval-looking town. I've heard some great jazz, with the highpoint being a concert by legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins at a concert a month ago in Stuttgart. I must admit that shortly after arriving here last fall, I did have some misgivings about adjusting to the intense and somewhat impersonal way of life in Germany (more on that at a later time), especially in Baden-Wuttemburg. But in time and with effort I've grown to understand the culture and people here and have become very comfortable and satisfied with my choice to live here. Having made a few good friends also helps. Not speaking the language did, of course, make the adaptation more difficult, but I'm glad to say that I'm finally starting lessons in German. Wish me luck! Although Germany will not be a long-term home for me, I plan on sticking around here for a while, exploring Europe, before I move on to some other part of the world to experience. Life is good... I'm a happy guy! Let's talk about traveling in Germany. When most people visit Germany, they head to Berlin, Munich, Heidelberg, The Romantic Road towns or to Fussen (where they visit Neuschwenstein, the fairy-tale castle of "Mad King Ludwig II). I've visited all of the above, except the latter, as well as some other areas. Often tourist's choices are influenced by advertising and promotions, which of course can mean that the loudest, but sometimes less deserving, voice often gets the action. But the good news is that there're many hidden jewels in every country, unknown but to a few. Munich is a loud voice, largely due to the immense hype generated by its fabled Oktoberfest, a celebration each fall that apparently borders on sheer madness. Munich is the center of Bavaria, a region which offers its own unique flavor and culture and which sees itself as virtually a country separate from the rest of Germany, always clinging fiercely to this sense of "otherness", refusing, for instance, to ratify Germany's post WW2 constitution...the only province to do so. Munich is modern, cosmopolitan and heavily visited. I saw more Americans within the first 30 minutes I was there than I had in seven months in Stuttgart. Central Munich is very nice for walking, with a sizable pedestrian area, dotted with churches, museums and other historical buildings. The English Garden ("largest city park in Europe") is home to an immense biergarten and I was able to enjoy a perfect spring day relaxing with my friends Shannon (a fellow teacher from Canada who hosted me) and Jenny, a Brit also living there. The most memorable part of my stay, however, was at Dachau, the notorious concentration camp that was the Nazi's first work camp where they "processed" more than 200,000 prisoners between 1933 and 1945, when it was finally liberated. Dachau is a short and easy day trip by train and I think a must for any student of history. There's no charge for either admittance, the 22-minute film, or for the two-hour tour (though a donation is understandably requested) which I highly recommend. When Shannon and I went, the tour was guided by a young man (Jewish, I believe) who was very well-versed in the history of the camp and who did a brilliant job verbally painting a picture of what life had been like for the communists, Jews, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, priests, Russian POWs, and any and all other "asocial types" that Hitler's henchmen deemed dangerous to the Reich. Some of the camp is original, some is reconstructed, all of it is a chilling reminder of man's inhumanity to man. It's also a tribute to how human beings can and will persevere and survive, which many did. I found the visit to Dachau to be a deeply impactful and emotional experience. In fact I found it difficult to converse with others for several hours afterwards. Granted, I only spent a weekend there, but I found Munich to be a bit overrated, especially since it's definitely much more expensive than anywhere else in Germany. But there is a mystique about Bavaria that's been so successfully promoted by residents and travel agents and the tourists really coming pouring in. Don't get me wrong - it's a very nice city and I encourage you to visit, but don't buy into the notion that Munich is the quintessential German city while ignoring other parts of the country. For instance, as I walked through the pedestrian area I observed that I thought Stuttgart had just as nice a downtown, yet Stuttgart is berated as an "ugly step-sister" to revered Munich. And Esslingen is virtually unheard of! 130 km north of Stuttgart (less than an hour by train) is Heidelberg, another of Germany's biggest tourist draws, which I visited just before Christmas. Site of the country's first university, this lovely city straddles the Neckar River against a backdrop of wooded hills. Barraged by Japanese and Americans it did live up to its hype, though two days there is all you need. Its chief attraction is Schloss Heidelberg, its massive ruined castle that can be seen from virtually anywhere in town. Begun in the 13th century, it's fallen victim over time to both numerous battles and to lightning. But its state of dilapidation does little to detract from its appeal. It's a must to visit and I recommend coughing up a few Deutschmarks (next year it will be Euros) for a guided English-speaking tour...it's well worth it. Heidelberg is great for walking and make sure you cross the river and stroll the Philosophenweg (Philosopher's Walk), a famous and lovely path past gardens, orchards and vineyards where the likes of Hegel, Max Weber and Mark Twain relaxed and contemplated deep thoughts while enjoying the view. I fully expected deep revelations while walking, but had to settle for a nice walk and a great view. Additionally, I recommend you take the funicular railway to the hill overlooking the valley where you'll be rewarded with a superb view of both the city and the surrounding area. And since I like Gothic architecture so much, I was also impressed with Heiliggeist Kirche, a magnificent 14th century church. This city has plenty to impress. Since I still have several more cities to share with you and I'm trying to keep these reports shorter... more bite-size to read, I'll stop here. But one final thought: is there a federal law in Japan that says that Japanese can only travel abroad in packs of at least thirty and that they must carry a minimum of two cameras per person? |
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