Ah the Sorrow

My German teacher surprised me today, she gave me a film entitled Die Leiden des Jungen Werther...

und mein Deutsch ist immer schlecht...

Sieben Aufsatzthemen

I'm finally finished with my seven topics for German. This time I really watched the grammar of everything instead of winging it. It probably still has mistakes but at least I know I did my best, not like the previous time when I just wrote without thinking about the grammar side of things. I really hope there will be less mistakes than the previous time but that I will know in a few days after tomorrow.

However, I did make a few interesting observations:
My main problem is with articles and their inflection.
While I have enough content words in my vocabulary I need to shift them into active use so I can think of them faster.
My structure seems good if a bit complex but I have a certain degree of innate understanding of how German syntax works.
I have a significant lack of knowledge in the idiom and cultural reference department.

The subjects were:

Mein Leben als Student in England - My life as a student in England
Lots of bitching about how I despise the student culture... and a bit on how people annoy me in the library...

Brighton meine neue Heimat - Brighton my new homeland
Lots of bitching on how I don't like this place and how I don't consider to have a homeland so I can't have a new one...

Was ich von Polen vermisse - What do I miss from Poland
A few sentences basically saying "nothing"

Unterschiede zwischem Alltag in Polen und Alltag in England - Differences between an average day in Poland and England
The same like before but saying more about surface differences that don't matter and that after you go past them, there is no variety in life

Mein Hobby - My hobby
Roleplaying, 361 words, the basics...

Mein Lieblingsfilm - My favourite film
Ghost Ship, descriptions of death!

Mein Lieblingsbuch - My favourite book
The Sorrows of Young Werther, love and death...

Even I am amazed at how I'm able to make the simplest subject depressing to the extreme...

I live!!!

Life can be quite complex at times. So I'll try to break this entry into categories, because I feel like it.

General
I have recently found myself in a tricky position. The internet connection was shut down and for half a month I had no way to be online at my usual times. Which meant that I was out of the circulation and had to use the time in a different fashion, but on that later, let's talk about cooking first!

I found out that I love cooking. This sounds very lame considering that the most I cook is chop, fry and add sauce, I'd rather have some more complicated things but money and time don't allow for it. What would be really great is if I had someone to cook for, as is, I'm looking forward to my sister's visit and am thinking of what things to cook. I'll probably try that thing Harry did for MJ in Spider-Man 3, looked real nice. Cooking for myself is just not as awarding. My tastes are quite limited, especially when it comes to meat so most of the stuff I make is various chicken breast dishes (mostly with rice). My cooking must look weird since I hate the feeling of sticky liquids on my hands. I always use just the index finger, the middle finger and the thumb of my left hand to hold a breast as I cut it, carefully watching not to touch it more than I need to and washing it immediately after I'm finished. It might be a slight Obsessive Compulsive Disorder of mine, but at least it's not like I wash my hands seven times a day... I saw a documentary on such people and their skin literally cracks...

I stumbled upon an article detailing three aspects of a relationship. Sex (the physical act of copulation), Erotica (the sensual pleasures of the flesh) and Love (the more esoteric and emotional state of being with someone). After reading it, I think a lot of my issues spring from the fact that I am looking for Love in a relationship, while I feel as if all is about Erotica primarily... The article is not in a language you'd understand.

Family
My mother and my sister bought tickets and shall be arriving here at the end of this month. My mom will probably be picked up by dad who'll come down and might stay for a night, while my sister will stay with me for a week and a half. Which should be interesting, we plan on drawing, cooking, shopping and playing turn-based strategies (Heroes IV and Civilizations IV) together. Right now she keeps sending me photos of all the new kittens on my grandpa's farm.

We had a bit of a scare with my grandpa. He felt significantly weak these past few days. Of course he is old but for someone who can get himself dead drunk and still walk a few kilometres through knee deep snow in the middle of the night on his knees... him feeling weak is not a good thing, but I called him and that cheered him up. I suspect he is just being depressed by the fact I'm not on the farm...

Friends
I find it hard to befriend people, but there are a few instances where it is really worth it. I know I'm bad at keeping contact, but truth is, I just don't have enough things happening in life to make weekly updates.

I have emailed everyone, so if you didn't receive an email, something is wrong with your account (I'm looking at you, Seven!!!). It took me a while, 37 emails is a major feat, and most of the subjects where crappy ones like "hello", "hi" and the sort, but it's not like I made one big email and sent it to everyone...

Thanks for everything guys and gals.
Career
I've recently got word from Książnica Podlaska (my home library-publisher) that Mr Mieczysław Czajkowski really liked the translations of poems I made for him and wants to publish them. He first needs to find a sponsor, so we shall see if I get my name in yet another book.

Speaking of books, I have a hard time writing recently. Not that I don't have any ideas, I've got plenty and the more I think about a concept, the more subplots my mind adds. However, for some reason, I don't feel like writing prose lately. On top of that, I decided not to write poetry about love. I looked through my old ones, and it just seems like I'm some kind of masochist... lots of pain and angst and stuff... I shouldn't drag myself down like that. Thus even though ideas come, I discard them because of their topic.

I've recently spoken with Wyrm in German over ICQ and my German is horrible. I need to seriously learn the language. That way I can at least try for a teaching position in England. Which would give me enough money to live and by saving some, I'd be able to publish a book. Of course, I won't publish it in Britain, but I only need money to publish it in Poland. I can do it either in Polish and let it roam free or print a bunch in English, bring them back and start selling them on eBay or some such. (This is why people think of me as a planner, I just can't help myself but to make plans...)

Literature
I'm done reading The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice and started to go through Bitten by Kelley Armstrong. Before continuing, I shall take a moment to do the following:

Magnificent Seven, although being a man of the written word, I find myself at a lack to describe the gratitude emanating from my bleeding heart for this gift you've chosen for my birthday, nearly two years ago. I loved the book and remain in your eternal debt.
(not payable by Mastercard, Maestro or Visa)

Ah, how I love to read such books. Very sensual and vivid, even though I have mixed feelings about the sex scenes in Bitten, I still like it overall.

Cartoons
Not many of you heard, but there will be a new Transformers cartoon. I think it's cool, most people think the style is awful and that it's going to suck. Then again, people always say that about new things. The only thing I was worried about is how they will make toys for this cartoon with those designs!? The panel at Comic-Con showed the prototypes of some and finished products of others and they look great. Soundwave turns into come kind of van-like car and has a guitar! That made me laugh... I'm really starting to like it but it comes out next year, so there's half of this one to go through with.

Other than that, I'm watching three ongoing Anime at the moment. Bleach is in filler stages, which is annoying but Naruto Hurrican Chronicles finally had the fight with Sasori and it's excellent, much better than Deidara vs Gaara. D.Gray-Man is going nicely, a bit slow but the plot thickens...

Series
No internet meant I had loads of time to watch series. So I finished what I had of Painkiller Jane and Raines. The first season of Ghost Whisperer and the first two seasons of Medium. Excellent stuff to watch but I quickly ran out of my stash so I finally picked up Prison Break, I have to say that from what I heard I expected something better, but I really like the whole portrayal of the prison environment.

Toys
I had one of those "you live only once" moments, so I bought Barricade, from the Transformers Movie which I haven't yet seen. The toy is excellent, I really like how the car and robot modes look and am impressed with the transformation sequence. It took me a while to get it right, to know what are the limits of all the joints without smashing them, it's crucial that you are gentle with these things, the paint on the sides (the words POLICE) are already peeling off. The transformation from robot to car is a bit tricky at the end. You have to put everything in just the right place and put enough pressure on the whole back to make it click and then it is excellent. It's hard because I don't want to break it!


Roleplaying
It's only a few more days for my pre-ordered copy of Changeling: The Lost to arrive. If it's cool enough, I might take that proposal from Weregoat and Rabbitpurr to set up a game on RPoL for them.

Speaking of which, the Orphanage game is going through the hiatus, apparently Deoq and another player are outside the internet range, while a third one is MIA.

United We Stand game is doing extremely well. One player said he'll be slower but right now he is in a solo thread with the rest being scattered around the Hundred Kingdoms doing some quests worthy of heroes. Our First Lunar NPC Solar Bonded to one PC has finally made an appearance, the Dawn is going travelling through the towns to make an army, while the rest is very close to fighting some demon kittens!

I've recently started a Werewolf: The Forsaken game in Polish, but one player seems to be ignoring it although he said he would post, without him it's down to two players, which is kinda bad. I'll have to hunt him down now...

I finished the German writing part in half of the given time... should be okay...

On Friday, we had a class on religion in the UK for Identity & Culture. It appears I'm now known as the resident expert on Paganism...

I also finished a translation for my friend and now I should work a bit on the introduction to my novel for Creative Writing. The tutor from those classes said that I should write about how I struggle to write in English, which I just don't see... yeah, sure, I am not a native, I make mistakes, but I don't think it's a wonder that I can't write perfect English on something which heavies over my emotions... and even then, I hardly make the mistakes most people do when writing in English as their second language... and she just keeps going on "I wouldn't be able to write in another language", so am I wrong to think that what she can't isn't reflective on what others can and cannot?

Advanced 1

I think I shall stay, it's more on my level than Intermediate was.

Me vs Ich

So, I enter the office of the German Language Teaching Headmistress and try to explain I'd like to try higher-up.

Suddenly... a vicious fight erupts in the ephemeral dimension of my mind.

1: Weißst du was? Du könntest jetzt in Deutsch sprechen, dann werdet du Sie schauen wie gut du bist.
2: I haven't mastered the German language enough to attempt that.
1: Na und?
2: I can't risk failure in this precious moment.
1: Aber du kannst es schon, du kannst ja nicht ausfallen.
2: You can't know that.
1: Na klar ich kann. Na komm schon.
2: No.
1: Du bist ein solche blodman.
2: Oh, hush, I'm trying to talk here.
1: Dann spricht in dieses Sprache.
2: NO!

So I end up having difficulties talking with her in any ne language as I fight with myself for the use of one language...

Week 2

So... I phoned the Loan Company on Monday, and got everything sorted... it seems England will have to deal with my presence for a while.

I was so overjoyed that I joined additional German classes, which I had on Tuesday. The same day I purchased the books needed for my course.

Wednesday saw me searching for a job... went very lousy... even the JobWorkshop at my uni had nothing, although I applied for a position here and there...

Thursday I have no idea what I did.

Friday I had two lectures on my English classes. Mostly how to write an academic paper and a discussion. I did quite well during the discussion... people even agreed with me I also found out I need to decide upon a subject to write an essay in relation to the UK... currently, I'm thinking on something to do with mythology.

Saturday was filled with webdesign and study. During the evening my neighbours kinda started knocking on my door madly and screaming "Get out!!!", but it was bound to happen...

Sunday was again just webdesign and study...

The Language Fiend

I had a German lesson at school on Wednesday, but the regular teacher was replaced by "practitioners". I'm not sure if you do that in your countries, but here it's part of your university examination to have a lesson in a school if your course is the same as a subject taught in schools (German, Polish, Math, English, Biology, etc).

And so, the lesson was quite interesting. We got a text to read and after she asked us if we understand it, I was the only one nodding

Then we got a Right/Wrong Listening Practise, and I pointed to her that "I don't think it's the tape for this exercise." on which she said "Of course it is." but after a minute she declares "Sorry, wrong tape.", one of my school buddies replied "But I've already started." We had a great laugh... then I corrected some spelling mistakes she did and pointed to her that I don't think the answer she gave us is correct, so she promised to check it at home.

Today she declared the whole class that there was a mistake in the book and I was right.

Unfortunately, I'm still not done with my Valentine's Day depression...

Busy

School has been taking most of my time recently.

I have just finished doing my Math homework, that I'll have to write down on A4 paper tomorrow after school.

I'd love to do so many things, I'd like to start writing the stories that dwell in my mind, maybe I could even try and write a book. I have eight unread books, that are just lying there, waiting for a miracle. I'd love to try drawing a webcomic (for which I already have a plot, physics, characters, etc. that could last for a couple of years). But I can't, I'd have to stop doing my homework, and that can only result in downgrading my grades even further (bloody school).

I had an oral German exam today for a better grade. Of course I didn't prepare myself for it (like I ever prepare myself when it comes to English/German), it was me and a girl from my class, we were standing there, and the teacher asked us questions. She asked me one question, I thought for a moment, and answered so fast and with such an eloquence that I got an applause from my class... and then the teacher started to ask questions to the girl... I had like 2 minutes of attention while she got 6 minutes... Ich bin gut

I'll better go to sleep, I still have a lot to do tomorrow and the day after... Good WIIWYL!!!