German course

As I promised I'll write a bit more about the course I took part in, called "intensive language course".
It was offer to all the exchange students (not only from FHW, but also from FHTW, TU a TFH), for free, even 5 credits should be gained by paricipation. So I took the offer and participated. First we had to write a placement test and according to its results we were divided into 10 groups/levels.

I got to the last group, the higheste level. But I guess that if there was an oral part of the placement test also, I would definetely not be at that group. Cause I don't have many problems with understanding (though the Berliner Akzent is very strange), the biggest problems I have with speaking.. So I hoped I would get chance (or maybe would be pushed to) talk.

Well, our teacher somehow liked to talk as well. So mostly it was her who was talking. Maybe if we would more active, we could have talked much more. But we got used to listen to her and not react that much, somehow. Probably we were all too lazy or sometimes just to sleepy.
(The course took place at FHTW, near Karlshorst, which, for example for me, meant nearly 1,5 hour spent in public transport.. and as the course started at 9 am every day...)

But generally it was a nice experience. There was a lot of interesting people in our group, from all over Europe, and not only (Poland, France, Denmark, the Neatherlands, Finnland, Russia, Hungary, Georia, ...). And there was also another girl from the Czech Republic :) so I could speak Czech with her, that was nice... ;)

Our teacher, Frau Stolpe, is a wonderful woman, although she is too talkative to be a language teacher I'd say. But for the rest she's really great. Not only because she used to bring us some cookies or chocolate nearly every day. But for all the things she did in her life, for the big heart she certainly has. She's that kind of a person that would share her last food with you, no doubt. Although sometimes we were silently complaining about her speaches (that I called "psychological intejection"), she told us many interesting things and made us think about them. And that was good.

During the 2 weeks we talked about various topics. From the meaning of happiness to environmental issues, cultural differences, gender issues, rising of population, Iraq war or Chinas economical boom.. and much more. I really quite miss that. I guess rest of the studies here won't be that relaxing...