German life

Lately I have just been posting after having travelled somewhere new. Today however, I decided that I wanted to post an update on what I have been doing IN Frankfurt. The last month or so I have been enjoying my time at home so much I have little desire to run away to somewhere new. Even as I look out my window right now and see driving rain.... It was sunny a little while ago! Ok.... now it is hailing, kind of violently and with lightning!!!

The main reason I have been having so much fun is softball. I love it! It keeps me so busy, having practice two evenings a week and then games on the weekend. Yesterday we had our second game of the season, which meant I was at the field from 10.30 until 6! Totally worth it though. Sometimes on free days I find myself wishing I had softball. We had a photographer at the game and had a team photo taken. I will post it as soon as it is on the website. I have not been playing yet (still waiting to be added to the team list), but there may be photos of me at practice. Here is an newspaper article on the team: http://www.fnp.de/fnp/sport/regional/frankfurt/eine-runde-ohne-abstiegssorgen-fuer-frankfurt-1860_rmn01.c.9773846.de.html (I am the player from Kanada!)

Other things I have been enjoying: my new bike, the students at school, getting the library ready, learning German...

Softball will be a good way to learn German. But it is funny, because the main places I am surrounded with German are at softball, in sports class, and when the kids are out playing at school. This can leave some rather interesting phrases that I know. Some examples:

- alle gegen alle! (all against all - when they want to play everyone for themselves football)

- auf die Plätze, fertig, los! (on your marks, get set, go!)

- Schläger (baseball bat)

- wechseln (change, for changing stations at practice)

- Trikot (jersey)

- Läufer (runner)

There are many more softball terms that I've learned. Because we have a number of English speakers on our team there ends up being a mixture of the languages spoken. Most of the other English speakers are pretty good with German, and sometimes we end up with sentences half in German and half in English. 

I also have German class once a week. This week I learned something that, as an English speaker, I found amusing. In German words are often put together when they are representing one thing. We were talking about how to tell time and I wanted to know how to say something would take two and a half hours. Of course, in German that becomes zweieinhalb Stunden. So then I asked what one and a half would be: eineinhalb! I found that a very amusing word :)

And now the sun has come out again, so I will leave you until another time.