I'm working now at inlingua, a language institute, as an English teacher. That's going pretty well, and I'm hoping that I will be able to pay my bills with just that, and let the waitressing job go. (Though the food I got from it was uncommonly good.) Altogether, I'm still in the settling in process, but that is likely to go on for some time. German is always improving, thanks to chatty flatmates and New German Friends.
Bureaucratically, of course, it's a nightmare... enough said. German culture isn't really all that different from American in the sense that there is plenty of the same consumer frenzy, though the percentage of sensible people who live on an even keel seems to be much higher. A few funny things, though... no all night diners, and no thrift shops. Which is a pretty large blow to my wardrobe, as for the past 4 years, I have been cultivating the Salvation Army Chic look. On the other hand, you can buy good beer at the movie theater for 2.80 euros. It's a trade off, and I'm happy to do my thrift shopping when I go to Scotland.
Musically, life has been a bit of a bust, so far. Practicing has been alright, though I still don't have anywhere to do it, other than my cramped bedroom... but I haven't had much success finding a teacher. Though honestly, I have been too busy setting up my life to do a whole lot of searching. But man, do I want a voice lesson.
Other than that, life is full of running errands, going out dancing until 6am, sleeping in, (so far, I am only teaching evenings, though that is likely to change eventually) and lesson planning. Not a bad life, altogether. Here are some pictures of the apartment, where I will be moving in September. Not as much counterspace as I would like, but they make up for it by having an on-the-stove espresso maker.
