The halfway point

Three months since my last entry… okay, so my plan to write once a fortnight didn't quite work out. But that means one of two things; either that I'm just pure lazy or that I've simply been so busy that I haven't found the time… I'd say, it's a bit of both to be honest. But since I've had a lot of spare time on my hands recently (more of that later), I thought now was the time I actually wrote something here. Even more so, with 1st August marking the halfway point of my EVS. (Quite a scary thought. I still refuse to accept I've already been here for six months. That just doesn't make any sense!)

Starting with work, I've now moved in with the 'Enten' (ducks). In other words, I'm now working with the babies! The seriously cute under-two-year-olds. So I miss being able to have conversations, but instead I get a thousand hugs a day and no backchat or cheek. Not a bad trade, if you ask me. Admittedly, I was a little apprehensive when I first found out about the move (they're so fragile!), but I was relieved when I found out I wasn't allowed to change any nappies (phew…) and chuffed when the kids instantly took a shine to me. With other groups, it took weeks, in some cases months, before all of the kids accepted me. So it's great, I'm really enjoying it, even if it means more work and earlier mornings.

Outside of the kita, so much has been happening… But to explain and go through every single thing would be too… well, it's just not gonna happen. Therefore I've decided instead to give awards to some of the most memorable moments. So, here we go…

1) Favourite festival: Although I've been to a lot of festivals and random events so far this summer, this award is quite easy… the highlight by far was Karneval der Kulturen (Carnival of Cultures). I didn't see the parade, but the street festival was huge and lasted four days. I went on three of those, it was that good and there was so much to see. Hundreds upon hundreds of stalls, offering food, drinks, handicrafts, jewellery, you-name-it, from all over the world. As well as four stages with great live music, plus smaller performances dotted all over the place. It really was a great atmosphere. Best part for me, though, was finding the Jamaican stand. Jerk chicken and fried dumplings, hmm…

2) Funniest 'take a picture, it'll last longer' moment: I get stared at a lot in Weißensee (the area of Berlin where I work), but on the day I brought my twin sister to the kita, the staring went to a completely different level! It started when we got off the bus and walked past a building site, where the builders literally downed tools to have a good, hard, long stare… a little too weird. But once in the kita, it was so funny to see the kids' reactions. All of a sudden there were 'two Anneka's' and they couldn't quite believe what they were seeing. We almost caused a few accidents, with kids suddenly halting their tricycles, scooters and Bobby-Cars to stare. Not great on Traffic Safety Day…

3) Best tour: I went on a few tours with my sis while she was here. For example, we did a five-hour bike tour, which was good, but my favourite was a street art tour with Alternative Berlin (www.alternativeberlin.com). The tour itself around Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg was indeed interesting, but the best bit was definitely the two-hour workshop afterwards, where we got to make our own stencils and then put them onto canvas, which made a nice little souvenir to take home. I was quite proud of my Michael Jackson, I've gotta admit!

4) Biggest change: This has to be getting two new housemates. After five months of living alone in a big old flat, last month two new girls arrived: Victoria from Spain and Ayca from Turkey. They're doing their EVS's with the same organisation as me, but we're all at different kitas. It was so strange at first when they moved in. It's crazy how much you can get used to being alone. Or, at least, how much I got used to it. I think most people would've just gone insane, but for me, after the initial few weeks of 'omg, can't believe I'm all on my tod', I started to quite enjoy the pure freedom living alone gives you. Beginning to miss that now actually, although I didn't think I would. Not by this much, anyway.

5) Craziest 'holiday': It seems to be a German phenomenon that your doctor gives you a serious amount of time off work for the littlest of ailments. In my case: nearly two weeks off for a cold. You don't know how much it hurts just to type that! I usually just drink some Lemsip and get on with it. Okay, the first few days I was pretty bad, but I could've easily have gone to work last week. But not according to my doctor… just thank God, she's allowed me to go back tomorrow. It's enough that I've missed the Vorschüler (the oldest kids) 'graduating' before they start school next week. Still gutted I missed that. Never got a chance to say goodbye to them, either… Not the greatest time to get ill (not like that there's ever a good time!).

But, now that I'm back to full health, next on the agenda is Jamaican Independence Day on Saturday. I'm still hoping to find a decent event for that… Looking further ahead, I have my mid-term meeting at the end of the month, again in Berlin. I already know that a few from the on-arrival training will be there, so it'll be good to see them all again and to catch up, and I'll get to meet some new people too.

I guess that'll be when I next write here, so until then, ciao!