On 1st September 2017, I finally arrived in London. I had been waiting for this day for months and now I’m finally here in England. I’m a 22-year-old trainee teacher and I will now begin my 5th semester abroad.
For three months, I will work as a German assistant at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham, Suffolk. The first interesting thing to say about Thomas Mills is that it is the former school of Ed Sheeran. This might be the only source of jealousy from my friends back home.
But there are also other advantages of spending three months in the East of England. First of all, I want to improve my English skills, as unfortunately I haven’t yet had the chance to spend a longer amount of time in an English-speaking country.
I had the privilege to arrive in a sunny England which is not always the case since England is known as being always cloudy and rainy.
On my first day in England my teaching supervisor showed me the lovely coast of Southwold. The weather was perfect again, apart from some clouds. Hence, from a long pier I could admire the coast line of Southwold. I even got the chance to try chips with vinegar, but I must admit, I rather prefer ketchup or mayonnaise. I haven’t had the chance yet to try fish and chips, but I’m just waiting for the next opportunity because this traditional British dish is a must when being here! Apropos food, something I think is very tasty but which I haven’t tried before, is butternut squash. I don’t think it’s English at all, but it’s delicious.
Back in Winston I got the chance to get to know my host family. Winston is a very small village, next to, but by no means dependent on Debenham. The area is very rural and idyllic but I really like it because it gives you the opportunity to escape from the busy everyday life.
What made me smile are the ‘footpaths’. I’m also from a quite rural area, but you can find loads of footpaths or cycle ways. In comparison, the English countryside is quite different. Here small pieces of green on the edges of numerous acres are considered ‘footpaths’. They are definitely idyllic, but you should probably wear hiking shoes. If there is no footpath you can just walk on the street.
My host family is very open-minded, friendly and sporty! On the first Saturday, my host parents and I completed the ‘parkrun’ in Ipswich which is a 5km run and everyone, no matter what age or fitness can take part. Funny was, that there were also other German people, so the announcer was nearly afraid that the run would be taken by Germans.
On Thursday, my host mother and I attended circuit training at Debenham Leisure Centre. It was really fun, but now I feel muscles that I’ve never felt before. The fact that everyone can attend the course is really positive. I like that several generations can come together, chat with each other, do their work out and it doesn’t matter how fit you are.
At the weekend I went to Ipswich and Norwich, two very nice cities inviting for long shopping tours. At first glance, I must admit Norwich seems to be prettier, possibly because of its historic town centre with its lovely facades.
The first two weeks were very exciting and until now I’m enjoying every moment, because everyone, whether at home or at school is so open-minded, warm and friendly, so that I really look forward to having a great time here in England.
In my next entry, I will tell you something about the school life and how it is, to be a German language assistant at an English school.
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