Bending the truth for linguistic ease

It isn't actually lying.

I like to listen to language acquisition podcasts and read about learning languages. I know, I am totes fun! I only speak 2 languages and one of those incredibly quickly and one with a laissez faire approach to finessing the details. People who speak multiple languages fascinate me. I think that it is absolute envy to be honest. I hate not being able to communicate and know what is going on. As a kid in Australia in the suburbs from a 7th generation Anglo Saxon family  on both sides there was very little experience of other languages and I didn't start learning German until I was 26. Actually, to expand on that I didn't get a passport and travel to another country until I was 27. Australia is big and airfares were really expensive in the 70s, and 80s so it wasn't until I had finished uni and saved up that I went overseas for the first time. So, you can see that the need to learn another language was a low priority.

But I digress. I recently heard a posdcast about lying in another language. It was not about sinister lying but lying about time or sequence of events because you don't have the vocabulary or past, present, future tense ability necessary to explain it properly or it would just take too long and sound ridiculous.
In a post about lying I think I also need to state, for the record the following .
I find it really hard to tell lies. I have never been good at it and hate doing it, so therefore I don't.
When I reported my wallet stolen I completely understood the sentence about telling the truth and I had even written it down so as to get the order of events and tense right.

What I do sometimes do when speaking German in those quick interactions with people you don't know but have met at the playground or in a shop is, gloss over things for ease of conversation. This is not easy to do with kids.

Case in point occured a few weeks ago when we were at a playground. This playground is hard to find as it is down a path but I remembered it from when the kids were really small and the Mouse had gone there with school once. So long story short (that is the other thing you might have noticed, my stories are long) we found it again and the Monkey pointed out a newish sign as we entered and we talked about the sign. There was a grandmother at the park with a 1-2 year old and we struck up a conversation about the park being hard to find. I agreed, she mentioned the sign and I feint surprise and enquired where it was as this was easier then saying we had seen it (see all that past tense). At this point the Monkey loudly chipped in that we had not only seen it but had talked about it. There was no coming back from this glossing over of the facts. All I could do was suddenly feint  remembering it. I then decided to improve my sequencing and stop 'lying', at least when the kids could correct me.

Games, Trips, Visitors and the World Cup

Actually about a week and a half!

Two days packed into one. This is my motto for life. It is too short to not make the most of it. Sensibly, my family do tell me to pull back a bit sometimes and that we do need to rest. Not this week/ fotnight..

Post from friends from a holiday 10 weeks ago arrived. A slow postal service is fabulous sometimes as you get to extend the holiday. Herr F and I took advantage of the working and living in the city life to grab a cup of tea and have a 10am date.

I don't win very often but I really enjoy playing. I was sure I had won this time and not just because it was my birthday!!! Current defeats on top of this one include losing to a 10 year old whilst playing this game and losing to a 9 year old (the Mouse) playing a game called sequence. Can I say in my defense that one was an open hand whilst teaching and the Mouse didn't realise she had won. Does that make the defeat better or worse? Oh and I lost to Frau N as well in her first outing in the above game. I just like to model resilience and, when I do win, oh it is a sweet victory!

1,20 Euro icecream scoop! Need I say more.

There were quick trips to the fleamarket in the morning, a fabulous visit by a Japanese friend who moved into our apartment after us last time and brought us all stories of his wonderful family. 

Then 12 o'clock kick off for the Australia versus France match. On the big screen with finger food, thanks Familie N. And what a match! We nearly won! 

Then came a visitor, Frau N from home and we showed here all the really lovely things.

Introduced her to the cool Sunday afternoon on a sunny day cafe/pub location with fellow antipodeans and we threw in a story. I am not sure if the faces on the older two are from the very gingery ginger ale or the gruesome nature of children's stories when you actually realise what they are about.

3 cemeteries with bakery treats before 11 30am school pick up.

Then a bike ride to the forest to do some bird watching with the Mouse that was promised. Frau N and I now realise that you can't casually bird watch. It is all eyes and all concerntration and even when you say, "ok let's take a break", you actually can't. The Mouse could but we couldn't.

We then picked the next two up from school and our bike gang rode into the city for the promised pommes mit mayo/ketchup. That, below is 2 pounds of pommes. We actually ordered 3 but the waitress advised just 2. It was wise, but we all agreed we could have easily eaten 3 but we then thought how wise we were because there was room for icecream. For the record we also looked at cultural things including the cathedral and the Peace exhibition in there and the library. You have to have balance.

After a very stormy pick up of Frau N from the train station that saw her very relieved to see a taxi and not a bike, the sunny shared day in the city from above and way to much cheese Herr F left us to be tour guides and headed to London to wow the German Historical Society. We put in orders for books and food for him to bring back. Along with 5 packets of Yorkie Tea he spoilt us with these.

And suddenly it is the weekend again. 

We had another visitor. Our favourite person from a Hansa Stadt, Herr W. The kids have wanted to do the paddle boats on the lake forever and so we started out Sunday with a turn around the lake. Wisely (not me of course) we only did half an hour as it is actually harder than it looks and if you are tall (again not me) it is tricky on the back. 

Someone is in the sailing club at school and feels very at home on the lake.

This was of course followed by well deserved pommes with a side of falafel, icecream, a play in the park and a look at the wattle and eucalyptus trees in the botanic garden. Then home to eat more cake and watch Germany's first world cup match. We don't need to remember the score.

Someone had a birthday

No matter how old I am I love my birthday!

In Australia my birthday always falls around the Queen's Birthday long weekend and I usually take the opportunity to extend the celebration over about a week. In the ongoing round of public holidays I also got a long weekend here and had a willing accomplice in my wonderful friend and nextdoor neighbour Frau A. Between us we have a garden and a pool and in some great forethought years ago the two houses installed a gate connecting them. We spent the 2 weeks before mowing the grass with a push mower on her side and crossing our fingers that our landlord (whose pool it is and who kindly let's us use it) would get the ph right and that the great weather would hold. After 2 marathon efforts which both lasted 3 days the lawn was no longer long (this is code for all Australians to say that your Dad or Grandad wouldn't have approved of the result but no kids would get lost in it), the pool was looking good and the clouds had come over. As my birthday is in winter in Australia I never got to have a pool party unlike my brother who has a Ferbruary birthday. Now, it isn't that I have based all my life choices on having a pool party in June but when the opportunity arises I have to take it. The first attempt in 2011 is documented early in the blog and involved a blow up paddle pool and it rained. This time I was hoping...and the sun shone through the clouds punctually at 4pm. I didn't actually go in the pool but the kids did. 

My big contribution apart from lawn moving and the resulting blister was PAVLOVA! Two actually a fruit one and a chocolate one (for my 2 fruit adverse boys).

Flowers, there is no better present! 

Lollies are also great too. The Monkey made this spectacular creation...and I think she ate most of it.

  

 Look at that grass! All kids and even Frau J and the Possum got roped in to help out with the mowing and garden work! Hard work in high humidity but a blast never the less.

A beautiful garden, lots of colour, empty plates and a couple of beverages. 

Many signs of a good celebration.

PARIS!

Pfingstferien Paris Trip

Our state has had quite a few public holidays and bridging days to make extra long weekends in the last couple of months and then to wrap it up school had a week off  for Pfingst. Normally it is only a long weekend but the story goes that they (I assume the Ed Dept) realised they had been skimping on public holiday hours for the last few years so we got a whole week off for Pfingst. 

We planned ahead and went to Paris in the hope it wouldn't be as crowded as in the summer.

We are good train travelers but the 5 minute change in Cologne that was reduced to 2 minutes with an unexpected platform change meant that it was pretty tight. We ran down and up the stairs like mad and, as the conductor was shouting to everyone in the same situation; "Just get on the train, don't worry about finding your carriage, Just get on" we jumped on which meant we made the other two connections and had a nice smooth trip from then on. What I didn't realise until just as the doors closed and we were on our way was, that while Herr F and I knew we could just find a new set of connections if we missed the train which is annoying but doable the kids didn't know this. There was a few tears that were also due to imagining what would  have happened if only a part of our crew got on. We reassured the Monkey that the train can't leave the platform whilst either Mum or Dad has one leg on the train and one leg on the platform which is our way to get on the train to make sure we are all there. That explained, it was quickly forgotten then we sat back and relaxed for the rest of the journey. When I say relaxed Herr F doesn't relax at high speeds.

Sometimes you can play it by ear on holidays and sometimes you plan to get the most out of the time you have. This trip was fairly planned out. Our hotel was easy to find though we did have to get the map out at the Metro exit to make sure we headed off in the right direction and in that odd way of making the same mistake over and over again we alway turned the wrong way out of the metro. Only the Mouse got it right every time and she laughed at the rest of us everytime we headed off in the wrong direction.

So with our structured itinerary we made the most out of our buffet breakfast (every day) and headed out with a Metro map in every pocket. Our first stop: the Eiffel Tower.

It was fabulous to see the kids faces when we casually pointed out the Eiffel Tower. The lines weren't to long and after we got through the bag inspection and the tower entry queue we all climbed to the first level, even those of us who don't love heights did it. 

The thrillseekers in our party walked straight out onto the see through platform and attempted to entice those safely holding onto the railings discussing the merits of engineering out onto it too with no success.

The Bear collects coin mangle coins from places we go and this was an excellent distraction to the thought of how high we were. 

NB: we are still looking a week later for where the coin ended up. 

NNB (can you do that): coin found 3 weeks after trip and still I am only just getting this post finished.

Two were brave enough to continue on to the second level and saw an even better view. I am very lucky that Herr F took the parenting sword from the stone and took the Mouse up. They said it was amazing and highly recommend it.

Back on the ground we spent the afternoon wandering around looking at the Eiffel Tower from the ground, having a great cheese toastie lunch in the park in front of the Trocadero, looking at the Arch de Triomphe and strolling along the Champs Elyees. 

The rest of our week in Paris was just amazing. The weather was great and the excitment and joy the kids had at seeing all the things they had heard about was so lovely to witness. No one complained about the walking or the longish line at Versailles or the mini train strike or the strike that saw the Catacombs shut when we arrived (and it turns out stayed shut for a least a week). Everyone just went along for the adventure. 

I think part of what made it so good (apart from just the location and the weather) was that we all decided on a sight/landmark before we left, researched it and then acted as tour guide on that day. The Monkey was fascinated by the Arch la Defense so she took us there and it was somewhere I wouldn't have though to go but it was a great public space to wander around and see. The Bear decided on the Catacombs and wasn't to disappointed when it was closed but took on the job of chief Metro guide and got us from place to place the next day. The Mouse had her heart set on the Lourve and did more study than anyone else. I did the Eiffel Tower and found out that the names on the side of it are all the engineers, architects etc that worked on it and Herr F guided us through Versailles and threw in Notre Dame proving that university and a catholic upbringing do pay off as he didn't have to research.

When the Catacombs were closed and a lesson on the importance of strike action and never crossing a picket line were given we reorientated and wandered to the Luxemburg Gardens which were just one of the loveliest places to sit, play and think about where to head next. Notre Dame was the answer.

I highly recommed the Nintendo DS Louvre Guide. I only read about them the night before our visit and normally I hate the line to get audio guides, the enforced pace and basically I have never got one as I am too cheap. These however, were only 5 euros each, there was no line up to get them and the kids love the system. The best part of it was them retelling us what they had heard or adding to what we could tell them. We tried to buy it at the gift shop as we left (even willing to pay big dollar as it was so good and usable at home) but there were none in english left and we were told they weren't ever getting them in again. And it only cost 20 euros! There were loads in Japanese and Spanish but we thought better of it as none of us speak those languages. Later we looked at Nintendo and you can buy it online. NB still haven't managed to.

I didn't realise I had taken the above photo until I was downloading them later. It is in the tactile gallery in the Louvre where they have plaster versions of some of the sculpture so everyone including the visually impaired can experience the works. I just love how unselfconsious it is and how the Monkey and the sculpture are gazing the same direction.

There are 3 wings in the Louvre and this was my third time in the Louvre and only the first time I made it out of the Denom wing and into one of the others. I was determind to see the original fort foundations.

We got off one station early on our last day to check out our local park the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissment. It was a really great neighbourhood to stay in as we got to see people going about their daily business while we ate breakfast and shopped for dinner.  

While Herr F was the brave one who got us through most things in french (room 212 is tricky to say) I set myself the small task of buying stamps in french and hopefully not having to revert back to english. The kids and Herr F were great supporters. The kids wrote the postcards and Herr F pushed me to try a fifth time to find a shop selling stamps right at the last minute at the train station. It used to be that all Tabac shops sold them but not anymore. Success!!!

 This was such a special holiday for us as a family as the kids were part of the planning and doing and I can't thank my crew enough for this adventure! Let's have more!!!