Viel Glück an alle

March 1, 2014....the first day of the challenge...and my second year.  I was not sure I would do the challenge this year because I feared it would take time from my daily German lessons.  I have become a bit obsessed about learning German because we are taking a river cruise from Amsterdam to Vienna this summer.  I don't expect to converse much in German unless I could convince the person speaking to me to speak in slow motion.  My ears just have not yet adjusted to listening and understanding. 

Ray and I bought the Rosetta Stone German program..."The best way to learn German!"  Both of us had taken German...I had three years in high school and Ray took German in college.  That, of course, was many years ago, so my German was the basic "Hello, how are you?" or things like
"Die Katze ist Schwarz (the cat is black).  I can ask your age and answer that "Ich bin dreiundsechzig Jahre alt" (I am 63 years old).   But most of my knowledge is not practical.  That is why I decided to tackle German again....to learn enough to be able to read signs, menus, and instructions. 


I wish I would have listened to my high school teacher, Herr Werba.  He was strict...quick with an eraser to throw at those not paying attention or spit out a tirade of German words...most not being in our German/English dictionaries. 


Herr Werba  (The pictures are from my high
school year book...so a bit blurry.

 It wasn't easy to hide behind someone's head either when a question directed my way because there were not many students taking German.  I wonder now if it was Herr Werba's reputation...or as some called him Fuhrer Werba.  All of my friends were taking Spanish, French or Latin...and a few even opted for Chinese or Russian.  (Our school had gotten a grant to open a Chinese/Russian department.)  Herr Werba left the teaching profession unexpectedly my sophomore year.  His replacement was a young, smiling Miss Marnet...and the next year there was an increase in the number of male students interested in taking German.


 



Miss Marnet





I don't know why I did not take French.  My fifth grade teacher was from France and we learned a lot of French that year.  (It was much easier at that young age)  She had us doing our math in French, all of our class parties were in French.  We even learned the French national anthem.  Many of her instructions were given in French...like 'Fermez la porte' (close the door)...or one we heard quite often, 'Fermez votre bouche' (close your mouth). 

Well, it looks like I got completely off topic so I will attempt to swing back.  Today is March 1, 2014, the first day of this year's challenge.   I am looking forward to reading a lot of interesting posts and hope to write something everyday.  Viel Glück an alle in dem Schreiben der Scheiben des Lebens.  (Good luck to all in writing your Slices of Life.)