peace . love . joy

020408
I was alone at one of them benches at B2 that links S4 to the main spine. 'Twas trying my best to prepare for my German oral (which was yesterday, 070408, 7.50 pm, tutorial room 115); we were given three sets of 6-8 pictures each, and had to concoct an "interesting" for each set in the past tense, and apparently, not just any form of past tense, but the Partizip II (which I don't quite like because it can get rather confusing).

So there I was trying to fabricate an "interesting" story for the first of the three sets when two girls, or shall I say, young women, came and asked if I could spare them a coupla minutes. And because I was thought that they were most probably from some Christian organisation and were going to ask me to do some survey, or invite me to some upcoming evangelistic event, I asked them what they wanted and upon hearing their reply (I was right!), said that I was a Christian, so if they were going to evangelise, perhaps it would be "better" if they approach another\non-Christian. They said, that it was all right because they simply wanted to extend an invitation to a coupla seminars and that it would cater to both Christians and non-Christians.

After chatting for a while and exchanging email addresses, and they gave me their hp numbers (I'm kinda weary of giving out my hp number as I get weird calls and people trying to ask me out), they were about to leave, when one of them asked what I was studying. She was puzzled at the fact that my German textbook had tons of caricatures. So I said I was studying for my German.

To which she asked if I needed any help. Of course, I needed all the help I could get! She said she had a friend who flew in from Germany specially to participate in this Alpha Track course, and would ask her, on my behalf, if she were willing to help me out. And I was like okay! She then asked me for my number and told me the girl's name in case she did sms me. Gave it in faith and hope that my number wouldn't be used for purposes other than just for that German girl to contact me.

030408
"Hallo megan, my classmates gave me your number. i'm ****, the german girl. so, not to sure i can help you in some things, but will try. hope uhave nice day till now. fell free to msg me."
She actually made contact! I was pretty doubtful she'd call. I mean, she's here on a Christian course and was willing to help me out; she had no need and didn't owe anybody anything, but she's just willing to help me out! She even asked if I'd like to meet up with her over the weekend to practice! Fantastic.

I felt bad to ask so much of her, and I don't think I'm in dire need of someone to correct my prnounciation (it's not perfect, but it's understandable); I just needed someone to help take a look at what I've written in preparation for my oral test and see if it flows. So we exchanged email addresses.

040408
I emailed her what I wrote for all three stories with the pictures attached in case my sentence structure was so hideous such that it was beyond all human comprehension.

060408
She emailed them back to me with some corrections. She didn't change the story, or add new sentences, or delete my ideas. She just corrected the grammar mistakes that I overlooked and helped with the flow of the story (ie. connecting words...).

070408
Morning and afternoon found itself with me desperately trying to memorise them three stories and praying that Herr Thauvin wouldn't ask me any questions. It's not that my German is so bad until I cannot answer questions on the spot; rather, it's because when the teacher asks me a question, my mind becomes as white as a white board with no markings on it. It's frustrating to me because I know I know the answer, but I just can't for the life of me conjure it up when it is needed! Argh!

Meikee messaged me sometime in the afternoon asking if I were willing to trade places with her and Diana (ie. be third last instead of being the last to be tested) because they were just starting to write their stories. My answer? Really typical of a student who's worked herself up into a frenzy: "What?! No! Don't want!" Really unhelpful, really un-Christ-like. Sigh. So much more for me to learn, so much more for me to go before I become even a shadow of what He is.

I drew the lot (to decide which set of pictures I would describe), and received the number I so dreaded to see: Bild 2. I really hoped I wouldn't get that one because I honestly had nothing "interesting" to say. It was the most boring story out of all the three.

I went to the back of the tutorial room to prepare (without any notes), while Meikee stepped up front and had her oral test. Though I was trying my hardest, I couldn't help but overhear Herr Thauvin and Meikee conversing in a mixture of English and German, and him laughing a little here and there. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, or rather, he seemed to be having fun.

After she was done, it was my turn. Herr Thauvin asked me to begin, and then picked up his opened file and sat there, eyes downcast to look at his file, with his face emotion-less. So it began. He didn't say much, definitely didn't laugh. The only times he spoke up was to either tell me to restructure, or help me restructure, my sentence into a Partizip II one, not the one that I preferred and therefore used, because at level two, we had yet to formally learn that. I think he sort of gave up halfway. But I did try to restructure my sentence to use Partizip II! The only time he spoke to me in English was to clarify what I wanted to say, when I had trouble trying to form my sentence to mean "As they were boarding their airplane,..."

Just for fun, here's what I said:
"Hier ist die Familie Schneider. Jeden Abend essen sie zusammen und sehen dabei fern. Letzten Sommer, als sie wiedermal zusammen fernsehen sahen, sahen sie eine Werbung im Fernsehen für das Hotel Sonnenschein.

Herr Schneider hat zu seiner Familie gesagt: „Ich denke, wir sollen in den Urlaub fahren. Gehen wir doch ins Hotel Sonnenschein!“ So haben sie sich aus einem Reisebüro einen Ferienkatalog geholt. Sie waren sehr aufgeregt.

Sie buchten eine Reise für die nächste Woche und haben ihr Gepäck eingepackt. Die Eltern haben zu ihren Kinder gesagt: „Vergesst eure Badeanzüge nicht!“ Am Tag des Abflugs haben die aufgeregte Familie ein Taxi zum Flughafen genommen.

Als sie an Bord das Flugzeug gegangen haben (?can't remember what he said?), bemerkten sie, dass viele andere Leute auch das gleiche Flugzeug bestiegen. Sie dachten, „vielleicht machen sie auch alle Urlaub im Hotel Sonnenschein gefahren.“

An Bord das Flugzeug, obwohl die Stewardessen Getränke und Imbisse verteilten, konnten die Schneiders nichts essen, weil sie zu aufgeregt waren.

Sie haben schnell ein Taxi zum Hotel genommen, nachdem sie gelandet waren. Als sie das Hotel erreichten, waren sie sehr enttäusch. Hotel Sonnenschein war noch im Bau!"

He did not ask me any questions.

Maybe he was tired.
Maybe my German was so horrible until he simply gave up.
Maybe God was answering my prayer.
Maybe it was all three (and more!).

When we were done, he said "okay, das ist alles, ja?" "Ja." Then I pick up my paper with the pictures on it, shuffled to where my bag was. Three "shhh-" noises as my sandal-clad feet moved; I counted. Three more as I made my way to the door and out into the corridor where Meikee, Diana and Winston were waiting.

As I was walking from the mrt to my home, with Rammstein screaming into my ear "Asche! Asche!", I realised I did not thank Herr Thauvin! Neither did I bid him good night! Mein Gott, bin ich so vergesslich und so unverschämt? Sigh...

But you know what made me really happy?
An sms and a replying email:

"So sorry to trouble u *blush* thanks again for helpin me out! Really thank God to have met you, man.."

"Yes, and definitly it was God, who arranged it for you....Ha, he really loves you =)"