It's been awhile!!

So its been awhile since I updated this! Right then what have I been doing? Well for the Bank Holiday I went to Kerry to visit people and I came home no longer single! (Yes I know I haven't told you mum, but I have now!) Had a great laugh in the Brandon Hotel. Have pics up over on Picasa Webs

From October Bank holiday 2008 - Kerry

From October Bank holiday 2008 - Kerry

I have also been on Mid-term from College so have no classes in the last week but back to it tomorrow night!

Halloween was great fun. I went to Rubies as a Knight and came 3rd! Wooooooo! :D

From Halloween 2008

From Halloween 2008

More over on Picasa Webs

Pics, Pics and Pics - Finally!

So I finally get around to uploading pictures! Yes, I know I'm home over a month at this point but in all seriousness I couldnt look at them until now, even now they are bringing tears to my eyes as I cry looking at pics of the Boys, Koeln, and all my friends in Koeln! Enjoy them!

Rheinpark

Around the House

Going Away Jamesons - Part 1

Going Away Jamesons - Part 2

Going Away - ExCorner

Enjoy and reminise!

I Never Knew I Meant So Much To People

I have stated since I left Germany that I plan on going back there, the problem is, its going to be very hard to that. The reaction of my friends since I got back has really touched me. Its been wonderful been back and meeting everyone again and all the hugs and kisses cause I know I have missed all my friends in Cork, I just didn't realise how much they missed me. This is going to make it so much harder to leave the next time, especially if it is more long/medium-term like I was(?) planning. I will face that when it comes, but it will make that decision so much harder.

Of course I miss all my friends too in Koeln and I will be back for a visit next year, more then likely for Karnival!

But back to my friends here, the things people have said since I got back and being out dancing in Freakscene and Ruby's has made my relationships with my friends so much stronger as I realise how much I appreciated them and what I mean to them. I actually have tears in my eyes writing this. I am not sure why, but it shows how touched I have been!

anyway ciao for now!
Steve
xxx

I'm Home!

Hallo alles!!

So I'm back in Cork at home and sitting in the living room on mz sisters laptop! Strange to be home, I'm excited as I met a friend on the plane from Amsterdam! Amsterdam was great fun and I'll post up about it later!

Again thanks to ALL my friends who turned up at Koeln Hauptbanhof and made me cry and give me a lovely card and everything! I'll miss ye!!!!

Koeln was a great expeirence and will reminesce while trying to learn German and find a job!!

So anyway I'm off to bed take care.

Tschues,
Steve

So Long Farewell!

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu and yieu and yieu
So long, farewell, au revoir, auf wiedersehen
I'd like to stay and taste my first champagne
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye -- Goodbye

That among other songs in German and to do with saying Goodbye are flying around my head today. So today I leave Köln and I am genuinely sad. Köln has become my home, it is just fabulous. The people, my friends, everyone I have met has been wonderful.

So I leave from the HauptBahnhof at 15:25 on my 1st leg of my journey to Amsterdam. There will be four legs. I'll have a notebook with me, se expect to see random musings posted some time next week from the trip.

Im looking forward to seeing my parents today, I havent seen them for 5 months so it will be great to see them. I am also looking forward to seeing all my friends and Cork CSD! I mean Pride! I have definately gone native so will drive people crazy at home with my German mannerisms!!!

So again thank you to everyone I have met in Köln for making my stay so wonderful! Remember this blog is not over yet! I may no longer be an Au Pair, but I shall be learning German with a view to moving back here! My Mother didn't sound too impressed with that idea but anyway!

So Tschüs for now, the fun of job hunting gets into full swing also next week!!
Steve

Thank You

I would at this point like to thank everyone I have met in Köln ensuring that I had the best time possible here. I will not name names as I will leave someone out!

You know who ye are though, the Toytown Crowd, the MultiCulti, the regulars in corners, random people I meet from other countries (yes thats you Lee and other people also!), the mothers on the school run, my host family and their extended family, the teachers at the boys school, random people who stop and talk to me as I speak english, the boys (of course) without whom I wouldnt be here and life would have been very boring without!

Köln and the Kölner people have had a huge impression on me (with help of all of the above) in making returning to Germany and Köln in particular a life goal for me! So this blog will not disappear and I will continue to learn (well really start properly) to learn German!

So keep checking on the blog!

Ciao
Steve

Less then two weeks left

So less then two weeks left and I nearly committed murder during the week! The boys were really acting up on Tuesday and Wednesday, but they have calmed now. We were fighting like Cats and Dogs. Me being stubborn though did not give in! As thursday was a Bank Holiday they had a sports thing so that allowed them cool off away from me as I stayed at home. So all is well!

I didnt go out for Tanz in den Mai as I bought my ticket for Amsterdam. I dont get how I can travel to Amsterdam from Cologne for 40€ yet in Ireland its 70€ for Cork to Dublin. I dont understand it at all!

Im getting that mixed feeling about going home. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends there at home but I will miss my friends here. The one thing thats helping is I get to see Amsterdam on the way home. We are going to Anne Franks house, so that will be well worth it!

Having leaving drinks on Friday, will post details when I have decided what Im doing!

100th Post: 42 days to go!

Well this is my 100th post! :D Wooo! But today I have also realised I have 42 days left in Köln before I depart for Amsterdam to meet my Parents and fly home! I will be sad leaving in Köln as it has become my Home since January and it feels like a home now. I actually know my way around Köln better then some of my friends who have been here since last year!

I will miss all my friends here, the Crazy Ukrianians I met at Karnival, the usual crowd in corner and of course the TT Crowd, who have been a great support!

At the same time I will be glad to be going home to meet all my friends again, go to my old haunts (yes I know it was only four months since I was there!) and just enjoy beening back in Cork with friends and family.

This post is not a reflection on my time here in Köln but that will be coming before I leave, probably in the last week or so! Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest!

Tschüss!
Steve

Photo's from Paddy's Day

So I promised these on Monday, I know im sorry! I only uploaded them to facebook yesterday. Heres a few of the pics and the link below will bring you to the facebook album!





Yes, my hair was green. Facebook Paddy's Day Album

I dont know where this is going...

Well the mother was on to me asking whats happening to the blog and basically everything has lost its newness here and is rather mundane. Tomorrow might be different though. The boys have a day off! I am currently racking my brains for an idea of what to do.... Suggestions welcome!!! I hope it is a nice day.

The weather at the moment is freezing! This morning was the warmest since the start of the week. Its was 2 degrees! It was -4 yesterday so I'm happy with +2!

My nationality was called into question alot at the weekend. People thought I was Dutch and Iranian! Thats another two long ones to add to the list of countries people think I'm from! Probably could make a map!

The gig the other night was fantastic and the meal and the company (the TT crowd) was suberb!

This whole not drinking thing isnt working. On Thursday I agreed at late notice to go to a multi-cultural meetup with my 'Girlfriend' more on that later...., but anyway, being the creature of habit I am, while waiting for the tram, I bought a bought a bottle of Kölsch! Forgetting totally I am off drink... so instead I am cutting down. I now only drink Dreckseck and cola, no vodka, jagear etc etc. Oh Dreckseck is Kölsch mixed with cola.

So the 'Girlfriend' thing... this is funny... myself and one of the TT girls, who is french but studied in Ireland and gets and Irish accent when she talks to me, is often mistaken for my 'Girlfriend'. It happened firstly over my facebook pic >>>
but it happened Thursday night also! We are thinking of getting T-Shirts printed any ideas on what they should say??

Okay I ended up saying more then I though I would. Right to this weekend is Sports weekend for me! Yay! On saturday we have all sides in action in the Rugby 6 Nations!

• 15:00 GMT (16:00 CET) Wales v Italy, Millennium Stadium,


• 17:00 GMT (18:00 CET) Ireland v Scotland, Croke Park,


• 21:00 CET (20:00 GMT) France v England, Stade de France,

Then on Sunday Night (more like Monday morning) you have Klitschko vs. Ibragimov in a Boxing Unification match. Its on at 4:30am here, but I will endevour to try and stay up. Needless to say I don'T think Ill be going out this weekend, maybe Friday???

Right I think thats it for now!

Tschüss!
Steve

ValentinsTag Anti-dote

Okay so get over the ValentinsTag (Valentines Day) blues, my self and a few TT'rs are going out to drown our sorrows (I'm off the drink, I know but I might make an exception!). We are meeting at rudolfplatz starbucks and going for Mexican! yay!

We are doing a kinda secret santa where everyone brings a box of chocolate and we exchange em! It will be nice! (Note to self get a box of chocolates!)

Then its on to Jameson's on Friesen Str to see the Afflicted. Should be good fun!

God I think I'm becoming the TT notice board for Köln!

yea, i know im neglecting this blog...

well i intend to make up for it now!! :D
so lets get to it. Mixture of subjects today, have a rough list written but we will see where it goes.

Letter Writing
I've started writing letters home to family and friends and its great fun. though when writing them I feel like I'm back in Mr. O'Hallorans History class, trying to write as much as in can in a short space of time. The last letter home to a friend who regularly texts me was four pages long! you can say so much more in a letter. If you want a letter email me or text me!

The Boys and Irish
The boys have asked me to speak more in Irish to them. Now I am glad I can speak Irish, but its amazing how much comes back when you try and formulate sentences! Though I miss my Irish - English Dictionary.

Update on the Boys
The last two mornings have been a struggle barely getting out the door on time to get the tram. We were late today, thankfully the tram was late also (It happens rarely!)!

Apart from that things are going well, though I'm getting a lot of "It's not my problem" when they wont do what they are told!

Irish in Köln
I met two lads who studied in UL on firday in one of my regular haunts and they knew all my friends back in UL. Crazy! I can never get away from Ireland!! :D Had a great night!

I'm Giving Up Drink
*Shock Horror* and all that. Yes, im cutting down on the amount of Kölsch I am drinking. Im only giving up till Paddy's Day mind. Or if another excuse comes along I'll take that! :D

Valentines Day (ValentinsTag)
So Thursday is the day Hallmark loves. I'm going to hate it. I'm not normally a big Vale's day person but being single in a different country will make it that bit more depressing.

Ireland V France (6 Nations)
Went out on saturday to watch the Match on RTE in one of the Irish Pubs with the TT Gang. Had a great laugh, pity we lost. Though it was only me (Ireland) and Helene (France) watching the match. We even had flags!! We are crazy, wait till Paddy's day, then we will be CRAZY!!!

Okay think thats it for now. Remember if you want a letter I need an address!!

Karneval: photos

Okay so i finally uplodaed photos from Karneval.

Weiberfastnacht, Thursday 31st of January
Karneval Samstag, Saturday 2nd of February
Rosemontag Part 1, Monday 4th of February
Rosenmontag Part 2, Monday 4th of February

I could write all day about what happened at Karneval but I think the pictures tell the story. I did take videos but I have no software that I can understand to edit it, so will have to wait till Im back in Ireland for them!

Needless to say I WILL be back for Karneval. It was crazy different and exciting. I met people from all over the world (Ukraine to Canada!) and have made good friends.

Anyone who says the Irish are crazy has not been to Köln for Karneval!!!

Karneval Hangover

So Karneval finishs tonight at 12:00CET. Thank god. I cant go on with this really. me hgead is pounding. The parade yesterday was great fun and the weekend was excellent and i mad emore friends. always important. tomorrow i will do a proper post i promise. and ill post videos!! :D

I was bored so I made this

Well I have Windows Movie Maker on this PC and decided to make a Slide show with it today! here is the result!



PS I love that song!

The morning evening after the night before

Well as I am off to sunnier foreign climes on Friday, I held a a going away 'do' last night. What a fab night it was. All my close friends were there and I was hammered. I started work at 6:45am yesterday but finished at 10:00am as it was my last day and had time in lieu saved up. (5 and 1/2 hours!!) but neways I started drinking at 5:30pm so by midnight i was Locked. I do not have funny stories or anything but I would like to thank those who attended and the results of the night are on Facebook. See the links below.

I am going out New Years Eve if people are wondering if they will see me out again!

Also I hope before Friday to do a series of pieces of places I will miss in Cork.

Going Away Party Album 1

Going Away Party Album 2

PS the pic is of me very hungover with 'Bed head' to quote Yvonne!