The Adventure continues - Poznan, Poland

In a few months time we will have our Toastmasters District Conference in Poznan, Poland. As part of our preparations the District Governor, Barbara and I travelled there this past weekend. Barbara had to go there to sign some documents and I went to meet with the team and to continue with the planning.
Because it's winter and whatever means of travel we use it would take several hours, we decided to travel by train. The first train from Nuremberg took 5 hours to reach Berlin and then we had a short wait before our connection to the Berlin - Warsaw express which stops in Poznan and takes about 2 and a half hours. The journey was great and we managed to do lots of work on the train having the luxury of a compartment all to ourselves.
Arriving in Poznan we met a young Polish man who could speak some English and he walked with us most of the way to our hotel. The hotel was only about 10 minutes walk from the station. The hospitality of the staff at the Sheraton hotel was first rate. The young man who checked me in even spoke English with a bit of a Scottish accent, having lived in Edinburgh for over 7 years before meeting a Polish girl there, getting married, starting a family and deciding to return home to his native land.
In the evening a local Toastmaster took us for a walk around the old city and dinner at a typical restaurant.
On Monday we did business, lots of business!
At 17.31 we boarded our train for Berlin. The train was busy but comfortable. After about 1 hour we heard a horrible noise and felt the train rumble and crunch over something on the tracks. I was very thankful that we didn't derail. The train slowed to a halt and after some time it continued on it's way, a little slower than before. There were no announcements. A little later and announcements were made but only in Polish.  My polish only extends to "cheers" and a greeting.
When we arrived in Frankfurt an der Oder, just inside Germany the Police boarded the train and began checking identity documents of a number of passengers. They left the train and then there was a single announcement in German only. "The train has been damaged and can't travel any further so you have to leave. The next train to Berlin is on platform 5 and leaves in 10 minutes." There was a bit of confusion while passengers who understood German left the train and those who didn't wondered what was going on.
The alternative train was a local train that stopped at almost every house! (or so it felt). We were scheduled to catch a flight from Berlin Tegel, had checked in online and watched as the minutes ticked by, so we arrived in Berlin at the same time as the plane would be taking off. All during the journey Barbara's husband was researching options for us, alternative routes, modes of transport and he could see only one option for us.
At Berlin main station we made our way to the travel information place and tried to see if there was another option, but no. There was only one if we wanted to get out of Berlin that night.
David is India and the dog was home alone (but being taken care of by the neighbour) so I really needed to get home as soon as I could. Staying overnight and arriving home Tuesday afternoon would be no good for me.
So we took the night train. This was my first time on a sleeper in Germany. Again we had sole occupancy of our compartment and we settled down to sleep. The guard checked our tickets, saw that we had to change in Frankfurt and said he would wake us half an hour before we arrived at the station. Sleep was fitful, although the bed was comfortable and warm.
In the morning our wake-up call came at 3.30am.  The guard left and we got up immediately only to find that we had locked the compartment door as instructed and couldn't open it! It seemed like an eternity until we managed to free ourselves. A quick freshen up and then it was out on to the cold station concourse to wait for our connection at 4.55am. It was freezing and there was no where to go to get warm or to get a coffee even. Eventually about 4.30 a bakery opened and we managed some hot chocolate to warm us up and get the train for the last 2 hours of train travel to Nuremberg.
I took the U-Bahn to the airport where my car was waiting and saw that it was -7C. No wonder I was so cold!
Glad to be home and warm, although sleepy.

Poznan was great, it was definitely worth the trip.

English as translated

Here are a few examples of translations of English from foreign brochures or signs:

In a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo
"When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigour."

On a hotel room door in Moscow
"If this is your first visit to Russia, you are welcome to it."

On the wall of a doctor's office in Rome
Specialist in women and other diseases."

Standing on the bridge of the years

December 31st for me is always about looking back and looking forward. In some ways it is like standing on the middle of a bridge that you are not really sure you want to cross while the bridge behind you is crumbling away.

Looking back on this year makes me realise how packed full this year has been:

Visits from friends and family has meant that for most months of this year we have had guests. This has been a great pleasure for us to share our home and to have fun playing the tourist! Without a doubt the most fun was had with our nephews  - Aiden (6) and Ethan(5). We had play days at playmobil - an excuse to return to childhood; took them cycling and saw their confidence grow; went swimming; taught them new songs; built models; entertained and were entertained by them day after day.

Travelling also featured largely in 2011 for both of us, sometimes separately and sometimes together. I had my first visits to Hungary, Sweden and Poland. For business David travelled to India, China,  Australia, Canada and the USA. Additionally we made it to other parts of Germany, Scotland, Portugal, Austria, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Belgium and one trip to the USA.

Toastmasters has also played a significant role for us. David was our local Area Governor until the end of June (end of the Toastmasters year) and now spends his Toastmasters time focussed on the 2 clubs where he is a member and in supporting me. Since 1st July I have been involved with education and training responsibilities across our whole district in Europe.  This has accounted for much of my travel this year. It also meant that I had to travel to the USA for training in August. David came with me and we both got to enjoy our first Toastmasters International Convention in Las Vegas. Also a first experience of Las Vegas too!

We are looking forward to 2012 with great anticipation. The year starts with each of us making separate trips to India (a first for me) and some tentative visits from family and friends on the calendar. The great excitement for us also fills us with disbelief. In September 2012 we will celebrate our silver wedding. 25 years of marriage?? How did that happen? Where have the years gone? We have decided that we are very blessed and this is certainly something to celebrate. Already some planning has begun. I am confident that much more activity in this direction will follow!

Our recent visit to family and friends in Scotland, especially at this time of year and when we have lived in other places for a number of years, draws us into thoughts of "home" and some sentimental notions.

Just a little song from the bridge of the years.

Happy New Year!

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The Visa

I was surprised when I learned that our Toastmasters mid-year training would take place in India in January. I had never imagined travelling there. David's first reaction when he heard was "please don't ask me to come with you". He has travelled there a few times on business.
At the beginning of November I decided that I should enquire about a visa. This was the beginning of a process that finished today!
Firstly I found that the Indian government is represented in Germany via the Consulates. However the consulates themselves don't deal directly with people wanting travel visas. There is an agency which manages the applications. I checked the agency website, helpfully available in both German and English, to find out what I had to do. To get going I needed to know what kind of visa to apply for. None of the visa types listed matched my needs so I wrote to the agency explaining what I was doing, giving them my letter of invitation and asked for advice. I heard nothing.
At the end of November I wrote to the Consulate and hearing nothing a for a few days, I checked with colleagues in UK and Ireland - the embassies had told them to apply for an entry visa.
I filled out the form for the entry visa and then the Consulate said I needed a business visa. I checked but I didn't have business contacts or a letter from a company in India inviting me to come. How could I possibly get a business visa. There followed a number of email exchanges with the agency and then I decided to go ahead and apply for an entry visa as it seemed closest to what I'm planning to do. I would get the papers together and travel to the agency in Munich the next day. The next day was a holiday in India so the agency and consulate were closed. Ah well I could use the day to make sure I had everything I needed.
I completed the online application form and printed it out. I found some of the questions surprising - if you are a housewife, are you working for your spouse or father. HouseWIFE for my father?????

Next I needed two passport sized photos. I thought I had those from my driver's licence application. But no the visa didn't want "normal" size photos, they had to be 50mm x 50mm! Photographer here I come. 40 minutes later and 20€ lighter, I headed to our local council to get a proof of residence statement. The office was closed. Ah well that would have to wait until tomorrow.

Next morning I headed to the council office and the official gave me the document and charged me 5€.
Later that day as I made sure everything was in order for my trip to Munich I realised that the council official had marked the document "For the attention of the British Consulate". The following morning I went straight to the council office and waited for 45 minutes for someone to see me. The lady who saw me hadn't a clue and after some calls agreed that it should be for the attention of the Indian Consulate.
Mistake corrected and I was on my way to Munich.
Once in the office there was a queue of 39 people in front of me. After one and a half hours of being entertained by other "waiters" it was my turn. I explained my trip, my application for an entry visa and handed over my papers to the nice German man at the counter. I told him why I couldn't supply papers for a business visa and was a bit stuck as how to proceed. He said don't worry about it, we'll send everything to the consulate and they will decide. Once they decide they'll tell you how much to pay, then your application will be processed. Because I'm travelling over Christmas he marked my application urgent and said you'll probably get it back by 16th / 17th December.
A few days later I got the news that the consulate had decided to grant me a business visa and I had to pay them lots of money! Money was transferred and over the days I have watched the online tracker showing the progress of my application.
Finally this morning the courier delivered my passport with its shiny new visa for India.

Phew!

Waiting by Choice

It was about this time of day 35 years ago, I was wrapped up warmly and just about to step out of the door to go Christmas shopping with a friend of my mother's when the telephone rang. The woman on the phone said she was from the hospital and asked to speak to my mum. My mum was outside with my brother speaking to one of the neighbours. When I called her, she immediately rushed inside saying "that's it now".

I waited.
The conversation was short and she turned to my brother saying " We have to go now, get your car keys". "Shall I come too?" I asked. "No. You go shopping. It'll be alright". So I left and headed to the friend's house. Peggy and I had a great day shopping: buying all of our Christmas presents, ate lunch out together and then as the daylight faded to be replaced by the twinkling Christmas lights we headed back to her house. "Let's call your mum and see if there is any news".

I waited.
There was news. Not the kind of news I wanted. Just about the time of the telephone call that morning my father had passed away. I sat in shock and silence watching the lights of the evening traffic as people headed home for the weekend, while Peggy comforted me.
Peggy, her husband John and I walked home. My father's brother and his wife were there and some visiting neighbours. The house was quiet, except for occasional sobs and mundane chatter. "He was a good man" "You'll miss him" "It won't be the same without him" "Christmas is going to be hard for you".

I waited.
I waited for someone to say something that wasn't obvious but was new, fresh, comforting, something that lightened my soul. But the words never came. What did come was an abundance of kind gestures: people called in and brought food and cakes, a hairdresser dropped by to say "you don't want to be worrying about your hair - let me fix it for you". They expressed their sympathy with cards, with flowers, with warm embraces and prayers.

I waited.
On Saturday I waited for my mother's sister to arrive from England. I stood on the station platform with my brother in the freezing fog and ice waiting for her train to arrive. But it was delayed. So we waited some more. Eventually she came and brought warmth and comfort to share.

I waited.
The next day I went to the local old people's home to help serve tea to the old people and to focus on something else; to make the waiting for the funeral to come bearable.

I waited.
On Monday morning I went to school. I had a French exam to sit. Afterwards I came home to find that we couldn't see the snow on the front lawn anymore. It had become a sea of floral tributes. I changed into my new dress and the waiting was over. The hearse arrived.
The house was full of family, friends, neighbours and colleagues. In fact the house was so full that the mourners spilled over into the garden and into the street. We drove to the cemetery and as my father's coffin was lowered in to the grave a sense of unreality crept over me. This was really the end. The end of his life, the end of our family as I knew it, the end of my life as it had been until now. After the funeral was over a new silence fell over our home, our lives and that Advent season.

I waited.
It took a long time to reconcile myself to the questions "why" "what was that all about". Eventually peace came, a new way of living was established and we could enjoy the Advent and Christmas season again.

Waiting that is productive asks many things of us: patience, investment of our time, openness to others and to ourselves.

Each Advent I choose to wait: to wait with expectation, hope and with one eye open for an opportunity to bless others in some small way.

A little taste of home.

Although it has been happening for many years, we only found it last year for the first time. We really enjoyed it. It was a little bit of home and certainly got us in the Christmas spirit.
What is it?

A service of lessons and carols for Christmas - in English. It takes place each year in the Hugenottenkirche in Erlangen.

Here's the notice from the website:

Gottesdienst in englischer Sprache am Sonntag, 3. Advent

am Sonntag, 3. Advent– 11. Dezember 2011 findet bereits zum 16. Mal in Folge um18 Uhr in unserer Kirche wieder „A Service of Lessons und Carols for Christmas“ - ein Gottesdienst in englischer Sprache - statt. Prof. Alasdair Heron und seine Frau, Reverend Helen Heron, werden den Gottesdienst gestalten. Es singen und spielen: der Chor „SING A-MOLL“ unter der Leitung von Ingo Behrens die Flötistinnen Zsuzsa Csögör, Susanne Scheer und Regina Zipf. An der Orgel: Walter Holweger. Herzliche Einladung!