Snapped...

After a buildup of frustration over how the students in Volkschule act in class, today I snapped. I couldn't take it any longer. The constant interruption by other students when I was trying to answer the question and the lack of respect in allowing me to figure out the correct words in response to the question directed at me all came full center today. Part of it was today being just an off day for me in understanding German. As I have said before, some days are awesome, other days are like, "umm, I just got here and Ich spreche kein Deutsch." oder "Mein Deutsch ist schiss." Regardless, I was just having one of those brain vacation days. Unfortunately it came on Wednesday which has the best teacher.

So now to the story of the day...The lehrenin(teacher) called upon me and ask me a question like she did for everyone else. I struggled to grasp what she was saying. I began my feebled attempt at answering but it wasn't a few words in that other people were shouting out. I stopped, and gave the eye to the teacher. An eye that says, "i'm not going to try to speak above these characters. Either you tell them to shut their pie hole or I don't answer." So next question comes. I struggle with my start and other people begin answering. It's if they need that constant feeling of success and achievement. Why can't they just let me learn too and learn to speak only in their head. At this point, my frustration threshold at burned all its matches. I stopped what I was doing and raised my hands and pointed around and asked in my best deutsch, "do you want me to speak or the class?" She sensed my frustration. She said, "Matthew," which is suppose to signify, "only matthew speaks now." Unfortunately it didn't translate too well to the class. Everyone kind of got a little frightened I think. "Whoa the American is losing it."

The next occurance came when I was suppose to answer questions from a dialogue with the Columbian woman next to me. I really had no idea what this particular exercise was about. Was she, The Columbian, suppose to make up questions based upon the dialogue and I was to answer? I was completely lost. So she procedes, and I'm lost still, and I struggle. The voices start, and I lose it again. I look at the teacher and wave my hands as if they are pointed around at the class and give a look of, "when everyone shuts their pie hole, I'll do my best to answer the question." I was completely over the exercise before it even started. The last question was "what would I like to drink at the cafe." I said, "jack daniels." Enough said.

The Columbian woman apologized later. I don't want or need it, I just want everyone to give the respect of quietness when someone else has the floor. Maybe I should institute the ball standard. Who ever has the ball, gets to speak. It would be a pioneering move at Volkschule. Upon further study with meine awesome Freudin it was determined that its probably cultural differences. For me, respect is binary. You either do or don't.

Got dumped on my training session today. Good legs though but froze my butt off in the last hour. I was the koch(cook) tonight. I made a pretty nice tomato/mushroom sauce for the fleisch tonight. It was pretty tasty.

Chow,
Matthew