Saturday, July 5, 2008
The Introduction/Die Einführung
Finally its time to start counting down and given that so much preparation has been done prior to flying off, it can be justified that my trip and my travel blog starts right now right here, agree?
About 2 years ago, I signed up for "Language Preparatory Programme(LPP)" in National University of Singapore and wanted to learn french initially, but fate has decided that I should take up German and I have no regrets since then.
[LPP requires selected students to take up 4 levels of a foreign language (namely french, german, and recently added korean) in preparation for going to these languages-speaking countries (namely France, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Korea) under another programme known as "Student Exchange Programme(SEP)" for one semester or two. ]
German classes have always been so light-hearted and fun-filling. It is so unlike my major's (life science) lectures because german classes are carried out in sectionals and there would always be activities that allow us to walk around the class and talk to our classmates, but in german of course! In addition, my teachers remember my name (okay, at least for that semester) and i made great friends whom I chat more than just hi-bye with!
Then about one year ago, I submitted my application form for "Language Immersion Programme" in german-speaking countries and Switzerland somehow was my first choice. I spent one month in Fribourg, Switzerland with 11 other LPP friends. We would have german classes on weekday mornings and spend the afternoons hanging out in the small town before going home to have dinner with our respective host families. Weekends were spent travelling around Switzerland ... Like catching a scenic train on saturday morning, followed by shopping in lausanne in the afternoon then immersed ourselves in Jazz Festival celebration in Montreaux at night before catching the last train back home, yea you got the idea don't you?
After which, two weeks were spent travelling western europe (France, Spain and Italy) with 5 other amateur backpackers. We literally had gone through ups and downs together, yes like dragging our bulky luggages through busy roads in barcelona and numerous bridges in venice, and I also mean downs like encounter with pickpockets and spending an evening at police station and ups like a wonderful spanish dinner treat from fellow Singaporeans and egged on each other to drink that claimed to be digestion-aiding 40% alc. rum.
This year's today, with that first adventurous experience and money from slogging hard for a year by giving many many tuitions, I am all ready to explore Europe once again and I would be spending a good 5 months there!
Yes if you have been following my writings, its like my graduation from LPP! I have finally reach the stage of going on SEP for one semester but no, don't ask me to show-off my german pls, 2 years of german really means I am like a post-beginner who still struggle to form a grammatically correct sentence. German is like full of grammar rules, more than english, really.
This blog would be dedicated to all my friends who care about whether I would still be surviving across at the other half of the globe and any passer-bys who find it interesting or useful for future trips =) Really hope you would stay tuned to my future postings and I would be committed enough to blog often, hehe~