h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Laylie.

Hope you are having a great weekend. Your degree in Childhood Studies sounds interesting. I loved being a student all those years ago, I hope you are enjoying your time as a student.

Love to hear the story about the "guest" dog sometime - bet it is off the street by one of your children.

"I know I sound really boring" - no you don't, silly! I use my sense of humour all the time here in Germany which helps. I've been living here for some 15 years or so and a sense of humour has kept me sane all this time. I use it in my work and here at home.

The book thing ... me too, but this is incredibly dangerous as they seemed to get put aside and then I forget where I was and so have to start over again. At the moment I'm reading the autobiography by Stephan Fry and also The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie - quite funny.

As a mature student you are allowed to do assignments without doing any work beforehand ... it's written in the student handbook, page 56, paragraph 12, subsection 2b.

I live with my family here in the middle of nowhere, with cows as neighbours, something so different from my time in London. I'm a little older than you, but not much and sometimes feel 21 (especially when I am working with young people). Which is nice and keeps me young(ish). I've got a lovely wife and 4 children ... I work in some sort of social centre in a rough area of a local town. I drive a Mini (but that's mainly to do with shocking the neighbours) and I'm into computers and web sites.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Einmoto

PS: Tell me ... got the Christmas pressies yet?

Sorry ... got the name wrong.

Laynie - won't forget that again!

Hi Einmoto (is that your name?)

Thanks for welcoming me!

How is Germany? Not had much to do with that part of the world, although I did have a German student stay with me once and it all ended in tears! She was rather abrupt and I couldn't work her out, so sadly(?) she had to find another family to camp with!

The dog - it is actually our dog! To be specific it is the ex's dog and he was supposed to move out with him, but, he is still here! He's OK and loves us very much so I think I might find a place in my heart for him to stay (a while longer, anyway!)

My degree is getting kind of hard and I find it difficult to achieve on my own with two children and a full time job. But, as you say, it's written in the handbook to just do the work without study so I will have to persevere with it and hope for the best .

Just finished Michael Crichton (Next) which was interesting; I love anything scientific, especially if it concerns the human body. Started Jeremy Clarkson's "And Another Thing," but I could have just got the newspaper each week and followed his stories of rage and rant from that!

You seem very proud of your family and your job. I have expereince of your type of work as my ex is a youth worker, so I have followed and lived all the woes of this age group. Plus, my daughter is about to turn 14, or is that 24, so also experiencing first hand the pleasures of teenage angst!

Thanks once again for your message to me. Do you know how I get others to hear about me? Not that I'm desperate or anything (!) but it might be nice to meet other like minded people for a chat etc...

Bye for now.

Laynie40

PS the Christmas pressies will have to wait until my assignments are in!

Hi Laynie.

How are things? ... thanks for getting back to me. No ... Einmoto is not my name ... perhaps I can tell you another time ... got to keep my identity a secret ... said lots of things that could get me into trouble.

Germany is bloody cold at the moment ... went to the airport last night to pick up some people and it snowed on the way back. If I had my way I'd like to live 6 months in Europe and the other 6 months in Australia or NZ. How about you?

I think that the Germans are very 'abrupt' and honest with their feelings ... which I guess is a good thing. As I probably told you, I've been living here for about 15 years and still consider myself English/British - still, after all this time some of the Germaness really get on my !! What is even sadder is that I am no longer accepted as English when I go back (home) ... even that is taken from me (hand me the tissue, please!! sob sob!)

What's the name of the dog? Our one is called Tussy ... German for Hussy, I guess - makes the German people turn their heads - which is great fun!! For my children, too!

Being a student is great, you have to admit, don't you? Okay, you've got the children to juggle into the equation but I'm sure that you will manage. I think it is great that you are still willing to learn things and get a piece of paper to prove it ... I hope that you will continue.

It is nice to know that in your busy schedule you find time to read. If you were on a dessert island, which 5 books would you bring with you? Are you a CSI fan - both scientific and about the human body! Or is that just tv? I watch too much tv I know, but it helps to keep me sane!

I guess I am proud of my life at the moment. On the other hand it is not always that way ... in fact I'm having a bugger of a time with my work and this is really annoying me ... mainly because I can't control certain things - do you ever feel that things are too much?

My daughter is 10 and nothing like my niece in London ... less mature and I like it that way. Your daughter is 14 but dresses like a 24 year old ... I want my Klara to enjoy her childhood ... there is enough time later for the rest. Do you have a good relationship with your children? How often do you see your ex? What do you do to relax? Remember that?

If you subscribe to some of the more topical topics on misc chat and get to recognise some of the names, then add them to your friends list, every time they write something you get a message on My Conversation. Or you can just ask a silly question, like I do? For example: "My daughter is 14 but thinks like a 24 year old." That brings out loads of parents with similar problems.

And ... it is not desperate to want to talk to nice people ... I love this forum!!

Take Care

Einmoto

PS have you tried a few smileys?