Elementary School High

When my family and I moved to Germany in the 80s of the last millennium ("Waa!"), we didn't understand any German. There was no free spot in a language class therefore I had to attend an ordinary elementary school. It was a big change for me. Before we moved to Germany, I attended a boys school where I didn't have any problems with the language and suddenly I was at a school where I understood no word. Everyone else in the class could speak fluent and without any mistake... I think. It was a difficult time for me.
There was only one subject where I did not have so much difficulties. It was the math class. One day we had a math exam. I knew we have an exam when the question sheet was handed to me. Before that I didn't have any clue. The teacher saying in German: "we will have an exam next week" - not a clue for me. But it was nothing to worry about. Some simple arithmetic equations that I could solve without any problems. Only the last two questions were text questions. I couldn't figure out what the text was saying so I took the numbers from the text and applied simple arithmetic operations on them - I thought it's worth a shot. After what felt like 15-20 minutes, I finished my exam while all the other pupils were busy with theirs. The teacher was delighted. I had everything except the text questions right. In the movie "Contact", someone said math is a universal language. I like that particularly because I can relate to it.
Unfortunately, school is not only math. After half a year I still couldn't follow, that's why the teachers  wanted to regrade me in a year below. But before they could do that I got a spot in a language class. Half a year after I entered my first school in Germany I left the school for good.

The school changed beyond recognition since the 80s.

Lock Up

When I was a child I collected stuff. I collected stamps that were passed on from a sibling who was annoyed by collecting them. It was not my passion and naturally I passed them on to another sibling. I collected coins that were passed on from a sibling who was annoyed by collecting them. It was not my passion and naturally I passed them on to another sibling. The thing I collected with my whole heart were keychains. I had awesome and funny keychains. Collecting keychains is an awesome hobby and much more interesting than collecting sport cars or paintings, I assume. I changed my interest when I grew up and my hobbies became more active like scuba diving or playing chess or playing chess while scuba diving. Actually the last one hasn't been my hobby... yet.
Let's go from keychains to our actual topic: door locks. Some people lock themselves up, and I am talking literally now. I got used to not lock my apartment while I sleep. It's like the scene in Michael Moore's "Bowling for Columbine" in which he checked doors in Canada and observed that Canadians don't lock their doors. I'm staying with my parents now and they lock the door overnight. Why does locking the door make them feel save while it makes me feel locked up? You would think that my parents who were born in small villages would not lock up and I, the urban man, who has always been in "dangerous" city environments would lock up. But the opposite is the case.  What does that mean? Am I living a life on the fast lane? Am I a secret Canadian without knowing? O those Canadians! Do you lock your door? Why or why not? What do you think?

PS: Next week the back to school weeks will start with posts that show me off as an A student. Check my blog frequently.

My keychain collection today is not fun anymore.