Freitag is a super Tag

Despite a horrible bout of insomnia last night, today has been wonderful. Of course, the day didn't start off so well, since I only got about four hours of sleep. I did, however, wake up with plenty of time to get to school. Once I got there, I was quite dismayed by the fact that they were out of coffee. I learned that the teachers are the ones who buy it and bring it in, so next week I plan to make my own contribution. The first lesson, another one on Ireland, was really no fun at all. The kids were all really tired, and so was I, so it was kind of like pulling teeth to get them to talk. The teacher chewed them out for being lazy, and later explained to me that this is her least favorite class because they are always despondent. After that, I had an hour free until the next lesson, and I was quite happy to discover that the coffee machine had been refilled. This is where the day starts to get better! So, I had about four cups, and went to the next class. This group was much more energetic, (and so was I!), and I was giving a lecture on the American school system. I am much more knowledgeable about this than Ireland, and I think the kids find it more interesting as well. After school, I went to meet my second translation client. John, the other TA, referred me to him, since he feels his knowledge of German isn't sufficient enough to be of any help. This one is a man named Stefan, who is a 45 year old engineer. He has been employed in the construction industry ever since he graduated high school, but recently decided to return to a technical university to further his education. He has to give presentations and write essays in English about architecture and engineering. I helped him for three hours with his homework, and my experience at RVC Architects really came in handy here, since I know how to use phrases like "construction management", "sub-surface conditions", "short-listed", and things of that nature. He and his wife and two children live in a beautiful house that they built by themselves about 10 minutes outside of Eisenstadt. They were all very friendly, and I earned 50 euro! Not only that, but it sounds like he will be in need of my services on a regular basis, and I will be meeting him again tomorrow. Very good news to a poor soul like me, and I actually enjoy the work because I feel as though it not only improves his English, but my German as well. For example, I learned that Austrians do not say "Backsteine" for "bricks", but rather "Zwiegel". Good to know, because up until now I have been explaining Athens architecture to my students by using the High German rather than the Austrian word. Silly little words like that are often easier to translate rather then explain in the classroom... although I usually do say a little piece about clay coming from the ground and being backed into bricks. Thank god its Friday! Going to relax for most of the day tomorrow.