As many of you know I’m currently on Sabbatical. This means I get an extra month off work for my 10 years of service with my company.

It’s a bit sooner than I’d planned to take it, but it works. In the end, I have decided to go back to school – taking intensive German courses. These courses are 5 days a week, 4 hours a day of nothing but studying German. It’s been great, and I have made lots of new friends and classmates. I wish I would have had the time, money, and opportunity to do this sooner.

The good news is that I’m doing well, and despite knowing alot of the vocabulary already, it’s re-learning the grammar properly that’s giving me several a-ha moments. Well, that and the spelling/saying the words properly – something that the teacher and the others correct me on – and something which no matter how many tapes, computer programs, TV programs I watch is able to do. All in all, I’m sure that I’ll be better off for the classes.

On the other front, I heard about a week and a half ago that I did get my work permit for Ireland. It’s the same job as I’m currently doing, but after a very long process it’s good to know that it has come through. No word yet on when I’ll be moving to Dublin – hope to hear on that soon – since I have to get everything wrapped up – but isn’t it just the case – I go back to start learning German – and will be moving soon to another English speaking country? Ahh the Irony!