Abteilung - HTL Braunau

Kommen und Gehen
164
Mark Weightman
JAHRESBERICHT 2012 Höhere Technische Bundeslehranstalt Braunau
An Englishman in Braunau
HTL English Native Speaker, Mark Weightman departs Braunau tinged with sadness,
but with a suitcase stuffed full of wonderful memories!
The special town by the river
Well, where do I start trying to sum up
the last two years? They have just flown
by! No one day has ever been the same. I
mean, how many people can honestly say
that their life over the past two years has
been different and exciting each and every
day? I can!
When I look back at the many things that
I have done and achieved in Braunau, I
can’t help but smile! The range of activities
has been amazing, whether that be
from skiing in Obertauern on the 2011 HTL
Ski trip (with Mr. Schwaiger trying to race
me, and losing! Or was it the other way
around?!) to enjoy tasty food and drinks
with my lovely host family. Really, the list
is endless!
I really do believe that Braunau is a special
place. There are surely not too many cities,
towns or even villages on this planet, that
would welcome an eccentric Englishman in
the way that I have been adopted by the
people of Braunau. I actually feel quite
special, in a strange kind of way!
The challenge of a lifetime
I must also place on record how Braunau,
and particularly the HTL staff room, provided
me with one of the biggest challenges
I have ever had to face so far in my 29
years on this earth … understanding „Innviertlerisch“!
I remember exactly when I
first heard it. I had to tell myself, that,
yes, this is Deutsch and that I would, one
day, be able to understand, and maybe,
just maybe, even utter a few words myself!
That was back in October 2010. How times
have changed! After the initial learning
process, which involved trying to open a
bank account in this strange new language(!),
I now feel that I can understand
most things, most of the time. On a recent
trip to Bremen, Germany, I was even
complemented and congratulated on my
Austrian-Bavarian accent. I was so proud
and I still am to this day!
Life after Braunau …
So what does the future hold for me after
Braunau? Well, I certainly have no immediate
desire to go straight back to the island!
That is for sure! I want to continue