Hey Dude, How's Your Language Class Going?

Hard to believe that I'm stinking up my German class, even though I'm LIVING in Germany, but 4 weeks of intensive classes later (5 days/week, up to 4 hours/day), here we are. It surely doesn't help that more than two-thirds of the students in this "beginners" class have taken formal German lessons before in school, or have German spouses/partners at home to practice with (leaving us actual beginners in the dust), and the teachers justifiably feel the need to keep up with the majority... but I'll own up and say that dagnabbit, I'm just not getting it. When I enrolled, I was also told that this was in fact a 1-month class-- which was good: December is shaping up to be a busy time, what with the apartment move-in finally rolling around, plus the usual holiday bustle. Whoops-- now we're all hearing that this is a 2-month course (broken into 2 halves-- I'm at A1.1; the A1.2 unit starts next week), but I'll be spending all of next week unpacking and supervising/assisting two separate furniture deliveries and the arrival of our cargo container from the States, plus the usual waiting around for the phone/internet/cable guys to wander in, and any other mop-up work that a move entails while B is at the office.

I did not come to Europe to be the Ugly American-- that guy who will only converse in English and not appreciate the local culture, and I honestly do want to learn the local language. So my only solution seems to be re-taking the A1 course when it is offered again in January-- because I would be so far behind after dealing with the move (plus the fact that I suck at this already), that taking the final in late December to move to "A2" level ensures failure, and I'd have to take the course again anyways. At least sitting on the sidelines for a month will save me some stress and The Company (who generously offered to pick up the tab) some tuition money. Let the record show that I've failed exactly one class in my life, a college math course 21 years ago that I had no business being in anyways (and as liberal arts student would never use), so this is a humbling and frustrating experience. Scheisse!