I am under no illusions what I am in for from June onwards in order to maintain my financial security, dignity, sanity, etc...

I will get 70% of my income for up to around 18 months. In that time I must be active in searching for a job, and document said activity. I must participate in training that is offered to me (obvious chose is german, but there are other possibilities).

Basically, it won't be a holiday, as I will be monitored. But that is better than being left alone and struggling to survive.

@ Mark, yeah I think my spoken German is very good, many people comment on it. But to write German means spending 500% the effort I need for English. I have to switch the grammar around, try and work out gender / case, etc..... At work I had my default home page as http://dict.leo.org/?lang=de&lp=ende which made this a little easier, as it gives word translation in context, and offers some short phrase suggestions.

I am quite happy to take part in meetings in Swiss German, but I don't bother trying to speak it. I understand it quite well though.