I was on a work call today, and we were talking about how a particular item was 'grandfathered' into the project. Afterwards, my colleague from Germany pinged me:
A: I understood the topics and how we must keep the old things, but I do not understand the use of this word?
H: Grandfathered? It's an English term, for if something is currently against the rules, but previously it was allowed under the rules at the time. Therefore we allow it now, it is 'grandfathered' in.
A: Hmm......ok.
H: So you don't 'Grossvater' or 'Opa' anything?
A: No.
H: So what if something is an exception to the rule? It is not correct according to the rules, but because of certain reasons, we allow it. How do you call this in German?
A: (silence)
H: (imagining a German staring at the screen with a befuddled look.) A, you don't have this in German do you? An exception to the rules that is allowed?
A: No H, I don't think we have a word for that...
Yet another example of where the language reflects the culture.
Showing posts with label german. Show all posts
Showing posts with label german. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Monday, May 24, 2010
Advertising in Germany
I'm not trying to get back into the misogynist eggs debate again, however, I know many people at home have visions of Germany with snowy alps or the sleek glass structures of Berlin...
so to present a different view, this was my corner of DE, taken on a previous trip back. This sign was on a public street pointing down the driveway of this auto related business. This street has both residential and commercial enterprises on it.
Can you imagine an auto fix-it place in the US having such advertising?
so to present a different view, this was my corner of DE, taken on a previous trip back. This sign was on a public street pointing down the driveway of this auto related business. This street has both residential and commercial enterprises on it.
Can you imagine an auto fix-it place in the US having such advertising?
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Back in the saddle
Sorry internet, I've been a little slow in posting. My seasonal allergies have been horrendous this past week. I find myself writing a bit less as well as I seem to be more involved in UK outside life than I was in DE. However, I was in DE recently for a wedding, so plenty of fodder now...
New friend Ian and I took the overnight boat from Harwich to Hook of Holland and then drove Mr. BMW through Holland (with a very long lunch break/tour) to arrive at our destination in Podunk, NRW in the afternoon. As I knew it was Himmelfahrt, I was in no rush...this was new friend Ian's first (and last?) trip to DE, so you can imagine how impressed he was driving through he Ruhrgebiet to arrived in a closed Podunk.
I kicked off the interactions with the Hotel Frau auf Deutch, having had to knock on the kitchen door to find her in the recommended 10 double, 4 single room hotel. She was pleasant enough, here's the key, here's the room, etc.
H: And what about the car? (We parked in the town square in front of the hotel which was covered with bott's dots so that you knew where to park. I saw signage, you could park there excluded 0415-18.00 Sat and 07.00-18.00 Wednesdays)
Frau: You can park in the spot behind the hotel (there were two tiny spots next to the building which were reached via a one-way alley). The kitchen worker, she leaves at 18.00.
H: oki doki
We decided to move the car at 18.00 and then take a stroll around. Her car was still there at 18.00, at 18.15, and at 18.30. As it was Thursday and there were plenty of other cars in the Square as well, I said F it, since we're going out anyway at 09.00 on Friday morning.
Friday morning, we head to breakfast at 08.40. As always, breakfast for me is a coffee fill-up and maybe some bread with cheese for the pocket, for later.
Frau: Is that your car!?! (gesturing to the square with 20+ cars parked.)
H: Yes, the GB plate is our car (wondering when the 'good morning, can I get you tea or coffee' would come)
Frau: You must move it immediately!!!
H: (I may be getting soft living in the UK, but I lived in DE long enough to play this game, and it wasn't hard to get back into the saddle....knowing very well I'm legally in a free parking zone...seeing the moving van on the other side of the square but no paper signage posted and thinking--someone F'd up here, but it wasn't me. And knowing that it would blow my schedule to go through the myriad of one way streets to get back behind the hotel, just for 10 min.)
H: The hotel parking space, it was not free at 18.00. (insert solid stare here.)
Frau: Yes, the girl, she left late. (Not mentioning that 'the girl' obviously reports to her.)
H: We leave at 09.00.
Frau: (cluck, cluck, mumble mumble)
H: (insert German disinterested shrug which says 'not my problem.)
Frau: Grrr....ok, but you must move at 09.00.
H: That's fine. And where shall we park later when we return in two hours?
Frau: Behind the hotel, the spot will be free.
H: Supi!
Frau: Tea or coffee?
I purposely wait until the church clock is chiming 9 before moving the car at this point. Some random person drives up and takes the spot. I wonder if she is now going to bark at him?
--2 hours later we return. Sure enough, the spots are both full. Back to the square I park, and march inside.
H: Haaaaaalo! Where should I park now?
Frau: (frownly) Goes to window to see who is in spots. You can go over there, the boat club parking.
H: (irritated and wondering as this is plastered all over with signs to not be here illegally, and with a lockable gate...having visions of being locked in on Sunday morning when we need to leave for our boat).
Frau: (marches off to bark at whoever parked in the spots, I hear the German tirade and two minutes later someone scurries out to move their car.)
(Heather not surprised.) At this point I can only giggle at such interactions since I no longer live there and acknowledge them as cultural differences in how things are done. :-)
New friend Ian and I took the overnight boat from Harwich to Hook of Holland and then drove Mr. BMW through Holland (with a very long lunch break/tour) to arrive at our destination in Podunk, NRW in the afternoon. As I knew it was Himmelfahrt, I was in no rush...this was new friend Ian's first (and last?) trip to DE, so you can imagine how impressed he was driving through he Ruhrgebiet to arrived in a closed Podunk.
I kicked off the interactions with the Hotel Frau auf Deutch, having had to knock on the kitchen door to find her in the recommended 10 double, 4 single room hotel. She was pleasant enough, here's the key, here's the room, etc.
H: And what about the car? (We parked in the town square in front of the hotel which was covered with bott's dots so that you knew where to park. I saw signage, you could park there excluded 0415-18.00 Sat and 07.00-18.00 Wednesdays)
Frau: You can park in the spot behind the hotel (there were two tiny spots next to the building which were reached via a one-way alley). The kitchen worker, she leaves at 18.00.
H: oki doki
We decided to move the car at 18.00 and then take a stroll around. Her car was still there at 18.00, at 18.15, and at 18.30. As it was Thursday and there were plenty of other cars in the Square as well, I said F it, since we're going out anyway at 09.00 on Friday morning.
Friday morning, we head to breakfast at 08.40. As always, breakfast for me is a coffee fill-up and maybe some bread with cheese for the pocket, for later.
Frau: Is that your car!?! (gesturing to the square with 20+ cars parked.)
H: Yes, the GB plate is our car (wondering when the 'good morning, can I get you tea or coffee' would come)
Frau: You must move it immediately!!!
H: (I may be getting soft living in the UK, but I lived in DE long enough to play this game, and it wasn't hard to get back into the saddle....knowing very well I'm legally in a free parking zone...seeing the moving van on the other side of the square but no paper signage posted and thinking--someone F'd up here, but it wasn't me. And knowing that it would blow my schedule to go through the myriad of one way streets to get back behind the hotel, just for 10 min.)
H: The hotel parking space, it was not free at 18.00. (insert solid stare here.)
Frau: Yes, the girl, she left late. (Not mentioning that 'the girl' obviously reports to her.)
H: We leave at 09.00.
Frau: (cluck, cluck, mumble mumble)
H: (insert German disinterested shrug which says 'not my problem.)
Frau: Grrr....ok, but you must move at 09.00.
H: That's fine. And where shall we park later when we return in two hours?
Frau: Behind the hotel, the spot will be free.
H: Supi!
Frau: Tea or coffee?
I purposely wait until the church clock is chiming 9 before moving the car at this point. Some random person drives up and takes the spot. I wonder if she is now going to bark at him?
--2 hours later we return. Sure enough, the spots are both full. Back to the square I park, and march inside.
H: Haaaaaalo! Where should I park now?
Frau: (frownly) Goes to window to see who is in spots. You can go over there, the boat club parking.
H: (irritated and wondering as this is plastered all over with signs to not be here illegally, and with a lockable gate...having visions of being locked in on Sunday morning when we need to leave for our boat).
Frau: (marches off to bark at whoever parked in the spots, I hear the German tirade and two minutes later someone scurries out to move their car.)
(Heather not surprised.) At this point I can only giggle at such interactions since I no longer live there and acknowledge them as cultural differences in how things are done. :-)
Sunday, April 04, 2010
The answer to the quiz
Thanks to ian in hamburg and LuLu's Bay for playing along. The couple I met explained to me that they were Hungarians.
Hungarians with German as their primary language?
But of course! They explained--> Germans of Hungary
Hungarians with German as their primary language?
But of course! They explained--> Germans of Hungary
Sunday, January 24, 2010
pardon me, Germany
After years of griping while living there about having to go down to the cellar to do a load of laundry (I always lived 2 or more floors upwards), i can now see a bit of a benefit.
Last week the washing machine connection had a slow leak and the girl downstairs is away a lot and came home to a leaked upon ceiling (in three places spread over two rooms). Thankfully, building insurance will cover anything over the 250 GBP deductible.
Oh how I know miss the subterranean dungeon of washing machines/dryers with concrete floors slanted toward a central drainage point where leaks happened with some frequency but the only issue was a soapy wet floor...
Praktisch!
Logisch!
Last week the washing machine connection had a slow leak and the girl downstairs is away a lot and came home to a leaked upon ceiling (in three places spread over two rooms). Thankfully, building insurance will cover anything over the 250 GBP deductible.
Oh how I know miss the subterranean dungeon of washing machines/dryers with concrete floors slanted toward a central drainage point where leaks happened with some frequency but the only issue was a soapy wet floor...
Praktisch!
Logisch!
Monday, October 12, 2009
The week in Germany - a wrap up
Last week was a nice time to visit Germany--fall has arrived with leaves changing color and crisp weather. (Well except for that one night when the weather was freakishly warm, above 20 still after the sun went down and we drank wine on the Balkon.)
I'm very lucky to be able to stay with a work colleague who has a very nice kitchen so I can buy foods and properly cook, instead of having to eat heavy hotel foods. I also consider myself to be blessed, my direct and indirect work colleagues are very nice, so the week was spent doing work while being invited multiple times for a coffee, lunch, etc.
While it was all pleasant enough to visit, I wouldn't really want to live there again.
One night, on the way home, I stopped off at Lidl in Leverkusen. (Leverkusen locally has a reputation of being a bit rough around the edges, working class.) In line behind me was a gentleman wearing the blue overalls of the working class uniform, and a dyed blond mohawk, perhaps 50 years old. As I'm past the queue and at the counter arranging items in my recycled box, he is then next to me doing the same.
He then says to me (in German): Pfui! It's too early for Christmas chocolates!
I have 15 items--pasta, tomato sauce, lettuce, etc. and he's commenting on the one Christmas item I have, a Milka Santa.
In my first few years of living in Germany, I probably would have felt affronted. Even in year three or four I may have stumbled along a response. After year five I think I got into the flow, and apparently, I have not forgotten this necessary attitude even after leaving.
Heather response: Ah yes, I used to lived in Germany, but now I only get to visit from England, and I will not return before Saint Nick day.
(To his credit, he managed to understand my less than perfect German. It's what I always liked about Leverkusen, the people seem a little friendlier to me than Cologne or D'dorf where they seemed personally offended by incorrect grammar.)
Leverkusen man: Ja, but you cannot buy a chocolate Santa Klaus in the UK?
Heather: Yes, but not such nice chocolate like Milka, and not so big, only little Santas.
Leverkusen man: Hmm! Then this is ok that you buy your German chocolate to take back to England...but this is not ok for normal Germans, this is too early.
*****
Well then. In addition, you'll be pleased to know that due to careful packing and AirBerlin's delicate suitcase handling, Milka man survived the trip back fully intact. :-)
I'm very lucky to be able to stay with a work colleague who has a very nice kitchen so I can buy foods and properly cook, instead of having to eat heavy hotel foods. I also consider myself to be blessed, my direct and indirect work colleagues are very nice, so the week was spent doing work while being invited multiple times for a coffee, lunch, etc.
While it was all pleasant enough to visit, I wouldn't really want to live there again.
One night, on the way home, I stopped off at Lidl in Leverkusen. (Leverkusen locally has a reputation of being a bit rough around the edges, working class.) In line behind me was a gentleman wearing the blue overalls of the working class uniform, and a dyed blond mohawk, perhaps 50 years old. As I'm past the queue and at the counter arranging items in my recycled box, he is then next to me doing the same.
He then says to me (in German): Pfui! It's too early for Christmas chocolates!
I have 15 items--pasta, tomato sauce, lettuce, etc. and he's commenting on the one Christmas item I have, a Milka Santa.
In my first few years of living in Germany, I probably would have felt affronted. Even in year three or four I may have stumbled along a response. After year five I think I got into the flow, and apparently, I have not forgotten this necessary attitude even after leaving.
Heather response: Ah yes, I used to lived in Germany, but now I only get to visit from England, and I will not return before Saint Nick day.
(To his credit, he managed to understand my less than perfect German. It's what I always liked about Leverkusen, the people seem a little friendlier to me than Cologne or D'dorf where they seemed personally offended by incorrect grammar.)
Leverkusen man: Ja, but you cannot buy a chocolate Santa Klaus in the UK?
Heather: Yes, but not such nice chocolate like Milka, and not so big, only little Santas.
Leverkusen man: Hmm! Then this is ok that you buy your German chocolate to take back to England...but this is not ok for normal Germans, this is too early.
*****
Well then. In addition, you'll be pleased to know that due to careful packing and AirBerlin's delicate suitcase handling, Milka man survived the trip back fully intact. :-)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Some German English fun
Yo H, where've you been?
Still here, busy with work and some holiday planning. In addition, I have a German visiting. She came to me through http://www.hospitalityclub.org/, similar to http://www.couchsurfing.org/ if you know that one.
She is a student who has never been to the UK before or to any native English speaking country. She's spending her time and limited student funds trying to see as much of the country as possible and rachet up her English, which until now has been only 'school English'.
Not wanting to deter someone from their dream, I've only been speaking English to her-- although I will give her the English word when she only knows the German term. She wanted to 'mitfahren' to save on expensive British train fares but was having difficulty to find a source in English without knowing the term 'rideshare'.
Of course she makes the classic German mistakes: 'I drive with bus'.
But I love the other mistakes or how someone comes up with a way to say something in English, which while correct is not how a native would usually say it, because it gives you better insight into their language and seeing things in differently in English. This morning as I'm trundling out to work she tells me:
Your cat, she was broken in this night.
(Pause, Heather thinking--looks at cat who is noisily gulping down breakfast--she is physically fine having ran into the kitchen upon hearing me...)
(thinking.....The cat does meow a lot, I did warn the girl that the cat can be locked in the hall so she is not so disruptive....or maybe the cat was walking on her while she was trying to sleep, meaning she's broken or not well trained, although I did warn her that she wakes up at 2 AM full of energy....the girl is not so much a cat person, she's always had dogs....I haven't yet had any coffee so I'm not awake enough to figure this one out....she's broken...kaputt sein...defekt...lots of words ending in brochen, what can she mean?)
On the floor...where you are standing...?
Oh! She threw up, she was sick = she is broken.
Sheesh, I must be losing my touch, I don't think I would have figured that one out even with coffee.
Still here, busy with work and some holiday planning. In addition, I have a German visiting. She came to me through http://www.hospitalityclub.org/, similar to http://www.couchsurfing.org/ if you know that one.
She is a student who has never been to the UK before or to any native English speaking country. She's spending her time and limited student funds trying to see as much of the country as possible and rachet up her English, which until now has been only 'school English'.
Not wanting to deter someone from their dream, I've only been speaking English to her-- although I will give her the English word when she only knows the German term. She wanted to 'mitfahren' to save on expensive British train fares but was having difficulty to find a source in English without knowing the term 'rideshare'.
Of course she makes the classic German mistakes: 'I drive with bus'.
But I love the other mistakes or how someone comes up with a way to say something in English, which while correct is not how a native would usually say it, because it gives you better insight into their language and seeing things in differently in English. This morning as I'm trundling out to work she tells me:
Your cat, she was broken in this night.
(Pause, Heather thinking--looks at cat who is noisily gulping down breakfast--she is physically fine having ran into the kitchen upon hearing me...)
(thinking.....The cat does meow a lot, I did warn the girl that the cat can be locked in the hall so she is not so disruptive....or maybe the cat was walking on her while she was trying to sleep, meaning she's broken or not well trained, although I did warn her that she wakes up at 2 AM full of energy....the girl is not so much a cat person, she's always had dogs....I haven't yet had any coffee so I'm not awake enough to figure this one out....she's broken...kaputt sein...defekt...lots of words ending in brochen, what can she mean?)
On the floor...where you are standing...?
Oh! She threw up, she was sick = she is broken.
Sheesh, I must be losing my touch, I don't think I would have figured that one out even with coffee.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Pleasantly surprised
Granted, I've only been gone from Germany for four months...however, I was expecting to see a marked decrease in my (albeit limited) German. Granted, I have almost daily exposure to it still by phone or email or (shudder) a random German speaker in the UK office, or some connection to Germans speaking English to keep me in the mood, or to a bit of German music. And granted, as the Germans would be quick to point out, I shouldn't be so proud of a B1 level after so long here... :-/
However--have previously gone through the ups and downs of learning Spanish and that painful transition after summer break. Here, I notice absolutely no difference in skill from the moment I left until now. I imagine if I would have had a true break and no connection to Germany I may have lost a bit.
Go figure.
However--have previously gone through the ups and downs of learning Spanish and that painful transition after summer break. Here, I notice absolutely no difference in skill from the moment I left until now. I imagine if I would have had a true break and no connection to Germany I may have lost a bit.
Go figure.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Night 4 in DE
There's something to be said for people who know you from way back...say, March 2003.
Life is a whole lot easier now that I don't live here!
At the same time, I've managed to gain some level of acceptability.
Last night we got our stuff together and managed to produce a team dinner. We were not fully attended, nor was anyone over the edge, like previously...
Our big boss left, and colleague 1 lit up a cigarette.
Colleague 2: I thought you did not smoke indoors? Or that you did not smoke because of Heather in Europe? (I am staying at the flat of Colleague 1) Or of course because of big boss instead? (Big boss had just left).
Colleague 1: I do not smoke when people are eating food.
and then everyone (excluding me), lit up a cigarette, now that non-Euro boss had left.
No one asked me. I did not expect them to. They knew I wouldn't mind...
It was a mishmash night of mixed languages. I drifted in and out of conversations...
This is why I live here!
It is no stress, only 'to be'. This is what keeps me here...
Life is a whole lot easier now that I don't live here!
At the same time, I've managed to gain some level of acceptability.
Last night we got our stuff together and managed to produce a team dinner. We were not fully attended, nor was anyone over the edge, like previously...
Our big boss left, and colleague 1 lit up a cigarette.
Colleague 2: I thought you did not smoke indoors? Or that you did not smoke because of Heather in Europe? (I am staying at the flat of Colleague 1) Or of course because of big boss instead? (Big boss had just left).
Colleague 1: I do not smoke when people are eating food.
and then everyone (excluding me), lit up a cigarette, now that non-Euro boss had left.
No one asked me. I did not expect them to. They knew I wouldn't mind...
It was a mishmash night of mixed languages. I drifted in and out of conversations...
This is why I live here!
It is no stress, only 'to be'. This is what keeps me here...
Monday, June 15, 2009
4 months
It's been exactly four months to the day since I left DE. Oh the irony of being back here today.
How did I celebrate it? I went shopping at Lidl (walking distance to my colleague's flat) for breakfast cereal and lunch provisions. The one thing I cannot knock Germany for is their musli. The office mainly works through lunch at one's desk and I'm still a fan of the hot lunch. So on the menu for lunch the rest of the week for me:
Cheese tortellini with a side of salad and mixed veg, arrabiata pasta sauce, and some bread
all packed up in a tupperware container and good to go!
I'm spoiled here a bit on travel having access to a nice kitchen and all the dishes I need, along with containers for the leftovers to take for lunch. :-)
How did I celebrate it? I went shopping at Lidl (walking distance to my colleague's flat) for breakfast cereal and lunch provisions. The one thing I cannot knock Germany for is their musli. The office mainly works through lunch at one's desk and I'm still a fan of the hot lunch. So on the menu for lunch the rest of the week for me:
Cheese tortellini with a side of salad and mixed veg, arrabiata pasta sauce, and some bread
all packed up in a tupperware container and good to go!
I'm spoiled here a bit on travel having access to a nice kitchen and all the dishes I need, along with containers for the leftovers to take for lunch. :-)
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Back to Germany - June planning
Don't worry, only for a week. ;-) I have a loose agreement with the office, to come back on an 'as needed' basis, which I'm hoping bottoms out to once per quarter. I've taken the first two plus months here to detox from everything I didn't like about the country and to be taken over by life in the UK.
Being out of that environment makes it a little easier to see the positives of life there (which tended to be overshadowed for me by the shouting, bumping cranks breathing down your neck in the supermarket queue, which wasn't a queue as much as a free-for-all.)
(Sidenote--I've been bumped into only three times in the UK so far, twice at the London marathon, and all three times people apologized. Ho ho ho how life is different here.)
So my work colleagues have been asking more than once, so back I go. I've been querying my work colleagues to make sure that everyone is around, and to try to arrange some small visits, in particular, I'm arranging my schedule around my German hair stylist and my English student.
I'm staying the Friday night and leaving Saturday morning so that we can get a proper drink up in place involving Koelsch and maybe some veg burgers on the bbq. I've already put in my request for Gaffel which was, of course, met with resistence.
German Colleague: Pfui! Gaffel!
H: Ja, ja, you'll have the Reissdorf.
GC: Of course.
H: (thinking) So you're a meat eater who will eat exclusively veg meals with me, but God forbid I ask you to bring another Koelsch brand into the house. ;-)
If you're in the Cologne/D'dorf area June 14-18--let me know if you want to meet up in the evening after work. I haven't yet booked those flights, so if you want to host me and humor me the night of Saturday, June 13th, I'll come in a night earlier. ;-)
Being out of that environment makes it a little easier to see the positives of life there (which tended to be overshadowed for me by the shouting, bumping cranks breathing down your neck in the supermarket queue, which wasn't a queue as much as a free-for-all.)
(Sidenote--I've been bumped into only three times in the UK so far, twice at the London marathon, and all three times people apologized. Ho ho ho how life is different here.)
So my work colleagues have been asking more than once, so back I go. I've been querying my work colleagues to make sure that everyone is around, and to try to arrange some small visits, in particular, I'm arranging my schedule around my German hair stylist and my English student.
I'm staying the Friday night and leaving Saturday morning so that we can get a proper drink up in place involving Koelsch and maybe some veg burgers on the bbq. I've already put in my request for Gaffel which was, of course, met with resistence.
German Colleague: Pfui! Gaffel!
H: Ja, ja, you'll have the Reissdorf.
GC: Of course.
H: (thinking) So you're a meat eater who will eat exclusively veg meals with me, but God forbid I ask you to bring another Koelsch brand into the house. ;-)
If you're in the Cologne/D'dorf area June 14-18--let me know if you want to meet up in the evening after work. I haven't yet booked those flights, so if you want to host me and humor me the night of Saturday, June 13th, I'll come in a night earlier. ;-)
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Germany shopping list
Last week, while I was 'vacationing' at my work colleague's flat, she had asked if I wanted anything from Germany. She goes back on a regular basis, normally the car is almost empty on the UK to DE leg, but full on the return, mainly to take advantage of cheaper prices in DE.
(On the Easter weekend trip they took English mustard and 7 of those gigantic UK chocolate eggs from the UK to Germany, and enough food to survive the drive/ferry over.)
I thought long and hard of what I would be missing from DE which I could not find here. OK, so there's no Koelsch in my immediate vicinity, but plenty of other German beers if I feel the urge. I'm an hour plus north of my colleague and I was coming home before her return, so it needed to be something which would keep for some weeks until I see her again.
What could I possibly need from Germany which is not available in the UK??
-->German pillows!
I am so psyched. My DE pillows were at the end of their natural life when I was leaving, so I tossed them. Currently I'm on borrowed bedding for a few more weeks, so I haven't had to purchase UK ones...and nothing against the UK pillows, they're ok, but....
They are not the big marshmellow squares of fluffy goodness that is Germany pillows.
For example, here is an Ikea Germany version, 80x80: http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/30125273
Its Ikea UK counterpart, 50x80:
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70129113
And notice the weight difference--Germany's 1230 g vs. the UK's 1065 g.
I am very lucky to have good friends...I received a call on Thursday while at the office...we're in the store in the pillow aisle, here are your options...so two 15 Euro pillows, plus dark pillowcases were purchased and got to take the ferry ride over from Dover and are currently relaxing in Guildford until such time that the drop-off can be exchanged. :-)
(On the Easter weekend trip they took English mustard and 7 of those gigantic UK chocolate eggs from the UK to Germany, and enough food to survive the drive/ferry over.)
I thought long and hard of what I would be missing from DE which I could not find here. OK, so there's no Koelsch in my immediate vicinity, but plenty of other German beers if I feel the urge. I'm an hour plus north of my colleague and I was coming home before her return, so it needed to be something which would keep for some weeks until I see her again.
What could I possibly need from Germany which is not available in the UK??
-->German pillows!
I am so psyched. My DE pillows were at the end of their natural life when I was leaving, so I tossed them. Currently I'm on borrowed bedding for a few more weeks, so I haven't had to purchase UK ones...and nothing against the UK pillows, they're ok, but....
They are not the big marshmellow squares of fluffy goodness that is Germany pillows.
For example, here is an Ikea Germany version, 80x80: http://www.ikea.com/de/de/catalog/products/30125273
Its Ikea UK counterpart, 50x80:
http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70129113
And notice the weight difference--Germany's 1230 g vs. the UK's 1065 g.
I am very lucky to have good friends...I received a call on Thursday while at the office...we're in the store in the pillow aisle, here are your options...so two 15 Euro pillows, plus dark pillowcases were purchased and got to take the ferry ride over from Dover and are currently relaxing in Guildford until such time that the drop-off can be exchanged. :-)
Monday, March 30, 2009
Chalking up another cultural faux pas
I still hold that language and behavior is learned through unconscious effort as much, if not more than purposely learned skills. Since I am highly cognizant right now of cultural norms, as I try to figure out what I don't know, I'm picking everything apart that I see, hear, and feel and analyzing it to try to make sense of it.
(Sidenote: be glad that you're not a British person with regular communication with me--otherwise you are subject to daily grilling on topics like 'what is the correct response to 'Cheers' like when someone holds open a door?-->Answer: to make eye contact and nod.)
I find it somewhat fuzzy to pick up the cultural norms. On one hand, the shared native English language and many similar societal norms ease the process, but at the same time that comfort level only serves to make one lazy or complacent in not studying closely enough the rules as one would in a vastly different landscape. To pick up the correct behaviors one needs to concentrate as many of these habits are not remotely in the same ballpark as as their American equivalents. Or--I've been too long out of American to recognize what I see here.
S0 in the early wee hours of drunken debauchery on Saturday I had asked someone a question which was met with hesitation before answering. It was in line with a standard German dinner table question (which would make the average American blanch, as well as the average Brit apparently) where anything along ths lines of the below would be fine, such as:
-how much money do you make?
-how much did your house cost/do you pay in rent?
-any question about bedroom behavior...
-any questions about whatever physically can be seen (weight, ethnicity, disability etc.)
-->if you are an expat living in Germany, I suspect you could add at least 10 more...
Even more interesting (and painful) to me--I didn't catch it before I asked it, that this question wouldn't been seen as innocuous. Just call me German direct, Ach mein Gott! Even worse--I had asked this exact question to a German once and it was honestly answered without blinking, leading to an interesting discussion. It's not something I would have done before living in Germany. This directness was something I really fine-tuned upon living there, and after about the third year I was comfortable with it.
But here--the last thing I wanted to do was to make someone uncomfortable. And worse--I'm not German, so I should have known better.
(Sidenote: be glad that you're not a British person with regular communication with me--otherwise you are subject to daily grilling on topics like 'what is the correct response to 'Cheers' like when someone holds open a door?-->Answer: to make eye contact and nod.)
I find it somewhat fuzzy to pick up the cultural norms. On one hand, the shared native English language and many similar societal norms ease the process, but at the same time that comfort level only serves to make one lazy or complacent in not studying closely enough the rules as one would in a vastly different landscape. To pick up the correct behaviors one needs to concentrate as many of these habits are not remotely in the same ballpark as as their American equivalents. Or--I've been too long out of American to recognize what I see here.
S0 in the early wee hours of drunken debauchery on Saturday I had asked someone a question which was met with hesitation before answering. It was in line with a standard German dinner table question (which would make the average American blanch, as well as the average Brit apparently) where anything along ths lines of the below would be fine, such as:
-how much money do you make?
-how much did your house cost/do you pay in rent?
-any question about bedroom behavior...
-any questions about whatever physically can be seen (weight, ethnicity, disability etc.)
-->if you are an expat living in Germany, I suspect you could add at least 10 more...
Even more interesting (and painful) to me--I didn't catch it before I asked it, that this question wouldn't been seen as innocuous. Just call me German direct, Ach mein Gott! Even worse--I had asked this exact question to a German once and it was honestly answered without blinking, leading to an interesting discussion. It's not something I would have done before living in Germany. This directness was something I really fine-tuned upon living there, and after about the third year I was comfortable with it.
But here--the last thing I wanted to do was to make someone uncomfortable. And worse--I'm not German, so I should have known better.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
The rules! Snow clearing
I ran into my whistling downstairs neighbor tonight. He reminded me that I promised to stop by to say goodbye tomorrow, and they are looking forward to it. He was outside with a shovel and then proceeded into a diatribe of why.
'You remember Frau Nice Neighbor downstairs, the one who moved out in December? Well she got a call at 3 AM because Herr Replacement Neighbor didn't clear the back steps in a timely manner, and someone didn't have the new tenant's number. Frau Nice Neighbor called Herr Replacement who then called Whistler's Daughter (who is the Hausmeister) as he was out of town....in the 3 AM hour.' So Whister's Daughter needed to do his shovel duty, grumble grumble, grumble.
There is a complix algorithm of outside step cleaning. We pay a little extra for a cleaning service to do the inside steps and hallways (one of the reasons I liked this flat), but the outside clearing is shared among the 3 flats which have grass: Herr Replacement, Whistler's Daughter and the other nice couple. There are 3 flats, but only 2 walkways, so they do some kind of rotation, or two of them often are out together.
'This was after Herr Replacement used the wrong salt on the front steps. The front steps are not poured concrete but a different stone which is not supposed to be salted. Now the steps will need replacing soon, because the salt will eat them away and make them not safe.'
So now, Whistler's Daughter needs to do the back steps again multiple times, because it was snowing again off and on for the past few hours here in the Bergisches Land. 'But, because Herr R didn't do his step clearing in a timely manner, the snow today fell on top and froze over. So now he needs to crack the ice and scrape. it's too slick, like glass.' grumble, grumble, grumble.
To his credit, Whister's Daughter is dutifully out there keeping our steps safe whenever it snows. If it starts snowing in the evening, he'll be out there at 11 PM, and then again, usually at 5 AM he's at it again. When I drove back from Belgium he was out there at 8 PM, clearing the path to the trash bins as it was 3 inches and falling.
To the credit of the Germans, there is a shared responsibility, with rules to back it up, and as long as everyone follows the rules, efficiency reigns. The only reason I'm actually noticing this is because the system is broken. Someone is not following the rules!
'You remember Frau Nice Neighbor downstairs, the one who moved out in December? Well she got a call at 3 AM because Herr Replacement Neighbor didn't clear the back steps in a timely manner, and someone didn't have the new tenant's number. Frau Nice Neighbor called Herr Replacement who then called Whistler's Daughter (who is the Hausmeister) as he was out of town....in the 3 AM hour.' So Whister's Daughter needed to do his shovel duty, grumble grumble, grumble.
There is a complix algorithm of outside step cleaning. We pay a little extra for a cleaning service to do the inside steps and hallways (one of the reasons I liked this flat), but the outside clearing is shared among the 3 flats which have grass: Herr Replacement, Whistler's Daughter and the other nice couple. There are 3 flats, but only 2 walkways, so they do some kind of rotation, or two of them often are out together.
'This was after Herr Replacement used the wrong salt on the front steps. The front steps are not poured concrete but a different stone which is not supposed to be salted. Now the steps will need replacing soon, because the salt will eat them away and make them not safe.'
So now, Whistler's Daughter needs to do the back steps again multiple times, because it was snowing again off and on for the past few hours here in the Bergisches Land. 'But, because Herr R didn't do his step clearing in a timely manner, the snow today fell on top and froze over. So now he needs to crack the ice and scrape. it's too slick, like glass.' grumble, grumble, grumble.
To his credit, Whister's Daughter is dutifully out there keeping our steps safe whenever it snows. If it starts snowing in the evening, he'll be out there at 11 PM, and then again, usually at 5 AM he's at it again. When I drove back from Belgium he was out there at 8 PM, clearing the path to the trash bins as it was 3 inches and falling.
To the credit of the Germans, there is a shared responsibility, with rules to back it up, and as long as everyone follows the rules, efficiency reigns. The only reason I'm actually noticing this is because the system is broken. Someone is not following the rules!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Most interesting response
From the Germans I have known since arriving here, probably the ones who know me the best...upon hearing that I will be moving to the UK, the initial reaction has been a 3 sentence standard, consistent from each:
(thoughtful pause, staring into space) Yes....yes, I think that will be good for you.
(quickly followed by) Not that we want you to leave Germany of course, H!
(and a return to philosophical seriousness) But I think this move will definitely be good for you.
As do I.
(thoughtful pause, staring into space) Yes....yes, I think that will be good for you.
(quickly followed by) Not that we want you to leave Germany of course, H!
(and a return to philosophical seriousness) But I think this move will definitely be good for you.
As do I.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Why I love living in Europe
My Dutch colleague and I went out to lunch today, Turkish pizza. I've been going to this place in the tiny town of B for years, the staff is very friendly, and their food is superb. Like many of the businesses I patronize in the tiny town of B, the staff is Turkish German, so I've picked up quite a bit of Turkish German over the years. So they put up with my poor German and doubly poor version of their Turkish phrases all rolled into one.
Maybe because it's Friday, or I'm in a good mood because I'm leaving, or because it was sunny out, but when he opens with 'Bonjour Madame' I answered him in French. For the record, my French is crap. It's so bad, I shouldn't even say 'my French is crap' but rather 'the piddling few words of French I know is crap'. My French is based on a summer semester at community college ten years ago, 6 months of cds while driving in the car 1,5 hrs/day Mon-Fri in 2002, a VHS French course here, and periodically dabbling a bit here and there with my French colleauge or through shopping trips to Belgium. However, I started French after already knowing Spanish, so I picked up a lot, easily, and where I don't know something, I throw in the Spanish version and hope for the best.
And since the Turkish fellow continued to speak it, so did I for the entire duration, all the way out the door to 'Bon Weekend'. Listening to him speak French was much more pleasant than hearing him speak German.
So while looking at the menu I'm speaking English with my Dutch colleague, who is speaking German to the Turkish German guy, who is speaking French to me.
These are the random interactions I will miss moving to the UK.
I'm thinking I may abandon all German studies and if not going after Polish next (due to the large native Polish-speaking population in the UK and my previous studies), then I need to go after a Romance language next. Either properly study French or go after Portuguese or Italian.
Maybe because it's Friday, or I'm in a good mood because I'm leaving, or because it was sunny out, but when he opens with 'Bonjour Madame' I answered him in French. For the record, my French is crap. It's so bad, I shouldn't even say 'my French is crap' but rather 'the piddling few words of French I know is crap'. My French is based on a summer semester at community college ten years ago, 6 months of cds while driving in the car 1,5 hrs/day Mon-Fri in 2002, a VHS French course here, and periodically dabbling a bit here and there with my French colleauge or through shopping trips to Belgium. However, I started French after already knowing Spanish, so I picked up a lot, easily, and where I don't know something, I throw in the Spanish version and hope for the best.
And since the Turkish fellow continued to speak it, so did I for the entire duration, all the way out the door to 'Bon Weekend'. Listening to him speak French was much more pleasant than hearing him speak German.
So while looking at the menu I'm speaking English with my Dutch colleague, who is speaking German to the Turkish German guy, who is speaking French to me.
These are the random interactions I will miss moving to the UK.
I'm thinking I may abandon all German studies and if not going after Polish next (due to the large native Polish-speaking population in the UK and my previous studies), then I need to go after a Romance language next. Either properly study French or go after Portuguese or Italian.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
and the results are in...
You may recall back in November, I was taking the B1 test from the Goethe Institut. The results finally came today, I got a 2!-->here's what a 2 means.
I usually size down photos, but I thought perhaps someone who is thinking about taking the test in the future might like to see the details Goethe returns: (Click on the photo to make it bigger)
Final thoughts:
-Am pleased to have done this. I'm glad to have a paper which formally states that I do officially have some level of correct knowledge of the language.
-In retrospect, I probably could have passed with a 3 a year ago. (Although I wanted to be 100% sure I'd pass before taking it so as to not have to re-sit for the exam at a 100 EUR cost.) Or I could have seriously studied and tried for a 1. (The 65% section was the 2 pure grammar exercises where I was expecting a 50%--I knew they would be the worst for me.) But if I had it to do over again, I'm 99.9% sure I would have done the same thing all over again. The German language just doesn't mean anything to me, beyond a line on my CV.
-I will be taking this paper to the office along with a bottle of sekt. My work colleagues will be pleased. (Especially after having to put up with me giving them a hard time in the weeks leading up to the exam, for all the Denglish and slang they use in the office.)
I usually size down photos, but I thought perhaps someone who is thinking about taking the test in the future might like to see the details Goethe returns: (Click on the photo to make it bigger)
Final thoughts:
-Am pleased to have done this. I'm glad to have a paper which formally states that I do officially have some level of correct knowledge of the language.
-In retrospect, I probably could have passed with a 3 a year ago. (Although I wanted to be 100% sure I'd pass before taking it so as to not have to re-sit for the exam at a 100 EUR cost.) Or I could have seriously studied and tried for a 1. (The 65% section was the 2 pure grammar exercises where I was expecting a 50%--I knew they would be the worst for me.) But if I had it to do over again, I'm 99.9% sure I would have done the same thing all over again. The German language just doesn't mean anything to me, beyond a line on my CV.
-I will be taking this paper to the office along with a bottle of sekt. My work colleagues will be pleased. (Especially after having to put up with me giving them a hard time in the weeks leading up to the exam, for all the Denglish and slang they use in the office.)
Friday, January 16, 2009
Cheapness in Germany
Some of my non-German colleagues joke about the cheapness of the Germans. Perhaps due to moments like when one tipped 20 cents to the waitress after a night of drinking and good service from the waitress. The Brits and Americans, of course, tipped her more upon seeing that one. Bar staff aside, I see it more as--Germans pay for the quality which they seek. Germans pay big bucks for a BMW or Mercedes, but 2,99 for a bunch of flowers seems appropriate as flowers are only good for a week anyway, so unless you're a flowers expert, the basic quality will do.
Last week, at Rewe, I bought a bag of salad which was marked 1,79. It rang up at 1,89. I, of course, demanded my 10 cents there. If I want to donate money to someone, it won't be the to the management of Rewe. The checkout lady looked at the item and the price, at my slip, and just gave me the 10 cents back. I wasn't expecting an apology, this is Germany, after all. And, as it is Germany, I was willing to stand there and block her lane until I got my 10 cents back. So I imagine she ate the shortage as it was under her threshold and not worth the hassle to get a manager.
Again this week, something rang up wrong. I was sitting on the fence about buying coconut milk as it's much cheaper in the Asian supermarket. However, I had no plans to be in Leverkusen (my closest one), so I decided to suck it up and pay the 1,09 for 200 ml. Except when it rang up at 1,29. I had thought that perhaps I saw something incorrectly, so I went back to the aisle to check. Sure enough, it was 1,09. There are never employees or managers around Rewe, nor is there a customer service desk, only a raised platform with one way mirrors where I'm guessing they watch the customers and staff via hidden cameras. So I slid the little paper off of the shelf and brought it back with me to the same checkout line as previously.
H: This price, it is wrong. (holding the receipt and the tag).
Checkout lady: Did you take this sign from the shelf? (no mention of the price being wrong or any sort of apology.)
H: (knowing full well that she is trying to divert the focus from the 'wrongness' of the price to the 'wrongness' of me removing their little sign) Yes exactly, this is the price which was wrong on the shelf!
CL: (knowing that the ignorant foreigner is backing up her line and it's Friday night and the ignorant foreigner is not admitting wrongness). You're not supposed to take the sign from the shelf.
H: (louder and pointing) The price. It is wrong! I bought this. (fishing said coconut milk from bag.)
CL: (loud sign and eyes rolling, reaches into her cash drawer and slams 20 cents onto the change area, no apology, nothing. And she kept my receipt with the little sign.)
I can't really blame Germany for this cheapness, I arrived with that one. However, five years ago I would have been flummoxed in the same situation. Two years ago I still would have been polite. To Germany I owe thanks for making me a lot more pushy, agressive, and loud.
Good Lord am I going to need to unlearn some behaviors toot sweet in the UK.
P.S. Why did I even go to Rewe on a Friday evening? My favorite frozen pizza is on sale, save 50 cents each. Good deal. The sale ends on Saturday night and they tend to run out of the decent ones by Saturday afternoon. Or maybe they're trying to clear out the stock of the less favorite varietes, who knows.
Last week, at Rewe, I bought a bag of salad which was marked 1,79. It rang up at 1,89. I, of course, demanded my 10 cents there. If I want to donate money to someone, it won't be the to the management of Rewe. The checkout lady looked at the item and the price, at my slip, and just gave me the 10 cents back. I wasn't expecting an apology, this is Germany, after all. And, as it is Germany, I was willing to stand there and block her lane until I got my 10 cents back. So I imagine she ate the shortage as it was under her threshold and not worth the hassle to get a manager.
Again this week, something rang up wrong. I was sitting on the fence about buying coconut milk as it's much cheaper in the Asian supermarket. However, I had no plans to be in Leverkusen (my closest one), so I decided to suck it up and pay the 1,09 for 200 ml. Except when it rang up at 1,29. I had thought that perhaps I saw something incorrectly, so I went back to the aisle to check. Sure enough, it was 1,09. There are never employees or managers around Rewe, nor is there a customer service desk, only a raised platform with one way mirrors where I'm guessing they watch the customers and staff via hidden cameras. So I slid the little paper off of the shelf and brought it back with me to the same checkout line as previously.
H: This price, it is wrong. (holding the receipt and the tag).
Checkout lady: Did you take this sign from the shelf? (no mention of the price being wrong or any sort of apology.)
H: (knowing full well that she is trying to divert the focus from the 'wrongness' of the price to the 'wrongness' of me removing their little sign) Yes exactly, this is the price which was wrong on the shelf!
CL: (knowing that the ignorant foreigner is backing up her line and it's Friday night and the ignorant foreigner is not admitting wrongness). You're not supposed to take the sign from the shelf.
H: (louder and pointing) The price. It is wrong! I bought this. (fishing said coconut milk from bag.)
CL: (loud sign and eyes rolling, reaches into her cash drawer and slams 20 cents onto the change area, no apology, nothing. And she kept my receipt with the little sign.)
I can't really blame Germany for this cheapness, I arrived with that one. However, five years ago I would have been flummoxed in the same situation. Two years ago I still would have been polite. To Germany I owe thanks for making me a lot more pushy, agressive, and loud.
Good Lord am I going to need to unlearn some behaviors toot sweet in the UK.
P.S. Why did I even go to Rewe on a Friday evening? My favorite frozen pizza is on sale, save 50 cents each. Good deal. The sale ends on Saturday night and they tend to run out of the decent ones by Saturday afternoon. Or maybe they're trying to clear out the stock of the less favorite varietes, who knows.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Keep on keeping on
My landlady showed the flat the week before last and the people wanted to take it but something fell through. She called earlier this week, she'll bring someone again on Tuesday night. This is actually quite useful as it forces me to keep moving, keep cleaning, keep clearing.
Exciting stuff I've been up to lately? Warning: not so interesting. ;-)
1. I sold my TV, TV stand, free to air box and antenna via kalaydo.de.
I've been pleased with the experience of selling things via kalaydo and ebay.de. I had started selling things a few weeks prior to my German test, partially to force myself to get my game up on my practical, daily German. I'm not a big fan of TV, but I bought one for educational purposes. No, really I did, in order to be able to hear spoken German from outside of this region. To that end, I bought the most basic one possible--a floor model which was super discounted when walmart was closing a few years ago in Germany. There was no way any of it was coming to the UK, so I gave it all decent prices and then one lower bundled price if someone would buy all. I listed it on Sunday and it was paid and picked up on Tuesday, under the bundled option.
2. Friday the desk and ikea floor lamp went out the door.
I had the most basic of desks, it was actually a table which I repurposed. It had an ikea look, all glass and metal. A woman found it on kalaydo after it had been there a few weeks, so I was happy. She was very happy, her 17 year old daughter 'is very into the simple ikea look, although I don't really care for it'. They recently redid their house to create more of a separate apartment for the daughter, so they needed to furnish it on the cheap. She was telling me, in her daughter's class, they were being asked, what is St. Nicklaus bringing you? Other kids are saying chocolate or whatever, her daughter proudly answered, 'a desk!'
As the lady was leaving she asked me if a lamp standing next to a stack of boxes was for sale.
-Yes, I bought it from ikea, it goes also. (Basically everything electrical is going, rather than dealing with the different electrical plug converters/fixtures.) Sure, for 7 Euros, it's yours.
'Perfect! My daughter will love it.'
Even better, you've saved me the trouble of listing it.
3. the sewing machine, out the door
My boss from the US didn't bring hers here. I had put it on the company J bulletin board and there she found it, duh. She has only been my boss since Sept, so I don't yet fully know her, but gosh, had I known she would have been interested it it would have saved me the hassle of photographing it, writing up an annoucement in English/German and then schlepping the announcement over to the main building to place it on said bullentin board. I live and learn on that one.
4. mashed potatos.
Actually D was on top of this one. D makes the best mashed potatos. I don't even try, it's one of the few veg dishes I don't do, mainly due to the excessive work. (I'm not a good potato peeler) I am a good potato buyer, however. I went to the potato farm and purchased 5 kilos of mashing potatos in advance of his visit and placed them in the cellar. He spent a few hours boiling, peeling, mashing and seasoning, so I now have plently of mashed potatos in my fridge and tiny freezer, enough to last a few weeks if I ration properly.
5. UK move
Since D had suitcase space, the first things are now off to the UK (my snowshoes and some German souvenirs). We had another big snow this week, but I'm willing to forgo the rest of the season as it's rare that we get a good weekend snow and I have so few weekends left...
What's next?
A. I'm packing for the US this weekend, to go next week Saturday.
B. More stuff I don't use to list, perhaps I can still get it out the door this week.
C. Lots of logistics, booking flight ticket to leave DE and some plans after that.
D. Booking a weekend to drive/ferry to the UK in late January. I'm still in job negotiations with benevolent company J to move my job to the UK, but I probably won't get moving expenses kicked in since it's a self-requested move.
However, I have a company J provided car and legally it is mine for personal use anywhere in the EU, excluding east of Germany. I don't have so many things but based on transport costs (in particular for my books), it will be more cost effective for me to pay up for the ferry, as the car + petrol are 0 cost (company J provided) and once I have more than 3 boxes of books, I break even.
E. Flat being shown again on Tuesday, so need to have things presentable again.
Exciting stuff I've been up to lately? Warning: not so interesting. ;-)
1. I sold my TV, TV stand, free to air box and antenna via kalaydo.de.
I've been pleased with the experience of selling things via kalaydo and ebay.de. I had started selling things a few weeks prior to my German test, partially to force myself to get my game up on my practical, daily German. I'm not a big fan of TV, but I bought one for educational purposes. No, really I did, in order to be able to hear spoken German from outside of this region. To that end, I bought the most basic one possible--a floor model which was super discounted when walmart was closing a few years ago in Germany. There was no way any of it was coming to the UK, so I gave it all decent prices and then one lower bundled price if someone would buy all. I listed it on Sunday and it was paid and picked up on Tuesday, under the bundled option.
2. Friday the desk and ikea floor lamp went out the door.
I had the most basic of desks, it was actually a table which I repurposed. It had an ikea look, all glass and metal. A woman found it on kalaydo after it had been there a few weeks, so I was happy. She was very happy, her 17 year old daughter 'is very into the simple ikea look, although I don't really care for it'. They recently redid their house to create more of a separate apartment for the daughter, so they needed to furnish it on the cheap. She was telling me, in her daughter's class, they were being asked, what is St. Nicklaus bringing you? Other kids are saying chocolate or whatever, her daughter proudly answered, 'a desk!'
As the lady was leaving she asked me if a lamp standing next to a stack of boxes was for sale.
-Yes, I bought it from ikea, it goes also. (Basically everything electrical is going, rather than dealing with the different electrical plug converters/fixtures.) Sure, for 7 Euros, it's yours.
'Perfect! My daughter will love it.'
Even better, you've saved me the trouble of listing it.
3. the sewing machine, out the door
My boss from the US didn't bring hers here. I had put it on the company J bulletin board and there she found it, duh. She has only been my boss since Sept, so I don't yet fully know her, but gosh, had I known she would have been interested it it would have saved me the hassle of photographing it, writing up an annoucement in English/German and then schlepping the announcement over to the main building to place it on said bullentin board. I live and learn on that one.
4. mashed potatos.
Actually D was on top of this one. D makes the best mashed potatos. I don't even try, it's one of the few veg dishes I don't do, mainly due to the excessive work. (I'm not a good potato peeler) I am a good potato buyer, however. I went to the potato farm and purchased 5 kilos of mashing potatos in advance of his visit and placed them in the cellar. He spent a few hours boiling, peeling, mashing and seasoning, so I now have plently of mashed potatos in my fridge and tiny freezer, enough to last a few weeks if I ration properly.
5. UK move
Since D had suitcase space, the first things are now off to the UK (my snowshoes and some German souvenirs). We had another big snow this week, but I'm willing to forgo the rest of the season as it's rare that we get a good weekend snow and I have so few weekends left...
What's next?
A. I'm packing for the US this weekend, to go next week Saturday.
B. More stuff I don't use to list, perhaps I can still get it out the door this week.
C. Lots of logistics, booking flight ticket to leave DE and some plans after that.
D. Booking a weekend to drive/ferry to the UK in late January. I'm still in job negotiations with benevolent company J to move my job to the UK, but I probably won't get moving expenses kicked in since it's a self-requested move.
However, I have a company J provided car and legally it is mine for personal use anywhere in the EU, excluding east of Germany. I don't have so many things but based on transport costs (in particular for my books), it will be more cost effective for me to pay up for the ferry, as the car + petrol are 0 cost (company J provided) and once I have more than 3 boxes of books, I break even.
E. Flat being shown again on Tuesday, so need to have things presentable again.
Friday, November 07, 2008
how does heather celebrate the friday...
which marks 100 nights (of which 78 will be spent in DE) until i'll be in the UK?
-by sucking it up and getting out the german books, as i have only 2 more weekends to study for the upcoming B1 test and there is one particular sub-section of the test i want to go after, in order to nail it.
-I've been spending every other Monday with my Polish teacher (she came to Germany as a child and is therefore a native of both languages), to work on pronunciation, as I feel that is my weak point.
-i feel i have a very good chance to get a high pass, so why not?
in other news i gave away all balcony garden items this week.
i currently have 4 auctions on ebay of other things i'm not using and do not need to bring with me to the UK.
bittersweet.
-by sucking it up and getting out the german books, as i have only 2 more weekends to study for the upcoming B1 test and there is one particular sub-section of the test i want to go after, in order to nail it.
-I've been spending every other Monday with my Polish teacher (she came to Germany as a child and is therefore a native of both languages), to work on pronunciation, as I feel that is my weak point.
-i feel i have a very good chance to get a high pass, so why not?
in other news i gave away all balcony garden items this week.
i currently have 4 auctions on ebay of other things i'm not using and do not need to bring with me to the UK.
bittersweet.
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