6 months in Germany

It's crazy to think that we've been living in Germany for six months already! As it often goes, some of the time has passed quickly and other times it has crawled by slow as a snail. It was especially slow while waiting 2 months for our van to arrive in country and 2 months with it being in the shop due to the transmission quitting on us. The 2 months in between those events, we were able to get around and squeezed in a trip to the Alps for our anniversary. (Still need to blog about that!) Luckily we've had some pretty great friends to help out when needed and a train to get into town. We are starting to plan some exciting trips this year and I really really can't wait! :) One being Paris, France! I thought I would write out what I have learned and experienced since moving to another country...so here it goes.

* a majority of the cars here are either VW, Audi, BMW or Mercedes. You know, European made cars. And almost all taxis are Mercedes. The beginning letters on the license plates here indicate which city the vehicle is registered from. Like ours, the plates start "WI" for Wiesbaden.

* many areas are designated with community gardens (gated access for only those that are allowed). We've walked past a few. A lot of pretty gardens and green thumbs!!

* city living in Germany is apartments, many with underground garages. Ours is not the case but I have noticed this to be true with surrounding housing areas.

* pretty flowers & plants hang on a good majority of people's balconies or sit in window sills.

* sidewalks are divided by color for pedestrians and bicyclist. When walking, pay attention and stay in your area or you'll get run over by a bicycle. And on the road, pedestrians ALWAYS have the right away. Always yield to bicyclists.

* it didn't take long for the money in my wallet to go from all U.S. currency to pretty much all Euro. When my kids ask me for some change on base, I'm still kind of surprised I don't have any U.S. change on me. The only time I need U.S. currency here though is if we are on base and I often times just use my debit card. With us not living on base, we really only need Euros.

* a lot of people walk or take public transportation vs. driving. I'm sure that's true living so close to the heart of the city but it's also true for Germany in general. People choose to walk or take public transportation for many reasons. Mostly to stay healthy I'm sure but probably also because gas prices are so expensive. Almost all of the cars here are smaller than in the U.S.

* I get some pretty crazy looks and/or comments having 4 children. 1-2 children here seem to be the norm. I do have to say, the exception is the elderly folks. They seem to love seeing our children and come up and talk to us in German and say how cute "das kinder" the kids are!

* German food is so good! Have tried schnitzel, bratwurst (curry wurst is delicious!), waffles , pretzels and Nutella crepes. And I have found a love for their erdbeere (strawberry) jam. And don't get me started on the Duplo chocolates or gingerbread treats at Christmas time. Mmm! :) Foods here are made with less sugar. (Which I believe to be a GOOD thing!) Some sweets don't taste like you'd think they would or are used to them tasting like in the States. Water is either with gas (carbonated) or no gas (non-carbonated). There really is no fast food chains in the area. (Again, I believe this to be a GOOD thing!) When you want to go out and eat, it's very much a planned event.

* love the building architecture and brick sidewalks.

* took me some time to get used to seeing parked cars up on the sidewalk. and literally bumper to bumper parking!

* tips are handled a bit differently than what we've been used to. VAT and service are included in the total amount so waiters are paid less with added tip. Leaving a tip on the table is not favorable and is viewed as rude. Generally, when told how much the bill comes to, you would hand them a little extra (10-15%) and tell them how much on top of the bill you would like them to have. This is a good reference.

* here it's 230 volts vs 120 in the States. We use adapters and transformers for our 120 volt items like tv and charging electronics.

* love Google Translator! Was able to buy my German textbook and sign up for a 10K race with it's help.

* in just about every rest stop, you have to pay euro to use the restroom - basically from ages 12 and up.

* the lanes on the autobahn curve with the turns in the road. In other words, they slant and make it easier to navigate the car on the road.

* recycling is mandatory, which lucky for us, is not an issue since we have always recycled.

* the speed limit on the roads are in kilometer. Side roads are 30 km and main roads are 50 km. Autobahn speeds are anywhere between 100 km (60 mph) and 120 km (about 70 mph). There are stretches of the autobahn that have the speed limit turned off but suggested speed is 130 km/hour. Speeding tickets are expensive! John already knows that from experience! :)

* need to learn how to convert clothing sizes. They are measured in centimeters. I have only purchased a few clothing items from out in town so far (usually we go to base or buy online) and thankfully H & M have both EUR size as well as US size!

* when Germans respond to us asking, "sprecken sie Englisch?" they respond with, "a little" and then carry on with a full blown conversation. My goal is to pick up some German while we live here. With having already taken a part of a beginning class, I can say its going to be a bit of a difficult language to learn. With us living in an English speaking area, German isn't required but our family would still really like to learn as much as we can. Some words are pretty close to the same word in English or the same word in some cases. We also feel that speaking some of their language like saying, "Danke schon" instead of saying, "thank you" is a sign of respect as well as away to learn the language.

* the roads here are a bit more narrow than the streets back home that we're used to driving on. And don't even get me started on how much parallel parking a minivan on a busy side street gives me anxiety. Like I said, a ton of smallish cars.

* a lot of road signs to memorize. And when driving on the autobahn, stay in the right lanes for traveling whenever possible - unless passing. And when passing in the left lane, pass and then promptly move back over. Left lane is more designated for higher speed drivers (passing sometimes at speeds in excess of 100 mph!) There is also not a shoulder to pull over on much of the autobahn.

* you can not turn right on a red light. Light signals are usually posted on the right side of the road and not dangling on a wire in front of you. Lights go pretty much like ours, except that when it's about to turn green, it goes from red then to yellow then to green. On yellow, it's safe to say you let your foot off the gas and start going as soon as it turns green. If you don't, people will honk at you. Welcome to city life!

* emergency numbers are 110 (polizei - meaning police) and 112 for fire. The sirens are different and took some getting used to hearing.

* it took a LONG time to learn our home and my cell phone number. Each number is between 11 and 12 digits long. After 6 months, I'm just now learning John's cell and work numbers. I'm convinced the brain does not need to store so many numbers!! :)

* Frankfurt is very much an international city. So many people from all over the world live here. USA, France, England, Portugal, etc.

* when Germans ask you how you're doing, they really want to know. They're not just asking to be polite and keep walking without intending to hear the answer like we see done a lot in the U.S. I also hear it may take awhile to become friends with a German but once you become friends, your friends for life.

* I was literally petrified to drive once moving here. So many new signs of the road to learn and the pattern of the road is different. Not to mention, without the gps, I had absolutely no idea where I was going! A few months later of observation and a little practice, I got more comfortable and eventually got to and from the base and church without needing the gps. I was beyond happy about that! Still studying for my German drivers license that I NEED to take soon. I have a little while to get it done.

* Germans aren't quick to friend you. You give them a smile, and they rarely return one. But I've heard from a few good sources that once you become friends with a German, your friends for life.

* the weather is consistent with the weather in Oregon and the Pacific NW in the States. Green scenery, tons of trees, surrounded by neighboring parks, mild temperatures. We are located a little bit more north than Oregon is but for the most part, if it's in the 40's here, it's in the 40's over there.

* reusable bags are required at the grocery store. If you didn't being them, you have to buy more. Or carry everything in your hands and/or pockets. You also have to bag everything g yourself and you have to go pretty fast to get done before the next person's stuff makes it's way towards you.

* we are surrounded by a bunch of hazelnut trees - which are a pretty popular nut here. Germany is the most important hazelnut importing country in the world. In the fall time when the nuts drop, there are many locals that come and collect them off the ground.

* living on the third floor is a bit strange than what we've been used to. We also get in lots of exercise going up and down those stairs on a daily basis. And grocery day? We definitely get in a workout! Our family is so much more healthier since moving here. Eating less, walking more, taking in less sugar and fat. All around a good thing!

* and last, but certainly not least, the Christmas market is an amazing and magical place! We have only been to the Frankfurt one because our car was in the shop during the holidays but it's still one of the largest markets in Germany so we had a wonderful and fun experience with our kids. Lots of shops with handmade crafted German gifts and treasures, delicious food, pretty lights and music - ah! I can't wait until next Christmas already. They sure know how to throw a party!

Wow! That's more than I thought I've learned or experienced since moving here last August! Now that we have our van working again, I'm very excited for the places we have yet to see and things we are about to go and do. In another 6 months, I will write again on more things we have figured out along the way while living in Germany.

Auf Wiedersehen or Chus!
("goodbye & see you later" in German)