What to Expect in Germany

So, I composed the following list after 1 year of living in Germany. I just found it again and thought I would pass it along.

Hope you all enjoy!

What I Wish I Knew Before Coming to Germany.

So, your planning on traveling to Germany sometime soon?

Just some little facts that I didn’t know when I first came.

FIRST PIECE OF ADVICE I CAN OFFER: “When in Germany, do as the Germans do.”

If everyone is putting on their jackets to go walking, put your jacket on too. If everyone at the table is using a fork in the left hand and knife in the right hand, THAT IS NORMAL!!!

Most of the time, you need to pay for the toilet. Whether there is an actual money taker on the door or a plate outside of the door, you are expected to add between 0,20 and 0,50 Euro.

When walking on the sidewalk, there is an area specifically for bicycles. (Normally, I find myself always walking in this area.) Usually there is a painted bike on the path to show the difference, but if there isn’t, the path is closest to the actual road where the cars drive. Most bicyclers also have a small bell. If you hear the small bell, just look behind you to see which side the biker is coming on and step out of the way.

When you see this letter ‘ß’, don’t be afraid, it is just a fancy writing for double ‘s’. For example: Berliner Straße is exactly the same as Berliner Strasse.

I have noticed, throughout Germany, that the police are not as respected here as they are in the U.S. I only say this because I was taught that when approached by the police to be polite, courteous, and respectful. However, in Germany, I have seen police being treated very badly (cursing at them and rude name calling). Just F.Y.I.

When on a train and/or bus, just keep to yourself. Germans don’t usually create small talk between themselves. They keep to themselves. If you have any questions, ask the porter in the train or the driver of the bus. However, it is very likely they do not speak English.

Usually, beer is cheaper than water. It is just the way it is. Beer is also sold everywhere a coke is in the States. My first experience with this was really funny. Seeing a beer in the hand of a friend at the movie theater, I asked him where he got it. He said he bought it at the ticket counter.

On the subject of beer, 16 year olds can drink beer here. So if you are at a bar and see underaged kids, its ok.

And all water that you order has bubbles in it. So, if you do not want to make a major intestinal problem, it is better to stick to the water that you normally drink (tap water is called ‘tafelwasser’).

The best soft drink to go with are the classics: Coke and/or Pepsi. All the other variations (Mountain Dew and Dr. Pepper) taste quite different from State-side. However, a drink that I found that is quite good is a Spitzi. It is half coke and half orange drink (think the off brand of grape or orange soda at your local grocer). It tastes quite good, but in the States, it doesn’t taste as good that Germany (Go figure, huh?)

Germans really like "Fresh Air". They want to be breathing fresh air all the time. In the dead of winter (with 2.5 feet of snow on the ground), they will bundle up and go walking for an hour. Really weird. I even have a friend my age, who tells me she needed fresh air, so she went for a 1.5 hour walk. I understand going walking when it is a nice day, but I really don’t understand is walking in the snow.

I will think about what needs to be added to this list. Now I have 3 years of experience here. I will continue to muse on this subject. I will get back to y'all when I have something good.

:)

Diffucult 2 weeks

**Background info**
I work 2 shifts. I work one week early shift (6:30 am until 3:30 pm) and one week late shift (1 pm until I am finished (between 8 and 9 most days)). I have been working this shift since May or June. No problems for me. I just do the work and try to have some fun.
**End of Background info**

Ever had a problem with a co-worker? Yes? What kind of a problem? Bad smells, bad attitude?

What about an EGO problem? My co-worker is 24 and has only been with us since 2nd or 3rd week of June. Then I had my surgery. So I didn't know this girl at all. I know she had her apprenticeship in our company and learned something completely different than Quality Control.

My new co-worker and I got along fine for the first two or three weeks. Then she was trying to move and work at the same time. Stressful, I understand. But, when you come to work, please work and not talk to your mom, husband, whomever, when you are at work.

How exactly do you ask your co-worker to concentrate when she is at work and stop making private phone calls??

I didn't know how to ask/tell her this in German. I was afraid to use the wrong words, or tone and end up with a pissed off 24-year-old co-worker. So, I went to my boss, who is an excellent English speaker and asked his advice. He said he would talk to her. So, he did.

After this little talk with Boss-Man, she completely STOPPED talking to me. For the last 2 WEEKS. Boss talked to her on Wednesday. I drove home on the Friday of that week in tears. I stopped sleeping, eating, everything. I was so stressed out. I told Thomas I didn't want to go back to work on Monday (cause right now, we are working together. Her husband also works in the company and they want to be in the same shift). That is the first time in a year that I had uttered those words.

I LOVE MY JOB. I LOVE THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH. UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, I WOULD NEVER, EVER UTTER THESE WORDS.

On Tuesday, I think I had a panic attack. My head was hurting so bad that I thought was a) throwing up or b) passing out. Shaking hands, hard to breath. So I went home, crying again. I woke up at 6 am on Wednesday morning crying. Thomas told me to talk to her and get everything resolved.

Did you know that I HATE confrontation? No, really. I hate rocking the boat. That is the lead-up to this email:
'Mrs. Wedehase,
I request a meeting with you and Mrs. G. in my office at 130 this afternoon.
Thank you,
Mr. Boss-Man.'

FAN-FREEEEEAAAAKING-TASTIC.

*as an extra bonus...Mr. Department Head himself was also sitting in the office* DAMN-IT.

So, my Boss acted Mediator because the Dep't head wasn't really up to speed everything. I had my say, she had hers and then Dep't head (very loosely translated into English):
"Ladies, work together. I know you can. Let us go forward and try to forget. However, I know with women, they have memories like elephants. You remember EVERYTHING. Please find a way to talk each other. I don't want to have this discussion every 3 months with you."

So, I was pissed cause she totally went from one extreme to the other. Total pals, getting along find, then she receives criticism from Boss-Man and she stops talking to me completely.
She was pissed cause I didn't go directly to her to say: 'pay attention when you are at work'. She did see my point, where I had no idea HOW to talk to her when she says nothing.

So, things are better now. Next week we have early shift together, then we only work every third week together. THANK GOD. I need my space.

To blog or not to blog...

So, why do I blog when no one looks at it? I read M. Cooper's blog everyday. I check to see if anyone else has blogged.

Having 1 or 2 kids is no excuse. M. Cooper posts almost everyday and has a kid.

Why do I try SO HARD to stay in contact with a family that never comments back?

You can look at the twins' family blog. I have read every post. I read every of my cousins' and their families. If you have MySpace, you can visit my page (amberobunny) and see that more college friends stay in touch with me, rather than my family. (I must say, I have the most contact with R. and K. Owings on this blog...and K. is 'new' in the family).

Yes, I chose to move to Germany. I also chose to stay in touch with those people that stay in touch with me.

So, now it is your turn. DO YOU WANT CONTACT OR NOT??

Yes or No?

I am just sick of wasting my time thinking about what to write when there is no one to write to.

Despite that I live anywhere from 7 to 9 hours ahead of the US, I still call my mom every week (or she calls me). I call Grandma Polly every 3 to 4 weeks.

I have lived here in Germany for 3 years. I have visited the US 4 times in those 3 years. And how many times has ANYONE in the family come to visit me, at my home? 0, absolutely no one.

D. Petree was in Stuttgart and we visited with him for a few hours. That is it. (He married into the family, just in case you forgot and K. Owings too.) The only people that have contact with me have married into the family.

I also understand that it is expensive to travel. However, 2 of the 4 trips to the US was paid for by my husband. I was not allowed to work. He paid for 1 trip to the US before our wedding, then we went together later that year.

When there is something that you want to buy, most of the time you have to save money, when you really want it.

We live in a world that moves quickly, I understand. We make time for the important things in life, which are the people. NOT THE MONEY, NOT THE MATERIAL.

Pretty sad for a family who's religion is built on the foundation that there is no stronger love than the family.