This is the first weekend for most Christmas markets in our area and our tiny little village was having their one-day event today. I wanted to go at 11am to see the kindergarten kids sing songs together and then buy a few small things to support the local schools and sports clubs who had booths at the event. After nearly 50 euros escaped our pockets as we circled the 20 booths about eight times, we decided it was time to go!
Alfons was laughing at me as we walked home because I was SOOOO cold. We had been there nearly two and a half hours in near-freezing weather, so I had to jog slowly in order to feel my toes. I explained to him that Americans have Christmas bizarres, but that they are INDOOR events. Most Americans wouldn't stand for this "outdoor shopping in the snow" thing...not in my area of America anyway!
I'm sure some of you might be thinking, "but the hot spiced wine they serve would help you stay warm." It does, but only for a few minutes. Holding the hot mug in your hands is nice, but after the wine is gone, you have to stand in line again (in the cold) to get another cup and they never serve people fast enough to keep everybody warm!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
My 6-Month Check-In
Tuesday, Nov 16 was my 6-month anniversary of arriving in Germany! I thought it would be a good time to share some memories and general thoughts of the transition.
In the beginning, grocery shopping by myself was scary since I didn't know the words for any foods. At least most packaging shows the pictures, right? That was a lifesaver! However, I have lost about 13 pounds since I arrived in May. That's partially because I walk more here...partially because there's no fast food in our village or nearby villages...partially because I'm eating more healthier, fresher foods...partially because the portions aren't ridiculously big here...partially because I live close enough to walk to the grocery and can get fresh stuff every two-three days...partially because Alfons is a good cook so we don't need to go out to eat often...and partially because I decided not to buy ANY crappy food like frozen dinners, meals-in-a-can, and microwave-ready things like I lived on in the States. I usually eat small things throughout the whole day, like applesauce, cheese and crackers, pickles, grapes, or anything else I can find in the pantry. But I haven't given up ice cream! Alfons jokes that my middle name is "ice cream." :-)
Learning to drive was so stressful. I made LOTS of mistakes in the beginning, but thank goodness for other people's defensive driving (and walking)! I drove though some lights I shouldn't have, drove past some pedestrian crosswalks I shouldn't have, and parked in places that weren't allowed. I'm pretty lucky that nothing bad happened those first couple months. Now that I have my official German license and have learned the rules, the roads near our village are much safer for other people!
My German is still not any good, but I can do what I have to do. A couple weeks ago I needed to change a doctor's appointment, so I called and made the change in German! Then, I had to go to the doctor's appointment by myself to get some shots. I was so proud that I went through the process alone and used what little German I knew to get through the situation. That was a pretty big milestone for me!
I can now talk to the little kids in the neighborhood pretty well too. I can at least ask how their day is, if they are having fun, what they're eating for lunch or dinner, what's wrong if they're crying, etc. When I first moved here, all the neighbor kids just looked at me funny when I couldn't understand their German. The moms told them I spoke English, but that's pretty hard to grasp for a 2- or 4-year old, I think. Now they're used to me asking them to repeat things, but I can pick up most of it or just play along, once I know they're telling me about a firetruck they saw or a big tractor that drove past! (I know the words for firetruck and tractor, which helps!)
So, now I'll open the floor for questions. Anyone want to post something they'd like to ask about? :-)
In the beginning, grocery shopping by myself was scary since I didn't know the words for any foods. At least most packaging shows the pictures, right? That was a lifesaver! However, I have lost about 13 pounds since I arrived in May. That's partially because I walk more here...partially because there's no fast food in our village or nearby villages...partially because I'm eating more healthier, fresher foods...partially because the portions aren't ridiculously big here...partially because I live close enough to walk to the grocery and can get fresh stuff every two-three days...partially because Alfons is a good cook so we don't need to go out to eat often...and partially because I decided not to buy ANY crappy food like frozen dinners, meals-in-a-can, and microwave-ready things like I lived on in the States. I usually eat small things throughout the whole day, like applesauce, cheese and crackers, pickles, grapes, or anything else I can find in the pantry. But I haven't given up ice cream! Alfons jokes that my middle name is "ice cream." :-)
Learning to drive was so stressful. I made LOTS of mistakes in the beginning, but thank goodness for other people's defensive driving (and walking)! I drove though some lights I shouldn't have, drove past some pedestrian crosswalks I shouldn't have, and parked in places that weren't allowed. I'm pretty lucky that nothing bad happened those first couple months. Now that I have my official German license and have learned the rules, the roads near our village are much safer for other people!
My German is still not any good, but I can do what I have to do. A couple weeks ago I needed to change a doctor's appointment, so I called and made the change in German! Then, I had to go to the doctor's appointment by myself to get some shots. I was so proud that I went through the process alone and used what little German I knew to get through the situation. That was a pretty big milestone for me!
I can now talk to the little kids in the neighborhood pretty well too. I can at least ask how their day is, if they are having fun, what they're eating for lunch or dinner, what's wrong if they're crying, etc. When I first moved here, all the neighbor kids just looked at me funny when I couldn't understand their German. The moms told them I spoke English, but that's pretty hard to grasp for a 2- or 4-year old, I think. Now they're used to me asking them to repeat things, but I can pick up most of it or just play along, once I know they're telling me about a firetruck they saw or a big tractor that drove past! (I know the words for firetruck and tractor, which helps!)
So, now I'll open the floor for questions. Anyone want to post something they'd like to ask about? :-)
Monday, November 15, 2010
German Driving License Update
My day began with an alarm at 6am, so I could make it to my 7:30 English class, which was 30 minutes away. Because I had my driving test later in the day, I asked to cancel the last of my three classes at that company. Unfortunately, when one student got the message that his 10:30am English class was cancelled, he told ALL my students, so only one person showed up at 7:30. That student said he was very busy at the office anyway, so he suggested I go home and get ready for my one o'clock driving test instead of teaching him that morning. So I did just that.
And by "get ready," I assumed he meant take a nap so you are well-rested for the test, which is what I did. THEN, I got up and studied my 11 pages of notes for a bit and took one last practice test (#16) before driving to the testing center.
Oh, a driving test isn't so hard, you say??? You try learning all the differences of driving in Germany and then tell me it's easy!!!
1) There are no stop signs in villages, so the "right before left" rule ALWAYS applies.
2) There are different parking rules inside of villages vs. outside of villages.
3) Most speed limits here aren't posted, but everyone knows them based on other signs (like when you enter a village, you can't go more than 50km/hr).
4) Germans are extremely environmentally conscious so some of the questions ask how to minimize pollution, decrease fuel consumption and maintain your exhaust system properly.
5) In general, Germans like to judge people. In fact, the answer for some questions concerning someone's behavior is "it creates doubt about his/her character."
6) All Germans are engineers (ok...maybe not all...but many), so there are lots of technical questions about the vehicle's shock absorbers, brakes, wheel suspension-springs, steering axle, transmission (manual and automatic), catalytic converter, etc. And that's all new to me!!!
7) There are lots of traffic signs that are in German with no pictures, so I had to learn differences between a Liefer (delivery) and an Anlieger (resident).
Unfortunately, when I started the test, I didn't know the answer to the first question. My heart sunk! So I "marked" it and moved on to the next question since I could come back later. Thank goodness the second question was in my memory bank and so were the next few. At the end of the 30 questions, I had marked four to return to for a second look. (Note: You can miss up to 10 points, but each question is worth a different number of points from 2-5.) So I counted up the points for the ones I was guessing and if I missed more than two of them, I would fail. But I gave it my best shot and hit the submit button. Out of the 11 people in the room taking the test, I was dead last to finish, but that was okay by me. When the instructor told me to hit the next button on my screen to see my score, I took a deep breathe and said a little prayer. The whole screen was green, which meant I didn't miss ANY!!! WOO HOO!!!!
After the test, I drove straight to the county driving office with my form saying I passed the test and a nice letter Alfons wrote the day before. It said (in German), "I just passed my driving test and tomorrow's the last day I can drive with my American driving license. I would be grateful if you could process this paperwork as quickly as possible so I can get my German driving license soon. Thank you very much." I had been told during my last visit to the county office that the processing would take at least 2-3 days. The lady at the county office read the letter, asked for my passport, then went to the back to get some papers. She came back out and asked me to sign here and here, then asked for my Indiana license. I handed it to her and she handed me my German license. I was in shock! I stuttered, "Uh, can I take this today?" She smiled and said yes. I jumped up and down and said, "Danke, danke, danke, danke!!!!"
And thus, the driving license adventure has come to an end. Thank goodness!
And by "get ready," I assumed he meant take a nap so you are well-rested for the test, which is what I did. THEN, I got up and studied my 11 pages of notes for a bit and took one last practice test (#16) before driving to the testing center.
Oh, a driving test isn't so hard, you say??? You try learning all the differences of driving in Germany and then tell me it's easy!!!
1) There are no stop signs in villages, so the "right before left" rule ALWAYS applies.
2) There are different parking rules inside of villages vs. outside of villages.
3) Most speed limits here aren't posted, but everyone knows them based on other signs (like when you enter a village, you can't go more than 50km/hr).
4) Germans are extremely environmentally conscious so some of the questions ask how to minimize pollution, decrease fuel consumption and maintain your exhaust system properly.
5) In general, Germans like to judge people. In fact, the answer for some questions concerning someone's behavior is "it creates doubt about his/her character."
6) All Germans are engineers (ok...maybe not all...but many), so there are lots of technical questions about the vehicle's shock absorbers, brakes, wheel suspension-springs, steering axle, transmission (manual and automatic), catalytic converter, etc. And that's all new to me!!!
7) There are lots of traffic signs that are in German with no pictures, so I had to learn differences between a Liefer (delivery) and an Anlieger (resident).
Unfortunately, when I started the test, I didn't know the answer to the first question. My heart sunk! So I "marked" it and moved on to the next question since I could come back later. Thank goodness the second question was in my memory bank and so were the next few. At the end of the 30 questions, I had marked four to return to for a second look. (Note: You can miss up to 10 points, but each question is worth a different number of points from 2-5.) So I counted up the points for the ones I was guessing and if I missed more than two of them, I would fail. But I gave it my best shot and hit the submit button. Out of the 11 people in the room taking the test, I was dead last to finish, but that was okay by me. When the instructor told me to hit the next button on my screen to see my score, I took a deep breathe and said a little prayer. The whole screen was green, which meant I didn't miss ANY!!! WOO HOO!!!!
After the test, I drove straight to the county driving office with my form saying I passed the test and a nice letter Alfons wrote the day before. It said (in German), "I just passed my driving test and tomorrow's the last day I can drive with my American driving license. I would be grateful if you could process this paperwork as quickly as possible so I can get my German driving license soon. Thank you very much." I had been told during my last visit to the county office that the processing would take at least 2-3 days. The lady at the county office read the letter, asked for my passport, then went to the back to get some papers. She came back out and asked me to sign here and here, then asked for my Indiana license. I handed it to her and she handed me my German license. I was in shock! I stuttered, "Uh, can I take this today?" She smiled and said yes. I jumped up and down and said, "Danke, danke, danke, danke!!!!"
And thus, the driving license adventure has come to an end. Thank goodness!
Monday, November 8, 2010
My Sister's Birthday Wishes
Thank God for my sister!!!
This past weekend was horrible with tax paperwork problems, a back problem that wouldn't let me walk straight, having to say goodbye to a friend leaving Germany to go back home to the States, and the day I have to give up my US driving license is fast approaching. UGH!
BUT...today's my sister's Birthday and she MUST have sent some of her good wishes my way, because today everything turned around!
I had no back pain when I woke up, my morning classes went very well, and then this afternoon I got some new information about my taxes that may straighten all the weekend problems out! I got all my lesson plan preparations done for Tuesday and Wednesday (way ahead of schedule), and my evening class went great with a student telling me during the break that he really enjoys my teaching style! Then when I got home, I had a message saying my driving license paperwork had been approved (after only 3 weeks) and now I can schedule my written test for Monday (hopefully)! YAY!!!
My license expires on the 16th, so if I pass the test on the first try I can probably get my license by the end of the month, which is way better than closer to Christmas (or worse...after Christmas), which is what I was expecting. This means I may only need the city buses for a few weeks!
So now it's time to study, study, study, because I can't afford to lose two or three weeks due to failing the driving test. There are more than 900 questions to learn and the rules in Germany are not so similar to those in the States. There are no stop signs here, so the car coming from the right always has the right-of-way unless you're on a "priority road." Try retraining your brain for that stuff...no fun!
Anyway...so thanks to my sister for sharing her Birthday wishes with me this year! I hope she received much more than I did today!!! I love you, sis!
This past weekend was horrible with tax paperwork problems, a back problem that wouldn't let me walk straight, having to say goodbye to a friend leaving Germany to go back home to the States, and the day I have to give up my US driving license is fast approaching. UGH!
BUT...today's my sister's Birthday and she MUST have sent some of her good wishes my way, because today everything turned around!
I had no back pain when I woke up, my morning classes went very well, and then this afternoon I got some new information about my taxes that may straighten all the weekend problems out! I got all my lesson plan preparations done for Tuesday and Wednesday (way ahead of schedule), and my evening class went great with a student telling me during the break that he really enjoys my teaching style! Then when I got home, I had a message saying my driving license paperwork had been approved (after only 3 weeks) and now I can schedule my written test for Monday (hopefully)! YAY!!!
My license expires on the 16th, so if I pass the test on the first try I can probably get my license by the end of the month, which is way better than closer to Christmas (or worse...after Christmas), which is what I was expecting. This means I may only need the city buses for a few weeks!
So now it's time to study, study, study, because I can't afford to lose two or three weeks due to failing the driving test. There are more than 900 questions to learn and the rules in Germany are not so similar to those in the States. There are no stop signs here, so the car coming from the right always has the right-of-way unless you're on a "priority road." Try retraining your brain for that stuff...no fun!
Anyway...so thanks to my sister for sharing her Birthday wishes with me this year! I hope she received much more than I did today!!! I love you, sis!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
A Constant Anxiety
Lately I've been feeling a constant, low level of anxiety that won't go away. It's hard to put my finger on exactly where it comes from and why it won't go away, but it's a general sensation of feeling out of my element here in Germany.
Unfortunately, I still haven't learned enough of the language yet to feel confident talking to strangers, whether it's the gas station attendant (no outside credit card pumps), grocery store cashier, clerk at a mall store, or anywhere else. And while I thought the anxiety level would lessen over time, it's actually gotten worse because at first I could just act like a tourist, but now I feel compelled to say as much as I can in German and explain that I am still learning (and not fast enough I might add).
So I mentioned this nagging anxiety to a friend from Ireland and she emailed me some great links about the real definition and diagnosis of culture shock. While most people think of a spontaneous, quick event when they hear the word "shock," this type is actually an ongoing condition and it has multiple phases. It seems I'm through the "honeymoon" or "tourist" phase where everything is fun because it's new and exciting. Now I'm in the "negotiation" phase where "that sense of excitement eventually gives way to new and unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as I continue to have unfavorable encounters."
I've been here almost six months now and I hope to reach the "adjustment" phase very soon, which typically occurs between the six- and twelve-month time period. For some things, I have reached this level where I feel like the German behavior or expectations are "normal," but for the most part I'm stuck in that previous phase where things are very strange and sometimes offensive.
A big challenge for me is the directness of the German culture. As you know, I'm an overly friendly person and I smile a lot. I would never say "give me that pen." I, like most Americans, am more indirect and say, "If you wouldn't mind, could I please borrow your pen if you're not using it?" That drives the Germans crazy because they think I'm using too many words (and too much time) to request something simple. They aren't offended if you say "give me that pen." That's the norm here, but for me it's still very strange.
So after I read the great articles online about culture shock, I felt much better the rest of the day. I even drove to a friend's house this evening and could feel the difference in my stress level when I was driving. I think driving is when I feel the most anxiety, because I'm still not confident about the driving rules and signs. Maybe after I get my German driving license, that will assure me that I know enough to be safe on the road. We'll see if there's a change at that point.
There are more phases in the culture shock continuum, but maybe I'll come back to those in a few months when I get closer to reaching them. If you're interested in reading a bit more about true culture shock, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock.
Unfortunately, I still haven't learned enough of the language yet to feel confident talking to strangers, whether it's the gas station attendant (no outside credit card pumps), grocery store cashier, clerk at a mall store, or anywhere else. And while I thought the anxiety level would lessen over time, it's actually gotten worse because at first I could just act like a tourist, but now I feel compelled to say as much as I can in German and explain that I am still learning (and not fast enough I might add).
So I mentioned this nagging anxiety to a friend from Ireland and she emailed me some great links about the real definition and diagnosis of culture shock. While most people think of a spontaneous, quick event when they hear the word "shock," this type is actually an ongoing condition and it has multiple phases. It seems I'm through the "honeymoon" or "tourist" phase where everything is fun because it's new and exciting. Now I'm in the "negotiation" phase where "that sense of excitement eventually gives way to new and unpleasant feelings of frustration and anger as I continue to have unfavorable encounters."
I've been here almost six months now and I hope to reach the "adjustment" phase very soon, which typically occurs between the six- and twelve-month time period. For some things, I have reached this level where I feel like the German behavior or expectations are "normal," but for the most part I'm stuck in that previous phase where things are very strange and sometimes offensive.
A big challenge for me is the directness of the German culture. As you know, I'm an overly friendly person and I smile a lot. I would never say "give me that pen." I, like most Americans, am more indirect and say, "If you wouldn't mind, could I please borrow your pen if you're not using it?" That drives the Germans crazy because they think I'm using too many words (and too much time) to request something simple. They aren't offended if you say "give me that pen." That's the norm here, but for me it's still very strange.
So after I read the great articles online about culture shock, I felt much better the rest of the day. I even drove to a friend's house this evening and could feel the difference in my stress level when I was driving. I think driving is when I feel the most anxiety, because I'm still not confident about the driving rules and signs. Maybe after I get my German driving license, that will assure me that I know enough to be safe on the road. We'll see if there's a change at that point.
There are more phases in the culture shock continuum, but maybe I'll come back to those in a few months when I get closer to reaching them. If you're interested in reading a bit more about true culture shock, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Weekend in Strasbourg France
No time to blog today, but I feel bad that I haven't written anything in a while! I haven't put the photos on my computer yet, but here's a little info about our quick trip to France.
This weekend we went to Strasbourg France, which is just on the other side of the French/German border. That area was part of Germany many years ago and it's a great blend of both cultures. The architecture was beautiful with mostly half-timbered houses that most Americans would mistake for the "English Tudor" style homes. If you google both, you'll see the difference.
The food was amazing! We had great French wine, their version of pizza with no red sauce called Tarte Flambee (the Germans call it flammkuchen), a Cordon Bleu sandwich, crepes, croissants, french bread baguettes, riesling-covered chicken, and more! And while I claim my favorite food is cheese, I now need to add a disclaimer to that, because when we ordered a lovely cheese plate at the first restaurant, I couldn't eat three out of the five cheeses on the plate. They were all soft and I've now learned I'm not such a big fan of most of those.
This weekend we went to Strasbourg France, which is just on the other side of the French/German border. That area was part of Germany many years ago and it's a great blend of both cultures. The architecture was beautiful with mostly half-timbered houses that most Americans would mistake for the "English Tudor" style homes. If you google both, you'll see the difference.
The food was amazing! We had great French wine, their version of pizza with no red sauce called Tarte Flambee (the Germans call it flammkuchen), a Cordon Bleu sandwich, crepes, croissants, french bread baguettes, riesling-covered chicken, and more! And while I claim my favorite food is cheese, I now need to add a disclaimer to that, because when we ordered a lovely cheese plate at the first restaurant, I couldn't eat three out of the five cheeses on the plate. They were all soft and I've now learned I'm not such a big fan of most of those.
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