5 Things that are not my favorites here...

Well, I started something a while back about things I like and now this is the opposite end.  I would rather not say I don't like these things - they are just different, and things I will have to get used to here.


1.  The shopping carts - I wish I had a video of my first time attempting to use these carts.  I cannot describe it to you well.  The wheels roll in all directions, all the time.  I literally pull and push this thing from the side.  I have come very close to hitting an Audi, a Mercedes, and a Porsche - none of which would have been pleasant.  Now, I just make sure it is not too full, and I have a good handle on it.  German engineering isn't doing us any favors on this one!

The offensive cart!!

2.  The laundry - My washing machine holds 5kg, my dryer 6kg.  That is equivalent to 2 sheets for a double bed.  Or one good handful of clothes.  Or 2 thick large bath towels.  That is right.  For our family of 5.  Although I should not complain.  Our neighbor(who is German) has 5 children and no dryer (which is pretty common here in Germany - they use a lot of energy - which is EXPENSIVE!)  Also, one load of wash takes close to 2 hours - to WASH.  So, laundry is an all day, every day proposition.  Especially with 2 playing soccer in the cold, wet, nasty, muddy weather.


3.  The horn honking - Okay - I know I am from the South.  And we don't honk our horns some times when we should (ie. to save a life, etc)  To demonstrate this, once, at the light coming from Clemson House at the President's house intersection(the back way from our house) onto 93 I sat in a line of cars through 2 lights.  I then got out (no horn was honked during this time AT ALL), walked to the front of the line, and helped the sweet little old lady up to the line she needed to drive to in order to trigger the light.  We then all went on our merry way.  Here, in Deutschland, I think honking the horn is taught in Driver's Ed or something.  Even if you have absolutely no control over the traffic hold up, they will honk at you.  Turning left into the school a couple days ago I was in a line of cars.  I scooted as far over as was possible, but I was still blocking the cars behind me - for approximately 5 seconds.  The man behind not only honked his horn at me(when I could do nothing and was at the mercy of traffic) -  he communicated thru gesture as he was passing me.  I waved and smiled back!  And if you do not have your foot on the gas as soon as the light turns yellow (it turns yellow before it turns green or red), they will also help you along with a honk.  I am adjusting, but at times it still feels really rude.


4.  The prices - everything, and I mean everything, is more expensive here.  Well, except for potatoes and carrots - they are not more expensive, they are cheaper.  And flowers - they are much cheaper.  But clothes, gas, food, restaurants are all significantly pricier, thus limiting our family of 5 from eating out very often.  Even to eat out at a basic Italian restaurant will run us about 60 Euro ($80.36 today).  The only places cheaper - Subway and McDonald's.  And that runs us about 30 Euro ($40.18).  And don't get me started on gas.  75 euros to fill up our little mini-van's tank on Diesel.  ouch.

Yes - you read that right.  Equivalent to about  $6.70!!

5.  My tiny kitchen - once again something I must adjust to - and I am getting there.  But I have VERY little counter space, and basically can only have 1 person in the kitchen at a time to get things done.  Which makes cleaning up after dinner together too difficult.  We have had to adjust our chores accordingly, but we are figuring it out together!

Tiny kitchen in the morning.  I have to use my stove top as counter space!

There were so many more things, but I cannot remember them right now and I said only 5 to start with - so there you go!  Here are some pictures of various things/happenings:

Silas working on his portrait taking.  ( I was waiting for Stuart with the car!)

Another Silas portrait.

I don't know how to capture them all in a picture - especially Zee.  This is his normal pose.

In front of some of the Berlin Wall.

Amsterdam

At the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam

Our paddle boat ride on the canals in Amsterdam.

Atlas, struggling under the weight of the world on top of the Amsterdam Royal Palace

Welcome from this cow who stole the nice lady's shoes (which she needs - her skirt was really much too short, as you can see.)

Welcome!

House boat for sale on the canals of Amsterdam (there are a LOT of house boats on the canals!)

The canals of Amsterdam

The cold North Sea

The North Sea

Guess who?? (He has on pieces from no less than 5 different costumes!)

Silas's outlook on Deutschland

The following post was written by Silas Hayes.


Germany is much older than the US.  This means there are many more castles, history, and older buildings.

It's more crowded so they have much more than one way of transportation.  Like biking, riding the bus, or the tram.

For my Geburtstag (birthday) we went to Kettlerhof.  It was a giant park that had water slides, huge swings, giant climbing area, a toboggan run, and slides!!!!  It also had a climbing wall slide.

 So far Germany has been great.  Yes, I miss my friends and family but I have friends over here too.  I like playing soccer so much.  The school is nice, the food is good, and vacations are great!!!!!!!

Sports - German style

Interest in sports here can be narrowed down pretty rapidly...it is all about the Fußball!  When we sport our Clemson orange during the week on the street, people assume we are fans of the Dutch national team.  If we attempt to explain about the joys of college football in the southern USA, well, let's just say we meet with a lot of blank stares!  


When we got here, I wasn't sure if Luke would pick basketball or soccer to play (no baseball really, and both sports are year-round commitments).  But I knew Silas would be ALL ABOUT THE SOCCER.  And he has been.  Luke stuck with soccer, too, because that is what most of the kids here play.  He went to the basketball activity for the first time this past week and was reminded why he liked it so much.  So I don't know how permanent his time with soccer is, but for now, we are all about the soccer, too!


I am posting my soccer shots and videos in this blog especially so the grandparents can see.  They are desperately missing going to baseball, soccer and basketball games.  So I wanted to give them a taste of it.  Also, there are some interesting ways they start and end matches here.  So even you, my average reader, may want to check that out!  Enjoy!

Luke is #5 in this picture.  They turn in their unis after every match to be washed.  They call it the kit.  Anyway, we moms take turns washing the kit after each game.  I haven't had my turn yet - I'm sure it is coming!

SOOOO close - but just didn't make it!

Corner Kick!

Fighting for it!

In the thick of it.

Post game cheer/yell.  See video below.

It was a little bright out there and the photographer told them to keep their eyes closed until he said to open them.

Silas on the throw-in.  He has 3 girls on his 12 and under team who are quite good!

Man on the run!

I think he looks really old in these pictures - where did my baby go??

Love the arm pushing!  Be aggressive!

They cheer like this before the match begins and after the match ends.  Silas's team is saying "ISD...LIONS! ISD...LIONS! ISD...LIONS!  The other team is speaking German, so I have no idea what they are saying!

Luke's team after the game - this was a friendly against the 8&under team.  Luke is on one of the 3 10&under teams the school has.  After their cheer above, the ISD team gathers in a circle and usually ends up dancing around and around in the circle.  It was shorter this day, but still cute.


Wow - 2 posts in 2 days!  That is something for me.  I guess I need to get back to all the things I am neglecting, like cleaning, laundry, calling the repair center.  (That last one I am dreading - they have had my dryer for a week, they only speak German, and we muddle through in person.  But on the phone??  So yes, I have been very German this week and line-drying all our clothes.  After they wash for 2 hours in the washing machine.  Can you say a little behind on the laundry?)

Some things I like...and a little Berlin

I thought I would start my series of things I like and don't like about Germany, just so you could get a taste of the differences between Deutschland and the USA.  True to form, I decided to start with the glass half full.  (I am writing this post just after learning of Clemson's loss to Georgia Tech, so I am in need of a glass half full!  Although, for the record, our season is already BETTER than I expected.  So, there's your glass half full for that!)  Things I like, in no particular order:


1.  Recycling system.  Sure, it's a pain to separate my trash into 5 different groups (compost, paper, plastic/green dot, trash, bottles for $$).  But we really have significantly less trash than in the States.  In addition, everyone here recycles those plastic bottles because they pay a deposit on them.  They have 2 kinds of plastic bottles - ones they reuse and wash (15 cents back) and ones they shred in these machines in the groceries stores (25 cents back).  Oh, and we haven't returned our glass bottles yet - but we get money back on those, too.  Let's face it, when you have paid that extra money, you are more likely to recycle to get it back.  Also, apparently, if you don't sort your house trash appropriately, they will let you know with a little pink slip and a fine eventually.  Money really is incentive at times to do the right thing.  


2.  Rule Following.  So, the Germans like to follow the rules.  They walk when the sign says to walk, they don't when it doesn't say it.  Even if no cars are coming.  They really yield to bicycles and pedestrians, they recycle appropriately, they don't cut in line (for the most part), etc.  This is mostly good.  If you know the rules, you know the expectations, and how to avoid being yelled at, doing the wrong thing, etc.  Most crime involves petty theft or graffiti (which, let's face it, is sometimes good art - so then it doesn't seem as bad - but still against the rules!)  However...(the remainder of this thought will fit more appropriately in what I don't like)


3.  No stores open on Sunday.  I thought I wouldn't like this.  How inconvenient, I need eggs!  Oh no, I don't have the appropriate stuff for Luke to finish his project - to Wal-Mart! Wait.  Turns out, if you plan well (for dinner on Sunday - whether that is eating out or cooking in), for school projects, for spontaneous baking, etc, it is nice to spend Sunday as a true Sabbath.  To really have nothing to do except attend services and AWANA, spend time with the family (no sports on Sunday, either, at least at the younger ages), chilling at home.  It is nice.  It is a day to breathe.  


4.  Public transportation.  It is actually easier to go into town via the tram than it is with the car and attempt to find parking.  And I like not driving and stressing out about parking here, or side-swiping the car (not that anything like that has happened yet, I mean, well, maybe) in the impossibly tiny parking spots.  And it is affordable.  YEAH!


5.  Bakeries.  Fresh yummy bread - sweet, savory, nutty, you name it, every day.  


I am stopping at 5, because I don't want this post to be all words.  But there are more thing I like (and of course, don't like).  I will share more at a later date.  On to the pictures!!

Fresh-squeezed orange juice stand in Berlin.  We stayed in what was formerly East Berlin.  Pretty cool.

Berliner Dom - held by a Protestant congregation at this time.

On the bus tour - they look thrilled. :)

Mesmerized.  He enjoyed listening to the tour in English.

Reichstag building.  The quote "Dem Deutscher Volke" means "to the German people" or "for the German people."  On this day, the German people were on the lawn, sprawled out, sunbathing, eating, making out, you name it.  

These are some of the "donut" choices at Dunkin' Donuts in Berlin.

Siegessäule - Berlin Victory Column
It has a pretty neat story, how each war added height to the column, the cannons are captured from the enemy, and how there are no cannons at the top portion - because they didn't win that war.  Hitler added the final column prematurely, confident of a victory.  The French wanted to destroy it (too many bad memories and wars lost - Franco-Prussian being one of them), but the British-American contention fought to keep it.  

Top of the Victory Column

Zechariah gives the organ grinder some coins.  They outlawed the use of real monkeys here, but Stuart says they have them in Prague!

So cute - both of them!

At the Brandenburg Gate.  Especially crowded this weekend because it was the weekend of the Day of German Unity Holiday.  It commemorates the anniversary of German Reunification that occurred in 1990.  Do you feel old yet?  I am older than the reunited country of Germany.

With the Original Tiger Rag

Zee is getting bored with the picture taking.

View of Berlin and the Reichstag from the Ferris Wheel.

Handsome men - everyone thought we were Dutch with all our orange!

Silas framed this shot with the Reichstag in the background while we were moving - nice work!

Per usual - hamming it up!

I have a LOT more pictures of Berlin, and of course, haven't even touched on Amsterdam, things I don't like, or our shiny red minivan!  But I will get to those soon enough!  By the time I have time for another post, we will be only a month away from seeing everyone in the States!  A definite cause for rejoicing!  :)