Some of the things that O has been able to check off his bucket list in the past four months:
ride a plane
ride a train
ride a bus
ride a ferry
ride a subway
ride a taxi
(also sleep on the previously mentioned vehicles)
climb around and spend the night in a castle
take the elevator up and down the Eiffel Tower
Eat, sleep, and play in Germany
Eat crepes in France
Throw rocks in a canal in Amsterdam
Eat lefse in Norway
Climb a real windmill
Wade in the Baltic Sea
Put soap in and run dishwasher
withdraw money from a bank machine
make a call on a cell phone without assistance
push the red button in an elevator
feed a goat
pet a chick
watch building construction from bare ground to block walls
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Monday, July 4, 2011
Random notes
I bought a small notebook soon after moving to Germany which I keep in my purse for making observations (as well as lists and German words I need to translate). I had hoped to use these in my blogs, but as time is running out and they are rather random, I thought I would share some of them here:
*Germans tend not to greet or acknowledge strangers in the streets or on public transport. I am rather an introvert, but even so, in the US, if I were approaching someone walking towards me on the sidewalk, or sitting across from them on the bus, I would likely give a nod or smile in greeting. In Germany, most strangers look straight past you. Elderly ladies seem to be the exception.
*It is not uncommon to never have a train attendant check your ticket. Germans expect honesty.
*Children seem to be "over dressed" by American standards. On warm days when I have dressed O without a jacket, I have seen children bundled in layers and a hat. I have seen many adults also wearing scarves and jackets on warm days.
*German stores are closed on Sunday. No groceries or other shopping. Imagine that!
*I have seen owners bring their leashed dogs in stores, on buses and trains, and even restaurant.
*I've never seen anyone take a doggie bag from a restaurant.
*Most people board the bus as single passengers. Imagine how many cars are kept off the road!
*Most transactions are made with cash or debit cards. Wonder why the German economy is doing so well?
*Refrigerators are half as big as a small US model. Washing machines take twice as long to do a load.
*There are no such thing as baggers at the grocery store. You are on your own and sometimes there is little more than 12 inches between the scanner and the edge of the check-out. Forget about organizing your groceries! Toss them back in the cart and then move aside for the next customer. There are often counters to the side for you to reorganize your purchases.
*Germans almost exclusively use glass-top stoves.
*Most windows lack screens to keep the bugs out. Windows also swing in from the side and/or tilt in at the top rather than sliding.
*Butter comes in squares rather than rectangular blocks and never have measurement markings.
*Nutritional labels always include fat/carbs/fiber per 100 grams, in addition to per portion.
*Germans tend not to greet or acknowledge strangers in the streets or on public transport. I am rather an introvert, but even so, in the US, if I were approaching someone walking towards me on the sidewalk, or sitting across from them on the bus, I would likely give a nod or smile in greeting. In Germany, most strangers look straight past you. Elderly ladies seem to be the exception.
*It is not uncommon to never have a train attendant check your ticket. Germans expect honesty.
*Children seem to be "over dressed" by American standards. On warm days when I have dressed O without a jacket, I have seen children bundled in layers and a hat. I have seen many adults also wearing scarves and jackets on warm days.
*German stores are closed on Sunday. No groceries or other shopping. Imagine that!
*I have seen owners bring their leashed dogs in stores, on buses and trains, and even restaurant.
*I've never seen anyone take a doggie bag from a restaurant.
*Most people board the bus as single passengers. Imagine how many cars are kept off the road!
*Most transactions are made with cash or debit cards. Wonder why the German economy is doing so well?
*Refrigerators are half as big as a small US model. Washing machines take twice as long to do a load.
*There are no such thing as baggers at the grocery store. You are on your own and sometimes there is little more than 12 inches between the scanner and the edge of the check-out. Forget about organizing your groceries! Toss them back in the cart and then move aside for the next customer. There are often counters to the side for you to reorganize your purchases.
*Germans almost exclusively use glass-top stoves.
*Most windows lack screens to keep the bugs out. Windows also swing in from the side and/or tilt in at the top rather than sliding.
*Butter comes in squares rather than rectangular blocks and never have measurement markings.
*Nutritional labels always include fat/carbs/fiber per 100 grams, in addition to per portion.
Returning
Last Saturday morning I was making a shopping list for the farmers market and planning meals for the following few days. With all of our guests lately, we are going through food even more quickly! I was thinking about which items from the grocery store I might be able to "stock up" on, when my calculations revealed that we will be here in our house for only a total of two more weeks. Oh my! It suddenly makes everything seem so final.
It is strange, thinking about this "other life" we have been leading here and the new normal we have established. We have our routines and ways of doing things that we don't give much thought to anymore. Having visitors has reminded us of things that we have taken for granted. I wonder which things we will notice when we return to the US that we had "forgotten" about or on which we will have new perspectives. For example, when A and I returned to the US on Memorial Day weekend for the last week of school and activities celebrating her graduation from Middle School, I was struck by how wide the roads were, especially when coupled with the wide front yards and parking lots on either side. And, how empty the sidewalks of pedestrians and bicyclists!
I have mixed feelings about our return to the US. I am definitely looking forward to being back with friends and neighbors, having much easier communications, and just being surrounded with the comfortable and familiar aspects of home. On the other hand, it also means a step back into the reality of my life, which is busy, busy, busy. We have commitments, activities, and a social life which we have completely dropped from our daily schedule here. All of these fill up our calendar and sometimes require intricate coordination of everyone's plans. While A and I were in Columbus, I was immediately plunged into this busy-ness as I drove to and from school, activities, and visits with friends. It was a fun and special time, but I drove more in that five days than I had been driven (I haven't been behind the wheel a single time) in the past five months here in Germany.
The mom-as-taxi-driver is one part of my life that I do not miss at all! When we return and settle back into our every-day lives I hope to make some changes: using the public transport, bad as it is, a little more often, investing in bikes for the whole family, and making more choices to walk rather than drive. Maybe we can also make some choices about how we spend our time, now that we have the perspective of having more free time and having lived without such a full schedule.
It is strange, thinking about this "other life" we have been leading here and the new normal we have established. We have our routines and ways of doing things that we don't give much thought to anymore. Having visitors has reminded us of things that we have taken for granted. I wonder which things we will notice when we return to the US that we had "forgotten" about or on which we will have new perspectives. For example, when A and I returned to the US on Memorial Day weekend for the last week of school and activities celebrating her graduation from Middle School, I was struck by how wide the roads were, especially when coupled with the wide front yards and parking lots on either side. And, how empty the sidewalks of pedestrians and bicyclists!
I have mixed feelings about our return to the US. I am definitely looking forward to being back with friends and neighbors, having much easier communications, and just being surrounded with the comfortable and familiar aspects of home. On the other hand, it also means a step back into the reality of my life, which is busy, busy, busy. We have commitments, activities, and a social life which we have completely dropped from our daily schedule here. All of these fill up our calendar and sometimes require intricate coordination of everyone's plans. While A and I were in Columbus, I was immediately plunged into this busy-ness as I drove to and from school, activities, and visits with friends. It was a fun and special time, but I drove more in that five days than I had been driven (I haven't been behind the wheel a single time) in the past five months here in Germany.
The mom-as-taxi-driver is one part of my life that I do not miss at all! When we return and settle back into our every-day lives I hope to make some changes: using the public transport, bad as it is, a little more often, investing in bikes for the whole family, and making more choices to walk rather than drive. Maybe we can also make some choices about how we spend our time, now that we have the perspective of having more free time and having lived without such a full schedule.
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