Hi Everyone!
I just realized how long it has been since I last posted anything on our blog! Too long! But I loaded a recent pic of Lukie to soften the lack of blogging. :o)
Lukie has learned how to climb now and in this picture he is peering over at Rene from on top of the piano bench. He has started at his daycare over the last few weeks as Monday I began my German Integration course. This is a course offered to spouses of Germans and people that are from other countries. The main focus is to help you learn German but it also offers some information on German government and politics. It is 4 hours everyday mon-fri. It starts Oct 8th and ends in April! So hopefully by then I should be able to effectively communicate with the natives ...or least lessen some of the cultural differences.
Yep so this is going to be a blog where I discuss some of the cultural difference I have noticed. (code phrase for complain so sensitive readers beware!)
Allow me to indulge in a few moments of pointing out cultural differences. First, everyone here smokes. Public health bans for smoking have not yet made it here, there is a little label on the packages that says "Smoking can kill you" but nobody seems to listen. Therefore I deduce... Germans like to live on the edge! Why do I say this? An obvious example would be the Autobahn. No need to explain that one. But if you are looking for more evidence then that brings me to my second point.
Second big difference there is a generalized lack of interest in consumer safety. There must be some sort of Darwinism at work here. I mean people understand what things can cause bodily harm here but no one would ever think to sue someone over it. It is sort of a "responsibility of the user" society. So if a pregnant woman wants to ride a bike, while listening to her Ipod, without a helmet, while smoking, she can do that here. And no one will stop her. And it happens! And another example, the stove front in our apt. is hot enough to cook an egg on when you are baking but there is no protective cover. Lukas already burned himself on it when we thought it had cooled down. In general I would have to say a healthy skeptiscism about safety is good to have here. In America there is some sort of general sentiment out there that
"Oh, they couldn't produce something if it weren't safe so don't worry." That does not hold here. If something looks too hot, too steep, too dirty, or too high that's because it is. So buyer beware!
Which brings me to my next big culture shock of customer service and German grocery stores. So maybe it is because this is a big city but customer service in most stores is fair to mediocre at best. It is often the case that store clerks will look annoyed if you ask them for help finding something. Or several times I have been bumped or scooted out of their way while I am shopping as I happen to be in their way for stocking purposes! HA! Gone are the days of friendly cashiers, who offer you coupons, have small talk, and help you bag your groceries. Here you have exactly 2 seconds to remove you groceries from the bagging area after they have been scanned before the clerk looks over at you with some sort of reproachful look for slowing the line down. To think that in Ann Abor someone actually bagged my groceries and helped me get my groceries to the car when I was 9 mths pregnant! Here they will only watch you struggle with your bags. Oh and if you forget to weigh your produce. Big problem! You have to run all the way back to the nearest scale and weigh the item while the clerk waits for you. Try that with a 14 mth old! German grocery store clerks you are officially off my Christmas Card list!
Ok and so here is my last tyrate on German grocery stores. I think they send all the crazy people to the grocery store at the same time here. ( Please note I am willing to include myself in that). So first off you have these grocery carts with unfixed wheels (meaning the wheels slide in all directions not just forward and back) this makes them very difficult to steer. Then add some groceries to the cart and make it heavy and now you actually have a nice dangerous little rolling cart that is difficult to steer and heavy. But as I said I am coming to find Germans like to live on the edge a little so I think this must be part of the appeal here. Next put a bunch of people in the store that are all in a hurry, that do not slow down for people in their way, and have an urgency about them that says, "This is the last food available in the whole world." Rene and I actually saw a little old lady get bumped into so hard that it knocked her glasses off and the offender just ran by and yelled "excuse me" over their shoulder! Poor Oma (grandma)! But don't worry the Omas get their turn. Remind me to discuss the whole German interpretation of "It takes a village to raise a child." I'll save that one for another blog. :o)
Well enough complaining...er... I mean discussion of cultural differences and now here is a picture of some of the best parts of Germany... family!
This is a picture of us celebrating Rene's grandpa's 84th birthday. We had fun!
Hope all is going well by everyone there across the Atlantic. We think of you all often and miss you! Take care. And say "Hi"to the cashier at your local grocery store from this homesick Amie (short for American).
Love, Steph, Rene, and Lukie :o)
