You're saying something but I'm not getting it

In a frugality blog I read, the author talked about the immigrants/refugees who've been coming to her (English speaking) country. I read through the comments on her blog entry; while sometimes comments can be frustrating to read, it's also interesting to review them from a sociological perspective (and linguistic, too!).


One of the comments that really stuck out to me was from a British reader who really didn't like it when immigrants/refugees/those whom she classified as "others" would talk on their cell phones in their mother tongue while in public. For whatever reason, it skeezed her out.


I found this highly ironic and immediately thought of all the Brits who set up their enclaves in Spain, for example, and don't speak a word of Spanish. Do they ever consider that they might be creeping out the local Spanish people when the Brits speak English on their phones in public? Also, aren't these the same people whinging about immigrants not assimilating, yet they don't learn Spanish there?


And, before you think that I'm sparing my own country from scrutiny, can I say that I can't wrap my mind around Americans who live months, years, or even decades in Germany without learning the language? I've met quite a few retired military members who even have German spouses and have lived here for 20+ years and haven't learned German. I wonder if the commenters on the blog entry would think that the Americans who speak English in Germany might be causing Germans anxiety about speaking a foreign language in public? After all, they're fellow Anglos! (I have my tongue so firmly implanted in my cheek that I'm concerned that I won't have the ability to remove it.)


When I was preparing to move to Germany, I was trying to find a short-term apartment rental. I contacted one woman but had some misgivings. I knew that I definitely didn't want to rent from her when I made an off-handed comment that I would try to start learning German as soon as possible when I arrived. She quickly told me that she didn't allow people to speak foreign languages in her house because she didn't want people to talk about her behind her back. That was the final straw; I was not interested in staying with such a paranoid landlady and I thought the whole thing was preposterous. If people wanted to talk about her, they certainly didn't have to use a foreign language to do so. Also, why does she care so much what people think?


It's not only Britain where these ideas take root, nor is it even countries with such an Anglo-centric focus. However, it has happened to their Saxon cousins; Germany went through this with the CSU a couple of years ago. Representatives from the CSU, which is the conservative political party in Bavaria, proposed that immigrants should have to speak German both in public and at home too.


The proposal blew up in the party's face. See, the Bavarian dialect, which is the language of many of those who support the CSU, can sometimes sound unintelligible to those from other parts of Germany. Therefore, it might as well be a foreign language to those from other parts of Germany. Opponents were quick to say that should this proposal gain any traction, the Bavarians would have to speak "proper German" too. With this and other reasons, the CSU backed down on the issue.


This was a bit rambly, but the gist of it is: is it right to demonize someone merely because he is speaking a different language on the phone? I do think it's important for a society, and for the individual who moves there, to speak a common language. Immigrants need help learning the local language so they can take part in the community, ask for help, conduct official business, and learn their rights. However, I cannot agree that they should not be allowed to also speak their mother tongue, especially in their private lives. There is room for diversity.

I was featured in Multicoolty!

A representative from Multicoolty contacted me invited me to write an expat profile for the site. It's a website that examines multicultural life in Germany, focusing especially on expats. Here's the link to my interview on the site and below is what I wrote.

Multicoolty Interview with Around the Wherever

aroundthewherever.blogspot.com

From the American Midwest to expat living in Southwest Germany

What brought you to Germany?

I had been interested in living and working overseas since I had a semester abroad experience when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree. Quite a few years later, I found a job opportunity in Germany. I thought it would be a great way to do some good and to experience expat living.

What opinion did you have about Germans before coming? Has it changed? Have any of the stereotypes been confirmed?

Before my first trip to Germany, I had very little knowledge of the country and people other than what I had seen in movies. I alternated between wondering if people wouldn’t be very friendly or if they’d be farmers dressed in Tracht and drinking from huge beer glasses. I wrote more about it here: http://aroundthewherever.blogspot.de/2014/09/my-preconceived-notions-about-germany.html

I traveled to Germany and learned that neither idea was really what it was like here but I still didn’t have an accurate picture. When I found out that I would be working here, I read as many expat blogs as I could before I moved. From that, I came away with the idea that people would be scolding me for doing anything wrong (such as jaywalking) and that I would never be able to make any German friends.

I am thankful to find that both of those assumptions have been proven wrong! I have yet to be scolded and I have some wonderful German (and expat) friends who have been so kind and friendly.  I wrote more here: http://aroundthewherever.blogspot.de/2014/09/my-preconceived-notions-about-germany_12.html

What is it that you like/dislike in Germany?

There are many things to like about Germany. Personally, I like the quality of life. People seem, for the most part, secure. They have plenty of time off and know how to enjoy it well. They know that they can stay healthier since they have good health insurance and adequate sick leave in the event that they do get sick. I love that there always seems to be some sort of festival or event no matter what the time of the year. I’m a big fan of the big push for recycling and conserving resources.

Even though there are many positive aspects of living here, Germany does have some down sides, too. I have gotten so frustrated by people not respecting personal space. While in line at a grocery store once I was shocked when, without warning, a woman behind me grabbed me by the waist and shoved me to the side. Apparently she wanted to get by but an “excuse me” or tapping me on the shoulder would have been a much more polite way to ask!  I have also experienced people blatantly cutting in line or bumping into me on the street. It was definitely a culture shock for me because in America, people tend to be respectful of lines and apologize for running into someone.

What is your favorite thing to do/eat/etc. in/about Germany?
I live in the Pfalz region of Germany, which is a lovely wine growing area. I joke that if people ask about the beer here, we tell them about the wine. I really enjoy attending the culinary hikes and local wine festivals, where I sometimes try the area’s specialty, white wines.

I also enjoy some of the great outdoor opportunities available in the area. Since we’re in the Pfälzerwald, hiking is a popular activity. Additionally, I love to attend auto free days when the local two-lane highways are closed for bicycling and parties in the towns along the route. More about the car free bike rides here: http://aroundthewherever.blogspot.de/2013/08/autofreies-lautertal-kaiserslautern.html

More about wine/culinary hikes here: http://aroundthewherever.blogspot.de/2014/04/wolfstein-kulinarische-wanderung.html

What would you say to a person who is thinking of moving to Germany?

Do research before moving here but come with an open mind and form your own opinions. Attempt to integrate yourself as much as you can; learn German (the Volkshochschule is a great place to start) and once you’re more fluent, join community clubs or organizations. Attend local events. Try to make some German friends, remembering that to have friends, it’s important to be a good friend (i.e. honoring your commitments, being punctual, and treating others as you’d like to be treated). Look for the good in others and in your newly adopted country. If you expect to have a good time, you probably will!

Signs you've gone native in the Pfalz

Expats moving to the Pflaz region of the Rheinland-Pfalz state in Germany might start out with one set of expectations when moving here, but as they become more native, they realize what's really up.

Here are some signs that show you've gone native:

1. People ask you about the beer in the area and you tell them about the wine.

2. You might have a dirndl or lederhosen to wear in Bayern, but you know it doesn't really have a place here.

3. You know that with the slightest excuse, there will be a gemütlich wine festival.

4. You say "jo" instead of "ja."

5. You know that Saarland is not the most awesome vacation place ever, as much as they'd like to think it is.

6. You giggle when you think of Helmut Kohl making foreign dignitaries eat Saumagen.

7. Heck, you've eaten Saumagen yourself (even if you may or may not be vegetarian).

8. You know that Flammkuchen is where it's at.*

9. You know that closing down the local highways during the summer means two things: wine + bikes.

10. You and the Pfälzerwald are besties. You might even have nordic walking poles just to prove that (even though you're more likely to use them on the flat paths).


*Even though it's grammatically incorrect.

In Italian

When I've gone to events with various groups here, I meet as many, if not more, other expats as I do Germans, so I have the opportunity to hear how they are settling in. As an expat myself, I find it interesting to hear about the experiences of other expats, especially those based in Germany.

When I was in Munich, I met several Italian guys at a gathering. One guy said that when he was calling German landlords about renting their apartments, everyone was saying "ciao" to him as they were ending the call. He thought that they were doing that because they knew he was Italian. We had a giggle over his revelation that it's actually a somewhat common way in Germany to say goodbye and it wasn't a special nod to his Italian-ness.*

*Okay, maybe that's not a word.

Causin' the Kopfschmerzen

There was a review on Trip Advisor for, wait for it...a German restaurant, in Germany, that had the audacity to print its menu in German. There was no English menu so the reviewer gave it a lower score. Reviewer, you caused me Kopfschmerzen. I'm just saying.

Here's a translation: das Bier = the beer. There you go.

M learns Italian

I hang out with an unusual, fun, and varied mix of expats, students, expat students, locals, etc. One interesting person is M, who is a PhD student. She was on her way to Italy to do some work related to her studies. Some friends who knew Italian gave her some phrases to help her out in Italian and I took pictures of her notes.

The choice of important phrases was amusing, such as "happy hour" and "I did not do anything."

My move from local yokel to expat

**Note: technically, a "yokel" is someone who is considered a redneck or a country bumpkin, but in my story, I'm using it to describe myself as one who hasn't experienced much of the world.**

As a child and a young adult, I had never had much interest in settling outside of my home state, much less out of the region. However, things quickly changed as I began traveling internationally. I went from being a local yokel to morphing into an expat with itchy feet (and not from foot fungus ;)

The roots of my previous frame of mind were influenced by my environment as I was growing up. My hometown in Michigan has somewhere around 200,000 residents so it is not, by any means, a small town. However, being located in the west side of the state, it is somewhat conservative, as that area is strongly influenced by Christian Reformed mores.

My parents brought us up in a neighborhood that was predominantly white. I attended private school and "racial diversity" mostly resulted from the different western European origins of one's forefathers (i.e. were you of Dutch, German, or French heritage?). My parents didn't bring us up to be racist or closed minded, but we also didn't have many opportunities to meet people of different races, cultures, or travel much outside of the Midwest in our earlier years. On the other hand, we were definitely encouraged to be nice to everyone.

Even looking at where of many of my high school classmates have ended up as adults illuminates the "feel" of my hometown: the majority of them are living close to where they were raised, spending time with the same people that were their friends from high school, doing things almost exactly the same way they did as when they were young.

As a result, I think of my hometown as a place that's pleasant enough but not full of people who are the most cosmopolitan bunch around. I counted myself in that group. As an 18 year-old, I wanted to attend college an hour from home (which gave me plenty of time to return on weekends to spend time with my boyfriend and friends whom I had met in high school). Then my plan was to move back to my hometown and get a job there, marry, have 1.5 children, the white picket fence, and all those trappings of middle class suburbia.

However, that all changed as I began traveling. When my Dad retired from a branch of the service, he made the happy discovery that he was eligible to take his family on "Space Available" flights from the Air Force. There are regularly scheduled flights to Air Force bases around the world. Sometimes there is room for military members/retirees and their families to use extra seats on the flights for personal travel. Of course, seats on the flights aren't guaranteed; it's a lottery system to see if one can take the flight (and a pretty interesting adventure, too!). My Dad has an adventurous soul and offered to take our family on trips. When the airfare is free, European travel is quite reasonably priced. I lucked out and was able to take many trips with Dad while I was a dependent in college.

I think that these early trips were the gateway to my addiction to travel. We started with a trip to Germany. The preconceived notions I held about Germany were completely ridiculous and unfounded, I realized. I liked being abroad so much that I signed up to spend a semester studying in England (ah, the safe choice where I didn't have to learn a new language, but there was still plenty of culture shock to shake up my world in a good way). After that experience, I decided that one day, I would be an expat. Many overseas trips followed and in 2013, I became an expat, as I had hoped all those years earlier.

Now, looking back at my 18 year old self, I can't help but reflect on all the changes. I'm not sure that I could resettle in my hometown. It's a pleasant place to live but I think I'd be bored there. I am no longer interested in the middle class vision of domestic bliss. I want to travel, explore, and test my boundaries instead.That's the beautiful thing about travel: it really helps to expand one's horizons, dispel unfairly held assumptions, and introduce one to the wonders and beauty of the world.

Signs that I'm getting German-ized

I've now lived in Germany for almost a year and a half and I continue to assimilate and adjust to German life. I am totally enjoying living here, but that's not to say that weren't some adjustments to make and things to learn.

Here are some ways that I've gone "native," or that living in Germany has rubbed off on me.

1. I now love sparkling water/water with gas. I used to think it was nasty. Now, it's all that I seem to want to drink. I also have no problems drinking it at room temperature, which is often how it's served. No ice for me, baby!

2. I've made peace with the fact that many businesses don't take credit cards and that I will be paying with cash. Since I can use international ATMs with no fees, it is slightly cheaper to pay with cash anyway.

3. I have a hard time spelling -le words in English now because I've been writing -el German words.

4. I am a recycling-sorting pro and have chastised a friend for not recycling. When people don't sort recycling correctly, I tut tut.

5. I'm okay with stores being closed on Sundays. In fact, I find it peaceful (for the most part) and know that there are plenty of alternatives of things to do.

6. I know to plan for a big chunk of time when eating a meal at a restaurant. The one thing I'm still not cool with is if it takes forever to pay and the restaurant is not busy.

7. I firmly believe that there is no bad weather with the right clothing. I love, love, love that Germans still have festivals and outdoor activities even in the cold of winter.

8. I know that to get some of the tastiest things to eat, it might require visits to more than one store. For example, if I wanted the best bread, I'd need to go to the bakery. If I wanted the best vegetables, I'd need to go to the vegetable store. There are even stores devoted just to beverages (Getränkemärkt)! Sure, it's totally possible to buy all of these things at a regular grocery store, but believe me, it can be totally worth it to visit a specialty store instead.

9. I was reading an article about a woman living in Canada who received a ticket for drinking alcohol in a park and was super confused why she'd get a ticket for that. I've become accustomed to the permission to drink in public here. After all, why not enjoy some wine with friends in the park during a picnic?

10. I love bringing my own (reusable) bags to the grocery store. It's good for the environment and I don't have to pay for plastic bags that way.

11. I've made peace with canned corn showing up randomly in dishes. If it comes on pizza, I'm like, "oh, hello, you." I also understand the paradox that corn on the cob is somewhat hard to find.

All Thanksgivinged out

After two lovely Thanksgiving celebrations with friends (one on Thursday and one on Saturday) I am now done celebrating Thanksgiving here in Germany. The last pie tin has been washed and the extra brussels sprouts that I didn't need for the festivities have been cooked and will be lunch at work this week.

The celebration on Saturday was with a different group of friends, this time in town with an easy walk to get there. Ten people crammed around my friend's newly bought IKEA table. This time it was mostly Germans but there were also people from India, France, Israel and Indonesia. That's what I really enjoy about group; everyone is so diverse, with a different story to tell. I grew up in a very homogenous area with little diversity so it's nice to spend time with people from all over the world.

I brought some Stovetop stuffing as well as some leftover pumpkin pie from the other dinner. My fellow diners were completely sad that there was no apple pie left. I guess I'll have to make it again so I can get more practice.

After dinner, we played Apples to Apples, which is essentially a word game. Having been given my game in the US, it is the American edition.  Ha ha. Apparently not all things are universal, it seems. Some bits of hilarity ensued. Some things even I, as a native American (but not a Native one!), can't even explain. Some cards that I played and were hilarious to me got turned down. That's one of the very small drawbacks of not sharing a cultural heritage, I suppose.

An expat Thanksgiving...times two

For Americans, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with those who are special and to be thankful, of course. Thanksgiving is a truly American holiday and besides Christmas, it's when most* US stores and businesses are closed so people can spend time with family and friends.

This is the second time in my life when I've been thousands of miles away from my family for Thanksgiving. The first time, I was a student in a suburb of London (England). I spent the evening with two of my friends, who also happened to be American. We took the train to London and ate dinner at Cheers (yes, it's based on the show!). As we walked through the park and to Buckingham Palace after dinner, I called my family to wish them a happy holiday. It was a neat experience.

That was thirteen years ago. I now live in Germany and faced another Thanksgiving far from my hometown. It was not a lonely Thanksgiving, though; thanks to the connection that expats feel and to my friend's kindness, a bunch of us gathered at her place for a lovely meal on Thursday evening. We had a late dinner since only the two Americans had the day off. It was to be quite an international event, with Americans (just two of us), friends originally from the UK (the largest group there, strangely enough, and I teased them that we had this holiday because the Pilgrims had been trying to get away from their forefathers), a Romanian, and some Germans. It was really fun to share our holiday with them.

In the wonderful way that merging social circles goes, my friends from town were also invited along. My two groups of friends met through a party at my place and then at subsequent events.  We left for Heidelberg a bit early and dropped off the pies that I made (more to follow about them in a future entry!) and some of ingredients for the other dishes I was going to prepare. Then, we headed to downtown Heidelberg to take a peek at the Christmas market. It hadn't officially opened yet but the booths were open, regardless. It was very pleasant to wander through them and not have to fight crowds.

Since it was going to be a few hours yet before dinner and I hadn't eaten much all day, I grabbed an ice cream cone from Gelato Go. It was quite cold out so it makes total sense to eat something even colder, huh? I don't always make the wisest choices in this regard but I didn't care because the ice cream was delicious! I ordered a scoop of marizpan (I think) and a scoop of Spekulatius, which had bits of chopped cookie of the same name. I forgot how huge the scoops of ice cream are there so I had quite a bit to eat! Some people complain about the price for the ice cream (mine was 2,20 euro for the two scoops) but I don't think that the prices are bad considering how much they give per scoop and that their offerings are organic. There are even vegan offerings!

We walked around a bit more and I did some scouting for the upcoming trip that I'll be taking there with my cousins, who will be visiting from the US in December. It was then time to head back for the dinner.

In addition to the pies I made, I prepared green bean casserole (which I personally detest, but it's such a typical dish that I felt that I needed to make it or else I'd be denying my Midwestern roots). I also made a dish of seared brussels sprouts with gorgonzola, pecans, and cranberries from this recipe. If I were to do it over, I'd probably bake or steam the sprouts first, then sear them in a pan, adding the cranberries almost at the end. I felt that they were slightly bitter since they didn't cook as much. The cranberries split open so that's why I'd add them later. It was a tasty dish, nonetheless, and I wouldn't mind adding it to my painfully slowly expanding repertoire of things I cook for events.

This was our hostess's first time cooking a turkey. She made a gourmet turkey, taking the time to prepare it in a brine. I don't usually eat meat, myself, but I took a small bite and it was quite nice, flavorful and moist. The meat eaters raved about it.

As we sat down to eat, I told the guests that we had to do our very special and typical American Thanksgiving ritual: a special prayer, okay even for the nonbelievers. We even taught the guests the super important hand gestures too. It went as follows: rub a dub dub (rubbing one's belly); thanks for the grub (holding hand out); yea god (doing jazz hands). I wish I could have had a video of this.

We then commenced to eat way too much and it was entirely delicious! Our hostess made a wonderful meal, pulling out all the stops with homemade cranberry relish, cornmeal stuffing, mashed potatoes with bacon (for which I will always make an amendment to my usual disinterest in eating meat), homemade cornbread muffins with bacon and sundried tomatoes, a lovely salad, my side dishes, and for dessert, a cheesecake she made and my pies (pumpkin and apple).

The company was lovely and the food delicious. My friends commented that they didn't that they have ever been so full before! Just before midnight, the three of us who live in Kaiserslautern waddled back to the train station to go home. I was in bed by 2 a.m. It's funny because the last time I celebrated Thanksgiving abroad, I was out really late too. In the US, I'm usually in bed by 10 p.m. after Thanksgiving festivities, probably because of the food coma.

The fun doesn't stop here, though. Another friend invited me to his Thanksgiving celebration, which will be today. Most of the other guests are Germans so it made sense to have it on a day that they wouldn't be working or in school. I purposefully didn't eat much on Friday because I needed a break in between two days of feasts. I must say, though, that I feel lucky to have such great company :)


*too bad it's not all of them! This is an example of where the US can really take an example from the Germans and allow everyone to celebrate holidays with their families instead serving corporate greed.

Getting a massage at the German massage place: hilarity ensues, or it doesn't

Whenever I get into a situation that spirals out of control in a way that's so ridiculous that it's funny, the music below plays through my head. I had such an experience earlier this week.

On my day off, I decided to get a massage by someone recommended by a friend. My friend didn't think that the guy really speaks English, but said I should go anyway. Since I've been working on my German a bit, I figured I could make an appointment without too many troubles.

Imagine trying to make a massage appointment with a man who's basically like a hyperactive squirrel. He doesn't really speak English and I am halting in German. I said that I needed an appointment (in German) but I think he was so freaked out about dealing with an English speaker that he asked for help.

He enlisted the help of one of his clients who speaks better English. Said client is in the middle of a massage so I get waved to the back of the practice and ask a man who's laying on the massage table and only wearing underwear if he can help me make an appointment. We all agreed on a time.

I don't think that I would have seen a client in situ in the US (at least I don't think it would have, or at least the masseuse there would have probably had me talk through a cracked door and I wouldn't see the other client). Though honestly, if the masseuse just slowed down what he said and listened to me a bit more I think we could have made the appointment without help. I'm thankful for the other client's help. He didn't seem phased by this at all. At least he was wearing underwear! I'm trying to adjust to the German lack of hang-ups with partial/full nudity. However, I just wasn't expecting the situation to happen this way. I had practiced the phrases I would say in German before I went there. After all, how hard is it to make an appointment; I'm almost at the A2 level. That got shot out the window. Doesn't that make you think of the adage, "it takes a village?" I thought it took a village to raise a child, but apparently it also takes one to make an appointment.

As for the massage itself, it wasn't really what I prefer. When it was my turn, the masseuse utilized a client who was in another room as an interpreter for a bit. I told the masseuse, "wenn Sie sprechen langsamer, ich verstehe mehr" (when you speak slower, I understand more). He had left the curtain to my room open and was going to commence working on me. I knew the other client was in another room, and I am still a bit prudish/American, so I told Mr. Masseuse, "bitte mit die Tür nicht öffnen" (please with the door not open). Yes, that's not the most grammatical way to put it, but it still makes sense and I couldn't remember the word for closed. See? I know enough German to communicate my wishes, just not in an elegant way.

I was on a table under this crazy heat lamp thing; I almost felt as if I were at a tanning salon! After turning off the lamp, he draped a heat pack over my back. I have a feeling that Lucifer did him a solid and let it heat up on his sidewalk a bit before handing it over. It was rather hot, especially on bare skin. I have a reasonably high pain tolerance so I just dealt with it. 

I couldn't believe how fast he did the massage strokes. At one point, there was disco music playing on the radio and I swear that he used that to keep time! So, while it wasn't the worst thing ever, it was still a rather odd situation so I think one visit there suited me just fine. The awkward thing is that I ran into Mr. Masseuse two days later when I was out with friends. He hollered to me to ask how I was feeling and I spoke German back. See, dude? If you just listen, I can tell you what needs to be said.

Two manly men walk into the Barbie Dreamhouse...

The Dreamhouse. It is a bit creepy!

No, seriously, this isn't the beginning of some silly joke. During the Berlin trip, I was sightseeing with two guys from class. One was a Marine and the other was someone who works for another organization. We were somewhat lost; well, I knew where we were, but we weren't in the right spot. I guess that would still be lost. Anyway, I was absolutely delighted when I spotted the Barbie Dreamhouse.

I had read about it; it's a temporary installation where kids can go experience the plastic world of Barbie, try on her clothes, and continue to foster an unrealistic expectation of feminine beauty, all for 15 euros for kids or 19 euros for adults. That's insanely expensive in my book, but then again, I'm not a pre-pubescent girl wild about a plastic doll so maybe I'm not being fair.

The article I had read about the Dreamhouse was about feminist protestors who burned Barbie dolls in front of the Dreamhouse because they feel that Barbie is part of "sexist propaganda," according to the protesters. While I agree that Barbie is an unrealistic portrayal of femininity, I'm not against the doll that much. I mean, she looks freakish, but if little girls want to play with the doll, have at it, I say. I'm not above telling my nieces that their doll, if she were a real human, wouldn't be able to stand/walk because of her odd proportions, and then steer them to some science experiments, volunteering, or something a bit more affirming.

After mulling over all the implications of the Barbie Dreamhouse, I decided that we absolutely must enter, let's say as a mole. I didn't want to pay, but there was a cafe that open to anyone who wanted to stop in. The guys wanted nothing to do with it. It is my goal in life to make men (especially super manly men like the ones I was touring with!) do things that they don't want to do, all in the interest of expanding their horizons, of course! I was able to cajole them into entering the cafe and even buy a cupcake.

I bought a cupcake, too, in order to express my solidarity. It was soooo creepy; it was peach flavored and there was nothing natural about it. The frosting almost crackled; it was so full of sugar. Don't get me wrong; it didn't taste bad by any means but it definitely tasted laden with chemicals. It would not be realistic to think that a plastic doll, the epitome of falseness, would serve organic cupcakes.

This isn't really what the guys look like, but it's close enough. The chair thing is an inside joke.

The guys whined about the experience like you wouldn't believe, but I think that they secretly enjoyed themselves. I was totally amused to hear grown men whine; I won't lie. I'm glad that we were all able to expand our horizons, but I too was ready to leave. The giant Barbie doll head painted on the wall was staring at us and it was creepy!

CREEEEEEPY! I did not like having her look over my shoulder.

You know you've been away for quite some time when...

During my study trip to Berlin, I was surrounded by Americans yet again (that seems to be a theme here). However, many of them have been out of the US for years at this point. It creates a situation where one isn't quite totally enfolded in the new country, but one isn't totally up to date with American culture either.

For example, we were teasing one classmate (there was a lot of teasing on this trip) and told her that she was Tebowing it. I got in on this session of teasing late so I wasn't sure what she did that prompted this. She had no idea what people were talking about. Tebowing is based on the actions of Tim Tebow, an American football player, who would get down on his knees and pray at odd times. It was a reasonably well-known meme; I had even heard of it and I avoid American football like it's the plague.

There were some other instances where people in class didn't get the references to US culture because they've been gone so long. I don't think that is bad in any way; it's just interesting to me, and it's not as if the US is the height of culture anyway. I think that expats don't always get the full effect of their new host culture, especially if there is a language divide. It seems to create this third place, so to speak, of existence.

Oh thank the handy heavens...

for coworkers who are reasonably fluent in German. My cell phone's voicemail box menu was all in German. My coworker, within a few seconds, successfully changed it to English. The British chap who reads the menu items has a super creepy voice, but at least I could understand everything he said. Now I just need to listen to prompts on how to delete messages, etc.

There is something here where people can basically page you using the cell phone, too. It's one of the options when people get to the voicemail box. I'm quite sure that many US phones do that too, but I don't ever recall anyone using that function. In Germany, it seems that so many more people use prepaid or pay as you go phones so maybe people do it to save money on sending/receiving voicemails.

That brings me to mention this further: I found that so many of the people on base are using pay as you go phones. Many people just use them for emergencies or short calls, which was surprising to me because I had just come the States, where many people use them to heavily supplement or replace their home phone. Many of my coworkers don't use a lot of data, if any, on their phones. This also was different for me. When I heard that some of the IT guys even had pay as you go phones, I realized that I had better pursue them more heavily.

I had considered buying a phone with a contract but found out that it is basically not possible to get out of a cell phone contract here. You're stuck in it for the full two years without the availability of an early termination fee option. Also, you must give the company a lot of notice that you want to end the contract way before it does end or else the company will re-up the contract without your consent. I have heard reports that 3-6 months' notice must be given; I'm sure it depends on the carrier. Since we are all somewhat transitory here (at least in the long run), I am not surprised that many people are hesitant to sign a contract. Even getting moved to another country for work usually won't get one out of a contract.

Armed with this knowledge, I went and bought a pay as you go phone. I bought a Motorola Android smartphone for 139 EUR and the phone is completely unlocked. The current carrier is Telekom (aka T-Mobile) but the nice thing is that if I decide I don't like their service, I can buy a (pay as you go) SIM card from another carrier, insert it in the phone, and change carriers that simply. My current plan is 10 EUR per month and I get decent internet but not a huge amount of minutes for calling. However, I don't call people often and incoming calls are free anyway. Some new friends told me about WhatsApp, an app free for the first year where you can send texts using the data plan (more like IMing someone) so I can avoid texting fees that way, too.

One option to save money with the cell phone is that people here also do use their home phone lines a bit more. It can be a lot cheaper to make phone calls that way; there are different rates to call landlines vs. mobile lines. Also, with VOIP phones, it can be cheap or even no additional charge to call the US. Of course, many people also use Skype to chat via the computer for free too.

I am on the fence if I'll have a home phone or not. I haven't had one for five years but if one comes super cheap with internet once I finally find an apartment to rent, I might get it if it has free/cheap calls to the US.