Garry.
Every once in a while, everyday life just leaps out and shows how full of surprises it can be. When first arriving, each moment can offer us an interesting insight, frustration or simply prove we are the foreigner and the odd one out.
Even after thirty years though, I discover that I have no idea how a particular word is written in German, even though I may have been using it frequently for a long time. Or I watch a few people approaching and am reminded that Germans walk on the other side of the pavement to me and we dance to and frow attempting to pass each other.
Here are a few tales and insights, light thoughts to pass a few moments with, if you feel so inclined.
Bread Rolls.
It was a very close call; this article almost appeared in the do's and don'ts section in community and local. But coming from the UK, where most supermarkets bake their own bread and many doing it 24/7, I was so blown...
April Fools.
Government officials today confirmed introduction of new parliament legislation. Following the tradition of its northern neighbours, it is expected that new laws banning the use of the formal thou, Sie, in German will be passed...
Time and Language.
Oh boy, was she pretty. Mid length hair, neither short nor long. Colour somewhere between blond and brown and super shiny. Just like her personality. And one of those smiles that melt the ice cream on the cone...
Roadworks or Pass the Buck.
Germany invests fairly heavily in repairs to its motorway network, often with lanes narrowed or closed and traffic slowed quite dramatically. But have you read the signs encountered after many minutes of queuing...
Service Attitudes.
Customer experience of operational service in Germany is extremely different to the US or the UK. The service environment here is defined by a mix of personal attitudes, abilities of interaction and is a reflection of motivation...
Phobia Past and Present.
Every now and then, Germany's past throws the country into deep public debate. Whilst this site is mostly concerned with the present day, front-page news in the media causes us to address a particularly deep phobia: the Third Reich...
Brethren or Brotherly Love.
Sitting at the gate in the departure lounge of an airport recently, I took a look at the expressions on my co-travellers' faces. Admittedly it was 7:00 am local, 4 am in Germany. The sun was shining through clear blue skies...
