Stuff I See Everyday, But It Still Doesn't Seem Normal

This post originally included photos, but through my own stupidity, I accidentally deleted them. Despite repeated attempts to retrieve them, they are permanently gone. My heart is broken.

I have lived here in Berlin for almost eight months, yet there are still many things I see that make me wonder.  So, I have made another list (sorry, I guess I think in lists).  This list is entitled Stuff-I-See-Everyday-But-It-Still-Doesn't-Seem-Normal.

Now, just to clarify, I am not necessarily calling these things crazy or dumb.  I am simply stating that even after seven-plus months here, they still catch my attention.  You know how your mind learns to ignore details in everyday life that are just too commonplace to notice?  Well, those are what I call Normal Things.  This list is made up of things that, even though I see them everyday, still catch my eye and make me remember I am in a completely different place from where I have ever lived before.  So, to the average German, I'm guessing these are all everyday things that are not worth noticing.  But to me, they are really strange/funny/cool - you know, Not Normal.

1. Rathaus

Before we moved here, I took a few German lessons (a waste of time, but whatever).  One thing I did learn was that the German word for Government Building is Rathaus, pronounced "rat house."  It makes me snicker a bit everytime I pass by this Rathaus, because it is so aptly named.  I think we may be able to call some American government offices by the same name.

2.  Crazy-long street names

Here is Jess modeling some street signs in our neighborhood.  Germans like to make new words by simply combining already existing words (for example, the German word for "glove" is "Handschuh", which means "hand shoe").  But, this makes for crazy-long words, which are especially obnoxious on street signs.  But, aren't the sign posts cute?

3. Kevin Kline School of Communism
No, that's not the real name, but whenever I see this school - which I drive by everyday - that is what I think it should be named.  Mostly because of this mural painted by the entrance:
Doesn't this guy look like the actor Kevin Kline?  Maybe it's just the smirk on his face, but to me he looks like the guy in A Fish Called Wanda.  And what is with the stark uniform?  This seems like a propaganda poster for Communist Ideals.

And then there is this other painting of who I assume is the same guy.  Apparently, this is a picture of him when he used to sing with the BeeGees.

Just a few feet away from what I consider very serious depictions of Our Dedicated Leader of Learning, there is this sculpture.   I think this is supposed to be our Kevin Kline look-alike in sculpture form.  You can see the mustache and furrowed brow, but really?  A yellow nose-sculpture?  Is this dignified?  I chuckle to myself whenever I pass by here, (except on the occasional I-Hate-Germany-Day, when I just think it is all stupid).

4.  Amazingly cool houses
I loooove to walk around our neighborhood and just look at all the cool houses.  We live in Zehlendorf, an area of Berlin that is between the city center and Potsdam, the town where all the old summer castles are.  In the olden days, the nobility of Berlin used to travel to Potsdam to escape the summer heat of Berlin.  Because they were traveling by horse and carriage, it was a two-day drive, so they would stop in Zehlendorf for the night on their way.  Eventually, Zehlendorf became a fancy place of sorts because it was a stopping place for the rich folks.  So, there are tons of  beautiful, old homes all over the place.  All of these houses are within walking distance of our house, and whenever I go for a walk, I want to just stand in front of the houses and drink them in.  Here is a sampling of the amazing houses in our area:

5. Babies bundled-up for an outside winter walk

Berliners are big-time walkers, even in the middle of winter.  They really value getting a Daily Dose of  Fresh Air, so they have all kinds of gear to make it possible.  Even when the weather is below freezing, mothers will pack up their babies for their daily walk.  Nearly every stroller is equipped with this sleeping-bag-type-thing to keep baby toasty, and there are all kinds of fancy covers to keep baby dry if it is raining or snowing.  During the winter months, I often pass by strollers that look like mounds of blankets, scarves, and hats surrounding a tiny pair of eyes blinking happily.

6.  Men wearing hats

For the most part, Germans dress much more formally than Americans.  I often think Germans dress like grown-ups, whereas Americans dress like children.  This picture was taken at about 11:00 a.m., so I'm guessing this man was getting ready to go do some shopping or something.  This is exactly the kind of clothing I see men wearing at the grocery store.  I NEVER see anyone in sweats and tennis shoes unless they are playing sports.  And, proper attire for men seems to include a smart hat.

This is my neighbor across the street coming out to do some yard clean-up.  No grubby t-shirt and worn jeans for him!  No sir, he is going out in his sweater, slacks, and (of course) hat.

7. Mailmen on bicycles

Here is our friendly neighborhood DeutschePost Man.  Even during the winter, he rides his yellow bicycle along the sidewalks delivering mail.  Even though he has what I think would be the coldest, most miserable job ever, this guy has always got a grin on his pink, chapped face.  Maybe it's frozen that way.  Whatever the reason, I think he is delightful.

8.  Shoppers with baskets

I've mentioned in a former post that German grocery stores do not bag your items for you.  Many German shoppers have wicker baskets to carry their purchases home in.  On my way to pick up a few groceries of my own, I followed this wicker-basket-carrying shopper.  I'm sure after the shopping, this basket was topped off with a loaf of baguette bread and a bouquet of flowers.  Those seem to be German necessities.

9.  Wearing the appropriate color for the task

This is something that never ceases to amaze me.  There appears to be colors that people here wear to indicate their job.  For example, gardeners always wear green from head to toe (yes, Mr. Green Jeans).

 

Maintainence workers always wear blue - the janitor at the school, the guy who came to fix our drain, and these guys fixing our neighbor's fence.

City clean-up guys are always in orange, which matches their trucks.  These guys collect trash, sweep sidewalks, drive the little tractors that clear snow off the sidewalks, and generally keep the city tidy.  Always in orange.  This tendency to wear the appropriate color for your career fits the German stereotype of being Super-Orderly.

10.  Narrow cobblestone roads

I don't know if I will ever get used to this.  The roads here are very narrow, so there is not enough room for two lanes of traffic.  This is our road, which I have to drive on everyday, and it still makes me crazy.

Here is how it works:  if I were driving on this road and I saw a car coming the other direction, I would pull off to the right behind that parked silver car so the other car could go through.  When it is clear, I pull back into the center of the street and proceed.  If another car comes while I'm going, it is expected that he will pull off somewhere to the side and let me pass.  Basically, both cars assess who has the room to pull off, and the person who can pauses while the other one goes.  So far, I've never gotten into a game of Chicken, so it works.  But, I am so excited to go to America this summer and drive on roads that always have room for traffic going both ways!

11. Gates

I have to say, I don't understand the obsession with gates.  There are fences around every yard, and gates in front of sidewalks and driveways.  It is the gate across the driveway that I find rather annoying.  When my neighbors drive somewhere, they manually open their driveway gate, get back in the car and drive out into the street, get out of the car and close the gate, then get back into the car and drive away.  Repeat that in opposite order when they get home.  Add the fact that if they have a garage, there is no automatic garage door opener, so there are another few steps to get the car into and out of the garage.  We have a gate across our driveway, but we leave it open during the day, whether we are home or not.  I just don't want to jump thru all those hoops everytime I run an errand.  No wonder Germans walk everywhere!

12.  Graffiti

One thing that really bugs me is the graffiti. This is on a fence right across the street from our house.  We live in a nice neighborhood - you've seen all the beautiful houses - yet there is graffiti everywhere.  My American eyes associate graffiti with gangs and slums, but that isn't necessarily the case here in Germany.  Graffiti is just people "expressing" themselves, and nobody seems to mind it popping up on nearly every flat surface.

13.  Outdoor markets

This is an outdoor market that I pass everyday on my way to pick Lukie up at school.  There are markets like this everywhere, all year round.

Right now, because it's Spring, there are lots of flowers for sale.  At Christmas time, there were Christmas decorations and gifts for sale.  There are usually a lot of fruit and vegetables for sale, too.

14. Blinds on the outside of the windows

This is a picture of the window to Pepper's bedroom when the blinds are down.  These wooden blinds can be lowered from inside the house, and they are awesome!  They totally block out the light, protect the windows from windy, harsh weather, and they never have to be dusted.  I think they are brilliant.

15.  Biking as a serious mode of transportation

People here use bikes for far more than recreation.   You can see this bike is outfitted to carry all kinds of stuff. 

It is very common to see people of all shapes, sizes, and ages biking about running errands.  A lot of people do their grocery shopping on bicycle, strapping their purchases into the basket on the back of their bike. 

16.  Military time

This is the clock on my microwave.  In America, we would call this time 5:10 p.m., but here in Germany they use military time.  I still have to do math everytime I look at my clock after noon, but it is getting easier.

So, even after nearly eight months, life doesn't seem completely normal here in Germany.  Lots of things are different - and they feel different - but it is okay.  For the first couple of months, every different thing felt like a slap in the face, but now I mostly think it's funny. 

That's progress, right?

Remember when I was a cat-woman?

Lukie just handed me this picture and said, "It's you, Mom, when you were a cat-woman."

*sigh*

Those were the good ole days...

Lukie

My baby boy at school (this may also be titled We Love Miss Abigail).

My baby boy at home.

My What-I-Like-About-Germany List

Back in August, before we left Utah to come here to Germany, my brother-in-law Dave told me his experience when he went on his mission to Switzerland.  He said that for the first six months or so, he felt like he had dropped off the face of the earth and nothing would ever feel normal again.  Everything was just so strange and unfamiliar.  But then, at about the six month mark, things changed and he felt like he was living in the best place on earth.

Well, I have officially passed my six month anniversary, and I can't say that I've reached the peak that Dave described at his six month mark.  I will say that I am glad I don't have to live the past six months again, as life here in Berlin is much easier now that I've learned what I learned in the last six months.  Things like driving, shopping, taking the train, and answering my phone don't send me into a cold sweat anymore.  The first week we were here, somebody rang my doorbell and I actually ducked down and hid under the window so they would think I wasn't home because I was afraid to talk to them.  Pathetic, I know.  I am glad that level of disfunction is behind me.

In honor of reaching my six month mark, I thought I would make a list of 10 things I have come to like about Germany.  This has not been an easy list to compile.  For the past couple of weeks, I've been taking mental notes in my daily life, looking for what I could add to my What-I-Like-About-Germay List.  As I've been thinking, I realize that most of the things I love in my life here are things that remind me of home or ways I have found to bring America to Germany.  Of course, I can't count those.  I have really had to stretch to make a list of 10 uniquely German things that I love.

So here, in no particular order, is my What-I-Like-About-Germany List:

1.  Bedford Falls

There is a little downtown area a few blocks away from our house that I have affectionately named "Bedford Falls" after the town in It's a Wonderful Life.  Whenever I walk here, I feel like I've stepped into that movie, and George Bailey is going to come and kiss me on the lips as he rejoices at being alive again.  While nobody has ever kissed me on the lips here (hint, hint, Brad), it is still one of my favorite places.

This little section of town has several shops, including a hair salon, 3 bakeries, 2 grocery stores, and a little shop that sells miscellaneous household items.  I really enjoy walking here when I just need a few groceries for dinner.

How cute is this?  The store under the red striped awning is a personal favorite of mine.  It is a bakery that sells Spritzkuchen, which I will highlight later in this post.

2.  Gouda cheese

Ah yes, Gouda cheese.  It is very rare to find cheddar cheese here in Germany, so we have converted to Gouda cheese.  And when I say converted, I mean it!  We are BIG believers in the Gouda cheese!  I use it to make macaroni and cheese, on sandwiches, in cheesy eggs - anything requiring cheese.  It is truly delicious!!  I don't know if I'll even be able to go back to cheddar when our time here is through.

3.  Towel warmer

I have mentioned this before, and it is worth mentioning again.  This towel warmer in our bathroom is heaven!  All those white bars are warm, and not only does it dry off the towel in No Time Flat, but it makes the towel so deliciously warm when you step out of the shower.  I don't know why they don't have these in the States.  They are brilliant.

4.  Bread

I had heard many times that the bread in Europe is To Die For, and I have not been disappointed.  This bread is just the cheap stuff I get at the grocery store at 39 cents for 2 loaves.  I just have to finish baking it in the oven for 8-10 minutes, and we have warm, yummy bread for dinner.  Even this basic, cheap bread is delightful.  We have it 2-3 times per week.

5.  SebaMed

When I first moved here in August, a lovely woman in my ward, Antje, took me grocery shopping for the first time so I could learn the ropes.  I happened to need some soap to use on my face, and Antje recommended SebaMed.  I love this stuff.  It is so gentle and fragrance-free, and the skin on my face has never felt better.  Sorry if this sounds like an ad, but I really love this stuff.  I have never had a soap I like this much.  And, it is cheap.  I can buy it at the grocery store for less than 3 euros a bottle, which will last for 4 or 5 months.

6.  BBIS

BBIS stands for Berlin Brandenburg International School, which is where all four of my kids go to school everyday.  If this school were the only good thing about coming to Germany, it would still be worth it.  We have loved this school.  It is an International school, so everything is taught in English.  Less than half the students are native English speakers, so our kids are being exposed to all different nationalities and cultures.  Most of the students have parents whose jobs have moved them all over the world, and they are accustomed  to relocating every 3 years or so.  This has made them used to accepting new kids and finding friends quickly.  We were so happy to see how quickly our kids made friends here and how tolerant they are of one another. 

Jessica sings the praises of BBIS almost daily.  Coming from a big middle school in Michigan, she much prefers the smaller, more friendly atmosphere at BBIS.  The classes are much harder - don't even ask her about math! - but I think she'll end up being ahead of most of her class when she returns to public school in the United States.  And, I am so grateful that Pepper will start middle school here next year rather than at the middle school in Michigan.  At BBIS, he will just change hallways when he goes to middle school next fall.  So, all his support teachers will already know him, and they are preparing him now for the added responsibilities he'll face in middle school.  It really is an ideal situation for a kid with Pepper's challenges.

The classroom buildings at BBIS are all old buildings from a weapons technology company back in Hitler's day, so they are a bit gloomy on the outside.  The insides are very cheerful and modern, though.  The pride of the school is this big, new sports hall.  It is very state-of-the-art.

Even Lukie goes to school everyday, although I usually pick him up after lunch so he doesn't stay the full day.  His teacher Abigail is seriously Too Good To Be True, and I am so glad he gets to spend his mornings with such a delightful person.  (A side note:  Abigail speaks English with a British accent, and Luke has picked it up somewhat.  Just a minute ago, he came in and told me, "My trousahs are wet."  I said, "Your trousers?", thinking it was funny that he would call his pants "trousers."  Luke got all bugged and said, "No!  My trousAHs!"  He also says "Criss-cross applesauce" with a clipped British accent, compliments of Abigail.)

7.  Spritzkuchen

This, my friends, is Spritzkuchen (yes, Brad, I know that is the plural way to say it, and there is only one donut pictured, but I'm just glad I got the German mostly right).  I can hardly pass a bakery without going inside and getting 2 Spritzkuchen, so I really don't need to know the singular word for them.  Americans, you may think you've tried these before at your local Dunkin' Donuts, but I've gotta tell you, you haven't.  These babies are FANTASTIC, so light and luscious, and melt-in-your-mouth-y.  Yum.

8.  House shoes

It is no secret that I am a fan of slippers.  I always wear slippers when I am at home, even in the summertime.  But, here I have found slippers on a whole new level.  Most of the homes here don't have carpeting - the floors are usually wood or tile.  I am used to my American house, with it's wall-to-wall carpeting over padding in nearly every room, so I found after I moved here that my legs and feet just ached after being at home all day without shoes.  I went to the store and found these "house shoes", which are everywhere, and they are awesome.  They are comfy like slippers, but have a substantial, padded sole, so I can stand to be on my hard floors everyday. 

9.  Mistletoe

Here is the Interesting Trivia section of today's post.  Last fall, a friend of mine pointed out these blobs in the trees.  I'd never seen them before, and was curious.  She told me that these blobs are mistletoe - you know, the little sprigs people hang at Christmas hoping for a kiss.  Apparently, mistletoe is a parasite that grows on tree branches.  It is green and usually hidden in all the leaves, but when the leaves fall off, it is clearly visible.  That is why is it associated with winter and Christmas time.  Several of the houses in my neighborhood had big bunches hanging over their doorways during Christmas, trimmed with a bit of ribbon to make it festive.  No small, wimpy sprigs of mistletoe here - clearly it was a whole blob from a tree, more than a foot in diameter.  It is EVERYWHERE here, and although I'm not usually excited by parasites, I love to see the mistletoe hanging around in the trees.  It makes me feel very Old-Fashioned-Christmas-Spirit-y, even though Christmas has passed.

10.  Raclette

When Brad served his mission in Switzerland, he fell in love with Raclette, a traditional Swiss meal.  He tried to explain it to me, but I didn't really understand it until we came here.  Last October, when we went to Switzerland, we all had Raclette for the first time at a little restaurant in Zurich.  Raclette is technically Swiss, but Germans love it, too, and it has become a Bitner Family Favorite.

This is how it works:  Everyone sits around a Raclette oven (the black thing in the middle of the table).  There are these little trays that everyone puts cheese into, and the oven melts the cheese.  Then, you drizzle the cheese over little cooked potatoes, pickles, baby corns, and onions.

I know, you are thinking this is really weird.  Potatoes, pickles, baby corns, cheese?  How is this a meal?

Well, I gotta tell you, it is a scrumptious combination.  Something about the sour pickles and baby corns, the salty cheese, and the warm potatoes just makes it deLISH!  (Incidentally, you can see the bread that I mentioned above.  We really do have it all the time.  Pepper has smeared his with Nutella, another delight.)

Oh baby!  Yum!

A Runner-up:  Boxed Milk

I have mentioned the boxed milk before and I love the convenience but I don't love the taste.  That is why Boxed Milk gets runner-up status.  The reason I love the convenience is because it doesn't have to be refridgerated, so I can buy a big box of it and just sit it on my counter.  It is very nice to have a couple weeks worth of milk handy.  Since September, I have found that I can get fresh, refridgerated milk, and we do prefer the taste of that.  But, I always have a bunch of the boxed stuff on hand for convenience purposes.

So, there is my What-I-Like-About-Germany List.  I must admit that it would be much easier for me to compile a What-I-Miss-About-America List, but that would be suicide for my mental health (keep it positive, Jill!).  Six months in, and I am still alive, have never been yelled at in German, and there are 10 bona fide things I prefer about Germany over America. 

Okay. 

I just might make it.