Are you there god, it’s me, b.
Feb 26th, 2006 by B.
In my never-ending attempt to integrate the girls and give them some sense of normalcy in our (currently) abnormal world, I have finally reached the pinnacle of hypocrisy. That’s right, I’m turning to god. The only english-speaking playgroup I can find for Sydney is every tuesday and happens to be run by… gulp… missionaries.
I’m pretty sure Syd will blow my cover within the first ten minutes by casually saying “oh, my mommy doesn’t believe in god, but she likes buddha”. At which point they’ll probably decide I’m the heathen god sent them to germany to ’save’ and then they’ll go all ‘dawn of the dead’ on my ass… walking toward me with arms outstretched mumbling something about wanting my brain. That’s how it happens in my overactive imagination anyway.
In their defense, they seem really nice so far. I’ve chosen to ignore all the ‘may god bless you in your move(s)’ and ‘with the lord integration is possible(s)’ in favor of a group of giggly girls between the ages of 3-7 for Iddy to play with. If this doesn’t show I’m at least a half-way decent mom, I don’t know what does.
Of course, when I asked Robbie what I could do to help her adjustment, her answer was “snakebites”… gotta love 13 year-olds. Oh, and the runner-up… let her smoke. There are one of these on every corner (a five-year-old could buy cigarettes here):
Smoking is perfect legal and acceptable for teens (as is drinking), so we’ve had a cyclical argument going on for days now about how she’s going to do both… oh no she’s not… oh yes she is… oh no you’re not… oh yes I am… well, you get the idea.
But the point of this blog entry… and there is a point… is to let you know where I am going in the way hikers and climbers let a search-party know where they’ll be just before they trek into the badlands. If I’m not heard from again or, god forbid, come back… you know, preaching the gospel or something… please (oh plueeeze) send out a search & rescue team.
In closing, a few photos:
Love this archway…
The infamous clothes-eating washer, once you clamp its jaws you absolutely can not get them open again until the washer feels like it. Oh, I forgot to mention earlier… there’s no dryer. We have clothes laid out all over the flat (mostly over radiators) to dry them. Ever try wearing stiff bras?? It’s not fun.:
Believe it or not, this is a can opener:
On this day..
- Dream weaver. - 2008
- Holy hell, photo madness! - 2007
Smoking in Germany is bad. But I have noticed here in the western part that slowly less people are smoking, and some resturants have non smoking sections. Taking the fag machines (we brits call cigarettes fags - We know it means something different in the USA) would be a big helps as it lessens the access that kids have to smoking. As for drinking, legal age is 18, but all kids drink earlier.
In UK I started smoking at 14 and underage drinking in pubs at 15, but that was quite normal. I have since quit smoking. Nowadays in the UK smoking is seriously on the wane, and it will be banned in pubs soon. The same thing will eventually happen in Germany. In trend terms, whatever happens in the USA happens in the UK several years later, and then many years laters slowly filters through the rest of Europe.
When you move into yout flat try and buy a front loading washing machine. They are a lot better. Also try and get one with a washing, water usuage and energy efficency rating of A, as all machines are cold fill and the machine heats the water up, Water is metered so the less you use the less the water bill will be.
PS - Hope we dont have to send out the search party!
Welcome to Germany, the land of crunchy bras and towels. I just found your blog through “Germany Doesn’t Suck” and thought I’d pop over and say hi. We used to have a washing machine just like that. Luckily it died and we bought a front loader. And a dryer.
You’ll probably be safe in the play group - Germans aren’t that into “saving” people - or at least they haven’t tried it on me yet!
And yeah, the smoking that goes on here is unbelievable, especially among teenage girls.
Good morning B, okay, that washing machine picture is a little scary looking, I get what you mean now about it’s “jaws”, lol….Sounds like the girls may be starting to fit in a bit, but don’t back down on the smoking thing w/ Robbie….bleh!
@ Haddock - Thanks for the tip on washers, we’ll be buying one soon hopefully. Now, have you got any tips on kitchens, shranks bathroom cabinetry and/or buying a used car? lol
@ Christina - Thanks for dropping by! I can use all the friends around here I can find. Oh, about those missionaries… they’re from the U.S. Some mid-plains state. Makes ‘em scarier, doesn’t it. ; )
Hi Lisa… the washer’s very scary (but not as scary as an afternoon spent with missionaries)!
Ah, what a good mom you are
Willing to put yourself in the line of fire of mid-western missionaries for your daughter. Good luck with your battle with Robbie, 13 is such a wonderful age isn’t it…hahaha.
as if having to wear a bra for any length of time isn’t bad enough… adding “crunchy” to the description is just terrifying. that might be enough to scare me off right there.