20 months in…
Nov 9th, 2007 by B.
20 months in and I’ve managed to wean myself off just about all my old American food product addictions. There are still things we buy or have sent to Germany for the girls but, for me personally, there are only five things I can think of that I still really really long for:
- IBC Root Beer. I was addicted to it in America and it remains my #1 missed item now that I’m living in Germany. It’s also the one thing that no one seems to sell, and it’s impossible to import due to the glass bottles. Boo!
- Rice-A-Roni (the San Francisco treat!). Chicken flavored rice-a-roni is the stuff dreams are made of. I’ve tried every flavored rice dish I can find in Germany and nothing comes close to touching it…
- Fruity Pebbles. My favorite cereal growing up and still my favorite to date. I don’t care if it’s just sugar-flavored chemicals… it’s yummy, damn it. And I miss it.
- Lemon Maalox. Ok, so technically it’s not a beverage. Still, I used to look forward to stomach aches just so I could have a big swig. Some people like coffee… some people like milkshakes… some like vodka or tequilla or malted liquor… I like… no, scratch that… love… lemon flavored Maalox.
- Reese’s Pieces. I find them online every so often, but they’re still tough to come by. I wish Germany would embrace peanut buttery treats… they’re the best kind!
So that’s it. Down from god knows how many last year to a measly 5 in ‘07. Not too shabby!
Congrats! I have recently stopped getting teabags sent to me from my family in England. It only took 13 years!
You mean to tell me you have found an acceptable substitute for real salsa ?
Oh, wow, I did the opposite - first plunged in and made do with all-things-German, then slowly granted myself stuff I really missed. Like a local brand of natural turkey sausage sold in frozen 16-oz. tubes. Was very very miffed when I brought back a few packages and my then-H, who didn’t fancy it, forced himself to finish an entire pan b/c he had an ingrained fear of disappointing his concentration-camp-survivor mother if he didn’t eat all of what was cooked for him. Um, sorry, that was really personal …
okay B… I might be able to help you out with some of these, thanks to the commissary! I’m still not 100% sure if I’ll be able to make it next weekend due to volleyball, BUT, if not I’m certain that we’ll meet in the not so far off future. Thanks to this little list, I know what I’ll bring!
B, I buy A & W all the time, diet and str8, via online stores here in Germany. Hell of a lot cheaper and safer than stuff like that being sent. I decided long ago that IF I want it I may well have to pay a bit more …. so I do. I´m NOT really that fond of the stuff, except to make a brown cow. Mark loves it and Dr. Pepper, and Mountain Dew …. it´s always in the cabinet. TWO sources here! AS well, I really do believe one of them has the R. Bits. One is totally in English and the other is in Deutsch. But I CAN get through it. BOTH have called me IN ENGLISH, actually, to verify IF they can substitute. I have found a British chocolate chip ever as good as Hersey and cheaper. Once a bag arrived broken open. Told them. Next order they sent TWO to say sorry. Quite reasonable people. If you want URLs let me know via email.
Lee
P.S. I have some Rice Roni that I´ll sahre in December. Mark is NOT a fan and I forgot how …. well, not one either.
Promise to bring.
Lee
P.S. I have some Rice Roni that I´ll share in December. Mark is NOT a fan and I forgot how …. well, not one either.
Promise to bring.
Lee
Haddock- Ha! When we were in London & Dublin this year we bought tons of tea and smuggled it back in. It’s much better there than here…
Remus- I still miss authentic salsa, but Blythe took pity on me months & months ago and sent a yummy, easy to follow recipe. I make my own now… I just don’t like admitting it because it’s bad for my street cred. (shhhhhh!)
Molly- Heh, I’m just impressed you were willing to share in the first place…
Esther- No need for that, it’s probably a good thing I’ve gone cold turkey this long. If I’m lucky by Nov. ‘08 my list will be down to 3 if I can stick it out…
Hopefully you can make it next week, but if not I’ll look forward to meeting you in the future. We’re kicking around the idea of spending 3 or 4 days in Heidelberg (it still feels like home to me…) in February.
Lee- We have A&W too. It’s just not the same… kind of like telling a pepsi drinker to settle for coke. Nothing is as yummy as IBC! (sob)
And not liking rice-a-roni… that’s just criminal!
Fruity Pebbles??? I’m dying laughing! Isn’t it strange how we hang on to those childhood favorites?
We got a bunch of American candy for my Hungarian landlord’s family one year for Christmas — they liked it all except Reese’s cups/pieces. They wrinkled their faces and said it was disgusting because it tasted “salty”. I remember hoarding things like cornbread mix and Bisquick, and one time I hoarded too long, and a bunch of little moths got in all the boxes!
I have been here in Norway for two months and I am DYING for mexican food. I also have certain things sent to me too, just to keep me sane. But its only been two months, so I have a ways to go.
Congratulations! 5 to go.. or can they?
it looks like you re adjusted.. according to this interresting study: “Accepting the ‘oral consumption culture’ of the host country is a key factor of personal integration, especially when expatriated in a country like France, which highly values food and speech.”
http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/display.asp?id=11102
always a great pleasure to read your blog!