Make me a German, BBC 2

[ImperialBlether]

Anyone watching this? I wondered how long they were staying for, given that they are leaving their elder two children in the UK.

[AnythingNotEverything]

I'm loving it, although I'm a real germanophile.

They did leave the older kids with family. They're probably in school.

[marciaoverstrand]

I'm watching, the wife is getting fed up!

[ethelb]

Loving it. Wish i had had proper language teaching so I could move and have affordable housing.

[difficultpickle]

Really interesting programme. Twenty five years ago I had a German dp for a couple of years and spent most of my time there. I recognise a lot of the attitudes haven't really changed.

[ImperialBlether]

Yes, but I didn't know whether they were going for a week, a month or a year.

I would put odds on the mum being a MNetter, actually. Anyone else?

[squoosh]

I missed the start, how was it decided that she should be doing 4.2 hours of housework per day?

[ImperialBlether]

Sorry, I started two threads - people are on the TV thread now. I'll try to get this pulled.

[difficultpickle]

A survey by a German marketing company assessed what the 'average' German did and this is what they have based their day to day living on.

[difficultpickle]

I think they are there for a month.

[ImperialBlether]

It makes me feel ashamed, how little work we're doing!

[squoosh]

Lots of rules!

[ImperialBlether]

Thanks, bisjo.

[ImperialBlether]

Those children look like they're having a great time.

[difficultpickle]

I liked the lady at the dinner party who commented about her time in a UK office and couldn't believe people sat around, drank coffee and chatted about their personal lives. It seems to me that it is expected you share some of your personal life details with colleagues and if you don't you are viewed as rather aloof.

[WetAugust]

Seems a bit like Britain in the 60s/70s - no noise on a Sunday, no texting etc on the firm's time.

Amazed that childcare is so cheap. Just proves that we are being severely ripped off over here.

In some ways it shows just how standards have actually slipped in the UK.

[ImperialBlether]

Imagine British offices if Facebook and texting were banned!

[ImperialBlether]

So that medical was for work?

[squoosh]

I'm surprised at how many German women stay at home.

[difficultpickle]

I've not worked in an office since the inception of Facebook where it hasn't been banned (at least blocked on company computers). Of course it doesn't stop people using their own phones!

[ImperialBlether]

There's something about the guy standing in Nuremburg, talking to someone who says there's a problem with different nationalities there.

[difficultpickle]

When I was virtually living there I had no concept at all of how many women stayed at home but then I was in my early 20s and everyone seemed to have very glamorous and interesting lives compared to my UK friends.

[WetAugust]

When I started working in offices you had to give the work 100% - no private phone calls, texting, face-booking (pre-internet), no working with ipod on.

[ImperialBlether]

Same when I was working in offices, WetAugust. It's hard to believe it's tolerated here really.

[difficultpickle]

Imperial I thought that too. I think that Germans are quite accepting of some nationalities (I always felt welcome there) but not of others. The lack of integration of the Turkish community was a big problem when I was there as was the ramifications that followed the collapse of the Berlin wall.

[ImperialBlether]

Do you think that's based on colour, bisjo?