Is there still a German Thread?

[BeatrixBurgund]

We've moved back to Germany after 8 years in Switzerland and Scotland, and with the kids in school, I just know I'm going to have lots of questions about the Bavarian education system.

And I'd love to catch up with all the folk I used to chat with (even if I can't remember their usernames!). I'm on a namechange - it's MmeLindor here!

[Bananalanacake]

I'd like to know too, I am at the opposite end of Germany in Schleswig Holstein, 20 minutes from the Danish border.

[BeatrixBurgund]

Well, we can just start our own, Banananlanacake (not sure I've got the right amount of lanas in there!)

How are you finding living up north then? I've never been to that area.

[Welshcake77]

Morning both! I'm more or less in the middle, in the Taunus near Frankfurt. Would love to join in a chat thread about living in Germany. I never had time to write in the other one but am on mat leave now with DD2 so feel like I'll be able to keep up

How long have you been in Germany Bananalanacake? And where did you used to live Beatrix? Is it very different to where you are now?

[Bananalanacake]

Hiya, been busy this weekend with my DDs 2nd birthday. Been in Germany since mid December 2014, I moved when DD was 3mo.

Beatrix, I'm getting used to it, very rural when I loved living in London. I am not far from Sylt the island and about 40 minutes from Flensburg.
I'm slowly learning the language, my priority was to drive, it took over 3 years to learn but I passed in the UK before I moved:)

[BeatrixBurgund]

Morning Welshcake! I'm assuming you are originally Welsh, then? Taunus isn't that far from where I am, in north Bavaria. Franken!

We were in Germany for 9 years then 4 years in Geneva, 4 years in Scotland - so although I've lived in Germany I've no experience with the school system. And it is VERY different to what we were used to.

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

Can I join, I live an hour from Cologne, my DD 8 is making her communion next April and already the amount of preparation for it is ridiculous, we have been in Germany 9 months and do love it but so much to learn still.

[Welshcake77]

Hope your DD had a lovely birthday bananalana! Sounds like quite a contrast for you living in Germany?

Yes I'm from South Wales originally I've been in Germany for 17 years now. I came over to work when I finished uni and have been here ever since! Beatrix, we are starting to get to grips with the school system too as DD1 will be starting next year. She'll be starting at 5 as we live in the catchment area for a school with eingangsstufe so a bit earlier than usual. But it's all so different to what I'm used to as well!

[LinzerTorte]

Hello all! I was a regular poster on the Germany/Austria thread, but it gradually got quieter and quieter and then finally died a death a year or so ago. It would be good to resurrect it, though.

I'm just outside Vienna, have been here for 13 years now with Austrian DH and three DC but also lived in Germany for four years.

Welshcake I love the Taunus area, it was there that I first fell in love with Germany on a school exchange.

Beatrix Good to see you back on here, although I'm not sure we overlapped very much - I think you were in Switzerland when I first started posting. How are you settling in back in Germany?

[Claralara19]

Hi, can I also join in? Living in Unterfranken just over 5 years now, 3 kids in school system and am pretty familiar with the system now, complicated as it is . 2 of the kids also had their communion here, preparation is mad, but it's done lovely on the day!

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

After having to push and repeatedly ask my daughter got the school bus for the first time today, I just realised no having to drive up steep snowy winding roads in the middle of winter, I couldn't get the car out of the drive one day in January so she missed school, I love it here but we are very rural. Clara glad to hear your kids had lovely days for their communions, just seems like so much preparation compared to what I did in Australia, everything was done at school.

[Claralara19]

Yep the same in Ireland, all prep was done in the school and I was totally overwhelmed with the first communion here, knew what was ahead of me for the second one . We are also quite rural here, but the autobahn is only 3 mins away and with that am only 20 mins away from the nearest city so the best of both worlds!

[DavidPuddy]

Hello, I'm in Germany, too. In Berlin and have been here going on 6 years now.

I know virtually nothing about the school system, my daughter only due to start Kita in January. Still, considering how early you need to start applying/deciphering beaurocracy, it's probably the right time to start learning about it all!

[LinzerTorte]

We have all the first communions out of the way, now onto the round of confirmations - one down, two to go! I managed to get out of being a Tischmutter all three times (me not being Catholic didn't seem to bother the other parents who asked, although DH said the priest probably wouldn't be too happy if he found out) and thankfully there doesn't seem to be much parental involvement required for confirmation.

[ErnesttheBavarian]

I've been in Bavaria for 8 years. I can probably help with school system questions. Whereabouts are you? How old are the dc?

[goodiegoodieyumyum]

My daughter came home with this from school today, is it normal to give 6 - 10 year old children things like this in Germany, my Dh who has just joined the PTA is bringing it up a the PTA meeting tonight as it just seems so inappropriate, I get most of the children probably can't read English but still. He was the only man at the first parents evening and was lauded by all the women and volunteered to be on the PTA because he is a man, he finds it all very funny.

[LinzerTorte]

Not appropriate IMO goodie but it often seems like anything goes as long as it's in English. I have ranted on here before about an event called Ibiza F*cking Island (the asterisk obviously makes it ok ), which is heavily advertised on posters around town and in the local newspaper, slogans on T-shirts etc. but I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

[Vielleichtodernicht]

Guten Abend,

May I join too? I am from Germany but have been in the UK for two decades. We are seriously thinking about moving to the Berlin / Potsdam area in the next couple of years. Dc are 7 and 3.

Dh is starting a German course in October to see if that will improve his job prospects in Berlin.

[doradoo]

We're in Essen - have been here 8 yrs now, 3 DCs, currently stressing through B1 and Einburgerung......

[frosch]

Morgen zusammen - I'm in NRW, just outside Köln. Have DC in Grundschule and Gymnasium, so can offer advice and/or sympathy as needed. Like doradoo, am plodding through the Einbürgerung requirements...

[efeslight]

Hello to everyone, am also still here, been in Köln for about 8 years.
Got one in Grundschule and one in kindergarten.

[Hefezopf]

I'm in Baden-Württemberg, originally from the UK. DC in Grundschule and Gymnasium.

doradoo We're currently stressing through the Einbürgerung too! Are you going for dual nationality?

[Hefezopf]

Ah frosch just seen that you are also going through the Einbürgerungs process. What about you? Dual nationality?

[frosch]

Yes, dual nationality. I'm the apologetic Brit in the Rathaus waiting area, going 'so, so sorry, I know that you're up to your ears processing numerous refugee families who have fled war zones who actually NEED German citizenship so that they can begin to rebuild their lives but 52% of the UK 'want their country back', so would you mind....?'

[LinzerTorte]

I briefly looked into the requirements for Austrian citizenship after the Brexit vote, but apart from being put off by the extremely long list, I'm not seriously considering it atm as Austria doesn't allow dual citizenship in most instances and I don't want to give up my British one (there does appear to be a way round it but it seems a bit risky to me).

[Hefezopf]

frosch yes, I feel exactly the same. Very apologetic. And a bit foolish for not having done this before now.