Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

leise rieselt der Schnee - for all those lovely people in Germany and Austria or whoever wants to join us!

901 replies

Canella · 22/11/2010 13:56

a new wintery thread in honour of Hupa's first snow of the season!

OP posts:
ErnestTheBavarian · 16/02/2011 17:02

my dc were at BIS for the 1st year, then we decided to stay in Germany. Actually, the german schools got such a slating I was really put off, and we looked into returning to the UK. (seriously close to doing it - we even told the dc we were moving back, that's how close we were) It was only looking into the schools in the areas of UK we were looking at , that we decided actually, the german system couldn't be worse, so we decided to stay in Munich, and we pulled dc out of BIS and into local Grundschule. Hit the ground running. Have had no problems, unlike at BIS, so am v pleased witht he decision.

OMG, just had offer accepted on flat!

admylin · 17/02/2011 06:44

Where is the flat ernest?

Did you get the email with the poem? Ds has the latest German text, a really long poem called Schnattermann or someting. He luckily only has to write a zusammenfassung aout it!

Dd's doc rang yesterday to say someone cancelled and we can start the first of the dyslexia tests this morning so we're off in half an hour.

ErnestTheBavarian · 17/02/2011 06:59

Got email with poem thanks, not had time to look at it yet though.

Brilliant news about cancellation, that was lucky. Do you know haw many tests she'll have, 3 sessions or something? How does she feel about it?

Flat on Brighton Seafront. Really tatty. Really £££ [ hmm]. still, it's dh's baby. Hate this stuff.

Anyone know anything about surveys? I need help.

I always feel I get screwed big time the few times i've bought and sold. Not very good at this lark. Anyway, if anyone more clued up than me give me a shout pls. (issue is there's a bloody great 'hole' in the kitchen floor, under the lino, by the washing machine. I spotted it strait away and asked. Obv estate agent didn't know, it could just need a new floor board or there could be a really big, serious proble. He just said make sure you get a survey done. But i spoke to my mum last night who said surveyors wouldn't/ couldn't look under flooring or fittings, so WTF do I do about this hole? I really want to know exactly what the problem and solution is before I buy the flat, so how do I do that?

westvan · 17/02/2011 07:29

Ernest - could you get a carpenter in to look at it, perhaps? I don't know how things work in England, but before we bought our house here we had an architect come in and take a look at the walls and such to see if the place was structurally sound. That might be overdoing it if it's only the floor, but you don't want to buy something that's rotting away or would cost thousands to repair.

Ad - Hope the appointment went well! I'm sure dd was happy to finally get started.

ErnestTheBavarian · 17/02/2011 07:53

that's the problem though, we'd be paying for a survey, but they can't and /or don't lift up flooring to see any underlying problems, I couldn't get a carpenter in till we owned it, and I don't want to own, ie buy it till I know it's nothing major, and there we go round in circles Confused there must be some solution.

Original poster
Canella · 17/02/2011 09:51

are you moving back ernest? or is it to rent out?

ad - hope dd gets on ok!!

OP posts:
admylin · 17/02/2011 10:50

Ernest, no idea, sounds like stress. What does dh say?

Dd said the doc gave her a Lückentext to fill in with words like Chinesischer Tee and Olympischer Athleten or something. Then they played a game and she asked her about her favourite subjects atschool. Next time is in March so still going to take a while but it sounds as if they will always offer us an appointment if someone drops out.

Have had a headache for 2 days now, did you get your headache sorted Linzer? What did you decide to do about the tooth? I can't face going to the doc about headaches because dh says it's such a complex thing that they can't do much without loads of tests.

hupa · 17/02/2011 11:00

ernest I think I´d go ahead and get a full survey, but also make it clear to the sellers that you won´t be going ahead until you´ve found out what´s causing the whole under the lino.
Are you planning to use the flat for visits to England or rent it out? Dh would love to buy somewhere in England, but I don´t think we´d use it enough.

admylin hope dd got on o.k.

I´m another one who is happy with German schools. I was dreading it after reading all the negative threads on here, but have been plesantly surprised. Mind you dd is only in the 2. Klasse, so still lots of time for problems to emerge. I think luck also plays a part. Dd has a really nice teacher, but I have a friend with a child in another school and half the parents have already organised Nachhilfe for their children and they´re only in the 1. Klasse and the teacher is a complete nightmare.

bebe, have you finished the dress? My mum used to make most of my clothes when I was little, but then I inevitably reached the age when I wouldn´t be seen dead in anything homemade. Make the most of it while you can.

hupa · 17/02/2011 11:02

sorry x posted. How did dd feel she got on? Did she like the doc?

admylin · 17/02/2011 11:08

Yes, she liked her alot so she's obviously good at what she does - dd is very wary of people (professionals or friends) the first time she meets them (westvan can testify!) but she was happy and relaxed about it and said she wants to have the other tests with the same doc. They gave an option incase she doesn't get on with one of them.

hupa · 17/02/2011 11:11

That´s really good.

admylin · 17/02/2011 11:15

I've been given a form with hundreds of questions about dd to fill in. Some of the questions are hard to answer as I don't have a clue. What does Zaghaft mean?
And is she verwirrt oder zerstreut? I understand verwirrt (she isn't) but what's zerstreut?

hupa · 17/02/2011 11:21

zaghaft is timid and I think zerstreut means scatter brained.

Original poster
Canella · 17/02/2011 11:23

think zerstreut is absent minded (according to Linzer's recommended Linguee translator app!) and Zaghaft is timid or shy.

sounds like they're doing a thorough assessment.

OP posts:
LinzerTorte · 17/02/2011 11:26

Glad your DD got on OK admylin; she sounds very like all three of mine, who also take a while to warm up to people. zerstreut means absent-minded and zaghaft something like timid.

My headaches finally disappeared but no idea why (or what was causing them in the first place). Your DH is right about going to the doctor's, I think; I went to so many doctors in the UK about my headaches and none of them had a clue (I'm not sure why they started, but they turned out to be rebound headaches which is why I'm very reluctant to take paracetamol etc. now). The doctor I went to see here wasn't much help either; she just prescribed me some tablets to relieve my dust allergy (which I'm sure wasn't the cause; I haven't been suffering from any of my normal symptoms - sneezing etc. - at all). Luckily the tooth has settled down now too, so I'm leaving it for the moment.

LinzerTorte · 17/02/2011 11:27

x posts!

BananaMad · 17/02/2011 12:03

Afternoon all! Mind if I join you?
Have been reading through the thread (in a scatter-brained, unconcentrated way) and is good to know there are other MNers out there in Germany too. I'm fairly new to MN but have been living in Germany for over a year now and am preggers with first child.
So hello everyone! Hope you don't mind me barging in like this - I brought biscuits! :)

BananaMad · 17/02/2011 12:05

Oh - and I saw a good few pages back that there was someone moving to the Wiesbaden area who wanted advice on where to live etc. My brain is a little mushy at the moment so I'm ashamed to say I can't remember who it was Blush, but if you're still around I live in that area and am happy to help!

admylin · 17/02/2011 12:09

Thanks for the translations, that's a tick for the absent minded then! And the timid!

Hi banana, where are you in Germany? Are you liking it?

Just done my Kehrwoche, keep the old batty owner happy but it wasn't dirty - swept 2 flights of stairs and got a tiny pile of dust to sweep up infact it's so NOT dirty, I'm not even going to mop it! Have healthy lunch ready as both dc need loads of vitamins to get back on health. They'd live on chips and chocolate if we left them to their own devices.

admylin · 17/02/2011 12:10

x-posts! Never been to Wiesbaden, have lived in small towns near Stuttgart, Berlin and now Hannover.

BananaMad · 17/02/2011 12:30

Hi admylin - I'm in Wiesbaden - it's a very pretty city but quite small and a bit of a culture shock as I spent the past 10 years in Manchester.
Am enjoying Germany so far and was having a giggle at some of the things people have been told off for as that was one of the things I found absolutely baffling when we moved!
I dropped a bag of groceries in the middle of town one day. A lovely gentleman in his 60s (I'd guess) came dashing over from the other side of the street to help me pick everything up, make sure nothing was broken, get it all back in the bag etc. Then spent 10 minutes telling me off for having dropped the bag in the first place!! Eh?!? :)

LinzerTorte · 17/02/2011 12:35

Hi Banana (this is going to get confusing with Banana and bananas Grin) and welcome to the thread (biscuits are always welcome!). Our neighbours are from Wiesbaden (we live in Austria); I went there on my round-Germany trip when I was an au pair, but that was about 20 years ago (am showing my age now) so about the only thing I remember about it is the casino. I vaguely remember it being a nice town, though. Smile When is your baby due?

admylin My three, DS especially, would live on chocolate and sweets if they had a choice. Actually, they're quite good about eating their vegetables; it's the main part of the meal that they're not so keen on and I do worry that they don't get enough protein and iron etc.

Am going to visit an English friend this afternoon, so am looking forward to having a chat over a proper cup of tea (none of this fruit and herbal stuff!). It's just a shame she doesn't live a bit nearer - it's about half an hour on the motorway - but expats are few and far between here

BananaMad · 17/02/2011 12:38

Hi Linzertorte (fab name btw!)
I'm not due until October, I'm only just coming upto 8 weeks and haven't actually told anyone yet, apart from dh, obviously! (Ah, the anonymity of the internet :) )

bananasananas · 17/02/2011 12:40

hi all- so much to catch up on. The semesterferien threw a spanner in the houseworks here....

hi banana- when are you due?

ad - great to hear your dd is getting tested so soon and that she likes the dr. do you just have to wait for the next cancellation or do you have the next date booked in case no cancellation happens before? Hope your headaches go away...

linzer- are you getting your dds phones in the end or did you decide against it? Older sisters of dd have them, but they are in the 4. Klasse. I guess no age is too young if you need one and they can be trusted with it. Or did you sort out the other mum?!

canella- did you make it into the local paper? what a funny story!

ernest - I don´t have much experience but why would the surveyor not look at a hole in the floor? Surely it is relevant, I´d insist.

bebe - how are you feeling? love the thought of someone making pretty summer dresses for a little girl! sweet. I wish I could do that sort of thing. It is so grey here, a lovely summery project would be fun.

dh went away yesterday so all feeling a bit funny here. Dc could not settle to sleep last night and were going a bit mad this morning. I hope they feel calmer tonight.

BananaMad · 17/02/2011 12:45

Hi bananas - I'm not due until Oct but am bouncing around with excitement already - well, as much as the nausea will let me!

Bebe - what a lovely idea to make some dresses. DO you use patterns for them or are you just able to make them without? I quite like the idea of doing something similar a little further down the line.