Frühlingserwachen - spring finally seems to have arrived in Germany and Austria...

[LinzerTorte]

... or at least I hope so.

For everyone in Germany and Austria, and anyone else who would like to chat!

Oops - x-posted with 2and1!

bebe - i posted because i was worried about you and i'm sure i'm not the only one. I understand all those things have happened to you but it doesnt change the situation now - you are nearly 20 weeks pregnant and need to see someone. Another Mnetter on this thread (ernestthebavarian) offered you some help a few weeks back - maybe its the time to take her up on it!

Maybe if you got some help, got you and the baby checked out then you might find that living in this country isnt quite as awful as you think it is at the mo!

Oh bebe, you sound very down; I've been worried about you too as you've had so much to cope with lately. Just to possibly reassure you about one point on your list (if it's the same in Germany as it is in Austria) - I almost always have to buzz to be let in to the dentist's, doctor's, etc. but have never had to say anything. I think it must be pretty obvious that anyone ringing the bell during surgery opening hours would be a patient.

It sounds like you've had a few bad experiences (and I won't lie and say I didn't have any when I was living in Germany) - there are some grumpy people around, but there are also lots of friendly, helpful people. I'm sure that as soon as you've been to the doctor's once and know the set-up there, things won't seem half as bad. It's just making that first step (and I speak from experience, as I haven't always been the most confident of people, especially not in a foreign language).

2and1 Yes, you probably have to deal with either one assumption or the other! My ILs in particular can't seem to get their head round the fact that anyone might actually want three children and nothing we can say will change my MIL's mind about the desperate-for-a-boy reason. That's an excellent idea about the library btw, as ours had a very limited selection of English books last time I was there - will have to look into it.

BananaM Very of the curry - I wish we had a decent Indian restaurant here.

Bebe not exactly what I was hoping to find but this could be of some use:

www.toytowngermany.com/lofi/index.php/t2738.html

Have a look at the Munich forum on there too - it is NOT especially friendly or a chatty place but is often a useful source of information. Use the search facility before posting a question as the regulars are the types who will just unhelpfully reply with "the search engine is your friend" if you don't! But it is useful for personal recommendations of doctors and other services

Bebe Try and contact Ernest as Canella suggests - I am not that far away (last stop north of Munich on the S2 line, then a 10 min drive, but I could pick you up from the station if you and your little girl fancy coming out to visit - I have a 7 seater car now in advance of 3rd baby's arrival!) if you want to meet up or any help and will do what I can, it's just that I am 33 weeks pregnant myself and have a 3 and a 5 year old who finish KiGa at 12 so getting into Munich and then actually being of any help with them in tow is not the easiest thing! Also my German is very far from fluent - I blunder along ungrammatically and tell people when I haven't understood, and am quite thick skinned! So I manage OK for myself but am not of a standard to translate for anyone else unless there is no alternative!

Give me a shout if you want English speaking company or if you can't get hold of Ernst from this thread and I will do what I can, you do seem to be very down and in need of some support!

Bananamad I do believe it was slices of quince they dined on (with a runcible spoon)

I have been drinking tea all through this pregnancy, I switched to decaf in my first 2 but find the taste weak and unsatisfying and decided normal would be fine this time - I cut coffee right down as it is much stronger, especially being "real" coffee here of course, and only accept a cup when out visiting but don't make myself one at home any more, so only have 1 or 2 a week. Unless you have a history of loss or prem labour I think tea is fine now, maybe not more than 4 or so cups a day

Ah, that was it - had forgotten about the runcible spoon!

I was very cautious about drinking coffee (and to a lesser extent tea) in my first pregnancy, started drinking it after the first trimester second time round, and just drank it as normal (i.e. a couple of cups a day at most) when I was pregnant with DS. Perhaps that explains why he was the most difficult baby and is the most livewire of the three now!

Runcible spoon! That's the one :)

I meant to ask the Dr yesterday about caffeine after the first trimester as she had advised me to cut it out completely when I first went. However, once I saw the little knees, feet etc all sensible thoughts went straight out of my mind! Fruit tea is all well and good but lets face it, nothing beats a good cuppa to get you going.

Right, back to work. I spend far too much time faffing about on here and nowhere near enough time actually studying, for the course I'm paying to do.

I think a cup of self control is what I need, forget the tea!

i only really ever drink decaf tea now so dont taste the difference. Not sure what the advice is about drinking tea in pregnancy - now that i've no intention of being pregnant again, i dont read it anymore!

i gave up drinking caffiene after i had some serious heart problems when i was pregnant with dc2 that landed me in coronary care - i didnt drink loads but they said it might have been related. So i never drank caffiene again - no coca cola, no normal tea (dont like coffee) and the heart problem still happened again 3 days after dc3 was born! They have no idea why it happened those two times but i'm hoping it'll never come back! so def no more babies here!

bananamad - think you could do a roaring trade on those cups of self control to us lot! we blatantly have none!

Could definitely do with a large cup of self-control here! Am trying to tidy up (have sent DS and his friends out into the garden so I can get on with it; DD2 and her friend have disappeared somewhere) but somehow find myself back on MN. Can't think how.

That must have been really worrying Canella. One of my friends only drinks decaff tea and I never notice the difference either when I go and visit her. She's the only friend I drink tea with, as tea to Austrians means fruit/herb tea and - although I can drink it - I'd much rather have proper tea.

BananaM What are you studying? I always seem to spend much more time on MN when I'm working as I'm on the computer anyway, and it's all too easy just to have a quick look at the threads I'm on...

Just having a nice strong cup of tea now! It's gone all cold again here in Hannover, thank goodness the heating is fixed.

I've never noticed the effects of caffeine and always wondered why German guests wouldn't have a coffee in the evening because they'd 'never' get to sleep if they did!

Forgot to say to bebe. I know exactly how you feel. I felt the same when I first lived in the southern town of Tuebingen. I hated it and couldn't get over how nasty people seemed to be. You do have to be thick skinned and I definately wasn't. I like to think I am now but read a few postings back about our caretaker and you'll see it still gets to me now and then.

It honestly isn't that bad once you get past those firts few hurdles (I know there seem to be a heck of alot of hurdles).

Admylin, Bebe It is a bit of a culture shock encountering so many rude people when you move here - most non-Germans I know have said the same. It takes a while to develop a thicker skin and I sometimes feel a little resentful for having to do so and I've been here over a year now. On the plus side, once you get to know people they do tend to be a lot nicer. Obviously a few sweeping generalisations there, no offence meant to anyone!

Linzer I'm actually doing my translation certificate! I did my BA and my MA in languages but graduated about 5 years ago and have worked in a completely different area ever since. It wasn't easy to get a job in that area here once we moved over here as I don't have a formal qualification, just experience, so I thought, if I'm going to have to retrain anyway, I might as well go back into languages as it's what I really enjoy. Plus, the baby was planned so the idea was to get the certificate and get a little experience under my belt before it arrives, then hopefully try and get a bit of freelance work once the baby is in Kindergarten or similar. Will see how it goes.

So much for self control - I managed a whole chapter and a half before I stuck an Outnumbered dvd on. Dammit :o

I remember reading ages ago that Germans will often have two different personas - the public one (i.e. they're not particularly friendly if you meet them on the street) and the private persona (they're actually very friendly once you get to know them) - and I think it's quite true in many cases. Obviously not much help when you're unlikely to get to know many of the people who are unfriendly to you, but you do get used to it to a certain extent and learn not to take it personally. (Must admit I really struggled with it at times, though!)

Bananas Are you doing the DipTrans? I took the ITI exam a couple of years ago, although I also have an MA in Translation, partly because quite a few agencies ask if you're a member of a professional organization but mainly for the sense of personal achievement (that I could still do something non-child-related!). Where did you do your BA and MA?

Outnumbered is really good, isn't it - very realistic. (The last episode of the series is on one of the next DVDs I'll be sending to you, Canella.)

Bebe - I loved Munich but found people so much friendlier in Dresden. I'm sorry you've had some bad experiences with people being rude and unhelpful. I think part of the problem is being 'used' to a different system. Fwiw I was in tears a number of times when I first got here because of our health insurance and their lack of upfront information. I'm used to them now so don't let it upset me anymore and I speak the same language. I'm sure anyone on here will be happy to help you if you need to know specific vocabulary to help you in the doctors. Good luck.

think i must live in a strange corner of germany where everyone is friendly!! even the people on the tills are super friendly!! weird!

was just thinking what a clever lot we are - we may not all work at the mo but we've got a fair share of qualifications for a small group of wanderers!! think we all need a pat on the back!

Canella I think you must be from the same area of Germany as my friend who is always complaining about how unfriendly the Austrians are! (Can't remember exactly where she's from, but somewhere in Bavaria.)

I used to know someone who lived in Munich and she said the main reason she moved back to the UK was the unfriendliness of the people there (but she did admit that she was far too thin-skinnned and sensitive).

Jenny The only time I experienced poor customer service in the USA was when I had to deal with our health insurance company. I may have told you this before, but I remember the very unhelpful employee telling me that the 24 hours I was entitled to stay in hospital when DD1 was born would start when I was admitted. I had visions of being thrown out of hospital with a baby who was only a few hours old, and was very relieved to find out he was wrong!

DD shouted at me for not being Irish after learning about leprechauns at pre-school. In revenge I have eaten all the Lindt lambs I bought for Easter. AIBU?

YA def NBU Jenny - children are too young to appreciate Lindt.

Canella, I've heard that parts of Bavaria are very friendly. I didn't find the people unfriendly in general in Schwabenland butthe service was rubbish and you'd often get a shop assistant in a bakery for example just grab your money and fling the change down on the counter even though you had your hand held out! That was the sort of small daily thing that got to me.

Now, everyone told me that in berlin they would be even worse! But when I moved there I didn't have many bad experiences. Hannover is fine - with small exceptions like every where.

Bebe hope you're OK today. And it would be great if you could meet ernest, her dd would be just the right age for your dd to play with too.

Just got back from shopping. It's raining and my tank is empty so I might brave the petrol station this afternoon and give the car a wash while I'm there as I don't think it's had one since Autumn! How often do you all wash yours?

Jenny - definitely not being unreasonable. There´s no way I could buy chocolate now for Easter and it remain uneaten.

I must live in a really unfriendly part of Germany. My brother lives in Munich and I´m always amazed at how friendly the people are compared to here. Having said that, I agree with Linzer that when you get to know them, people are generally really lovely.

I know hupa, I had a bag of easter eggs in my hand just now at the supermartket but I put them back! Still trying to be good and drink lots of water and have been eating salads for days now so it would be a shame if some easter eggs forced their way into my mouth.

admylin - true it would be a shame, but also rather delicious .

I've even seen some 'new' ones by milka, mini eggs with cream filling and was wondering if they maybe tasted abit like cadbury's eggs...

Oooh they sound good.

Does anyone know if you can buy blu tac in Germany. Dd´s walls seem to made of concrete and I can´t get drawing pins into them. I´ve looked locally and couldn´t find any and when I asked dh he had no idea what I was talking about.