Wenn es im Winter stürmt und schneit, haben wir eine Flasche Glühwein allzeit bereit - life in Germany and Austria

[LinzerTorte]

As I couldn't find a suitable poem mentioning Glühwein, I composed my own. Please don't laugh.

All welcome - anyone living in Germany, Austria or anywhere else who would like to chat.

admylin I second that about the shopping! DH and I both stock up on clothes every time we're back in the UK.
I have an appointment with the dentist next week so shall remember to take my ?10!

Linzer When does DS start school? I think DN is starting this year but she turned 6 in November. They kept her back for the extra year (or however it works) as they didn't think she was ready last year. It's really quite astounding how much changes in a year at that age. She's really excited now and was talking about going shopping for a Schulranzen with her mum, what colour she wanted etc :)

(I just googled Schulranzen as I wasn't sure how to spell it, and was surprised to see that there are tests and comparisons, Stiftung Warentest etc - they really are into their quality control here, aren't they!)

Enjoy your biscuits!

Thatis I think we'll just have to agree to disagree about Christmas vs. Fasching. We only see close family at Christmas, I only buy presents for my parents, brother and DH (plus the DC, of course - although DH usually buys for them) and I'm generally quite happy with the presents I get, so it sounds like we have quite different experiences anyway. It's not that I hate Fasching (apart from hanging around waiting for the Umzug!), I just fail to see what all the excitement is about.

Gator DS starts school in September; I still can't quite imagine having all three children at school! We bought his school bag at the weekend (DH tells me off for calling it a rucksack - it's a Schultasche here) and I'm still recovering from the cost. We'll probably have to spend that much again on stationery and exercise books for all three of them too; I spent well over ?100 just on the DDs' school stuff last year. Oh, and DD1 will need a new school bag (although I think I will be allowed to call it a rucksack this time).

Only one shortbread biscuit left now; we need another British week at Lidl! I noticed that American week is coming up again next week; I'm sure it's only a couple of months since the last one, but there seem to be years and years in between the British weeks.

Linzer I could just do with some shortbread with my cup of tea (that is my double bag of german tea). The other day our Rewe had big bars of Cadbury's milk chocolate, fruit and nut and nut for 1.99? each, I thought they must have got the price wrong as it seemed cheap but we bought some and it didn't last long. Probably a good idea that we don't have access to that sort of thing very often!

Thanks all for the birth info, and Gator for the useful link. And Thatisnotitatall for the health check info. Now all I need is to be pregnant! :) Fingers crossed. admylin, thanks for the clothes/shopping advice. DH and I have more clothes than we need, but the ever-growing DS will need more.
Do they have anything similar to TKMaxx?

Took DS to get his passport photos done today - feel like I am getting the ball rolling.

Oh, and we have been invited to a wedding in Wendhausen, in June. Very excited. Amazing timing, seeing as we will be in Germany anyway!

of you having Fruit & Nut there admylin, one of the few things I really can't live without. Well, I suppose I could but my life would be the poorer for it. I must keep an eye out for it in Merkur and Billa, as I think they belong to the Rewe group.

NoHun Aargh, passport photos - we really need to get some done asap as DS's passport expires in June and DD1's in November. And I don't have a clue about who I'm going to ask to countersign the applications, as my parents have moved so no longer live next door to the lecturer neighbour who has signed all our passport applications for the last 10 years or so. I dread to think how much it's going to cost us, but it probably won't be far off ?300.

I may be wrong, but I think they have TK Maxx in Germany. Not here, though; I certainly didn't move to Austria for the shops. Its proximity to Eastern Europe is about the only thing it has in its favour shopping-wise.

The countersigning is a PITA! Been looking through the list of who is appropriate, what if you don't move in professional circles, or don't know your GP/dentist? I think the last two may charge too.
Hope they have at least some nice clothes for DS in Germany!

I seem to be the go-to for all the British passport applications from Bend as I am a teacher too! At one point last year, there were three applications from other people at the British Embassy in DC plus two from my own children. I was a bit concerned they would be suspicious.

Hmm, I know a dance teacher and a TEFL teacher here but I don't suppose either of those count. I've just checked the website and it says the countersignatory needs to hold a British or Irish passport (I know a teacher with an Irish driving licence!) or otherwise be a Commonwealth citizen. I'm sure my English friend here gets her (Austrian) doctor to sign, but I had DD1's passport application returned when we were in the USA as our American paediatrician wasn't considered an acceptable countersignatory. It could also have been because she'd only known us for 9 months, although I'm sure I'd read that was OK if you hadn't been in the country for long enough to know anyone for two years.

Linzer I know last time I got passports the paediatrician signed for the dc and once a colleague of dh's signed (assistant professor) and it was all accepted at the Britsih consulate. A headmaster at school would be acceptable too.

NoHun we have a TKMaxx in Hannover and recently a Primark opened. At Primark you can atleast stock up on cheap t-shirts and trousers for the dc but the TKMAxx isn't that great or I've never found anything except Christmas crackers one year! You can get nice stuff for small dc in Germany but I always got better value and quality in the UK and looking at old toddler photos, my dc were almost always dressed in stuff I'd bought in the UK as we went over often before the schulpflicht started.

That's useful to know, admylin. I'll probably ask my gynae friend as I'm sure my English friend said she always asks her Austrian doctor. In fact, I know she did but am just not sure whether that was when we could still get passports here in Vienna - I'm sure the rules in Germany would have to be the same, though.

Before I start on our passport applications, I really must get my tax return done. I was doing all the figures last night and discovered I actually made a loss last year thanks to ridiculously high social insurance contributions. They wanted ?2500 in the first quarter of 2011! I'm sure it will all balance out in the end, but it comes to something when you're paying more social insurance than you're actually earning.

Linzer How annoying about the social insurance contributions.
I´ve always got dh´s German colleague to sign our passports and it´s never been a problem so far. I´ll have to renew mine and the dcs passports after our summer holidays, so I better start saving now.

admylin has your dh heard back from any of his job applications?
I´m also very about the chocolate.

silken sorry to hear about the troubles your having with the house. We´ve got friends who built a few years ago and they found it very stressful. Somebody has recently started building on the plot next to them and are trying to do as much of it as possible themselves. All through this winter they´ve been out whatever the weather, preparing the foundations - I think I would have tried to wait until the Spring if I´d been them.

thatis I think I`d also be a bit about that advice. It´s probably that he´s so active that he´s burning off so much energy.

Dh is off this weekend snowboarding with a couple of friends. He´s just phoned sounding more excited than a child to say he´s not seen so much snow for years.
I´ve promised the dc a trip to the cinema tomorrow. Unfortunately they want to see the Muppets, but I´d rather stick pins in my eyes than see that, so I´ll have to bribe them with ice cream to see something else.

Hupa agree about the muppets. I never even liked them when I was a child! Last film I went to with my 2dc wa sages ago, must se eif something is on but it's difficult after a certain age to find a film that both want to see and is suitable.

Had to laugh yesterday, ds is doing a project on advertising and the introduction lesson was a discussion on what we really need to survive. The result (in his book) was food, water, a roof over your head, family, health, money and internet! Had to get him to re-think the end bit!

Morning!
Havent been here for weeks - have deleted the MN app from my ipod and the internet has been playing up so I've been giving MN a miss for a few weeks. Was wasting too much time reading random threads about posters I didnt know, about subjects I knew nothing about so decided it was time to take some action and deleted it. But then it means I miss out on this thread (which is the only one I ever regularly posted on) so I've made a point of sitting down at the computer this morning while the internet is still working to try to catch up.

Nice to see the newcomers to the thread but after reading through this morning I've got the names mixed up with the stories already. I had all my 3 dc in the UK so am no use about pregnancy care here - sorry.

silken - thats shocking about the roofer. So sad. Doesnt sound like the architect is hopeful about you getting in in April but fingers crossed.

linzer - we still have to buy the school bag for ds2 so I feel your pain on the cost. I also cant imagine what it'll be like to have them all at school - busy maybe! Cant wait to see some photos of the bathroom when its done.

admylin - very jealous of your cadburys chocolate. We dont have a rewe anywhere near here. But a friend is going back to the UK next week so have asked her to bring me some back.

jenny - hope you've recovered from all the birthday/valentine celebrations.

Thatisall - hope the sleep situation improves soon - for your mental health more than anything. Maybe once he walks he'll be so exhausted he'll sleep??

The dc finish for their half term today but I dont think there will be any zwischenzeugnis drama - dd wont get one since they only give them in the oldest 3 classes at the gymnasium and I dont think they give one in the 1. Klasse either. Quite relieved really.

Taken ds1 to my IL's tomorrow where he'll stay till weds then dd will go till sunday so will only have 2 dc the whole week. But think the first half of the week might be tricky since ds2 will have to sleep in his room on his own (the boys share) and he doesnt like to be alone. Ever! He wont even stay upstairs in the day on his own if there's no one else there. We'll see.

Have a great weekend.

Hi, Canella! I thought you must be on a MN diet, since you usually post nearly every day. Well done for staying away, it seems to eat productive time, doesn't it. Still on FB though, aren't you!

NoHun DD is mostly dressed head to toe in M&S and Next clothes. I can't think of any great shops for kids stuff here except H&M. There's a chain called Ernsting's Family, which sell lovely-looking clothes that wash beautifully, but their prices are so low that they cannot possibly be producing the clothes ethically. What is great are the twice-yearly jumble sales for children's clothes and toys. Round here every kindergarten and village organises their own, so there are several on each weekend during March/April and again in September.

Linzer DH countersigned my passport photos last time (before we were living together)!

The architect phoned last night and said that the house won't be ready before the end of April. We've got stuff on in early May, so we've decided to move officially in mid-May, but hopefully start taking books and kitchen stuff there before that. I would love to be able to celebrate DD's 3rd birthday there (25th May). Fingers crossed!

jenny A Sitzung is a like a Carnival variety show. Content can include singers, dancers, music, comedy, and of course beer.

Linzer, thatis A compulsory baby pass? I knew about the one for me during the pregnancy, but not that my kid will get one too! I still cause problems here because my vaccination record has holes in it. The concept of being immunized at school doesnt seem to exist here. I finally got a yellow book though, and then my GP decided to do all the regular injections, just in case...sigh.

And the rule about making your child sweat is also duly noted. I'm going to be looking at babies when I'm next in town, just to see if they all really do have hats on.

Thanks, Frescolita. I didn't think it could be as boring as it sounded!

Sorry about all the social insurance contributions, Linzer. If you make a loss, can they charge you tax on that too? It sounds very complicated.

Hi Canella, welcome back. I had to have a break from MN over Christmas too, for the same reasons you describe. I mean, yesterday I read all 32 pages of a thread on social housing allocation. Why??? Must do better!

Hope you get in for mid-May Silken. It all sounds very exciting. Houses here are put up in less than a month. They are made of concrete foundations then chipboard (it must be stronger) that is nail-gunned together. You can literally watch them putting up a whole side-wall of a house in less than half an hour.

Don't go and see the Muppets if you didn't like them as a kid. I loved Miss Piggy, but I thought the film was a bit of a stretch at times. Ds2 is making cinema visits an impossibility at the moment. He's gone through that easy, sit in a carseat stage and wants to be all over the place now! Still, it's flying by and I will wonder where my baby has gone in no time at all.

I did once get an Irish girl to sign my overseas voting form Linzer, so your friend would probably count! Ds1's passport must be due for renewal this year as he is five. Will send it off as soon as we get back from the UK (if we ever get round to booking it).

Hope you all have wonderful weekends, whether enjoying the snow, or enjoying the house because dh is away!

Jenny It says on the FCO website (UK in Germany) that your passport application should be countersigned by a British or Irish citizen, or a Commonwealth citizen if that's not possible, so I was wondering about countersignatories who aren't from the UK/Ireland/the Commonwealth. From what others on this thread have said though, it sounds like an Austrian citizen would be OK too.

You don't have to pay tax until you reach a threshold of something like ?10,000, but everyone has to file a tax return - DH gets something like three years to do so, but because I'm self-employed I have to file it by April/June for the previous year. It's all done now anyway, so hopefully my social insurance contributions will decrease a little - although I'm not holding my breath as they've only just adjusted them for my 2010 earnings.

Frescolita We have a combined antenatal/baby book here, the Mutter-Kind-Pass (the paediatrician in Austria was a little when he asked to see my MKP and I handed over my Mutterpass from Germany). They ask to see the child's vaccination record here when they start school, but it's just for information purposes and it doesn't seem to be a problem if you haven't had them immunised.

silken I buy mainly M&S, Next and Tesco clothes for the DC, since they're all shops we can get to here, plus some H&M stuff - I find Next quite expensive here (well, in Bratislava) but managed to pick up quite a few clothes in the half-price sale when I was back in the UK over Christmas. My M&S order arrived today to great excitement (DD2 is obsessed with Peppa Pig and I'd bought her a couple of PP items), so I'm just waiting for my Tesco order now.

Canella Good to see you back; I was wondering where you were! Well done for staying off MN; I only usually allow myself to look at active convos over lunch, as I could be on it all day otherwise, but even just posting on the "threads I'm on" still seems to take up too much time.
Will try and take some photos of the bathroom, although it may be tricky as it's so small. I should really have taken some before and after shots.

admylin at the Internet being essential for our survival - although I must confess I do wonder how I ever managed without it.

hupa I don't think I've ever really enjoyed a trip to the cinema with the DC (not the film, at any rate). The last film we saw was Yogi Bear, which was eminently missable. I noticed that Ziemlich beste Freunde is on in Linz tomorrow, but it's at the same time as we've booked to go out for a meal - and I'm not sure how keen DH would be to see a film in French either.

We're off to my ILs tomorrow for the weekend. DH is planning on taking the DC skiing, as my ILs aren't far from a skiing area which has apparently had 80 cm of snow, but I'm hoping to get out of accompanying them. At least I have the excuse of work (must remember to take my laptop).

Thanks, admylin. Hope there is a decent TKMaxx where we are going, I like hunting for the rare treasures they have. silken, I like Next, M&S and H&M, and hoping there will be a few nice German shops. Not a Primark fan. Maybe I'll have to start making clothes for DS! Or buy online.

Yes, Internet shopping is great NoHun - I rarely buy anything from Austrian shops now (although we're quite lucky in that we're near to Eastern Europe and M&S, Next, Tesco, Mothercare, etc.). My Tesco parcel has just arrived, in fact, and I had one from M&S last week. I always used to be quite wary of buying clothes online but have only ever sent one thing back.

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We went to my ILs, where I managed to get out of going skiing (or rather, going to watch the DC skiing) thanks to having to work. We had a lovely meal out at our favourite restaurant and also stocked up on takeaway food for the freezer (which the owner didn't let us pay for), so that should keep us going for a few weekends. It's a shame there aren't any decent Indian restaurants near to us.

After Canella mentioned on Twitter how little she'd paid for her DD's German passport, I thought I'd look into it here - and discovered that passports for children under 2 are free (wish I'd known that earlier) and then cost ?30 up to the age of 12, after which they can have a 10-year passport. So I'm slowly coming round to the idea of getting them Austrian passports, as it will save us ?300 over the next couple of years - and we can just take all the documents to the local Bezirkshauptmannschaft and don't even have to fill in any forms. DH thinks I'm mad for wanting to pay all that extra money for the DC to have British passports (not to mention all the extra hassle involved), and I'm starting to think he may have a point.

NoHun they still have C&A here, you will be delighted to hear.

Linzer DD has a German passport because of it being ?15 instead of a huge amount.

Does anyone know whether there is any sort of deadline for registering overseas births as British citizens? We haven't registered DD, but I've been sticking my head in the sand assuming that she is automatically entitled to citizenship regardless of when she demands it.

We had a loong meeting with the architect on Saturday and he seemed happy with our proposed moving date! Yippee!

I've never heard that there's a deadline silken, but am not 100% sure. We registered DD1's birth in the USA and got her a British birth certificate, but the woman at the embassy in Vienna more or less talked me out of registering DD2 as she said that she's automatically a British citizen through me. And, unsurprisingly, it was ridiculously expensive - about ?100 to register the birth and then another ?70 or ?80 to issue a British birth certificate IIRC.

I decided that as the DC would have British passports, they didn't need a British birth certificate as well. Even if they have Austrian passports, I'm wondering whether they would ever need to prove that they're British citizens (they've often needed their Austrian Staatsbürgerschaftsnachweis here, but the Austrians seem to be more into their documents). You usually only seem to need your birth certificate/passport for ID purposes in the UK anyway, not to actually prove that you're a British citizen - and as EU citizens, they should have more or less the same rights.

I do think it's a shame that their children won't be entitled to British citizenship, but I suppose if they never go back to live in the UK, then that link would be gone anyway.

Morning!
Glad you're coming round to the idea of Austrian passports Linzer - I really dont think it makes any difference to ability to travel since they are both EU. Think it would be different with an American passport.
No idea about registering a birth silken. My dc all only had their births registered in the UK and were only registered as living here when we moved here but because dh is German then they automatically qualified for a german passport. I'm naively sure it would be the same in the UK for your dd.

Whoo hoo on the moving in date silken. Fingers crossed.

Jealous of the indian food Linzer.

Had a bit of a mixed weekend - I dont feel great - am ridiculously nauseous (definitely not pregnant!) but its not coming to anything. Couldnt even face any wine the whole weekend which is very unlike me. I had nausea for ages in the UK before we moved - had loads of investigations but nothing was diagnosed then it just stopped. But its back with a vengeance now. A medical mystery.

But its not stopping me going clothes shopping today with dd and ds2. Think he might be a nightmare - may need bribing not to play hide and seek under all the clothes. The boys are star wars obsessed at the moment so might need to buy him some cards to keep him entertained. Ds1 is at my IL's till Weds - it amazes me everytime the difference having 1 dc less makes for a few days. But he is so lovely most of the time that I'm quite missing him. Not missing the bickering tho!

x posts - the British embassy in Berlin told me the dc would have to decide at 18 which nationality they wanted to be as you cant have both. But up until 18 they can have duel. Think it varies between countries tho - its very complicated.

Oh no, that doesn't sound good Canella especially the bit about you not being able to drink any wine. Hope that it disappears asap; at least if you've had it investigated you know it's unlikely to be anything serious, but feeling sick all the time must be horrible.

Yes, the woman at the embassy told me that there are no advantages to having overseas births registered (surely she should be pushing it a bit more as they must be making money out of it!) and that the DC would automatically be entitled to a UK passport as I'm a British citizen.

Re dual citizenship, I've heard so many different things that I'm not sure what to believe. I did hear that normally the DC wouldn't be allowed to have dual citizenship, but because they have parents from each of the countries, it would be allowed. I can only see it becoming an issue if DS decides at 18 that he doesn't want to do national service and claims he's a British citizen!

An old school friend of mine who was in the USA at the same time of us told me that they filled in the birth certificates in beautiful italic handwriting in ink, so I thought that was well worth paying around $80 for. And then it came back typed! And they misspelt the name of the hospital where DD1 was born (Centre Community - they obviously thought I'd made a mistake and corrected it to Center Community). I should have asked for my money back really.

Gator I saw a link to this thread about sterilising on a thread I was reading earlier. I only read the first few posts but it looks like it should confirm your decision not to buy a steriliser!

According to this, the British will allow you to have dual nationality - so it all depends on whether the Germans/Austrians do as well, I suppose. And, like I said, I've heard that the Austrians don't normally allow it unless you have dual citizenship through your parents. But I'm not completely sure whether that's true or not.