Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Living overseas

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

Anyone living in Germany

30 replies

luckylady · 09/12/2006 10:22

Hi,
we moved to Germany (Elmpt) on the 2nd November. Still trying to find my way around.. abit different from Cyprus.
I am slowly getting used to drving on the other side..
Hubby has deployed.

I ahve two childen a dd 10years old and a ds 2years old and I am 9 weeks pg.
would love to here from other people here.

Take care

OP posts:
olittletownofberolina · 09/12/2006 10:24

Hi!

I live in a small town in Swabia. Where's Elmpt?

luckylady · 09/12/2006 14:53

Elmpt is on the border with holland. We are about 30mins from Dusseldorf. My hubby is in the Army hence our move here.

OP posts:
admylin · 09/12/2006 14:59

We live in berlin, trying to get a job in UK as soon as possible though. Berlin is nice and alot better than Swabia in south west Germany where we used to live. If you are with forces does that mean you have a british supermarket available on a base?

luckylady · 09/12/2006 21:11

We have a NAAFI which stocks some Tesco, named, iceland and spar brands.. Though this can be a bit expensive, I am trying the local shops as these are cheaper but obviously you cant get everything you want there.

OP posts:
franke · 09/12/2006 21:16

I've been in Frankfurt for 3 years. dh is German.
Berolina - nice to see your original name back (although I like FIT too!). Admylin - have you heard from Sssandy? I liked her posts and was sad she left.

Luckylady - but do you feel lucky being here in wonderful Deutchland? How's your Deutsch?

whatwouldjesusdo · 09/12/2006 22:15

hi luckylady, I am in south Germany at the mo, but spent a year in the same area as you.

When you get used to it, you can get most things believe it or not! I am currently on a few weeks in the UK, and will be taking back to Germany: nail scissors (my children keep losing them and they are RIDICULOUSLY expensive in Germany), Rice Krispies x 100000, Weetabix (cheap), English jaffa cakes, tea cakes and other assorted tea things (yum), suet for suet puddings, golden syrup for suet puddings, real baked beans (with the authentic unhealthy added sugar taste), chocolate coins (beware, the German ones are usually toffee!), bicarb of soda and cream of tartar SEPARATELY for scientific experiments and the odd bit of cooking, and English sausages and bacon (thick cut).

The best secrets in Germany are; the bread, when you get used to it; Apfelschorle, which is apple juice mixed with fizzy water, no added sugar, and strangely addictive; the good quality meat; the cheap supermarkets Lidl, Aldi, Pennymarkt etc, quality is usually good; the Turkish supermarkets and fruit shops (cheap Turkish fruit).

In the posh supermarkets, beware of the famous shop dragons, the ladies who will scream at you for having the temerity to request a receipt (happened to me recently), or ask to look in your bag (I refuse on principle). It is worth knowing that in supermarkets, you have to demonstrate ostentatiously that your trolley is empty (eg lift up all your bags) as you pass through the checkout; it is bad manners to delay the queue by packing your groceries in bags (just hurl them into the trolley); any handbag larger than a clutch may provoke suspicion that you are a shoplifter; and when they say a shop is closing, they expect you to leave immediately.

I really enjoyed my time in northern Germany, and met loads of gorgeous people. Hope you have a great time there too!

olittletownofberolina · 09/12/2006 22:21

Whereabouts are you WWJD?

whatwouldjesusdo · 09/12/2006 22:44

hello berolina - I have name changed again! I created this name to talk about a slightly delicate personal issue, but then I liked it so I stuck with it...

admylin · 10/12/2006 12:31

No, I haven't heard from SSSandy either, shame she has stopped - she was the only brit I "knew" in Berlin.

whatwouldjesusdo · 10/12/2006 13:21

It sounded as though she was having some problems, though. I do hope she comes back and lets us know how she is getting on.

luckylady · 10/12/2006 21:34

Thanks,. miene deutsch ist nicht gut!! lol

I always try and say what little I know when I go into a shop, mainly my german is not good do you speak english. Or Ich Mochte Das!!!

I am hoping to pick more up whilst I am here.

I am just so frieghtened of venturing out on my own in the car. I will drive to the local village and to the next camp but darent go to the big towns. I am dreading 22nd dec as I have to drive to Dusseldorf weeze to pick my dad up i am really panicking already!!!

OP posts:
admylin · 11/12/2006 08:19

I know the feeling about driving! Dh keeps saying he will get a car soon but I don't fancy driving on the streets of Berlin and I would never be able to find a parking space any way!
We are OK as we live right in the centre of Berlin-Mitte so we have access to public transport to get everywhere, it is quicker than driving in most cases.

franke · 11/12/2006 09:33

I don't find driving too bad here - people tend to be arrogant drivers but I never fear road rage like I did when I lived in London. That said, I never make eye contact with anyone! Oh and I'm always getting speeding fines and I avoid the motorways cos they're scary.

admylin · 11/12/2006 09:57

Agree, motorways are really scary in germany!

whatwouldjesusdo · 11/12/2006 11:47

The motorways are OK if you stay out of the fast lane.

franke · 11/12/2006 14:27

But on the 2-lane Autobahns there comes a point where you're stuck behind a 3 mile column of HGVs and you have to venture into the fast lane. It's scary, I tell you, and not dissimilar to the wacky races.

whatwouldjesusdo · 11/12/2006 17:43

I was in the situation you describe recently, pulled out to overtake a lorry, was actually alongside the lorry, when this guy came screaming up behind me, couldnt stop in time, overtook me on the left, and shot off ahead.

In the UK, clearly his fault. In Germany, probably partly my fault, I am waiting to hear from the court
The only thing I blame myself for is breaking my never go in the fast lane on the Autobahn rule

finknottle · 12/12/2006 15:31

I'm in Rheinland-Pfalz. The Autobahns are terrifying, especially those junctions where you have 2 often narrow lanes with the right-lane-ers crossing into the left lane to get onto the motorway while left-lane-ers cross into the right lane to leave. Palpitations guaranteed, even for the passenger.

Better to enjoy the Gluehwein and let DH drive

olittletownofberolina · 12/12/2006 15:39

Driving scares me here too - even though I don't drive and dh is a fabulous driver who's fazed by almost nothing. Even he had a shock, though, when we moved down here and realised that Swabians seem not to use their indicators on principle.

Scootergirl · 16/12/2006 14:15

Hello luckylady! I'll try to CAT you as well but I live on JHQ which I assume you know is v near you. My DH is also deployed but due back soon - fingers crossed! - and I have DD 3 and DS 7 months. There's a really nice bumps and babies group here on a Monday am and I think there's something called Cheeky Monkeys over there. Hope the DCs are behaving and you're settling in ok
PS Gluwein rules ok

GTFrau · 12/02/2007 15:57

Hi there - bit late jumping on this thread I know but I just saw that you are in Swabia. We moved here (v small village near Schwabisch Gmund) just before Christmas, so I thought I would say hi! No idea where you are but I just wondered whether the two places are anywhere near each other. You can tell I am new!

admylin · 13/02/2007 09:38

GTFrau, we use dto live in Tuebingen and Rottenburg, now we are in Berlin. How are you finding it? Are you with a german dh ?

GTFrau · 13/02/2007 10:27

Hi Admylin. No, we are both English, My DH is here on a secondment with work for 2 years. We have an (almost) 8 month old DS. So far, so good - it is just all a big adventure at the moment as the most mundane of tasks, like going to the supermarket, take on a whole new angle. Parts of being here are just so much better than home and other parts are just SO not!! What about you? I see in your earlier post you are looking to head for the UK - how long have you been in Deutschland?

admylin · 13/02/2007 10:59

I've been here far too long and as you say t all started off as a great adventure but as the dc got older I got increasingly more homesick and seeing how they enjoy their summers in the UK and don't want to come back to Germany is getting harder. Dh is a research scientist and did his PhD and post doc work here so no wthat he's established himself he is applying for jobs in the UK and some in USA. Have you joined your village play group? Any brits around? That's what I miss here in Berlin, having a cuppa and a chat in german just isn't the same!

GTFrau · 13/02/2007 15:33

Hi - can't find the village playgroup (my village is THAT small!) but am still on the look out because there seems to be plenty of little uns around here so they must be going somewhere! There is a really active 'english speaking coffee girls group' who meet up in the nearby town - so I have been able to find some sanity preserving 'tea and a chin wag) mates pretty fast, which is really fortunate!! How old are your DC's?

Swipe left for the next trending thread