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Original poster

German Corner

627 replies

finknottle · 15/02/2008 09:58

Deutsch or English
Native speakers, expats, anyone
From Brezeln to Bier

Please don't ask if you join in, everyone is welcome

For discussion of schools see separate thread

OP posts:
Kindersurpise · 26/02/2008 22:37

lol, when we were over in UK last month we went to Tesco for all our medicines. The guy on the checkout said that he was not allowed to put it through the till as we had too much paracetemol/nurofen based medicines. We had to pay for each batch seperately.

Makes a bit of a mockery of the whole system really.

Other times I have stocked up in Boots and when I said that I lived abroad they have always given me what I wanted.

admylin · 26/02/2008 22:41

It does make a bit of a mockery of the whole system - I suppose if someone overdoses the shop can atleast say 'we didn't sell them it'. Must all be part of teh extreme side of health and safety got out of hand as it has.

Original poster
finknottle · 27/02/2008 09:10

I've had that too in Boots. Last time the sales woman called the pharmacist and we had to wait till he finished his important druggy stuff to grill "This woman" who "wants 2 bottles of Neurofen for Children"
He was a bit at me come to think of it when I explained that Germany - Bayer, aspirin, major industrial country stuffed with whopping pharma firms and home to homeopathic heaven - doesn't have decent children's meds.

That foodfromhome website looks v inviting, thanks admylin. When we fly back it's always hard cram in everything. When we take the car I fill up with jumbo packs of Quavers

OP posts:
Original poster
finknottle · 27/02/2008 09:15

Ooooooh, just found, 50 cents for a packet of Quavers. Is 20g a normal sized packet?
Actually, do I care?
And limited stock of Creme Eggs at 60 cents.

OP posts:
emkana · 27/02/2008 09:27

Otoh though you can get decongestant nosedrops even for babies in Germany, unheard of in the uk.

SSSandy2 · 27/02/2008 09:53

wonder why you can't get those nose drops in the UK though, I used them quite a lot when dd was small and it helped her drink/BF and sleep.

admylin · 27/02/2008 10:55

True emanka, even the decongestant stuff for adults is in a much better spray thing than the ones in UK. Better put that on my list of things to take with me if I ever get to move away from Germany!

Kindersurpise · 27/02/2008 13:21

Just had a creme egg from the English Shop in Cologne. Yummy.

Also bought Easter eggs for the kids, and Thornton Easter bunnies for DH and me.

To appease my guilty concience (sp?) I stocked up on weightwatchers biscuits and cakes.

taipo · 29/02/2008 10:30

Mind if I join? Been lurking for ages until this thread and the one on German schools finally prompted me to join in.
I went back to the UK a couple of weeks ago for a long weekend and am now kicking myself that I forgot to stock up on creme eggs. Did fill half a suitcase with teabags though.

Original poster
finknottle · 29/02/2008 10:39

Hi and welcome, taipo

Lol at teabags, no. 1 on my list always.
Have to go & pick dd up from kg - catch you another time.

OP posts:
SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 10:45

Hi taipo, yes you always have to stock up when you go back! How was your long weekend? I would love to go and do some nice clothes shopping but I don't think I have the figure to match!

Wherabouts are you?

taipo · 29/02/2008 11:12

Hi finknottle and SSSandy, thanks for the welcome.
I went back for a friend's 40th birthday. She'd booked a youth hostel on the Dorset coast for the event. It was lovely! Didn't get to do any clothes shopping unfortunately but as the teabags were pretty light I did also stock up children's books.
I'm on the edge of the Black Forest, near Karlsruhe.

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 11:16

Sounds nice, how do you like it there? How old are your dc taipo? Mine is 7

taipo · 29/02/2008 11:27

It's a very nice part of Germany imo and people are generally very friendly. I lived in the east for a while many years ago and it was very different there! I think you're in Berlin, aren't you? I haven't been there for years. What's it like?
I have two dcs - dd 8 and ds 5.

admylin · 29/02/2008 11:30

Hi everyone, thought this thread was getting forgotten about what with us all so busy on the school thread!

What is everyone doing for Easter? I miss the fact that our dc never had to go in for an Easter bonnet competition and they've never seen the British style chocolate eggs. Apart from that they've done some hunting for eggs here that I don't remember doing as a child. Our town (where we used to live) had a huge egg hunt for children on a hill - it was a mega-event.

admylin · 29/02/2008 11:33

Hi taipo, are you near enough to go over to France easily? I used to live near the black forest and we would drive an hour and a bit to Strasburg - used to stock up on yummy French food at the Carrefour supermarket and go for a meal. Best of both worlds when you live near the border.

taipo · 29/02/2008 11:41

Hi admylin, yes we are very near France. That's a good idea to stock up there given the choice of supermarkets here. Don't have a car at the moment so not so easy to get there.

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 11:44

Yes , we're in Berlin. It's probably changed a lot since you were here then, so much building going on. I think at heart I am just a country bumpkin taipo and a smaller place would suit me better. Think Berlin is nice for young singles, people coming to study for a year, learn the language or teach English, whatever but long-term I would prefer somewhere more quiet.

admylin · 29/02/2008 11:45

I haven't seen you on the school thread so I take it your 2 are enjoying the German school experience?
Oops, not supposed to mention the S word on this thread, sorry. This is where we are meant to come to get away from it all.

admylin · 29/02/2008 11:46

Hi Sandy, I read your last mail, will answer soon!

admylin · 29/02/2008 12:07

Yesterday dd lost her brace. She has to take it out for sport and to eat so it must have got lost at school somewhere and she said it was wrapped in a tissue so if it fell down it'll be in the bin now. Now I have to try and find out from the Krankenkasse if I will get an Erstazspange or if I have to pay for it privately. Grrrr - they cost about 200 Euro so I have been told. Great start to the weekend.

taipo · 29/02/2008 12:08

Give me a chance admylin, I only joined this morning! I thought I'd break myself in gently here before braving the school thread. Will be there soon enough though!

admylin · 29/02/2008 12:16

Oh, I didn't realise, take your time!

We started these threads because a few of us kept taking over other threads (mainly primary ones) and it always ended in a rant about the 'S' system here - then Finknottle had the clever idea for us to have 2 threads - one for the S word rants and one for general life in Germany so as not to scare innocent MN'ers off! Now you know the background welcome and enjoy

taipo · 29/02/2008 12:28

thanks! Actually the other thread and other comments about the 'S' system here that I've read have helped keep me sane, i.e. I've realized that it's not just me who thinks there's something fundementally wrong with the system here. Probably should stop this rant now and get myself over to the other thread!

taipo · 29/02/2008 12:42

fundamentally even