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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 · 29/02/2008 20:59

Sandy
at your DD lifting herself off the changing mat at 2 days old.

As long as she is within the recommended range, I wouldn't worry too much.

Does she eat fruit?

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 20:59

Nice to have a house of your own though finks where you can alter things, put your mark on it and feel settled. Bet it made a big difference to how you felt.

admylin · 29/02/2008 21:00

Lol at you lot watching gardners world! Have you managed to get your lawn as good as the UK grass? My ds is amazed every time we go home and he sees the grass in the parks or in gardens and when we come back to Germany he tut-tuts at the scraggy German grass. Have they not got the same seeds or what is?

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 21:03

She eats fruit ks, she'll eat vegetables too but I think she eats too much in one go, the portions should be smaller maybe. This means me having a smaller portion too though becasue she's a fairness freak and will eye the plates carefully to see that I haven't got more than her - unless it's something she hates!

She eats a load of meat you know. Always had. I'm sure they're not supposed to eat these vast quantities of meat all the time and she likes Brezeln. We often get them when we're out and abut or when I pick her up starving from school to tide her over. Would Brezeln be bad, do you think?

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 21:05

yes admylin, you rarely see a lawn here like you do back home. Wonder why. Maybe people prefer the gardens to look as if they have just developped naturally without too much human intervention. I remember first time I went to the Tiergarten park here, I thought it looked really wild, it's carefully tended wildness but if you compare that to a big city park say Hyde Park in London or something, completely different, isn't it?

admylin · 29/02/2008 21:09

Sandy it could be she isn't running about enough. Our city kids never get to run around till they're out of breath and play out - my 2 are not over weight but I think they are un-fit because apart from Aikido they don't do much. Sport in school is 30 minutes twice a week (the rest is getting changed time) and they have to stand in line waiting their turn so they don't really even get sweating. At weekends they go out in the graden but it's not that big so they can't run about much, they have a swing. Outside I can't let them run incase of dog poo - all the grassy areas are full of it.

Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 21:12

Don't mention the "L" word in case DH hears. He has a bee in his bonnet about sorting out our l... this year. There is more moss than grass now.

DH's expert opinion is that it rains more in UK.

Brezeln are not too bad, as far as I remember. Can look them up for you.

Ah, the Cd ad is on that I ordered for Mum. "You Raise Me Up". Lots of sloppy songs, she will like that.

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 21:16

we will bow to the wisdom of the expert then! Actualyl I know nothing about gardening anyway but I am a frustrated gardener nevertheless.

Could be the rain. Here in Berlin I wondered if it had to do with the soil. What I mean is it isn't dark earth, is it? It's sand everywhere in Berlin for some reason.

Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 21:19

Ok. According to Weightwatchers, a brezel has 3 points. To give you an idea of what that means, to lose weight I am on 23 points a day. A croissant has 8 points, a handful of crisps 2 points.

So, a brezel is ok as a snack. Better than chocolate or crisps.

Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 21:20

ROFL at DH being described as a gardening expert. He knows nothing little about gardening. He is just good at making these statements that sound like he knows what he is talking about.

Do all men do that, or is it just German men?

SSSandy2 · 29/02/2008 21:28

They are all know-alls in their own way ks, I think, bless them. Thanks for looking that up, so we can still do the Brezeln. Might have to talk to the GP about a diet plan(diet change) for dd when all the other stuff is cleared up.

Yes, admylin I'm sure the schoolkids are mostly unfit. I think they'd need to be running about, I mean really running around 3 x week to be properly fit or doing some other equivalent exercise but I don't think many fit it in.I think we will try getting her back into swimming, I just found the whole getting there, getting changed, drying the hair malarky such a grind, I was glad when we stopped.

Original poster
finknottle · 29/02/2008 21:40

Our lawn is a disgrace to the name. Patch of clover and moss atm.
Sandy, I was going to suggest swimming, best all-round exercise isn't it?

I've been told that nowadays you can buy a dish & a receiver in MediaMarkt or wherever, point it at Astra 28.2 & get English TV without all the hassle I had with cards & whatnot as there are increasingly more Free To Air/View channels.

Am amused (easily) by thought of us expats on Mumsnet on a Friday night discussing flights home, lawns, satellite TV & braces.
When was the last time you went out on a Friday night? My 2 boys were at the youth club tonight, heavy evening of pizza and Wii. I'm here in my pyjamas with my laptop and Gardeners' World. Should I laugh or weep? {wink]

OP posts:
Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 21:58

Lol, yes we are very British-Expaty tonight. We even mentioned the weather.

I just went outside to put the flowerpots off the windowsill, it is bloody windy out there.

Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 21:59

No Pjs, M&S jogging bottoms going saggy at the knees.

I am drinking a yummy glass of Montepulciano though.

taipo · 29/02/2008 22:05

I'll have a glass please! Getting windier here too. Can't believe I was sunbathing on the balcony last week.

Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 22:06

Is your name a play on typo? Or am I missing something?

taipo · 29/02/2008 22:16

It's actually the name of the town we lived in in Hong Kong.

Kindersurpise · 29/02/2008 22:42

Ah, I see.

How long were you in HK? Did you enjoy it?

Sorry, bit nosy tonight, feel free to ignore.

taipo · 01/03/2008 10:21

That's OK! We were there for 5 years, then 3 years in London and now here. Sometimes I feel I don't really belong anywhere, a true expat I suppose. How long have you been in Germany and where are you?

Kindersurpise · 01/03/2008 11:40

Good morning, Mädels.

Did you survive the storm? It was really bad here during the night, I am glad our room is not in the attic as it was really noisy up there.

Taipo
I have been in Germany for 15 years now, in Würzburg for 9 years, Hannover for 2 years then we moved to near Düsseldorf.
You must feel like you have never really unpacked.

SSSandy2 · 01/03/2008 11:45

(techncially inadequate emoticon) : how do you know where astra 28,2 is to point the dish at it? Think I'll send dh off to MediaMarkt to investigate. That doesn't sound like a huge hassle.

Someone was telling me she got a package from KabelDeutschland which is 19 Euros a month and they get various English language TV stations. Will have a google for their website and see what you get.

SSSandy2 · 01/03/2008 11:52

www.kabeldeutschland.de/wunsch-fernsehen/abo_international.html#11629

See it's just 4 euros a month which is nothing but not much of interest, just BBC prime, not really interesting in the Sailing Channel etc. Think we'll check out the satellite thing.

KS didn't notice much of the storm at all. Bit breezy late last night but nothing wild here I don't think. Or it hasn't really hit us yet?

Kindersurpise · 01/03/2008 11:53

Sandy, have a look

here

I spent ages lurking on this forum, lots of info (even if I only understood half of what the geeks wrote)

SSSandy2 · 01/03/2008 12:04

ks, sounds like you need to fiddle about a bit and we need the biggest satellite from Berlin starting at 150. Looks like a job for dh. Actually this is good, reminds me what men are good for and I was pondering that one this week. I'll ahve a mosey round that forum now.

SSSandy2 · 01/03/2008 12:05

thanks

I always watch so much English tv on holiday. Bit pathetic isn't it, I find it somehow healing but all we get is CNN and BBC news. I need some series and films, things to take my mind off real life.