German Corner

[finknottle]

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

I rely on my DH for bin removal, spider extermination and occasional babysitting. Oh, and he sorted all the bikes this morning so we are ready for spring.

well done that's a good list Speaking of spring, do any of us do a real Frühlingsputz?

I had most help from this site:

look in the Technical sub-forum

Search for Germany or Berlin or abroad, should bring up loads of threads.
There was another site but I'll have to think of that later. I've been faffing with music applications trying to transfer stuff to my mp3 player half the morning and my eyes are spinning. Flipping thing kept crashing - dh is a geek & we are Microsoft-free zone and everything takes that bit longer for me to set up.

We had hail, lightening, hurricane strength winds all night till about 11am & dh found it v amusing that I went out with my manky gardening jacket over my pyjamas to check my apricot tree. It's well wrapped up in fleece There is snow forecast for next week
I don't want to be snowed in, I want to be out in my wellies

We ahd a noisy night-lightning/big bangs/rain.

I woke at 5 and decided I was not travelling anywhere today(was supposed to be in Lubbecke at Christian conference for 8am-about 70kms away.) By 6:30 am weather was better so went for it -then it got worse again! Very windy on autobahn -was nearly there though and looking forward to breakfast when...DS was sick. Everywhere. Poor boy. Turned round and drove an hour back home. No lovely fry up-slightly stale toast. 2 hours driving in storm.
DS asleep now -am daily expecting chicken pox as everyone here has it.

On the plus side I am having a cosy day in Mumsnetting and waiting for my Mothers Day delivery!

SSSandy2 you can also get some free to air UK channels if you buy a second hand Sky box (laods on Ebay) with a free to view card. You then point your satellite dish at the right Astra satelite (check Astra or Sky website)and you can pick up Channel 4, Channel Five, Five US, Five Life Sky News and a whole host of other (rubbish) channels. We are outside the range for the BBC unfortunately.

We had horizontal rain and lightening this morning. Is it really supposed to snow next week? We haven't any here apart from about 2mm on Boxing Day.
You've all reminded me that I need to try and fiddle about with our satellite to pick up UK channnels.

Evening all.

The wind has died down a bit here. We stayed at home today, the kids played in the courtyard.

I have spent some time looking for a job today. I have been doing some freelance English teaching but with the German tax system and the ridiculous Krankenkasse, Rentenversicherung I am doing about 10 hours work/week and earning almost nothing.

So, I might see if I can get a part-time job in sales or something. I have seen a job advertised in an outlet centre near here, they say send a CV with "Gehaltsvorstellung". Wish they would not do that, I have no idea what the going rate is at the moment.

Ks, no idea either what to put for the Gehalt. I hate it when they do that too, makes you think they'll offer the job to the person who asks for the lowest pay! Are the hours good? I trained to be a Fachverkäuferin for glasses but the part time staff are always neede when the dc are not at school like weekends or afternoons when the shops are busy so I gave up. Good luck anyway, I would love to have a job but in Germany I can't imagine what I woudl find or do. Another reason why I want to go home to England.

Wasn't much of a storm here, ds says 'they got it wrong again mum, if they forcast snow next week then we might as well go out in summer clothes because it'll be wrong!' He has loast his faith in the weather forcast because our radio always gets it wrong when we go out to school!

Admylin
I am still unsure whether to apply or not. Perhaps I will stick to my teaching but do it schwarz. The system here is daft.

If you work parttime for an employer then you can earn over 400euros (not sure how much, about 460?) and still be covered by DH's health insurance and not be taxed. Selfemployed parttimers can only earn just over 350euros and have to pay tax and rentenversicherung. So it makes no sense for me to carry on, even though I love teaching.

Do you celebrate Mother's Day? We are waiting for Muttertag, but today I am a bit sad that noone has even mentioned it. Talk about wanting my cake and to eat it and to make trifle out of it too.

Ks, I've been wondering about this myself. I want to find a job but am also quite put off by how little I would get if I have to start paying tax etc. I think I'll probably try to do a bit of teaching to start with, actually I wanted to ask if you know what the going rate is for English teachers here. How much or little could I earn per hour?

Taipo
It depends on what you can offer. I did a course to learn how to teach children English (Helen Doron method) and you can earn quite a bit with that. The going rate is around 40euros a month for weekly lessons, but you have royalties to pay and the taxes etc. At the end of the day it was not really profitable for me.

The going rate around here is between 15 and 20euros for "Nachhilfe" tutoring. There are lots of parents looking for someone to tutor their children, and they would snap up a native speaker. You tend to get the money cash in hand.

KS, the tax system is really anti-working wives and mothers still here too, it must be due a reform. A friend of mine made the silly mistake of getting married and then becaus eof her new steuerklasse it was not worth going out to work more than the 400 euro limit.
I remember when my sister got married in UK she said her pay stayed the same and her dh got abit more but it was still worth working for her. Trouble with schwarz arbeit is if you get caught, I'm to much of a wimp to do anything like that even though I know plenty of people who do it and some on a huge scale. It only takes one person who has an issue with you and they can snitch on you.

Admylin
I know, that is the problem. I really do not want to work schwarz as I am a law abiding person (aside from the fact that I don't want to be caught!)

I do understand why people do it though. The system is so crazy, that it actually encourages you to think about it.

Did you see the video of the plane landing in Hamburg? I posted it in chat. Pretty scary looking.

Yes I saw that video, we didn't se emuch of the storm in Berlin. Now they say that it's going to snow tomorrow I've put the boots and thermal undies away!

I suppose on the scale that we would work schwarz itwouldn't really damage anyone but dh knows 2 people who earn a a fortune and it all goes into a tin in the cupboard and gets carried out of the country in the lining of a jacket - they've both built huge villas abroad and bought cars with it without paying a cent in taxes.

See that is the problem. You cannot say that schwarzarbeit is not allowed then say, well ok, just up to say 500euros a month because there are always people who will abuse the system.

So did you apply for that job in the end?

No, I didn't.

I am a bit hesitant about getting a proper job that would mean having to ask for holidays and stuff. Once DD goes to school then it will be even more difficult to fit working times around the kids.

Kinder, tell me something positive about Hannover please.

Zoo is absolutely bloody fantastic

DH home, back later

Ah, he has gone up to his office.

Um, my memories of Hannover are slightly tainted by the fact that I suffered from PND after DS's birth so it was not a particulary happy time for me.

The town itself is quite nice, lots of green areas, lots of wee villages around about.

The Maschsee is lovely, there is a fab festival every year, in July I think with stages set up around the lake and bands playing.

The zoo is the best one I have been to. We had a season ticket, was well worth it.

We really liked the List area, just north of the main train station, quite a trendy area. Great bagels in the Bagel Brother Cafe.

Hmm, thinking back, it was not so bad really.

Another really nice area to live is the Zooviertel (near the Zoo, natch) where the exKanzler lives. We saw Doris in List one time.

Are you definately moving then?

The town centre is ok, plenty of decent shops.

You are also about 90mins from Bremen and 2 hours from Hamburg, great for days out.

The town centre is ok, plenty of decent shops.

You are also about 90mins from Bremen and 2 hours from Hamburg, great for days out.

No, the interview is tomorrow but I need to know if I should be crossing my fingers for him or hoping he doesn't get it! Is it just going to ba case of out ofth efrying pan into the fire etc etc.

Sounds OK from what you said though. I am not 100% happy in Germany but I know that I prefer Berlin to the nightmare in Schwabenland I had which is why I am not sure what to think about Hannover.

Tbh, I think that the area you chose to live in, the neighbours you have are more important that the town.

When we were in Hannover, we lived in Hemmingen, just south of the town. The village was ok but the children of the neighbours were all teenagers. There were hardly any children the same age as our DCs and very few mums at home so noone for me to make friends with.

Here, we live in a cul de sac with several other families, all our age group and they have become good friends.

Also, our DCs are now in kindergarten, which they weren't in Hannover so no chance to meet people there either.

I would move back to Hannnover if it came up, but would be very careful when househunting to find an area suitable for us.

Hope if it is a good solution for you all that the interview goes well tomorrow admylin. Let us know how he gets on