German Corner

[finknottle]

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From Brezeln to Bier

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

For discussion of schools see separate thread

We lived in Hannover for 2 years. Sorry to report that I do not think it an improvement on Berlin. Although, you all say that the people in Berlin are unfriendly, so you won't notice any difference there.

I think my feelings of Hannover are similar to Califrau's feelings about Germany.

I love the bog/newspaper brain comparison.

I have just had a great weekend. I met with some friends (from another internet forum) near Frankfurt. We had such a good time with lots of bubbly, I even had a shot at karaoke, which I usually hate. My face hurts from so much laughing.

Thanks CmomonMN-will email her.

Admylin -don't know Hannover -despite only being an hour away-but I know someone who teaches at the International School there if you need to know anything about it.

Gorgeous weather here today -feels like spring! Do you reckon we are still in for a cold spell first?

Sorry for mentioning 's' word

Jumping on here to add an Austrian slant

Hallo confusedmover,

when did you move and are you still confused? Good name.

Hi KinderS - I've been here 5 years and recently changed my name to ConfusedMover as we are returning to the UK. Less than a month ago we were planning for Sep (new school year) but as of last Friday it looks like we'll be moving at the end of Apr!

April? You are not going to have much time for MN in the next couple of months. Or does the company pay for the removal? We had that the last too moves, it was great. I only had to unpack when we got to the new house.

Are you happy to be going back to UK?

The company moves the furniture but I have to disentangle us from apartment, Kindergarten, electric, phone etc, etc. Oh yes, and discover how to import a car to the UK (we bought it here). All not helped by my (still) dreadful German and the fact that DH will be working in another country by then. Oh yes, forgot to mention we have a semi furnished house in the UK so need to dispose of/sell/give away Ikea furniture bought here...and comply with strange Austrian requirement that the tenant repaints the apartment on departure.

Fortunately as we had begun to plan a Sep start in the UK I had arranged a 3 day visit next week for DS(5.5) and I to visit schools. Looks like I'll now be asking for him to start mid summer term. Poor chap is only at Kindergarten here so it will all be a bit of a culture shock.

Oh Califrau, lurked around your threads before (not in sneaky way IYSWIM). Please tell me about moving a DS from German Kindergarten in to proper school in another country? How long to catch up etc? DS is 5.5

Oh dear. Sounds like you will be very busy.

If you need any help with translations, you can CAT me.

Don't know what the situation is in Austria but here in Germany you can often arrange with the new tenants that you pay for the paint and they do the work. Or something similar. No point in you painting all the walls white then them moving in and deciding they want the walls pink/blue/purple.

What does your landlord say?

...just about to write to the landlord and give notice (& ask about painting etc)...I know 2 other previous tenants in the block are in dispute over return of their deposit (one aparently because he repainted in the "wrong" shade of white.......).

Oh dear, does not sound like you will get out of painting then.

gorgeous weather trockodile? Gorgeous? Cold and rainy here, you lucky thing

CMover, this sounds good. I think you wanted to go back, didn't you? But wow talk about stress! I don't think you can get out of the painting unless you're going to show the landlord a lot of cleavage and womanly wiles and come to some kind of special agreement. It's pretty standard here too.

I think I cancelled electricity/gas via the internet last time I had to do it and had excess furniture picked up by the Stadtreinigung, very reasonable lump sum payment so if you have a lot left unsold, you could do that I think (also via the internet) but I had to make the Termin 2 weeks ahead because they're quite busy. Not sure what the set-up is there in Austria.

Could you hold a garage sale type thing for the furniture? Don't think it's the done thing here but what the heck?

Good luck with the move! Do you know which school ds will be attending in the UK yet?

ks you sang Karaoke?! I'm impressed. What did you sing then or is it just a drunken blurr now?!

sssandy - we're heading back to Windsor

...and fantstaice weather here today as well, sunny & warm.

Windsor is very nice, I like it there. Good luck with everything. Wish it was me moving there - even at very short notice. Is dh not moving back with you? I think you said he'd be working in a different country.

Here is something new in Berlin, SSSandy might be something for dd or anyone with older dc www.sciencetunnel.com/ only know about it because we pass it on the way to school.

are you taking the dc there admylin? Maybe your dh would enjoy showing you all around. It's not really my kind of thing, not really of a scientific bent I have to admit to my shame. Keep meaning to go to the natural history museum though because the dinasours are back now.

How are you this week? Counting down to the Easter break?

Don't even mention the Easter break yet!

Yes I'll probably go because ds would enjoy it. I think there is abit about balck holes and planets and the stuff from Bayer will be good. Dd might not be too thrilled. Also meaning to go in and see the dinos again, we went last time when half of it was packed away. Dh might go to the tunnel thing with us but he's always in such a hurry, rather go and take our time tbh! He goes to Hannover on Tuesday but sat last night saying what do I do if Hannover want me and Dallas wants me and my boss here says I can be Privat Dozent next year? What should I say to him, take the best place where you can carry on up your career ladder or get me out of this place (or should I go alone)...headache guarantee with that sort of problem, oder?

Are you going anywhere at Easter?

We never organise anyhting till the absolute last franctic minute. Drives me nuts. I am holding out for Israel. Really fancy going to Israel at Easter (think El Al flies direct)but a bit worried about how safe it is. Might be a bit busy around Easter too. THought we could swim in the sea (or would it be too cold still?) and have a bit of culture etc also very appropriate for Easter. We'll see.

Dh wants to go back to Egypt. We were there last Easter and he and dd really loved it. So 2:1 at the moment.

I think I would callously put myself and the dc first and decide what is best for us, I think his career will progress well in any of those 3 options considering how much work he puts into it.

'I think his career will progress well in any of those 3 options considering how much work he puts into it. ' that is very good, I will tell him that next time he wants my opinion. Last night I said if you go to Dallas, the competition will be huge, I can imagine Hannover will be a schläfrige smallish city like the last place we were in (Tuebingen, it was so schläfrig, you can not imagine) but he felt insulted at that as if I was implying that he was schläfrig! So I stopped giving advice and went to bed.

On the safety side of things I wouldn't go to any arab country or to Isreal at the moment. If you already know Eygypt and you felt OK there then rather there than Israel.