Der Herbst ist da - wir wollen aber kein Regenwetter: Life in Germany cont/d

[finknottle]

Too lazy to scroll through the other long one.

Here for Obst und Blaetter - guess what d came home from school singing yesterday?

All welcome, Austria & Switzerland & any German-speaking Leute too

Harwich, wrong part for you, though. Am still annoyed h will pay 100 euros for some computer or sailing part without blinking an eye, then it's a case of "It's only 100 euros"
Sorry, shouldn't go on, admylin.
Wasn't at all pricey, 300-odd return or the 5 of us plus car.

LOL at the not so hot heating man and the very hot Admylin.

Fink
You have really got nerves of steel to survive those trips.

Actually, we have had great trips too. The worst time was when DD was about 2-3yo and DS 1-2 yo. Now it is easy peasy.

My worst trip was with a 5mth old DS who came down with salmonella on the mornign of the flight. Poo everywhere and how to change a nappy with poo right up poor DS's back in the loo of the plane.

Sounds quite cheap for all 5 of you. I suppose it would cost more to fly and then you wouldn't have a car to use on holiday.

By the way, Portland job has already been filled - phew, am really scared at the prospect of having to move over the atlantic. Have already got a move to UK figured out so wouldn't be too bad.

Oh, I've had a poo-up-back flight too mmelindt. I also managed in the plane toilets. One time we flew someone changed their baby on the seat infront of us - it was so smelly, the baby days of changing nappies are over here so it's even more disgusting when you're not used to it anymore.

PMWL - vision of Admylin complaining to Hausmeister on daily basis about various problems in flat to secure succession of "fit" fix-it men so she can ply them with coffee and "sit them on the sofa" for a bit .

Harwich - is that from Hook of Holland fink? Where are you getting back to?

We only flew the first year or so out here as after that H developed flightfright so usually fly on own now. We have obviously driven back lots since then as result - usually to Bologne and get the cheapo speedferries to Dover. Hate the drive - France is OK, its the UK leg I hate - but love the car boot space.

Now there's a point - where do I change his nappy? Don't ever remember seing anywhere on a plane before (but probably never looked). Will just have to do it before we board and slap loads of barrier cream on.

Lol at fit fix-it men

Whenever I did the long-haul nightmare with the dc there was a pull-down table in the loo for changing nappy. The only problem is that unless you are tiny there won't actually be any room for you and baby once the table is pulled down. I'd go with the barrier cream if I were you

We've booked to go with Ryanair at Christmas and I was so outraged by all the extras they add to your bill that I didn't pay for the priority boarding out of principle. Does this mean we are now going to get trampled to death on route to the plane and if we do actually make it on board what are the chances of us being split up from the dc? [Hopeful]

Taipo
I dither between paying the priority and not, I have never had any problems with not paying it. You always get a flight, and they are not going to tell you that you cannot sit with your DC. (unfortunately)

you always get a seat

I have a more cynical view of the other passengers & have been paying for priority boarding. As soon as anyone in a Ryanair or groundstaff uniform appears, the masses throng forward & if you're not quick on your feet or sitting right by the gate (and even then not from what I saw in the summer) you end up right at the back.
I'd rather pay to minimise the hassle of rushing and then pleading with people to let us sit together. Esp as s1 who's not the best flyer has to sit across the aisle from us so he can hold my hand during take-off & landing.
Was shocked in the summer at Hahn to witness an elderly Rabbi with a walking stick asking politely if he could get past 2 young women to join his sons. He'd been to the loo & then sat far away from the gate as in the 3 mins he'd been gone, someone had taken his seat. I had been watching him & his sons as frankly you don't see many Orthodox/Hasidic Jews/Rabbis in Germany and I'd been wondering what they'd been doing.
One of the 2 young women told him, "No, you can't go ahead, we all have priority check-in, this is a queue." He pointed out that he wanted to rejoin his family who had been queuing, that he was an old man with a walking stick and requested that she let him pass.
"No, don't you understand... we are all queuing...blah"
We were right behind them & I asked her what difference it would make to her, she repeated the "We've all paid..." line and I was . The Rabbi accepted it, I told him to stay where he was ahead of us and he told her, "Your manners stink". I agreed with him.

Finknottle
How very ignorant of the other passengers

We have only flown once since the new rule came in that you pay for priority booking. I paid it last summer, but it really would not have been necessary as the flight was half empty. I would probably pay it at Xmas as the flights are bound to be full. It is a farce though, as there are many many more people doing priority booking than used to get priority service. There were about 40 in the priority booking line last time we flew, so it was still a mad scramble.

And don't think that because you have 2 small children that anyone lets you pass, no no. They have paid too.

We did have the last laugh when we went to Rome last year. The priority bookers got onto the bus to the plane first so were last off the bus and last on the plane

It is mad isn't it? EasyJet started the trend though, Ryanair aren't the only ones.
I don't mind paying though as you say, half the flight do so, but I still think they ought to board families with children & the elderly who need assistance/bit more time/don't want to be run down first.

On another leg of our trip this summer we were behind a family, dad with toddler, mum with baby a few weeks old. She was holding the baby, trying to push the buggy and carry her bag while the crowd behind us were pushing forward so hard that she stumbled and the baby starting sliding down her front I got s1 to take d's hand & I pushed the buggy for her.
It was hell. Shudder.

Adding for Gabster, Lufthansa have allocated seating. Halleljuah

at the woman almost dropping the baby. It is a very every-man-for-himself kind of thing.

I just sent an email to the Times asking them to remove the computer generated photo of that poor baby from their front page. I really really do not want to know how the baby looked and I find it so upsetting that you cannot watch the news or read the papers without being confronted with the details.

I had a friend over yesterday and she said that she got an email petition sent to her about Jamie Bulger's killers and their new life in Australia. She was not sure what the petition was supposed to achieve, except to whip the howling mob into a frenzy. I don't know why but she also felt it relevant to tell me one of the details of the case, and I have not been able to get it out of my head.

We were sitting eating and she told me this information that surely noone needs to know. I honest to God had to work at not going to the loo to throw up. I always thought that anyone who said that was exaggerating, but no.

Why did she tell me? I haven't been able to stop thinking about it

I don't know - I don't believe that just because some of us don't want to know the horrible details of abuse, that somehow means we're closing our eyes to the whole issue.

come over to school finknottle or anyone and tell me I've understood this right!

You've all been on flights with a load of rough types haven't you ! I've been lucky and haven't had too much trouble with the pushing to get on the plane. I find it worse at the luggage collection conveyer belt thing when they all stand right up close so you can't get in to even see if your bag is coming through.

By the way my other heating is leaking so will have to have a hot heating man again next week!

Oh god, we are going to get trampled to death, aren't we? Serves me right for being so stingey I suppose but IT IS THE PRINCIPLE OF THE THING! I think it was an extra £10 per person per flight so that would have been an extra £80 for all of us which seems a bit steep to me just to be allowed to to get on a bloody plane ahead of everyone else. Besides if most people now pay for the priority boarding doesn't that make a mockery of the whole thing? Not to mention the shuttle bus lottery.

Flew sleezy jet when I was pregnant so got priority without paying for it - don't Ryan Air do this? Priority for passengers travelling with children/disabled etc.

Know what you mean about the extras though. Was looking for January and flights were cheap so was thinking of going back with DS to see the parents for a few days - until I added a suitcase etc. Not sure now. Mind, paying for priority has always been a bit of a joke in Munich. Because you have to get the bus to the plane! I always snigger at that one. Especially as there are only ever two busses to the plane so why pay to get on the bus first?!! he he

So glad booked Lufthansa now. Have not flown with them for ages. Looking forward to my assigned seat and free snadwich (no matter how pants it is).

From what I've heard Ryanair no longer give priority to anyone unless they have paid for the privilege.

I wonder who came up with the idea of priority boarding. Is it simply a cheap but clever trick to make you pay more or is there a more sinister motive behind it, i.e. a scientific study into bringing out the worst in human nature.

I do hope that if I do get elbowed and trampled on by a fellow passenger then I can at least wangle it so that they have the privilege of sitting next to one or both of my delightful dc whilst I sit several rows behind.

I have just bought an iPhone and have spent most of the morning playing with it.

I had a nice evening last night with some of the other trailing spouses. One of them is a bit annoying but the rest were good fun.

DD is a bit happier today. She has played with her little friends and we have made arrangements to meet after school next week. Not so easy sometimes, they all have so much on after school.

iPhone
sigh.
iPhone
sigh.

Oh, you get the idea...
MNers in Germany, Do Not Switch From Telekom To Freenet For Your Landline. You may save 20 euros a month but no one will be able to call you.

P.S. iPhone My brother has the new one, I was so tempted while I was visiting him, it was bliss and I kept emailing h pictures of where we were from it & it was bloody sleeeeeeeek

P.P.S. Oh all right I'll shut up...

iPhone

Fink

Get one for your Xmas, I am seriously begeistert

Just downloaded some music onto it and have got the emails on it already so I don't miss anything.

I can see it costing a fortune though, you don't pay so much attention to the costs when you just click on a button to buy a tune or a cd. I have everything from Schiller, Grönemeyer, Duffy, Pink, Abba... even Miriam Makeba. Would not have bought the whole albums of those songs though.

The Boss is playing now

Hi all. Just got back from shopping, why did I go on Saturday? Must remember not to do that again.

It was h's birthday yesterday. Dc got a cake and then had to sit and wait until he came in from work at 9pm! He'd forgotten it was his birthday too as I didn't see him in the morning to remind him. Off to make lunch now and h is back at work already. Have a nice weekend everyone. Is TheGabster in UK now? Hope the trip went well.

Lol at your dh forgetting his birthday, admylin. Yesterday was dd's birthday too and there was not chance of her forgetting as she has been counting down the days for two months now. Then she was so excited that she woke up at 5am yesterday and bounded into our room. I can't remember the last time I felt that excited about a birthday!

I have to go out shopping now too as we are having her party tomorrow and I still need to buy stuff for it.