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**German Chat**everyone welcome* - macht es euch gemütlich

979 replies

ZZZen · 23/04/2009 09:19

reden wir weiter...

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ErnestTheBavarian · 30/04/2009 07:35

"Germans are not really a huffy lot" ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 07:49

do you really think people take umbrage that easily ernest? I honestly think Germans are a lot less touchy than us Brits.

You are going to enjoy the schooling experience though because although I don't find Germans huffy (I LIKE that word), German teachers ae the big exception IME

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admylin · 30/04/2009 08:00

I think it has to do with the different humour - I mean have you watched any of the German comedy shows? Very strange, and then have you ever tried cracking mild Britsih humour style jokes? They often just stare at you as if they're trying to work it out but don't get it.

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 08:14

ah come on now, they get it (most of the time). I have had a few deadly serious geeky types ask me in all earnestness to explain a joke though but they love their Monty Python

It bothers me though that they think all Brits are Mr Bean types or that is our sense of humour (it ain't mine though)

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MmeLindt · 30/04/2009 08:22

I find that the German sense of humour is more lineal. They often don't get my sarcastic comments, or anything zweideutig. My DH used to joke that I had not applied in triplicate for permission to tell a joke so he was unable to laugh at it.

I don't think that they are any more easily offended than Brits but they do find it more difficult to laugh things off.

I find that really strange that you had to say Sie to your PILs until you got married, Taipo. Although, thinking back, I can remember my BIL bringing a new girlfriend home and her saying Sie for a long time to my PILs. That must be the sign that things are getting serious, when you start to dutz your boyfriend's parents.

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:09

I think there is less of interspersing your daily conversations with frivolous little jokes (which is something I missed in Germany) but they are probably think that kind ofthing is a bit superficial and don't see the point in it maybe. (Mind you they are not any more a homogenous group than any other nation). I think if Germans come up against an excruciatingly funny person, they seem to enjoy the humour.

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ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:13

That's one thing I missed about British tv, that people are making little jokes here and there nebenbei and sometimes they can be really really funny. I never saw that on German tv and even those jokey type programmes like Stefan Raab kind ofthing didn't make me laugh much. I suppose he could say: then you must be humourless!

German comedy shows go right past me.

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MmeLindt · 30/04/2009 09:14

I like Harald Schmidt, but not when he was with Oliver Pocher.

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:16

don't think I ever watched Harald Schmidt's show.

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ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:20

do you like that woman who does Ladykracher? Can't think what name is now, begins with A I think

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admylin · 30/04/2009 09:35

ALL German dc love Otto. I've tried to 'get' his jokes but I don't so I suppose we're just 2 nations who don't get each other's humour!

By the way is it a Feiertag tomorrow? Just went round to the shop and the woman at the till said schöne feiretag morgen?? Oh, just dawned on me - it's 1st of May, always a feiertag here. In UK it's the first Monday in May isn't it?

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:37

OMG Otto, no I don't see the point, not at all

(Dd has not been subjected to Otto so not sure if she would have liked him)

1 May is a public holiday in DL but I seem to always forget that one.

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MmeLindt · 30/04/2009 09:40

Anke Engelke, the Ladykracher one. She is ok, not that fond of German comedy scene.

I do like Erwin Pelzig (Frank-Markus Barwasser) mainly because he is from Würzburg. He is very funny.

admylin · 30/04/2009 09:41

Have to think of which jobs I still need to do, I think I'm nearly packed. All books are packed and I can even take my row of favourite ones too. There is a big wardrobe to take to bits and my sister says I should bring it - she's right, it was expensive. Shelf is down, need to take dd's bed and ds's shelf/desk thing down too but I can't find my screwdrivers. That's about it.

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:42

yes but is he SERIOUSLY funny? Who is he anyway, never heard of him?

Oh yes Anke that's right. I saw her in one very funny sketch so I had her down as funny but since then I've watched a few that just left me scratching my head and feeling a bit perplexed

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ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:43

your neighbour will have screwdrivers admylin. Has she not come by yet?

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admylin · 30/04/2009 09:51

Lol,yes she was here 3 times yesterday and I know Thursday morning is my morning of peace because she has a Heilpraktikerin course in town - phew!

MmeLindt · 30/04/2009 09:53

Ervin Pelzig about Bavarian politics

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 09:57

eine schwarze Frau als Papst

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admylin · 30/04/2009 10:09

I just wish we would get confirmation that h has got the flat round the corner. I hope he gets it because it'l be a weight off my mind to know where he's going. I've already got help lined up (neighbour's 10 year old son and his friend) for his move and I've manage dto convince myself that I can leave things for him to do, I can go and he will cope, I'm just so used to having to be in charge and do it all.

admylin · 30/04/2009 10:10

Ooops, not child labour honestly, the neighbour's son is 18!

ZZZen · 30/04/2009 10:16

LOL
why not just call and pester whoever is renting the place out admylin? So it was a nice place then?

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admylin · 30/04/2009 10:24

It was OK, the living room area with balcony had lovely highly polished wooden floor , the other room (bedroom) was like the one we are in now so he's not losing much in size except the 2 dc's rooms. I hope I haven't gone and ruined it though, as the place was already empty it could have been rented from 1st May but I wrote 1st June thinking that gives him 2 whole months to sort this place out and slowly take his bits and bobs over and of course only 2 months double rent instead of 3.

It did say nach vereinbarung on the website so it might be OK.

ErnestTheBavarian · 30/04/2009 11:00

was (sort of) only joking. Dunno about taking umbrage, but I do find the Germans much quicker to have a go at you or be rude in a way you wouldn't generally come across in UK, which, being a v. polite person, I find upsetting tbh. eg when we were in Berlin, we were waiting for a lift at the S-bahn. There was a wheelchair user plus partner behind us. Lift came, wheelchair user barged in front. I tried not to get bothered about that, as it must be very annoying for them when able bodies people hog the lift, but I was nevertheless with a pushcahir and 3 children, so needed to use it, but then an older woman plus husband trid to get in the lift and pushed my and had a go at me to move as she also whated to get in. I old her my pushchair was right up against the wheelchair and she would either have to stand beside me rather than behind, or wait for the next lift. I know this shouldn't bother me, but I chewed over it all day, as I think thee is no need to be so confrontational or impolite. Even if she'd asked if there was any more space or was it possible for us to move in more, but the shoving and shouting get me down.

Still, on the whole I like Germany or we wouldn't have just made the decision to stay. I am a bit worried how I and my fragile english sapling will cope with the German schools if this shouting agressive bullying behaviour is the norm.

ErnestTheBavarian · 30/04/2009 11:02

Admylin, sorry, after that I forgot to say well done on being so organised and sounding so calm. Have you fixed a date yet? It will be good for your dh to have to do stuff for himself without you always being the one to do it. Men just haven't got a clue how much we do. Really. I reckon it will be a real eye opener for him. Let us know if he gets his flat round the corner. Finegrs crossed.