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

[ZZZen]

reden wir weiter...

I know what you mean, Gracelo; where I live in Wales, we're 45 - 60 mins away from a hospital and when you hear stories of second babies arriving in under an hour, it does make you cross your legs... Do your bairns have lovely scottish accents?

Schulte - I found the "trends" funny; in England, we panic about MRSA. In Germany, I went in armed with tea-tree oil and they looked at me like I was mad. Apparently, it's DVT that we panic about here and they give everyone sexy elasticated stockings and thrombosis injections every day...! I'm just outside Cologne, have been here for nearly five years now...

And Gracelo - I ain't doing no Schwangerschaftsgymnastik neither! It's not compulsory, is it?

LOL at teatree oil to combat MRSA. I can imagine the faces of the German staff. I delivered DD in Würzburg which was fab and DS in Hannover which was shite so I think it has more to do with the hospital and the staff therin than the country.

Shouldn't a good midwife/gynae be able to recognise a breech baby without a scan?

Yes, I am indeed going to be a bridesmaid in just under a month. The dress arrived today and I was happy to find that it fits (thanks to last minute panic fasting last week) and once I get to Bravissimo tomorrow for a decent bra should look even better.

Shall I pop a photo on my profile?

It is actually quite nice.

yes, go on put a photo up

Oh I agree that you can overdo the scanning etc BUT really would rather have known about DD being upside down. My midwife was v experienced and sadly, still missed it. It does happen.

OK, photo on profile

Just seen it, looks nice ML. YOU look nice in it.

what holiday is JUne 11th canella?

Himmelfahrt maybe?

Love the colour. Also your DD's Schultuete

Fronleichnam (Corpus Christi??) today, only in Catholic areas.
Tea tree honey would be even better against MRSA. I did my PhD at the NZ university where all that work was done. I flatted with one of the honey lab technicians.
Frosch, I don't think it's compulsary but every pregnant German friend of me did it. My daughter has a hint of Scottish but nothing compared to her friends who have Scottish parents and it's too early to say for ds. His vocabulary consists of mama, dada, car, duck, stuck, up, no, flower (flowa), hiya, bubble, cow, ball, there, yum yum, bear, tickle (we have Excel files with first words for our children )
Mme Lindt, I will look out for you in case I am in Glasgow next week, which I might.

I've just slept for three hours straight, DH has taken over, bless him. Gosh, I feel better!

Himmelfahrt was a couple of weeks ago, I think. Today is Corpus Christi; the bells were off at seven today (church is almost next door). Seven! Don't they know I have a newborn?! It is very Catholic here; Mother decided to do some strimming the Sunday after Himmelfahrt and got told to refrain by the neighbours. I explained to her that it's different here; no lawn mowing, windows must be washed, no washing on your line on high days and religious holidays. Honestly, the Brits abroad don't have a clue

Am loving the dress, the colour is fab! You look great! I ordered a bra from Bravissimo last year for a wedding and it turned up two weeks late with a big sticker on it which explained that it had been posted to Canada, which is totally in the opposite direction. How odd....

Frosch that is hilarious. I didn't know they were so catholic around Cologne - sounds to me like something you'd expect im tiefsten Bayern oder Schwabenland. Do you have Kehrwoche too? I haven't cleaned my windows for 2 years

Am also very very of your sleep. I am on the sofa bed tonight in an attempt to get more sleep - DD2 is very noisy and likes to shuffle and snuffle all night long.

didnt realise it wasnt a holiday in all of germany - gracelo was right it was Fronleichnam but there's been so many recently i've no idea what they all are for!!!

survived the Sommerfest yesterday but the rain was shocking at times - felt bad for them!! managed not to have to work - really dont speak enough german to sell food yet!! had put myself down for washing up (no german required there!!!) but they'd rota'd me for selling the Wurst!!! thankfully dh did it instead!! but that was the easier job than trying to entertain/ watch 3 dc in the mud and rain!!!

so all 3 dc home today and dh at work so we're off to a Tierpark nearby - hope the rain stays away!!

schulte - i'm in deepest bayern and have already wased my windows!!! never did it once int he UK!!!

you should have washed them AGAIN by now canella!

Gets better in winter though, then you will be able to shovel snow every morning as well

Wondering what the "fron" means in Fronleichnam.

Guten Abend. Bit quite here? I hope you all have more interesting social lives than me and are down the Biergarten or something? I'll have a Radler please.

Quiet not quite...

Hi I am back but optionally sober after two weeks of pure stress. parents here kids off KG and pain in the arse NEIGHBOUR wanting tpo play everey fecking day.

What's the score with hhr meet up? Happening or what? I'm on my last night with the kids in Bischofsmais. Taking them to Legoland tomorrow, lord help me. Love of here actually y hope all ok.

morning!! hope you all had a good weekend!!

ernest - bit jealous at you going to legoland - would love to got there!! we're trying to organise a day to go to playmobil land - have heard raving reports from someone on here(forgotten who - sorry!!) and people in the village! but dh working next weekend so maybe the one after that!

we didnt do so much at the weekend - just trying to sort out the house really - the building work in dd's room is finished so dh needs to crack on with painting it etc and we need to order a carpet!! she's in with ds's at the mo - not sure if thats good or bad but the room is a tip with 3 dc in it!!

onto week 4 of my running - feel well chuffed that i'm sticking to it! but the countryside round here is so beautiful that it would make anyone get out!!

Hi I am back after two weeks of daily sad incidents with my family too numerous to mention who flew back Saturday, then Saunday spent eating Leberkäse (eeee) and Weisswurst (I call it Sheisswurst) and fighting off subsequent nausea. Was collapsing in my pre-reserved sunbed on my lawn yesterday when an old British mate turned up who fits satellite dishes on roofs here so we don't have to watch German TV.

Fed the kids after KG today with fantastic civilised mushroom omelette with yes...neans on toast! Lidl own brand but tasted of home.

Was alone this morning first time in weeks and so much heartache at my parents getting old that if I stop too long I start crying. So go to keep moving and get jobs done.

I'm now in the market to look for work online while son is in KG. Can anyone give me any ideas?

And about this meetup? Tel me where you live and we'll check out o the map and pick a central location.

ho help to you manina - you sound like you've had a crap few weeks!!! but hopefully things will be better soon!!

need some advice about how the medical system works here - i've dislocated my little toe!! v sore but this is the fourth time i've done it so i've got experience - sometimes its out for ages and the hospital cant even pop it back in! what happens with the A&E type situation here? i've got health insurance - i've got a little card in my purse from Barmer - but no hausarzt yet {blush]! how does it work? need to wait for dh to come home but how would i get someone to look at my toe?

I'd look up "Notarzt" in the local paper or Gemeindeblatt if you have one and its an emergency. If you can drive get to the Krankenhaus for help. Is your German okay enuff to ask a neighbour for help. Even pointing to the toe and a grunt may do the job if Deutsch is a problem as it can be a nightmare with the language in the sticks as I experienced in my first year in Germany. I used to spend my thursdays lonely in a village watching chaps play Schafkopf. Oberpgalz German is almsot impossible to understand compared to VHS German and I don't think I understood a single word the whole year I sat with them!

Thanks Manina!! went to one of the local krankenhaus's this morning - as efficient as they were in getting me seen they were bloody useless at sorting it out!! my toe is still dislocated!

I was a physio in my previous life in the UK so know a bit about toes etc but just dont have the Deutsch to explain myself and dh couldnt come with me! so i could see on the xray where it was dislocated (its only a little bit) but couldnt just get my point across to the Arztin! she just advise the nurse to put a stupidly big bandage on it and said it would get better if i walked on it!!!!!!

so i'm pissed off today for the first time since i've been here - more frustrated with my german but also that dh couldnt get time off from his important job to come with me!!!!!!! so his answer was that i should maybe try a different hospital!! not on my own was the reply!!!

sorry for big moan - i dont cope well with being inactive!!!