Any english speaking mum´s in Germany

[chrissi1]

I live in the Wiebaden/ Mainz Area and like to meet up with english speaking mum´s.My son´s 4 1/2

Hi Chrissi - hope you are feeling better? There is so much sickness about at the moment, it's not really cold enogh to kill the germs, but wet and damp enough to breed them.

No we don't have german tv, altho I do have satellite which can get one german channel. It seems to be mostly news, though, so quite hard to follow; i do try to watch when I'm doing the ironing but end up watching something funny instead!

My ds2 asked me today about fastnacht - I told him it is like our pancake day, when all the food is used up in the house ready for 40 days fasting before Easter. is that right? And he said there is another name for it, but couldnt remember it. He is learning german at school and has the most awful accent! I'd like to take him over for the christmas markets one day, he will love the Bratwurst and sausages.

Hi
I´ve never heared about Pancake day?
Strange that I never came across it.
Maybe he means Fastenzeit?
Fastnacht is originally the time after Fastenzeit.I hope I don´t get it wrong.That´s why people celebrate dress up and have fun.
Fastnacht is simply spoken, Carnival!!
People everywhere dress up.It starts on Roesnmontag and lasts til Wednesday.On wed women cut off ties, so as a man you better wear none or an old one.Don´t ask me why.
It´s nice for children but I ´m not so fond of it.Maybe it got something to do with that I´m born on 11.11 the day carival time starts.
On Monday we have Laternen Fest( Lantern.feast or better party...don´t know what you would call it)
All children do their own lanterns.We did a Barney!Well I did.Made out of 3 ballons,with paper glued on to it.It was very hard to get the balloons out again.
Then the children walk on the streets.
Originally to celebrate ST. Martin, who shared his coat with a poor man.The Kindergarden has his own lantern party and on my Birthday there is the official one with a Knight ( St Martin)on a horse and a brass band, then all the children walk behind him .It´s a 10 min walk to the churchyard.There will be a big Bonfire with Brezeln and Gühwein ( it´s like grog.You will know from Weihnachtsmarkt)
As I was little we went from door to door, sang Lantern songs and got sweets or money.
A bit like Halloween.I´m sure this is a east German thing as we´re mostly confessionless and therefore Holy St Martin or Martin Luther(the protestants celebrate Martin Luther instead of St. Martin on that day,10th Nov.)does´nt count for us.
Do you have something similar?
I know of Bonfire Night of course, never went to one though.Did you celebrate it?
I´m well,though had a rough night with flu symptoms.What I hate most and is the worst for me is a sore throat.It quickly becomes a Tonsillitis, so as soom as I feel something I drink my Sage tea and do curd wraps.Worked again,feel much better.
Hope your all well

Pancake day is 40 days before Easter - we make pancakes (or crepes - not sure what they are in German) out of the last of the eggs/flour/milk in the house, then we are supposed to Fast (not eat) until Easter. I think it comes from the 40 days and 40 nights Christ was in the wilderness, or something like that.

I think what you are talking about is more like our Halloween, on 31st Oct when children dress up as witches or dead people and go out to knock on doors and ask for sweets. It's an American thing we seem to have imported. The kids love it, sweets and dressing up and being out after dark - what's not to like? I don;t like it, it's like begging, to me! If we don;t give sweets the kids throw eggs or flour at the house/car.
Then on 5th November it is Bonfire night, when we let off fireworks and light bonfires with a figure of a man on top. It is to remember the plot in 1700 (?) to blow up the Houses of Parliament by Guy Fawkes - the original Terrorist! He was caught and hanged, so I don't know why we burn a figure of him. Anyway, November 5th was a Wednesday this year, so firework parties have been going on the weekends before and after, and on wednesday too!

Have a happy birthday on Tuesday!

ilovespinach - I'm right by Stuttgart, you don't go to the English Playgroup by any chance, do you?

(Do PM / email me if you like - there are lots of English speaking mums around here!)

Hi
only here the children don´t dress up and don´t get sweetsLaternenfest.I wonder if your mum knows about Laternenfest???

Yes I heared from a mum in Mainz .Her neighbours letterbox got glued because they ran out of sweets and did´nt open the door.
I saw a documentr. about Halloween.Thei said it´s orig.from Ireland.The children used to go round asking for soething to eat or sweets fruit, can´t remember.If people did´nt gave them,they cast a bad spell upon the house(hope it´s the right word.Sie verfluchten das Haus!)
My Dictionary says that Bonfire comes from Bone Fire ,perhaps they burned his bones afterwards.
I saw a documentry about Guy Fawkes but they said nothing about Bonfire Night.
We only have New Year for fireworks.
At the End of a Wine Fest there is a big fire work.We can see it from our windows.
There is also Rhein in flames.We got invited this Year.It was great!They shoot from an old Pirate Ship,lots of fireworks,the rhinecastles also do fireworks.I think it lasted about 30 min.You can watch it while on a ship,or from the castles.We´ve been on a ship.There are about6,7 ships who drive against the stream,so it seems as if the ship stands still.
Thanks for the Birthday Wishes.We will celebrate on Thursday,go to a good Italian Restaurant.

just realised I haven't posted back .....

rebelmum I do go to an English playgroup. My sons are younger than yours (2.7 and 10 months) so I'm not sure if we know eachother....

Chrissi Stuttgart's lovely - lots of green places to take the kids and a nice size to be big enough to do things but small enough to walk around and God bless the German public transport system

Shame it's cold now and we can't spend all afternoon at the spielplatz....

I particulary love the Igloo frozen spinach with Philly cheese mmmmmm lecker

Hi
We have tons of snow.We went sledging at the weekend.Yesterday evening ds and I had a little walk throu the snow.sadly it´s thawing ,but still plenty of snow left right now.
Did it snow in England??

Hi it snowed a lot over the weekend.We went sledging.I had a long walk throu the snow yesterday evening, Owen and I.Sadly it stats to thaw.
Did it snow in England????

oops what was that.Sorry ,something went wrong

Hi Chrissi - you got snow!!!! - we woke up sunday to a mild dusting of frosting but that was it. It doesn;t help being in the warmest, driest part of england!

Frozen Spinach igloo with philly cheese -? OMG.
We went to my Mums on saturday, she did a very german Duck with kale (Gruenkohl?) I love that. When we do the Christmas markets I also have to have gruenkohl mit Knacken (?) - so, sausage and cabbage! I am going to Zurich again soon for a weekend, they have a big christmas market there apparently, so I hope to get that and also Bratwurst - love it! And those potato puffs - kartoffelnpuffen? Oh and gluhwein too of course. Keeps the cold out!

It's all about the food with me!

We´re in the warmest part too ,just got lucky.6cm,but gone now.Prob.the last snow this year.
urgh Gruenkohl.My father used to eat it.The whole flat smelled.Gruenkohl mit Pinkel( they say in north Germ.)( pinkel is also a word for pee,as Owen heard it the first time he laughed)You can say knacker.
Kartoffelpuffer are nice once in a while

Happy New Year Captainmummy!
Hope you had a nice Christmas Time.

Hi, I've only just discovered this. I'm in Munich too if anyone fancies meeting up. I've got a 7 month old de and 3 DES aged 5,8 &9. I can speak german okish I think but my wriiten German is terrible. I'd like to join in and be corrected

hi just want to say am very glad ive found mumsnet......
I live in Germany in the Cologne area and have an 18 month old DD. Anyone else here around this part of town??

Hi Chrissi - sorrry it's been ages. Hope you aso had a good time over christmas and the New year. I haven't been on mumsnet much lately, not that I've got a job! I realised the other day that I've actually been back at work now for 3 months - time flies when you're having fun! I'm working in an old-peoples home, as their activities co-ordinator, so I go in 4 days a week and do things with them, quizzes, games, cooking, that sort of thing. It's fun, but it's only a small home (about 13 residents) so there is never many people to do the activities. Still, the old ladies are great, like everyone's Grannies.

Wilkommen Ernest und goldfox - mein Deutsch-schreiben is auch schrecklich, aber Chrissi is ein gut lehrer (and she will correct that, as I'm sure its not right!)

Hi ladies!
I've just stumbled across this thread and i was wondering if i could join you! I actually live in Austria, not Germany though! I'm English and DH is Austrian and we have a 5 month old son! I'm trying to learn German (speaking isn't too bad, but writing is soooo hard!). Anyway, i look forward to getting to know you all!

Hi sass Antau,Ernest,goldfox and Captainmummy.
Wilkommen.
Colone nice to live there as there is a English shop with mags and food.I need tea!!!!!
As Marks and Sparks was still here I drove there( 2 hours) twice a year sometimes more.

Captainmummy.I thought you mentioned going to Munich in December.
Thought they captured you and fed you Weißwuerste,Sauerkraut and Brezeln.
Christmas was nice,two weeks later we had lots of snow.Went sledging behind the house.
In May i go to London with my friend .Still thinking about taking Owen.My friend says she does´nt mind.Would be good for his English.Though I have to speak German to my friend .
One question ,is there no Woolworths anymore??
Just came across the news by accident.Hoped to buy a policemans costume and more.
Your job, wow, would like to do it myself but I would need to study 3 years for it.Did you need a qualification for it?

Hi Chrissi - actually I went to Zurich at christmas, the chrsitmas markets were not so big as those in germany, but it was lovely to see. We have had loads of snow here this week, monday and tuesday the schools were closed and the trains and roads were blocked (yes by 6 inches of snow!)so we all had a long weekend. The kids loved it, playing snowballs and making snowmen. We made a snow-lion.
No I don;t need a qualification for my job, just to talk to the ladies, play games with them, do a bit of cooking - it's the same as I used to do in school with 7-year-olds! I did a music quiz today - all the old songs from the 1940s and 1950s, they love it. We end up with a sing-song!
Wolworths the shops have closed, but we heard the other day that they are going to be still available on-line. I'm sure you could get a policemans outfit - is it for Owen? Or you ?

Actually ,the outfit is for me.If I walk arround in uniform they don´t dare to give me tickets for wrong parking.Prices for speeding ,any offences to do with cars ,gone up,like a rocket from February on.
No only kidding.The outfit is for Owen ,but then I have the problem with orders Oversea.Most shops don´t do, only Army post( BPO ???,you know what I mean).UK only!!
Sad but true.
To do what you do,here you could´nt.That´s the nice thing about GB.You can start a job without training and work your way up.
Impossible here.
I´ve seen the pictures about London.Can´t remember seeing so much snow ever in London.It´s defin. longer than 17 years ago or more that this happened before.Or am I wrong.
Owen forces me to watch Fireman Sam with him now.
Bought a new London book today, could´nt resist.Take care