Go-Go German Gadget!

When I walk into a German house, I am often charmed by the “European” look of everything. If you’ve ever walked into an Ikea, you’ll know what I mean; there’s just a staunchly European feel to it – a perfect triad of minimalism, appropriately welcoming (and often bright) colors and a certain chicness that differs distinctly in feel from American modern deco. Even if the furnishings are vastly different from what I’d choose myself, I always feel at home in these houses. Though I’m at no means ready to abandon my traditional sense of style, there are parts of this lifestyle that I could definitely see incorporating into a house someday.

The way houses are built here is also different. Sometimes the walls here are incredibly thick (greater than 1 foot), which makes sense from an insulation point of view, since energy is more expensive here and there’s no air conditioning. Multi-family homes are also common, so different levels of the houses are often occupied by different families, or different generations of a family. The “attic” part inside an A-frame is sometimes a “rental apartment” (like the one where I live), so all possible living space is used. Even the houses are connected together in city areas, with a green space only behind them. Of course, there are many single houses, big and small, in addition to the connected homes and apartments, so just like in the U.S., living situations can vary greatly.

While we’re on the topic of German houses and lifestyle, the thing I am continually fascinated by are the interesting and useful “gadgets” that can be found in my apartment/are used frequently in Germany. Since I’ve finally gotten a new camera since the tragic camera accident of 2010, let me show you what I mean!

1. We’ll start in my apartment. Check out these windows…they swing in with the left or right side attached to the wall AND tilt in, so there's just an opening at the top. I love the flexible options, and it makes cleaning on the higher floors of houses so simple.  (I wanted to put a picture here, but you just couldn't capture it.  Use your imagination!)

2. My heating system is in the floor and on the walls. It’s run by water pumps, so whenever the heat kicks in, the floors click which really freaked me out the first time I heard it and didn’t know what it was. It’s easy to use and allows me to heat different rooms to different temperatures, plus my feet are always warm.

3. Trash cans are kind of confusing, but the green aspect of them makes it worth it. I have separate containers for compost, paper, packaging and trash, plus there’s a separate place for recycling glass (bins for each of three colors) in town. There’s also a place to return certain plastic drink containers (in many grocery stores), which scans them individually and gives you back the appropriate bottle deposit.

4. Speaking of grocery stores…in large stores produce that is priced by weight is weighed in the produce section, where you then choose the product type and print a sticker with the weight and price already on it. It’s great not to have to guess what I’ll actually have to pay, not to mention it’s especially convenient here where I deal with the metric system and the Euro.  




Someone has been snacking!



5. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a German with a lunch box. Since sandwiches are standard lunch fare, they

typically use boxes like these in varying sizes, as well as smaller ones for fruit, snacks, etc. Cute, convenient and durable, as well as eliminating the use of aluminum foil or saran wrap. I’m a fan. I do have to admit that I still keep my box inside a lunch box, though.



 
 

Erasing function in action

6. Now you see it…now you don’t. I’ve taken up the fountain pen – the writing instrument of choice for many Germans. I love the way the writing looks and the way the weight of my pen feels in my hand. As a lefty I’m usually not a fan of pens for several reasons, so that I love the fountain pen is saying a lot. Plus, I feel nostalgic for the days before computers when fountain pens were a widely used writing instrument when I use it. Of course the fountain pen itself is cool, so the fact that you can actually erase it is even better. My students all come to class armed with both fountain pens and the so-called “Tintenkillers” (literally “ink killers”), which have a white tip for erasing on one end and a blue tip for writing over the erased areas on the other. Who knew?

7. I think bread slicers exist in the U.S., but I’ve sure never had one, so I’m quite enamored by mine. The bread here is superb, too. I always visit a bakery instead of buying in the grocery store, and I have the luxury of buying bread by the loaf, so it’s always freshly sliced at home. My favorites are the Kurbiskornbrot (Pumpkinseed Bread) and Dreikornbrot (Three grain bread).



Check it out...air vent!

 8. My bathroom actually features two interesting items. The pull-down window has a special tab at the top that opens to allow the humidity from the shower out of the room without letting the air outside into the house. The glass shower stall is also complete with its own squeegee for clearing the inner walls after showering. The water here is extremely hard, so if you don’t have a scraper, you constantly have to scrub off the limey residue left behind by the drying water drops after even one shower.



...note the crack in the middle!



9. Right now I actually like the idea of individual duvets with easily washable covers, especially from the standpoint of convenience. My full bed is actually two mattresses in one bed frame, so each has its own sheets and blankets. I do miss top sheets, though. The duvet is really the only blanket aside form the bottom sheet, so there’s actually nothing attached at the bottom of the bed! I was a little disappointed not to be able to sleep in the whole big bed, though…the crack in the middle sort of puts a damper in that!

Well, I think those are the most notable gadgets I can think of at the moment. Hope you’ve enjoyed them; I know I do! If you’ve ever found things like this during you’re time abroad, I’d be interested to hear about them!

Deine,

N*

  



A Piece of Paradise

I’ve been meaning to write about my apartment for a while now, but I was holding off until I got the appropriate photographic documentation. Now that I have it, here goes:

I LOVE my apartment. I got so lucky; it’s both super-nice and super-affordable. I live on the second floor (American third floor) in the rental apartment above one of the teachers at my school’s houses. Her daughter lived here at one point, and as H says, “Stine ist zu gut für diese Welt” (“Stine is too good for this world.”), so it’s absolutely gorgeous. The main room is large and has a kitchen area with a long table that can seat eight, a living room area complete with couch, coffee table, two chairs and a TV, and a little working niche under the eaves where my desk is. Since I’m on the top floor, all of my ceilings slope inwards, and some of the dark wood structure is visible, which I love. I spend most of my time in this room because the light and the view are so lovely. The front window looks out on a small park in front of a church (bells!), red roofs, the grocery store where I often shop, and another church steeple, visible in the distance. The view out the back is my favorite, though…the houses on my block surround its outer edge, and the middle is reserved for people’s gardens. The hodgepodge of trees, bushes and flowers surrounded by quaint, red roofs is my permanent mental picture of “real” town Germany. In the evening as I sit and watch the sun set over it all through nearly my whole western wall, I feel like I’ve found a piece of paradise. As if that all wasn’t enough, I also have a HUGE bathroom with a shower and a bathtub, as well as a nice-sized bedroom with a full bed and a nice view. Like I said…I’m really very lucky, and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. The one humorous thing is the indoor stairway…not the stairway itself, but the five, yes five, nude torsos sculpted from bronze. They’re very well-made, but I’m just used to seeing something like that only in a museum. As an Art History major, it really didn’t faze me after the initial surprise, and the Germans don’t even blink twice. Nudity is much more accepted in this society, I guess. Anyways, enjoy the pics!

Deine,

N*

Coming Soon...

Hi guys!  I just wanted to let you know that I've arrived in Germany safely, and I'm having a wonderful time so far...but I don't have internet yet.  The technology problem is turning out to be more difficult than previously anticipated, and I will also be at an orientation in Cologne all week, so I probably won't have internet until after I return.  However, I have been writing posts, and I will put them up as soon as I have internet access on my own computer.

Some teasers about what is to come:

The trip (long and with a significant delay, but otherwise smooth).
My first day of school experience (it went smoothly...the kids are friendly and the teachers are welcoming).
My new apartment (Can I just say it's gorgeous!...and big!  I moved most of my stuff in, but I'll wait to tell you about it until I have some pictures to accompany my description).
The Green Fest in Dessau (Complete with something landing in the town square and a virtual flight of the Bauhaus building).
Vegetarian cooking (We've cooked every night and it's so much fun!)
And of course, my experience at the orientation this week.

Ok, so that's about all I have time for at the moment, as I need to help prepare dinner for our guests tonight!  I promise to update more regularly and in more detail soon.

Deine,
N*

Limbo Land

I’ve been putting off writing for awhile because I’m feeling a little unsettled. The point of the summer has come where I have to focus on the future instead of living in the moment. Ever since college started, I haven’t stayed in one place for more than three months at a time. This constant impermanence in my life has gradually taken a larger toll on me as my desire to be home and to stay in one place has grown. This time, it’s even more difficult because my time away from home will significantly eclipse the amount of time I’ll be at home. I know it’s going to be alright; I never would’ve chosen this if I had doubts about that. It’s just the transition period that gets to me...the waiting.

Up until last week, it was easy for Germany not to seem real because there are so many unknowns. Now that it’s hitting me that I only have a month and a half left at home, the clock has started ticking in my mind. There’s so much that I need to accomplish before I leave, and thinking about leaving my family hurts too much to even contemplate. All I can really do is try to make the most of the time I have now.  The good news is that getting started is the hardest part for me. Instigating and handling change is a personal challenge for me, but at least once I accept that change is inevitable, I do adapt to new situations quickly. Next year has so many exciting possibilities that once it starts, I’ll be open to taking life as it comes.

So, the really great news that brought on these musings: My host teacher, H, thinks she’s found a place for me to live! A colleague of hers has an apartment on a separate floor of her house that she’s looking to rent. I’ll have my own bedroom, kitchen and bathroom, and it’s super-affordable (a quality that is not easy to come by in apartments in Germany). It’s between H’s house and the school where I’ll be working, so getting to either one will be no problem. I also like the idea that I will not be alone in an apartment complex, and that H knows the family also makes me feel comfortable, since she’s someone who I trust. It’s almost too good to be true. Keep your fingers crossed that it all works out!

Deine,
N*