Nope, we are definitely NOT in Alabama anymore y’all! Here are 10 signs that serve as reminders that we are far from Alabama, now living in Germany!
We have been here almost a month and NO one says y’all here! I said it at the Christmas party last weekend and then immediately inwardly cringed! Note to self, we are NOT in AL anymore, no more saying y’all! I’m not a Southerner (I’m from Idaho) so saying y’all is something I picked up in AL. The first tour there (4 years) I didn’t really use it or after we left, but this tour (5 years) I’ve found myself using it a lot and even texting it! While I know my Southern friends are cheering at this embarkment of using y’all, it’s time for me to get back to proper English…if I can, LOL!
AFN is what is playing on your TV & Radio, the whole 6 channels you get on the TV. And where besides overseas can you see the The Late Show at 4:30 pm or flip the channel to watch CBS This Morning?! LOL!
I went to buy milk at the extremely tiny commissary (MUCH smaller than Iceland, Misawa, and most disappointing…Gunter!) and found that the largest milk size is 1/2 a gallon. I was disappointed at the size because we normally go through at least 4 gallons in a 2 week period, then I checked out the fridge and realized why…
There is NO space for gallons of milk in that thing! Can’t wait to get into a house so we’ll have an extra ‘normal’ sized fridge, this grocery shopping every week is for the birds!
The light switches are huge squares and located in weird places. If your using the restroom make sure you turn on the light before entering because in Germany the light switches are OUTSIDE the bathroom, that takes a bit to get used to.
Wall outlets leave you feeling confused. In TLF there was both 110v & 220v outlets. At the German hotel and while living in a house off base we only have 220v outlets. So whatever you do make sure you do NOT plug things into the 220v outlets that are not dual voltage without a transformer or step down. I’m so glad we are an Apple family because that has made our life so much easier! I’ve heard too many stories of people plugging their Xbox’s into the wall and bam, they have an extremely large doorstop.
The heating is now located on the walls (like Iceland & Japan) and are heated with hot water, which can be problematic if it happens to be spraying all over your living room…yep, true story! Blog post about that one soon! These can get pretty warm if you need them too, well as long as they are working right.
Bathrooms are interesting, especially when you realize that your bathroom floor is part of the shower…not sure if that makes it easier to clean or not?! Toilets flush on the wall and have no tanks, there is a button for a big flush and a small flush. Shower heads are detachable and can be hand held, it’s the norm here for Germany.
I realized quickly that my baking sheets are not going to fit into the tiny ovens here. I also wonder if Mr. B will successfully be able to cook a turkey for Christmas, we’ll find out soon! Also cooking temperatures are in Celsius, which for my non mathematical brain means fun times ahead.
Road signs are interesting and you need to know them all to pass the Driver’s test. My least favorite sign is the Exit sign and of course they are all over! Seriously it’s Ausfahrt, and it just feels wrong saying it! Pronounced Ow s fart, I mean really?! I think I’ll just stick with Exit.
We went to eat at good ole McDonald’s for some comfort greasy American fast food, during a house hunting low, and found the menu in German and you can order Schnitzel there! Also the McCafe was amazing! It was it’s own little area and it sold the cafe drinks plus pastries like doughnuts! I’ll be going back for another visit soon!
We are slowly adapting to all the changes, some easier than others, for now we’re still in the ‘shock & awe’ stage of arriving in a new culture. I’m so looking forward to the ‘getting settled’ stage so we can explore and enjoy Germany to it’s fullest!
I enjoyed this post so much. Like you, I am math challenged so I would be in big trouble. I’m sure your information is helpful to other military families. My nephew and his dad speak German; do you? My daughter is all by herself today as Dad and the 3 boys are hunting in Auburn. Hope you can watch the big game on January 6. Many blessings in the New Year.
We are trying to learn German, I hope to take some classes in the next few months as well.
Don’t worry–you’ll get used to a Celsius oven! Also, I’m not sure when you rent if there will already be a German fridge there. If so, you can be issued an American one to put in your garage. That’s what we do, but we are buying our house and the people we bought from left the kitchen (sounds weird, but many Germans take their kitchens with them when they move!), so that may make our situation different. Oh, and we can cook a turkey in our German oven if we take out one of the racks. Most of our cookie sheets fit, but if you need to buy any new ones, make sure you measure your oven first!
We were able to cook a 12 lb turkey in the oven in the Wiedenhof, LOL!! Yes, we will need the TMO fridge as well since the tiny German fridge is not cutting it for our family of 5! Way too many trips to the store! Thanks for the tip about measuring the oven.
Such an interesting post! There are so many details that I would never have considered about living in a different country (rather than just visiting, where you don’t need to worry about the size of fridges & ovens). Also- I’ve never lived in the south and STILL use ‘y’all’ on a regular basis. Don’t know how that happened, but it’s an addictive word. 🙂