Black Friday backlash: Early openings a mixed blessing – Nov. 15, 2011 November 20, 2011

Black Friday backlash: Early openings a mixed blessing – Nov. 15, 2011.

Now I’m a gal who likes to shop, but when I read the above article a couple of days ago, I have to say it made me a little concerned. Yes, I understand businesses want to make money, and I suppose one could argue that the employees who work on a holiday earn higher wages (which during these hard times they perhaps need)…still, one has to wonder: if these shops didn’t open at 11pm on Thursday, would they really make less money in the long run over the holiday season? Will the people who go shopping at 11pm on Thanksgiving simply not go shopping at all if the stores don’t open then? It might be that the shops do come out slightly ahead with this early Black Friday strategy, but my guess is that the same people who get up at 4am on Black Friday to wait in line are the same ones who will go at 11pm on Thanksgiving Day. And now that the store is opening at that time, they’ll have no choice but to go on Thanksgiving Day if they want to catch the best deals. I understand people want to save money and get good deals, but I have to wonder, what are we as a country really paying for all this cheap stuff when one considers the ramifications of what this means not only for the Thanksgiving holiday, but possibly other American holidays, too?

The lack of vacation time for workers in the US and the fact that there are only a  handful of days (at best) left in the year when  almost all shops are closed for public holidays means Americans are already dreadfully lagging behind their European counterparts in terms of quality relaxation time with their families. After having lived and worked in the UK for a number of years, I came to really appreciate what it means to have actual vacation time. My British colleagues where shocked and appalled when I told them that I had to work an entire year before I earned any real vacation time, and that allotment was pretty measly once I did receive it (and that that was 100% normal). And now, living in (at least this part of) Germany, every shop is closed every Sunday, every week. In case you didn’t catch that, EVERY SUNDAY, EVERY WEEK.  While I find it a little extreme to have ALL the shops closed for an entire day every week (no less the weekend, when one might actually have the time and energy to get some shopping down!), I do appreciate that it guarantees at least one day out of the week when most families can spend time together. Yes, doctors and nurses and firemen (and servers and cooks, too, as restaurants and cafes are open) still have to work, but most families have a day together without working or running errands.  And I also appreciate that the major holidays in Germany are taken pretty seriously, too…I don’t think there’s any chance stores here are going to open at 11pm on Christmas Day just so shoppers can get started early on the after-Christmas sales!

So I just have to wonder…are we Americans digging our own “holiday/vacation” grave by allowing shops to open on Thanksgiving Day? Are we making an already bad situation worse by eroding yet another holiday (that I always thought was supposed to be a day about family and rest and being thankful for what you already have) into just another day to spend money? I fear once the floodgates are open, it won’t be long before the next American holiday is under attack and open for business as usual.

What do you think? Would you ever or will you go shopping on Thanksgiving Day? Does it concern you that shops are starting to open on a public holiday?

Our Friends Pretty Much Rock May 22, 2011

A package arrived for us yesterday, and both the Mr. and I were dumbfounded as to what it could be. It came from Scotland. We didn’t order anything from Scotland. And it was heavy.

Completely puzzled, I started shredding the tape that sealed the box and pulled out an envelope. Enclosed was a letter from one half of the couple who recently came to stay with us for a few days:

“Hopefully the enclosed made it to you in one piece. They’re to replace the one in your fridge that was spawning a new life form!”

I read over it a couple of times, and finally it dawned on me what was enclosed. And I squealed with glee, my friends, I squealed.

Most delicious beer EVER.

You see, back before we moved to Germany, I decided that one of the most important things I needed to stock up on before we left Scotland was my favorite beer, Innis & Gunn. I greedily bought several bottles and we drank them all over the course of the past year, except one. I saved one precious bottle back, waiting for the special occasion that would warrant me popping it open. But sadly, no one ever told me that fine beer isn’t quite like fine wine. It doesn’t improve with age. In fact, it doesn’t age well at all. It apparently goes off and starts to have strange, alien-like cloudy formations floating inside that dance around when you tip it. It was a sad day, indeed, when I realized that my clingy love for the Innis & Gunn had actually killed it. Still, I held onto it, hoping that perhaps the cloudy formations might disappear…or maybe start to talk to me. Who knows.

Anyway, when our friends came to visit, we went over the contents of all the various beers in our fridge: hefeweizen, Pilsner (pale lager), alcohol-free pilsner, radler, alcohol-free radler and the sad, mutated Innis & Gunn. I told our friends the tragic story of how my selfish love had ruined the poor little thing, and yet how I still couldn’t bare to let go.

Well, now it’s time for you to hit the drain, baby, ’cause Momma’s got a new set of friends to keep her company! (But only for a limited time, of course…I know understand that to truly love and cherish a beer, I must set it free. In my belly.)

A Taste of Honey March 26, 2011

Now that we finally have a fully operational kitchen complete with a working oven, the Mr. and I have been bitten by the baking bug lately. The first baked masterpiece that graced our oven was a homemade streusel the Mr. decided to make last weekend. For those of you who don’t know what a streusel is, it’s basically a sweet bread on the bottom covered with a sugar/butter crumbled topping. It’s baked and the bottom is soft and chewy (as you would expect of bread), and the topping is also soft and chewy in the larger chunks or a bit crunchier in the smaller bits. You can even cover it in another sugar glaze once it’s out of the oven (which I did for my section because I quite like it), or leave it plain as the Mr. prefers.

A few nights later, the Mr. decided to make basically the same bread but minus the less healthy streusel topping. He even cut some of the butter and sugar, making small rolls that were slightly sweet as well as a braided hefezopf. We didn’t snap a photo of his, but it was similar to the one in the photo only with sliced almonds on top. The hefezopf was exactly the same as the smaller rolls, only braided. You can add all sorts of things, obviously, from raisins to nuts, but we both prefer a more simple hefezopf.

Now, with the Mr. having become such a baking fanatic in the last week, I figured it was my time to step up to plate and create something fantastic. Only I figured why make something German when I can buy all sorts of delicious breads and cakes from bakeries all over town? No, better to make something American or British that I really enjoy but can’t find here. My first thought was to make cupcakes slathered in thick buttercream frosting, but I’ve actually been craving chocolate chip cookies something fierce.

First step? Gathering the ingredients, of course. I begin going over our inventory of what we have. Flour? Check. White granulated sugar? Check. Salt? Check. Eggs? Check. Vanilla? Check. Butter/shortening? Check. Chocolate chips? No, but that shouldn’t be difficult – Germans love chocolate! Baking soda? Ummmm….nope. And brown sugar? Nope.  I ask the Mr. if he thinks the store will have brown sugar. The conversation goes something like this:

Me: “I need brown sugar for the cookies.”

The Mr.: “Didn’t I see brown sugar in the pantry?”

Me: “No, that’s sugar that is brown. That’s not brown sugar.”

The Mr.: What do you mean, ‘sugar that is brown but not brown sugar?’ It’s sugar and it’s brown.”

Me: “Yes, but American brown sugar is different…it’s soft and clumps together.” [I show him a photo online of American brown sugar.]

The Mr.: “Yeah, they don’t sell anything like that here. I’ve never seen sugar like that before.”

Me: “Oh. Great.”

So I google “can you make chocolate chip cookies without brown sugar?” and got all sorts of interesting results from “no, don’t do it! They won’t taste right!!” to “yes, we only make ours with white sugar.” What I discovered is that brown sugar is actually white sugar (gasp!) but with molasses added. That rocked my world, let me tell you. The irony to this story is that we actually had molasses up until recently. Back in Scotland, the Mr. had bought a tin of it for some strange reason, opened it, realized it wasn’t something he wanted to eat so it sat on a shelf for a long time and was even packed up and moved over to Germany. As I was going through boxes I discovered the sticky tin and puzzled over what to do with it before finally tossing it. I have no idea if it would still be good right now having been open for so long and unrefrigerated, etc. but I was sort of cursing the fact that I had had some up until recently, and able to see absolutely no purpose for it I threw it out suddenly needing it now. It figures. Anyway, I get to store and I begin searching for the three things I need: chocolate chips, molasses, and baking soda.

I get to the baking section and call the Mr. For some reason, no one here in Germany has labeled the baking soda as “baking soda” in English. The nerve….

Me: “What do they call baking soda here?”

The Mr.: “Uh, ‘backpulver.’ Look for ‘backpulver.’”

Me: “Are you sure? You’re definitely sure that’s baking soda and not baking powder, right?”

The Mr.: “Don’t we have baking soda in the cabinet? I thought I saw some.”

Me: “No, that’s not baking soda. That’s baking powder.”

The Mr.: “Isn’t that also the same thing?”

Me: “No. I don’t know why, but I know that it isn’t.” [This time the Mr. googles it and discovers that baking soda is in baking powder, but no – they are not exactly the same. He then tells me the possible names it might be labeled under: “Speisesoda,” ‘Backsoda” or “Speisenatron.” But he warns me that Germans don’t really bake with it, so I shouldn’t necessarily expect to find it. Luckily, I do spot it. One brand and one size, but hey – they have it!

Moving on…molasses, molasses, molasses. No, nowhere can I find it. I search the baking section, and then the section with honeys and jams but no luck. Apparently most Germans don’t require molasses for anything. Come to think of it, I had never required molasses for anything until this very moment. I had noticed when I was googling it earlier that you could substitute honey for molasses, thereby making your own “brown sugar,” so the “honey” version it is, I guess….

And finally the chocolate chips. This surprised me the most. Granted, I wasn’t in a huge grocery store, but still – no chocolate chips! Chocolate bars? Yes. Chocolate chips – or even small chunks – nope. Undeterred, I bought several bars of dark chocolate and decided to make my own chips.

Once the ingredients were in hand, everything went pretty smoothly.  It only took me maybe ten minutes to break up the two chocolate bars, and although the chunks weren’t exactly uniform they certainly didn’t taste any different. My other substitution was that I decided to do half butter, half shortening. No, Germans don’t sell or use Crisco here as far as I can tell, but I had brought some over from the US to Scotland a few years ago with the intention of making a pie but had never got around to it. Technically it was “best before” Oct. 2008, but I learned once on 20/20 or some show like that, that “best before” is really code for “this crap is so artificial it won’t ever really go bad.” Works for me. So yeah, what I like about doing 50/50 with the fat is that the butter adds flavor but the shortening helps insure the cookies aren’t as flat as pancakes, which is a pet peeve of mine.

All in all, I was very pleased with how they turned out. I told the Mr. that I thought they were probably a bit “drier” tasting than cookies made with brown sugar, but apart from that I couldn’t tell any real difference. I took a few to our upstairs elderly neighbors and advised them “eat them warm, and with a glass of milk.” The Mr. isn’t a huge fan of American baking and tends to prefer the German stuff, so who knows whether they will like them or not. Still, the Mr. has certainly been scarfing down a fair number of them with no complaints….

Tomorrow Never Knows January 1, 2011

It seems hard to believe, but 2011 has already arrived. And with the arrival of the new year, I’ve been reflecting on all that we experienced in 2010.

2010 was a year of some pretty big changes for us.  In February, we both quit jobs and moved from Scotland to Germany where the Mr. took up a new position. Mia took her first (that I know of) international flight and became a much more shy, more easily spooked kitty from the stress of the move (but also happier, I think, in her new home with huge windows.) We finally found a flat, which sadly still isn’t totally unpacked and lacks an oven, a cooker, a dishwasher and kitchen cabinets, but fingers crossed that 2011 sees us fully moved in and settled! I spent more time staying with my parents in Indiana than I had since before college, taking advantage of not having a job for the first time in a long time. And we’ve been able to spend considerably more time than with the Mr.’s family, too, now able to join in on the holidays and spur-of-the-moment get-togethers. Not everything that happened in 2010 was great (The Mr.’s appendix decided it didn’t like him anymore and had to go), but the good definitely outweighed the bad and I’m grateful for all of the wonderful things 2010 did bring to us.

Edinburgh has been on mind a lot, too. Yesterday, at midnight, I had hoped one of the radio stations might play a rendition of Auld Lang Syne at the stroke of midnight. When I couldn’t find it, I turned off the radio and sang it instead.

In some ways, because of all that we’ve experienced, Edinburgh feels like another lifetime ago. And in other ways, it feels like we left only yesterday and that being here in Germany is only an extended vacation that has yet to end. I still think of our flat there as “our flat,” and cannot imagine it empty of our things, or (stranger still) with other people living inside. I miss my favorite shops and cafes, and being able to text a friend and get together to do something. There’s a sort of nostalgic sadness that lingers when I think of Edinburgh, but if I think hard enough I can also remember that our life there had its drawbacks, too.  There were reasons we took up the job opportunity here in Germany, and they were good ones.  And I have to admit – life here IS pretty darn good. Our day-to-day quality of living is much better for both of us for a number of reasons, so apart from missing friends, there’s little to complain about. In fact, despite the fact that there are people and things I miss back in Edinburgh, I’ve reached the point where I can say that moving here was the right choice.

What does 2011 have in store for us? Well, I’m not sure if it counts as a New Year’s resolution since I’ve already resolved to do it, but I’m kicking off the new year by beginning a German language course which I hope will help me feel more at home and confident in everyday life. And there’s talk we might try – kitchen expenses allowing – to fit in a bigger trip somewhere this year. The “big trip” was the carrot the Mr. dangled as incentive for leaving Edinburgh, so we’re working out what and where that might be. I’m pushing for Japan, but apparently the exchange rate right now is dreadful so that might not be the wisest trip financially. So who knows. More than anything else, I just hope that 2011 is as good to us as 2010 was.

Update: In a strange coincidence, after writing this last night, I went into the office where the Mr. was looking up property to buy in Edinburgh. (He just likes to look as a sort of hobby, mostly so that he can exclaim how crazily inflated the prices are there.) Anyway, at one point, I hear him gasp. Our former flat is on the market to sell. We looked at the photos they had with the listing, and it was so…weird. Apparently the only renovation they did was installing new laminate in the kitchen. Otherwise, it looks just like our flat, complete with the heaters, kettle and dish rack we left behind.  We had a good laugh over the description as they always try to make it sound better than it really is, but seeing it again – empty except for a few of  our things – made us feel a little sad.

Yesterday December 19, 2010

The snow continues to fall in Germany, as it is across much of Europe. Living in Edinburgh, we hardly had any snow* and if it did fall, it usually only lasted a short time before melting. So it’s been a big change to look out the window every day and see everything covered in snow.

We were told many times this summer that Wuerzburg, on average, has higher temperatures than across much of Germany and with some of the hottest summer weather. We were also told that typically, it doesn’t get as much snow, either (being a warmer climate and all). I’m not sure whether this information was correct or not, because we’ve had a pretty wintry winter so far, and it’s only just begun.

Yesterday the Mr. and I took a long, winter walk up in the vineyards to get some fresh air and enjoy the wintry landscape. Today, the snow has been falling steadily in big, fat, wet flakes so decided to not venture outside at all. I love looking at the snow from the cozy interior of our flat, but if this kind of heavy snowfall doesn’t let up before I start a language class in January it’s going to be rather more tiresome. And I feel very sorry for all the people trying to fly out of both Germany and the UK right now to be with family for the holidays. We’ve heard some of their stories, and it’s a real nightmare.

*Of course, Edinburgh is experiencing a freakish amount of snowfall this winter that has just about crippled the city. So it looks like Mother Nature was determined to give us a hardcore winter this year no matter where we lived!

I Should Have Known Better December 17, 2010

Buddhism teaches that we must work towards detachment, i.e., a state in which a person overcomes his or her attachment to desire for things, people or concepts of the world to be able to attain a heightened perspective.

So I’m wondering if perhaps the universe thought I needed a swift kick in the butt today after glowingly talking about my favorite things yesterday. Maybe like a  “wake up call” that I need to do some work in the “detachment from material objects”  department?

My wallet was stolen earlier today. Although I can be a little flighty and have a tendency to lose things, I’m pretty sure I didn’t lose it and it was, in fact, stolen. I rather stupidly went against all the good advice I used to give to my students in Scotland and made it easy by putting it in a front pocket on my backpack, so I blame myself to some extent. But he/she didn’t get any money (I only had change – sucka!) and we’ve immediately cancelled all credit and banking cards. So for the person who stole it, it was a lot of risk with little to no reward. But I am really ticked that 1) they got my Indiana driver’s license which is perhaps going to be the biggest pain in the butt of all to replace, and 2) I absolutely loved – no, adored – the wallet itself. The wallet was from one of my favorite Scottish stores called Ness. It was a lovely pink tartan material and looked a little like this, only in pink:

I know it’s not healthy, or helping me to reach an enlightened state, to love a wallet this much, but I can’t help it. It’s tartan. And pink. Pink tartan, people! Big sigh.

I have this hope, albeit a tiny one, that perhaps the mean person who stole my wallet will at least be kind enough to ditch it somewhere an honest person can find it, i.e. not a rubbish bin.  And maybe then I’ll be reunited with both the wallet and driver’s license again, which would go a long way to making me a happier girl.  But if the universe doesn’t want it, I guess I’ll work on the detachment thing. And trying to figure out a way to get a new driver’s license.

Getting Better December 9, 2010

A little less than a couple of weeks ago, the Mr. and I had a two-day shopping spree in (given how much time and money we spend there) what must be our favorite place in the world: Ikea. The goal was to buy some sort of storage system for the lounge. We gave this considerable thought as anyone who’s ever shopped at Ikea will understand – the choices there are practically endless. (It’s why they have a restaurant. You show up, walk around the showroom on the top level, feel overwhelmed, and need refreshments – stat!)

Anyway, we decided on Ikea’s Besta series as it could serve as concealed storage for the stuff we don’t want people to see, as well as a way of displaying things we do want to people to see. Like all of our nifty alcohol bottles. Seriously. We have a bazillion bottles of whisky after living in Scotland for 5 1/2 years.

So, behold the magnificence that is Besta:

Oooh, aaahhhh - storage!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And here are a few other photos of how the flat is coming along:

The lounge

Mia's new cat tree. She freakin' loves it as she can watch the world go by from her cozy perch above the heater =)

the entrance room

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re thinking about buying another smaller version of Besta for the wall of the lounge next to the door to the office/guest room as we’ve come to the realization we have quite a few CDs and DVDs, and we don’t particularly like having them on display. So we’ll probably reorganize what’s on display if we do get another unit.

The office/guest room. A work in progress.

And you may notice the naked woman (or at least her top half) in the photo to the right. Yes, the naked ladies are still with us. The Mr.’s grandfather was a talented artist and I like quite a bit of his work, but the almost life-sized portraits of the four seasons as big-breasted, bare-crotched women have become the bane of my decorating efforts. I mean, what the heck does one do with four enormous portraits of naked women?! (If you’re the Mr., you hang them in your entrance hallway so it’s the first thing a prospective girlfriend sees when she’s visiting your flat the first time. But that’s another story….)

Getting Down to Business November 9, 2010

I arrived back in Germany on Sunday a year older (celebrated my birthday the day before) and definitely feeling every bit my age. For me, going over to the states is never as bad as coming back.

That looks about right....

Firstly, most flights arrive late in the day so when I fly over from Europe I usually only have to stay awake a few hours before hitting the sack. And secondly, my suitcase(s) are usually relatively empty so that I can load up on tons of stuff. At the moment, what I haul back is a combination of keepsakes, American foods I can’t find anywhere and this time lots of scrapbooking supplies, too. I always dread the trip back as I usually arrive early in the morning with a full day ahead AND hauling close to my body weight in luggage. I paid the extra $55 for a second suitcase which seems a rip-off (I remember the good ‘ol days of TWO free suitcases and seafood meals) but is still a better deal than shipping things by the US postal service. I did decide to go ahead and do that, too, and paid $53 for a box weighing about 17 pounds. So the airline prices seem almost cheap in comparison.

I’m happy to be back, but I have to say that the feeling is different from when I’d return to Edinburgh. Coming back to Edinburgh felt like coming home. It was a cozy, warm and comfortable feeling, almost from day one. I like Germany and it is growing on me, but there was something almost magical about flying in and looking at Auld Reekie from the air. Somehow Frankfurt just doesn’t have that same charm….and yet I am growing to really love and appreciate Würzburg. And I should be fair, too. Since we moved to Germany back in February, I’ve spent almost as much time in the states as here. So how could it feel like home? I’m so appreciative of the time I’ve had in the states, but I am ready to really focus on settling in.  I sort of feel like I’ve been living in limbo these past eight months, with “home” being some mixture of many places rather than just one.

Today in the store, the bakery clerk complimented me on my German and I had to laugh. I was able to tell her what I wanted, and understood a few basic questions she asked me, but I should be able to do so much more by this point. She probably wouldn’t be so quick to compliment if she knew I had been living here since February! So first on the agenda is language. Although I’m sort of dreading the commitment of a full-time intensive language course (especially doing it in winter – ugh!) I know I have to get off my lazy bum and just do it. And the other top priority is studying for and hopefully passing a written exam for a driver’s license here. The Mr. and I also have a lot more work to do on the flat. Six months have passed since we moved in, we still don’t have an oven, stove or kitchen cabinets. And there are still boxes everywhere. Part of the problem was moving into a completely empty flat with no kitchen or any closets and lacking lots of furniture, and part of the problem was being away so much. But I’m starting to go crazy looking at the chaos and not being able to cook pasta, so it’s time to kick it in high gear. The next few months are going to be busy ones, I think.

Buying Time October 24, 2010

At "home" on my mom's front porch...

It’s been ages since I last posted, and I think it has something to do with the feeling of being on “vacation” while staying with my folks in the states. Hmmm…let’s ponder that thought…is this vacation? I suppose it is, but it’s also one of the many homes I consider myself to have.  Can one be “on vacation” at home?

Over the past year, my concepts of “home” and “vacation” have been turned upside down since I gave up full-time employment and moved to a new country.  To make matters even more complicated, I’ve actually spent almost as much time back in the states as in Germany since we left Scotland in February. And during the time that I have been in Germany, I’m not working so living there also feels a bit like being on vacation. Not that I’m complaining. I suppose this lack of routine (and obvious productivity) would drive some people mad, but for me I’ve relished the abundance of free time that comes along with unemployment. I always feel a little embarrassed to admit to people just how much I’m enjoying not working, but I console myself with the realization that I’ve had some sort of job – either part-time or full-time – since I was 16 years old. I worked part-time during high school, and had several part-time jobs during college. With the exception of one, maybe two, summer breaks during college, I’ve always been working. I once tallied up all the jobs I’ve ever had, ranging from barista, waitress, sales clerk to a news reporter (and loads more), and it’s enough to fill several resumes. I know I’m not unique and a lot of people could say the same thing, but I’m enjoying this break from employment and I’ve decided I’m not going to feel guilty about it. I haven’t spent this much time with my parents since before college, and I’ve been able to be around for important milestones in friends’ lives like weddings and births. It can’t last forever and I know it – change will come. But for now, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to make up for time lost that always accompanies living abroad.

So what have I been up to? Well, carving pumpkins for one. I carved and painted the pumpkin above for my mom’s front porch, and this little guy to the left with some of my close friends from high school during their annual pumpkin carving party. Even though The Mr. and I can’t be with them during most of the year, they always make sure we’re included and are excited to see us when we are in town. The Mr. left more than a week ago to go back to Germany for work, but yesterday I met the gang again for breakfast at one of the best joints around (I ordered my fave: chocolate chip pancakes with peanut butter and veggie scramble….yum….) and we went to a viewing of Back to the Future. My friend Ray rocked a side pony and glitter socks and a multi-colored sweater, and I went for skinny leg trousers, leg warmers and a jean shirt. Good times. And they gave me some lovely birthday pressies! A CD, Animaniacs DVDs, a David Sedaris book, awesome socks that were hand-knitted…yep, these guys are the bomb.

Wonkers, now renamed Wanda

What else? Well, I worked pretty diligently for a week to find this kitty a home. She wandered onto my parents’ property and wouldn’t leave, desperate for food and love. Finally, one of my Facebook friends that I came to know through waitressing years ago offered to take her. I was so relieved. If I hadn’t found her a home, I would have taken her to the local shelter which is totally overwhelmed with animals and has a high euthanasia rate.  But I’m now happy to report she’s been spayed, is getting along much better with the other cat in residence (lots of hissing on both sides but no actual fights – hurray!), and seems to be settling in well to her new life.

I also got a haircut. This normally wouldn’t be so exciting, but I took the plunge and now have bangs after many, many years without. I’m really enjoying it. I’ve never been a particularly adventurous person when it comes to my hair, but I can understand why some people love getting a drastic new look. As long as you like how it turns out, it can be really fun to do something different. This is a photo of me on the day it was cut. It will never, ever, look this good again I’m sure, but thankfully I also like the way it looks when it’s just blown dry to its natural curly state.

And I’ve/we’ve (before the Mr. left) been up to loads of other stuff, too. We had a cookout with family (originally intended to be a weenie roast, but Indiana’s experiencing a drought), dinner with friends, visited a creamery and orchard, attended a family reunion….I held a good friend’s baby for the first time over a chili lunch and attended a “Welcome Home” party for a little girl adopted for China. And on Wednesday I’m going to Chicago to attend a close friend’s wedding and meet their new child for the first time. I’ve come to realize that these experiences are priceless, and frankly, no job in the world could pay me enough money to make up for missing them.

It’s the “Little Things,” Part 1 August 17, 2010

When one moves abroad, there are a lot of adjustments to be made. You leave behind friends and family, for example, and have to accept that you’ll only be able to see them occasionally. You change jobs or become a student, and adjust to these new circumstances. And there are usually language challenges that affect daily life, too. The list goes on and on. There were a lot of things that took some getting used to back in Scotland. Some differences I grew to love, while others drove me bonkers up until the day I left (the totally unpractical, split hot & cold water taps, for example…that’s right, taps – I’m referring to you and your evil ways of burning me with scalding hot water!)

I cope with the big stuff pretty well. It’s actually the “little things” that make me sort of crazy when I move to a new country.

So I thought it might be fun to share my list of the top three things in Germany that are currently driving me bonkers with frustration. I’ll share number three today, then number two in the next entry and finally, number one. At some point, I’ll do a list of the top things I’m loving about Germany, too, but let’s first pick on Deutschland a bit

No. 3: Drugstores without Drugs

Shopping in Germany is a very different experience from shopping in the US. There are things I like about the experience in both countries. In the US, we tend to have superstores where one can get just about everything in one stop. This is very convenient. I also really enjoy the experience of browsing around a Super Target, for example, and having a look at everything from the electronics to the pajamas to the food. In Germany, there are some superstores, but they’re not nearly as big or as well-stocked with goods as ones in the US. There’s a Toom, for example, within driving distance that is a little like a Wal-Mart, but is mostly a big grocery store with only some clothes, electronics and appliances. What I like about the German system (and this probably outweighs my own selfish indulgence of appreciating the convenience of a superstore) is that it means smaller, local businesses actually have a shot at survival. Most people in Germany go to different stores for the different products they need, and this gives everyone at a chance at having a business rather than making a ginormous company like Wal-Mart or Target even wealthier and more powerful. Family run local businesses are in serious danger in most cities and towns in the US, and I think that’s pretty sad. But I’ll also be the first to admit I do enjoy shopping at a Super Target when given the opportunity. I’d like to believe that the two can co-exist and both thrive, but that’s probably naïve on my part.

Anyway, I’ve gotten way off track from my no. 3 frustration with Germany: Drugstores without Drugs. Here’s the thing: I’ve adjusted pretty well to doing my shopping in various stores rather than one superstore like back in the US (I was basically already living this way in Scotland). I don’t mind buying my tea from the tea shop, my sprouts and other organic goodies from the bio store, or my camera from the family run camera shop. But what gets me is that drugstores here sell everything that a CVS or Walgreens would sell back in the US, like hair products, snacks, toothpaste, toilet paper, vitamins, make-up, etc., but they don’t sell any actual drugs. You won’t find any aspirin, ibuprofen or cold medication in a German drugstore. Where will you find these items? In an Apotheke, or pharmacy.

A typical German Apotheke

So add yet another stop into yet another shop to your shopping trip. But that’s not what really annoys me. What really annoys is the price you pay for products in a pharmacy. The Mr. warned me about this when we first arrived in Germany. We were out walking around, and I really needed an aspirin but didn’t have any on me. I asked the Mr. if we could pop in somewhere and buy some. He explained what I’ve just explained above; that we would have to go to an Apotheke to get it because a drugstore wouldn’t sell it. He warned me that it would probably be expensive, too. Back in the UK, I think I paid about 60p, or less than a dollar for a packet of basic aspirin. We went into the Apotheke and I can’t remember the exact price, but I think it was around 5 euros for a packet of basic aspirin. My jaw dropped and we walked out. When I was back in the US in June/July, I bought huge bottles (100+ pills) of aspirin, ibuprofen and Tylenol (paracetamol). I’ve figured out a way to get around the Apotheke’s high prices, but I still find it annoying.

(As a side note, I stumbled onto this article and found it interesting as I think this author would probably argue that the Germans have actually done things the right way when it comes to where your drugs should be sold: http://trueslant.com/tinadupuy/2010/02/22/drug-stores-are-totally-unethical/) Not sure that she’d be happy with the high prices either, though….