I keep discovering things that are done differently here in Germany/Switzerland. Mostly with food, but a few other things, too. Some of these things I may have written about already. Just smile and pretend you haven't heard it before.
1. You can buy tomato paste in a tube, like toothpaste. Genius! You squirt out what you want, recap it and return it to the fridge for next time. This is unlike a can of tomato paste: For most recipes you only need a few tablespoons and I always end up throwing away the other half of the container.
2. Eggs. Eggs are sold in packages of 10 instead of 12. They don't refrigerate them in the store. Mine often come with a few chicken feathers attached, as if to remind you that these are fresh from CHICKENS, not some other animal.
3. Shelf stable milk. Hardly anyone here buys refrigerated milk. I know they have it but I don't even know where it is in the store. This is one of the things I really like here. You buy very small packages of milk that don't go bad for months. You can store them in your cabinet in batches of 5 or 6 containers, so they're on hand when you need them, kind of like flour or canned tomatoes. When you empty the carton in your fridge, you just pull another one out of the cabinet. They're such small packages that you use them up before they can spoil. You don't have to stand there in the store, glaring at the refrigerated wall units, agonizing for 30 minutes over whether you need a 1/2 gallon or a gallon, and if you can use it up before it spoils. We NEVER waste milk anymore. I have also found butter, creams, whipped cream and some other dairy products just sitting out on room temperature shelves.
4. Baking soda. They sell baking soda in tiny envelopes instead of boxes. You tear off the top and measure out up to 2 tablespoons. But what if you don't need a tablespoon? What do you do with the rest? You have to store it in your pantry and hope you don't knock it over so that it spills all over your cabinet. I DON'T like this. I'd much rather have a larger container with a lid instead of a bunch of little sugar-packet sized envelopes.
5. Sparkling water. Carbonated water is 19 cents for a 1 liter bottle. In the States, that would cost almost $2. I will definitely miss this. I have cut way back on my soda intake by replacing it with ice cold carbonated water.
6. The windows here open two ways: straight out into the room, like your front door, with the hinges on one side or the other; or with the top of the window tilting inward to let in just a bit of air. Most windows can do both, and you can alternate it by turning a handle to open it one way or turning it another way to open the second way. I really like this. Additionally, the blinds aren't things you buy at Home Depot and hang on the inside, getting the cord tangled up, or collecting dust on the flimsy horizontal plastic thingys that let in 90% of the daylight as if the sun were standing directly outside your window, peeking in like a pervert. No, these blinds are like super, space program, military grade metal blinds that are BUILT IN to the wall outside the glass of your window. There is a cord attached to the side of the wall by the window and it goes into holes in your wall. You pull the cord one way or the other to lift these rather heavy blinds. When you close them, they block out every speck of light (and I suspect all air particles as well) so that you think the sun has been devoured by some space monster and it will never be light again. Take a nap? You'll think it's midnight when you wake up. Wake up at 7? You'll think it's still midnight. LOVE these, too.
7. Friendliness. Here, it is customary to greet every person when you enter a room. For instance, you enter a doctor's office, so you say "Hello" to everyone, and they all look up from their magazines and say "Hello" back. Now at a more intimate gathering, like a housewarming party, you are expected, when you enter, to go around the room and say hello to each person in turn, and introduce yourself to anyone you don't know. When it's time to leave, you go around to each person and shake their hand again. Sometimes even in a restaurant when there are only a few people, the other diners will say goodbye to us when we leave. It's something of an introvert's nightmare, but I also kind of like this expectation that people include everyone when they enter a room and greet people.
8. "Coffee with cream" here is a cup of very dense coffee with a huge dollop of homemade whipped cream -- made with heavy whipping cream. Not those cute little tubs of thick milk.
9. Grocery shopping. Grocery stores don't give you bags for your groceries, and no one bags them for you while you stand there and wait for your total. You have to bring your own bags and do it yourself. If you forget your bags, you can buy some. They have varying thicknesses of plastic bags -- most intended to be used multiple times -- or big vinyl shopping bags that you can use forever, I think.
10. I haven't really seen fruit pies here. I don't know why German people don't seem to eat them -- especially not the two crust kind. They either eat a huge variety of cake, or things rolled into flaky pastry dough, but that's about it.
11. Honor system. In this immediate area, a lot of people sell things outside their homes on the honor system. There's one cabinet standing across the street from EuNC which has pots full of water and then gorgeous fresh roses in them. You can pay $10 or $15 francs into a box in the wall and take the roses. There's no one there to take your money or to prevent you from just stealing the roses. There's another thing like that with eggs; you pick out how many eggs you want, drop your money in the box and go. I also saw a big milk dispenser at someone else's house; presumably they have a dairy farm or something: you bring your jug, put in so much money and then collect your milk from a spigot. Can you imagine how long something like this would last back home, even in one of our small towns? A day. Maybe.
12. Toy cars. Apparently, European auto makers don't build cars to actually be driven. Or I should say, they don't build them to go long distances, or to be driven on the autobahn. I'm not talking about cute little toy electric cars that fit one person in a reclining position, and look like they could take off into space, or even tiny Smart cars (a car that you can't fit other passengers, or any luggage, or even your groceries into? If you're going to do that, just ride a bicycle, which doesn't use gasoline. Not so "smart" if you ask me). I'm talking about your average size BMW sedan. We keep trying to drive different cars that look perfectly normal to us, and take them to, say, Zurich, or a few hours south in Switzerland, or a few hours east in Germany. People keep telling us, "Oh, you can't take that car. It's not built for the highway." Or, "That car isn't made to travel in. You need to stay around here." No explanation has been so far forthcoming as to what distinguishes these apparently toy cars from "real" cars, and why anyone would build or purchase a car that you don't intend to drive.
13. Washable paper towels. They sell these things here -- napkin-sized thin cloths that you use to clean surfaces in your house. They're really soft and washable. You wipe up the counter in the kitchen, or dust all the wood surfaces, or clean the bathroom sink and shower. Then you just wad it up and throw it in your laundry. A few days later -- Voila! A clean, dry paper towel, all ready to use again. I LIKE these. I'm totally bringing some home with me.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Bomb shelter
It's surreal to see history alive and in front of you like that, instead of just in a book or movie -- the only way we Americans get to experience it usually.
Friday, May 13, 2011
English class on summer break
I stepped in to teach the last three English classes for J., who was teaching English in Russia the past few months. Tonight was the final class before they take a summer break, then resume in September.
Two of the teachers won't be doing it again in the fall, so I was asked to become a regular teacher. I was really excited to be asked to do this. I know I am not as good as J. (who is a certified ESL instructor), but I hope that I can still do a good enough job so that the attendees feel they are learning.
Yesterday evening, instead of normal class, the 30 or so people who are usually broken out into three different levels, met together to play a group card game that would help them practice a bit of English while mingling and having fun. They seemed apprehensive about it, because the game was a little complicated, and of course it used a lot of words they didn't know. But in the end I think they had fun.
We all brought snacks and desserts (I made pumpkin bars) and then sat around and talked afterward. I met a new girl I hadn't seen before, although apparently she's a regular. There are only two attendees who are under 40, and she is one of them -- Sandra. We had a good long talk, and I'm disappointed that I only met her now, since we won't see each other all summer. Also, she is planning to begin school in the fall and doesn't know if she'll be able to fit in the English classes anymore. So that was a bummer. I thought about asking her for her contact information, but wasn't confident enough to do so since I'd only just met her.
I did get an e-mail address for a lady in my class named Cornelia. She is really sweet, and I've gotten to know her a bit here and there when I've substitute taught. Cornelia mentioned that she really enjoys playing card games. So I hesitantly ventured to ask if she might teach me a Swiss card game this summer. She gave me her email and I gave her mine, and I hope that we can get together once or twice. Another lady also gave me a flyer for a barbecue she's having in July.
So, I made some new acquaintances at the last minute and hope that they can turn into friends over time.
I felt genuinely sorry tonight that we won't see each other again for several months. But I know it will go by fast.
Two of the teachers won't be doing it again in the fall, so I was asked to become a regular teacher. I was really excited to be asked to do this. I know I am not as good as J. (who is a certified ESL instructor), but I hope that I can still do a good enough job so that the attendees feel they are learning.
Yesterday evening, instead of normal class, the 30 or so people who are usually broken out into three different levels, met together to play a group card game that would help them practice a bit of English while mingling and having fun. They seemed apprehensive about it, because the game was a little complicated, and of course it used a lot of words they didn't know. But in the end I think they had fun.
We all brought snacks and desserts (I made pumpkin bars) and then sat around and talked afterward. I met a new girl I hadn't seen before, although apparently she's a regular. There are only two attendees who are under 40, and she is one of them -- Sandra. We had a good long talk, and I'm disappointed that I only met her now, since we won't see each other all summer. Also, she is planning to begin school in the fall and doesn't know if she'll be able to fit in the English classes anymore. So that was a bummer. I thought about asking her for her contact information, but wasn't confident enough to do so since I'd only just met her.
I did get an e-mail address for a lady in my class named Cornelia. She is really sweet, and I've gotten to know her a bit here and there when I've substitute taught. Cornelia mentioned that she really enjoys playing card games. So I hesitantly ventured to ask if she might teach me a Swiss card game this summer. She gave me her email and I gave her mine, and I hope that we can get together once or twice. Another lady also gave me a flyer for a barbecue she's having in July.
So, I made some new acquaintances at the last minute and hope that they can turn into friends over time.
I felt genuinely sorry tonight that we won't see each other again for several months. But I know it will go by fast.
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