So, we have been in Germany now for almost 2 months. It has not been the smoothest of transitions, not going to lie. So I'm goint to give you a brief summary of the past two months, catagorized as good, bad, and ugly, but since it's Thanksgiving, I'll do it in reverse, so we can end on a happy/thankful note. Here we go:
THE UGLY
1. The most awful thing by far has been our lack of Internet. We made the assumption that since we were living in University housing, that we would have Internet. WRONG! As soon as we found out that we did not, and would have to do a separate contract, we did so (October 9). We are still internet-less. I am currently in the university computer lab, where I go when Ale is in school to apply for jobs, since I can't do so at home. This company, Vodafone, has become the bane of my existence. They have made mistakes since the beginning, and will not own up to any of them. Americans, hold your customer service reps tightly and never let go. Here in Europe they don't give a rip, and the systems are so confusing that there's no accountability. I have been hung up on for nothing, and was last week kicked out of the store simply for stating that the way they do things is stupid and that they have poor customer service. The rep had asked me to call again the service line (which is all in German, btw) because supposedly he could do nothing for me. I told him I had already called 100 times, and it still wasn't fixed. He said, and I quote, "Well, then I guess you'll call 101 times." So you can't blame me for going all crazy white girl on him. But I digress.
2. The second awful thing that happened was with our apartment. If you read my last post, you recall that I was concerned about the cleanliness. Well, the day we moved in, we were shocked to find no furniture! There was an old table and a mattress on the ground, but that hardly counts. The caretaker told us that a new bed and table were ordered, and of course I asked about everything else. Here's the thing about Europe: there's no closets here. You must put clothes in wardrobes. I don't know why; it's one of the many mysteries here. So we have all these clothes and stuff, and nowhere to put them, but we're paying for a furnished apartment. Ok, awesome. Anyways, after much to-do, and probably adding to my chance of graying young, we got all brand new furniture, including a washing machine (hallelujah!) courtesy of the University. So this actually turned into a win, but was rough at the time.
THE BAD
1. Because of the afore-mentioned internet problems, job searching/language learning has been almost non-existent. So that's been a source of problem for us.
2. My Macbook went kaput back in October. Took it to the apple store to have it declared dead, but there wasn't a Mac tech on duty. Unreal, these Germans are supposedly efficient? Not in my experience. Anyway, so I need to buy a new computer now, it was on it's last legs anyway, so it was time. There's not much need for a computer without internet, however. Mostly just bummed about it because all my music and pictures and Rosetta stone are inaccessible currently.
3. Ale started his new school three weeks ago. We decided that even though I wasn't working yet, he needed to be around other kids, because those couple months out of daycare were turning him into a monster. Also, I'm supposed to be learning German and applying for jobs, which are impossible with him around. So he got a place in the university daycare, which is awesome, because we pay student rates (Paolo is technically a student until March), so it's 156 euros a month, or about $195/month. I used to pay $110 a week in AL. HOWEVER. You get what you pay for. Here in Germany, they have an "integration period" for new students. I get it for a few days; the kids need to ease in. Especially since they're speaking all in German. But he did great, he loves it there, etc. So after two weeks, he got sick (just a cold). He had to stay out for 48 hours after his fever broke (seriously?). Then when he came back, his teacher was still not ready for him to stay for the naptime (the final step in the integration). Finally, yesterday, I had to bring out my American aggression and insist that he stay, because he's had absolutely no problems, and oh, by the way, he went to daycare for almost a year. This is not his first rodeo. I feel as though the workers are lazy. There is zero learning going on (the kids are too young), it's just a glorified playtime. The biggest benefit is that it's the only way he'll learn German, so that alone may be worth it.
THE GOOD
By now, you probably think I'm miserable and hating life, but that's actually not the case (every day :) ) There are some great things that have happened too:
1. Germany is actually quite beautiful. It is so much greener and more spacious than the other places I've lived in Europe. We live in a quiet little village right outside of Stuttgart, so the city is still reachable by public transport. There are parks, a nice zoo, and tons of great daytrips around the area. Actually, the location is great for car trips; Paris is a 4 hours drive west, Zurich is a 2 1/2 hour drive south; you get the picture.
2. Consumer goods are quite cheap here. Especially food. A 1000 g jar of Nutella can be found for 4 euros ($5). In the US, a 300g jar of Nutella is $3.50. So Nutella for every meal! No, seriously, there are tons of Aldi-like discount stores here (and actually, Aldi is one of them). One of our reasons for wanting to live here is that cost of living is not bad, and the pay is also decent.
3. People are in general, quite nice. Everyone loves Ale, and smiles at him, which is nice. Most people, especially young people, speak English, so that's a huge difference from France or Italy.
4. There is a Baptist church here. I know for those of you with a baptist church on every corner, that's no big deal, but after living in predominantly Catholic countries (as in, no Protestants), it's a huge deal to have a place to go to church. It's also an English speaking church, with people from everywhere, though predominantly American, attending. So this is great news; the only downside is the distance, which is what it is.
5. Christmas markets start this weekend!! I keep hearing about how wonderful they are, so I'm excited for this. Germans really get into Christmas, which I love!
I could go on; the good in the end, outweighs the bad. Overall, things are going well, we are just waiting to find out our next step (whether Paolo's internship will end in a job). We should know before Christmas, so not too much longer. We're also able to go for two weeks to Italy over the Christmas vacation, so that will be great. If I can't go home, at least I can go to my home away from home.
Hope everyone has a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving. I am thankful for a lot this year, but most of all for the fact that Paolo, Ale, and I are finally all together! Even with the difficulties, it's so much better to be together. Now back to your turkeys and sweet potatoes! And btw, we are celebrating Thanksgiving; just on Saturday, so that everyone will be off of work.
Ciao for now,
Kathleen
