Cursive Writing for the Win

Jackson is learning cursive!  The kids in Germany learned their printed letters last year in 1st Klasse and as soon as those are done, they start on cursive in 2nd Klasse.  Next year will be fountain pens. No joke.  How cool is that?

There will be no excuse for our little lefties to have bad handwriting in the German school system!

How to Be German. In 50 Easy Steps.

For my fellow expats in Germany (or any of our friends curious about the cultural differences from a comical perspective), I have to recommend these two little books. We stumbled upon these at the local bookstore, and they are hilarious.  

And double fun: they are bilingual - read one direction for English or turn it around for German.

To be clear, they are written very tongue-in-cheek and intended to comically highlight all of the little cultural differences that are so striking when an American (or Brit, such as the author) moves to Germany.  However, the best part for us is that having been here for nearly a year, we can think of personal situations that back up what he describes.

I have to include a short excerpt from How to be German, In 50 Easy Steps. This is the 5th step:

5. Dress Seriously

     Plan made for the day? Insurances in place? Great. Good work! Now it's time to change out of your Schlumperklamotten and head outside to face the day head on. You're going to need to get appropriately dressed. 

     *WARNING! AUSLÄNDER! WARNING!* Outside is this thing called nature. Nature is fickle and not to be trusted! It dances to its own illogical, changeable tune. Best dress on the safe side. You need - expensive outdoor clothing! After all, you're going outdoors, and it's called outdoor clothing, therefore it must be necessary.

     At all times, you should be dressed for a minimum of three seasons. Get some of those funky Jack Wolfskin shrousers: the trousers that zip off into shorts. If there is even the slightest possibility you may at some point leave a pavement, be sure you are wearing high-quality hiking boots. The Germans consider anything else an act of ankle suicide.

Holy cow. Yes. Have I mentioned how many pieces of clothing are required to send my kids to school & kindergarten?  We have the special rain pants (these are like waders that fishermen use in the US, with elastic around the ankles & stirrups on the bottom), a special rain coat (I was told Brandtley's American rain jacket didn't cut it, but Jackson's LL Bean jacket hasn't been rejected), rain boots, house shoes, gym shoes with a special colored sole that makes them ok on the gym floor, gym clothes and a special gym bag to put them in.  All of these are to be left at school and we are supposed to have a 2nd set at home.  In addition to these, they also need running shoes, summer shoes and winter shoes. And this list doesn't even include winter outerwear...you must always be prepared, which is actually discussed in step #2 of the same book: 2. Planning, Preparation, & Process. 😂

I haven't really read much of the 2nd book, but in flipping through, found descriptions for some of the wonderful German descriptive words like:

• Fallschirmjäger - paratrooper (literal translation: falling umbrella hunter)
• Handschühe - mittens/gloves (literal: hand shoes)
• Spaßvogel - joker (literal: fun bird)
• Kopfkino - head cinema. I love this one. It's a literal translation & there's no single English equivalent word for what goes on in your head.

Aren't these great?  

Young Wine & Rainy Days

Yesterday was a downer of a day.  It rained. And rained. There was disobedience (a lot). And bad attitudes on the part of all three of us.

It was day 6 of Matthew's trip, which had closely followed another 5-6 day trip.  We had to run several errands (because it was Saturday and all stores would be closed on Sunday).  I would wait until the sun came out, call the boys to put on their shoes & jackets, and after leaving the house, it would start raining again.

Cue the disobedience during a rare sunny moment (why does the ground not look wet??? 

It rained all day! Maybe there was just a cloud over our house?).

We finished our errands (in the rain).  I've always suspected but it is confirmed that I couldn't live in the Pacific Northwest because I just can't handle all the rain. And right now, coming off of the nice summer weather, it's really disheartening to think of how much rain we'll be getting.

Beethovenfest is going on right now and there are free outdoor concerts in Marktplatz, not far from our house, (in addition to the bigger, indoor, traditional concert venues). I really wanted to go yesterday, but...the rain. And the kids.  Fortunately, this morning has dawned beautiful and clear!  Hallelujah! I think we'll try to go today.

One upside to yesterday, however, was trying something new.  While trying to wait out the rain, I read this article: Here's a German culinary treat you can only enjoy over the next two months.  I realized that yes, in fact, I had seen a few bottles added to the refrigerated cheese area at our neighborhood grocery store, but had never stopped to look at what they were. Since we needed to go to the store anyway, I decided to pick some up.

Matthew got home last night before I went to bed, and we tried it last night.  It is SWEET!  It reminds me of a sweet (nonalcoholic) apple cider, like what you would buy in the U.S. in October, but that has been just sliiiiightly fermented (as if by accident) and is a little fizzy.  It was way too sweet for us but would be fantastic paired with a zweibelkuchen (onion tart) as the article says.  Now to find one of those to complete the pairing.

Neither of us were able to finish our glass (too sweet!) but we both agreed we enjoyed trying it.

We live in a wine region and the months of September-October are full of wine festivals throughout our area. Thus the Federweisser. We just missed this last year, and I've heard so many great things.  The festivals sound absolutely magical and beautiful (vineyards on hillsides, night harvests, parades through quaint towns, and there might even be a "wine fountain"???). Between birthday parties and back-to-school and trips (both fun & Matthew's job), we haven't made it to one yet. Hopefully soon!!  And hopefully we can also find some onion tarts!!  I'm imagining a great weekly activity...hunting for wine fountains and zweibelkuchen!

One other interesting picture from yesterday...I saw this at the store yesterday for the first time. Apparently it's similar to broccoli, but pointy like little Christmas trees.  Has anyone tried it?  I'm going to need to get some & figure out what to do with it.

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Ich lade dich ein!

Jackson has received his third invitation to a German birthday party!  He's thrilled, and I am just as excited for him! It's great to see him making friends and also to get another glimpse into German culture.

From what we've seen, birthdays are celebrated very similarly as they are in the US. Kids bring cupcakes, apfelschorle, and goodies to school on their special day and have a birthday party.  Sometimes an all day party!  And not all of the kids in the class are invited, so it's extra-special that he has been invited to 3.

I heard that the traditional rule of thumb is to invite only as many kids as the age the child is turning. So, if he's turning 8, he would invite 8 kids.  However, this isn't always followed.  He's been to parties ranging from 7-15 kids.

At Jackson's age, the kids are dropped off and the parents come back to get them at the specified time.  With each of the ones he's gone to, we drop him off at the birthday-child's home, the parents then take the kids somewhere, and we pick him back up at the home (or in one case, they dropped him off at our house on their way back).

The first was an all-day party at a play-land about 45 minutes away. (Unfortunately Jackson got carsick & nearly threw up in their car, which made me feel awful. But he got to ride in a convertible with the top down on the way back!)

The next party was technically set for 3 hours but the family threw a bbq in their backyard afterwards and invited families to stay.  During their 3 hours, the kids all walked together to a local ice cream shop and a play ground where they played some organized games.

The next one will be next Tuesday afternoon and will be a Treasure hunt!  According to the invitation, it's ok if it rains...just bring your rain clothes!

The one on the right is such a cute handmade invitation with a minion on it!

I'm taking notes since Jackson's birthday is only 7 weeks away!  I have no idea what we will do...I'd love it if he would choose a trip instead of a party, but I'm getting the impression he'll want a party with all of his new friends!  

Dentists, Doctors, and School Schedules

As I write this, my mouth is still numb, and I'm still slightly in shock mentally too from getting an immediate filling at the dentist this morning.  I'd really like a cup of coffee, but I'm having trouble not drooling, so that will have to wait.  Maybe it will wear off by the time I finish typing. I hope. At least I've learned that when scheduling dentist appointments here, I should leave enough time for coffee beforehand instead of going immediately after school drop-off!!

As this is the first full week of school for both kids and all back-to-school parties are completed, I took this week to catch up on doctor and dentist appointments for myself.  I've taken the kids to several pediatric visits, but have put off my own care, so this was my first time in Germany.  Might as well get it all done at once!  And the dentist seemed to share that opinion.

I went in this morning, filled out new patient paperwork, and was taken back to the exam room where I shook hands with the dentist. He asked me if I had any complaints about my teeth so I told him one was sensitive. As soon as I sat down, he looked at that tooth first, immediately said yes, I had big caries and needed immediate attention. He turned around and when he turned back, he had a syringe in his hand and told me that I could reschedule the cleaning for next week. 45 minutes later, I walked out with a droopy mouth and a new filling (or two...not sure). Wow. Not what I expected, but I'm really pleased to have it taken care of.

Yesterday, I went to my first OB/GYN appointment for a routine well-woman exam.  I think this is the prettiest doctor's office I've ever been in! It's an old house on a residential street.  The pics don't do it justice.

I enjoyed getting to read (look at) German magazines since I don't usually buy them. Princess Diana, and now Kate, are the Queens of Hearts here too. :)  

The kids' play area in the waiting room at the doctor's office. No pictures of the dentist's office - I was a little distracted, and it just looked like any other dentist office.

Nothing very surprising happened here (thankfully!) other than getting a routine ultrasound along with the other tests that are performed in the US.  I mentioned to the doctor that I had never had an ultrasound when not pregnant, and she commented that it is important to look since there can be problems not felt or seen from the outside. Makes perfect sense and is so practical (of course).

I was impressed with the attention I received both at the doctor and dentist - neither seemed rushed and both gave me their full attention to discuss my needs. The doctor gave me her email address, saying she takes patients' emails whenever they have a concern or question and to feel free to email her.

Both kids are enjoying school and are happy to be back. Brandtley finally has a new best friend, named Moritz, so we're working on coordinating a time for them to play. Jackson stays at school until 4:30pm now in the after-school program where he eats lunch, does homework, and plays. He loves it. I love hearing about what he eats for lunch. Things like a pancake and apple salad.

Here is his new classroom schedule. Gottesdienst is their church service which is every other week. The X's indicate teaching the "normal" curriculum (math, writing, etc) by his normal teacher. And Jackson voluntarily signed up for Choir during 5th period on Fridays.

Brandtley got a new raincoat which he loves. It's made by Lego. Who knew they made rain gear?

Being silly at Jackson's school while we waited for him to finish & come outside.

A child's entrance to First Grade is a big deal here.  There are celebrations at the school and the child receives a Schultüte.  Since Jackson missed the first day last year (and knowing Brandtley would get a schultüte next year), we gave Jackson one for the first day of school this year.  The 1st Klasse at his school also had an all-day celebration with their parents & extended family on their first day, which the 2nd Klasse parents host, so I spent last Thursday helping with that at the school. We served homemade baked goods, coffee, and apfelschorle (sparkling apple juice), and I got a chance to see what we'll get to do with Brandtley next year.

Jackson digging into his Schultüte before school. He was so surprised! 

He really had no idea he would get one!

Summer Time Fun

Hi there! It's been awhile, so let's chat and catch up...

Jackson is FINALLY out of school! German schools in our region run until mid-June and then he gets a 6.5 week break until the beginning of September.  His first day back will actually be August 30, but it's pretty much just a party day. 

First day of 1st Grade in Atlanta and Last Day of 1st Klasse in Germany

Brandtley just started kindergarten at the beginning of June. (For those not in Germany: kindergarten is all of preschool starting at age 3, though some also have programs for children starting as young as 18 months).  And he loves it!  He's such a happier kid when he can go to school and he's starting to pick up some German phrases too! (I posted here about some of his first phrases)

Since he had taken such a lonnnnng break as we waited and since Matthew was working most of July, Brandtley has continued to go to "school" even though Jackson is out.  This has been a really nice change to get to spend some one-on-one time with just Jackson, which hasn't really happened much since Brandtley was born!  His school will close at the end of this week for the rest of August.

Also, bonus for us = the spontaneity of eating whatever we want! 

We love Fleischkäse

And also the awesome sausages you can find everywhere!

Both boys had an end of the year church service.  Brandtley's service was at a Lutheran church and was in celebration of the retirement of the Kindergarten's director.  Jackson's was at the Catholic church next to his school and was a send-off for the 4th graders. They were both very sweet. And both included the singing of this lovely song by the children which all of the parents seemed to know too. (Note: I looked up the song on youtube since I wanted to find the words and this link is not from either of the kids' services). The chorus ends with the line "Und bis wir uns wiedersehen halte Gott dich fest in seiner Hand." / And until we meet again, may God keep you firmly in his hand. 

Brandtley lining up to sing with his class

Jackson's church

Brandtley's class singing 

Other than that, we've taken some great bike rides along the Rhein, we've continued to enjoy the street musicians of Bonn, Jackson pulled his 3rd AND 4th teeth on his own, we got library cards, I've continued going to Deutsch lessons, and I've also been driving with an instructor. 

Such a beautiful view - there's a bike/walking path all along the Rhein.  This is several km south of Bonn

I want Jackson to read this! So far, he's devouring English books but his German reading isn't at the same level quite yet to allow him to really enjoy the story.

The boys called this their taxi!

The car I get to drive. It has the instructor pedals & everything. :) 

So far the driving is going well. I've had 2 lessons.  The first for country driving, the 2nd for city driving. I've heard that I'll also need to be signed off on the autobahn & night driving before I can take the test. While I'd rather not put in so much time, it really has been helpful.  There are a lot of road rules not included in the written test. Plus, my instructor doesn't speak much English, so I'm considering it an extra German lesson each week. He's willing to meet me halfway, though, and we're both learning dozens of new words.  The one I hear most often is "Schulterblick! Schulterblick, da!" as he's reminding me to look over my shoulder alllll the way (which indeed is very important so that I don't hit a cyclist).

I can tell the instructor isn't worried about my actual driving ability, but during the city driving, he would sometimes get concerned and say "WHY would you DO that??" To which I had no idea what I had done.  He finally had me pull over into a bus pick-up to pull out some diagrams of the road.  My problem is mostly that in order to pass the test, there is a very specific order in which I must perform a turn - showing visibly that i have looked in the rearview & side mirrors BEFORE turning on my signal, then very clearly demonstrating my Schulterblick, which may or may not need to include both shoulders depending on the structure of the intersection.  An extra Schulterblick is viewed as wasteful, though, and should not be done since other drivers would not be expecting me to pause for this unnecessary step. There is a general understanding here that if everyone knows and follows the rules correctly, then everything will work smoothly and efficiently.

[Also, it is incomprehensible that one could safely turn right on red in the States.  That is SO DANGEROUS!] 

By the end of the city lesson which lasted 2 hours, between remembering the rules and trying to communicate in German, my brain was wiped out. And then as I became more cautious, I was also told "Joanna, don't be FEARFUL when you drive. Why are you fearful?"  So there's that too.  😂 

Now I must go. Jackson & I are walking to the store to pick out all of his school supplies for next year, along with a stop at the library for more books and maybe a coffee or croissant. We hope to travel as much as possible during the month of August while school is out, so we're getting a head start on preparing for back to school in a few weeks. 

German Phrases of a 5 Year Old

I've mentioned before how Jackson & I are learning German differently and that our vocabularies don't always overlap. For example, he doesn't have the vocabulary to order meat at the butcher or make an appointment. And while I might have these words, I usually don't use them correctly grammaticallly. However, he is by far more conversational & can produce thoughts more quickly. I've noticed that he is simply speaking and usually does not translate what he intends to say from English, which I envy. He has a harder time drafting a sentence to express something that he may not have heard before.

His is a more natural learning of speech as a child. However, since he was already 7 with a large vocabulary when he was thrown into a new language in a school environment, he still is making the mental match of the correlating each word as he learns it and can provide a translation of a word when asked.

Now we have added a third tier as Brandtley has started kindergarten.  And his learning is so different from both mine and Jackson's. He doesn't seem to try to understand specific words, but occasionally an entire phrase will pop out of his mouth and surprise us all. (Even if he can't tell you exactly what it means in English!)

It's really amusing to me to hear what these phrases are since he's obviously reflecting what he's hearing repeatedly. He is becoming familiar with ALOT of commands!  So, I thought it would be fun to keep a running list of his first phrases (while I can still count them and before he actually begins speaking).

Note: These aren't necessarily grammatically correct. They are how he repeats them.

1. "Geh zu Toilette!" Go to the bathroom!  (Now when we jumps off the couch to go potty, he will command himself to go in German instead of just commenting on where he is going)
2. "Du kannst nicht mit das spielen!"  You cannot play with that! ( I think he hears this from teaches when he tries to play with something off limits, but he now uses it with his brother!)
3. "Das is gefährlich!" and "Das is sehr gefährlich!" That is dangerous and That is very dangerous! ( I think he must hear this a lot!
4. Gabel, Messer, Stuhl - fork, knife, chair. (I'm guessing he's picking up on what he's being instructed to do with each of these.)
5. liebe kleine Schmetterling - "dear little butterfly" - I think this is from a poem, book, or song that they repeat??? I have no clue, but he says it in this cute little singsong voice :)

Update: Last night as I was cooking dinner, Brandtley asked me "Mommy, what does langsam mean?"
Me: It means slowly. Why, did you hear someone say it?
Brandtley: Oh yeah! My teachers say it to me ALL the time!
(I bet!)

Driving Update

I passed my written test!!  This is a huge accomplishment and puts me one step closer to getting my license.

This license is turning out to be the longest (and most expensive) license I've ever gotten. and I've had 5.  I'll admit that I've not been the speediest at pursuing it, partially due to circumstances (needing Matthew to be in town for certain parts, not taking the kids with me, the opening hours/availability of the driving school, courses, government entities, etc) and some due to my general dragging of feet.  I've listed the requirements at the end of this post below.

I guess, all in all, if I had really hurried and avoided any failures, the quickest the entire process could be completed is 9-10 weeks.  I started the process in April and probably have another 4 weeks now at the very minimum. At least now that Brandtley is in Kindergarten and I can complete #8-10 on my own, I can hopefully move forward more quickly. Now that I've made it this far, I'm determined to finish.

Also, each of these items have a cost. I haven't added them all up...I don't really want to. But I've invested enough time and money (and also own a car in my name that I'm not currently driving) to get it done.

Interesting side note: I've seen estimates of €1,500- 2,000+ for a not-previously licensed beginner to obtain a license, including the full course of instruction in the car.  So, getting a license here is a really big deal. The majority of this cost is obviously for the private instruction, for which I've only paid €93...so far.

Also side note: the TÜV is where the German license testing both written & practical, occurs. Similar to the DMV but without the paperwork/documentation portion. And much cleaner. TÜV (pronounced like "toorf"to english ears) stands for Technischer Überwachungsverein, English translation: Technical Inspection Association.  While in a part of town that would not be uncommon for the DMV, it was extremely clean and reminded me of an upscale auto-workshop with a garage in the back and a waiting room in the front next to the testing room.  I actually took a picture to show Matthew as I waited. You first pay for your test, then take a number & wait for your turn to enter the testing room where there are 13 computers. Other than waiting for the testing room availability, there are no lines. And it was an overall pleasant, if slightly confusing, experience as I deciphered the signs to figure out the process.

 

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Steps to getting my German Driver's License:

As a recap, only certain states in the US have complete reciprocity with Germany, and the lucky holders of licenses from these states simply fill out the paperwork, make an appointment, and exchange their US driver's license for a German one. Some states have partial reciprocity and only the written test is required. And then others, like Georgia, have nothing. We are among the unfortunate ones who must complete the entire process (though hopefully with a shorter instruction period since we've driven for nearly 20 years each and have already put in many many many practice hours behind a wheel over those 20 years).

So far, I have made it to step 7 of the following (which must be completed in order and you cannot move forward without proof of completion of the prior):

1. Get a certified translation of our US licenses by ADAC. 2 week turnaround. €55 per license.

2. Select a nearby driving school and go there to register as a student. Purchase the study material for the written test at this time. (The driving school also provides info on the location, schedules, & registration of the safety courses needed for step 3).

3. Attend a Safety and First aid course.  7-8 hours in a classroom. All in German. Not fun, but not hard. (I've heard the nearby town of Siegburg has a course in English but you need to register & you might not be able to complete it as quickly due to availability)

4. Vision exam. Fairly standard.

5. Photo taken. Also not hard. Some safety courses will provide the vision test & photo on the day of the course.

6. Appointment at the Stadthaus to register for our intention to obtain a license and provide proof of items 1-5. Then wait a few weeks to get letters from the "TÜV" (pronounced like "toof") that we may proceed with our intention to test for the license. Begin studying for the written test during this time.

7. Once letters have been received and you feel you are ready, it's time for the written test. Our driving school required that we pass it with them first before they would approve us to take it at the TÜV.  (They're responsible for only sending on prepared students or lack of preparation would reflect poorly on them & call into question the quality of their instruction.  Makes sense, but that meant we have to pass the written test twice.) I passed at the school, and they handed me documentation to take with me to the TÜV, along with a list of TÜV locations with their hours. (I don't know if the partial-reciprocity individuals have to take it first at a school or if this is because we're "all in").

Y'all. This test. There is a question bank of over a 1000 questions and only 30 will be on the test. But you can only miss 3 and still pass, so you must be prepared for all of them. Some questions are hard/technical. Some are well worth knowing if you'll be driving here: things like street sign meanings, and priority/right of way rules which are different than in the US.  And some are just common sense if you've driven before.

Thankfully, we can take it in English. However, the English translation is just different enough that you really do need to review all of the questions. For example, I would think that "pavement" is what you drive on. But no, the "pavement" is either the side of the road or sidewalk. Not where the car drives.  So, parking on the pavement and letting pedestrians out on the pavement creates a different situation (and answer) based on the meaning of this word.  And some words I still don't know the meaning of - like what in the world is a Sunken Kerbstone??

8. Drive with an Instructor. The driving school did not allow me to schedule instruction time until I brought proof that I had passed the written test at the TÜV, which I guess demonstrates sufficient knowledge of the rules.  The instructor will evaluate my driving and decide if I can proceed to take the practical test at the TÜV.  If not, I will be required to practice with him for however long that takes. If I did not have a prior license, I would be required to complete something like 20+ hours in the car with an instructor, so at least I'm hopeful to avoid that!

Also - important timeline info that I found out yesterday when registering for instruction - my instructor will contact me in the next 2 days to schedule our first session. Once he approves me to take the test, whenever that is, there is a 3 WEEK delay before I can actually take it at the TÜV.

9. Practical Test at the TÜV. I've been told that it's common for Americans to fail this at least once. It will all be in German, and I am not allowed to bring a translator. And of course, I will be taking it in a manual transmission car. So I'm fully expecting to fail. I don't know if this makes me more or less nervous.

If I fail, I must wait 2 weeks before trying again.  I'm unsure if I'm required to go back to the driving school before the next try. If I fail 3 times, then I must wait 3 months before the 4th try.

10. If I ever pass the practical test, then the final step will be to make an appointment to go back to the Stadthaus to exchange my US license for my new and very precious German license.

I wear my sunglasses at night...

I've mentioned the length (or lack thereof in winter) of the days here before, but it still just amazes me. When we moved here, I did not expect the constant gray and darkness of winter, or conversely the constant brightness of summer.  We still marvel on a regular basis at how bright it stays well into the evening. Despite having to convince the boys that yes, it really is bedtime despite the sun looking like it's 4:30 pm at 8pm, we've been enjoying the long evenings when we can sit outside after dinner, or long after putting the kids to bed.

A few days ago was the summer solstice, so out of curiosity, I looked up the sunrise and sunset times. Technically, sunset was at 9:48pm. However because of our location, it takes the sun a LONG time to fully disappear behind the horizon.

Here is what our street looked like at "sunset" at 9:48pm:

And here it is at 10:30pm. Streetlights on, but you can still clearly see down the street. Lots of light.

When I went to bed at 11:15pm, it was fairly dark but I could still see the light from the sunset at the edges of the sky.

Sunrise is technically at 5:18am, but like the long sunset, when Matthew left the other day at 4am, it was already getting light.  I've been surprised by how much I've enjoyed the long days, especially when the weather is clear and beautiful, which it has been a lot lately.

It's just recently started getting "hot".  This week we had several days with temps in the 90s (F), one of which hit 98℉. This has been a sweaty week since I've been doing double drop-offs & pick ups of both boys at school while Matthew's been working.  I'm estimating that I cycle a minimum of 8km on those days, plus a few km of walking to any errands I need to take care of...to go shopping, see friends, or Deutsch class.  Needless to say, my water intake has gone up ALOT, I'm getting the first tan I've had in years, and I'm sleeping great despite the sunlight!

Also, it's important to know that there is no air conditioning here. Most of the time it's not really needed. Even when the temps get hot, it's usually only for a short time and a few days later it's back in the 60s-70s. Plus, Europeans seem to be adamantly opposed to it: central air-conditioning spreads germs, allergens, harbors mold and is not energy efficient. BUT you can purchase a small, room air conditioner on Amazon. I've held that knowledge in the back of my mind as the temps start to heat up.

Our house has held up surprisingly well, so far, though. I don't know if it's the age of the house with its 2-3 ft thick stone & concrete walls, that it was built with the intention to stay cool, but we've guessed that the interior temperature has stayed in the mid 70s even on the hottest days. It has actually felt cooler on a 98℉ day here than our house in Atlanta did WITH air conditioning. Those awesome automatic exterior shades really help, too. Our windows only get about 2-3 hours of direct, hot sunlight each day (by design??) and so, we lower the shades during that time.

Growing up in the Southeastern US, it was common to see/tour old antebellum houses that had a central hallway. I remember the tour guide always pointed out during the tour that the doors on either end of the hallway could be opened in the summer time for a breeze.  I used to think that this was evidence that they were really desperate for air conditioning, but can now vouch for the design's effectiveness. It's pretty common most days to find our house open like this with a breeze flowing through the middle:

I'll keep you posted as to whether we break down and order an air conditioner.  I think we'll be getting a fan for the bedroom soon, for some airflow at night.  After all, it's still only June and we have to make it through August. :)

EDIT: After posting, I realized it's not actually correct to say "NO air-conditioning". Grocery stores have air conditioning, as well as the commercial shops downtown. But I am not aware of any houses having it.  Even the largest office building uses water from the river pushed through pipes in the center of the building to cool it.

Hunting for Coffee?

Thursday was another holiday for Germany, so the kids were out of school and most shops were closed. However, many cafes in Köln were open, including a coffee rösterei that we've been wanting to try in our ongoing search for coffee.  So, the four of us took an impromptu trip north to Köln for coffee, brunch, and a stroll through the Belgische Viertel for ice cream.

As our resident coffee snob expert, Matthew has kept a running tally of the coffee we've tried, and I've asked him to share in case anyone else could use some coffee info around here. From his list, we buy #4 most frequently, since it's the most convenient (I go to the grocery store nearly daily). It's the best we've found at the grocery so far.

[Also, we highly recommend Cafe Bauturm in the Belgische Viertel on Aachenerstr.  The Käsespätzle was amazing as well as Matthew's bio burger which was huge. Jackson got a large, fluffy banana pancake with chocolate sauce and was not disappointed either.]

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On the hunt for good coffee

During our brief tenure here in Europe, we continually have occasions where we find that some long-held perception is unhinged or contradicted.  My internal perception/value system for what good coffee has been completely associated with U.S. available roasters and I have struggled with finding beans that I like here.  Now that I am unable to rely on a trip to one of my favorite roasters in Atlanta,  I have been on a months-long search for good coffee to make in our home.

To add some complication to my quest, it's worth acknowledging that Europe is primarily geared toward an espresso culture.  Said another way: if coffee is served anywhere, it's an espresso based beverage.  Are you at a restaurant?  Don't bother asking for a cup of coffee - order an espresso or latte machiatto instead.  Still want one?  Make sure you ask for a café Americano.   In Germany, you can get a cup of coffee at some cafés but you have to order it as a Filterkaffee (filter coffee).

While I'm willing to forego my filterkaffee when I'm out and about, that doesn't change my desire to having brewed coffee in my own home.

Arabica vs. Robusta

When buying beans in the U.S - most higher end roasters only sell 100% Arabica beans.  I reached out to one of my favorite roasters (RevCoffee in Smyrna) and while they don't advertise 100% Arabica, they confirmed it to me this afternoon.  Another species of coffee, Robusta, is generally used for lower end coffee (think instant coffee and Folgers).  There is a lively debate on the Robusta vs. Arabica issue that you can read about from the Atlantic here.

However, some espresso connoisseurs place a high value on Robusta blends for the better crema texture that the species lends.  Crema is the froth that sits on top of a shot of espresso and can dramatically affect flavor and finish.  We witnessed this fact today by tasting a few Robusta espressi today at Moxxa Coffee in Cologne.

The Moxxa barista took great care in telling us that it was appropriate to stir in the crema to sufficiently mix it in with the shot.  I can say that it was good, albeit a different experience from most espresso that I have tried.  Moxxa's philosophy is that predominantly Robusta proportioned coffees can be used for espresso and Arabica blends are appropriate for filter/pourover/etc.  Other roasters strongly believe that the bean species (read: Arabica) is paramount to crema and therefore only 100% Arabica should be used for espresso.

In My Cabinet

My cabinet is full. of. coffee. 

Here's the list of what I've purchased locally (that we like):

1. Kurt - Der Kaffeeröster
Link: http://www.kurt-kaffee.de
Found at their café here: Clemens-August-Str.55 Bonn, Germany 53115

2. Einbrand
Link: http://www.einbrand.com/einbrand_Kaffeerosterei_Bonn___Koln.html
Found at this Edeka market: https://goo.gl/maps/cFzgAvmswhS2

3. The Barn - Berlin
Link: https://thebarn.de
Found at the Black Coffee Pharmacy in Bonn: https://goo.gl/maps/aVdw6WX5iB92

4. Gepa
Link: http://www.gepa.de/produkte/kaffee-tee/kaffee.html
Found at any Edeka

5. Moxxa Ethiopia Sidamo
Link: http://www.moxxacaffe.de/Startseite
Found here in Cologne near the Belgian Quarter (Belgische Viertel)

I tried only the 100% Arabica offerings from each brand and while taste is subjective, I preferred The Barn and Gepa most.   

I noticed that The Barn offers subscriptions - the first service of its kind that I've found here.  We picked up one of my favorites, and Ethiopia Sidamo from Moxxa yesterday and I'm anxious to try it.

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U.S. roasters I like:

Counter Culture Coffee

Blue Bottle - Online

Rev Coffee Roasters - Smyrna, GA

Almost forgot:
Octane Coffee

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No big deal, Mom

This kid. Y'all. I have to take a moment to brag on him.  Every time I get to hear him speak German, I'm impressed. But this morning was exceptional.

Back story: several weeks ago, he lost his keys to his bike lock.  I have the spare key on my keyring, so, while inconvenient, the loss wasn't the end of the world. (However, at least once, Matthew showed up at school to pick Jackson up, realized that he had taken the wrong keys, and had to come all the way home to get my keys in order for Jackson to unlock his bike. Really inconvenient.) 

Jackson knew he had lost the keys while riding his bike, but we had no idea where. After looking for a few weeks, we chalked them up to lost forever.

Fast forward to this morning as we are dropping Brandtley off for his first day of kindergarten.  While I am helping Brandtley to put away all of his new kindergarten gear (lunch, water bottle, backpack, shoes, house shoes, rain boots, rain pants, sport clothes, and jacket), I'm vaguely aware of Jackson having a conversation in German with one of Brandtley's teachers.  The teacher turns to me and asks me something about keys in German.  I nod, but am only half focusing...not paying attention enough to catch the full translation and meaning.  A minute later, Jackson & the teacher walk down the hall and return with his lost keys!! 

Jackson very simply and quickly made small talk which led him to a conversation that expressed his loss of keys and then discovered that the kindergarten had found his keys outside on the sidewalk after we last visited!  To me, this entire conversation is huge. So much information. Shared so naturally. So easily. To him, it was nothing. 

I recently made a phone call to the US and purchased (in English!!) a gift using my credit card. The whole call took maybe 3 minutes, but I hung up amazed at the ease of the sheer volume of data I had successfully conveyed so quickly, accomplishing a very simple task that would have been so complex and taken so much longer in German.  My mind was overwhelmed at how effortless life in my native language can be and how accustomed I've grown to the daily effort of trying to communicate (or trying to avoid communication) otherwise.

I love that Jackson has no idea why I was so impressed this morning. I love that he is already internalizing a second language. As the frustration is about to start fresh for Brandtley as he enters daily German kindergarten, it is so encouraging and rewarding to see the fruits of Jackson's effort and the skills he is already gaining.  I am so appreciative of the little moments of success that show us the progress we've made.  

Gardening in Europe

Our house came with a little backyard which we have exclusive access to, since we occupy the lower 2 floors of the house. We love it. It's private and the kids can go outside to play any time. 

However, with exclusive access comes the responsibility for yard upkeep. Which isn't our strong suit. In fact, we really dislike yard work.  

This wasn't a problem in the winter.  We moved into the house in November after the weather had turned cold and the grass didn't start growing until recently.  And with all of the rain that we get, it's grown long quickly.  

The yard really isn't big enough to need a mower, so we'll probably end up using a weed eater. In the meantime, though, the house came with a SCYTHE! A what? Oh you know, just one of those sharp blades that you swing at the grass to cut it by hand. Doesn't the grim reaper hold a scythe too? I can't remember, but I am pretty sure he holds a sharp blade. 

Yes, that thing came with the yard.  As if we would know what to do with it.

This was the first time I had ever seen one in person and really had no intention of using it. But the kids were bored (don't so many adventures start with that?) and since the yard is starting to look pretty bad, I decided to try it out with them and document our efforts. 

[Can you tell Matthew's been gone a lot lately??]

Just me & my scythe.  Note the long grass.

You're supposed to swing it, right?  Nope! According to the youtube video instructions I found, this is not the way to cut your grass.

Jackson demonstrates correct usage. He was actually much better at it than I was. Maybe due to his angle?

Our scythe is not very sharp, so it really didn't do much other than flatten the grass.

Brandtley tries his hand.  Kindof hard when the thing is so much bigger than you are. He resorted to just dragging it behind him as he walked around the yard. 

(The kid was feeling very European today and dressed himself in his skinny gray jeans paired with a gray shirt.)

Ultimately, our grass is no shorter. Some patches were pulled out in the process. And it was well flattened.  

But! I have found a solution for the weeds growing through our paver stone patio! While walking through the botanical gardens with a friend, we saw a man igniting what appeared to be a lawn mower with a propane tank strapped on. Intrigued, we stopped to watch and take pictures. He found this really weird, but it's completely normal to want to take pics when you see a man lighting what appears to be a jet-propelled lawn mower, right?

Turns out, there were little flames under the front hood which burn all of the weeds & debris on the gravel path as he pushed it.  Much more effective than weed killer and more environmentally friendly.  Do they have these in the US??  (It's very possible that these are prolific and you each own one and I have just missed them due to lack of interest in anything yard-work related). 

Can I get the kids one of these for Christmas?? 

Köln: City Shopping Trip

Last weekend, the kids and I spent Saturday exploring the shopping in Köln (Cologne), which is the larger city just north of Bonn.  Cologne has a trendy area with a bunch of cute shops, coffee roasters, and cafes. It was very hipster and reminded me of midtown Atlanta but with a European setting and a foreign language. :)

In case anyone is interested in the places we found, I took some pictures (mostly of furniture since we were furniture shopping. We're still filling in our place here.). The belgisches Viertel (Belgian Quarter) is full of independent, quaint places, and yummy food.  I plan to come back for brunch someday. 

How We Live is a cute shop just south of the belgisches Viertel.  They have some rugs, side tables, knickknacks, and such. It's so cute.  I wish it were down the street from me so that I could wander in just to browse whenever I feel like it.

ROOMS Cologne - has tables & chairs.  Didn't have anything we were looking for, so no pictures. But that entire street has furniture stores on it (mostly modern design). Hohenstaufenring 48.

The Flying Fawn on Aachener Str. is full of fun home decor & cute stuff. Also, Aachener str is full of restaurants and shops I want to explore.

We stopped for lunch at a very hipster little burger bar which offers gluten free buns. It was awesome.  What was not awesome was Brandtley climbing into Jackson's chair as we were getting ready to leave and taking a bite of Jackson's gluten-full burger & bun. We spent all of Sunday at home making frequent trips to the bathroom. I could have strangled him, but am hoping that the natural consequences of his actions have been punishment enough. Thankfully the bathroom necessity didn't start until after we got home later that afternoon, but his tummy started hurting within an hour.

Hipster German cashier complete with man bun and fedora and a snooty hipster attitude. We felt right at home.

(Note: this place doesn't have much seating. There are 3 tables outside & 1 inside which were all full, so we sat at the bar.  There are a few standing tables too, but those would have been way too tall for the kids.) 

My burger with goat cheese, bacon, and apple slaw.

Really great sodas. A German friend explained to me that the lemonade "Kölsches Wasser" is made in Köln and the name is a joke. There is a very famous perfume that has been made in Köln for many many years (the German version of Channel No.5) named Kölnisch Wasser.  This is a play off of that name and ridiculing the perfume's exclusive reputation.

After lunch, we ventured out of the belgisches Viertel to several warehouse-style furniture shops in random places around town.  These are the coolest places that I keep finding around here. They are independent shops who find, (sometimes) restore, and re-sell vintage furniture. Often industrial or shabby-chic or rustic. You never know what you'll find. Which is the fun of it. And can also be disappointing if you're looking for something specific.

Here are some of my favorites that we've found:

Rarehouse - (Ernst-Heinrich-Geist-Sr 12) These are the people who furnished the big Burrito Rico locations  (the one on Aachener Str in Köln & the one in downtown Bonn).  I talked with the owner for a while, who was very nice & friendly, and she also recommended the shop Schee.  Schee has a location in Düsseldorf with reclaimed furniture (which I plan to visit) and a location in Köln with decor.  

Rarehouse is pretty large, with a lot of pieces.  Their website has pictures of the interior showing how large it is.

Geliebte Möbel (translated: Beloved Furniture)  - This place had a much smaller selection than Rarehouse but more refined, less rustic pieces. I didn't check any prices, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were on the high end.

Exquisit - really cool stuff, some is pricey. These photos were taken a few months ago when we first visited. By the way, all of these warehouse places are unheated in the winter and are FREEZING!

 Kultliving - Not really a warehouse like the others since their furniture is all new. But similar eclectic styles. They have a warehouse location in Bergisch Gladbach and a new concept store in the southern part of Cologne.

I have a whole Pinterest page of other places I want to visit, but a few of my top picks are GrünBlauGrau (looks like a fun decor shop similar to How We Live), Waage Vier, Schee, and Mill - Vintage & Interior.

One funny story from our day...

We took the long train back to Bonn because it was more convenient than making a connection.  During our trip, one lady near us enjoyed watching the boys play and spoke to them in perfect English. She had a suitcase and full shopping bag with her, which is not uncommon on trains, and I didn't realize until near the end of the ride that she was a bag lady.  However, she clearly enjoyed speaking with us and before she got off the train, she pulled a tract out of her bag and offered it to me,  telling me that I might enjoy reading something in English.  She clearly doesn't read English as well as she speaks!  Here is what she handed me:

So there's that. And now I have the suicide hotline number. :) 

Tschüss!