Category: Culture
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German Schools: Arrrrgggh!
Well where to start on this contentious topic? Having come from the progressive education system in Australia and taking it for granted I have found German schools not wholly to my liking. Why you may ask? The first surprise: school is only a half day, starting at roughly 8 o’clock and finishing somewhere between 11:30am…
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The Girls
MaraMara was quite keen to come to Germany and, even though she has had her own challenges, seems to be generally happy about life. Her biggest trial to date seems to have been the teaching style and personality of her teacher. She is still enjoying school but, with the language and cultural barrier, initially found…
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The Boys
JoshuaJoshua is now attending high school. They have a few different kinds of high schools here depending on your academic level and expected job vocation. Those hoping to advance to a university education generally attend a ‘gymnasium’ (pronounced GIM-narz-i-oom, with the ‘oo’ as in an Australian-pronounced ‘book’), with those going on to further education (technical…
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Ich habe fünf kinder!
This is a phrase I learnt early (in English it’s “I have five children.”). It was worth learning quickly to be able to see the whites of the local’s eyes grow as they realise. Usually their numbering system for children stops around three with two being the most common numeral. But they are very generous…
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The People Truck
Or as they call them over here FolksWagon. While another Mercedes would have been nice (and there are plenty of affordable ones) we just couldn’t manage to find one that would fit the family and the budget. The overall price wasn’t so important — since we think the vehicle will have little or no capital…
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Residency!
Well finally Gaynor’s long suffering (as a British-born lass) has brought us a boon. After pressing the point with my employer — and seeking a second and third opinion — I was told that it would be no problem for Gaynor and the children, as EU citizens, to register their residency in Germany. Actually this…
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Zu Kaufen und Essen (To Shop and Eat)
Since we don’t have a car, shopping is not quite what I am used to. But even if we did have one, there are still a few things that are not quite what I am used to. Things like: Most supermarkets are discount supermarkets (like Aldi) and have a smaller range of products but at…
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Frühling has Sprung
Growing up in Brisbane I didn’t understand a lot of things. I didn’t understand why Christmas decorations and some traditions centred on snow and winter. Oh I accepted it — most children do when it comes with perverse amounts of sugar and receiving free toys — but I never really understood it. Similarly, I never…
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Customary Customs
We received a fax the other day from the German moving company who will be taking our household goods from the port in Hamburg (where the ship arrives about the 2nd of April) to the house in Jülich. A standard sort of letter asking for documents that will be required for our things to clear…
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Karneval!
The first weekend we were here was Karneval, one of the bigger festivals in this part of the world. They had parades in different cities on different days, so you could go on a parade-crawl if you wanted, though not many seemed to do this. There was even a parade which came through our small…