Q&A and Myths

Over the past few months I have received several questions about life here in Germany so I thought I would take a moment to answer some of the most common ones.

1. Do you have a problem communicating with people since they speak German?

Not really. You would be amazed at how many Germans can speak English. Syd's Girl Scout Troop leader is German and she was telling me that in school here they have to take English as a second language starting in the third grade all the way until they graduate. I have learned that if you make an effort to speak some German the Germans are a lot more willing to help you and speak English. You have to at least make an attempt to speak their language. In cases where they don't know English and you can't speak German pointing an smiling gets you very far.

2. Do you live on post?

No, we live off post in government leased housing. There is very little housing on our post. Basically in a nutshell the government has built several housing units off post. We live in a regular German neighborhood. There are a small number of units here (under 10) that house Americans. Everyone who lives around us is German with the exception of the few other American families. We prefer this by far to living on post.

3. Do they drive on the left side of the road? Is it really hard to drive here?

Nope that is England not Germany. They drive on the right side here. It really isn't that bad driving here. At first it is overwhelming but you get use to it pretty quick. Some driving rules are different here then in the states but for the most part it is pretty much all common sense. The only issue I have is some of the smaller towns have really narrow roads and the German drive very aggressive. That can cause for some stress at times.

4. Is there really no speed limits in Germany?

Not true!! Granted most parts of the autobahn don't have speed limits but the traditional back roads and towns have speed limits. The recommended speed limit is 130 kph (roughly 78 mph) but it is only recommended. However, if you get into an accident on the autobahn and were exceeding the recommended speed you insurance company has the right deny your claim.

In town you better go the speed limit too because the Germans are famous for putting up portable speed traps. They are usually green and blend in the with the surroundings. If your speeding no cop pulls you over the box just takes a picture and you receive your ticket in the mail.

5. Since everything is 220 instead of 110 voltage is that really a problem?

Not really. We lucked out with our housing. We have housing that is barely two years old and has dual voltage in the house. We have 110 and 220 outlets. Most housing in Germany has 220 but since we lucked with new housing it really isn't an issue. Also 220 outlets are a lot different then 110 outlets so the kids plugging something in the wrong outlet isn't an issue either.

6. Is it true your gas is rationed?

Yes, it is true. When you register your car your registration also serves as a gas ration card. You are only allotted so many liters per month. If you exceed the limit you are then forced to go off post and buy gas. Gas is extremely expensive off post. The average here is $1.25 a liter versus .76 cents liter on post. It takes roughly 3.3 liters to make a gallon. The gas ration really isn't an issue with us. If we have left over liters for the month we usually buy a few gas coupons just in case one month it is an issue.

Coffee and cigarettes are also rationed. You receive a separate card for those.

7.Is it true everything is closed on Sundays?

YES, that is my biggest gripe about Germany. Everything is closed on Sundays here and everything closes early (around 2 pm) on Saturdays. However, in some of the bigger cities especially tourist ones you will find a few places open. During the week most stores close around 5 or 6. It is very aggravating at first especially coming from the land of 24 hour Wal-Marts but you soon adjust. These rules however don't apply to the commissary or PX on post. They are still open on Sundays.

8. Does the beer man really deliver?

Yes and the beer man is a very nice man. His English is lacking but then again so is my German. He delivers beer, lemonade, tea and so on directly to your house. He is definitely a highlight of Germany.

9. Are the Germans really unfriendly people?

No actually they are very nice. I actually find them to be a lot more helpful and friendlier then Americans. Their whole lifestyle is very laid back (at least here in Bavaria). They are not stressed out crazy machines like we are. The are very polite for the most part. Every now and then you run into one who can't stand Americans but it's just like in the states where you can run into a nasty American. Overall, I find them to be a lot more enjoyable then Americans :)

10. Do the kids go to a German School?

No, they go to school on base. It is a Department of Defense School also known as DODS school. Their school is OK. They definitely are great at helping kids transition into a new school and they even have a class once a week called "Host Nation" where they learn all about German customs and such. However, their academics are less to be desired in my book. Academically they make their last school in Florida look like Harvard. Zac is learning things he learned in Kindergarten. I have been less then impressed with the academics. Also given the war, funding is very tight in the school system right now and unfortunately our children's education is the cost but that is a different topic for a different day.

11. Is all your TV in German?

No, we have 8 AFN (Armed Forces Network) channels. Usually when you live off post you have to buy a special decoder box but since we are in government leased quarters our decoder is built into the basement. You would think it would be hard to get use to only 8 channels after coming from the land of 400 channels but it really isn't that bad.

12. How is Paul's new job?
He loves it but hates it. At least we are getting some much needed down time finally after back to back deployments, schools and exercises. After 15 years of being gone all the time and constantly going it is a much welcomed break. That is the only bright side. It's a fantastic career opportunity for Paul. He will finally have time to go back to college now too and finish his degree. This is fantastic because he will never make CW3 if he doesn't have a college degree. He works pretty regular hours unless there is an exercise going on. That is about all I can say about his job because of OPSEC (operational security).