(Not so) culture shocked

So, you want to know what’s going on in Chemnitz? Well, I'm glad you asked…

I don’t think I mentioned it in my post last week, but the weather definitely took a turn for the wurst, I mean worst last week. (Not really – I just wanted an excuse to use that CORNY joke! It’s the simple things, really…) It really just got cooler (and a little wetter) last week. The temperatures had been in the 80’s since I got to Chemnitz, with just one rainy day till last Monday (9/12). Then the temperatures plummeted to the 50’s, with rain for three days or so last week. Things have cleared up (get it, cleared up?!), and it’s warmed up to the mid-60’s this week, with the forecast looking good for the weekend – a high of 21 degrees is predicted for the next three days, so it’ll be a nice weekend. Oh, you don’t know Celsius yet? You crazy Americans! That’s 70 degrees for those of you who can’t (or, more likely, choose not to) multiply by 9/5 and add 32. [21 degrees C actually converts to 69.8 degrees F for those of you, ahem, mechanical engineers out there who like their decimals.]

What else (besides the weather) is different about Chemnitz? Now that you mention it…

Well, for one thing, I’m a little thrown off when I see kids – yes, I said kids – of about 15 drinking Bier out on the street in broad daylight. I mean, they can’t even drive yet (you have to be 18 to drive) which is good, I suppose. Sometimes I want to walk up to them and ask them, “Do your parents know what you’re doing?!” but then their parents were probably drinking (legally) at that age, too, so I’m not sure it would make any difference.

On a lighter note, I’ve been enjoying the bakeries A LOT! The pastries, cakes – yum! And you can buy a fresh roll for a quarter! Where can you buy anything for a quarter anymore? I’ll tell you where - at your neighbor hood bakery…or the one two doors down…or the one around the corner…or down the street…you get the point. I’m exaggerating (slightly), but there is one spot downtown where you can stand inside one bakery, and see two others in the same square. And a Subway right down the street. I’ve been able to resist so far, but if I ever get really homesick, I may splurge.

Now, you may wonder how I’m going to maintain my girlish figure with this high carb diet. Well, I think that elevators have been outlawed here. Not really, but I do get lots of exercise from walking around all the time. And up and down the two flights of stairs to my apartment. Luckily, there is a grocery store just a block away, so I don’t have to walk too far to get there.

The grocery store is a whole adventure in itself. If you want to use a shopping cart (that means buggy to you Tennesseans) you have to make sure you have a one Euro coin. They have a little slot in the handle that you have to push the coin into, to unlatch its chain from the row of carts. You get your Euro back when you return your cart. It sure keeps the parking lots clear! Things are pretty normal inside the grocery store – German food is pretty normal – except for a few things. You have to pay a 25-cent deposit on almost any bottled drink. Soda, or mineral water (Germans love their Mineralwasser – club soda with some minerals added, basically) usually comes in 1.5 liter bottles. That’s the largest you’ll see. (A bottle of store brand Mineralwasser costs less than the deposit. And you can choose from no bubbles on up to very bubbly.) Juice is mostly found in 1 L boxes. That’s right. Boxes. So’s the milk, for that matter. You can buy your boxed milk from the non-refrigerated section. They super-pasteurize it, or something, so that it has a long shelf life. I have some milk in my cabinet that is good until New Year’s Eve. Now about the boxes, the Germans are just good about keeping things condensed, because they don’t have much refrigerator space. They are so energy conscious, and utilities costs so much, that they tend to have mini-fridges, so they have to watch how they use their space.

Once you have your boxed juice, milk, and some sort of pork products – they have much more pork here than beef – you head to the check out. Now, let me prepare you – get your bags ready, and brace yourself. The customer service mentality is very different here. People who serve you – at the grocery store, post office, bank, restaurant, anywhere – are for the most part not concerned if you had a pleasant shopping (or banking or dining or whatever) experience. Service with a smile can be hard to find. Now, back to your grocery shopping experience. Do you have your bag ready? Cause you’re going to be bagging your own groceries. Oh, you forgot your bag? Well, that’ll be an extra 20 cents for a bag. And for goodness sakes, don’t hold up the line!

Restaurants aren’t too bad, to tell the truth. The waiters take your order, bring you your food, and then leave you alone until you ask for the check. You could take all day if you wanted. Waitresses don’t hover to refill your glass, because ‘free refills’ is a foreign concept here. If you want another drink, you can pay two Euros for another ice-free glass of cool cola. Sometimes Germans won’t even order a drink with their meal.

Since we’re talking about food again, let me tell you why I love Germany. Chocolate. It is the best. I don’t care what you think you know about Swiss or Belgian or whatever chocolate – German chocolate takes the cake (get it? German chocolate cake!). Seriously. It is the best. Another great thing about Germany is the Döner. It’s not a native German food, but it’s all over here. The Döner is a fresh pita shell filled with shaved meat (lamb, I think), sauce, shredded red and white cabbage, cucumber, tomato, goat cheese, and onion. Tasty! I think that it is Turkish. There is a restaurant a block and a half away from my apartment that sells them for two Euros, and they are big enough to eat for lunch and dinner. Ah, a Döner for dinner…yum.

I could go on, but I’ve already taken up too much of your time. If you want to read some more about those Germans and their wacky ways (jk), check out Deanna’s posts, Living Less, and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and Martha’s Culture Shock (part 3).

Thank you for reading this far! Kudos to you for you endurance! It must be because you love me! Or something like that :)

See ya on the flip side!

Janine