Honey I'm home!

I’m back in Deutschland! Came in on a flight yesterday evening. Have spent a lovely week relaxing at Mum and Dad’s place in Norfolk. While I was there I did some of Simon’s Christmas shopping for him, so that will save time for him when we go home at Christmas. I also did a bit of a review of prams, cots and nursery items, to start feeling a bit more prepared.

When we got in the flat I was pleasantly surprised as Simon had fixed up some new lamps and turned on the Christmas tree lights – so there was a lovely ambience. He has also managed to buy a washing machine which means that we no longer have to do hand washing in the bath.

This morning I had a couple of embarrassing incidents on the way to buy some milk. 1) When I was leaving the building a man got into the lift with me. He started to talk about the different lift levels – this much I ascertained from his pointing to different buttons and doing a resigned laugh. Unfortunately I couldn’t join in. What is worse is that he is our neighbour from across the corridor. 2) Once outside I managed to fall over on the cobbled street. I think I amused an old man who was watching from the bakery. I blame my winter boots. They may have a thick heel, but they are decidedly wobbly. Luckily I fell on my knees and not on my front. Apart from the old man, a furtive glance revealed few other people around.

I have spent pretty much all day tidying up. Proper tidying, mind. There’s only so much that ambient lighting can do to make a place homely! It’s been quite exciting trying out the washing machine and dryer as all instructions are in German. Luckily I was able to feel my way through the programmes by looking at the temperature guides for each wash. Seems to have worked as all jumpers have come out at pretty much the same size as when they went in.

There is still no internet. A box arrived with the router yesterday but it was the wrong one. Simon has asked the provider to arrange delivery of the one we want. I may have to put up with this one for now as without the net I cannot work. It is nearly three weeks since I left my job in the UK and I am starting to get work withdrawal symptoms. I know, I know...! Plus, how are you meant to find anything out, talk to your friends, or keep up with the news without the net?

Back to Blighty

I am getting the afternoon flight back to England. Decided it’s not good for me to be stuck in the flat all day with no kitchen, appliances, or things to do.

There’s a risk of food poisoning from having to eat food which isn’t refrigerated. Plus, meals are a bit limited as we only have a temporary camping stove. Washing up is done in the downstairs cloakroom sink. The kitchen table is actually our wooden garden table. The kitchen is lit by an Anglepoise lamp, poised on some of our packing cases. The balcony doubles as a fridge for milk - it’s that cold outside.

It’s getting me down and it is unhygienic.

Add to this the fact that our English TV doesn’t work in Germany; I have no landline; no internet (so I cannot do any work for clients) and the flat has only a few lights so it’s very dull.

Cannot wait to go home to some normality.

I feel bad leaving Simon and it will be a shame to be apart. However, he isn’t the one who’s pregnant and he also gets to escape by going to work each day.

When I come back to Germany it will all be a lot better as Simon is going to try to fix a lot of the outstanding problems. I’m hoping that we can then relax a bit and start doing touristy things. I may even be able to do some work! The plan is to start joining some clubs so I can start to socialise a bit.

Food for thought

Getting a bit sick of not having a fridge. We’ve been leaving the milk outside to keep it cool, but this morning it tasted a bit off. The local shop doesn’t open until 8 so we were without milk for breakfast. I was okay as I could go to the shops later, but Simon had to head off with no breakfast.

I ventured out three times today. 1) To get some milk 2) To explore – though I only explored as far as the certainty of Starbucks, treating myself to a double chocolate muffin, I like to think that I had a good look around. There are loads of food shops, restaurants and newsagents around where we live. 3) A bigger food shop for the evening meal. I was pleased as punch to find a supermarket which stocks Heinz ketchup and familiar chocolate brands (Twix, Mars, etc). Bit disappointed that the single cream I had bought for part of dessert turned out to be sour cream. That put paid to my plans for pears in chocolate sauce (a virtuous/sinful dessert of pears in a melted chocolate, honey and single cream sauce). Ho hum. What’s more, sour cream was actually listed in the phrase book I’d taken to the shop with me, but I just hadn’t bothered to read it, thinking it wouldn’t be that detailed. Oh and I dropped the sour cream on the kitchen floor – splat! – just for good measure…

Bought a couple of English papers. They cost about four pounds in total, but I was ravenous for news of home, having received none since I arrived.

Tried some stilted German on the porter downstairs. He seemed to get what I was talking about, so I felt quite disproportionately proud.

Fun with language

While Mr H went to work, I tried to be a good ‘hausfrau’ and tidied as much as I could. I couldn’t exactly lift any of the remaining boxes – not in my condition – but I sort of dusted around them! I’ve managed to put up the Christmas decorations. Was a touch nervous about the combination of Christmas lights and the use of adaptor plugs. However, they have been on all day and I cannot smell any burning!

Today two workmen came to the door. They were dressed in blue dungarees and carrying tools. Had a ‘Bob the Builder’ look to them. In German (with pointing) they insisted they needed to come in to fix the radiator. I tried to convey the fact (with English words, pointing, and a phrasebook) that I hadn’t called them and knew nothing about their visit. In the end they called an Irish guy from their office and got him to speak to me, while I called Simon who got a German speaker to speak to them. We worked out that they had gone to the wrong flat. It was stressful at the time, but seems funny now. So much for German efficiency.

Went for Thai in the evening. That’s when I realised I am better at understanding a Thai menu than a German one. I know Pad Thai when I see it! Simon impressed me with his school boy German when ordering.