It was great to see the sunset in Roma, Italy. But I must admit it was strange to spend 4th of July away from America. To be in Rome and experience the history that eventually lead to the westward migration to this great land now known as
The United States of America was a good change of pace. And while I did enjoy the sun setting near the area known as the Spanish Steps, I missed my home country, the hot dogs and watermelon and the night time fireworks!! It caused me to reflect on the differences between where I am now and where I was a year ago.
These last 7 months being in Germany has been filled with so many new experiences but also many instances of what I call Culture Shock. The language is the biggest difference; we have picked up a limited German vocabulary but are certainly not proficient enough to even order from a menu in German let alone carry on a conversation with the neighbors. I am learning more everyday and will be able to stumble my way through before coming home but picking up a new language doesn’t happen overnight.
The traffic laws are different and the signs are many, but we have managed to get around in purple car with minimal difficulty. The roads are narrow and parking is limited so we are looking forward to our much smaller car (to be picked up tomorrow)!
The German people are wonderful to live near, they are quite and respect the privacy of their neighbors even though most of the year you could sneeze within the walls of your house and be heard 3 doors down. The weather is different from Oklahoma but there are definitely 4 seasons, hopefully summer will be much shorter as there are not many places to get away from the heat; it was 96 yesterday and we have No A/C. I have been told the reason is that AC is not natural (plus it costs extra) and so therefore is not used in most German homes.
The money is different and we still have to used American dollars for anything we buy on post so we now have Dollars mixed with Euros in our wallets. We are learning the coins but can’t pick one up and instinctively know it is a 20 cent euro piece yet. I don't remember learning the coins (quarter, dimes, nickels, pennies) it just seems like I have always known them. Thankfully the numbers here are the same so I don't have to learn new symbols at the same time!!
The Holidays are different also. Germany of course does’t celebrate Martin Luther Day, Presidents Day, 4th of July or Columbus Day, Veterans Day or Thanksgiving but there are many others they do celebrate. However in Germany a holiday doesn’t mean there will be extra discounts/sales and long hours in the mall, they revere holidays and by law most everything closes down so that time can be spent with family and friends. Shops around the train stations and rest stops on the Autobahn remain open so those traveling will still have a place to gas up, grab a bite and refresh themselves for the rest of their journey. And remember those road side rest stops with picnic tables, well in Germany they are actually still used. It reminds me of family trips with picnics from the ice chest at the road side stops between Oklahoma and Colorado and Nebraska!
Sundays are a day of rest. They are supposed to be spent in worship, quiet fellowship with family and visiting with friends. The stores are closed, there is no grocery shopping so you better stock up before 2:00 pm Saturday or you might find yourself being very creative with what remains in the pantry. You are not allowed to do outside yard work, wash your car or anything that looks like work or makes loud noises. Families are known to fill this time with trips to the park, museums (which remain open on Sunday), walks in the forest and visits with friends. Or visits to the cemetery to decorate the gravesite of a loved one. It is a quite day and much like I remember from my childhood.
The clothes are different too. We are seeing men in capri pants this summer but their short shorts are more shocking, you know the length worn in the late 60 early 70’s. The women are more up to date fashion wise but their color pallet seems to be limited mostly to black, grey and white. We seem to stand out in our brightly colored wardrobe. And the women wear the most impractical shoes. I see them wearing 2-3 inch heels walking around on the cobble stone streets and sidewalks. I’d be in the hospital with a broken ankle without my tennis shoes and crocs.
Swimming Pools are the place to be! There are very few backyard swimming pools, in fact I have seen very few backyards big enough for a pool in my travels around the city. So when it gets hot outside the people flock to the public pools. Foot, scooter and car traffic quadruples around the pool with drivers jockeying for a parking spot and when these are full the street become jammed with double parked cars and those circling looking for someone as they are leaving. We have decided to avoid one road altogether on hot summer afternoons as it leads to our local Bathing House. Again this reminds me of my childhood hours spent at Kimball Park Pool. However there was no clothing optional area at Kimball!
Germans treat their Dogs like part of the family. If they are taking the family out to dinner, the dog gets to come along and the restaurant staff will even bring Fido a bowl of tap water (free of charge; which is unheard of for humans)!! Dogs get to go to the mall, shop the sales racks, browse the book stores and pursue the food court. There are many Speciality stores were you can buy your favorite 4 footed friend a special treat. I did however see a No Dogs sign at the meat market, I guess the owner was going broke giving away sample sausages (ha ha). Dog walking seems to be a favorite past time. This serves more than one purpose, it gets the dog outside to do his business, helps keep the owners waistline down, provides companionship through the forest and a measure of security. This picture was take at the Ruins of Pompeii and is said to be an original BEWARE OF THE DOG sign (mosaic tiled) at the entry of this home.
One of the biggest difference is not being around family. "It is what it is” and you make the best of it. Just like you don't get to pick family, you don't get to pick those that will end up PCS’ing with you. But you do get to seek out friends to fill the family gap. The people that you connect with become your family away from family. You travel with them, care for them when they are suffering, help each other pick cherries, lead a hand when needed and spend holiday time with them. We are growing our pseudo family and have enjoyed their friendship, camaraderie and adventurous spirit.
While there are many differences between our new German culture and our homeland this is not to say these are good or bad, just different and we are adjusting. We are picking up on some new things that will remain with us for the rest of our time here and there will even be some things we bring back to the USA with us. We will be changed for the better as a result of and I am looking forward to new experiences as we serve our country while here in Germany.
It was a fun evening and a feast for our senses. We enjoyed walking through the crowded streets, taking in the sights, smells and music!
