Typisch deutsch

An amusing video was just uploaded by Easy German:  8 things that can only happen in Germany.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bXX1IOo4Eg&t=430s&ab_channel=EasyGerman

The first one is close to my heart - lüften  - opening all the windows to ventilate a room.

I have a German partner and she is always opening all the windows even on freezing cold days, and then complaining about the cold. :-)

Hi Simon

I enjoy the easy German on you tube and will look for that one. 

Made me smile. I open windows at every opportunity. I grew up in a tropical area and we never closed windows and unless it was pouring. 

A good thing too, as both my parents smoked.

Keep well

Maxie

Ha ha, I like the windows wide open in warm weather too, but when it's cold I like just enough for ventilaton without making the room too cold.

When I was a kid my mother used to go round opening windows in cold weather too, but she was half German. In those days we had no heating except for an open fire in the living room.

Simon

Hi Simon

That is onething I love about the Canadian houses. Fully insulated. South Africans feel their summers are long and the cold weather not a big deal. So windows don't seal and so it is often colder inside than outside in the sun. Johannesburg winters are miserable, cold and dry and the houses are freezing. No central heating or double glazed windows.. We don't miss those.

As for Germany their windows were even more impressive. Well, I can't think of anything that didn't impress us. I know it is different when you live there. My German friend complains about die Deutsche Bahn. They did a trip from Hanover to Koblenz. Cancellations and delays were the order of the day. Here in Canada its flights. You can only get flights on Air Canada and Westjet in Canada and they are pathetic. Chepaer to fly to Europe than across Canada. Been bio hazard incidents lately where passengers were expected to sit in seats that were not cleaned properly. I won't go into that, but really nasty scenarios. 

In future I will not be flying on any Canadian carrier to Europe, inefficiency was the order of the day.

Or I will stay home lol

SHaron

We don't hear about any of that in the UK, all we hear about Canada is how “woke” it is. But then here we get kids in school self identifying as potatoes, presumably just done for effect as the teachers are supposed to provide affirmative care.

Hi Simon

I have no idea what “woke” is. Please explain. I have not had kids in the bricks and mortar school system here. My 2 older kids were in a British school in Brunei. My 2 younger ones were home schooled. When we moved here, they didn't want to go into a school system, so we enrolled them in distance ed. Worked really well. My 2 youngest had a real problem intergrating with teens their ages. They were quite mature, as have older siblings. They made friends, but were quite scathing about many teens here. 

Applied for my Canadian passport yesterday. Got my citizenship last week. Being part of the commonwealth had to pledge allegaince to the royal family. I can't leave Canada until I have my passport. well I can leave, but won't be allowed back as had to cut up my residence card at the ceremony. 

Take care

Sharon

I am not sure if anyone knows exactly how to define “woke” but I think it comes from being “aware” of past wrongs. But it has strayed into many things incuding our self percieved identity. But discussing it can get very heated and not at all on topic. :-)

I hope you get your passprt without a hitch. My partner (who is German) has permanent residency here in the UK, but she would lose it if she was away for more than a year.

Simon

HI Simon

Thanks have some idea now. When on a residence card here you have to spend a certain amount of time here, or youe residence is revoked. When you apply for citenzenship one has to prove that you have spent enough time here. Once a citizen you can basically live where you want to. So many citizens live aboard until there is a crisis then they expect the government to get them out. Back they go when the crisis is over. I know this sounds critical, but I refer to people that don't want to live here. Not to aid workers abroad. I think they do an amazing job.

As for past wrongs in Canada that is all we here too. I just won't go into that. 

Sharon

PS

Something I have noticed as I have progressed is that I am picking up a lot of finer nuances of the language. As in cases, adjective endings tenses etc. So forming a much broader picture. 

So not just vocabulary, but can now see the structures too.

Halo zusammen,

In the US, my wife has a 50 year old Cape Cod style haus.  The original Pilgrams from England developed the style.  It is ubiquitous in the New England (northeast) corner of continental US.  The Cape Cod house is still a popular house to build in New England. 

It came time to upgrade the windows.  One new version had mullions embedded within the glass.  My wife had gear angst (English version of the German word) about installing these new windows. 

Shortly after the work proposal, I visited Germany on a business trip.  I was staying at a Gasthaus.  During breakfast I sat next too a large window.  When I looked at the window, I saw that the mullions were embedded in the glass.  The building may have been at least 300 years old.  I told my wife that windows with embedded mullions would look just great in her 50 year old house!

Tschuss!

Elko Ed