Germany and Austria, a perspective

Since I feel an obligation to the few people who follow my blog and linked my page to theirs, here is a post.

I have lived in Europe now for almost 6 years. The first 5 years were spent in Dresden, Germany. What was the former East Germany. It is a unique experience, even from those who live in west Germany and other parts of Europe that were not under communism. Since July of 2011, I have lived in Graz, Austria. I knew moving here would produce some culture shock, maybe even more than our initial move to Germany, but although I have had some shock, I have not had as much as I thought I might. I thought I would share a few major differences that I have seen and felt.

Seeing as Austrians speak German (albeit a "funny" version) and that it neighbors Germany and the cultures are very similar, the two are also rather different.

German cuisine comes from Austria, so the food tends to be better here. Graz is known for its apple dishes and pumpkin seed oil. The Austrians also have a whole different vocabulary for their fruits and vegetables. Apricots, cherries, and several other berries are just an example. Their bakery goods are also quite different than what you find in Dresden. Most are actually much better here, and they tend to taste as good as they look. (This is a problem in Dresden, most don't taste near as good as they look!) In Germany, every region has their own potato salad, but sadly, potato salad is hard to find here. The Kase krainer is the Austrian sausage, and it is really good (think somewhat spicy sausage with cheese inside).

The schooling is also quite different. I think here, the kids have about 4 days of school and one day of fun! Seriously though, during the winter, Logan's 1st grade class went ice skating 3 times and the whole school had a day to sled down the hill outside the school. The other day, any child who wished to participate in the state ski races boarded a bus and spent the day snowboarding and skiing. Our boys went to school and did ? with a substitute teacher. The older two kids had ski trips for an entire week (7 days). Neither kid participated and were supposed to attend classes with either the other 5 kids that didn't go, or in the case of Ashlyn, go down a grade and do class with the 5th graders. The following week, Ashlyn's class had an "English" week (again she didn't participate) in which the kids were taught English by native english speakers from Great Britain. The week cost over 100 Euros and the ski trips were about 300 Euros per kid. The schools seem much more relaxed here versus Dresden and the kids get 8 weeks of summer, 2 weeks more than Germany.

Shopping is also a little different. First, everything is more expensive. In the stores, the price tags will have the German price first, since it's cheaper, and then the other EU countries after. Austria is always at least 50 cents more. Food is also more expensive. I actually could find more American products in Dresden and am missing some things here, like cream of mushroom in a can (I have to buy the powdered soup and add milk and corn starch to thicken it up) and refried beans. (It's the small things!) But, I can get chocolate syrup and lots of different fruity, carbonated drinks unavailable in Dresden. I will be glad to get the things again when I get back to Dresden, but will sure miss the drinks here. I may have to have people bring them up when they visit!!!

That is quite enough to bore you by now. I have to go figure out how to adapt some of those good looking recipes from America for use with the products I can get here. If you made it this far, hope you enjoyed the peek into just some of the differences. I will write more about the cultural changes soon. Thanks

School Saga

"If I'd known we were moving to Germany, I would have stopped with 2 kids." This was something I caught myself saying the other day. I love all 4 of my children and wouldn't change that but life in Germany can be very challenging. I know that in the US many parents are struggling with balancing all the extra curricular activities their children have (this is the reason we always kept our kids to one activity), but here just everyday molehills become mountains and school stuff is all-consuming. Let me give a few examples of the last few weeks.

Jonah and Ashlyn's school technically begins at 7:30. Ashlyn goes to school at that time everyday. Jason leaves to take her at about 7:05. She could technically walk but with the weather so rainy and no money for public transportation and a heavy backpack, we usually drive the kids the mile to school. Jonah, on the other hand, begins at 7:30 on Mon., Tues., Thurs., and every other Friday. He goes in an hour late every Wed. and 2 hours late every other Friday. They both get out of school at 1:10 on Tuesday, but Ashlyn gets out at 2 on Monday, at 2:15 every other Wed. and Jonah is 2:15 three days a week and 1:10 on Mon. and Tues. Now, we don't always pick them up from school, usually just bad weather days (which is every other day, ha ha). So, you can see it is crazy here. This doesn't include Caedon's crazy schedule which looks like Jonah's.

Aside from the schedule, every kid comes home with papers to be signed (about 1 everyday from the 4 kids combined). Remembering to get them signed is the first hurdle, then remembering to take them back to school, well..... Then there are the crazy projects, like leaf collecting and identifying, plant collecting for a project next year (yes, they plan way in advance), not to mention entire school week long trips to the farm and Parent night at least twice a year for up to 2 or more hours.

Caedon and Jonah seem to be my little Jason's (i.e. scatterbrained, head in the clouds.) (No offense to Jason) Jonah will come home for the weekend and on Monday morning ask for 10-15 euros he needs for that day. We never have that much cash on us. Then Caedon came home and didn't say anything about needing something for the next day, but when I looked in his Homework planner Wednesday morning he had drawn a picture of something he needed to take that day. (He didn't write what he needed to take, he drew a picture of it!) I asked what it was. He didn't really know. UGH. Well, we went down into the office and searched through all the extra school supplies we had and didn't find anything. Ten minutes later, I finally pulled something out of the cabinet and said this will have to work till I can buy you one. He smiled and exclaimed "that's it!" UGH. It was a simple glorified brad used to keep papers together. Caedon said that the teacher says everyone probably has them at home. I guess I am becoming a good German then!

It has been a trying week. As most of you know, Ashlyn went to the hospital on last Saturday with a stomach ache. After 7 hours and three consultations from 3 different drs., she was rushed into emergency surgery to remove her appendix. During the 2 1/2 hour surgery, the Doctor had to dig around to find the large, infected appendix tucked under her liver. As she was trying to remove the nasty thing, it ruptured. They flushed it with saline and antibiotics and inserted a tube to allow for drainage. After midnight on Sunday morning, she was wheeled from the OR in one building, outside in freezing weather to the intensive station on the other side of the hospital. She was in a very small room till 2-3 hours later, when she began to wake up and then vomit. The vomiting lasted off and on for 2 days, I think in reaction to the anesthesia. She was put into a room with a 6 year old girl who had her finger operated on shortly after Ashlyn's surgery was done. The doctor said she was very glad that she did the surgery when she did and was glad that Ashlyn's appendix hadn't ruptured before she got her into surgery. Ashlyn had 5 days of antibiotics and pain medicine. After Tuesday, she was able to begin to eat and drink a little, things such as jello and soup. By Thursday, she was feeling much better and we thought she might get to go home by Friday. We were prepared to make a defense for letting her go home (doctors tend to keep patients longer here), but the doctor said she thought she could go by then. By Thursday afternoon, the doctor went ahead and released her and we were happily bringing her home by 4 pm. By just 8 pm Ashlyn had spiked a 102 fever. I was concerned that her infection wasn't gone so we called the hospital and they recommended we bring her back in. So, just 5 short hours at home and she was back in her same bed at the hospital. They tested her blood but gave her nothing for her fever. They just observed her for 36 hours during which her fever went down to normal and they never gave her any antibiotics, fever reducer or IV fluids. Finally, Saturday afternoon she was back at home. TO STAY. The doctor said it was a virus she must have picked up from one of her brothers, but i find that a little strange.

She is doing really well and will have just 2 small scars. She goes back to the doctor tomorrow to check on everything. She must stay out of school for another week and no PE for 4 weeks, which she likes!

I tell this story for several reasons. The main one was to tell about how sweet the boys were to her while she was at the hospital. When they talked to her they were so concerned and asked how she was feeling and doing and would always say, I love you. (they don't say this). Caedon has continued to ask her if she feels okay and told her he keeps asking because he thinks she looks sad. He keeps asking if she has another stomach ache, ....? It was a good time for the kids to think of their sister rather than themselves. Jason and I are glad that everything is better now and we get to sleep in the same house and bed again. My family is intact again. And Ashlyn wouldn't show the doctors how much pain she was having and was very shy. She had to stay a couple nights alone and by the end was saying how she was okay because she knew the doctors and nurses now.

Thanks for reading, if you got this far and thanks for your prayers, if you got updated. October was crazy busy and now that November has been rather eventful, I am hoping that the rest of the month and December will slow down!

Children, what a blessing?!

Just wanted to relate a short story from yesterday's events. We have now had our time change (too) and so it stays lighter till close to 8:30 now. We also now allow Jonah (almost 11) and Ashlyn (9) to stay up past their brothers 7:45-8:00 pm bedtime. Jonah stays up till 9 and Ashlyn 8:30. I started a Bible study for them on Monday nights to go a little deeper with them than what they are getting at church (nothing, really) and house church (simplified for the younger boys). All that was bonus, ha!

Last evening, after dinner, Jason had to go to a revival service (of sorts) and so I had the kids alone (again!). I let them finish a movie they had started the night before till about 7 and then sent them to get pjs on. We would then clean rooms and put away the clean laundry. I was trying to take care of a few emails in the movie time, but noticed after I sent them downstairs, it was way too quiet. I heard children's voices outside, but knew that they weren't my kids' because they were downstairs changing! I peeked out of my 3rd story window, and didn't see anything. BUT it was too quiet. So I head downstairs to check on their progress and ended up finding them ALL outside in the back garden drawing with chalk! No one had shoes on, all were just wearing socks. And, Caedon had gotten ready for bed, because he was in only his undershirt and underwear!! And, it was pretty cool outside, probably in the 50s at the most. Needless to say, I was a little angry. Everyone was sent to change, brush their teeth and get in bed with a spanking to go with it! No one put up a fuss though, they knew they were caught.