I realize haven’t had any misadventures for quite a while. I think I must be getting used to life in Germany! So since I don’t have any dramatic tales about getting lost on my pink bike or overnight train rides with snoring neighbors, I thought I would share a few rules for life in Germany that I’ve picked up in the eight months I’ve been living here.*
*disclaimer: The following are strictly my own personal observations and should not be taken as proven fact.
1. BYOK (Bring Your Own Kitchen)
When you rent a flat in Germany, you can expect that the previous owners will have taken their kitchen with them. In November my German friend and colleague, Karin, started looking for a place to live. Of the 8-10 flats we walked through, all but one came sans-kitchen. I can just hear some of you thinking, “What do you mean they take their kitchen with them?” I mean: They take their kitchen with them. The kitchen in your new flat will be a totally empty room with four white walls. You’ll see a few holes in the wall, perhaps with some wires poking out. With a good imagination, you can envision what the room will look like when you install your own kitchen-including the stove, refrigerator, countertops and even the light fixtures.
2. Separate your garbage
After eight months in Germany, I think I’ve finally figured out the rules for garbage separation. Paper goes in a cardboard box to be recycled. Plastic and thin metal in the Gelbsack, the yellow recycling bags you get from the Town Hall. Batteries in the special deposit box at Aldi and some other grocery stores. (Did you know Aldi was started in Germany by two brothers?) Glass in the designated public bins-separated by color, of course. Vegetable peelings in the compost pile. Other food garbage goes in the Restmüll (“residual waste”). Let’s see … have I forgotten anything? Don’t ask me about wood. I’ve had a few scraps of wood since January that I haven’t figured out what to do with yet. Fortunately my pink bike’s tires have held up alright so far. I’m told that disposing of rubber tires is quite costly.
3. Red roofs, please
A train ride through southern Germany will display quaint villages sprinkled throughout the hillsides. The red rooftops and manicured gardens give the countryside a bit of a utopian look. More inquisitive visitors might wonder if the villagers held a council to mandate the color rooftop, or if Red Roof Inc. has a monopoly on roofing materials. Both guesses aren’t too far from the truth. Strict rules control what color roofing materials builders are allowed to use. Interestingly, there aren’t any rules to say what color the house itself can be. So you’ll find quirky situations like that of some colleagues who recently built a house in a tiny village outside Mosbach. Shortly after they began building, another family erected a house across the street. In compliance with the roofing regulations, the roof is made of reddish brown tiles. But the outside walls of the house are brilliant blue.
4. Shh! It’s Sunday
I wrote in another e-mail that shops are closed, by law, on Sundays. Unwritten rules keep people more or less quiet on Sundays, as well. Sundays are for poking around in the garden, wandering through town, driving the car through the country-definitely NOT for mowing the lawn, drilling, or anything else to disturb the peace. I say “unwritten rules,” but in some places I believe such rules are actually in writing. Maybe they are written down in Mosbach, too-I don’t know. I haven’t dared tried anything noisy on a Sunday yet. I’m much more nervous about the glares I’d get from half a dozen neighbors than I am about any legal consequences. From what I understand, some villages also enforce quiet hours on the weekdays, during which children are expected to play more quietly and dogs are prohibited from barking.
Well, that’s all for now. I hope I haven’t left you with a negative impression of Germany. There are more rules than what I’m used to in the U.S. But it’s amazing how fast a person gets used to such things. When I was home in the States at Christmastime, I surprised myself by cringing when I watched someone stuff a newspaper in the garbage bin. “Ack! Recycle that!” my brain shouted. And while the closed shops on Sundays frustrated me for my first few months here, I’ve really grown to enjoy the quiet, restful Sundays. I doubt I’ll ever feel totally comfortable shopping on a Sunday again.
Many of Germany’s rules have pleasant side effects, too. After all, the quaint villages wouldn’t be so picturesque if everyone chose their own roof color. And the streets wouldn’t be so neat and tidy if not for the strict recycling rules. And sitting out on my balcony on a warm, sunny Sunday afternoon (like I did last weekend), I would hear lawn mowers and hedge trimmers instead of chirping birds, if not for the quiet laws.
So while my independent spirit sometimes rebels against so many rules, my peace-loving spirit appreciates the orderly Germany customs and calm lifestyle.
I should get going. Tomorrow is a garbage pick-up day, and I need to figure out which garbage I’m allowed to put out on the curb!
Until next time…
karen
p.s. The one flat that my friend and I looked at that came with the kitchen included is the one we took. So thankfully, I won’t be the owner of a kitchen when it comes time for me to pack up and head home to the States. “Yes, I’d like to check two suitcases and an oven, please. May I take my sink as a carry-on?”
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