How Germany is different...

Well, we have now been in Germany for 4 weeks!  Here are some things we have learned/differences we've noticed since we have arrived:

• We know how to use the bus system.  Germany doesn't just have a continuous flow of buses.  They follow a rigid schedule and sometimes the buses don't come but every 40 minutes so being on time is key!  It's relatively cheap to ride the bus, but not as cheap as it was in Korea.  It's about 1,2 euro which is about $1.50 for a short bus ride.  Sometimes we opt to walk, but it's worth every penny on these chilly German mornings. :)
• Germans love rules.  Driving here is no joke.  There are more signs and regulations than I've ever encountered.  Our crazy South Korean driving on the sidewalks most certainly won't work here without going to jail.
• Goodbye rice, hello bread! we have been carb eating machines!  partly because of the amazingness of all of their baked goods.  after being in korea where pastries taste like....well, not much of anything, we are indulging in the beautiful and delicious breads and pastries here.  we're pacing ourselves too and trying to eat our vegetables too (don't worry, mom!)
• Things close early here.  No more late night stops at a market or stopping at a store to pick-up that last minute item we forgot because there's nothing open after 8.  :)  Restaurants generally stay open later, but some do close early (or early by Korean standards)
• Water can be more expensive than beer.  I'm still having some sticker shock about the price of water at restaurants.  Our first night eating out in Germany I ordered water, completely forgetting that Europeans charge for water, and was delivered a beautiful, tiny bottle of water.  I'm no water chugger, but that sucker was small! And it cost 3 euro (almost 4 bucks).  So, lesson learned, drink beer, not water.  (just kidding)
• Also, Germans like to drink carbonated water and it's hard to find regular water.  When you order water you can tell them if you want bubbles or not (sometimes they call it "gas").  When you ask for no bubbles they often look at you and ask, "Just a little bubble ok?" while making a pinching motion in the air.  What I learned is no matter how little they say, you basically get the same carbonated water.  One of our new friends really doesn't like carbonated water and she also doesn't really drink either so we have joked that she needs to buy a flask where she can store her distilled water in case a restaurant doesn't carry it. I've considered it too....
• Germany is beautiful.  The rolling hills, the old buildings, the clean, charming villages, the bountiful flowers.  It's a beautiful place.

We are loving it here.  We miss all of our sweet friends and family, but hope to see you all soon!  I'll try to write again with some more details about some of our fun adventures we've had with our new school friends!  

Willkommen nach Deutschland!

Hallo!  Wilkommen nach Deutschland!

OK. I'll stop pretending like I've suddenly become fluent in the past two weeks.  :)
We are in Germany and really loving it!  We arrived on the 2nd of August and hit the ground running.  Since Peter and I are both going to be working at the school (I told you all this already, right?)  we have a lot of work to do.  We have been, as the military calls it, in-processing, which basically just means filling out a lot of paperwork at many different offices on base.  We haven't had a ton of time to just explore yet, but have tried to take nice long walks in the evenings to scope out our new home.

I'll try to post some pics soon.  Right now we're staying at the Hotel Ross in Schweinfurt.  We actually have a little apartment that's part of the hotel, with a small kitchenette and living room.  It's all located right in the heart of Schweinfurt which is a charming city with cute shops and restaurants all around.  We have successfully found many delicious restaurants, bakeries, and gelaterias!  We're pacing ourselves so we don't gain 50 lbs by the end of the year. :)

We have already made some friends with people from our school.  Everyone has been really welcoming and lovely.  I have had moments of homesickness both for family and friends in St. Louis and Korea and I'm sure I will continue to miss both homes, but we also feel really blessed and happy to be here.

We're on the hunt for a house.  We saw a great place last week that we hoped to sign a lease for, but the landlord backed out so he could lease to a friend instead.  We're hoping to get a home soon so we'll have room for YOU! :)

we'll write more soon.
xoxo
sarah