Well, we are getting closer and closer to the move. I'll be headed over in early July to check out a few apartments, or flats, as I may have to start saying (though it sounds pretentious to me).
Yesterday, we completed our "Cultural Training." The purpose is to point out the differences between American and German culture and to point out the landmines before we step in them. It seems the Prime Directive is to avoid mention of The War and all that relates to it. As an American asking the question, any inquiring into The War would likely be met with a strong Defense. So, we'll have to refrain from any N-word comments. The training actually was quite interesting. Our trainer, Ruth, went into the psychology behind why Americans are they way they are, and Germans are the way they are. She had this great analogy about Coconuts and Peaches. Germans are Coconuts (hard on the outside, mushy in the middle). Americans are Peaches (mushy on the outside, hard in the middle). This helps describe the initial perception of Germans as cold and harsh, and Americans as fluffy and superficial. Fortunately, Adam and I both test closer to the "Coconut" model than the "Peach" model, so adapting to the Coconut culture should not be terribly difficult. I think Vader is a coconut, too. He tends to frighten people at first glance due to his size, but he is all soft and mushy on the inside (not to mention the best damn dog in the universe). We also learned about the German education system. It is incredibly different from the US system. And, it is very difficult not to be judgmental about the treatment of students in Germany coming from such an egalitarian, democratic education system. It must work though, as one could argue that Germany has far fewer problems than we do.
I have to admit, I'm still terrified about learning the language. And, still somewhat freaked out about the rules around garbage handling in Frankfurt. There are like 16 categories of trash and you have to divide your garbage appropriately or be shot, or something. We haven't even learned how to count to 16 yet!
Two months to the move. Current moving day is August 8. I'm going to miss the Klone-NJ.
