As I was reminded by a good childhood friend via facebook last night, I probably should write about the positive aspects of living in Germany as well. And I would be amiss if I did not list them in great detail, as living in the Heimatland, despite the patterns described in yesterday's post, has been an amazing experience so far.
Let me start with one of the absolute advantages of living in Germany:
1. The public transportation system.
I know, I know - I am the first one to bitterly complain about the tardiness of certain ICEs (Germany's version of high speed trains, abbreviation for InterCity Express) or the disruptions to schedules due to constant construction in many urban areas. Be that all as it may, I am nevertheless in awe with the level of connectivity that the German train system, be it the Deutsche Bahn, its local subsidiaires, or independent operators like Metronom here in Lower Saxony, offers. Over the past four months, I have travelled to Jena, Bielefeld, Siegen, Lübeck, and Hamburg (several times actually!), and despite some kinks in the systems (usually aforementioned lateness of ICE trains!), I have loved every minute of it. Of course, the greatest travel is by far an ICE journey that is uninterrupted by changing to other trains, either other ICEs or local connections. I am embarking on such an uninterrupted trip to Munich in a couple of weeks, and I can hardly wait. I always reserve a seat and try to get one with a table, and there is nothing like speeding through the German landscape at high speed, either being lulled into a restorative nap, reading a good book or paper, conversing with fellow travelers, or just simply reflecting on life by staring out of the window, absorbed in musings about the meaning of life and other related things (usually leading to the nap I just mentioned). It is simply fabulous.
2. A bicycle friendly infrastructure
Many of you know my old green Toyota Carolla, which at certain times of my life in the US has served as my closet, my storage room, my library, or (yes, I am embarassed to admit it ) my trash can! Suffice it to say that I could not imagine my life without being enclosed in four doors and tons of steel (or whatever material cars are made of) after living in the suburban area of Washington, DC. I remember fondly the reaction I got from a fellow student when, after my first week in the DC area, in 1999, I declared to her that I would ride my bicycle from home to the university, a mere 3 miles away. Well, after I actually started living there, I understood that "riding my bicycle" is synonymous with "wishing my life to end early." Only recenty, maybe in the past 3-4 years, Washington DC started to create bike paths downtown, but in my humble opinion, cannot hold a candle to what we have here in the Heimatland. Thus, communting only by bicycle was then a far, far away dream, or more like a fantasy!
Not so in the Heimatland. I remembered fondly when I studied in Munich, where I rode m bicycle everywhere, and loving it not just because it was an inexpensive and highly convenient way of getting around (especially after the trains stopped running), but because you stayed in shape. Now, in Lüneburg, this dream or fantasy has become a reality. For a person so dependent on her car just until September of last year, I have had no problem whatsover to not only ride my bicycle pretty much everywhere, but I am relishing in the freedom of not owning a car.
Plus, living in Lüneburg, located in Northern Germany known for its flatness (if that is even a word!), has the added benefit that riding my bicycle does not equate the Tour de France, as riding your bike in my hilly hometown Siegen will make you feel like deserving the yellow jersey everytime you get to your destination!
3. The weekend
Yes, I am perfectly aware that the weekend is a rather global phenomenon rather than an exclusively German event. However, Germans do the weekend really well. To my American friends, have you ever noticed that traffic is often worse on the weekends than the worst during-the-week rush hour, or at least equally bad? Have you also noticed that your weekend calendar is more packed than even your usual busy work week. You rush from one BBQ to the next shopping trip to the next movie theater to the next family event to the next church service to the next mini-league baseball game to the next swim meet to the next whatever? Even a relaxing chat over coffee with a friend at the local Starbucks becomes a rush and item to be checked off your list.
Don't get me wrong; we Germans like to schedule and plan things on the weekends, too, and Saturdays are usually the busiest days in Lüneburg's downtown shopping district. But for some reason, there is a common feeling of restfulness that will settle on you even during the most hectic shopping trips. And Sundays are the most glorious days in Germany. Shops are closed (unless it is a special "verkausoffener Sonntag, " meaning stores are open that day for shopping); families, couples, and friends stroll peacefully through neighborhoods or nature, stopping occasionally for an afternoon treat of coffee/tea and cake; and you can't help but give into the overall feeling of restfulness, tranquility, and general sense of well-being. Gosh, I didn't realize how much I missed that.
4. 30 vacation days and paid maternity leave
Do I need to say more?
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