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6 posts, 08:17 today
Norwegian Independence Day (May 17)
28 posts, 08:12 today
Wann is 'müssen' a must?
Yep, as said above - so obvious that it just had to be seen. In this case, müssen is used as an intensifier. The sentence would not be wrong if you wrote " ich kam nach Hause und sah, daß..." but it sounds very matter-of-fact, there's no emotion or emphasis in it. "ich musste sehen, dass" puts…
10 posts, 08:03 today
Familial Violence - What to Do?
Since I have no idea of what sort of resources are available in Wales, I looked it up and ended up at the Welsh Women's Aid web site. They have a hotline which is not only for battered women, but also available for family and friends who suspect someone is being abused. Perhaps you should give them a call and find out…
9 posts, 03:53 today
HfMDK Frankfurt School
I have just finished my Master of Music at the HfMDK Mannheim. In my personal experience it is not easy to get a place at a music school here in Germany. The auditions are extremely competitive with students from all around the world auditioning. It is not uncommon to see 50-100 (depending on the school and instrument)…
21 posts, 01:44 today
Pay-as-you-go mobile phone options in Germany
16 posts, 00:50 today
Tax number in Düsseldorf - Up to date information
Thanks for this post - I switched from UK employment to DE employment contract this month and had to get myself my Bescheinigung fur den Lohnsteuerabzug 2012 to get paid without emergency tax. Even though I live in Hamburg, I just followed this post instructions and all worked out perfectly. The only thing to add is to…
79 posts, 23:33 yesterday
The kindness of strangers
Twenty years ago, when I was young and much more foolish, I was driving from my parents place in Toronto to my home in Northern Ontario. For those who know the area, it was Highway 60. For those who don’t, imagine trees, two lanes and towns few and far between, no streetlights, windy roads, the odd rock face, and signs…
97 posts, 23:10 yesterday
Stranger knocking at door
wot Counselling for not wanting to answer the door? That's a lot of work I have to catch up on, then. As westvan said, you're under no obligation, socially, culturally, emotionally or otherwise, to open your door to anybody you don't feel like. If I'm not waiting on a package and am not expecting any visitors,…
48 posts, 23:04 yesterday
Fixed €350 monthly freelancer tax
I think the article is a huge exaggeration at the least, and perhaps even a work of fiction. According to this article in Focus, which is the only independent major source I could find, von der Leyen plans to introduce some kind of mandatory old-age savings plan for freelancers. It doesn't say anything about making…
34 posts, 23:01 yesterday
Is university education now free in Germany?
Public university tuition is determined at the state level. IIRC, only Bavaria will have tuition from 2012 on- but confirm that. No public university teaches entirely in English, and most of the programs taught in English are at the graduate level. The better your German, the easier the time you will have studying here,…
12 posts, 22:35 yesterday
Best (cheapest) way of buying pounds
18 posts, 22:03 yesterday
Using a Fritz!Box DSL router in the UK
37 posts, 22:01 yesterday
Things not to do at apartment viewing
I once had a nutter friend who was pissed off at a particular real estate agency. Just to waste their time he called to view a house near a school, and while the agent was talking, he wandered off to a window with a view of the playground. He pulled a rifle scope out of his pocket and watched the playground through it.…
80 posts, 21:04 yesterday
Cancelling a gym membership
7 posts, 20:59 yesterday
Short term contract in London as a Freiberufler
58 posts, 20:49 yesterday
'Scheinselbständigkeit' and German pension system
No, as an Existenzgründer (= start-up self-employed) you have to explicitly apply for not paying into the state pension system. If you apply within 3 months of starting up, then you will be exempted from the compulsory contributions into the German state pension system from the very start (over 400€ a month if you…
42 posts, 20:33 yesterday
Solidarity tax may be against the Constitution
Posted image For the first time, a German court has ruled that the Solidarity Supplemental Tax (Solidaritätszuschlag) is unconstitutional. The Financial Court of Lower Saxony has forwarded a claim to the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe for a final decision. Originally, the tax was introduced in 1991 as a temporary measure to finance…
20 posts, 19:58 yesterday
Holiday schedule 2012 makes me happy!
Me too! I tentatively mentioned to my boss the day before she left for her christmas break this year that I would like to have a three-week holiday next year in order to visit my little sis in Oz - and that I was thinking of taking those three weeks in December followed by the christmas break. For three weeks and two…
38 posts, 19:48 yesterday
Kindergarten sends me a Mahnbescheid
The first thing you need to do is reject the Mahnbescheid within the required period (within two weeks). If you dont do this, your debt becomes "official" and can be enforced - If you do this they will have to take you to court and you will at least win some time. On the actual debt situation however, Im not…
6 posts, 19:20 yesterday
Advice for civilian moving to Stuttgart
Greetings, GiusiM! Well, that´s a lot of information you´re after! Fair enough. You´re new so here´s a little tip: go top right to the Search button and type in a few phrases such as " Americans moving to Germany ", " Cost of living in Germany " etc and you´ll find loads of relevant threads…
79 posts, 19:01 yesterday
Foolproof recipe for chocolate chip cookies
Posted image I finally mastered making chocolate chip cookies!!! Many thanks to Irenee, Smith, and to everyone else who posted and gave advice. As I live in Munich I didn't have access to Wurzener Kuchen Mehl. Therefore, I used the EDEKA 'professional' 405 flour and a bag of their regular 550 flour instead (just…
6 posts, 18:50 yesterday
Contest a bill for unclear service
5 posts, 18:37 yesterday
Starting a kinderkrippe business
30 posts, 16:17 yesterday
Wasting time by posting celebrity gossip
15 posts, 15:43 yesterday
Homework Mum helping out ...again!
Posted image So, this is the fair in question? Looks almost like the Cannstatter Wasen. I think I'd go with Jahrmarkt.Ein Jahrmarkt(andernorts auch Messe oder Kirmes) ist seit dem Mittelalter ein mehrtägiger Markt, der in einer Stadt einmal jährlich stattfindet und besondere Beachtung genießt. Heute wird die Bezeichnung auch…
53 posts, 14:27 yesterday
Photos taken with your mobile-phone's camera
4 posts, 14:08 yesterday
Flying on British Airways...
23 posts, 13:46 yesterday
Choosing b/w public or private mandatory insurance
I am assuming that HR/Payroll have told you that must make a decision stats because they need to feed your information (i.e. the applicable insurance costs) into the software to compute and pay-out your salary...right? Now, the decision about health insurance is not one you should do in haste - their a re a lot of issues…
20 posts, 13:26 yesterday
How to answer this interview question
What, as Al Chockycino, übermod of a major European social web forum? Big oversized thrones are a mistake,mate. It even makes a pro like Scarface look a bit small in that still shot. Congrats, btw, on getting to stage 2. This goal planning stuff has been continually growing in use around the hiring world since…
6 posts, 12:56 yesterday
E301 document for non-EU denied
36 posts, 12:28 yesterday
How low will the Euro go? EUR/USD below 1.30
48 posts, 12:06 yesterday
Laws about painting an apartment upon moving out
12 posts, 10:42 yesterday
Relegation match Hertha against Düsseldorf
17 posts, 10:24 yesterday
Planning a hens' day in Dingle
96 posts, 10:14 yesterday
Men with beards - What is their problem?
Posted image The great thing about beards and beard fashions is that while they distinguish one community from another, they also transcend barriers built by religion, caste and class. After all, only a man who sports one himself can truly appreciate another man’s beard! ze dudes…
29 posts, 09:22 yesterday
American looking for a job in Germany
I totally agree with Cincy. When my wife and I were still in the States she was applying and stating that we wanted to move overseas, or we planned on moving. When she changed it to say that we will be overseas it completely changed the number and types of response. All of a sudden potential…
77 posts, 08:12 yesterday
Measurements in Germany - Measuring, inches to what?
Wolf32, just in case you're wondering, here's a few more measurements in Germany. 1 million microphones = 1 megaphone 1 million bicycles = 2 megacycles 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds 10 cards = 1 decacards (or is it 52 cards = 1 deck-a-cards?) 1/2 lavatory = 1 demijohn 1…
5 posts, 08:05 yesterday
Working student in Berlin - Salary question
17 posts, 01:19 yesterday
Foreign Income and Taxes, double tax?
40 posts, 01:02 yesterday
Do a good deed every day!
Well, found a very wet and barely moving bumble bee (now named Burt) on my balcony and took him inside to dry off. Gave him some agavedicksaft, which kept him very happy for about an hour. Burt dried off, regained his strength and we let you go. Flew in two big circles and then up over…
4 posts, 00:07 yesterday
Alexander Marcus, what is the deal
46 posts, 15.May.2012
Why do some men love assholish behavior?
I saw the same at a wedding reception once: husband ignoring wife but talking to and dancing with other women. She spent most of the time sitting with other guests she had not met before. You'd think he'd be worried she'd leave him eventually. If his only attraction is money,…
9 posts, 15.May.2012
Opening a German bank account from abroad / London
27 posts, 15.May.2012
Maximising your vacation days in 2012
For those of you who missed it, the Abendzeitung ran an article showing how to optimize your use of days of vacation so as to maximize the length of time off (together). There is also a PDF of the proposed calendar showing the suggested dates on which to use vacation to make the long…
14 posts, 15.May.2012
Any permaculture enthusiasts here?
88 posts, 15.May.2012
Starting a U.S. food import business
They're ALL full of preservative, artifical everything, loaded with steriods and high fructose corn syrup. What doesn't make one fat, gives one cancer or makes one stupid. very true.. but some people just cant live without them it seems... I go sometimes on bases in the south of…
46 posts, 15.May.2012
English fantasy football league 2011/12
Posted image The DGW came and went. Viva la Deutsch extend their lead at the top and remain firm favourites. Big Shout-Outs to the following teams that all joined the Ton Club (minus hits) this DGW36: 119 - Green Bananas United 113 - The Bohs 109 - Frohlicham Forest 105 - Westpark United 102 - Viva…
8 posts, 15.May.2012
How to claim tax back?
28 posts, 15.May.2012
Biker sues BMW for 20-month erection
13 posts, 15.May.2012
Mathias Rust - Teenage pilot who landed on Red Square
Posted image On 28.May.1987 a 19 year old German guy called Mathias Rust made headlines around the world when he illegally flew his Cessna light aircraft from Hamburg to Moscow and landed in Red Square. The Soviets arrested him on landing and he was sentenced to four years hard labour. Rust said…
76 posts, 15.May.2012
Thoughts on starting a small business
I have a shop, I work 6 days a week minimum and it takes over your life. My advice would be sell online first then you know if you have something people actually want before going into bricks and mortar. It sounds like fun but its like having a child, it is a physical tie that dictates…
16 posts, 15.May.2012
Apple Macbook Chargers
85 posts, 15.May.2012
English-language TV with Kabel Deutschland
12 posts, 15.May.2012
Best German dictionary for iPhone
4 posts, 15.May.2012
Duden Rechtschreibprüfung software
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