What do you miss most about your home country?

The Subway joint here in Berlin has Mountain Dew

I'll bet it tastes more like sprite than Mt. Dew. wanna bet? (find the Mt. dew thread...)

I miss the cabin up in the BigHorn Mountains in Montana. The sheer wilderness. Catching salmon as big as your arm in the Powder River. The chance encounters with Grizzlies and mountain lions...savoring the adrenaline rush of being so close to such a dangerous creature, but always having the savvy to avoid confrontation and unslinging the gun. The joy of making that kind of connection with nature..without upsetting the balance.

Oh, wait. I've never been to Montana. But at least we had coyotes. Big as poodles..or border collies. Vicious critters. Eat the leg right off a small pig.

You had me going. I'm from Montana. The wide open space is what is amazing about MT. It's also funny in the stores and parking lots. Especially when I moved back from Korea. I was used to maneuvering on sidewalks like I had a sixth sense. In Missoula you have the whole huge store to maybe 4 people and one person will come down with a cart and wont' know how to get down the aisle because you are in it with your cart, no shit. Wrong thread I know.

So, I miss the idiots that can't get around me at the supermarket.

Sunshine. Sunshine. Sunshine.
People who are warm, friendly and good humoured as the rule rather than the exception!
Multi-culturalism being seen as a positive, rather than a negative, thing.

Not needing 58 layers in winter. 2 will do

Marmite

Kiwi logic

Over the top grotesque Christmas light displays
My grandma's Christmas tree with the vintage ornaments and old fashioned bubble lights
egg nog
my mom's Christmas cookies and fudge

non-Christmas specific:

Mexican food. Good pizza. Variety of food in the shops that one would actually want to eat instead of whole aisles devoted to wurst and hot dogs in jars.
shopping at Target, Ross, Whole Foods and Trader Joes
Decent clothes shopping, being able to buy trousers in a variety of lengths rather than have to get everything tailored, bargain hunting, Sunday shopping, shopping as a pleasant experience instead of something to dread...
Not having to buy certain items online from the US with all the added costs and occasional stress that entails

I have Marmite And that link is to the gross english version not our good one

I miss family and friends tons at xmas, haven't seen anyone (except my dad for a week) in two years! And I miss the huge xmas lunch at my grandparents house on the beach complete with pavlova and bbq. Yummy!

Most grocery stores should be opened on Dec 24th in the morning. Unless they are making an exception this year but that's how it is every year (unless the 24th falls on a Sunday of course).

i have made this displeasure known to the house and they all looked at me like i was nuts. i would go ahead and bring the tree in and set it up myself but i have no idea where the decorations are..i think they are being hidden in some place that i know nothing about. there has been enough boat rocking about various things around here so i figure i'll just suck it up considering this is the last christmas that we will be here and next year when the tree is up after thanksgiving i can take a long deep sigh and then be sick of looking at it right before christmas lol. a couple of years ago my roomate and i had our christmas tree up until february and it was perfectly fine. the reason ours is not up now is because apparently the heat makes it look ugly ???

I MISS PETSMART!!! i hate german pet stores...there is nothing in them. We have a Yorkie and he's freezing and I know how silly it is to put a sweater on a dog, but its cute and I can't find anything for him at the pet stores here, not to mention that the selection of anything sucks.

I never thought I would say this, considering when we were home the german family enforced me to go 2 and three times a day. But I miss Wal-Mart. The convenience of buying everything but clothing in one place is great. The sad thing is, Walmart has a better selection of everything than any German supermarket that I've ever been into. I can get quality fresh produce at Walmart and don't have to go to two or three different stores like I do here in Germany.

I miss buying shampoo, conditioner and bodywash in large bottles. I have long hair and buying shampoo and conditioner every single week, twice when someone else in the house is using it too is so annoying. if anyone knows where you can buy larger bottles please, let me know. i have only a few more months left here, but it would be nice to know anyway.

I've been away from Arkansas for almost six months now and I can say that I only miss a few things:
1) My mum's roast
2) Watergate Salad (though my mum did send me all the stuff to make it for Xmas this year!)
3) My annoying little cousin and nephews

Thanks Mariposa, I hope you're right about the stores on the 24th.

I forgot the daily battle of showering with a curtain without magnets...I learned to shower with one hand holding the curtain back. Argh!

oh wait, this should be in the 'you've been in germany too long when you start...' thread.

The only things I really miss are Whole Foods and, oddly, the highway signs. I used to drive a lot of long distances in the US so I guess I have associated a lot of happy memories with the signs.

Ah yes, the dear sweet signs. But beware, some are not to be trusted. My absolute favorite "See Ruby Falls! The largest underground waterfall". Ok, we wanted to see that! Yes, it's 145 feet high. But the stream of water is no bigger than my thigh. My wife and I were laughing out of control when the dramtic music turned off and the lights came on. It was truely pathetic and we PAID to see it. But after seeing signs for hundreds of miles, we thought it would be worth it.

Cheap, but best ever, beef.
Eating steak off the homemade fire-pit in the backyard each night with a few cold DB Golds to wash them down.
My mini ganja plantation in the backyard.

Buy a big bottle of coke. Drink the coke. Wash the bottle. Pour contents of multiple shampoo bottles into big coke bottle. Send me €10 for giving you the idea. Done.


Really? I've been to a few. They normally sell all that I need.


Ah, now I get you. You hate German pet stores, because they only sell pet-related products, not FUCKING IDIOT-RELATED PRODUCTS, LIKE A FUCKING SWEATER FOR A DOG.

@ Odenwalter: That reminds me of seeing Plymouth Rock. The most anticlimactic moment in all of historical American tourism.

Anyway, the signs I miss are the boring highway directional signs: exit 25 next right, next service station 4 miles, etc. Different from the blue signs here, sometimes I feel a little pang when I miss the white and green ones in the US. Silly, I know.

No, not really silly. And my German wife has started wondering why they (Germany) don't have the signs saying what gas station or what fast food joint is off the next exit. Since we are limited to Esso stations off the autobahn, it would help to know before we get off the autobahn and arrive in random_rinky-dink_town if they had an Esso or not.

The ocean. Decent seafood.

Robert, Boston

@Junebug: The pet stores here are awful! It's no better than the "feed & seed" back home. No designer duds for posh pups! I have a Yorkie too, and he has a couple of coats and one sweater that I was going to sell..small & x-small..like new! PM me for pics if you want!

Ok, someone had to bring up shopping.

I miss Nordstroms. Bloomies. Anthropologie. Saks and yes..even Target!

Starbucks white chocolate mocha, venti, with soy.

I miss a smoky jazz bar and a good martini, with good friends.

Being able to get a decent job or sell on ebay like I used to. Also, I miss Christmas parties. My husbands school had theirs in the freaking library this year, party party, what a joke.

Come to Schleswig-Holstein. Excellent fish on the Husum quayside in Summer/Autumn. Maybe not lobster as in Boston area but other stuff is good.

How often do you wash your hair?

Proper sausages, Baked Beans, Salt and Vinegar Pringles.

Being able to speak to and understand people.

Christmas Crackers ; ; My husband says they do sell crackers in Germany but only at new years. (weird) I can't find any anywhere. Anyone else had any luck?

Heinz baked beans are all over the shop, or are they not the type you're after?

Get an esso map, they list all of the esso stations, or go to this website & stick in your route...Esso map


They have them in Tedi here & also butlers, (don't know if thats just a local store or not), don't you have anyone at home that can send you some? My mum said they had some pretty good ones in Lidl for a fiver, pretty ironic that is!

A demographic mix with a lower proportion of foreigners. Oh no, actually that's no longer true...

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every day!!! but when i can buy a big bottle i only have to buy it almost every two weeks. but when the mooches are at my little bottle it only lasts like three days. i am talking about the huge bottles of pantene pro-v that are sold in the states. not these little mini ones they sell of everything here.

1) friends and family
2) convenience- you can get nearly anything anytime in the US
3) fresh seafood

The snow

junebugs, are you sure you don't use too much shampoo? Mine lasts me 1-2 months and I also use quite a lot...
At any rate you could also just buy more bottles at once. That way you don't have to go to the store all the time.

Nice people who open doors for others and don't push past shoving you into walls, sidewalks and other people!

Also Thanksgiving and big family meals. things are so different here.

I truly miss wider road so I can drive my suv, giving a bird to the other driver without getting a ticket, seeing bicyle ride on the sidewalk not on the road. I will be in the state in January for couple of wks. Florida here I come. Real chinese food ahhhhhhh, outback steakhouse, Apple, Wendy, DairyQueen ice cream, and Home Depot.

well its being used by three people. I have to admit i am a crazy hair washer. i do the serious lathering, but it still doesn't use as much as one would think. i do buy extra bottles, but then the extra bottles are taken (even when i've tried to hide them) and used. grr!!! not to mention i have this special tea tree cleansing shampoo that is for like twice a month. its 16€ a bottle and that is being used. i can't wait to be back where my sisters are where with common sense you replace what you have used of someone elses, or easier than that buy your own stuff. anyway enough about the shampoo. lol.

i miss WAWA...they have the best coffee...miss the beach...and right now i miss shopping malls, so i don't have to freeze my ass off running from store to store. well even in the rain that sucks. i miss luna de luna wine, i can't find it anywhere around here. i miss having neighbors that say hello. the neighbors here don't even look in our direction. the only time we hear from them is when they want their package or the dogs are barking at 6:30 pm and they are being disturbed in their backyard. amazing that the neighbors wife is afraid of our 2 pd yorkie. nevermind the 13 pd pomeranian.

Is it your roommates who use it? My roommate who moved out a few weeks ago used to use my other roommate's John Frieda shampoo, she was pretty pissed off because you cannot even buy it in Spain, and apparently in France it is even more expensive than in Germany (my roommate is from France). She then kept it in a drawer instead of the shelf in the shower, but I would find that pretty annoying to have to remember to put it in and take it out of the shower every time you wanna take a shower.
I think it is a matter of mutual respect not to use someone else's stuff without asking or take turns buying it if you're going to share it. We all don't share shampoo etc. and the new roommate does not use our shampoo so now it's okay...

Ah invisible man the idea of Florida is captivating at this moment. I came to Germany from Melbourne and I have spent the last 3 months buying coats and sweaters. I miss the warmth. Does anyone remember what it feels like to be warm in Germany? I must be out of my mind!! I wanna go home ... LOL

Is the Florida Chinese food really better than Germam Chinese food then?

How about Chinese food in China then?

Or the chinese german food?

Maybe the Chinese will be a bit better at putting a bit of flavour into it?

I would take any beans! but even Heinz I can't find. Husband says he's never heard of it. I must be living in the back end of nowhere I guess.

I believe I've left it a little too late to get some from England, I just presumed I could get some here >.< hmm I'm sure there's a Lidl around here somewhere, but I would have thought the bigger shops would have some! Thankyou for the advice ^^

down here Real carries them, as well as Hellman's mayo, don't know if that helps you guys up north.

Heinz Beanz available up here. Maybe not in EVERY supermarket but we have several tins in the cellar. Its strange - my 50:50 German/British kids just love beans on toast.

Dear Webfriends away from home,

I was born in San Francisco and was raised in a little town called Marion, Iowa.

What makes me homesick? Well, luckily, I'll be going back to the California for 2 weeks interviewing and visiting relatives.

I stayed away from USA for adventure, get back to my roots, travel, love, new culture... and long vacation away from the Bush Administration. What I miss the most right now, is what's happening currently in Iowa in relation to the presidential debates. The people in Iowa are generally very sweet with family values. When given a decision on character, ethic and morality are very important contributions. These qualities play a part in the day to day living of the Midwestern's moral fiber and plays a big role in deciding if a candidate is genuine or not. A lot of these boys who are going to war come from the Heartland. Their patriotism for the country is the backbone of America's heritage...and most of them happen to come from the 4th or 5th generation German whose family left Germany because of economic, social, religious and political repression.

In Iowa, when given a chance, it's guaranteed to receive a smile from a perfect stranger. My hometown grocery store, HyVee had a slogan, "Where there's a helpful smile, in every aisle!" And it was true. When you invite a customer, a stranger, a foreigner into your home or business...you first greet with a warm heart and you hope that the feeling is returned. And comes back to you again...without a question.

I also miss the wildlife...red squirrels, rabbits, ducks, eagles, hawks, deer, farm animals and etc. My favorite birds were (and still are!) the Robin, Cardinal and the Blue Jay. When it's snowy outside and there's a blanket of snow everywhere, it was really fun to watch the natural wildlife. The red Cardinal during Christmas was especially beautiful in the snow. Because this area was sunny for most of the winter, you would also get these beautiful icicles coming from the house rooftops. As a child growing up in Iowa during Christmas, everything appeared like a sparkly diamond...teeming with positive life.

I don't get the Heinz Bean fascination. Do you really enjoy eating them? Or is it more a nostalgia thing? I've seen them in a few places in Berlin, usually next to marshmallows or Fluff. If you ask me, the positioning isn't helping either product. Yak.

Don't get the impression we eat em every day! I guess on average about once per month or even less - often when in a hurry.

Yorkshire Fish & Chips.

I think I'll get myself some fish and have another go at recreating this one this weekend.

Nileisis,
I was raised in Iowa City and I have relatives all over Iowa. I have a niece & nephew in Marion. You got me thinking now. As a kid I used to get stuck in snow up to my waist. We had a big hill near our school and we took our sleds to school. So now, after living in warm places for 25 years I am getting used to the cold again. I keep saying to myself, this is just like home...LOL

Oh BTW I do NOT miss the politics. It will be interesting to watch and see what happens though. You get a whole new perspective from here.

Maybe we are spoiled, but we have a couple good Chinese restaurants here. I like them anyway.

[img]http://www.deutschland-flirt.com/images/cards/cards/funpic01.jpg[/img]

Ah, so it's for the extra propulsion.