sos-the-rope

  You win Germany

  I'm sure you can think of something (you just did!)...   I'm happy today because I just did 2 really Germany things    - booked off a Friday after bank holiday Thursday to get a long weekend  - planned something dumb but harmless to do on fathers' day   I feel like a model citizen

  Generally speaking I wasn't earning enough to pay much tax in the UK anyhow I don't mind paying back any pennies they decide to scrape together at any point. Certainly I never got enough to have e.g. a living from a pension in later life (what's "retirement"?!)...    

Time for tax fun!   I'll get us kicked off.   How can I get the figures for the "Nebenkosten" if I've lost the original letter and my landlord company is a right old shower?   Similar question in case the answer is "check your bank statements" - what if I only get these online, and the stupid banking app only shows a short time span?

  I've faffed around with the interface a lot, I guess it's designed this way to make you pay for old data.

  Wow. Never shred anything to do with taxes in Germany. To be safe, anything with money involving more than a couple of yoyos.

  Yup, I reconsidered and grabbed the postal vote form that's been gathering dust here.   Hopefully it will get there in time. As always I seriously doubt it will make the blindest bit of difference but hey ho, pushing the water back up the waterfall we go.

So months ago I registered to vote in the UK as I do every year.   Also this year got my confirmation of German citizenship, and they put me on the register here as a German citizen.   Apart from this I’ve done nothing proactive but somehow I’ve received voting papers for the EU elections BOTH here AND in the UK.   what’s going on? Anyone else get 2 sets of voting papers? Are duals allowed to vote in both countries?! I’d assume we’re not. Any need to inform the other country once we’ve voted in one?

Does anyone know of, or can anyone share, a comprehensive list of Germanisms in English (typically German English mistakes), maybe with examples / exercises for kids to learn the real English expressions?   I'm thinking of things like "dinner will be ready until (by) 6pm", or "soccer is the same like (as) football", "how (what) is your friend called?", etc. etc.? Good English speakers, including native speakers start speaking like this, too, I've noticed.   Is there a good (cheap) book like this? I wonder if it would be good for the (native speaker!) English teachers at my kids' school too???

Apparently there's 429 people online right now! Post something here! Say hello! Not you usual suspects though. Let the lurkers have a turn.

When I was a kid we coveted chicken pox like gold dust.   When one kid had it the whole kindergarten / pre-school got it and parents were anxious to make sure you got it too, not quite to the point of lining up to be touched by the luck patient as if we all had the King's Evil, but pretty close.   Where are the Chicken Pox Parties in Germany?! Are all the kids clinically immunised? Or do they just keep little Finn and Ronja home for 3 weeks so that none of the class mates get it and we can all die of shingles later in life?

  Yup, all signs point to illegal.   ill probably go with the DE then.

Hmmmm Die Zeit reports: no one cares:   https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2014-05/europawahl-doppelte-staatsbuergerschaft-doppelte-wahlbenachrichtigung

  Ah, cwap. OK. Then I’m happy for them to avoid it I suppose!

It would be kind of morbidly fascinating to see the stats of what people do look at...

  People come here just to read? Crimes, 12 year old dodgy outdated advice, up to the minute snarky comments, a 20,000 post long thread on Trump... no, wait, the pull is irresistible...

  You're definitely no lurker!

  Yeah, I'll take any old iron. Any old iron. Any Any Any old iron.

  I'm pretty sure iron could be ion or i-ern even within the UK.

  I always assumed the a = e thing was because people learn some version of American English in most Continental European countries?   In Lithuania the official spelling of (American) English words is indeed with an e, not an a. Superman = Supermenas etc.

  It's pretty disgraceful.   The English already did a sterling job of mangling Latin and French. We perfected the art.   We don't need Germans coming along and mangling them again.

  Makes sense. I guess that younger kids mainly learn the poor "English" of the previous generation then maybe get better later when they hear actual English.

So the "Property management" company for our rental home has changed 2 times in 3 years... is this a bad sign or normal for Frankfurt?   There's no special difference in the quality of services I can see, nor is the rent going up more than usual (they said that outright in the notice).

I'm pondering setting up a standing order so that we push the money to them every month, and I'll send them a monthly confirmation and call them for a chat to make sure their accountant does his job.   Is there any way to avoid / fix the situation (unlikely) where the standing order goes out AND the management company suddenly find the time to set up a SEPA?

  Glitter hand?!   Perfect post-Rio-Carneval reading?!?!