The World of German Insurance, part ii

Being an adult can be a bit tricky--there are so many things you have to remember and take responsibility for. Break a rule unknowingly and *BAM!* pay a fine, pay a fee, pay a penalty... there's just so many ways to screw up without realizing, it seems.

The last couple of days have been filled with surprises regarding this mandatory health insurance--things I wasn't aware of when I first came to Germany. I hope to sort it all out soon... but I shan't bore you with details.

Instead I will say that we are in fact three days away to the opening of the Christmas markets here in Germany! Nuremberg is all ready to go, all we need is our darling Christkind to read her poem and then the  glühwein will pour out by the liters and the lebkuchen will be munched on by the bag full.

This week is Thanksgiving in America.  I don't think I'll replicate my attempt at cooking a big bird like last year, probably just keep it simple but for all those celebrating:  Happy Thanksgiving!

Christkind 2009 making a public appearance in Nuremberg.

**The above photo is not my property.

The Insured and The Uninsured

Living in Germany requires health insurance. Its the law, you've got to have it.

When I first arrived in Germany, I thought having EU citizenship would help me to get the state/public insurance in Germany, but when I spoke with them (AOK,VKK), they said "No can do." Something about having lived in America and having had private insurance earlier... not sure it made sense, but as I hadn't put any money into the system at the time, I thought it was fair enough.

As I'm a freelancer, I don't get health insurance covered by my job(s), so I've got to find a way to insure myself privately. I looked around fearing the worst as insurance fees in the US can be quite daunting for a fresh-out-of-college girl with student loans to pay back. To my great relief, someone told me about a private insurance for non-EU citizens planning to stay in Germany (or Europe) for over one year and so I checked it out, sounded good and signed up. http://www.provisit.com/ The company is called Provisit and its run by a Dr. Walter (That's Dr. V-v-valter, not W-w-walter ;) German W.)

The thing is, under this insurance, no dental work is included unless its a pain-searing emergency--and then only up to 200 Euros. Not even a cleaning, nothing. So, what to do when a tooth starts acting up? The obvious and first choice 'go to a dentist' didn't seem too appealing to me without insurance so I've been trying to find other alternatives.

I came across this Ayurvedic practice (on the web) called Oil Pulling.

Any one ever heard of it?

Its insanely simple which makes it all the more appealing and on the opposite side a bit unbelievable. But people swear by it.

On an empty stomach (preferably first thing in the morning, before breakfast) take a tablespoon of a natural unrefined, cold-pressed vegetable oil, recommended are sunflower, coconut and sesame oil, and put it in your mouth. (Its not as gross as it sounds.)Then swish it in between your teeth and in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. When times up, don't swallow, spit it out (preferably toilet or garbage, so it doesn't clog the sink). If the oil is still clear-looking means you didn't do it long enough. It should be white in color. This oil/saliva mix is meant to have drawn out the toxins and heavy metals from the body and also help restore oral health (gums and teeth). There are even more radical healing claims from practitioners I've read on the web--but so far, in the four days I've been doing it, all I can attest to is that my mouth does in fact feel cleaner and my teeth look whiter.

--give it a quick Google first, if you decide to try it out yourself.

I'm going to give it a try for another week or two and if there's no improvement, its back to choice A--the dentist. :/

Wishing you good health in the winter months ahead,
Diana

Leaving the world war image behind...

When Americans think of Germany, the Nazis and Hitler are certainly one of the first things they think of. World War II has major appeal to many, perhaps because what happened was so beyond comprehension or because America played a big part in helping to defeat the 'ultimate evil' of that time. Certainly the media plays a role as well. With the exception of lederhosen and beer, Germany doesn't really get recognized for too much else in pop culture. Without even doing a search, I can list a handful of movies/shows that reinforce this: Eurotrip, the Simpsons, Inglorious Bastards, Schindler's List, La Vita e Bella, The Pianist and the list goes on.

Nuremberg is certainly an important city in regards to this historical time period, but its easy to forget how recent this history is. Nuremberg, like many German cities in 1945, was 90% destroyed by bombs. The fact that I can walk along streets that less than 70 years ago were entirely rubble (see picture below) is a bit mind-numbing. The former Adolf Hitler Platz (which became the name of many main markets during the war) is now back to being the normal Hauptmarkt where you can buy fresh flowers and fruits and vegetables at most times of the year. With the exception of the Dokuzentrum, the former Nazi Party rally grounds (a bit outside of the city--which is now a huge park) and a few photos/postcards, one would never guess.

Though they are force-fed Second World War history every year in school (and I’ve been told it is required by some schools for the students to visit a concentration camp), Germans certainly don't walk around with their heads down. The war still continues to effect politics in many ways but even that is beginning to change. Germany isn’t just willing to pay for things anymore out of guilt, and they have and continue to contribute to the economy, technologies and sciences in Europe and in the world at large.

If you consider that they started and (lost) two major world wars, had their cities bombed to the ground, their country split in half (one under socialist ideology and the other capitalist) and then unified together again all in just 65 years, and yet still manage to hold their own on a global scale--I think they deserve some credit.

Some (somewhat) useful information I've acquired...

I've been here in Germany for well over a year now (but not quite a year and a half yet).  Besides the usual of finding a German course or looking for an apartment, here are some other things that I've figured out along the way so far...

1.Social Life
As soon as you settle in, you will find yourself needing one of these again. Find a tandem partner as a start, talk to people in your German course, look on a website like Toytowngermany.com and find yourself an interest group or event going on that interests you and go. Just go. It will fight off the feeling of loneliness or uselessness you might get when being away from home (wherever or whomever that may be for you).

2. Allow yourself to go nuts.
Not off the deep end nuts, or even with your credit card nuts, what I mean is that from my own experience, life can be frustrating in another country sometimes, allow yourself to get pissed off or annoyed. Get upset, figure out why you are upset (you may be surprised that its not quite the most obvious reason). Then pull yourself together and try not to hate Germany for it. A good mantra: Different doesn't mean wrong.

3. Find a go-to guide
Either in the form of a book, a forum or even better a live person, find someone who has "been there, done that" and preferably speaks German well to help you out. You will need help. If not in language, then figuring out how things work (or how to fix them when they don't.)

4. Visit home.
It will put things in perspective for you, whether in a positive way (you might be glad you can go back to Germany after the visit), negative way (you might realize that you don't want to be in Germany forever) or in a neutral way (no place is perfect). In any case, get yourself out of Germany after a while and give yourself a chance to revamp.

Surely others who have been abroad longer have more to add to this list... feel free to share.

The view from my window these days...

The not so apparent apartment renting rules of Germany...

After 3 1/2 weeks in America, I'm back in Germany. I didn't realize how much I actually missed home until I got there. I've been back since Monday evening. The jet lag hasn't worn off yet so I find myself wide awake at midnight and in the mornings unable to wake up without hitting the snooze button nine times. From one day to the next, I left late summer and jumped right into late fall. Germans are walking around with boots and winter jackets, scarves and hats. The weather is definitely cool here, but I'm not sure it warrants winter gear just yet.

The good news is I've returned to Germany to find that we have about 90% secured an apartment. Finally! We've been searching for a while without success and then just before David and I headed off to the States we agreed to try and find an apartment together with another couple. Every country has their own way of doing things, but every time I think I've come to understand Germany a little bit better, I find something new that catapults me back to the starting line again.

What I've learned thus far about apartment renting in Germany:

1. When finding a one room apartment, that does not mean it is a one bedroom. One room, means one room. Two rooms means two rooms. Germans count room number, how you define or use those rooms is up to you. Three rooms equates to three rooms plus a bathroom and often (but not always) a separate kitchen.

2. Speaking of kitchen, Germans like to travel from place to place with them. They invest a lot into their cooking crannies, so they don't leave them behind, unless of course you are going to reimburse them for it.

 3.  Be aggressive.   It seems like there are more renters than apartments available.  The only way you have a shot in Helsinki is to be annoyingly persistent, and yet even then that didn't seem to work for us.

4. Provisions. This word took on a whole new meaning when searching for an apartment here in Germany. Provisions is what the Germans call paying 2-3 months of rent to a real estate agent for finding the apartment for you. The thing is, they actually don't find the apartment for you. You find it yourself. And what's more, even when you go to see the apartments, often they aren't present, its left to the current tenant to show you around the place. Now, I'm sure there's a lot of paperwork and things involved that I don't see, but it's a painful thought to think I have to pay a person I've spoken to for a total of perhaps 30 minutes 3 months rent, which could equate to 600 Euros, 1000 Euros, or if you're renting a house, several thousand Euros.

5. This is a new one I discovered today. So Germans charge a fee to people living in the apartment if they are, what they call Untermieter. So say you are renting an apartment with a few people and it is under X's name. Y, if not directly related to X, is required to pay 2.50 Euros extra a month because he or she is living there. The fee is clearly not astronomical, but I don't understand the logic behind charging the fee in the first place. If the apartment is X's and Y and Z live there, then both must pay the 2.50, even if they are presumably paying rent also. Why? Beats me.

I'm sure there will be more surprises along the way but for now all the paperwork is in, so here's hoping.

Endlich!

I taught my last English lesson tonight until I will return in September,
tomorrow I finish my intensive German course.
Saturday, its off to Munich & Daniela comes from San Marino.
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday is packing, organizing lessons and putting our room into some kind of semblance of order.
Wednesday is off to the airport.

Until I return, I am taking a vacation from Germany, the German language and the German life--in other words, no blog updates.

Hope you're enjoying your summer.
Peace out and see you in September.

~Diana

**photo was taken off of www.mancubist.co.uk