First Full Day in Germany - July 27th

So my first full day in Germany was jam packed with activity. After breakfast, which is fantastic by the way, Petra and I took the bus into Mainz to see if we could work out some logistical issues. Our first goal of the day was to see if we could open a bank account for me. Our first stop was Sparkasse, which didn’t work out because one it is mainly for savings etc., but also because Sparkasse in Mainz, which is Rheinland-Pfalz, is different than Sparkasse in Geisenheim, which is Hessen. So then we were off to Postbank which was looking good until they requested my permanent address and residence permit which I do not have yet. Oops! So then Petra and I went to the residence office which was jam packed full of people, so we decided to come back another day early in the morning when hopefully the office will be less busy.
We were then off to Aldi which is a major supermarket in Germany. Shopping at Aldi is quite an experience and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Not only does the store have some pretty cool food and treats, but everything you hear about the “friendliness” or perhaps lack there of in the cashiers is absolutely true! It is kind of funny at first but then ends up just being unfortunate. So first of all, if you are lucky enough to manage to get all your items onto the conveyor belt before the cashier starts ringing you up, then you are in good shape. If not, some of your food might end up on the floor, not really, but at the very least you will receive a not so nice look from the cashier. The key, I learned, is to position your cart on the opposite side of the register so that as the cashier scans your items, you can quickly grap them and return them to your cart. After all the food is rung up, you quickly pay and then push your cart (full of items again) over to a shelf where you can then pack your items into bags that hopefully you yourself have brought along. It’s actually efficient once you get the hang of if, but I do miss the friendly pleasantries often heard in American super markets. So much for hearing “How are you doing today?” or “did you find everything alright?”……ahh Trader Joes…what will I do without you??
One thing I know I will not miss is the high price of wine in the states. So far most of the wine I have seen here ranges in price from 2 to 7 maybe 10 Euros. None of this crazy $50 dollar bottle stuff like in States. And from what I hear, all the wine under 10 Euros is pretty darn good. I guess that means I will have more money to spend on….something. So after Aldi we hopped back on the bus and returned home. While Petra and I were out, Werner had also gone into town to purchase a German outlet adapter for my computer. All of the adapters I brought with me only had two prongs for most regular devices, however my computer has three prongs. Werner was able to find an adapter that was also a power converter. So far it is working well.
Later that afternoon Sonja, her husband Thomas, and their son Jason came over to her parents’ home. Jason is ten years old and tons of fun. We all went down to the local park to play a bit of soccer and throw the ball for their dog Hollie. Hollie is a one year old grey and white German Shepherd. It is easy to mistake her for a Husky because of her coloration, but her face definitely gives away her German Shepherd background. After playing soccer we walked to the nearby rose garden to check it out. In the garden is a fountain that Hollie loves to play in, and within seconds she was jumping in and out chasing the water. That night we all ate together with the meal cooked by Sonja and Petra. We had fleischwurst on bread with cheese and an egg on top along with tomatoes and mozzarella in a white cream sauce and a potato salad. For desert we had fresh baked apple pie. What a meal! After dinner Werner, Petra, and I took a walk outside in the Volks Park. We ran into and chatted with some of the neighbors, and simply enjoyed the fresh air.