Week 2: Settling In

We’re getting into the swing of things and starting to feel like we actually live here. Jake and I joined a gym down the street and I’ve wormed my way into the Munich tennis scene. On that note, I do not understand the appeal of clay courts- they’re so messy! I attended a clinic on Sunday and made friends with a woman from India who moved to Munich four years ago and has been looking for a tennis partner.  We were able to play at the courts right by our house (also where our gym is).

The courts have a biergarten attached to them and, best of all, a club DOG. This is the laziest dog I’ve ever seen- he lays in the doorway by the check-in desk and will NOT budge when someone enters. I took a big step right over him and he didn’t blink an eye.  All tennis clubs should have a club dog! BTTC- start interviewing now.

One major difference with the girls’ new school is that they celebrate religious holidays (in a non-religious fashion). Friday was devoted to a surprise Easter celebration in which Eden’s class got treated to this incredible spread and an egg hunt while Hadley’s class had an outdoor picnic.

I completely understand why our US schools don’t celebrate holidays, but it sure was fun for them (in fact, they reported that they had “the most amazing day!”). Now the girls are on a two week break for Easter (just when our work schedules were really ramping up- sigh). On that note, Good Friday, Easter Sunday AND Easter Monday are all public holidays in which all grocery stores and shops are closed. I can only imagine what the germans would think of grocery stores open on Christmas Day in the US…. 

Hadley’s class theme for the week was “health and well-being.”  What did this entail with a bunch of small children, you ask?  Making and eating hazlenut creme (read: Nutella). Consuming Nutella definitely benefits my well-being too.

I’ve been trying to walk around new neighborhoods as a work break and just can’t get over how beautiful the buildings are. This was a little courtyard right next to a bus stop I was waiting at the other day. For all I know, it’s something mundane like an insurance office, but I took a pic anyways. 

It’s also pretty awesome that sometimes the errands we need to run are right in the Marienplatz. I feel extremely lucky to call this place home for the next few months. 

Weekend Exploring

On Saturday we went to Cafe Glucksind in Haidhausen, a beautiful neighborhood directly south of us. This is the original “kinder cafe” in which parents can drink their cappuccinos in peace while kids buzz around on the bikes and scooters owned at the cafe. Jake and I enjoyed a traditional European brunch loaded with 4 different types of bread, cheeses, spreads, and MEAT. It reminded me of the daily breakfast in my dorm in Prague when I studied abroad.

And we all felt like we were in a carb-induced coma afterwards. 

Eden and I hopped on our bikes in the afternoon and explored the bike paths around our neighborhood. She’s getting so confident on her bike and chats with me the entire time she’s riding (for example, she asked me two different times, “what’s your third favorite breed of dog?”). I sure do love the one on one time with her! 

Sunday morning we headed to Olympia Park (home to the 1972 Summer Olympics) so I could do a tennis clinic while Jake and the girls visited the SeaLife aquarium.

Afterwards, we trekked uphill (as in, a series of extremely STEEP hills) to a Spielplatz with quite the view! That's the Olympic Tower in the distance and a view of the rest of the park. The BMW headquarters are also in Olympia Park, though the girls have ZERO interest in going.

Cultural Observations

Water- I’ve found almost no public water fountains and have yet to see anyone carrying a water bottle with them. Even the gym doesn’t have a water fountain or place to fill up a bottle! The only place to fill up a water bottle in the psychology department is the bathroom sink. Are germans dehydrated? Are americans over-hydrated? There are bottles of water in my office, but I have to put coins in a piggy bank and I never have cash or coins (see below)! 

Dogs- There are noticeably fewer dogs here in Munich, but the ones that we do see are allowed everywhere and often do not have a leash. Leave it to the germans to be excellent at training their pups. I was walking to the Psych department on quite a busy, pedestrian-filled street and saw two different dogs walking leashless with the crowd as if they were on their way to a meeting. Absolutely delightful.  We’ve also been surprised to see that the most common type of dog is a dauschund. And not just your classic dauschund, all kinds of mixes with fun names (Dorgis, doxles, Jackschunds and Schweenies!). 

Cash- The only time we ever use cash at home is to pay our 16 year-old babysitter (hi Addy!!) who doesn’t have Venmo. People use cash for everything here and it’s actually the default when you check out such that you have to ask to pay with a card (“Kann ich mit karte bezahlen?”). I’m not talking about a 3 euro gelato, but even big orders over 100 euro. I went to an expat yoga class and they were commiserating about the low-techness of Germany. One woman explained that she filled out an online form only to get her confirmation number physically mailed to her afterwards. So NOT the stereotype I had of Germany as a techy, efficient superpower. To the “geldautomat” (ATM) we go.  

We have our first set of visitors coming in this week (the Sloan fam!) and off to PRAGUE we go! Thanks for following along! Auf wiedersehn…