The Honor System

There are some days where living abroad can just beat you down and you succumb to the frustrations of living somewhere with a totally different system and having trouble communicating. 

But then there are other days when something happens and you are so thankful for the differences.  

We bought some DVDs Saturday and then left the bag at another store.  We tried to go back, but the store already had closed for the weekend. 

In most cases and places, you'd just write off ever getting back your DVDs. But we decided to take the chance that someone had found it and turned it in to the store. 

I'd prepared and rehearsed in my head what to say in German and tried to figure out how to prove that they were our DVDs without the receipt. And after all of that, it was about a 30 second exchange of "I left a bag with 3 DVDs here Saturday, do you have it?" and "Is this it?" "Great, have a nice day."

There are a million blog posts out there about how parts of Germany still work on the honor system (subway tickets, etc), so I won't rehash the details. But I will say how nice it is that somet days the system works in your favor and sometimes things are easy!

Sauna Ettiquette

When I opened up the internet last week, the Yahoo!Deutschland homepage immediately caught my eye with it's front page article "Sauna Ettiquette: How Naked is Too Naked?"

While I'm a little bit too old to giggle simply at the sight of the word "naked," I did laugh at realizing that the uncertainty over what to do in the sauna isn't just a question for tourists and expats.   

My first visit to a German sauna was a bit of the opposite experience...I'd been so forewarned by other Americans that the German saunas are textilfrei (i.e., no bathing suits allowed) that I didn't bother to take one with me at all when I visited the Therme Erding in Munich.  After I travelled quite a ways on public transportation to get there, there was no way I was going back to get a bathing suit after I finding out that there was a textilfrei part and another part that allowed bathing suits!  

I have to say, it was an empowering experience. Of course, I went alone and didn't know anyone there, so it was a bit easier when everyone is a stranger! But I also realized that no one has a perfect body and probably most people are either (1) not caring what you or they look like, or (2) so worried about how they look that they don't even notice you. 

But, given my general confusion about what are the rules of the sauna, it's pretty amusing to see a German story about the same questions. I guess I'd just assumed that everyone here knows the rules and we tourists or new arrivals were the only ones confused!

So, out of curiosity, what are the rules of sauna ettiquette according to this article? 

• Proper Preparation 

Whether it's just a quick shower outside the sauna or avoiding garlic/onions for a few days prior, take steps to ensure you don't smell bad. And don't wear perfume.

• Proper Attire

Funny when you don't wear anything, but be sure to bring a small towel (for the pre-sauna shower), a large towel (to sit on in the sauna), and flip flops. (And they mention that using the towel to reserve a chair in the relaxation room is frowned upon)

• Good Courtesy

Just like in an elevator or waiting room, you should politely greet everyone upon entrance. And avoid being a space-invader by asking "is this space free?" before sitting next to someone. 

• No Chattering or Staring

While most saunas allow some talking (some are strictly for silent relaxing), it does seem like good common sense to refrain from too much talking, especially gossipping, talking about work (not relaxing) or talking about how hot that guy/girl over there is. And of course, while you don't have to stare at the floor, don't let your gaze linger on anyone. Very few like to be stared at while they're naked!

• Sweat in Style

I'm a little surprised that this has to be said, but I do hear complaints so it must be true. Don't do anything that others might find disgusting. Meaning, a public sauna isn't the place for shaving, clipping toenails, sweat-scraping, or other personal grooming. 

• Your boss in the sauna

My personal favorite on the list, since I avoided the sauna in my gym due to the fact that so many male co-workers worked out there. But, what do you do if you run into your boss or coworker in the sauna? Just greet him/her politely and try to find a place where you're both looking in the same direction. And above all, maintain the #1 rule: What happens in the sauna, stays in the sauna. Not that anything significant can happen in the sauna when sticking to prescribed ettiquette....but wise advice not to go back to work and talk about your colleague's cellulite or the size of anything. 

 

Many of these rules came from the site of the German ettiquette authority, Knigge.de. If you're curious about a particular social situation, or just feel like browsing and looking for interesting items, it's a good resource. 

Friday Photo Favorite: The Höllentalklamm

Making A Dirndl

It took a year (during which I spent most of that time working too much and planning a wedding instead of sewing), but I finally finished the dirndl I started!

Probably a pretty crazy idea since I didn't have much sewing experience, but I'm so glad I did it. I learned a lot about sewing, many new German terms, and I learned a lot about trachten. I look at dirndls in a totally different way now, having sewn one. And I have a lot of respect for how well-constructed my wedding dirndl is!

Oh, and I'm pretty sure I now know then entire inventory of both the Oberpollinger and Karstadt am Bahnhof sewing departments. 

I started last year with a dream, a pattern, and a pile of fabric. (Burda #7443, for anyone who wants to try)

This was the original plan...which of course NEVER quite is reality. I'll be honest, I struggled with the apron fabric. I wanted to sew the dirndl in silk instead of cotton, and it was tough then finding suitable apron fabric. I'd decided to go with this striped orange and green stuff, which would pick up the purple as well. 

The first mishap was the lining (the lighter purple fabric), which apparently I cut out backwards. That was easily remedied, and with new lining (which I liked better), I completed the bodice.  Even assuming you make no mistakes, you have to cut and mark all 14 pieces three different times (outer fabric, lining, and interfacing). Painful!! That definitely was the worst part. 

I also learned an important lesson about not deviating from the pattern. I was a little worried it would be too tight, so I sewed them together with less seam allowance than indicated. Which would have been fine, except that in the end it was a little too big. Taking in the seams normally would be no problem, but it was a bit trickier with trying to make the same alterations to the lining and have everything still fit together!

But the bodice turned out well and the skirt perfectly. And then it sat for months.... at first I was a bit afraid to finish it since I'd gained some extra weight. But then after a successful workout regimen that was no longer an excuse. I had to just face the fact that I was scared to sew the two pieces together!

Due to my bodice adjustments, the seams didn't all line up perfectly, but I'm still pleased with the results of my first effort. Here are the front and back views. 

As soon as I stopped congratulating myself that the dress was not a total disaster, I quickly learned the ugly truth that the real work was still ahead of me. It took a couple weeks of scouring the internet (English and German) to find out how to make the lovely dirndl trim. The biggest difficulty was not knowing what you call the stuff. (It's called box-pleated trim in at least one version). 

But then when I showed Herr J the plan, he correctly pointed out that the apron really didn't go well with the dirndl. And ....back to the drawing board....

After a few more outings to the fabric store, I settled on this purple floral brocade.  Sometimes procrastination pays off. As in when I first moved to Germany, there was no drivers' license reciprocity with Texas. And when I finally got around to applying for my German license 3 1/2 years later, they'd signed a treaty and all I needed was a vision test. This time, one fabric store stocked a very limited range of pre-made trim. It was quite new and even the fabric store ladies had no idea what it was called, thus reassuring me that it wasn't just my stupidity in not knowing what to call this stuff. 

Unfortunately, the trim didn't work out either. I guess I was forcing it, trying to make something match from a very limited number of trims. 

At this point I took a very patient Herr J to the fabric store and got his help. After about an hour of trying different things, I settled on a flat braided silver trim that he suggested. And then bought the necessary trimmings and silver thread. 

The silver metallic thread was a dream - not as easy to sew with as regular thread, but it blended in perfectly and you can't see where the trim is attached. The final step of sewing on the buttons was a bit scary, since any mistakes would be clearly visible.  But, I needed to finish it up before Oktoberfest and had to take the plunge. 

I can't count how many trips I made to various stores to buy more of something, or something different. Or tried to ask for something in a store, only to realize that I have no idea what it's called in English, let alone in German. Even though my apron pattern called for pencil pleating tape and the German instructions called it "stiftelband," twice the store staff didn't know what it was. They did refer me to a specialty sewing store...that was of course closed for holidays for the month of August. I stumbled across it in a department store when buying ribbon for the wedding favors. 

So finally, after a long adventure, I did finish the dirndl. I'd love to make another one, but have more dirndls that I should have already.  The table of trachten fabric does call to me when I pass it in the store. But for now I'm going to concentrate on other projects. Possibly even more crazy than making a dirndl with very little sewing experience...

Alpine Finger Wrestling Championship

On August 12 2012, the 35th annual Alpine Finger Wrestling Championships were held in the town of Lenggries, Germany.  Lenggries is 1.5 hours from Munich by car/train, and about 10 miles north of the border with Austria:

According to The Local (a web site with German news in English), "finger wrestling" (fingerhakeln in German) is basically a one-finger tug-of-war taking place across a table.  A contestant wins when he pulls the other across a set line on the table.

It is a formal, regulated sport in Bavaria and parts of Austria with rules governing the dimensions of the leather band used between competitors fingers, size of the table, and weight classes.  The Championships are rotated between Alpine towns in Bavaria and Austria.

Short YouTube video of the event:

And another video that shows one wrestling match:

Tradition says that finger wrestling was used as a way to settle disputes in the mountain towns, as far back as the 17th century.  Other sites claim it was a drinking game, and that a written record from 1878 said "one frequently sees, in Tirol, men with fingers bent nearly double on the right hand".  Ouch.

Here is an old photo from Schwangau, Germany (thanks to trachtler.org):

Also, women are not allowed to compete.  "It just does not fit" said one member of the Isargau Finger Wrestling Club (the host of the 2012 Championship).

Before the start of a match -- two "wrestlers" and a referee (from an article at The Mirror):

 

This year, 150 men participated, most dressed in traditional clothes -- lederhosen.  They take the, um, sport, quite seriously.  Many start training months in advance using weights, stretch-bands, etc.  In photos, you'll see their fingers (always the middle one) chalked up like a weightlifter.  Regardless of preparation, strained tendons, bleeding fingers, and pulled muscles are common occurrences.

Close-up of the leather band connecting the competitors (from sulekha.com):

The intensity and PAIN are obvious during the match.  I'm fascinated with the attenpts to gain leverage by getting low, bracing feet below the table or knees on the edge of the table, etc (again from The Local):

Behind each wrestler sits another guy, who will catch his teammate if he flies backwards.  The crowd this year looked to be perhaps 150 people, but a lot of press organizations picked up the news story:

Almost forgot:  the team from Ammergau (in the Bavarian Alps) won the competition.  (I could not find the list of individual winners.)  Congratulations!

Awkward Office Moments in Europe

Yesterday I read an MSNBC article entitled Awkward! How a workplace hug can go awry. It was basically about the etiquette of hugging coworkers and how awkward moments can arise when one person goes in for a hug and another for a handshake. 

It makes me think of a similar dilemma we have working in multinational European offices - kissing in business settings. 

Photo:Reuters

First, there's the question of to kiss or not to kiss, which can result in some similar awkward moments. But then it gets more complicated from there with the question of how many cheek kisses.

It's not that simple...For a French colleague, it will be twice (once per cheek). For British colleagues, sometimes it's twice, sometimes once. And then I have to just remember which Dutch colleague has two and which has three (as many Dutch and Belgians do). 

It's probably a good rule of thumb in Germany to expect a handshake from a German colleague, though depending on the person and the formality of the office, you may be surprised. German companies still are more formal than those in the US, where you may still wear a suit and tie 4-5 days per week and work with a colleague for 10 years and still be on a Sie (formal "you") basis. But, times are changing and the influences of other countries are working their way into the workplace here. 

Last year, Germany's prominent etiquette group, the Knigge society, called for a ban on office kissing and maintaining a 60 cm distance during a handshake.

Personally, I find a kiss on the cheek hello or goodbye can be a nice thing. But I can see where it could be uncomfortable when it's between boss and subordinate or if you have a sleazy coworker (fortunately neither are an issue for me!).  

I generally observe someone's interactions with other colleagues first (to see if generally they're a kisser or a handshaker) and also let the other person take the lead.  Though I've had many of the funny awkward moments of going for two instead of one, or stopping at two cheeks when someone is used to three. But it's something we do laugh about as a common and very minor cross-cultural miscommunication. 

Kuchelbauer Bier Kunst Turm 2

If you remember our Hopfenland trip last year, you'll recall our visit to the Kuchlbauer Brewery...home of the Abensberg Weissbier Dwarves.

After our tour of the brewery, our viewing of the owner's interpretation of The Last Supper, an intro into Hundertwasser's architecture, and the singing dwarves (check out the video in the previous post, if you haven't), we next went on to climb up the Bierkunstturm (Beer-Art Tower) which is the centerpiece of the brewery.  

In fact, the initial plans had the tower at twice the height it stands today.  The city of Abensburg wouldn't permit it, and Kuchlbauer is today rather relieved, as the original tower plans likely would have bankrupted the brewery. 

For the history of the tower, please see our previous post.  This one shows you the walk up the tower.  

We start form the lower level, where our tour ended, and ascend the stairs to the top.  The stairs wind in and out of the tower, and each level has a theme, mostly featuring the ingredients to beer.  But before we start up the tower....more weissbier dwarves!

So we started our trek up the beer-art tower.  

And quickly begin to reach alcoves in each landing dedicated to key weissbier brewing ingredients. First up, Hopfen (hops):

 

Next we have weizen (wheat): 

At certain parts, the stairs wind around the outside of the tower. 

We have no idea what Hefe-Zolgl actually means...Zolgl doens't appear to be a real German word. But it relates to the yeast (hefe). Perhaps it's the yeast bubbles or something like that?

 

And of course the ever critical Brauwasser (brewing water): 

And Gerste (barley):

After the landings with the brewing ingredients, there were several other decorated alcoves. There wasn't a plaque explaining this one, but the round base says something about the brewer. 

This one had a stained glass window that seemed straight out of Dr. Seuss, and a statue of a white dwarf on a barrel in a round alcove. In here, the plaque says that, the smallest little house belonging to the "white" dwarfs of Abensberg has three windows of light. The openings of light stand for modesty, tolerance, and independence.  You should stand in the light to remember these values, and to be helped to live by them. Additionally, one of the windows looks directly onto the final resting place of Leonhard Salleck, one of the brewery's ancestors. 

This was a lovely room that basically was a giant kalleidoscope - a great idea with all of the colors and textures on the walls!

 
Here we could look down into one of the alcoves below:

Finally, we reached the top.  The dome is supposed to represent Paradise (but without the dwarves!). As explained earlier in the tour, they chose the flattene ball shape to to embody the earth "which we should not destroy, since our lives would also be destroyed."  Therfore, it's the symbol for our "paradise," the Earth.

In addition to the crazy mirror mosaic tree, it continually has classical music playing (Beethoven, if I remember correctly).

After paradise the final stop on the tour is in the beergarten, where your ticket stub entitles you to a pretzel and a Kuchlbauer beer of your choice. 

What is there left to say?  This was one of the most, um, unique tours Herr J and I have experienced.
Of course, our final activity was heading to the gift shop and getting a six-pack (one of each kind)!
For a million+1 reasons, this is a great destination on any trip to non-Munich, non-Alpine Bavaria.