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Thursday, February 18, 2010

Pink or Blue?

It's hard to move to another country and not immediately recognize subtle little differences between the two cultures, that most people living in that country would just consider to be so commonplace that they don't realize it as a difference at all. For instance, I can remember growing up having seen egg cup holders, but I had never actually used one until I moved to Germany. My husband's grandmother is still totally perplexed at how one would eat eggs without one, but I assure her that thousands of homes all over the U.S. do it everyday... maybe because we eat more fried (spiegelei) and scrambled eggs than hard boiled eggs for breakfast.

I also don't think I have ever been to a home in Germany where I did not see a water cooker/boiler. Now that I have one, I could not imagine life without one, but in the "coffee and cake" culture that I now find myself living in, I drink a lot more tea than I ever did. One would also find in many homes in Germany a machine to put the bubbles/soda in water, but every American that I know that comes here and laments "can't I just get a plain glass of water without the bubbles... and with ice?!?"

But one thing that is standard for Germans is that when you visit someone, you take your shoes off when you get there, to keep from tracking dirt and mud in the house. The solution for cold feet is that you take your house shoes or slippers with you. One even does this for baby's and kids, and these sweet leather "Krabbelshuhe" (crawling shoes) were a completely new thing for me... just about EVERY German baby/kid wears these... practical (as are most things here) and comfy.



So now my only question will be... Pink or Blue? Just three more weeks and then we'll know! I thought I would give some of my "crafty colleagues" at Dawanda a little love. Aren't these cute from puschenfabrik in Hamburg?

8 comments:

  1. Guten Morgen,

    beide "Puschen" sind wunderschön, aber die hellblauben mit Entchen sind der Hammer, einfach ellerliebst.

    Viele Grüße

    Anke

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  2. Herrlich, deine Betrachtung der beiden Kulturen.
    Ich bin in amerikanischem Umfeld aufgewachsen, doch als Kind nimmt man die Dinge ganz anders wahr.

    Herzlich lachen musste ich einmal über die Betrachtungen der Komedian Gayle Tufts über das Thema "Lüften".

    Bittebitte mehr davon!

    Liebe Grüße, Smila

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  3. you can buy these here in the State now but I can't remember what they are called. A friend in England sent me some for my little girl and she loved them!! so comfy and non restricting on little feet!!!! We have a kettle here too... would not be without one!!! alot of my friends ask what the heck is that????

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  4. they are adorably. i remember when i was visiting my friend in munich i notice that everyone left their shoes outside their doors. now i get it... ;)

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  5. Isn't it true about the water cookers?! goodness, what would I do without one? =)

    I think you should just go ahead and buy both - if it's a girl, she can wear both, and if it's a boy, you have a baby girl gift on hand =) they are darling!

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  6. Liebe Allison!

    Zuerst möchte ich mich ganz herzlich für den wundervollen Gewinn bedanken! Das Päckchen ist schon letzte Woche bei mir angekommen, aber ich war jetzt einige Tage krank und habe mich deshalb noch nicht dafür bedankt. Wenn ich die Zeit dazu finde, werde ich natürlich auch noch ein Foto in meinem Blog posten. Ich weiß noch gar nicht, was ich daraus machen soll. Wahrscheinlich werde ich die Stoffe ersteinmal nur streicheln, bis ich mich dazu durchringen kann, sie zu zerschneiden ;-)

    Die Babypuschen sind wirklich herzallerliebst. Ich bin schon gespannt, welche Farbe es werden wird.

    Herzliche Grüße
    Daniela!

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  7. I am in love with these shoes. I just might need to have another baby, so I can have my mother-in-law bring some to our house. Your post made me smile, because it is so true. I never used an egg holder before getting married to a German though I still mostly make fried or scrambled egg more often then not. I did grow up with a tea kettle, but ours is used daily for my husband loves herbal tea. When I was pregnant and in Germany visiting I found myself frustrated that it was hard to just get a plain glass of water. No bubbles. The bubbles always made my stomach sick. Counting down the days for you.

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  8. super cute! We bring our house shoes with us whenever we are going out for a playdate!

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