I am sitting on the airplane flying back to California. We only have 9.5 hours left of the flight before we land in San Francisco. Then it's a two hour layover and a quick flight down to San Diego. The nice part about this flight is I have a window seat and no one is sitting in the middle seat. Joe is sitting in the other window seat of this aisle and I don't think he has anyone next to him either. So that is very nice for both of us. The not so good thing, is I don't think we are going to get an actual meal on this flight. I think we are going to get three snacks and we just had the first one which was pesto bread sticks.
As we fly west toward home, I have some time to reflect on our whirlwind visit to Germany and our time with Zach. We did a lot. We saw a lot. We traveled a lot. We walked a lot. We experienced a lot. My heart and mind is full of many memories that I will be able to take out and revisit over the coming days. Zach asked me the other day what was my favorite thing we did, and I said, "spending time with you." He guffawed at that comment, but it really is true. I treasure the time I get to spend with my sons, and it has been a long 20 months since I have been able to hang out with Zach. It doesn't seem like he plans to return to the States any time soon, so my mama's heart needed that connection time even if on occasion, we were both a bit annoyed with each other.
Aside from the mushy mom stuff and the amazing sights and sounds we experienced, I really enjoyed comparing and contrasting the little and the big things between Germany and the United States. Here are a few of my observations.
1. Whether we were in the city or in small towns, public transportation was the main mode of transportation. Of course, there were plenty of cars, but I saw so many people walking and riding their bikes or scooters everywhere. Many people had baskets on their bikes and this was how they got around.
2. In Frankfurt, many of the bike lanes were on the sidewalk. The sidewalk was divided into two different colored bricks. One color for pedestrians and the other for bicycles and scooters. I think this is primarily because the roads are so narrow and filled with cars and trains. Even the crosswalks are divided for pedestrians and bikes.
3. Can we talk about bathrooms? In Germany, the restrooms are labeled WC for Water Closet which they must have gotten from the British. But when you ask about them, they are called Toilette. One of the rules both Zach and Marylyn taught us was always be sure to pee whenever you have an opportunity, because public restrooms are few and far between. Toilets in restaurants and malls often cost money, unless you have purchased food.
4. Another thing about toilets in general are they take up less room. The tank is very narrow and the bowl is not full with water like in US toilets. There is just a little in the bottom. In addition, there isn't a handle or lever to flush. Whether you are in someone's home or in a public restroom, to flush the toilet, it is usually a big square button that you push on one side.
5. Bathrooms and kitchens are very small and compact. In fact everything, is small and compact. In the United States, we are used to buying things in bulk at Costco or Sam's Club. But when you go to the neighborhood market, you buy smaller portions of things. For example, you can buy a half loaf of bread and the paper towel rolls are half the size of what you would find in the States. Zach and his minimalist philosophy fit very well in Germany.
Hey! I think we ARE going to get a meal, so I'll continue this later...
6. Smoking, lots of smoking in Germany. Does anyone remember cigarette vending machines? They have them all over Germany. Smoking cigarettes, cigars, and vaping was a common thing to see in outdoor restaurants and walking up and down the streets by young and old. Smoking was not allowed on the trains or inside restaurants which I made me glad.
7. Recycling is a big deal. Zach had five different recycling bins - one for paper, one for glass, one for packaging, one for food, and one for all the rest. I didn't really see any cans being recycled. Most drinks came in glass or plastic bottles. Zach always checked the plastic bottles, because certain ones were worth 25 cents. You could turn them in at the grocery store and then you got a little coupon that you used at the register when you were buying your food.
8. Like most first world countries, Germany has socialized medicine. You can get private insurance, but there is also national health care available to anyone who is a German citizen or is employed by a German company. Zach pays for private insurance through the U.S. because GEM is not a German employer. But he is trying to find out what he has to do to get on the German insurance plan since it is so much cheaper. Zach's roommate, Jon wasn't feeling well one day, so he stayed home from work. I asked him if he got paid sick leave. He answered, "This is Germany. Of course I get paid." If he is out more than three days, he has to have a doctor's note, but there is no limit to the number of sick days. He did say that if you are out for 6 weeks or more, then your employer no longer has to pay you, and you have to file a claim with your insurance to receive your pay. Sounds a bit like short term disability.
9. In schools, the student to teacher ratio is 12:1. In preschool, it is even smaller. Jon works in a nursery school with 0-3 year old children. I asked him about staffing. He said their are four groups at his school with 12 students in each group. There are a total of 16 teachers who work with those 48 students. So that is a 3:1 ratio for the very young ones which makes sense since they require so much more care.
10. German history is much longer than American History. Frankfurt was established in 764. The buildings are older, and the stories and legends are many. Because so many buildings were destroyed during the World Wars, the Germans have had to rebuild a lot, but they take great care in preserving their past.
11. Germany has a ton of political parties. Their ballots are extensive and the debates heated and often controversial. With a wide array from left to right, there are many choices in political representatives in the government. Although the US also has other parties, they never have any power or representation. Our country has been split between the two extremes and I wish we had more viable options like in Germany.
I could go on and on about my observations, but it is time to bring this blog post to a close. I came to Germany with some preconceived ideas. Germany was always the aggressor in the history I studied. In fact, they were basically the pariahs of the world. But as we began our exploration of the German culture and history, my opinion changed. This is a country that has made some serious errors and followed the wrong leaders with devastating consequences. But they have owned their history. They are not proud of it, they do not erect statues of war criminals. Instead, they have created memorials for the victims of the atrocities they committed. They were basically stripped of all respect and power after World War II, but they have risen from their ashes and built a stronger society and they are once again world leaders, this time setting the example for human rights and democracy. I admire a lot about modern day Germany and would love to see our own country follow some of these examples.
I didn't take any pictures today since all we did was go to Römerplatz to buy some souvenirs. This is a large plaza where the city hall is and it has a lot of cute German style buildings and plenty of cafes and touristy shops. What I did do before we left for the airport was record a video of Zach's flat. It's about a 10-minute tour of where he lives.
You can view it here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LA16VuQv6eQHBD496
Also, if you want to see all of the photos I took on this trip, you can view them in my Facebook Album
