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Date:
August 6, 2002
Hello All !
I hope this email finds you well. This is again dated.
I am currently in Munich. Look for a second email in a
few days which will fill you in on my travels between
Stuttgart and Munich.
Hello from Stuttgart, Germany !
I am seated on the floor of the Hauptbahnhof ( main
train station ). My bike is leaning against the wall.
I am waiting for the 11AM Train to Strasbourg, France.
I got " fat and happy" for 4 days in Stuttgart
with my friends Marc and Betty Turpin. They moved to
Germany 3 years ago from the States. They owned the
house 4 doors down from mine.
I had the opportunity to experience what daily life
entails in Germany. In many aspects it is similar to
the States. Errands, running children to events, bills
and housework are universal responsibilities. What I
also noticed is how the European lifestyle changes how
these tasks are performed. Here is what I observed
along with some other oddities.
The streets are silent on Sunday because it is illegal
to mow your yard on Sunday. Intensive recycling
reduces the amount of trash 7 people produces to 1
trash can a month. Garbage disposals are illegal. All
plastic products must be recyclable. There are
advertisements on toilet paper. ( Like I am going to
stop to read them ) Grocery shopping is normally done
daily at the local store located within walking
distance. German men wear dark socks with sandals.
Some of the younger generation wear really shorts that
leaves nothing to wonder. ( both men and women). Radio
stations play almost exclusively American music in
English. It is illegal to open your business on a
Sunday.(restaraunts and gas stations are the exception
) Retailer can have only 2 clearances/sales a year.
Lack of space necessitates multi-floored super
markets. The shopping cart is magnetically secured to
the escalators that connect the different floors. If I
violate any traffic laws a car horn acknowledges that
my conduct is unappreciated. People love to correct my
poor German. My bike with all it's luggage ride nicely
on an escalator. Germans love beer, bread, picnics and
their cars.
Marc and Betty did I get all of this correct ??
Thank you for all your emails. I miss you all,
Dennis
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