Half a Decade

September 5th this year marks five years since I first moved across the pond. My Germany today wasn't the same as it was five years ago, not by a long shot. When I make the comparison to what I experienced eight years ago when I first came here on vacation, I feel like I can't even make a comparison because things are so different. The only things that are similar are pretzels with butter and that ridiculous tetra-packed shelf-milk that sits on my shelf until I'm ready to put it in the fridge.

It could also just be that I become more aware of certain things the longer I get here.

Still, there are some significant things that I've noticed in the last five. Let's play show and tell!

• You can get Froot Loops here now. I remember my first couple months here, when my ex brought me Froot Loops from the Commissary in Stuttgart, and I just about wet myself with happiness every time I took a bite from that lovely box. (Oh wait. I mean the Froot Loops box. Hey-oh!) That being said, I probably still would have the same reaction today, since I have little to no inclination to shell out money for something that costs around 10,00€/kg.
• Come to think about it, certain foods are just all-round easier to get here. It's not like I couldn't get them before, but I no longer have to hunt and comb stores for: maple syrup, peanut butter, SHREDDIES and baking soda.
• I see people running around the streets every so often in sweat pants. I see little girls running to school in sweats and runners; little girls running around in thick tights and dresses seem to be more the exception than ever.
• That being said, I see a growing Americanization everywhere. Whereas people used to wear proper trousers, everyone including their grandparents are wearing jeans, running shoes and t-shirts. My mom is coming to Germany to visit, and upon advising her packing list, she was in disbelief that things had changed so significantly in eight years. And the consumerism. Whatever happened to the schwäbisch Sparen, Sparen, Sparen! ?? Even they hit Königsstraße with a gusto!
• Trigger warning for the menz: I remember running around for hours upon hours when I first moved here looking for tampons with applicators. Sorry, but I've never been okay with the ob/finger deal. Still missing are plastic applicators, but I'll get over it. Maybe in the next five, eh?
• Sundays are different now. Bakeries are now open on Sundays in many places. Just not in Möhringen in Stuttgart. Imagine my surprise when walking Maxie one Sunday morning whilst visiting friends, dying of hunger, with no open bakery in sight. We NRW-ians are spoiled.
• You still get your average Kraut running around about the Ruhezeit, but I've noticed this happens less and less often. Being silent between the hours of 13:00 and 15:00 is also becoming less important. Hell, some people even do their laundry on Sundays these days! The horror!
• Just when I got used to the faintly comforting smell of Persil, I noticed that they now have regular Waschmittel with a scent. I mean, sure, there was always fabric softener, but the smell never really stuck to the clothes, so I never worried about it. I remember when I lived down south, my American neighbour would always smell me when I came over because -- having PX privileges and all -- I smelled strongly of lavender and vanilla fabric softener. No, it wasn't as creepy as it sounds. I admit I only tried the Lenor soap because it was on sale and cheaper than my regular Persil, but every time I take something out of the closet and put it on, the smell of orange blossoms shocks and awes me every single time. Especially because it lasts through wearing, too. Boah. I'm not really sure how I feel about it. Ambivalent. That's how I feel about it. I like it, but it just feels so wrong. Yes, I know you have no idea what I'm talking about.

But those are just things. For me, both so many things have changed while nothing has changed at all. I'm no longer a 21-year-old exploring a new country and culture. I'm in my mid-twenties, and while that isn't old, I feel like Germany has aged me dramatically into a nagging, ordentlich Kraut who follows rules without fail.

"Hey, you! Do not cross the street on red! What will the children think?! Yes, I realize there aren't any children around, but there could be! Don't break the rules! Jaywalking is VERBOTEN!!!"

I still can't stand 97% of Krauts I meet, and I'm still not sure if I dislike it here, am just ambivalent, or am only here because it's cool to tell people that you're living in Europe, even though it's one of the least special characteristics ever.

Oh yeah, and I can't really speak English anymore. I've long given up on genders for German nouns, and thus speak some sort of Denglish with most people. You know, English sentence structure, German nouns, and a mix of German and English verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

"So, I went spazieren with Max, and dann I saw this Stück Brot on the grass, and had to pull Max weg since he tried to eat it. Er war soooo sauer auf mich, but seriously, es gibt people who are putting razorblades or Gift inside things to make dogs tot."

The worst thing about the whole Denglish thing is that 95% of people I converse with on a (semi-)regular basis are German-English bilingual, so there is no reason for me to give up this nonsense.

So, yeah. There's me five years later. Degenerating and ambivalent.

Funsies, oder?