Our Year in Germany

Signs

This sign reminds drivers of the rechts vor links policy, in which the driver on the right gets to go first at an intersection - even if the person on the left was there first. It doesn't matter if one person is going straight either. This means, at every uncontrolled intersection, you have to slow down and peer to the right just in case someone is coming. We shall not miss this when we leave!

Not only do the Germans provide plastic doggie doo doo baggies and a recepticle, they also make it rhyme! Umwelt sauber und fein, Hundekot hier rein!

Noncompliance will be persecuted

Hard of hearing? Kein Problem! Just BYO headphones to church and plug them in-- ingenius!

Cigarette vending machines on the street -- with the reminder of course that you must be 18 to make a purchase....right...

What information can I glean from our license plate? Starting from the left - this vehicle is registered in the European Union, the D is for Deutschland, the NM is for Neumarkt, the KC stands for Klemens and Christina (our swap partners' first names). The 500 is arbitrary. You can personalize your plate for a mere 10.20 Euros but some letter combos are verboten such as HJ (Hitler Jugend) or KZ (Konzentrationslager.)

Who says the Germans don't have a sense of humor? We love seeing this progression of signs along highway construction sites.

Made it!

Lady Bag - found in a restaurant's restroom

Spart da! Play on words - Sparta and see where he's pointing? That car rental agency is where you can spar - save money there!

Everyone clear on this? You may only smoke in this designated area on the train platform. Now who can tell the smoke?

The Aldi name may change, this one is in Austria, but the sign remains the same.

There seems to be some internal disagreements on Germany's educational policies, in which the states set many standards themselves, not the federal government. This poster (on display at Andrew's school in the teacher's lounge) depicts what's apparently happening to education in the northernmost state, Schleswig-Holstein.