Doch!

Doch is a german word that does not have an English translation. This has been bothering me ever since I learned about it. How can a word not have a translation? So, naturally, I tried looking it up. Google translation says that the word "doch" can mean "but", "nevertheless", "yes", "no" (how can a word mean yes and no?), "though", "however"...and the list keeps going. Sorry, google...you're not helping here. Leo.com, a fabulous German dictionary, says that it means "still", "after all", "yet", but it is usually found in conjunction with a verb to give the verb more of an emphasis. Leo.com was a little more helpful, but what does it mean to give a verb more of an emphasis? The whole point of a verb is to let one know what they're doing, so why need emphasis?

It was a wine tasting party that I truly meant what this word means. I was talking with a delightful couple, and the husband was born and raised in the German-speaking part of Belgium. I heard the word "doch" being said from afar, so I asked the husband "What exactly does this word mean?" His response? "There is no translation." Yes...I got that...how would a German speaker use it then?

After some thought, this husband finally found an answer for me. He broke the meaning into two parts.

1. Doch can mean "literally". Not literally the word "literally" (like the pun there?) but when people use it in a slang way, such as "I literally ate a ton of ice cream." Ich habe doch eine Tonne Eis gegessen. No, you didn't eat a ton of ice cream, or else you'd be dead because your stomach would explode. 
2. Doch also means "yea-huh" or "nuh-uh", usually said by a child or a very immature adult. If you could say "yea-huh", or "nuh-uh", doch can be used. For example, when you tell a child (or me...), "No, you can't have ice cream for breakfast!" the child (or me...) would say "Doch!" Translation: yea-huh...I can too have ice cream for breakfast!

While a night of wine tasting may not have been the proper classroom to learn the meaning of the word "doch," this is the gist that I got. There may be more meanings (or more correct meanings) for the word, and if there are, PLEASE let me know! It is my goal before going back home to be fluent in the word "Doch!"

Haiku #1: Ode to Brötchen

This post is dedicated to Susan, who warned me about the amazingness of German breads (and cakes, and chocolates, and mustards...)

das Brötchen = roll
das Brot = bread
Laugenbrötchen = the taste doesn't translate :)

Oh Brot! How fluffy

you are to soak up the li-

quid of my soup

*       *       *

Laugenbrötchen ist

unser lieblingsbröchen wiel

es ist wie brezel.

*       *       *

I have never seen

a soft, brown cloud, with crystals

Das schmeckt sehr gut.

*       *       *

A carb hemisphere

Nutty, salty, sweet, and moist

Perfect with a wurst

*       *       *

I always try to
take a picture of das Brot.
But it disappears...

So I went online
and found a Google image.
It looks so yummy!

There is even a
recipe to try and make
This delicious Brot.

(Source: The Froehliche Haus Frau)

Caption This! #1

Got a good caption for this picture? Please write it in the comment section!

How badly do you want to jump in?

Meine Lieblingsgebäude: die Fernsehturm

Lieblings= favorite
Gebäude= building
TV Tower= Fernsehturm
Platz= place, square, plaza, site...

I don't know if it is the gorgeous foliage, the warm, fall weather, or the fact that it just is, but Berlin is gorgeous. It has old architecture with cute cafes and boutiques. There are green spaces and parks everywhere. Apartment buildings have adorable little flower boxes hanging off of it that give it character. Each neighborhood has it's own identity and look to it. Yes, come freezing cold winter, I may be singing a different tune, but for now, it's gorgeous.

There are some ugly parts to it, just like any other city. Graffiti is everywhere, and there are some strange people walking around. Alexanderplatz is an example. It's a safe and bustling area, not too far from the center of town, but it's grey and just...eh... The old architecture and cute cafes are not here, but rather slabs of concrete. Even the buildings are just made up of 4 grey, concrete walls. However, it is in this grey and eh-looking platz that Meine Lieblingsgebäude stands...die Fernsehturm.

A little history about this building: It's a relatively new building, built in the mid-late 1960s. It is located in East Berlin, an area that was formally Atheist when the wall was up. The ironic thing about it is, that when the sun hits it, the reflection comes off as a cross. This was not intended. Many called the Fernsehturm "The Pope's Revenge", or as I like to say, the Pope's "Screw you", as the cross still shines in former Atheistic East Berlin.

Going back to the building itself, it is a very modern looking building with a sphere at the top. Compared to all of the old buildings in the area, it sticks out. Being the tallest structure in Berlin, you can see it everywhere. Why do I like it? Because it does stick out...it shows that while Berlin has so much history, there are modern elements to it. It's pretty when the sun shines on it and you can see rainbow glimmers to it from the light. It just looks cool. Don't get me wrong; the old architecture is gorgeous, as I said the city was. This Gebäude just happens to be meine lieblingsgebäude. Check it out! PS, it's the big stick with the ball on top.

Live and Learn: die Apotheke und Das Rezept

die Apotheke= pharmacy

das Rezept = prescription

I have been learning a lot as of late it seems! This edition of "Live and Learn" would not have been possible without my first Live and Learn experience at die Artzpraxis. At die Artzpraxis, I received a prescription for a 3 month supply for birth control to fill at die Apotheke. An Apotheke is a pharmacy that is only a pharmacy. While pharmacies in America (like CVS) are connected with a store of some kind where you can buy lots of other goodies, die Apotheke is pretty much strictly for prescriptions. They have some higher end lotions, acne washes, and cough drops or mentos at the counter, but not much else. 

Anywho, I went to the Apotheke this afternoon to fill my Rezept for birth control. Apothekes are very easy to find, as there are several on every block. At first, it was hard to tell who the pharmacist was. There was a group of people talking in the small Apotheke, but everyone was dressed in regular clothing. There was no white doctor jacket with a name tag that says "Hi! My name is..." However, I figured that the person that greeted me with a smile was the pharmacist, so I said, "Ich habe ein Rezept." "Ok," and she took my Rezept and walked behind the counter to the back room. 

Based on my pharmacy experiences at home, I'm ready for her to come back out and say that I'll have to wait 15-90 minutes for das Rezept or that there is a problem with my insurance and to come back tomorrow. Not so here. The pharmacist came back with the birth control, and rung me up. I pay the 34 euros (seriously...that's only 11,33 euros a month. I almost feel like I'm stealing them!) and walk out within 2-3 minutes. Point for Deutschland!

Live and Learn: Berliners

Some people have compared Berliners to Parisians or New Yorkers...rude, arrogant, and in their own little bubble. I'm here to confirm that comparison, along with a strong emphasis that this pertains only to those from Berlin. I have met many who live in Berlin, but are not from Berlin, and are very wonderful people. However, for the most part, Berliners as a whole can be complete jerks. Below are some Berliner experiences:

• Sandy, Gail, Jack, and I were on the U-bahn (one of Berlin's many metro ways), when Gail tried smiling at someone whom she made eye contact. The Berliner immediately turned their head, as if the eye contact never happened, and never smiled back.
• I was running in the Tiergarten on a gorgeous fall day when I saw a man smiling at what I can only assume was an absolutely breathtaking view of the sun through some foliage. We made eye contact (I always consider it a major accomplishment when I can make eye contact with Berliners) and I pointed at the breathtaking view saying "Sehr schön!"meaning "very beautiful!" He rolled his eyes and ignored me.
• I was having coffee with a friend one morning, when I asked for another cup of coffee. Waiters do not work for tips, as they are paid rather well, and it is customary to only round up the bill to determine their tip. I asked 3 times in the span of 30 minutes and never got my 2nd cup of coffee. I didn't round up my bill...they got exact change.
• Berliners do not care about your personal space or your right of way:
• They stand directly in front of you (and I do mean directly) on the metro when the car is near empty
• Even with the walk sign, drivers turning in your direction almost butt the heads of their car into your legs 
• *side note: Your mother was right...look both ways before you cross the street

On a completely different topic, there is a Festival of Lights going on at night in Berlin for the next week. Last night, Jack and I walked part of the city to see the lit-up buildings. While we will most likely go again, here are a few pictures from what we saw last night. Sehr schön!

 Die Brandenburger Tor

 Kaiserdom

No idea what this building is called, but it's across from Hombolt University on Unter den Linden

Live and Learn: die Arztpraxis

Every so often, I will have as segment called "Live and Learn". Here, I will post experiences about some fairly typical events, such as today's. Enjoy!

*   *   *

der Arzt = Doctor (man)

die Ärztin = Doctor (female)

die Praxis = Practice (as in a doctor's practice...not like practicing the piano)

brauchen = to need

I knew before coming to Germany that I would need to refill an American prescription. Rather than going through insurance companies in America and paying an exorbitant amount of money for a year supply, I figured that I would wait to get a German prescription and refill it for cheaper. I'll just say what it is; it's birth control. Jack and I have no wish to breed German babies, so I knew that I would need to see an Arzt sometime soon.

After searching online on how to go about refilling American birth control, I found that I could go to a general practitioner and they could search for the prescription and give me the German equivalent. What do ya know? There is a highly recommended, English speaking, Ärztin, not 10 minutes away! Score! Wednesday happened to be a walk-ins only day. Don't mind if I do!

While the doctor is an English speaker, none of her staff is. This posed a problem, as my limited Deutsch and their no-English did not necessarily convey what I needed. "Ich habe ein...uh...prescription von America. Ich brauche ein...uh...prescription von Deutschland." I kept pointing to the prescription from CVS, but somehow, the lady did not get what I needed. I filled out a form and went to the waiting room.

An hour and 15 minutes later (if I knew that I would have waited that long, I would have brought a snack!), Dr. ___ called my name. After some fiddle-dee-dooing on the computer, she could not find a German equivalent and instructed me to visit a gynecologist to get a second opinion. I was out of her office within 10 minutes. She was nice, and it's good to know a doctor just in case (knock on wood), but I was angry thinking about how much time and money was wasted. PS, each doctor's visit is at least 50euros just to see the doctor...oye...

Fast forward to today. I went to the gyno who is an English speaker, but again, the office staff is not. I waited for a whopping hour and 45 minutes. I was finally called in to the office of Dr. ___, a very spirited and opinionated older lady who thinks that America health care is, to use her words, "crap". My birth control, and all American prescriptions are "crap" because they destroy your liver. "Your FDA let's anything into those pills." I laughed awkwardly, wondering if I should apologize on behalf of the US.

After some fiddle-dee-dooing on the computer, she found a German "better" equivalent birth control, and wrote a prescription. "What do you usually spend on your pill?" Dr.___ asked. I told her the amount, which caused her eyes and mouth to open wide. "Oh, America...you'll pay that for a 3 month supply here. See? German prescription is better!" I left with a German prescription, several free samples, and just happy that I don't have to pay too much money to keep the German babies at bay.

The Patronizing Head Rub

When I do something stupid or naive, Jack will often give me what I call "The Patronizing Head Rub". He taps my head and says "Oh Honey..." with a look like I should have known better. At first I found it degrading. Now, it's happened so many times that I just enjoy the head rub and move on.

Many people from home have asked me what Germany feels about different American situations and politics; Syria, the government shut-down, the Navy Yard shooter... After being here for a little over a month, I feel like I finally have an answer to that question.

Germany loves reading and discussing about American situations and politics. We turn on the German news every night, and it's usually about America. True, we have had lots of major events happen as of late, but after talking to some locals, American news is like entertainment to Germans. They look at America with both disbelief and wonder while giving us The Patronizing Head Rub. Who can blame them, though? Our government is "shut down" because some people are stubborn and won't compromise. Some Germans asked me how a government could just shut down? How does everything work? To tell you the truth, I'm wondering the same thing. After shrugging my shoulders, I see The Patronizing Head Rub look. "Oh, Honey...

German Unity Day

Yesterday was a federal holiday for Germany; German Unity Day. It celebrates the day that East and West Berlin became unified. This is not to be confused with the day that the wall came down (November 9th). November 9th was also a day that a huge Nazi-led massacre against Jews occurred, so to be clear, German Unity Day does not equal the day the wall came down.

Now that we have that settled, yesterday, being a holiday, was a day that the government closed and school was out. So, again, being a major holiday, I expected this to be a good day to do some shopping. Back home in good ole USA, holidays are a time that stores open early, close late, and have major sales. One would think that the rest of the world would follow suit, as it is time to make a profit off of the consumer who has the day off. Apparently, in Germany, this is not so. Most (if not all) stores are closed. Few restaurants are open, but they likely close early. If you're like me, you're blinking a lot and very confused. What? Stores and restaurants are not open? This does not make sense. Needless to say, shopping was a failure and will have to take place at another time.

Since nothing was open, Jack and I decided to take a long walk in Volkspark Wilmersdorf. To get there, we must walk down a few streets. What are usually very crowded and bustling streets were empty. Very few people were on the sidewalks. We were wondering if everyone in Berlin just got up and left for the day? We decided that we would google what people do on this holiday once we returned home.

Then we got to the park...google would not be needed...we found where all the people were. EVERYONE was at the park. Yes, it was a nice day, and yes, everyone was off work, but there was no events happening at the park. They were all just playing or laying down or doing Tai Chi in the grass. This holiday is not just a day to sleep in and play video games or watch movies all day. It further demonstrates Jack and my observation that Germans love to be outside.

After returning home, we did look up what people do on this holiday. At the Brandenburg Gate, there is a festival until Saturday afternoon, but other than that, it is a day to relax and celebrate German unity. We plan to go check out the gate tomorrow and see what festivities take place.