Hi friends! Given that we're just a couple days away from an influx of guests at Das Kanada Haus, this week's instalment is going to be a bit more whimsical in nature. I'd like to take you down the rabbit hole and give you a firsthand look at some of the most surprising observations I've come across during my first month in Germany.
Sure, things are a little different for me, as there are some more "Canadianized" elements in place at Das Kanada Haus. However, our beloved home base was constructed as a classic Bavarian guesthouse, complete with stone walls and lots of plastering (Verputzen, or "putz"). One of the things I'm definitely going to miss when I go back to Canada is the ingenious style of windows. HVAC/central air systems aren't common in most German homes, so we tend to rely on room-based radiator heat to fend off cold snaps, and floor fans (or the occasional unit AC) to get through the summer months. Fortunately, the windows in Germany are great at recirculating hot and stagnant air. For anyone who has a sunroof in their vehicle, you can relate to this same "tilt vent" feature. Plus, it's energy efficient! And given my experience with the multi-step recycling system here in Northern Bavaria, conservation of resources is a big priority here.
I've also had to get used to some differences in commodity prices, many of which have a profound impact on daily life. Let's start with the grocery store! I apologize to all my lactose-free friends in advance, but I have great affection for dairy products (shout-out to my friend Mitch, the "Milk Man"! :) ). Cheese, yogurt, and milk (mostly for my coffee) are absolute mainstays in my diet, and thankfully they are one of the lower-priced items in a German grocery store (ex: Lidl, Aldi, Penny). And did I mention the bread?! With such a variety of deliciousness at one's fingertips, let's just say that I'm glad I've been more physically active lately xD.
We have had significant shortages in oil-related products, however. These have mostly come as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. You can usually find a good variety of olive oils on the shelves, but other kinds of oil (ex: sunflower) are almost impossible to find at the moment. In terms of transportation, gas and diesel prices are currently running just under 2 Euros per litre (approx. $3.50 CAD/L). Because driving a family vehicle is so expensive, public transportation (train, bus) is a more common and affordable alternative. I think this has been one of the hardest adaptations for me to make, considering that I grew up in rural Ontario. To be honest, I don't really know how to read a bus timetable in English, let alone in German!
On the other hand, it has been such a treat to have so many beautiful hiking trails to choose from. Biking and pedestrian culture is much more widespread in Germany, as exemplified by the many pedestrian-only zones and bicycle lanes throughout smaller towns and larger cities alike. This is a big incentive for someone who likes to integrate a bit of variety into her daily physical activity :).
And finally, I need to address the elephant in the room... "Emily, what on Earth do you mean, your job doesn't exist?!" Well, allow me to explain in more detail. The school system in Germany is very complex, and some elements differ significantly from state to state. Even a brief analysis of the differences between the Canadian and German education systems could be a university-level course in and of itself - hey... there's an idea to run by my B.Ed. coordinator this fall!! I'm looking into doing a blog entry on some interesting elements of the German school system, so stay tuned!
Anyway, one interesting snippet that I picked up from one of my hosts is that German school boards DO NOT employ supply/occasional teachers. Similar to what we would have in post-secondary institutions, classes are simply cancelled if the regular classroom teacher is unable to be at school on a given day. One of my new friends, Marisa (a volunteer at DKH) is training to be a middle/high school teacher. I need to ask her what happens if and when students have multiple consecutive days off?
On the ministry side of things, I also learned that it's extremely uncommon for anyone to be employed as a worship pastor at a local church, except in larger churches in big city centres. (Btw, check out ICF Worship on YouTube for some great German and English worship music!) Here it's very common for churches in the Pentecostal movement to employ pastors on a bi-vocational basis, with other roles being filled by dedicated volunteers. I've spent the majority of my life in a bi-vocational pastor/tradesperson's home, and I can safely say that your approach to ministry is impacted when you are working a secular day job throughout the week. In some ways it makes things harder, like when you are trying prepare the Sunday message, teach weekly Bible studies, make pastoral visitation calls and check in with your ministry volunteers... AND manage your day job and family life! However, being in a secular workplace certainly helps you to relate to the day-to-day job experiences of people in the congregation. Whatever your church size or structure, please take a few moments this week to thank your pastor for the incredible work and sacrifices they make in order to teach and shepherd their community of faith.
I now realize that there are so many more cultural differences that I could talk about, so I think this is going to be the first of a mini-series. This week I leave you with a few snapshots from some of my walking excursions :). Looking forward to sharing all the details about the OMEGA trip! God's going to do AMAZING things, and through prayer, YOU can be a part of it.
Yours in the Great Commission,
Emily
