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I'm very glad to hear that :)

> Dropping of our daughter to kita is a bit more complicated with the bike especially in the rain and since the kita is so far away.

I can sympathise - half an hour on the bike, in the cold and wet, with a toddler on the back is anything but easy. The longest Kita-commute we ever had was about fifteen minutes.

> We had a steep learning curve since we never biked in California in the rain (it rains about 10 days a year in San Diego) and we definitely weren't prepared for the rain when we moved.

Other tips which may help:

• I found that having good gloves makes a massive difference to feeling comfortable in the rain. There are special biking gloves with reinforced palms (like these ones), but any light but waterproof set of gloves will do. They also double up as your go-to gloves for cold-but-not-super-freezing weather. I break out my insulated skiing gloves for a few weeks a year, when it gets below freezing on a regular basis, but the insulation makes them stiff and heavy, so I only use them when I have to.
  
• When it gets colder, I find that a light balaclava (example) works wonders. It's thin enough that it goes under the bike helmet, and the mesh around the mouth is porous, so you can breathe through it - but it keeps your face warm, and the rain/snow off of your face and neck. Children probably need something a little thicker (e.g. a Schalmütze, which is great for colder weather in general), which means the helmet won't be well seated on their heads - but that was a compromise I was willing to make.
  
• I usually dressed my daughter in a some waterproof trousers (Regenhose; an example - the non-insulated ones were fine for the autumn, but we switched to the insulated ones in the middle of winter) and a rain jacket. Additionally, I usually had a cover for the child seat (to cover it when my daughter wasn't sitting in it), but I found that I could use it to cover her legs and feet when she was in the child seat, which helped to keep her feet dry. She liked it, as she said it felt like she had a blanket over her legs.
  
• If you find that you're skidding on the wet ground, let a bit of air out of your tyres. While it will increase the rolling resistance a bit, it will also increase the grip on the road. Obviously, this has its limits - I draw the line at ice on the ground; I take public transport or the car for the one week a year or so, when it's just too slippery to cycle safely.
  
  As our children are getting bigger, and particularly our eldest wants/needs to be shuttled to more and more activities, we bought an electric cargo bike this summer. It was an expensive investment - they cost about as much as a used compact car - but it's been so worth it. We can now carry both children, plus shopping/rucksacks/musical instruments/random stuff they bring home from kindergarten with ease. The kids get a great view from the front (and I can see what they get up to, which always bothered me with the trailer), the rain cover keeps the kids dry, and the rain poncho keeps me dry too. I think the last time I used the car was three weeks ago, when I went to Ikea to buy some furniture. A cargo bike is definitely not for everyone - for one thing, you need a place to park it (which is tricky if you live in an apartment), and it can be a bit unwieldy - but for us it's allowed us to leave the car at home even more often than before.
  
  > I know there are many people that have more then one kid and no car and are doing just fine. I guest we just need to adjust more.
  
  Don't be too hard on yourself - we didn't get to where we are overnight. It took us years of figuring things out, and of getting out of our comfort zone, one little step at a time. You're already doing great by cycling to work and to the Kita. I even know a few families who managed to ditch their car completely - while we're getting there, I don't think we're ready to sell our car just yet.
  
  I wish you all the best! :)

I'm not a German, but I'm an American living in Germany so I might be able to give you some insight on the German snacks that an American might gravitate towards. We do "snack boxes" a few times a year back to friends in the states with stuff we find in Germany and other European countries and they're always a big hit.

First off, if it's not too late, I'd suggest dropping the Ritter Sport and the Haribo Goldbaren. They're both fantastic snacks and I eat more of both than I should, but they are pretty common in the US.

Aside from that, though, excellent choices in your package. You might want to consider adding these though if you have room:

Milka Snax, particularly the Daim variety (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Milka-Daim-Snax-2er-Pack/dp/B005187BOO). It's almost like a chocolate-covered Bugle, if you remember those, with Daim butter almond in it. Fantastic.

NicNac's (http://www.lorenz-snackworld.de/en/node/351). These are, by far, my favorite German snack along with flippies (the "Curly Peanuts" you already have). They're basically peanuts with a crunchy (I'm assuming fried) coating on it. So good, and every American I've ever introduced to them has become instantly hooked.

Milka Löffe-Ei (https://www.milka.de/Produkte/MilkaL%C3%B6ffel-EiHerbstZeit?categoryId=2469). I tend to see these things more seasonally, so they may not be easily available right now, but they're chocolate eggs with vanilla, chocolate, or another kind of filling. They come in 4- packs with little spoons to crack the top of the egg (supposed to be reminiscent of a soft boiled egg, I guess) and then eat out the filling.

Super Dickman -- They're chocolate covered marshmallows. I'm not a big marshmallow fan, but come on, they're named "Super Dickman".

Other Potato Chip Flavors -- Not sure what you have available, but there are a lot of really unusual potato chip flavors here aside from just paprika. Bacon flavor (although I've heard that's becoming common in the states), roasted chicken flavor, thai chili flavor...all kinds.

Hope that helps. Your international snack box concept seems fantastic and I wish you good luck in getting it off the ground!

> -How easy is the route finding on the E-5? That is, is it well sign posted and it is usually clear which way you have to go? I've done plenty of hiking, but never one where the trail wasn't easy to follow. I wouldn't want to lose the trail and get lost in the Alps.

You will usually finds signs that look like this. Notice the the sign at the top and how it says "E5"? The different trails are also marked with a color code/trail label. If for whatever reason no signs are available you can find stone figures which usually also have the trail lable painted on.

> -Would it be a problem doing this hike not speaking German? I'd try to learn a little before coming and bring a phrasebook.

That + english should be alright.

> -Would there be an issue finding places to stay in the mountain huts if I went in the middle of the summer and traveled independently? I know it would be easier with a group tour but I really don't like them.

Check beforehand if the huts you intend to stay in are privatly owned or if they belong to one of the alpine clubs and also if they are managed or unmanaged huts. Depending on that they work differently. I never hiked the E5 so i don't know for sure but i'm guessing most/all of them are managed huts belonging to either the german, austrian or italian alpine club. Those usually have beds and matress rooms. If the hut is full, they don't turn wanderes away, instead they "stack them wherever they can". I was in that situation twice i think. The tables in the dining room were pushed together, some people slept on the tables, some under the tables. It wasn't the most comfortable night but it worked.
You are required to bring your own sleeping bag - at least a small/lightweight one out of linen, silk or similar - since washing the bed lining, pillows or wool blankets isn't possible every day.

Here you can find the hut regulations for (managed) huts with the german and austrian alpine club. The rules for huts with the italian alpine club are very similar since the alpine clubs are working closely together with each other.

Also the following stuff:

Use proper hiking boots meaning they cover your ankles

The amount of people who go hiking in the alps in sneakers/running shoes etc. is astonishing. The amount of those who end up dead or need to be rescued by the "Bergwacht" however is not.
Yes hiking boots like these (not trying to advertise, i just used the first amazon search result to show which type of shoes i'm talking about) are heavier than trailrunning shoes etc. However these do support the ankles and have a stabilizing effect which is especially important when you're exhausted after a long day of hiking. Safety should be your top priority, not convenience.

Bring cash

The higher you go the less likely it is that you can pay via any other type of payment.

Don't rely to much on your phone

Bringing one with you is of course a good thing in case you need to call for help or just to stay in contact with family/friends, however don't expect to have the best cell reception everywhere. You probably won't be able to charge your phone every night which renders modern smartphones pretty much useless after the first few days unless you carry small solar cells/mobile cahrgers and so on with you. I prefer to use one of those good old nokia phones. Seemingly indestructible and usable for weeks without the need to charge it.

Hut Book

Upon arrival at a hut enter your name, mobile number and destination/tour of the next day into the hut book. That way it's easier for the Bergwacht to organize and send help in case things go awry, like an avalanche.

On the matter off phone numbers and help

EU wide emergency number: 112

Special emergency phone number for mountain rescue services (Bergwacht/Bergrettung) by country:

Austria: 140

Italy: 118

https://www.alpenverein.de/dav-services/alpine-auskunft/alpine-telefonnummern_aid_10705.html

Bring a up-to-date-map, a compass and a little package with some emergency medicine.

Some might say that especially a compass might be over the top. I always feel better carrying those things with me in case i need them instead of needing them but not having them with me. I also have some glow sticks in my backpack.

Prepare for bad weather

Bring clothes with you for warm, rainy and/or cold weather. Don't rely to much on the weather forecast. The weather in the alps can change very quickly.

The things you carry up are the things you carry down again, including and especially garbage!

Nothing is more infuriating than trying to enjoy the view when pieces of trash are lying around everywhere. Bring a trash bag with you for your trash like the packaging of snacks and so on.

You say you've done a lot of hiking so some of this might be unnecessary but for now i just wrote down what i could think of off the top of my head. Feel free to ask, if you have more questions.

Edit: More things added...

I'm happy to share our own experience, but I very much believe that each child progresses best according to her own readiness, so if you're patient and consistent and not applying too much pressure, she'll just arrive one day at a breakthrough point, and it will be all downhill from there.

We both read to her from birth pretty much. We started novels at 3 years old. We both did Winnie-the-Pooh. We bought that big massive Illustrated Complete Works, which was an excellent transition into novel format because it's glossy paged like a picture book, and every page is illlustrated. But also, more importantly, because each chapter is its own independent story, so it was as much like reading a bunch of picture books as reading a novel. I read to her throughout the day; hubby did bedtime routine. Me in English, him in German. We moved on to other books, and that was the only one that we both carefully read in our respective languages within the same timeframe. Sounds like you're well beyond that.

When she was ready to start reading, which I wanna say was right around 4.5-5 years old (not early, not late), we started in English. She got the hang of that fairly well, and we while hubby continued to read aloud in German, we didn't ask her to decode in German until she was about 7. By then, she was reading novels in English, and German rules are so easy with their lack of exceptions, so she just picked it up. Once she was reading comfortably in German, hubby would give her chances to read aloud by "being busy with something" and needing her to take over the reading so the story could go on, and she fell for that.

In your case, if she's learning to read at school in German, then it's not too surprising that English would be going more slowly at home. I feel like it's a harder language to learn because the rules are a farce, especially from a spelling/decoding standpoint. I think you're probably doing everything right. Just be patient, stick with it, and read prolifically.

Out of curiosity, how old is she, and what are y'all reading together?

>I am a master's student here in Germany, and would like to contribute in some way, if I can. Of course, money is a barrier for me(being a student and all), but what are some simple things that I can do as a student and also encourage my classmates to do ?

Basically all the things mentioned in the original post. Most of that is even going to save you money. Eat less meat, buy less pre-prepared and packaged food or coffee to go, generally just buy less stuff you don't really need....

Unless you are already keeping your house fairly cool consider turning the heating down just a tiny bit. Turning the heating down just one degree saves like 6% of energy a year, as far as I know. Take shorter showers. Take your own lunch to work/university in a reusable container, do the same with water.....

And my personal pet peeve: don't use the small clear plastic bags in the fruit and vegetable section of the supermarket. Unless you buy very small fruit like cherries they're just not necessary. You can buy three potatoes or four kiwis without any bag at all. And for the rare occasions when you really do need a bag you could even bring your own reusable ones like these: https://www.amazon.de/Earthwise-wiederverwendbare-Netztaschen-Obst-Gemüse/dp/B01M24RXF7/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1541065932&sr=8-4&keywords=obsttüte

I did a similar thing some years ago, but in Romania. There is an awesome line of dictionaries called Kauderwelsch that really helped me surviving those 10 days. They are also available for English-German: https://www.amazon.de/Reise-Know-How-German-Fremdsprache-Kauderwelsch-Band/dp/3831764166/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=kauderwelsch+deutsch&qid=1559137236&s=books&sr=1-1

​

Also: As far as I know you have a fixed target camp, have you not?

I would adivse you to always wear something that makes you identifiable as a scout, a lot of people will be more friendly.

Good luck and have a great hike.

I just made a huge batch of Spätzle. And I can only recommend getting one of these. All the other contraptions are far messier and bulkier and more expensive. I've tried them all and this simple thing works best.

As for Spätzle: Mix Eggs and Water in a bowl. You need as much water as you got eggs by volume. Add a pinch of salt. Add flour until you have the right texture. What you are looking for is a very wet dough which "climbs" up your dough hooks and yet still drips off. Since this is my grannies recipe this is all by gut feeling. Once you are reasonably comfortable with your dough let it rest for at least half an hour. then check the viscosity again. Add flour if needed.

Then you need to heat up water in a pot. It is absolutely important that the water is hot but you don't want hot steam. If you get hot steam you will steam the dough while you are making Spätzle.

Pass the dough through the contraption. Don't use too much dough at once because you want your Spätzle to cook evenly. Fish the Spätzle at the surface out of the water using something like this.

Drop the Spätzle into a pan with melted butter. You are not looking for a lot of heat. You only want to keep them warm. Ideally you will drop them into a pan of very dark roasted onions. That's how I prefer them. If you've got nutmeg, use some of that. If you feel like granulated garlic, use some of that.

As for cheese: use Emmental or similar cheeses. Do not use weird stuff like Cheddar. I made my last batch with equal amounts of Emmental and not-quite Parmigiano. If you feel your cheese isn't quite melting you can pop the whole thing into the oven at a not too hot temperature. Just enough to melt the cheese.

My girlfriend adds cream before the Spätzle go into the oven.

Be careful with the flour you use. None of the self-raising stuff.


There are variation of Spätzle without adding water to the dough. Those are very eggy indeed and I'm not too fond of those.

Hi.
If you're looking for some kind of textbook, I've found the Schritte International Glossary XXL German-English books to be quite good when starting out. The first 4 books cover the A1 and A2 levels and are available here. If you'd like, I could send the first volume your way so you could get a feeling for the material.
Otherwise, as an all-in-one solution, I've read good things about Schaum's Outline of German Grammar.
Dictionaries - I don't own a physical one. Online, I use dict.cc and pons.com for word definitions and linguee.de for usage examples.
If my answer is unsatisfactory, also try asking in /r/German which is the dedicated sub-reddit for learning German.

Second the recommendation for Krabat by Ottfried Preussler.

Dackelblick by Frauke Scheunemann might be worth looking at, it is a book about a small dachshund and his adventures. There are three more sequels, "Katzenjammer", "Welpenalarm" and "Hochzeitsküsse". It is typical "women's lit", cute animals and a love story, but not too cheesy and easy on the big words.

Similar idea are the Kater Schnurr books, they are available on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mbdU_4pnZw

>but at the same time isn't something that would be analyzed in a German literature college, for instance, Like Shakespeare's novels in Usa/Uk colleges.

If you feel up to a challenge in this regard, look up "Schimmelreiter" by Theodor Storm.

http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/der-schimmelreiter-3488/1

There is a halfway decent translation available on amazon.com if you get stuck.

https://www.amazon.com/Rider-White-Horse-Review-Classics/dp/1590173015/

Another story by Storm that I really like is "Regentrude"

http://gutenberg.spiegel.de/buch/die-regentrude-3478/1

Audioplay based upon the book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dbrpWROQcA

Translation into English if you get stuck:

https://www.amazon.com/Theodor-Storm-Maiden-Knecht-Ruprecht-ebook/dp/B00EMJYAT2/

Hi everyone,

I recently moved to Germany from the US and am looking to purchase school supplies for the upcoming semester. In particular, I'm looking for binders like these:

https://www.amazon.com/Avery-Durable-Binder-Slant-Binders/dp/B06ZZ2V4DL/ref=pd_bap_rp_3/132-2980578-7042956?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06ZZ2V4DL&pd_rd_r=82ccecaf-98fe-4fb6-bc5e-f5abae8df7a0&pd_rd_w=a0CAq&pd_rd_wg=RvQY1&pf_rd_p=bc4a692a-efbf-4fea-abae-2257b7d438d4&pf_rd_r=537XZJA1C23K77GBMH3D&psc=1&refRID=537XZJA1C23K77GBMH3D\.

Do you guys know where I can find them? I've check my local shops and amazon.de but I haven't found anything similar. All of the binders I've found have been flimsy and don't have pockets for papers.

Thank you for the help

• Beans: Thalia, Amazon
  
  
• Le petit prince: Thalia, Amazon
  
  Same with the other two. They are available in Germany, but not for you :P
  
  Jokes aside: Contact Amazon/Google support (I guess you might need to change country settings? No idea.) or buy them from a German shop like thalia.de, ebook.de, hugendubel.de or your local bookstore.

Frankly if I were you I would spring for one of those pocket-sized Berlitz books of useful phrases, like this one

https://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-German-Phrase-Dictionary-Books/dp/2831508835

I think they even have an app that does the same thing.

As for Bach you could do some research for yourself https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exploring-World-J-Bach-Travelers/dp/0252081765/ . Leipzig is an obvious destination and notice that neighbouring Halle is the place where Händel was born. Beyond Leipzig here is a nice website about Bach sites in Thuringia where he spent the largest part of his pre-Leipzig years: https://www.bach-thueringen.de/en/bach-locations/

​

Most larger cultural museums have some kind of medieval weaponry thrown in be it Dresden or Nuremberg but Solingen's Klingenmuseum would have been my first idea, too.

​

You will never encounter anybody who is offended about interest in the Thirs Reich there is rather some (arguably dubious) pride about the way Germany deals with its past and you can visit tons of places. Others will be rather bored than annoyed with this topic. Though it is a difference if you are interested in history and structure or if you are a WWII buff which will be seen with far less sympathy and understanding.

There are however questions I always ask foreign visitors who jump into the whole WWII topic. First what do you expect to see? There are preciously few buildings from this era. The art is almost never displayed so you basically often end up reading panels which leads us straight to question two: why are you focusing on the one thing you probably have a vague grasp of about Germany and the one thing you could learn about far more comfortably from home? The third question is if you explore dark sides of other countries or if this is a Nazi Horror Picture Show for you because the Nazis are cool and oh so evil. Also do you explore the dark sides of your own country or are the Nazis just a convenient evil landmark and you can say to yourself that your country wasn't as bad. Finally if you are from one of the major Allied countries: are you trying to re-win the war and bask in its glory? Especially the United Kingdom seems to be stuck in a nasty time-loop regarding that battling the EU as a Germany dominated Fourth Reich.

A simple example is Colditz castle near Leipzig which has tons of visitors from the UK - and almost no German ones. No one here cares or knows about the heroics of British officers who made rather pointless escape attempts but visitors from UK flock there to somehow relive their country's finest hour ... this is really something I see with a certain contempt.

So basically you have to ask yourself what is the point of visiting such sites.

For beginners: http://www.amazon.com/English-Grammar-Students-German-Learning/dp/0934034389/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413161749&sr=1-2&keywords=german+english+grammar

Beginning to intermediate: http://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outline-German-Grammar-4ed/dp/0071615679/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413161727&sr=1-6&keywords=german+grammar

Beginning to intermediate: http://www.amazon.com/Hammers-German-Grammar-Usage-Edition/dp/1444120166

Intermediate to advanced: http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Grammar-German/dp/3190272557/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1413161823&sr=1-1&keywords=hueber+practice+grammar+german

I didn't check them all, but the first one is being offered to me as a 3.37 Euro Kindle edition here. I guess something about your country settings or the location of the Amazon website you use doesn't line up.