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Thursday, April 28, 2011

"When in Rome, Do as the Romans"

Time to start a new "series" while we're here... and as I was researching who started this phrase I was excited to see that Saint Ambrose was raised in Trier!  Which is less than an hour and a half from us and one of the first day trips we're planning!  I didn't know it's the oldest city in Germany!

(Um, this is all according to Wikipedia, which we all know is 100% infallible.)

Moving on... for me, while I am in Germany, I shall be trying to do my best to live as the Germans :o)  Top priority is to try to learn as much German (language) as possible.  I've got to get me some German friends so they can help me with this... and all the OTHER German things I want to know!

But we'll take it slow... here are a few things we're trying to be more German about while eating breakfast here at the hotel...


These are on all the tables in the hotel restaurant.  I finally asked Michelle (a staff member we see every day) what the word means... I was hoping this would enlighten me as to what it was for.  I've had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't just a decoration ;o)

It's a table top trash can!  (Tisch = table, abfall = garbage)  SO what you're supposed to do if you want to be cool like the Germans, is put your trash from breakfast in this sucker.  You are NOT supposed to neatly pile your trash on your plate like SOME people we know (me)... or they will KNOW you're a silly American ;o) 

Jesse and I were debating whether or not this makes more work for cleanup... jury's still out.  But I think it is pretty cool.

 

This morning I let a certain little girl indulge in some Nutella on her strawberries.  It's all the rage to smother this stuff on your bread here.  Someone once told me Nutella was healthy cause it's a nut spread... but I don't think they read the ingredient list ;o)  Anyways, it's delicious and chocolatey and a smash hit when trying to get LJ to sign "more" instead of point and whine for something she wants!



"Momma, if I cheese for the camera, will you go get us more Nutella?" ;o)

Speaking of eating like Germans, I've adjusted my breakfast eating habit a little.  I read in Cassie's book that a typical German breakfast includes bread with deli meats and cheeses (sometimes spreadable, like brie).  So I was trying to be all German and eat from "their" side of the buffet... they have a section of cereals and scrambled eggs and bacon for us Americans ;o) but I want to be more authentic...

...well alas, even in my quest to eat German, I was informed by another employee Giselda (when I questioned her about how they eat their breakfasts) that "We are not always making sandwiches like you Americans do!"  Dangit.  Apparently, you  have to slice your roll or croissant and eat it more like an open faced sandwich... which I saw the owner of the hotel doing so I'm on the right track now! :o)  

So there you go folks.  If you want to be German today get yourself a table top trash can and some Nutella and some brie and turkey and croissants and have at it!

3 comments:

  1. really do enjoy learning all this neat stuff
    however, don't go gettin toooo acclimated to that country over there on the other side of God's green earth!!! ;)
    happy couple minutes after 12, thursday!
    ?did LJ write on your jeans?

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  2. This is a lot of fun learning these random bits of knowledge. It is also very interesting. I am glad that you're sharing all you learn.

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  3. MIL: Yeah, we were coloring on the bed and I was smart to put a towel down so she wouldn't accidentally write on the bedspread. But I wasn't paying attention when she tried to climb into my lap with her black crayon in hand! No worries, though... it came out fine!

    Victoria: Yes yes yes it is SO fun! Glad you're having fun with me! :o)

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