Shop 'til You Drop

After arriving back to Germany, we hadn't had the chance to go shopping in the winter sales. So, last Saturday, we planned to visit the Main-Taunus-Zentrum.

Main-Taunus-Zentrum is a large shopping centre located just outside Frankfurt by the motorway leading to Wiesbaden. The centre is very popular: even though there are 4500 parking places, it is very difficult to find free spot for your car.

On Saturday, we were invited to a birthday party of a two-year-old girl, so we went shopping after the party and arrived to the Main-Taunus-Zentrum at only 7pm. Fortunately, the opening hours here a bit different than in Finland, where everything closes by 6pm. on Saturdays.

After 10pm., when all the other shops were closed, we still went to the Rewe grocery store (open until midnight). That's where the first 'drop' happened: our daughter fall asleep in her pushchair. She was so tired of all the partying and shopping, that she didn't ask for her pacifier.

The next 'drop' waited until the next morning: I fell ill. For a few days now I have had fever and felt sick. But hopefully it will soon pass and I'll be able to go and check the sales here in Wiesbaden!

Odd German Way No. 6 - Changing Eggs

Every time I visit our local grocery store Rewe, there is someone standing by the egg shelf. This someone is opening the egg cartons and looking closely at the eggs. Sometimes the carton is closed and put into the shopping cart, but quite often he or she moves the eggs from one carton to another, inspecting every one of the eggs in detail.

In Finland, I have never, ever seen anyone choosing the eggs one by one from different egg cartons, but here in Germany this seems to happen every day. I understand if some wants to make sure that none of the eggs is broken. But what kind of differences can be seen unbroken eggs? Color? Size?

The odd German ways...

Daheim Ist Daheim

When living abroad, you quite easily refer to the country you came from as 'home'.

My family spent the holidays back 'home' in Finland. Although Finland is not that far from Germany (the flight takes only 2-2.5 hours), traveling with a child is a bit challenging and I like to spent at least two weeks in Finland at a time.

Our families are spread all over the southern and western Finland, so it takes time to travel from town to town and to meet everyone. Actually, two weeks is a very short time, if you plan to meet all your family and friends. As our relatives do not have the possibility to see our daughter very often, the family meetings seem to take majority of our time. And after visiting all the relatives, you notice that it is time to fly back home, and you haven't had the time to meet all your friends, like you planned...

But from another perspective, two weeks is a long time. As we do not have a place of our own in Finland anymore, we need to stay with our relatives (or in a hotel) whenever we travel to Finland. This means storing all your things in your luggages and packing everything up in every couple of days when changing to another town.

The travel bed is all set up, so it is time to unpack all the toys.

Fortunately, my grandparents have not sold my great-grandmother's old apartment, so when we are staying in the village where I grew up, we have a whole apartment to ourselves. What a luxury! Unfortunately, the distances are too long for us to camp here for our whole stay in Finland.

Our daughter scattered her Christmas cookies all over the floor in our 'apartment hotel'

After two weeks of the luggage life, I was ready to fly back to our real home, where I can take clean clothes from the cabinet and sleep in my own bed.

So, here we are, back home in Wiesbaden.

Daheim Ist Daheim - Home Sweet Home!

Although we did not have White Christmas in Finland,
 we did have the opportunity enjoy some winter sports before flying back home.

Peaceful New Year 2012!

And Greetings from the Land of Thousands Lakes!