November 19, 2016
Immersing ourselves into the German culture has been full of endless learning experiences. When we first arrived, we had to relearn simple tasks. Translating knobs on our German appliances, reading a manual to sort trash, and studying the rules of the road were efforts we made to learn things the German way. Hey that almost rhymes! =)
As we started to get the hang of some basic things, we continued to immerse ourselves a little further. Mein Mann purchased a one Year Train/Bus Pass to get back and forth to work since we have one car. We became familiar with the German grocery stores in our village, using google translate to read labels on packaging. We learned to bring our cloth bags (or purchase them) and to position ourselves to bag our groceries quickly and efficiently while stopping to figure out the bill in Euros. I’m a big fan of the 2 Euro coin! We started the process of setting up a new network of health professionals with various nationalities (German, Puerto Rican, South African, American, Italian and more). We also navigated the world of car maintenance hoping the funny sounds we made to explain what we were hearing in our car were somehow universal. Oh Man!
This past Fall, we stepped into the culture a little further…motivated by need but also curiosity. There is still the intimidation factor with each new experience, especially in light of our limited German language skills. We appreciate the differences in how things are done and often marvel at the unexpected efficiency. When I got a CAT scan at a German radiology office, I was shocked when the doctor went over the test results with me before I left! I also received a CD of images and a summary of my results. Here’s a few more of our recent experiences to check off the list…
Mein Mann had a Filling Fall Out. Though the boys have seen a pediatric dentist, he and I were long overdue for a cleaning. The filling motivated us to find a dentist fast. After his initial “emergency repair” appointment, he went back again for his cleaning. He saw the head dentist on his second visit and recommended him to me. When I went in for my initial consult and X-rays, the dentist asked me if I spoke German. I responded, “a little.” He then asked the tech if she spoke English. She responded, “a little.” He was confident we would get along just fine and we did. Hand motions go a long way!
Our Adi girl had surgery to remove a lump behind one of her ears. We decided to try our village Vet to get a second opinion on a lump we found several months ago. Adi wasn’t the most cooperative patient but I was impressed with the kindness of the Veterinarian. After a quick examination, he used his tech to translate his recommendation for surgery to remove the lump. A few days later, Adi went in for surgery. E kissed her that morning, telling her she needed to be okay because he loved her. Thankfully, the mass was benign (I actually got to see it!) and she was sent home with a bunch of stitches. I still remember calling the office to check in on her that morning, attempting to speak my broken German. Oh the adventures…
I got a Turkish Pascha Treatment. For Mother’s Day this past year, Mein Mann and the boys got me a gift certificate to a nearby Spa and Sauna. I’ve been wanting to get a massage but was hesitant to set it up. Truthfully, I have a rather modest bent. Just the idea of “baring all,” which is not seen as shameful or embarrassing here, is not within my comfort zone. Massages back home came with coverings. I was prepped those coverings that I’m accustomed to would most likely NOT be a part of my experience here. But, I REALLY wanted a massage. I”m a HUGE fan of massage therapy and have experienced incredible relief over the years because of it. So…I decided to jump in with both feet and sign up for the traditional Turkish Pascha treatment. I didn’t fully know what to expect before going, but I figured I would be stretching my comfort zone in a whole new way. And I was right! Here is a description of how I spent 70 minutes one morning at the German Spa:
“A traditional Turkish Hamam treatment. After a 10-minute sweat session, you are scrubbed on the hot stone with the ‘kese.’ After this, your entire body is enveloped with foam during a massage and cleansing. Generous attention is paid to the back. Through stretching and lengthening, deep tension in the muscles is relieved and they are relaxed. As a crowning finish, a nourishing oil is worked into your skin.”
When I showed up, my masseuse spoke English. I was grateful! She instructed me to take off my clothes and enter into the Sauna. To clarify, I asked, “so I need to take EVERYTHING off?” “Yes.” She did not hand me a towel to cover up with. Alrightly then!
Here are a few pictures of my spa room and the Turkish tea I was given afterwards.
With a small hand towel discreetly placed on my body, I was scrubbed like a baby. Afterwards, I received a wonderful massage. She even washed and massaged my scalp. Once I was able to let go of the embarrassment factor, I relaxed so much that I almost fell asleep. It struck me that the last person that bathed me with such attention was my mother when I was a little girl. Thanks Mami! It’s actually a beautiful ritual. I was telling this to my friend, Amy, and she mentioned to me how so many cultures have a bathing ritual/practice. People know the value of it. Now I do too.
Here’s for being stretched in sooooo many ways! Cheers!
