Things in Germany, Volume IV

Public Transportation
First on our list today is Sebastian's favorite German adventure: public transportation. He especially loves the trains here. We'll sit at the train stop and face the direction the train is supposed to come. And when it comes, we throw a party (a quiet one, but still . . . )! He yells, "Choo-choo!" and bobs his head from side to side. It's like going on an amusement park ride every time we have to run errands. Which makes errands so much for enjoyable.

Flush Buttons
When I was living in Ukraine, we had two buttons on the top of the toilet: a small one and a large one. It should go without saying which one to use when. Well, Germany has similar flush bu—they aren't really buttons . . . but panels? You can stop the flush if you only need to flush a little bit or just let it go if you . . . well, you know. And am I the only one who has flushed the toilet based on pure habit when there was nothing in the toilet to begin with? Well, there goes 10 gallons of water for nothing. (Maybe I was sitting there watching Sebastian take a bath, for example.) I've always thought it would be a great idea to have a stop button on the toilet. And here it is.

Hard Rolling Window Shutters
This. These. I. Love. They are called Rolladen or rolling shutters. You roll them down each night (or nap time) and they block out everything. I have always really hated window blinds. They are easy to break and are a pain to clean. These rolling shutters, on the other hand, are outside the window. I love them for a few reasons. One, they block out the sunlight when Sebastian naps. They help him sleep much better and longer so that he is less cranky. Two, they block out the sunlight in the morning. Sleeping in never felt so good. (This is actually a plus and minus. Sometimes I wake up and have no idea what time it is.) Three, they make me feel safer. Rather than merely locking the door to my patio, these babies cover the entire door. Four, they are also great protection from the weather. I imagine they block out some of the chill that comes with winter wind and storms, but we shall see!

When we buy our first house, I want these. I don't care how much it costs.

Bakeries
If you are out all day (doing whatever you do all day) and happen to get hungry, you'd likely stop by a fast food place. Not necessarily because you love fast food, but because they are everywhere and they are convenient. You see teenagers stop at Jack-in-the-Box for lunch and whole families dine out at Chick-fil-A. Shopping malls present a line of fast options, including hambugers, pizza, Chinese, and cheesesteaks—all of which are greasy (and delicious). Bakeries are the fast food of Germany. Yes, there is McDonald's and KFC (I know, what?). But rather than seeing bags of fries at the train station, everyone is snacking on baked goods: from hearty, pumpkin seed loaves to sweet, flaky hand pastries. And we love it. Especially Sebastian.

Signal Kommt Signal
Have you ever pressed the button to cross the street . . . and waited so long that you wonder if the button even works? I know I've sat at cross walks and pressed the button like six times just to make sure the traffic lights got my message. Well, in Germany, they've figured out a perfect solution to your impatience and impertinance: the "signal kommt" signal. Signal kommt means "signal is coming," but sometimes I read it as, "Don't worry. I heard you. Be patient."

*Bonus* Pedestrians (again)
I know I usually only post five Things in Germany that I Wish Were in the US, but I just have to mention how much I love the pedestrian-friendly attitude around here. I walked past this beautifully lit crosswalk the other night in our small neighborhood. It's hard to tell, but the light is situated directly over the middle of the crosswalk—not positioned off to the side. Maybe I don't normally notice crosswalks, but I don't recall them being so well lit. OK, maybe they are well lit in busy areas, but in the middle of a small neighborhood? And, I might add that cars always stop for you. I know I've waited a while in the past for cars to stop so I could cross the street, but here, where ever you see zebra stripes, pedestrians have the right of way.