[STCrowley]

Hey, I just made something of a rant in a thread titled "What do you miss from home," and I thought I should try and balance it out with something a bit more positive. So, here's my try:

I recently found something really cool about living in Germany. After about three years 'in country,' we moved into a new apartment. . . a new, very old apartment. We have coal stoves for heat, wood floors that creak, friendly neighbors. . . it's a really cool apartment. (It was compared to something from a Dickens novel on Facebook.)

I'm really glad for this place. It's got character and it's about as close as I'm going to come to the GDR. (The former 'East Germany,') as I'm living now like my in-laws lived when they were my age. It's not forever, but it's cool.

And I have a landlord who lives two doors over and who comes as soon as you call with a problem with the hot water.

What have you noticed lately about your 'host country?' Ideally, lets keep the list positive, but I'm game to hear anything!

[English-coach]

I love how I can meet people who are totally opposite (sorry the first part is a bit negative).

I went to the clinic to make a doctors appointment and I went to join the line up. Two women looked like they were at the end so I asked them if they were in line and they said no. So I stood behind the next woman. The line continued to form behind me when an old woman came and stood beside and a little in front of me. Well I was not having any of it. When the line moved I politely said I was the next in line and she just let the flood gats loose...claiming I hadn't asked who was at the end of the line...that she was and that I hadn't asked....(she must have been sitting down or something)...anyways…I tried to explain that I had asked and that the other ladies said no but I was so ruffled that I lost my Spanish (gotta love it when that happens)...

then the man behind me piped up and was defending me! Basically telling the old lady to take a hike and that for all we knew she had been in the bathroom and it wasn't fair. WELL that started her in on BOTH of us. I tried to calm her down. I mean another 5 minutes was not going to kill me but she keep going and going and started yelling.

Yes…yelling in the silent clinic! I mean...wow. What happened next is a bit embarrassing. I was getting kind of upset as I couldn't explain myself and she was yelling...so when she finally turned around (still in front of me) I started to cry. Not a loud one but bright red in the face, tears and the odd sniffle.

Anyways...at that moment I was pretty upset with Spain (just cause of one old lady)...BUT later that afternoon when I went back to my appointment but arrived late and they had already passed my name...my faith in humanity was restored. There were two ladies waiting and they started talking to one another saying that “Hey, we can let this girl go ahead of us...or else she will be waiting all afternoon...you go ahead honey...no problem.”

I thought I was going to cry again (thankfully I didn't!) because they were so nice.

So it goes to show you that there are good and bad things...nice and cranky people...but all in all I wouldn't trade Spain in for the world.

Not sure if that is what you were looking for but it’s what I've got right now.