Who doesn’t complain about stores pushing the holiday season on us faster and faster each year?

I have to confess.  Martin and I complain.  We also already broke down and bought a Christmas item between running around to take care of this paperwork and that.  Moving overseas always requires so much paperwork.  I feel so bad because Martin has to pretty much take care of most of it for us.  My German skills are growing, but little things like returning an item to the store or telling the woman at the post office what kind of postage I want for a letter to the US are huge projects for me.  Vocabulary like “return this item” and “certified mail” aren’t really words you first learn.

Many people complain about how uptight and unfriendly Germans are compared to Americans.  I laughed so hard when a man here once said to me, “Don’t you Americans get tired of smiling all the time?”  The thing is people really are kind here, and I think they’re really patient with my German vocabulary (or lack of vocabulary!).  You don’t have to smile to be a kind person, and I think that’s so hard to forget when you grow up with smiley faces all around.  Plus it’s absolutely amazing to be around people who are Always Prompt.  It’s a society of people who are all on time.  I love it!

Anyway, I have trailed off from what I originally wanted to show you.  It’s the Christmas item we bought at the grocery store, and we’re already using it every day.

We got this cute little box of tea called Advent Tee.  It has 24 packages of different flavored teas with holiday names like Santa’s Secret Tee – each one numbered for a different day in December.  The best way to warm up after a chilly day of biking from errand to errand is a snack with tee.  Would you agree it’s a perfect way to warm up any time you feel the chill?

Advent calendars originated in Germany, and they’re really popular for candies and little gifts.  I could see things like Advent Tee taking off in the United States, too.

There’s nothing particularly Christmasy about these teas (other than their fun names).  In fact, I think the company just combined 24 of their different teas and made festive little wrappers.

We’re already on Day 7.

Anyone else sneaking in a little holiday stuff?  How about rapidly increasing your hot beverage consumption?  It’s so cold and wet in Berlin.  Now I see why tea and hot water bottles are all the rage in our neighborhood shops right now.

1. If we lived in Southern Germany, I wonder if I could get Martin to wear Lederhosen while I waltz around in a Dirndl.  We could live in a small town and dress up for all of the festivals (like the one above).  We’d eat lots of fresh pretzels and roasted nuts and sing traditional drinking songs.
2. I’d have to attempt to sew my own Drindl with this pattern.
3. Or if we lived in the US right now, I’d make this adorable trick-or-treat bag with Christine’s easy-to-follow instructions.
4. Then I’d be pining for a dress marked down so low at JCrew that they’d practically be giving it to me for free while Martin would be tiptoeing to the Apple Store.  I suppose there was a reason the two stores were so close in the mall we went to in Denver.
5. Of course, we’re in neither place – not Southern Germany, not the US.  That’s why we’re keeping busy with other things.  Like taking quiet autumn pictures like this:

What is your end of October like?  Are you finding quiet moments to embrace?  Are you lusting for anything?  (I love the look on the man’s face in the top picture, far right.)

(Images for Making This Home)

I’m sorry to say that I can offer no tips in sounding smart in German.  My communication skills involve a lot of hand gestures and a sad plea to have people speak slower please. “Langsom, bitte.” I dream of being fluent or at least semi-fluent one day.  But until then, no German language tidbits from me.  Yeah?

What I can offer you are a few tips in English for sounding like someone who knows what she’s talking about.  Well actually one is French.  Two English and one French.  The theme is unnecessary words.  You ready?

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1.  Please RSVP

Most people might not catch that the phrase “Please RSVP” is redundant.  RSVP means “Répondez s’il vous plaît“.  Just looking at the words, you can see that the general gist of the phrase is “respond please”.  So with the holiday season fast approaching, double check the invitations you’re sending out.  Your relatives might already have enough things to nitpick you about without a request to ”Please respond please.”

2.  LCD Display

If you’re like me, conversations about LCDs don’t exactly come up very often.  But if you’re around a techy person, LCDs are what it’s all about.  To these guys, LCDs are to gizmos what whipped cream is to your hot chocolate.  LCD stands for “liquid crystal display“.  It’s a common thin, flat panel that displays information like images and movies.  If you have a new computer or cell phone, your screen may be an LCD.  The problem is that saying “LCD display” is as redundant as “Please RSVP.”  You’d be saying “Liquid Crystal Display Display.”  Oops.

3.  PIN Number

I might as well confess that I am working really hard on not saying “PIN Number”.  Why?  PIN = Personal Identification Number.  So I’m walking around, showing off my RSVP and LCD skills only to blurt out “Personal Identification Number Number”.  Well that and my butchered German!

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Know any other redundancies we say without knowing?  Or are you like me and always slipping on any of the ones above?  Tell me I’m not the only one!

If you’re thinking, “Gosh, these posts really do make me sound smart,” swing by the others in this series for a brainy good time: The Motors vs. Engines Edition and The Hardwood Floors & Tablesaws Edition.

(Images from Flickr)