Meanwhile, Behind the Scenes

In the theme of the previous post, I was able to check another lingering thing off the list this week.  I finally got my German driver's license.  We don't usually blog about stuff like this, but this process was so... well, foreign, that I thought some of you would at least get a laugh out of it. 

We'll start with the fact that for some Americans moving to Germany, getting a German license is very easy.  Like walk in to the equivalent of the DMV, hand them your American license and get a shiny new German one.  But like many other things in this move, it wasn't quite that easy for us.  Oregon, like a few other US states, has only a partially reciprocal agreement with Germany.  So if you have an Oregon driver's license, you have to take a theory (written) test before getting your German license.  A few states have no agreement, so you have to take a theory test and a practical (driving) test, so at least we got some kind of break. 

So that's it, I had to take a theory test of thirty questions.  But the process of getting to take the test is where the fun lies.  It could be so easy, right?  Like walk in to the DMV equivalent, let's call it the KVR since that's what it is in Munich, and say "I'd like to take the theory test to get my German license", take the test, get the license and be on your merry way.  Even if someone could have just told me what the process was with reasonable certainty then I'd have been happy.  Instead I was left to browse message boards and web sites and get about fifty different interpretations of what I needed to do.  Anyway, here's what I actually did:

1.  Got my Oregon license translated into German at ADAC, the German equivalent of AAA, cost ~40 euro, time spent ~1 hour.
2.  Went to KVR to try to register to take the theory test.  They said I needed to register with a driving school.  I had read conflicting info about whether I needed to do this, so I took a shot.  cost free, time ~2.5 hours, mostly waiting.
3.  Registered at a driving school.  This is the part that is completely ridiculous.  All I needed to do was take the test.  All the driving school did was give me a slip of paper to take to the KVR, call me when I was "approved" to take the test, and schedule the test time with TUV (the testing place).  If there is a worse example of pointless bureaucracy, I'd like to see it.  This might be ok if it weren't so expensive.  Cost 240 euro, time ~2 hours.  Ok, 40 euros were for an online practice test app, but I figured if I'm spending this much money and time I might as well pass it on the first shot.
4.  Went back to KVR.  They took my piece of paper from the driving school and my money and sent my file to Berlin.  Cost ~40 euro, time ~2 hours. 
5.  Waited.  They said it would take two to four weeks for the application to be processed.  It took just over five.  Meanwhile I studied a lot and learned things like how "hashish" consumption can make one unfit to drive,  "pavement" means sidewalk in German English, and if you have something on your roof it can only project 50cm in front of your car, and only if it's above 2.5m.  Cost free, time many hours studying.
6.  Scheduled the test.  After five weeks in purgatory, the driving school called and we scheduled a time to take the test at TUV about two weeks out.  Apparently lots of people want to take the test so you need to book it a couple of weeks in advance.  Lovely, more waiting.  Cost free, time 5 minutes.
7.  Took the test.  Of course the test isn't given at the same office as licenses are given.  Of course.  Germans may be known for their efficiency, but this is apparently lacking in government offices.  America is no model of government efficiency, but they shine in comparison.  As for the test itself, it is thirty questions, multiple choice.  But multiple answers can be correct, and you must select all correct answers.  Yes, an added evil twist.  Each question has a point value from two to five, and you can miss a total of ten points and still pass.  But you can only miss one five-pointer.  You can essentially miss one or two questions out of thirty and know you'll pass.  So the pressure is on.  The one HUGE positive in this whole process was that I could take the test in English.  If that wasn't an option, I would have been in German classes for the past three months.  Maybe that would have been more productive, but that's another story.  Anyway, cost free (pre-paid in the driving school fees), time 2 hours.
8.  Yes, there's more.  Got the license.  I had a glimmer of hope that after passing the test they'd just give me my license, but hey, why not -- in the words of Cake -- prolong the magic?  I finished (and passed) the test last Friday at about 2:30.  Of course the KVR closed at noon.  Sigh.  So I went back to the KVR Monday morning fully expecting another hour-plus wait and some snag that would take another month to resolve.  I guess they weren't in a sadistic mood that day and I only had to wait five minutes (total time ~1 hour including biking there and back) before getting my shiny new German license and even got my Oregon license back as well.  They didn't even charge me, I guess they just plain gave up.

If you were keeping track at home, that was 280 euros and about ten hours plus studying time.  At least I didn't have to do the practical test, since that costs well over a thousand euros and hours of required instruction at the driving school. 

Anyway, here's the finished product.  After that process, is it any surprise that I look like a depressed zombie?

Crossing Things Off the List

We are inching further every day towards... chaos? Double the joy? Sleeplessness? Fulfillment? Insanity? I guess one thing we're not inching towards is certainty of what we're getting ourselves into. In that way, this time around the block is very similar to the first time. We know life will be changing significantly, just not exactly how. I guess we'll find out soon enough.

In the meantime, we're continuing to slowly prepare. I'm nearing the end of a push to finish up all of my work travel by the end of October. Turns out I'm pushing the deadline a bit with a trip to the middle of nowhere in Northern France for a quick visit to a big customer at the beginning of November. But that will be it, after that, an indefinite travel ban. The past couple of weeks have been hectic with trips to the UK and Spain and a few customer visits in other Bavarian cities, and I know it's been tough for Nicole to have me away even for a night here and there as she gets more uncomfortable as the days drag on and that's usually also when Lily gets tougher to handle. Luckily Oma and Opa are back from Chicago and have come to Munich this week while I was away for two nights instead of one.

I was finally able to go to one of Nicole's doctor appointments this morning, for the first time since the first appointment. Between work, trips and someone needing to look after Lily, I just haven't been able to make the timing work. Today Oma and Opa picked up Lily from her play group, so I could go along to see the twins specialist who has a top of the line ultrasound machine. And pretty much the whole visit was watching the big flat screen as the doctor took a ton of measurements and talked about what she saw. First, the good news is that all is good with both babies, they're still growing as if it was a singleton pregnancy and they still have room to move around in there. Nicole now has about eight and a half pounds of baby in her, almost as much as when Lily was born. And yes, the babies hopefully have another month to six weeks to go.

The boy had his face towards Nicole's spine, so we couldn't take a look at his face. But we got a great view of the little girl as, with the push of a button, the doctor went into 3D mode and there she was in all her glory. Our first reaction was that she looked a lot like Lily when we got a 3D ultrasound of her at about the same "age". And when we looked back at Lily's 3D picture vs. her as a baby, it was definitely accurate. So we'll see if we end up with two little girls who look... well, like twins.

We still have a long list of things we would like to get before the babies arrive, but nothing completely critical. We don't have a 2nd infant car seat yet, but since we live a block from the hospital, even that isn't a necessity. Yes, it is easier to buy things now compared to after they arrive so we need to get our act together soon, but for the moment we've been slacking. Maybe we've just been waiting for the weather to turn while we have fun around town with Lily, and since the high temperature this weekend isn't supposed to crack 50, it may just be a productive weekend. And if not, hopefully the babies stay put while we procrastinate.

30 Weeks Pregnant and Missing Good Ol' USA

Today I really miss America. I had an appointment today at the hospital I'll be delivering at.
Because it's normal here for the doctor I'm seeing throughout the pregnancy to not do delivery, I had to schedule a prep appointment at the hospital for paperwork and tests so they can get my data on record using their stuff. Just trying to go with the flow here. I was already warned by enough that it's an old building outside and inside so not what you might be used to but the staff is amazing.

I will be sharing a room with 2 - 3 other people and bathrooms are not attached to the rooms. Husbands don't spend the night as there are no sleeping accommodations. I was most looking forward to meeting some of the staff and confirm my assumption that they speak great English given that it's a University Hospital . My appointment lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes of it was actually doing something other than sitting on a wooden bench uncomfortably waiting. No padded chairs here. My assumption was wrong. Not only was the English poor but the people I met were cold and made me feel very rushed. Yeah I have more questions than a German patient - deal with it. The combination of the interior looking like the inside of the hotel from The Shining crossed with the mental institution from One Flew over The Cookoo's Nest and the unfriendliness just gave way for a meltdown. Of all places, where did I lose it? In the communal bathroom peeing in a cup. I really needed familiarity and kindness and I didn't get it. Sleep deprived, hormonal, and physically uncomfortable = Emotional!

Good news is the babies are looking good, over 3 lbs each now. I'm hoping for a normal birth but unfortunately they are both in breech position. I have to go back to the hospital in 3 weeks to check position again and possibly start talking about the C-section process. They are moving A LOT these days so I'm hopeful they can still flip.

Here I am at 30 weeks pregnant now and when I was 36 weeks pregnant with Lily. I can't tell a difference in size.