A useful website for English speakers!

Today i found this website by complete accident!

Toytown Germany!

Toytown Germany is the English-language community website for Germany. It is an information resource, a meeting point, and a communication platform for English-speaking foreigners throughout the country.

Toytown Germany, known as "TT" for short, collects information about local bars and restaurants, events and meetups, job offers, housing, cinemas, taxes, and pretty much anything to do with moving to Germany and living here. The heart of the site is the chat forum where English speakers can share news, ask questions, post answers, make advertisements, organise sports and social events, discuss current affairs, and engage in general lively banter about anything and everything.

Its really handy with a wiki, a forum and live chat!

Just a quick not on the forum ask specfic questions! I learned the hard way!

Organisations I will Join in Germany

I am currently recovering from Young Fine Gael National Conference, but thats a different story. At the weekend I met Joe again and he was asking me will i be joing the two organisations I will tell you about now!

1. JUNGE UNION DEUTSCHLANDS

The Junge Union of Germany is the federal association of the Jungen Union, the independent youth organisation of CDU (Christian-democratic Union) and CSU (Christian-social Union) of Bavaria. The Junge Union covers all of Germany and is organised in 18 regional associations (Landesverbände), 37 district associations (Bezirksverbände) and 466 local associations (Kreisverbände). Over a thousand local groups in villages, towns, cities and city districts make it easy to enter political work at the grass roots level.

This is YFG's sister party in Germany and I will certainly be joining a Kreisverbände in Koln!

2. Die Lesben und Schwulen in der Union

The LGBT Section of the CDU! Might as well join the CDU also!

3. Christlich Demokratischen Union Deutschlands

Sure why not!

This list may be updated!

Ireland v Germany: Music Charts

This is the first in a series of posts comparing Ireland and Germany. I've decided to compare the music charts of Ireland and Germany for this post.

First my home chart! The number in brackets is the songs position in Germany if its in the top 40! (NC = Not Charted)

1. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love (NC)
2. Westlife - Home (NC)
3. Timbaland Ft One Republic - Apologize (NC)
4. Take That - Rule The World (NC)
5. Britney Spears - Gimme More (15)
6. Mark Ronson FT Amy Winehouse - Valerie
7. Shayne Ward - If That's OK With You (NC)
8. Sugababes - About you now (4)
9. Akon - Sorry, Blame It On Me (NC)
10. Alicia Keys - No One (6)

German Chart

1. Alex C. ft. Y-Ass -Du Hast Den Schönsten Arsch Der Welt (NC)
2. Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah (11)
3. Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music (13)
4. Sugababes - About you now (8)
5. Nicole Scherzinger - Baby Love (15)
6. Alicia Keys - No One (10)
7. James Blunt - 1973 (39)
8. Mark Medlock & Dieter Bohlen - Unbelievable (NC)
9. Jimi Blue - I'm Lovin... (l.r.h.p.) (NC)
10. Dj Otzi & Nik P. - Einen Stern (der Deinen Namen trägt) (NC)

Theres a lot of cross over bewtween the German Chart and the Irish Chart but not the other way around! Enjoy the songs!

Connect with me!

So you think you know or are one my friends browsing my blog? (Leave a comment say hi like!! :P ) but really add me on one of the many Social Networking sites I'm on!

Facebook


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I wonder what the popular one in Germany? I have a feeling its myspace ugh!

The long goodbye begins tomorrow!

This post is about saying goodbye. Since this morning walk to work at the ungodly hour of 6:30am this song has been stuck in my head. Granted it is the Paul Brady version in my head but i cant find that so we are stuck with Ronan Keating.

But anyway, this weekend (tomorrow really) sees me getting on a bus and going to Maynooth for YFG National Conference. It will be great so see FG Guys and gals before i leave so this is my opportunity!

Really looking forwrad to it so I wont be posting this weekend! I will either be debating or drinking so its hard to blog while doing them! :P

Have a good weekend all, and I shall return to blogging on monday!

PS expect 1 or 2 posts before I leave for Maynooth

We have an answer!!!

Thanks to Joe, I know what I have to do to solve my conundrum!

He kindly left a comment with really handy links!!!

As I'm staying for more then 3 months it is compulsory for me to register my address

There are offices all over Koln (it is a large city!)

The form dosent seam that long or complicated but I dont understand it! Must look for stuff on it in English!

I found it!!!

Thanks to Google Maps I have figured out how to get from Abfahrtsort Köln Hauptbahnhof, where the bus from Frankfurt Hahn arrives, to my hostel. The journey to Koln will take 2 hours and 15 minutes though. Its a six minute drive, so I'm think a 10 minute walk! Can't be as bad as Brighton!!!


View Larger Map

1st Dilemma/Problem!

Ok I have encountered my first road block and I am confused and looking for help. Might get on to German Consulate here in Cork if I can't figure it out or if people can't help!

To open a Bank Account I have to register my address, is there a point if I'm going for 6 months? Especially as a live-in au pair?

I know if I stay longer and get a job and apartment I will have to, but what about my first six months?

Ideas anyone?

Important Numbers

Important phone numbers for Germany

Emergencies:
110 - Police Emergency
112 - Fire or Ambulance Emergency

Phone enquiries:
11833 - National Directory Enquiries
11834 - International Directory Enquiries
11837 - Enquiries in English

Operators:
0180 200 10 33 - Manual connections by the operator

And the international dialling code for Germany is?

0049

Information from Justlanded.com a very useful website if you are moving country! :D

Getting a 'Deutsch Handy'

My current mobile phone, or handy in german, a samsung (something or other) has served me well for nearly two years now, so i aint getting rid of it and shall remain my Irisch handy when I am in Germany. The fun bit will be what operator? What phone? what what what? all with me having a bad grasp of the German language!

So what I can figure out, Germany has 4 mobile phone operators (thank you wikipedia!) T-Mobile owned by Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, E-Plus owned by KPN and 02. Now who to go with?!?!

Okay so eventually I found all the websites (the german ones and deciphered this much from them!)

E-Plus is one of the newer players in the market and has a very small selection of phones (5 to be exact!) So they are out, no matter what the pricing!

For some reason I cannot find the pricing on the O2 website so they are out!

So then there were two.

Well here in Ireland (or back if your reading this after January 4th!) I use Vodafone, so lets have a look here. I think Vodafone Germany's version of Ready to Go is called CallYa. I found this website very hard to follow and confusing but i think i figured out the pricing structure. Emphasis on 'figured' and 'think'!

T-Mobile just has a prepay service, with an easy to follow website to the Handy's and the tarriff structures. Even for someone with very lttle German like me!

So we have a winner! I shall be buying a T-Mobile Handy on the 5th of January 2008!

PS Im probably going to get the Samsung SGH-M300, I have a thing for samsungs!

Things to do when I arrive in Germany

I thought I write out a little to do list for moving to another country. This is one for when I arrive in Germany on the 4th of January!

1. Find and Book into hostel!

I have it booked thanks to hostelworld. €20 per night not bad for the city centre like! I'm staying in Cologne-Deutz Youth Hostel on Siegesstrasse 5. (Anyone know anything about it?)

2. Get a mobile phone and German number

This way I keep my Irish number, so people here can text me cheap and I can text people in Germany cheaply! the question is which provider!

3. Register my EHIC Card

see post on the EHIC

4. Set up a Bank Account

same as #2

5. Explore Koln

I have to get my bearing somehow

6. Meet the family

When it all begins!!!! :D

Some Facts about my Future Home - Koln

Well here we go! (mostly taken from Wikipedia and other such sites!)

Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city after Berlin, Hamburg and Munich, and is the largest city both in the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than 10 million inhabitants. It is one of the oldest cities in Germany, having been founded by the Romans in the year 30 BC. Cologne was granted the status of a Roman "city" in the year 50 AD.

Cologne lies on the Rhine. The city's famous Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cologne. The University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln) is one of Europe's oldest universities.

Cork is one of the Koln sister city's!!!

Ill also be there for Carneval which is Jan 31st to Feb 05! wooo! The carneval in Cologne is one of the biggest street festivals in Europe. It is held annually from 11th Nov to Ash Wednesday. The main event is the street carnival that takes place in the period between the Thursday before Ash Wednesday and Ash Wednesday. Thousands of visitors flock to Cologne during this time.

46 days to go....

Well I do these posts in bursts as its normally when I have time off! So i think it will be Friday before there will be more posts after today! but anyway thanks to Blogger Tips and Tricks, 7is7 and ColorBlend there is now a countdown on the blog to my move to Germany! Wooooooooo!

Why? Why? Why!?!?!

Most questions I seam to get asked when I tell people I'm moving to Germany to be an Au pair their questions seam to start with 'why' or sometimes that is the question! So I will answer them here for any of you that are wondering!

Why an Au Pair?
Yes I know I studied Government and Public Policy but as part of my course I did Social Studies modules and thats what kept me in College (until I failed Economics..Again). I love working with Kids and have done so since I was 17. Im always the one looking after children at family gatherings even though I'm 21 and the second oldest Grandson I'm still one of the kids!!

Why Germany?

Well I must sya this is a valid question as I dont speak German, I speak French! Well I fell in love with Germany when I was 17 when I visited Munich on a School Tour (Thats the second time 17 has come up! will it come up again??) and completely fell in love with the place. I visited again when I was 19 on scout camp to Pfadfinderburg Rieneck south of Franfurt and fell in Love with the German way of life as we were in the middle of no where and I absolutely loved it. I got offered jobs as an au pair all over the Europe and the US, in France, Switzerland, Italy and the UK but I jumped at the opportunity to go to Germany especially Cologne as I have heard so much about it!

How did you get the job?

Wll I advertised on greataupair.com and got a message from the family. (You will notice I am not mentioning anything about the family on this blog as I have yet to gain permission to do so from them. Ill get in contact with them this week eventually!) I must say it was an excellent offer and I would have been a fool to turn it down and I can't wait!

Any more questions? Ask away!

That All Important Card - EHIC

Well as Im going to Germany for 6 months (thats an important fact) I have reapplied for my EEuropean Health Insurance Card which will entitle me to free medical care for the 6 months I am in Germany as I am ordinarily resident in Ireland!

Now I have dealt with these crads in work and they entitle you to free doctors appointments, hospital visits and prescriptions so they are hand if you are visiting any of these countries for 6 months or less.

Other member states of the EU or EEA:

* Austria
* Belgium
* Bulgaria
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Italy
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Liechtenstien
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* The Netherlands
* Norway
* Portugal
* Poland
* Romania
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain (including the Canary and Balearic Islands)
* Sweden
* United Kingdom

Other states

* Switzerland

Obviously it wont work in Ireland!

You can now apply and renew your crad online at EHIC.ie which is a great service (pity about the website!)

So this is the information i go about Germany from the website

Germany

Information

Any insurance company, including Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse (AOK) and the Ersatzkasse (substitute health insurance fund). These companies are generally open from Monday to Friday.

Doctors, dentists and prescriptions

You should present your E111, European Health Insurance Card or Temporary Replacement Certificate to the insurance company to receive the appropriate form. Ask for a list of the doctors contracted to the insurance company and then take your form to one of the doctors on the list. You will receive free treatment from these doctors. If this is not possible, go directly to one of the contracted-in doctors and present your E111, European Health Insurance Card or Temporary Replacement Certificate. You may be required to pay a fee but this can be refunded on production of the required form as issued by the insurance company.
Medicines prescribed by the doctor can be obtained from any pharmacy in exchange for the prescription. You will be liable for a prescription charge depending on the size of the packaging. These costs are non-refundable. For minor drugs and medicines, such as painkillers and cough mixtures, you will be charged the full amount.

Hospital treatment

Hospital treatment is usually provided following consultation with a doctor. If you are admitted to hospital as an emergency and do not have time to approach a doctor or the local insurance company in advance, present your E111, European Health Insurance Card or Temporary Replacement Certificate to the hospital administration and ask them to obtain the required form for you.

So if your going abraod get this card!

(for info on other countries see this page)

Die Sprache Deutsch

(The German Language!)

Well I have begun learning German properly today. IE i pout stickers on a lot of items around the house of what they are in German so I associate the objects with the word in German.

Will it work? Only time will tell!

Now I have also learned a few tips for the German Language!

Never ever, ever, say 'after' in a German speaking country, you know why? It means Anus! Thats right!! so be careful!!!

So I havent started learning verbs yet, which could be a problem but I'll get around o it eventually!

When I first started planning on going to germany, I could only count 1, 2, 3, 5. That was it, as the last time I was in Germany there were 5 of us, and I never got around to learning 4!

My one phrase was "Eine Flasche Bier bitte". Yes "one bottle of beer please" was my only German phrase when I agreed to look after kids!! Hahahaha!

Guten Tag!

Hello there and welcome to my Blog Stephen Goes to Germany. Basically this blog is about the trails and tribulations of me, Stephen, leaving Ireland and going to Germany for 6 months to, wait for it, be an au pair!!!!

Now its not very often you here of a Male Au Pair let alone a blogging one!

On the Fourth of January 2008 I shall be leaving the Emerald Isle and jetting off to Koln (Cologne is the Anglicised spelling of it) to be the Au Pair for twin 8 year old boys.

The fun part at the moment is preparing for the move, trying to finish at work, learning German, (its a bitch of a language) and sorting out my documents.

Travelling there is turning in to a bitch. The only flights to the area of Germany I am going to is from Farranfore in Kerry! so therefore i have to get transport to there, luckly my parents are great and want to wave me off so thats easy.

Now as im flying Ryanair, im flying into Frankfurt-Hahn which is two hours away from Koln! The joys of it!!!

Now I start work on the 6th of January as the family are on a skiing holiday so will have two days wondering around, and meeting with my one and only friend in Koln! Well at least I have a friend there!

Well thats all for now! Stay tuned for updates and my attempts at the German Language! any questions just leave em as a comment!