A German Dilemma

[Pipergun]

HELP!

I'm off on a German exchange to Hamburg on Tuesday, and they told us yesterday that the families are expecting "hospitality gifts" - eeek! :rolleyes:

Needless to say I have some emergency shopping to do - does anybody have any inspired suggestions? I would greatly appreciate the help! :spin2:

My ideas:

Cadburys Chocolate,
Marmalade,
English Tea,
Toffees,
Liqourice (sp?),
Shortbread.

The tea is as much for me as them! :blush2: They only have herbal tea over there. :yuk:

[Bells]

Haha well I think you're on the right track - proper English stuff, like English tea. :hugesmile:

How long are you off for? Should be really fun! :thumbs:

[Pipergun]

I've already got the bits that I said above - I think the girl on the till at Morrisons thought I was a right xenophobe!! (just looked that up, haha! :spin2:)

I'm only going for 6 days, but seeing as we're only allowed to speak German, I think it's a decent amount of time!

I'm a bit worried though, my partner's email begins with "peacefreak" :shocked:

[Bells]

Peacefreak??? LMAO. Hahaa. Good luck with the German speaking anyway!

What's a xenophobe?

[Pipergun]

Someone who's afraid of foreigners, lol! :rolleyes:

I'm not... honest! :angel:

I deliberately haven't asked for a picture from him... I don't want to have second thoughts, haha!

I'm looking forward to having somewhere completely new to explore - makes a change! :cheer2:

[Bells]

Yeah should be GREAT, have an aceeee time Tom! :hello:
That's funny about not wanting a pic.. hopefully it should all be good though.

And don't be afraid of foreigners, they're cool! :thumbs: Haha.

[Emilee]

Have a good time.....
Foreigners are ace. :wink:

[~Kizwiz~]

My dad lives in France and there are a few things that you cant get over there. Walkers Crisps, Marmite and if you can get some Scones are a lovely English treat

[Pipergun]

Thanks Em! :thumbs:

It might sound a tad strange, but he freaked me out. In one email, I asked if he'd like me to send a photo of myself, and he replied "You need not to, I know all of you" .... Aaaack! :conf:

The only down-side, is that the flight is 6.25am from Stansted, meaning check-in at the airport at 4.25am, and leaving school around 2.30am!!! :sad:

That means I'll have to be up at 1.30am, not much point in going to sleep! :laugh:

[Dr43%er]

Did a german exchange many years ago. Was 14 I think. Was all good. Sure you will have a great time.

As for a gift. Do you want to spend any more than you have?

[Pipergun]

Originally posted by kizwiz
My dad lives in France and there are a few things that you cant get over there. Walkers Crisps, Marmite and if you can get some Scones are a lovely English treat

Oooh, I looove Marmite... might need to take a supply just in case! :spin:

Tried to find scones, but they're all out of date by the time I leave. :sad:

Think i might have to do some "proper Englishness" lessons with him and his family once I get there, haha! Teach them God save the Queen and whatnot! :laugh2:

[~Kizwiz~]

Originally posted by Pipergun
Originally posted by kizwiz
My dad lives in France and there are a few things that you cant get over there. Walkers Crisps, Marmite and if you can get some Scones are a lovely English treat

Oooh, I looove Marmite... might need to take a supply just in case! :spin:

Tried to find scones, but they're all out of date by the time I leave. :sad:

Think i might have to do some "proper Englishness" lessons with him and his family once I get there, haha! Teach them God save the Queen and whatnot! :laugh2:

Aunt Bessie do frozen ones..... all you need to do is bake them the night before :bigsmile:

[Pipergun]

Might just stow Bessie herself in my suitcase! :spin:

That way, if there are any ... interesting... delicacies, then I can have some proper food afterwards! :spin2:

Apparently "Raw Meat Pie" is particularly popular in Hamburg ... :shocked:. Oh
, and as childish as this sounds, the people that live in Hamburg are known as Hamburgers! :laugh:

I'm going to be living with real-life Hamburgers, woo! :cheer2:

Originally posted by Dr43%er
Did a german exchange many years ago. Was 14 I think. Was all good. Sure you will have a great time.

As for a gift. Do you want to spend any more than you have?

I was wondering if I should get something other than food, but I don't want to go over the top - not too eager to impress, hehe! You think that's enough?

I'll make sure not to say "Gift" to them when I pass them on though: when translated into English, the German word "Gift" means "Poison". :laugh2:

[Dr43%er]

Are they sporting do you know? An England footy scarf? Make a joke about it being a proper football team. With the way we are playing at the mo it should give them a laugh.

[Pipergun]

Yeah, try and tell that to an English person and it'd make them laugh too! :bigsmile:

He did mention that he liked sports, but that could be gymnastics for all I know, lol!

Thanks for the advice - I'll make sure to eliminate any goose stepping, that's for sure! :spin2:

[Dr43%er]

Dad's Army on DVD?

[James]

How about getting some UK pop music and TV shows on DVD?

(not the 'don't mention the war' episode of Fawlty Towers! :spin2:)

[BigSister]

ooh have a good time tom

[Chrizzle]

We've got a German girl living with us at the moment part of the exchange.
I'd ask my sister what she took over there, but they've gone to the pub.

I can ask her later if you want.
And have a nice time over there Tom.

[Pipergun]

Thaaanks Becca and Chris! I'm sure it'll be ... entertaining... for them, at least! :laugh:

Me and German - haha! :joker:

Think i'll steer clear of the Dad's Army and the "Don't mention the war" ... which I am embarassed to note my own mother did when in Germany and a tad sozzled... the shaaame! :blush:

I'm going to hide my Dad when they return in September... he says I should ask to visit "the places we obliterated between 1939-1945" ... Err.. NO! :spin2:

Whoops... i've blabbed! :blush2:

[Princess]

Oooh I went to Germany reasonly and I had no sleep either,I feel your pain :wink:

Oooh bring bottled water!They only have fizzy over there and its ick!

All your presents so far sound good! :thumbs:

[Pipergun]

Only fizzy water? Eurgh, I hate sparkling water!

Thanks for the heads up, Laura! :spin:

Special order for Evian or whatever!!!

The getting up at 2am's gonna be awful... I get really shivery when I'm woken up at strange times... messes up your body clock and all!

[spacebandit]

I was in Berlin last september, and on our second night we were having a drink in a bar in AlexanderPlatz, when a small group [3] of usual Brit abroad thuglife, I say Brit as one of them was a scot, walked toward the train station singing

"two world Wars and One World Cup"

If that wasn't stupid enough, german football supporters were streaming out of the station - not a wise move.

Police arrived and the people in the bar, whom I know, suggested I try to translate, as I speak fluent German, lived in Munich for seven years, the police were naturally wary thinking I'd be drunk as well, they expect it of us, but i don't drink [medical thing - sucks like hell] after a brief explanation that I wasn't an atypical brit aboad - they put their batons down !!!.

The three got arrested, as did about 6 germans, and I went back into the bar, joined by a crowd of the very german football fans that had been the butt of the "joke", absolutely no problem with me or those in my group, all British, but german speakers to some degree

the moral of the story is don't walk up to a crowd of german football fans singing

"Two world wars and one world cup" - it doesn't go down well :wink:

While they were being handcuffed the Brits were complaining to me about how we all have to stick together - we're all British, was I a german lover !!!! - I find it incredulous that that stuff still goes on, we are breeding ignorance, wallowing in and celebrating it.


I told them that I'm British - but didn't know what the **** they were.

I send a lot of time in Germany, and regularly in other countries - and theres an element of the British who I find repugnant and embarrassing when they are abroad.

I love the place, Berlin especially. everywhere has its problems and its lowlifes, but in Britain they are much more widespread and prevalent.

Exchanges area great way to get to find out that the only difference in normal day to day people is language, oh and that bloody awful brown malt bread the Germans have with breakfast [Not to be confused with what we call Malt Loaf] - never understood that.
:yuk:

[Pipergun]

I'm glad you're against all this "Get at the Germans" idea that a lot of yobs seem to have.

It makes me angry when friends say "Oh, why don't you goose-step through customs? Give them something to smile about!", how dare they judge a whole nation on one person's stereotype?

Anyways, I'm off at 2.30am tomorrow, so I bid you all farewell for a while, as I'm off to get some (at least!) beauty sleep! :spin2::xyxwave: