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Weirdest Things We Have Moved

September 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment

My  friend and fellow blogger of Lifelessonsmilitarywife.com was contemplating about their past moves…..

“After a dozen moves and wondering if we have yet another PCS move coming up next summer, I decided to sit down and try to remember some of the weirdest things we have moved.  maybe I can help you from making some of the same mistakes or just being plain dumb about the whole process!

Here are my top five:

  • a 500 lb safe.  I remember having second thoughts as four moving guys sweatingly man-handled this thing down the two steps to the truck.  I just couldn’t give it up.  My grandfather had just died in Germany, and I couldn’t part [Read more...]
Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, PCS'ing, Preparation Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Teeth beware – or how to find a good dentist.

August 18, 2011 By 1 Comment

Finding a good dentist at each new duty location has always been a daunting task . For the most part I have done well, for the one time that I didn’t I paid -and still am paying- dearly for it. So when Adrienne Conant commented on one of my blog posts  recently I contacted her. After a few emails back and forth she agreed to publish her ‘dental expertise’ for you.

 A brief background, I’m a stay at home mom of a 2 ½ year old son and another son due August 1st. Before my husband and I started a family, I was working in a dental office. I’ve worked in dental offices since I was 15, working my work up the chain. I started as a scrub, just someone who stocked rooms with supplies, cleaned instruments and kept everything clean, then I was a dental assistant, and eventually worked my way through to the front office, and eventually at 22 was an office manager. I’ve worked in 3 different offices, and have worked with many different people in the field of dentistry.  I’m telling you this not to toot my own horn or anything like that, but so you know when you read this, these aren’t all “just” my opinion, it’s really how things are and work in a dental office, so you know what to look for in your search for the best dental care.

First of all, the first thing you want to do at a new place is to ask people you meet who their dentist is, do they like them and why. Word of mouth is the BEST advertisement for a dentist, or really any healthcare professional. If you hear the same name more than 2 or 3 times, see if they have a web-site, or a phonebook ad, and see what services they offer. Some dental offices don’t do pediatric dentistry, which is something you may want to know if you have children under the age of 10. So be sure to do your research, the office may have good word of mouth, but it may not be what you’re looking for either.

Second, when you do decide on an office to call have a list of questions you want to ask, for example: Do you accept my insurance? Are you a preferred provider for my insurance (this is important as if affects the amount of money out of pocket for you)? Do you see children under the age of ___? Are my co-pays due at the time of service, or after the insurance makes their payment? How far out does the Doctor usually schedule? How far in advance does the hygienist schedule? Does the Doctor refer out for major work such as extractions or root canals?  A good office will answer your questions without making you feel rushed, or like you’re a nuisance. A good office genuinely cares about the patients, even if you are “interviewing” them on the phone. This is your first impression of the office! If you feel like they are blowing you off at this point, it may be a good idea to keep looking. The front office staff is trained to be a certain way on the phone, they are trained to be warm and friendly regardless of what is going on in the office itself. Now, do not mistake being put on hold for a minute or two as rude J .

Third, when you get to the office, a large part of this is about the front office. These are the people who will coordinate your appointments, your insurance, who will squeeze you into an impossibly busy day because you have a toothache that kept you up all night, they are also the first and last people you will see when you are there. You want them to be friendly, and make eye contact with you when speaking. They need to validate your presence in the office. Another part of this first impression is how the office looks. Is it clean? Is it well kept?  If you ever walk into a dental office and your first impression is “ewww. . .this is gross” it’s a pretty good bet the rest of the office and patient rooms are in the same state. 

 Fourth, you finally meet the dentist! Is he friendly? Does he address your concerns? Does he point things out on your x-rays while telling you what treatment you need? Does he take time to explain, in plain terms what is wrong? In regards to treatment, does he give more than one option? Now, let me explain that last question; there is ALWAYS more than 1 treatment option. Any dentist who tells you otherwise, please be wary of. A dentist who offers conservative (least invasive treatment, and usually best for the patient) will always give you an option A, and an option B.  This is important, that you have options. Not only because it is just good practice to give options, but prices will invariably differ between the two options and you may only be able to afford one or the other. You may be more comfortable with one over the other. A good dentist will give you the options, the pros and cons of each option, and will have someone (usually a front office staff) go over the costs of both options with you.  Also, a good dentist, and a good front office will not dismiss you feeling something is wrong. If a tooth is bothering you, they work collectively to try and resolve the problem, and they don’t stop until you’re happy.

Fifth, when you find an office that does all of this; that goes above and beyond for you and your family, be sure to recommend them to your friends. Send a Christmas card or a Thank You card if they’ve straightened out a huge insurance mess for you or came in on a weekend or stayed late for your 10 year old that broke his front tooth . Good dentists are hard to find, and good patients are sometimes few and far between. Getting a card or a note that acknowledges the hard work they put in, makes them want to do better, (and just might) get you that privileged appointment time with the doctor/hygienist, or a discount off a product they have etc. . .

Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, Medical, Military Family, Military LIfe Tagged With: , , , , , ,

New Tee’s with Pride

June 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

bravo-tango-tees-logoI ‘met’ Tammy over a year ago when our family was on their way to leave Washington State and move to Colorado. For a short time Tammy and I lived only a few miles apart – but we still never managed to meet. Points for trying though! In the meantime she moved away and started a new company that she introduces here:

“Sometimes you don’t know where the path that you are traveling will lead until you get there. Sometimes… all you can do is embrace the journey. This can be particularly true if you are a military spouse attempting to carve out a meaningful career for yourself between moves, deployments and babies.

The path that lead us to create Bravo Tango Tees had a few bumps, but ended up with a wonderful partnership and a great T-shirt company right around the last curve.

Bravo Tango : Becky & Tammy

For us, the beginning of creating a company of our own started with getting an education, working in our respective fields and discovering what we wanted for ourselves. It turned out that what each of us wanted was the opportunity to work at home, focus on our families when we needed to, use our talents to create a quality product as well as support and uplift our community and causes close to our hearts. We also thought it would be awesome to have a closet full of cool t-shirts.

bravotangotees.com

When we met, we were already veteran military wives, and we had built our own mobile careers and client lists. Becky, as a graphic designer and illustrator, and Tammy as a social media consultant. We worked for a common client for over a year, and when that project came to an end, inspiration struck us during a phone conversation.

While we enjoyed working for clients, we wanted something of our own.

We took stock of our strengths and weaknesses, came up with a simple yet solid business plan, scheduled phone meetings between softball games, doctors appointments, pre-school picnics, homecoming celebrations and dance recitals, and ultimately, we launched a straightforward website that sells a great product that we are so very proud of.

We are excited that our first line of tees includes some great military wife tees, some inspiring American pride tees and some fun motivational tees. We took great care in choosing super soft, quality tees made in America, and our printing team has years of screen printing experience. We don’t want to make ordinary tee-shirts. We want to make shirts that make you feel good when you put them on. We want to make that shirt that you reach for when you know you’re going to have an awesome, inspiring day.

We love tees that make you feel proud to serve, show that you love our great country, get you motivated or make you smile.

We were fortunate that our individual paths crossed at the right time. We could not have started this adventure without each other and without the support of our great military family community. Together we are loving the journey!’


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Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, Military Spouse Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Highlight: Schofield Barracks, HI

May 20, 2011 By 1 Comment

Schofield BarracksHere is a post that I would like to high-light by Miyoko who recently moved to Hawaii. While she is -probably literally- playing with the wrapping paper, I felt it the information she posted on Militarydutystations.com was great for anyone moving to Hawaii.

Please know that I have changed some personal data in observance of PERSEC.

HOUSING LIST: There are several reps in the housing office. Each one will tell you something different. Some people were told that they could not be added to the list until they actually arrive on the island, while others were added to the list before they arrived. You are not added to the “official” housing list until you have arrived on the island.


LIVING ON-POST VS OFF-POST: Check out http://honolulu.craigslist.org/oah/apa/ to see what you can look forward too. We were looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom place in Mililani. Closest city to the base and is nice and clean. Our price range was between $1400 and $1700. Some places cover the water bill in your rent and some even cover up to $100 of the electric bill. Things to keep in mind when living off post:
1. You will be coming to the base to go to the commissary, PX and to see the doctor.
2. Traffic may be bad for your husband to get on base.
3. If you live on base and only have one car, it will be easier for your hubby to find someone to pick him up and/or drop him off when you need the only vehicle you guys have.
4. You have to pay for repairs, and electric and/or water bill and sometimes parking.
5. You must pay a deposit and 1st months rent and possibly a deposit for utilities.
6. Even though you won’t need it most of the time, some places do not come with an AC nor ceiling fans.
7. If you have kids, communities on post have playgrounds.
We decided to live on base, we moved in on 04/14. If we would have stayed off post, we would of had to get a storage unit. The houses on post are very spacious. This is the first time we have lived on base, and so far we don’t have any complaints! Yes they take all of your BAH but. . .
EX: If you are an E-4, BAH is $2016. If you were to move off post, I estimated that you would have paid around $1650 for rent, $125 for electric, $75 for water. That’s $1850 and you may have to pay for a storage unit. On top of the $1850, you still have to pay for cable, internet and possibly a home phone. So you would probably end up saving like $166. Your spouse would have to put more gas in their car, plus they will have to leave the house about 15 minutes, if not more, to beat the traffic to get in the gate. (Right now gas is $4.11. Also, if you live on post Time Warner Cable gives you a larger discount than living off.
There are older houses on post that only take 85% of your BAH.
“We’ve looked at a few [houses] in Mililani. We found them on Craigslist & AHRN. How they do things here is kind of weird. Once you find a place you like, you then have to email and/or call the person on the listing. Half of the time they don’t email you back or respond to their Voicemails. Then they show properties once a week. For example, they will say “Yes it’s available. The next showing is Thursday from 2 to 4.” And when you get there either someone will be leaving when you are arriving, arriving when you are leaving, or there at the same time as you. The agents “say” that they only have 1 property.
Mililani is the closest city to the base. Even though the apartments in Wahiawa are cheaper, Wahiawa is dirty. Also. When you are doing your search, try to get a place where the water is covered. That’s one less bill you will have to pay.

honolulu.craigslist.org

oahu apts/housing for rent classifieds – craigslist

Search & Win

Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, Hawaii, Military Duty Stations Site Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The tale of a DITY move

April 9, 2011 By 2 Comments

DITY/PPM move it yourself

Hope emailed me the following DITY tale when I asked her about her experiences:

“Let me see what I can remember.. lol! One thing I can definitely say is don’t lose your rental agreement! Ugh.. We did.. Luckily the truck company we went through still had the copy 4 months later and was able to send it to us in an e-mail…..

We have moved a few times without the Navy and I have to say Uhaul is a joke.. The unleaded gas made us pay sooo much more then we should have because it ate up so fast.. Yes it was easier then trying to find Diesel but I rather save the money! Budget and Penske will usually try to fight for your business but we have always found Penske to be the absolute best price and the trucks are pretty nice as well.

We used Penske for our DITY move after getting quotes online and then calling them to see what they could do for us.. in the end we got a discount of about 1,200 on the truck from what it quoted me online.. They will also hold the price they give you so it won’t go up higher.. It is especially helpful since you can cancel for free or change your dates and keep the price. (That is what they told us anyhow.. we didn’t have to change since we literally booked 4 days before pickup!!)

We moved from Victorville, CA to Goose Creek, SC and it took us 5 days with a 18 month old.. We pre-booked our hotels on our route there to make sure we stayed on schedule and we called ahead telling them we had a 22 foot truck to make sure they had the parking available for us.. It was not the easiest task but we found hotels that were around 60-70 a night the whole way there that gave us a free breakfast and had the parking space.. it really made our life easier since we got to each hotel between 10pm -2am depending on how our little monster behaved..

I believe my husband said we would have like 2,000 lbs or something like that and he got like…. $1,800 or something (I cant remember exactly) up front.. I think he said it was 60% of what they were going to give us.. We ended up having 4,040 lbs.. So we ended up getting about $3,000 mailed to us for the rest of what was owed to us.. Thankfully, I was very sparing with his money from bootcamp so we were able to use that for the trip there. Else-wise, I don’t know how we would have made it! We also got money for myself and my son moving but that was when we got here in May when we went to the PSD and updated his page 2.. that was deposited instantly.. We were told that there are new rules in effect with the Navy at least and you can only do a DITY move once in your career.. But honestly after all of that.. I don’t want to do it again!! Especially since my little one will be 3 when daddy finishes school and its time to move again.. ugh! Uhm.. If there are any specific questions you can think of let me know.. I am trying to remember all the while my son is pulling on my leg.. He is two now and ever so needy lol!

Thank you, Hope. What an adventure. Not sure about the once a lifetime DITY move…but I’ll find out.

Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, PPM (DITY) Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A Milspouse in Amman or “Jordan 101″

March 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Petra Travel Destination in JordanAfter reading Lisa Allyn’s previous posts about moving to Jordan and some aspects of her life there – you probably know more now than before about this country. Read this last segment to finish up “Jordan 101″:

The CLO (community liason officer) will provide many activities throughout the year such as trips to castles, local shopping neighborhoods, wineries, restaurants. And speaking of restaurants, try the local food.  We LOVE it.  They have fabulous schwarmas, hummus, falafel, and this garlic mayonnaise that will truly keep the vampires away.  It is to die for.

Lisa meets ‘Paparazzi’

There are so many things that I like about being here, but the main one is the people.  They are so friendly and truly love children. When you go into a store or restaurant, they flock on over to your kids.  An employee or three will entertain your kids while another one will help you shop.  Strangers will pick up your children to talk to and give them kisses.  It freaked me out at first, but they really don’t mean any harm.  It is natural for them.  If I show up someplace childless one day, they will ask where my little one is.  Sometimes it can get overwhelming though.  One day we met the paparazzi.  I took my youngest to the children’s museum once an all girl’s school was there on a field trip.  The girls kept coming over to my little guy (2 at the time) saying how cute he was.  They wanted to hold him and take his picture.  Normally he is good natured about this and doesn’t mind, but that day he was not in the mood.  I was impressed that the girls asked me first, but when I said no they ignored me.  My guy was so miserable that day we had to leave early.  He just wasn’t having any fun.  Now I know how celebrities must feel.

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Speaking the language

Another thing, the main language in Jordan is Arabic, but English is widely spoken in Amman.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t learn any Arabic, but in your daily life, not knowing their language won’t be a problem.  Just remember, if you are dealing with someone that doesn’t know English, you are in their country.  Be kind and patient, because it isn’t their problem.  It’s yours.

Locally, there are so many great places to visit such as… The Dead Sea, Petra , Jerash, Aqaba, Um Qais, Madaba, Ajloun, Wadi Rum and more. Check out this website for lots of great information.  You are also conveniently located near Africa and Europe.  Dream vacations are easier than ever.

I sure hope that this helps your upcoming PCS to Jordan.  Feel free to ask me anything that I may have left out, simply leave you questions and comments at the bottom.

Read part three tomorrow about Lisa’s life in Jordan!

If this post or all the other posts of ladies in places all over the world has inspired you to share your experiences via this blog then shoot me an email . I would love to host your post! No destination is too mundane or too exotic. I would love to hear from all of you! If you’d rather just add your information without a ‘big bang’ ;-) then go to militarydutystations.com and leave all you know there for other ladies to read up on. Some things change lots of it doesn’t. Read it there, write yours!




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Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, Jordan, OCONUS States and Countries Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On base, off base or close to base in Germany

February 1, 2011 By 1 Comment
The Kaiserslautern Military Community Center

Ramstein Community Center

While Jennifer recently has told us a lot about German housing, and more here and here, Amanda of “Calm Crazy” Blog – has gone into [important] details about living in Germany and I feel honored that she took the time to write down her thoughts and shared them with the readers of the militarydutystations-blog.

Jennifer also mentioned that everyone experiences housing differently in Germany, that’s why it is important to me to shine a light on all facets of life there. After all, whereu live can very much decide HOW happy you are while you are staying in Germany.Maybe you have never given any thought to living on post, off post or close to post. You might not necessarily have a choice, but if you do, you want to be prepared and know the pros and cons. Read all about it here.

Amanda writes:

“In the seven years my husband was stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, we encountered countless couples moving into the area.  Nearly without fail, deciding where to live was the single most stressful event for everyone with whom we came into contact.  Think about it!  You are moving thousands of miles from your current home to a country you have (probably) never been, you (most likely) don’t speak the language, and each of the couples you know who have been there have (almost certainly) given you conflicting advice about the living situation there.  Who wouldn’t be stressed?!

The truth is it doesn’t have to be as stressful as you would think.  There are really only three main options when it comes to finding a home in the Kaiserslautern Military Community (KMC).  You can live on-base, live close to base, or live far away from base.  That’s it!  Once you figure out which one is right for your family, the decision isn’t nearly as difficult as it feels at first.  And, as luck would have it, my family did all three during our time in Germany.  Let me fill you in on some of the pros and cons for each.”

Living On-base

There have been so many changes in the past five years; chances are you have heard ten conflicting opinions about on-base living in the KMC.  As of August 2010, there were still many families living in stairwell housing but the area bases are doing a decent job getting all housing areas converted to the new townhomes.  Will you get a townhome?  What kind of waiting time are you looking at?  I don’t know.  It is going to depend on your family dynamic and the rank of your servicemember.  Those things change so often–it’s impossible to make a guess.  My suggestion would be to put yourself on the waiting list as soon as you can and then see what (if anything) you are offered upon your arrival.  I can tell you that stairwell housing is not as terrible as you might have heard.  We spent 18 months living on the third floor of some of the older housing and we really liked our place.  Our move out of our three bedroom unit was prompted by the arrival of our third son.  It just got too crowded in there!

Why you may decide this is the right decision for you:  Do you have several children?  They may feel more at home with the pack of American children on base.  Are your children very involved in sports and other organized activities?  The bases have a ton of activities for children and the closer you are, the easier it is to get them involved.  Does your servicemember need fast access to his or her place of work?  If your new base is Ramstein, this may be your best bet.  Traffic getting on and off base can be a bear.

Why this choice may not be a great fit for you:  Are you newly married with no kids?  There are a ton of kids in housing and most of the housing units available for you are going to be stairwell units.  Are you really wanting to experience living in Europe?  That isn’t going to happen living on base.  Do you like to “get away” from the military environment at the end of the day?  That isn’t going to happen either.

Living Close to Base

Our last home in the area was a townhome about two miles away from the main gate.  It was not as nice as our other off base townhome (see next section), but it was huge and we enjoyed living there.  We were close enough to base that we could run to the commissary if we ran out of milk or needed diapers, but my husband was able to drive off the base at the end of his day.  There were days when he really needed that.  We didn’t have to deal with some of the hassles of living on-base (base-wide detail days, regulations stating how long the grass could be, etc.) but were still surrounded by Americans and had fast and easy access to base amenities.

Why you may decide this is the right decision for you:  This is a very popular option.  Many, many families decide that they want the separation from the base but want to maintain easy access.  If you are a “best of both worlds” kind of person, this will probably appeal to you.

Why this choice may not be a great fit for you:  Honestly, it’s difficult to find a decent place close to the base.  Many of the homes close to base are tiny.  If you want a yard, you are much more likely to find a home away from the base than close by.  (It’s not impossible; just difficult.)  Traffic can be a pain; there were days when my husband would spend an hour looking around the BX because sitting in the after-work traffic for 45 minutes to drive two miles just doesn’t make any sense.

Living Far Away from Base

The further away from base, the more authentically you will be living.  If you plan to completely immerse yourself into the culture of your host country, this is the way to go.  Your German neighbors will (overall) be a little rustier with their English than the ones living closer to the base; this will force you to learn a little more of their language.  You’ll expend too much gas driving back and forth to pick up bread, milk, or diapers; this will force you to shop in their stores.  And, much like any other military base, you tend to get “more bang for your buck” on housing the further out you go.  (Translation: Home owners jack up the rental price for homes close to the base.)

Why you may decide this is the right decision for you:  If your main goal for this assignment is to truly experience living in Europe this is your only real choice.  There is no better way to learn about a people than to dwell amongst them, living as they live.

Why this choice might not be a great fit for you:  The further you get from the base, Germans can be a little less tolerant of American differences.  There is a mandatory quiet time every day from 1300-1500 and throughout much of the weekend.  Closer in to the base, these rules are more like suggestions.  Many neighborhoods are so American-heavy that they aren’t observed at all.  If you plan to live far away from the base, be prepared to really and truly live in the German culture.  Keep in mind that these rules will apply to your children as well.

We truly enjoyed our time in Germany and each one of these living arrangements contributed to our experiences there.  No matter which decision you ultimately decide best suits your family, I hope you enjoy Germany too!

Filed Under: Germany, Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, OCONUS States and Countries Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Make the most of being stationed in the UK

January 28, 2011 By 1 Comment

OCONUS duty stations UKKevin & Windy Sample are an Army Family. When I posted a request for guest-bloggers Windy immediately volunteered to write about England. I thought it was especially endearing to hear that for Windy and Kevin it was a couples-project. I absolutely love that, after all you are at your duty station together! Most likely each of the family has a different impression of your overseas duty station.

Windy & Kevin write:

You just received orders to PCS to the UK (England). Don’t panic!!! First things first it is a Great!!! assignment.

Like any other overseas assignment, it is what you make it. If you embrace the culture and differences from our own you can and will have a wonderful experience that  you and your family will remember for a lifetime.

Once you arrive in-country, after what is for most an exhausting experience, you will land in one of two airports Heathrow or Gatwick. The first being the older and more difficult to navigate and the later being the newer and more traveler friendly. Allthough Heathrow is closer to the installations in the UK, I personally prefer Gatwick. Once you have made it through customs and claimed your baggage, you now need to find a mode of transportation to your new installation. The most common and easiest form is to take one of the many trains that travel to most destinations in the UK. You can also take a taxi but this is not the most prefered method due to the distance from the London area to the various installations. A good suggestion would be to make arrangements with your sponsor to pick you up from the train station. If this is not an option,  you will have to take a taxi to your new installation.

If you are headed to RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, or RAF Croughton you will need to purchase train tickets to the Brandon station. If you are headed to either RAF Alconbury or RAF Molesworth you can purchase tickets for the Huntingdon station. It is usually a good idea to exchange some currency into British Pounds while still at the airport (Check the exchange rate before you travel to know what to expect. It is usually a safe bet to allow for a 2 for 1 rate, meaning 2 US dollars for 1 British Pound)

Ok, now you have arrived at your new installation and have hopefully settled in. Time to start experiencing all that the UK has to offer, but where to start? The thing to remember about the UK is that it is an island. Any destination is within a few hours journey from your new home.The UK is a history buff’s dream come true. There are countless castles, cathedrals and other historical and architectual gems to discover.

So what if you arent into to the whole history thing? Don’t worry the UK has something for everyone. All you shopaholics are pretty well covered while in the UK.

For more eclectic tastes there are also several outdoor markets and ”boot sales” (more or less a flea market) in the area. If you are looking for some of the finest pottery in the world you haven only to go a short distance to the town of

While the typical tourist spots in and around the UK are great, I would definitely suggest going off the beaten path and explore all that the country has to offer. One thing to also remember is that “You are in Europe!!!” and travel to other countries are very easy and affordable. RyanAir is an unbelievable resource for traveling in Europe. It is pretty much the Southwest Airlines of Europe. While you may not travel in the lap of luxury you will arrive with money still left in your pocket. (www.ryanair.com) I hope this helps you get started and gives you a jumping off point to a great adventure. Congratulations on your new assignment and once again Welcome to the United Kingdom.

Please tell us about your experience.

You might also want to read: Chandlers Tips on living in England as an American

Filed Under: Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, UK Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Recycling in Germany and no A/C in houses

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Recycling in GermanyAfter reading about

We are commencing now with the last part of Jennifers’ expose about living on Germany the “Extras”

Extras:

German rentals are entirely unfurnished, which means that they are commonly quite literally empty buildings. They generally do not have fitted kitchens or built-in closet space, actually it’s fairly uncommon for anywhere in Europe to have built-in closet space. They do have bathroom fixtures. If you are off post and your rental does not have a kitchen, one will be provided for you from the Army Lending Closet.

When you arrive, it is very unlikely that your furniture will arrive at the same time or before you. The Army Lending Closet found on post will be able to provide you with the basics for a maximum of 30 days. They have things from couches, beds and end tables, to small things like silverware, pots and pans etc. You cannot keep these for your entire stay and they will ask for them back after 30 days or when your own things arrive, whichever is soonest. If your own things haven’t arrived after 30 days, then you can apply for an extension on the borrowed furniture.

It has been my experience that there are a large number of German spouses living on post who are more than willing to help out and provide translation if you have any problems with anything on the economy, for example if you particularly wanted a German phone provider but can’t read your contract. If you are off post, contrary to popular belief the Germans are usually very friendly and willing to help if you need it.

In Germany, recycling is strongly encouraged. In Heidelberg (and probably a few other places) it is law. Each apartment building has it’s own trash area, we are given an illustrated recycling guide and the trash is separated into 5 categories. Glass, Paper, Plastic & Metal, Organic waste, Trash (e.g. everything else). We have found it easier to have 2 trashcans, one for plastic & metals and the other for regular trash, then a small box on the counter for organic kitchen waste with an airtight lid so it doesn’t smell, 2 crates by the door for paper and glass. The good news is that you don’t have to wash the recycling like you have to in some places in the States. A lot of people find it annoying, but even my 3 year old knows which place to put each thing so it’s not difficult. IKEA also sell divided trash cans to take up less space.

This might be a big one and I know a lot of Americans find it shocking but there is no A/C in houses or apartments in Germany. From a European point of view, it just rarely gets hot enough in most parts of Europe to warrant it. However for a few weeks in the summer it gets hot enough for you to probably wish you did have A/C. The Germans get around this by keeping their windows and blinds closed during the day and then letting them open at night to let the cool air in because it still gets cold at night. They also usually have a few fans around the house for air flow, some apartments have ceiling fans. That is what we do too, it is still hot but is bearable. If you think you will need A/C you should buy a freestanding unit (not a window unit as they usually don’t fit the windows here) to ship with your household goods, there is not much choice here on A/C units and you will most likely get a better deal Stateside.

Yards. If you are in an apartment on post you wont have a backyard of your own. Generally each set of apartment buildings has a shared yard. In our case, the apartment buildings are in a “C” shape with a big playground in the middle. The army is responsible for the playground area and we are responsible for the areas just outside the building. Being responsible for it means doing as much or as little as you like, at the minimum you need to mow the grass every few weeks. On our post they have a competition for the “best” stairwell, who has the nicest yard. People dig flower beds and plant anything they like. Last year we dug and planted a vegetable garden which was used by my whole stairwell. We also have a few flower beds. In the playground area there is a lot of playground equipment, as well as plenty of grass space for walking dogs, playing soccer setting up a grill etc.

Speaking of dogs. You’re allowed a maximum of 2 pets in on post apartments, but they’re usually pretty lenient depending on the size and behaviour of your pets. Before bringing large dogs, bear in mind that they will probably not have easy access to a yard where they can run around without a leash. Dogs on post are required to wear a leash at all times. But off post, the Germans LOVE dogs. You can take your dog pretty much everywhere with you, including into some stores. It’s also fairly common in the warmer seasons to see a dog sitting with its owner at outdoor restaurant seating.

Filed Under: Germany, Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, OCONUS States and Countries Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Furniture, Small Appliances and TV in Germany

January 26, 2011 By 3 Comments

German apartment livingJennifer has outdone herself with her detailed description of [her] life in Germany. There is so much to say about life in another country ie. Germany you want to start a new life quickly and without a hitch.It is so tremendous helpful to know about housing that is or is NOT available at your new OCONUS duty station. Money is also a important, but sensitive  issue.

Are you ready to read more about the things you WANT to know? How about……

What should we take of our furniture?

We brought all of our furniture with us, but we didn’t have much to begin with. If you are moving into an apartment (which is very likely if you are on post) then you probably shouldn’t bring very large furniture, that you do not think will fit into an apartment. There is, however, plenty of storage available if you have brought too much furniture. (Whatever you decide not to take you can keep in non-temporary storage in the US) We have both our own basement room and attic room for storage. I’d actually also advise that if you have antique furniture, something irreplaceable or something that you are particularly fond of to NOT bring it as you can imagine that the furniture gets put through quite a lot on the journey over here and there is a chance of it arriving damaged. You are refunded for damages though, if anything were to happen.

How does it work with our large and small appliances?

This again depends on your housing, which you wont know until you arrive. If you are on post, you will have access to a washer and dryer… there is about a 50% chance that it will be in the form of a shared laundry room in the basement of your building, that is what we have although about 50% of apartments do have their own washer and dryer. You will not need to bring your own. We also have a refrigerator, dishwasher and stove provided.

German electrical outlets are 220V instead of 110V. If you are on post, it is likely that you will have American electrical outlets and there will be no problem. If you live off post, or like us have 220V outlets on post, you will need a power converter for most of your electrical items. These can be either bought from AAFES (they are quite expensive – and heavy and clunky) or picked up for free from the re-use center on post or from people who are PCSing back to the States. If you have German outlets you’ll also need some travel plug converters for dual voltage electrical, these can be picked up cheaply from AAFES. You will need to check the voltage on every electrical item before you plug it in. Some American items (for example, my laptop and TV) are Dual Voltage… so they will work whether they are plugged into a 220V or a 110V. You will need to check on the appliance itself or on the documentation to find out whether the item is dual voltage or not. They all say on them somewhere. It sounds really complicated, but you get used to it after your second blown hairdryer ;)

Can I take the computer? TV?

You can take both your computer and TV. On post there is a company called TKS and they will set up your internet, phone and TV access. This is the easiest route, although I know a number of people have their internet and phone provided by German companies. If you want your internet or phone provided by a German company you will need to speak some German, or know someone who does, to be able to read your contract and probably to talk to the people on the phone. We pay around $80 per month for internet, phone and TV. The phone package from TKS allows you to call the States for free (to both landlines and cellphones).

The TV available here is AFN, they have a few popular shows, sports and a kids channel… but it is quite lacking (to put it politely). You’ll probably end up finding yourself having to download your favourite TV shows via iTunes or something similar. We signed up for extras through TKS, which costs a little more but means we can also watch some European TV channels. We get 5 TV channels from England (BBC Prime, BBC News, Five, Disney and Playhouse Disney. The Disney channels mostly have American shows but a few of the cartoons have British English voice acting instead of American), a few from Poland that have both British and American shows in English and commercials in Polish, German MTV which is mostly in English with German subtitles, a Spanish channel and there is also a movie channel available that is German (I think) but the movies are all in English. If you are off-post you will need an AFN decoder to be able to watch AFN. (if you live on the “economy” you will have to register your TV’s with the German TV office – and pay as well.)

You will not be able to play most European DVD’s or Video Games in your American players, they are usually encoded differently to prevent piracy. You can get an international DVD player, or pick up a cheap German DVD player if you particularly want to play European DVD’s, but it is easier to either order American DVD’s online or get them from AAFES. We have both an American DVD player and a European DVD player, so we can use either.

How do I apply for a phone off post?

Landline or cellphone? We have our landline through TKS and we just went to the place on-post, signed up and bought a phone. I actually have no idea how you would go about getting a phone off post, but that’s probably a question housing would be able to answer. If you want a cellphone, the Germans most commonly use pre-paid cellphones and they are cheaper here than Stateside. You can buy them from AAFES and top up your call credit at AAFES. You can also buy a cellphone off post if you want a smart phone or something like that, there will be various stores in nearby German shopping areas that will be able to do this for you. They have a few cellphone companies that are the same as in the States, like T-Mobile. (careful of German contracts – make sure you understand them!)

If I live off post where do I have to sign up?

As I mentioned previously it depends on whether you are allowed to live off post or not. Some places will prefer to keep you in temporary housing for up to 30 days until somewhere on post opens up. After 30 days you are permitted to search for somewhere to live off post. Other posts will let you choose to begin with. It is all done through the housing office when you arrive, if you are off post you will be renting through a German landlord but the housing office on post will sort it all out for you including any translations needed.

Tomorrow read a few more things that are to say the least good to know about living in Germany.

Read more tips about Germany – in General and a few from Ansbach,Germany

Filed Under: Germany, Guest Bloggers on MDS, Guest Blogging, Military LIfe, OCONUS States and Countries Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
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