It is like in the movies Part 1

Hello and good morning!
Many things in the United States are like in the movies. I dont think we can simply categorize them as stereotypes, but more like the expression of lifestyle and culture. Let us start with the holidays and what I have seen.

1. Halloween

It is in all the movies, houses are decorated, children are dressed up and running through the neighborhoods, people hand out sweets. And it really is like that. My wife, her friend Amber and I went trick or treating with our kids in a neighborhood of Grayslake, Illinois. The way houses are decorated is like in movies, I saw complete graveyards with tombstones, open coffins. Other houses kept it simple with lots of carved pumpkins, spiders and cobwebs. I saw the main character of "A Nightmare before Christmas". And the children got tons of sweets. Even I had my first trick or treating, although I wasnt dressed up. And I got some sweets, too. However, the decoration is awesome, I met some people who had  a whole Halloween party in their front yard and they were so nice and showed me around the house. Unfortunately my camera ran out of power but the interior decoration was even better than the front yard. And you could see that they did put  alot of effort and money into decoration, dioramas and life size dolls and monsters.

Huntington manor was the house with the best decoration in the neighborhood.

My first trick or treat.

A close up of Huntington Manner

2.Thanksgiving

The last thursday in November is Thanksgiving day. SuperBowl, turkey and pumpkin pie.

3 things you cant find in Germany in everyday life. And I am talking turkey, like big bird. That is the reason why american ovens are twice as big as the ones in Germany. The whole bird has to fit in there. But that is not the only way to prepare turkey as I have seen in many morning TV shows.

The turkey cooker in the video is one solution to make a nice grilled turkey.

However, Thanksgiving is pumpkin season. What I never had before was pumpkin pie and pumpkin spiced coffee and Germany is really missing out on that. 

So on that particular thursday we went to our aunt and uncles house in Waukegan. Everyone in the family kew it is my first time Thanksgiving and so everyone was excited for me. And it was great. A big family together, the only thing we did not do was sitting around a big table. It was more casual and like a brunch. You could pick whatever you like and as much as you like and I had too much.We had oven cooked turkey, lots of cranberries, mashed potatoes with gravy. I had 3 dishes. The beer was good too, a special Thanksgiving brew from a local brewery. And after that came the dessert. I had pumpkin pie and it tastes so good.We watched some NFL on TV, people had lively discussions about the elections and why the Republicans lost. My wife is still right, Mitt Romneys´ views on immigration did cost him victory and a few hours later everyone was full enough and there was still enough turkey and pie left for everyone to take home.

3. Christmas

Christmas in America is awesome. However, we arent Christians. We celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas 

( most of the family is christian). But the most impressive and positive image I still have in mind is that in America Christmas and Hanukkah are well respected by everyone.

Shown here in Adam Sandlers cartoon "8 crazy Nights".

This is not only expressed by Hanukkah and Christmas decoration being sold together and everwhere, which you would never in life find in Germany. It is in movies and everyday life. 

The biggest thing though is the Christmas decoration. Like in movies, it is everywhere. And people start decorating right after Thanksgiving. So whereever we came around, decoration. Houses with more lights outside than inside. Santa Claus and raindeers in the front yard, on roof tops. We saw nice and traditional decoration made of wood. But still everything is impressive. We often took walks around the neighborhood and just enjoyed the decoration. However, sometimes there are glitches. So it happened that we were driving back home one night on Beck Rd, a long straight street which ends in a T-crossing. You either turn right or left but go straight and you land in a front yard. The people living in that house were obviously christian and they had a wooden cross decoration with lights. It just looked like a burning cross in the front yard when you were coming from far away. 

The other thing that was a new experience was that the most important day was the 25th and not the 24th.

Now I know how Santa makes it to deliver presents to so many people that fast. In Germany Santa comes on the 24th, calculate the 6 hours ( East Coast) to 7 Hours ( Central Time) time difference and he has no big trouble delivering all the present in America by the 25th in the morning.

However, on the 24th there was a casual family get together with turkey dinner and presents for the children. 

And on Christmas day the big party took place.

It was a Christmas brunch with all kinds of breakfast food and around 40 people showed up.

That was the big deal, we played the white elephant game, where everyone brings some old, funny, unwanted presents. Everyone picks a number and when its your turn you either pick a present or steal one from somebody. The local priest showed up for the party, too as he is friends with the family. Turns out he did spend time in Germany and still speaks German.

It just happened that he picked a Santa Claus figure with a hunting rifle in his hands and just commented laughing out: "That might be better for the German guy!" 

But I will tell you about german stereotypes another time.

After white elephant the real presents were handed out and it was a nice afternoon. We also had snow, something rather unsual for the Chicagoland are, where it usually starts snowing  in january.

However, my sister in law came up from Memphis and later that evening we all went to a chinese restaurant in round lake beach. Some kind of tradition, too.

"Whenever I had chinese, I feel so german."

"Hows that?"

" I am still hungry, for power."

Taken from the TV show "Golden Girls".

4. New Years eve

What New Years eve is for Germans when it comes to fireworks, is the 4th of July for Americans. 

And the other way around. Berlin turns into a civil war zone with fireworks in the streets and in America?

Its like the 4th of July in Germany. Nothing happens. Thats what I felt like. Fireworks are wildly illegal in Illinois and only some towns had a fireworks celebration. New years eve parties are more a private matter.

My wife had to work on the 31st til 8.30 pm and on the 1st from 9 am on. Who goes shopping at 9 am?, I asked. Old people, was the answer. So I tried to surprise my wife and bought some legal table fireworks, party hats, decoration and a bottle of champaign. I picked her up from work and we watched New Years eve in New York at 11 pm, good thing that we are one time zone away. We went to bed at 11.20 pm. She had to get up early. 

And the next day at work, nothing happened. But I saw one guy barfing out of his car in an intersection.

Happy New Year.

5. Veterans Day November 11

One thing I can say for sure. Military appreciation in Germany is not existent. Nothing and no one remembers the german troops serving for more than 50 years now in the order for peace and stability. Germany has deployed troops in several countries to fulfill its NATO obligations and to help people around the world trying to live a better life in freedom. With the help of the German army, peace organisations and helping NGOs can move without fearing for their lives in northern Afghanistan. Germany puts a huge ton of money into schools for all children, water supply, infrastructure and the training of local police and military. We are working together with the US Military and other nations and Germans dont give a damn.

German paratroopers helped securing free elections in Congo 2 years ago, Germany deployed field hospitals and medics to the big flood on christmas in south east asia and germans complain.

I am happy to see that Americans take pride in their military and respect all soldiers and their families.

In television companies show their appreciation and say "Thank you" for the freedom.

Veterans Day is just one expression of an overall appreciation for those who dedicate the best years of their lives to their country and the country says "Thank you" more often than you could ever imagine.

In germany they advise you to not go home in uniform, because it might be dangerous.

How I one time almost wasnt allowed to enter the US

How I one time almost wasnt allowed to enter the US.
This the first experience I want to share.
So in October 2012 I bought a one way ticket to go see my wife. She left Germany a little earlier, because we decided that our daughter will better be born in America. The factors, that led to that decision were patient care, which is better in America and our doc in Germany, who said "if your last child already came too fast, you might better read a book on homebirth".
Yes, doctors in America care a lot more about the well being of their patients. The one in the US immediately took my wife´s concerns seriously, very seriously.
However, 2 weeks before due date I left Germany. I had two flights, first from Munich to London Heathrow and after a 3 hour layover I would continue to Chicago O´hare. And I was excited, one year had already passed since my last trip to the Midwest.
So I find myself in Munich on the plane, the guy next to me turns out to be a ex-Marine Major and we kept talking about military stuff and how his wife is from Lithuania and he just got back from visiting her and was on his way home to Maryland. My hours in London were nice, too. I kept walking around the terminals.
Finally, it was time to catch my connection flight and I made it through security again. The candle in my carry on really is a candle and yes, the officers in Munich also checked twice. Nice personnel though.
So, I am walking to the gate and into the first boarding pass check.
And then it hit me:
Officer: "Sir, do you have a return ticket? I cant find anything."
Me: "I am sorry, no. I booked one way."
Officer: "I am sorry, you are traveling under Visa Waiver and it requires you to have a return ticket. I may not be allowed to let you enter the plane. What is the reason for your travel?"
Me: "I was totally unaware that I have to have a return ticket. And I am going to see my pregnant wife, she´s american and our daughter will be born in 2 weeks."
- You might imagine my heartbeat and pulse. Since today I cant find anything written on the return ticket police. Even filling out the VisaWaiver Application, it doesnt ask for any return information.
Officer: "OK, I tell you what. You keep it quiet and if someone asks you, tell em what you just told me and you might get lucky."

You can imagine that I spent an 8 hour flight in my own sweat. I used the time before boarding to look up some panic Google search and answer forums and the opinions could not have been different. That one guy says it isnt a big deal, just tell em that you dont know when you want to leave, he´s been doing that 10 times, even since 9/11. Others were quoting family members who work for airlines saying that the airline can be penalized up to $5000 for letting anyone board the plane on a one way ticket.
Thank you American Airlines for letting me do so.

However, 8 or 9 hours of spacy, aisle seat and we are arriving in Chicago O´Hare. It was a sunny friday afternoon, the in flight movie was MIB3 and the food was good, too. Although I like Delta Airlines for its in flight entertainment a lot more.

I find myself in the passport check area in the tourist lane and the nervouseness rises. I am watching the TSA officers. And I thought to myself: "Stick to your story. See the older asian guy in the left booth, he could feel for you - grandpa bonus-, the guy in the middle booth, shaved, big, probably former military - good, I am in the army myself, or the guy in the very right booth, shaved, bearded, big, probably likes Limp Bizkit or Linkin Park, you can relate to that."
So I thought, nice, 3 chances, 3 guys that can be tough but you will be ok.
And then,
the citizen lanes were opened up, more players in the game now. I am asked to proceed to the very left and I knew I was always bad at poker. But then I saw her, young woman, maybe beginning of her thirties.
Officer :"Sir, you dont have a return ticket. Why are you here and what do you do in Germany?
Me: " I am sorry I was unaware of the regulation. I am seeing my pregnant wife and in Germany, I am in the army."
Officer: "Sir, a entry in the USA on the VisaWaiver Program requires you to have a return ticket. And what is your wife doing here." -Face of stone-
Me:" My wife is american and we are expecting our daughter within the next to weeks."
Officer:" I can deny you entry in the US if you dont show a return ticket, are you aware of that?!" I thought she´d kill me.
Me: " I am really sorry, but I didnt read anything about it, even the Waiver Application form doesnt ask for it."
- I forgot the next questions but it was a 5 mins back and forth-
Officer: ( now really pissed off) "Sir, we have 40 million illegal immigrants in the US, what should make me sure that you will leave the country in 90 days????"
Me: " Again, I am in the military and later after my career, I would like to get a family visa because my wife and I want to live in America."
Officer: "Allright, Allright, stop it. Put your thumbs on here and your face here."

90 days. I was done.
My wife thought it was stupid of them to grill me. But hey, they have to do their job. And what I didnt know is that TSA Officers can, but do not have to grant me entry for 90 days.
However, I left after 89 days. To be on the safe side. From what I read it is the following:
1 day over 90 days: 1 year ban from re-entering the USA
Second day over 90 days: 10 year ban from re-entering the USA.


But still I cant find any information on return tickets. VisaWaiverProgram

Hello and Welcome to my first post!
This is quite a new experience for me and I want to let you in on some of my views of things and experiences in everyday life. In the near future I want to share my thoughts on American and German stereotypes, how I deal with all the cultural differencies, share my likes and dislikes about Germany and Germans and also show you what I think about my gaming experiences in the online community of World of Tanks. And finally, you will also get to know some soap operas and drama stories about my army time.

But first, who am I and where do I come from?
So, my name is Daniel and I am 29 years old. I was born and grew up ( at least a little) in East Germany´s former German Democratic Republic. In 2000 my family moved to Berlin, where I graduated from highschool. My majors where English and History. After highschool, I joined the army to do my 9 months military duty. Those 9 months turned into a 12 year term and now I am in my 10th year. If you wanna know my rank, look it up here: Nato Rank OR-6.
But the core of my life is my wife and the reason why I share everything I will is what we have experienced in the past years. We met 3 years ago but already knew each other for a couple of years. We were socalled pen-pals. On myspace. At the end of 2009 I asked her if I can come around and visit, because I always wanted to see the USA and she was the only american I knew. So we met in the beginning of 2010 and are together since then. We married in southern Germany in 2011. For 3 years my wife has been back and forth between the Midwest and Germany. We have 2 daughters.
And there are many things I have learned about the United States but even more about Germany!

So, have fun reading and thank you for being here!