An Autumn in Germany

I'm not great at this whole Blog thing, but now I actually have a reason to blog. I'm spending 3 months in Germany, and lots of interesting and amusing things happen, but I don't want to bore people on facebook with it. So for any of you interested in my life in Deutschland, this blog is the place to be!

An Intro
I'm spending 3 months as an au pair in South Germany where, as I have to communicate solely in german, I hope to improve my german!. I'm living at the foothills of the Alps, in an area famous for winter sports (apparently). I'm staying in a small, very stereotypical village where everyone knows everyone, and most seem to be related to each other, and yet there are enough 6-8yo kids for a football team!
My 'job' is to look after 2 boys, L who is 7yo and plays on the football team, and M who is 2 (nearly 3) and is not a morning person. It alternates between them both coming home at lunchtime (I have to pick M up from Kindergarten, L makes his own way home) and M staying in Kindergarten until 4. If it's nice weather we have to go outside, else we'll play inside. Being a small village, there are often other kids around. L has officially had a school friend round to play, but they can also end up playing in the street on the way home from Kindergarten. At the end of the garden there are 5 goats, which their cousins own, and it's not unusual for the kids to come to feed them, and then want to stay and play.

What's so Interesting?
I reckon my blog can be split into 3 sections
1) My life in Deutschland and general goings-on
2) Funny thing kids say and do
3) Amusing/Interesting Language and culture confusions

I've been here almost 2 weeks, so I won't recount everything that's happened, but I'll give you a taster;

1) Walking - Both weekends I have gone for a walk (or rather wandern - i.e. a hike) As the alps have a far higher potential to be deadly than the English hills, the routes are incredibly well maintained and signposted. This hasn't stopped me getting lost though. The first time I had been given instructions, and shown on a satellite picture how to get the Altstadter Hof (a cafe half way up a hill, they're everywhere round here) I was told that the route followed the road and was very easy. So off I plodded (map in hand of course) I followed the signposts and ended up on a watch-your-step path with a sheer drop to the river. This made me a little concerned, but once I rejoined the road, and consulted both map and signpost I established there were indeed 2 different routes to my destination. On the way down I detoured via Sonthofer Hof (another Cafe) and had to climb a barb-wire fence (they love their barbed wire) because I took a slightly wrong bearing in a field!
In a separate walk today (up to Rubihorn 1957m, with fantastic views!) I had a slow start. I parked and headed up hill, hoping I'd taken the right path from the car park. I found a signpost confirming I was on track. I headed in the direction it pointed, only to find a barb-wire fence in the way, so naturally I turned followed the 'path' up hill, very steeply and boggily up hill. This was odd being so close to a large carpark when the paths are normally so well maintained. Regardless I ploughed on and continued my upwards march on a signpost-less road. I conferred with map, and worked out I was the wrong side of the valley from Rubihorn, but would end up slightly too high yet basically at the cafe I was aiming for initially. But the mystery remained, why was I signposted to this forestry track that walkers weren't supposed to be on? On my return, down the correct path, I discovered the barb wire had been moved to one side, leaving the path clear for walkers, bah!
Nevertheless, the walks have been fantastic, the weather on my side, the views fabulous and navigation requiring very little thought.

2) There are the slapstick incidents, such as M cycling straight into a bush and getting his bike wedged, but they're often a case of you had to be there, so I shall recount an incident from earlier today;
L had been sent to his room due to having a minor tantrum because he wanted to go outside (yes he is 7) M, who had been crying a minute or 2 earlier, but was now happily playing with a toy truck, turned and very politely asked 'Mama, do I have to go to my room too?'. Mama responded 'Bist du lieb?' (Are you being lovely/well behaved?) M then crossed his arms, scowled, and replied 'Nein!' so the mum replied that in that case he too had to go to his room, and so off M went upstairs leaving the mum supressing giggles until he was out of earshot. Kids are odd.

3) I'm living in a very stereotypical bavarian area, where a lot of people have strong Bayern accents (that I'm afraid I'm picking up slightly!) however I have yet to see any Lederhosen outside of the context of a restaurant. For now, you will have to make do with a language-related incident.
On the way to Kindergarten, M always points out 'Vogelbeeren' which literally translates as bird berries. I was intrigued at what exactly Vogelbeeren were, as he tended to point at all trees with berries on, and so asked the dad. He responded that to M all berries are Vogelbeeren, as they are berries for birds, so he isn't allowed to eat them. So I am no none the wiser with regards to the names of the berry trees on the way to kindergarten, but at least I know they aren't officially Vogelbeeren!