hTTi

Interesting article on Substack (from late 2024) subtitled "How NIMBYism, political decisions and regulations crippled the Berlin housing market." https://veteraletters.substack.com/p/from-renters-paradies-to-renters I'm glad we were able to buy our apartment in 2018 which we had been rent...

Weiss Glas > < Bunt Glas

Is it really so difficult?

Duh...

Generally I’m pretty sceptical about the food reviews in “The Berliner” as they tend towards advertorial / promotional, but FWIW here’s their latest piece on (new) Indian restaurants in Berlin https://www.the-berliner.com/food/best-indian-restaurants-berlin/ Any actual reports, good or otherwise, wo...

It's taken a couple of months to process, during which time I had to upload a screenshot of my bank statement to prove the €200 had been paid (even though I had originally uploaded a receipt); but finally it has been approved that I receive 50% of the sum to be paid shortly into my bank account. It'...

Copied from a FB group: “ In follow up of yesterday's news about the new German and British Friendship and Co-Operation Agreement, which some have criticised being rather general, it is important to note that it is intended to be a long-lasting treaty that provide a stable future oriented framework ...

Article by Katja Hoyer on Merz's visit to the UK

https://www.katjahoyer.uk/p/how-angloph ... drich-merz

Personally not a fan of Merz, but this is a well-considered take.

Here you go - Eternal Current Events by Chris Marker - ordered almost 2 years ago! So despite everything, I'll just be glad when it finally gets here.

https://mitpress.mit.edu/9781965874004/ ... nt-events/

The "Einfuhrabgabe" is what you have to pay to customs. The "Auslagepauschale" of 7,50€ is the fee that DHL charges for handling this for you. And those 1,24€ are the 19% MwSt on those 7,5€ that you have to pay, too. I calculate it differently $20 = €17,43 at today's exchange ra...

This was a perennial topic on the old Toytown. I recently ordered a paperback book priced at $20 (including postage and packing) from the US, and just received notice from DHL that it will be delivered tomorrow, however including "Einfuhrabgaben i.H.v. 8,74€ (inkl. 7,50€ Auslagepauschale, inkl....

Out of date Lachs in the Biomüll, OK - but not in the plastic wrapper! Is it that difficult, you muppet?

As you were....

After 9 and a half years the pump on our washing machine went bust yesterday, but I was able to get a technician come round within a few hours, which was sooner than I had expected. Very quick and efficient, if anyone is interested: https://www.waschmaschinen-dienst.de Replacing the pump cost just o...

Yeah, sure....but it's all relative, isn't it?

I mean I'm well aware of Berlin's many shortcomings, and Schnauze is just plain rudeness - but at the same time you couldn't pay me to live in Riyadh, Doha or Abu Dhabi!

On the other hand, my thrifty self is only too happy to retrieve Pfandflaschen from the coloured glass container, left by those lazy and presumably better-off neighbours who can't be bothered to take them to the supermarket to reclaim the Pfand. Situation today: opened the lid on the virtually empt...

Having initiated this thread, I can report that our ten day visit to Albania back in May 2024 was a joy in pretty much every respect. We started and finished in Tirana, but managed to cover a lot of the country in around a week in a hire car, including the coastline almost all the way to the Greek b...

A few months ago I received a letter from the German Pension Insurance authority asking me to provide information about the missing years in my pension history. These were years I was studying and working in the UK (I am a British citizen). I sent them as much proof as I could, and also gave them m...

More neighbourly nonsense: lüften/ventilation. Firstly, I'm perfectly aware of why the requirement to ventilate a flat makes senses, particularly in the bathroom, to prevent condensation and inhibit the growth of mould. All very sensible. However the thing that flummoxes me is the fact that in the T...

john_b wrote: ↑Tue Apr 02, 2024 9:30 am I'm pleased that the clock on the oven I neglected to change over the past 6 months is now right again

Once again, the annual ritual of the oven clock becoming “right” is worth celebrating- cheers!

So glad I finally got my act together after years of procrastination and got all this sorted out this March, well in time before the April deadline.

At the grand old age of 63 I'm finally sorting out my pension and managed to pay off the various missing years in my UK NI contributions before the imminent deadline in April of this year, which will mean a better UK pension. I finally have a fairly comprehensive overview of the last four decades, i...

Not a big deal, but FWIW: my inner German regularly gets annoyed at those lazy and inconsiderate neighbours who regularly put uncollapsed cardboard boxes into the Papiertonne which I (depending on my mood) either (a) break down myself or (b) remove intact and leave on the ground next to the containe...