hTTi

Today is the 16th anniversary of my son's death. I've been a Linda fan forever and this one always brings tears to me eyes, especially on January 17th. But it soothes me too.

All Creatures Great and Small (Der Doktor und das liebe Vieh), the Masterpiece Series from 2020, is currently available for streaming by ARD 1 and can be watched in the original English or, as I am doing, in German. 😊 BTW Both versions are available with subtitles too. Sadly, it is not the master p...

Is a Girokarte not suitable as a backup card? I was thinking of keeping only one US credit card and getting a Girokarte from my soon-to-be new bank. IMO a Girokarte, which I also have, isn't a backup for a US credit card that one needs/wants for certain financial transactions, like an IRS payment. ...

Thanks for the encouragement. I too signed up for the mail-scaning service, but the idea of their receiving any new credit card makes me nervous. While my brother is not the world's most reliable person, forwarding me a card every 18 months or so shouldn't overtax him. FYI: Capital One allows one p...

FYI: I am a retiree and live from assets in $ rather than € I am earning. I have two Capital One Mastercards (with different expiration dates) that come with no foreign transaction fees. All my friends and family have a Visa or Mastercard sans FT fees. I always pay in the local currency if I am aske...

Down here it rained a lot in the night, but the temps are well above freezing, The sun pops in and out, and so just about all the snow and mush on the city streets is now clear and clean. It’s a dramatic change from 24 hours ago. It’s raining still in little bursts and fits. We’re all just SO gratef...

It’s been snowing here on the Bodensee, and it’s often slushy as the temperature fluctuates and melting goes on. That’s caused many of us to walk and ride the bus everywhere rather than go by bike. Even so, it’s been a refreshing change that I’m happy to experience. Snow will always be magical for t...

If you shut down the account and pull out all the funds you’ll be taxed on the whole proceeds by Uncle Sam immediately, which is generally a costly move. If I were you I would roll it over, which is not a big deal if you are the primary beneficiary. I would also recommend engaging a CPA in the US. I...

All Creatures Great and Small (Der Doktor und das liebe Vieh), the Masterpiece Series from 2020, is currently available for streaming by ARD 1 and can be watched in the original English or, as I am doing, in German.

BTW Both versions are available with subtitles too.

Hello all, I see "valid health care insurance" listed as a requirement. Does this mean that I must already sign up for KK before the Wohnsitz/Meldebescheinigung appointment? I still have the health insurance card from the US, which is now cancelled by my employer, but the Bürgeramt won't ...

A terrible tragedy in Switzerland and a sad day for those of us here on the border who have many Swiss friends.
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c8xdxvj2qjdt

We moved here partly for the myriad of transportation options available. Saw it and said, we wanna live that way, especially as we age. One of the best decisions we’ve ever made.

Sorry I had no idea. But taking a more difficult test in a different state being illegal is kind of funny! The other way round I get. x Reciprocity with DE isn't tied to the difficulty of a state's driving test. Political and economic considerations during such negotiations are/were often at play.

That's not legal, and right now, during this particular time in the US, isn't the best time to be trying to play that game IMO. I know I sound like an Oma, but I‘ld be careful about lying in this environment. That lie is super easy to uncover since we file US tax returns while residing here.

> Your bigger problem is that CA has no reciprocity with DE, which means that you'll need to take courses and tests to get a DE license. Note CA to me is California. Perhaps you think I mean Canada. Sorry for the confusion. I have no interest in getting a German drivers license, as I hate driving a...

You are only allowed to drive on your US driving licence for the first 6 months. Please read this: https://de.usembassy.gov/driving-in-germany/ and this: https://allaboutberlin.com/guides/convert-to-german-driving-licence Your bigger problem is that CA has no reciprocity with DE, which means that y...

I drive very little and cycle everywhere. I would love to simply stop driving when I move to Berlin, but am wondering about buying new furniture there. Presumably IKEA or equivalent will deliver it? Thanks again all of you for your advice. I have at least a new job and a new (temporary) apartment, ...

Breaking News: This morning's Wizz Air nonstop flight from Yerevan has arrived at Memmingen Airport (Allgau) and my 3 Armenian-Germericans (3, 6, & 9) are now in the car with Opa and heading to Konstanz! It's been gray for days, but the sun is finally expected on Christmas Day. Anyway, way way d...