I am always surprised when I read that Germany uses so much solar power

@btroje germany feels like 20 years more "into the future" in some ways as Aussie or New Zealand. I'm in the same boat as Walklightly , I have lived in NZ since 82, but come from Germany. And some of the culture I miss is still like a nagging homesickness.

what were you doing over there?

I want to talk to you about ESL sometime

@btroje Fire away!

a special breed

why do you call it a life changing experience?

@btroje Because they both introduced me to another world and culture. One of my earlier replies I said that learning another language opens so many doors. As big as this country is it is still basically an island with an island mentality.

My ex was stationed in Heidelberg when we met. I spent some time there. And it's funny, I was in Okinawa at Torri Station. The nearby town was Sobe, which we called Sunny Sobe by the Sea.

@HippieChick58 But I bet it wasn't sexless. The military are always making names for the places they are stationed.

So you know Patton Barracks? My coworker was named Sammy Patton. His wife worked at Patton barracks and she would answer the phone "Patton Barracks Mrs. Patton speaking". People thought she was being a smartass.

@JackPedigo Different parts of the Germanic world have very different worldviews. It is said that if a citizen of Hamburg encountered a tough situation, he or she would say, "The situation is impossible" The Berliner would say, "The situation is difficult, but not impossible." The Vienna resident would say, "The situation is impossible -- but, who gives a damn!"

@JackPedigo I have never encountered a sexless military base. I remember Patton Barracks.

It was hardship tour and there was no housing for dependents. It was also way off the beaten path and a Moslem country. Some wives did come for a visit but they didn't stay long. One wife was staying on the third floor of the main hotel and one morning spotted a guy on the balcony looking on her. One GI did get caught with a girl and the Turks could jail him. He got smuggled out on our mail truck. Many, many interesting stories.

@wordywalt Reminds me of the Kennedy story when he first came to Berlin. He said "Ich bin ein Berliner". Berlin residents found that funny because a "Berliner" was a type of doughnut.

Rember, Germany was a loos confederation of states that didn't become unified until the late 19th century. Bavaria came even later mainly because it was a Catholic state.

@JackPedigo That story about Kennedy was NOT true. Berlin residents always referred to themselves as Berliners. It is amazing how such stories crop up.

@wordywalt I heard that from a Berliner while I was visiting Berlin (This was before the wall came down). My uncle was German, spent 4 years as a Panzer Fuhrer on the Eastern front and 5 years in a Siberian Gulag. I was with him at the time and learned a lot of history from him. BTW he wrote a book (unpublished) and I have the only English copy. Words often have double meanings.

@JackPedigo I was there when Kennedy gave his speech. Hundreds of thousands of Berliners turned out to see and hear him. The media -- both newspaper and television never made one mention of the purported doughnut thing. I never heard the story until years later here in the USA.

@wordywalt Maybe they didn't want to make fun at their hero. Who knows but we heard it several times including from a tour guide. We even saw doughnuts called "Berliners'. Certainly you have heard of Berliner Weisse? Lots of things are called by the name of the place they are popular.

@JackPedigo Berliner Weisse is Berlin white beer. There is no equation with the doughnut story.

@wordywalt It is not white but red or green. It was just a comment to show a food connection with a town.

@HippieChick58 My aunt worked there for the Staff Judge Advocate. Visiting her is what got me to Germany and, later I decided to stay.

where did you go?

what countries have you lived in by choice?

@btroje I do live in US now, I have lived in Burundi, Tanzania, India, South Africa and UAE.

@0752532706 was there a place you liked better than others?

@btroje I want to be honest, I love the US more than anyother country I have lived in. This doesn't mean that it's perfect. It's not but far better. I am happy to be here.

There is a few but they come in human form About a year ago one tried to escape from Australia and hid in the engine of a car on a container ship. One was also found in the botanical gardens in Wellington. Both were destroyed. A few people flying in from China have been found with snakes on their body trying to enter our country. So I am assuming one or 2 may have made it through.

@Sacha from what I understand everything in Australia is trying to kill you

@btroje Its true!!

where have you lived and how long?

Seoul 6 months Queensland AU 9 months

so where did youlike it best and why?

@btroje Greece... in the island of Crete. My job, the island, the women, cost me a divorce, my family was not with me. Scandinavian women start arriving on February until November looking for Brown Eyes. Americans were the exotic. A Puerto Rican was like Double Lotto. They treat you right under the circumstances. There is not enough screen to tell all the stories I got from that island. The 90's, there was a salsa club in Heraklion and I didn't bothered to go and check it out. My hands were full with the "Techno". Paradise ain't free so to me it cost me my marriage. That's life. I could take it and dish it out. Chania Crete, my paradise on earth.

dumb and stupid and surviving is part of the fun of life

@btroje I was thankful that there was no way that the folks at home would ever hear about some of the crazy stuff I did. After a highly restrictive home life I went made up for lost time for a while.

@HippieChick58 glad you survived

@btroje Me too, and my kids are too! I have only told them a few of the crazy things I did.

@HippieChick58 , don't let the crazy things get completely lost. Write them down somewhere or something, it is nice for children to learn more about the real person that is their parent.

what things do you miss about Brazil?

@btroje the warmth of the people....the willingness to share the little they have...the smells

@CeciRosane60 spices?flowers?

@btroje all of it...flowers...fruit...the rain....

now you have to tell me what took you there

I enlisted in the Navy back in ‘87. I retired in ‘08. @btroje

@Gatovicolo that was a long haul. what did you do in the Navy?

Seabees, construction mechanic, 15 years as a power tech. @btroje

@Gatovicolo very practical

It paid the bills. @btroje

what were you teaching?

@btroje Physics

Arent you from Argentina?

How did you like Spain?

@btroje I am from Argentina...which from USA is overseas....I like Spain OK I lived there only six months.

@DUCHESSA what brought you to the US?

@btroje An airplane...LOL

@DUCHESSA

And Greece. Forgot about Greece, where I met my first husband.

@GoldenDoll what is the EEC? Ignerent here.

@btroje : the European Community in Brussels - what the UK is about to leave!

@GoldenDoll thanks

You are very lucky

how was it? My sister worked for the WTO for a while and when she visited south Korea she was very aware of being a foreigner

@btroje Very eye opening to live in another country, especially Korea. The threat of war is ever present, but Koreans just roll with it. The countryside is very beautiful, with very old well manicured mountains and hills. The big cities are and mixture ultra modern and truly ancient, the small towns are timelessly pure Korean practicality. There's no fear of being mugged, everyone is orderly but at the same time they are independent and don't pay attention to the government, although everyone has to pitch in and do military service. It's a very competitive place - everyone has a business it seems. Even advancement through grade school isn't automatic, everyone is expected to make an effort with dire consequences for failure. And through all that, Koreans have a great sense of humor and they party like it's 1999 a lot.

would you go back?

Sure, I would love to at least for a long visit. It was a big adventure & I never felt like it was "home", but spending a year was great.