The Cell Phone

Saturday was shopping day since the stores are all closed on Sundays.  It makes the stores pretty busy, but does force you to relax on Sundays which is nice.

We got groceries at a new store.  Netto is similar to the many little grocery stores (Aldi, Lidl) that have random things in addition to a bakery and groceries.  There are four Nettos in Ratingen (15 mins. drive away), which is not a huge town.  There are two Netto stores literally less than two blocks away from each other!  They are surrounded by large apartment buildings so we figure the multiple stores survive because of all the foot/bike traffic and the people living in the buildings need some place to shop.  I imagine that we'll figure out which one we like the best.  But for now we have lots to explore!

Greg wanted to make chili so we went searching for ingredients.  The chili turned out good despite not finding everything he usually uses for it (chili beans and maple sausage).  I'm sure it will get better each time he makes it:)  The next thing he wants to make is his yummy homemade pizza.  First, we have to find yeast.

I want to make pancakes so I'm trying to gather the necessary ingredients to make them from scratch - no pancake mix here.  Syrup isn't here either so Sarah gave me a recipe to make it.  Sometime this week we'll try it out.  It's our last week of summer vacation!  Soon we won't have any extra time in the morning!!

We also got a small palm plant and another floor rug for upstairs.  The boys need more space to build legos without being on the hard floor and Greg likes greenery:).

Our last stop was to get me a cell phone. It should be easy, right.  Well, after lots of research and advice we were ready to make the purchase.  It's not quite as simple as just going to buy a phone...although it ended up being quite easy once we were educated.  We were advised to stay away from a plan and a go-phone that you can't refill the minutes (both mistakes others have made).  So, we needed a prepaid and refillable German SIM card with compatible phone that uses Greg's work phone's carrier (so that it's cheaper for me to call him)...and then find someone that spoke enough English to help us.

We ended up at Euronics, an electronics store in Ratingen...much like a Best Buy.  The man was very helpful and I got a red phone!

The boys like it...especially since it's a color in the German flag!

After getting the SIM card, the phone, and changing the phone's language to English I'm set.  I can add call credits to it whenever I need - supposedly at gas stations and back at the store.  You put money on the card and then as you call it uses the minutes - very similar to a calling card.  I can call Greg's German mobile phone and other Vodafone customers for 5 cents a minute.  Calling other carriers is 15 cents a minute.  I don't know about International roaming but I don't think I'll be doing that from my cell much.$$$!  I only plan on using the mobile in emergencies, to call Greg, and to be available if the boys' school needed me.  Otherwise, I'll use our land line.  It's just nice to have a mobile, especially with school starting next week.