Simon and I have been helping Daniel's brother, Tobias, build his house. Simon keeps giving him shit because his house is almost an exact replica of Petra and Daniel's. In Toby's defense, houses in Germany are pretty much all the same, like any house built after World War II in America.
I like how German houses are made. Instead of using wood, like America, they use cement blocks. I believe it's because the story of the three little pigs scared them into making indestructible homes. There are wooden houses too, Terhalle (A company founded by friend/important person of Rotary, Josef Terhalle) constructs houses out of wood. His company also doesn't make cookie-cutter homes, there's always a tip of my hat to anyone that does that.
Another thing I like about German houses, people put luxury amenities in a normal house that we would only expect to see in Hollywood Mansions. Almost all of the houses, especially newer ones, try to replicate tiny luxury mansions. I salute them for it because I would never give up the heated tile floor in our kitchen. For example, there is a house one my way to German class, that in it's backyard, the owners have a small reflection pool leading to a patio with an outdoor gas fire place. This, and there perfect square rock garden with nine small trees, takes up most of their backyard. Why do they have this in their plain Jane neighborhood? Because they can.
This week I met the man that makes Wessum's wooden shoes. Petra and I went to exchange the shoes for a smaller size. We pull up to this old barn and house hidden behind newer homes in the middle of the neighborhood. I think it is an original building in Wessum. There is a little old man that makes all the wooden shoes all by himself. He is kind of a funny person and has the biggest glasses I have ever seen. His work shop was like stepping back in time. The floor is covered in wood shavings and there are handmade shoes on top of handmade shoes. Enough to cloth at least 500 or so people. It was like what I think life was like in the 1960's.
It struck me that you said "in the 1960's". You're probably right, but having been born in the 60's, I've always compared things to the 1950's or earlier. It's totally conceivable that the shoemaker learned his trade and updated his shop in the 1960's from someone who learned it 30 years before that!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, good talking to you this weekend.
Prost! (ha ha-- that's most of my German. I'll watch more Hogan's Heroes for practice.)
-Uncle Sean.