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Kerstin Auer's avatar

Ordering still water in Germany is worse than ordering horse meat in Portland. And you'll get tap water, if they don't just kick you out. I had forgotten about this because I'm a bad German that's why I moved to Canada 16 years ago - when my mom came to visit and I did not have sparkling water in my kitchen (needs to be on the counter, not in the fridge!!) she almost disowned me.

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Melanie E's avatar

Yep still a thing. My mother is German and immigrated in the 60's and I went home with her to visit family several times and when I asked for regular water you'd have thought I asked someone to give up their first born. Worse was asking for ice cubes. They finally dug up some trays for me to use while I was there. I think this is why my mother never drank water much. She too loved Club Soda lol. As to our fine rural living, it may seem like two countries and in some ways it is but I can tell you it's slowly changing. I live where it's super rural / off grid even for many (no electricity, no toilet, no water) and here you might have a few with that same mentality but more often than not you don't anymore. Sure we have the local drunk whom we avoid like the plague if she's in a car, but otherwise everyone is accepted. Everyone is pretty much supported by others in the community and we have a real sense of community. You need a hand? Someone will come and help you even if they don't like you lol. Meth heads are here too. But you don't see them much. What I love about living rural is like you said, the peace, the outdoors, the drives, the nature, the quiet (except when all the mushers huskies are howling but even that is beautiful). I can work here in peace, photograph, write, create. If I want something progressive I drive to town, but I always love coming home to the peaceful life. I grew up in the heart of Denver. I don't miss it. The longer you stay in the sticks, the more it will grow on you until you become unfit to live anywhere else.

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