It’s official; I am un-officially German

Just for the record, no, I haven’t given up my British nationality. And no, I haven’t acquired a German passport. But at the weekend I did do something that makes me OUG (Officially Unofficially German).

In my books, there are a number of things that one has to have accomplished before one can, hand on heart, lay claim to the OUG status. Here is my top 10, in no particular order:

-          Go on holiday to the Ostsee

-          Eat ice-cream in mid-winter

-          Keep a supply of “Apfelsaftschorle” (apple juice spritzer) in your kitchen cupboard

-          Call your child  “kleine Maus”

-          Drive at speeds of 180km per hour on the Autobahn

-          Partake in a naked sauna

-          Say “Mahlzeit”

-          Only buy German cars and kitchen appliances

-          Throw a dinner party and ask each guest to bring a course

-          Shop for Aldi “Angebote” (special offers) for children

If, in addition to these 10, you also own a Jack Wolfskin jacket and regularly enjoy a “Kaffee und Kuchen” (coffee and cake), you should definitely consider changing your nationality. The only one remaining on my list until last weekend was shopping for Aldi offers for children. And I would quickly like to point out that I do not own a Jack Wolfskin jacket, so no imminent changes of nationality for me.

The Germans are a nation of bargain-hunters and you will often find them checking the weekly offers in Aldi and rushing down before opening to make sure they get what they want. Last week, for example, the offer was a range of ski equipment for children. I honestly didn’t expect anything to be left by the weekend, but I rummaged around, as you do, to find a pair of ski trousers and snow boots for 7.99 and 9.99 Euros respectively. I have my doubts about the quality, but at that price, and given how quickly children grow out of clothes and shoes anyway, I figured I would give it a go to see what all the fuss is about. Many ladies in my office swear by Aldi offers, so there must be something in it. Watch this space!