Thanks Mops!
I am really looking forward to living in a country with useful trains. I love traveling by train. Seems cheaper for sure than British Rail too.
I’ve dug out my old German textbooks and downloaded several language-learning apps. Getting very excited!
Du/Sie question: shopkeepers or baristas, especially if obviously younger than me?
Some more comments (German living in Alsace, working in Karlsruhe):
I’ll have to concur that Karlsruhe is boringly inoffensive. In my two years here I have spent exactly two evenings in the city outside of work-related gatherings. There are 300-year celebrations in Karlsruhe through September, so depending on when you arrive, there might be some entertainment to get you started.
There is decent food at the brewpubs (along with even better beer), but gourmets generally orient towards nearby France. The culinary scene is indeed volatile, so I’ll hold back recommendations until you’re actually there.
I don’t know about the thermal baths at Bad Wildbad, but IMO those in Baden-Baden are rip-offs. Try Bad Bergzabern for a good sauna area.
When interacting with someone in a professional capacity, always start with Sie. If you become familiar with an employee, and you notice others saying Du, just ask.
Just a note - this really doesn’t help much at all - I say this as someone who is completely, first-language fluent in Afrikaans and can just barely get by in slow-spoken German.
I’ve heard: “Haben wir schon mal gemeinsam unter dem Tisch gelegen?”, meaning “Have we drank ourselves under the table yet?” in that situation. But DaphneBlack, don’t worry, know one will bat an eye if a non-native speaker messes up Du/Sie. Use “Sie” as default, and you’re good.
Yes, but we are going to use Du at the Dopefest. The first person to address anyone except the waitstaff as Sie buys the next round.
The Dopefest participation thread is over at MPSIMS.
As Helmut Kohl apocryphally said to Maggie Thatcher: “You can say you to me.” 
My husband certainly agrees with you. I find his guesses about unknown vocabulary are 95% correct though. Grammar, not so much…
Thanks again, everyone. I will have still more questions I’m sure…
Some more now:
Any good novels to aspire to? Kracht’s Imperium has been recommended. That might be a bit steep to start with, I don’t know. I am going to try re-reading Wladimir Kaminer’s Russendisko, which I enjoyed when I was in Berlin. I have acquired some TKKG mysteries, which seem like a good place to start since they are for younger readers… Plus, I love mysteries so perhaps that will help keep me reading.
How much should we expect to pay for the kitchen if we have to buy new? I’d like to get as nice a stove and refrigerator as we can afford, and would love a dishwasher. Are washers/dryers usually in the kitchen, and are they ever included in the costs?
Anything special to look out for in real estate adverts as a red flag?
You guys are so helpful, I’m already feeling like I have a much better handle on what I’ve got to do. It probably helps that I have a love of planning and making lists (perhaps why I have always gotten on so well with Germans, to risk a bit of a stereotype).
Will follow the Dopefest thread with interest. It would be great if we could have one once we’ve arrived too. My husband would be happy to come along, he says, and if permitted I might bring another Cologne buddy who is always up for a weird experience/good time.
Vielen Dank!
Mea culpa! I was incorrect about the need to prove an internet connection. :smack:
This is the standard mid-range refrigerator for families. Everyone who bought it seems satisfied with it.
Fixtures for washing machines are usually in the bathroom, unless it’s exceptionally small. Some older houses also have a community washing room in the basement. For your own unit, you’ll probably have to buy your own machine.
“zentral” = noisy
“gute Verkehrsanbindung” = noisy
“lichtdurchflutet” = hot
“für Liebhaber” = extensive renovation required
“aufstrebend” = problem area
“individuell geschnitten” = wasted space
I’m sensing a bit of sarcasm here…
If anything is ambiguous, assume a negative interpretation.
I can’t tell when exactly Idilia Dubb lived in KA. Prices have gone up quite a bit recently, in no small part due to the KIT. You can still find inexpensive housing, depending on how many such things you’re willing to deal with.
Living in the southern suburbs will waste you a lot of time on the daily commute or make you dependent of a car. You might want to look at Leopoldshafen or Linkenheim-Hochstetten if you don’t mind the even more bland residential areas there.
You will be just two R-Bahn stops away from Baden-Baden, where the Friedrichsbad Spa is located. It’s the happiest place on earth! I’m going there this weekend.
New question to those who have lived in/near Karlsruhe:
Did you/do you go to Strasbourg much? Any recommendations there? It looks like a beautiful city.
I go to Strasbourg for the large French shopping centers, or as a hub to travel to southern France. I don’t go downtown much, but it’s definitely worth a trip if you’re into historical architecture.
HEY!!! So I’ve been slowly collecting German indie music for the last 5 or 6 years as iTunes posts more of it. Tonight I found another band I liked, and as I was listening to the new album, I thought to search the Dope for the phrase “German bands”. So there I am listening to the 3rd song on die Sterne’s “In echt” when I came upon this post. Literally (as in really literally). Crazy.
So, if it’s not too much of a tangent:
Tocotronic is my fave by far
Wir Sind Helden is up there
iTunes just added a bunch more The Notwist, which I like
I have single albums from Kettcar and Tomte
Digging this new album so far
Is Wir sind Helden still around? I remember them from '03.
They broke up just a few years ago. I think Judith Holofernes has done something solo, but i haven’t checked it out.
As I said above, I’m more into American/British rock and roll, but another great German Indie band I like are the Flowerpornoes: Here’s a sample:
You may also check out Kante, another band in a similar vein: