In Germany, people put this plastic cover over the power socket, so that friends can’t charge their mobile phones while visiting.
And that’s all you need to know about Germany. 😞
Readers of this blog will surely have noticed that I am a rather conservative, almost boring type of person. So, naturally, I have no experience whatsoever with illegal drugs. Even the dealers usually notice this from a mile away, which is why I am very rarely offered any of the nasty-smelling herb. (Really only during global economic crises, as in chapter 31 of my report from Lisbon.)
I don’t even know the difference between cannabis, marijuana, hashish and weed, and I don’t know which of them you smoke, inhale, inject or eat as cookies. In any case, I am against it. Against all of it.
But even as a staunch opponent of drugs and as a friend of a clear mind, at some point you have to realize that the battle is lost. After all, you can’t wage a permanent war on drugs against your own population.
Also, putting people in prison for something that causes far fewer deaths than alcohol, road traffic, vicious dogs and – ironically – the war on drugs seems somewhat disproportionate to me. The limited and expensive capacity of the police, prosecutors, medical experts, lawyers, courts, prison and parole officers could probably be put to better use than chasing hashish hippies across Hasenheide.
In short, not everything that smells and is annoying has to be made a criminal offense.
And that’s exactly what the congenial German government thought. They introduced a bill to parliament, which, after some huffing and puffing, was passed as the Cannabis Act.
The result is, how could it be different in Germany, a carefully crafted compromise. You will be allowed to smoke more than before, but of course not everything, not always, not everywhere and not by everyone. In effect, we are somewhere between Woodstock and Singapore.
Now, because I don’t use any drugs myself, I am super efficient and I can already answer your most pressing questions about the new German cannabis law, before you even ask them:
Possession of cannabis will be legal up to a quantity of 25 grams. Because I’ve never tried the stuff myself, I don’t know whether that’s a lot. I am more of a chocolate addict, and 25 grams is barely enough for half an hour.
However, this only applies to adults and only for personal use. Children and teenagers still have to resort to beer and other alcoholic beverages. Personal use means that you are not allowed to sell the substance, give it away or share it. In this respect, cannabis users have it better than tobacco smokers, because the latter find it difficult to say no when they are asked for a “have you got a fag?” If, however, someone wants to take a puff on your joint, you can easily say no: “Sorry, dude, but the law only allows personal use.”
Friends or couples can still go out together with a joint if they have previously converted it into joint property. Then, but only then, they can also consume it together. However, the weight of the joint must not exceed 25 grams, otherwise the person carrying it would be in breach of the possession limit.
Because the purchase and sale of cannabis are still prohibited, the question arises as to where the stuff should come from. As befits a nation of foresters, fairy tales and allotment gardens, Germany is relying on home-grown cannabis.
Adults with residence or habitual abode in Germany are permitted, if they have at least one of the former for at least 6 months, to keep three cannabis plants in their home if they keep and maintain them in a species-appropriate and ecologically friendly manner. These three plants may be kept in addition to the 25 grams as long as they remain unharvested or the cannabis yield obtained from the harvest does not exceed a further 25 grams. The good old three-field system of crop rotation seems like a great idea, so that the three plants are ready for harvest at different times. However, it is important that no single plant is ever harvested for more than 25 grams.
As these three plants apply per adult in the household (if they have been living there for at least 6 months), couples or flat-sharing communities can of course grow more plants, whereby it is important to clearly assign each plant to a specific person.
As the photo insinuates, I assume that many people will soon be thinking of their previously neglected grandparents and other distant relatives: “Grandma, you always had such a green thumb! Can I put these plants in your house?” For me, these unexpected social side effects are always the most exciting aspects about new legislation.
If there are children or teenagers in the house, the plants must be kept in rooms to which the little rascals have no access. However, because the regulations on species-appropriate plant care require that the plants are exposed to sunlight and therefore face south, south-east or south-west with a window (to be cleaned every two months), in practice, especially in small apartments, you will often have to make a choice: Kids or weed. I predict a decline in the birth rate.
It also becomes tricky when a parent dies. Because then, the partner and the children usually are the heirs. According to the principle of universal succession, the inheritance is transferred directly to the heirs at the time of death, without any further legal act and without the need for consent. And, poof, the children are the owners of a drug plantation. The problem is minor for children under the age of 14, as they are still exempt from criminal culpability. But teenagers will already have one foot in jail.
You also need to be careful when moving house: As you are not allowed to carry more than 25 grams of cannabis in public, you can hardly move with three flowering plants at the same time. But you are also not allowed to give them away, because that would not be personal consumption. So you have to move gradually or destroy the plants. (I only know this from other plants, but as far as I have tried, you can destroy them by not watering them for several weeks.)
Now, of course, everyone wants to know: Where can you get the seeds or cuttings to grow your own weed? You can either order them, even via the internet, but only from EU member states. Alternatively, even if you are not a member, you can go to a so-called growers’ association and purchase up to seven cannabis seeds or up to five cuttings, but no more than five seeds and/or cuttings in total, of which no more than three may mature into fully-fledged plants.
And that brings us to the growers’ associations. This is a form of agricultural cooperative, which, at least for the East Germans among us, brings back fond memories of collective farming. I think the word “Anbauvereinigung” is a wonderful one, but I guess in popular parlance, people will refer to them as cannabis clubs.
So far, the rules that I outlined have been fairly relaxed and liberal, almost anarchic. But with cannabis clubs, the law on associations comes into play, and that’s where the buck stops and the fun ends. Growers’ associations may only be run as non-commercial associations or cooperatives, must be registered and require official permission to grow cannabis. The associations may have a maximum of 500 members, all of whom must be of legal age and have been residents in Germany for at least 6 months. They may only supply the cannabis to their members, who must also take over the cultivation themselves and personally, but collectively.
Each member may obtain no more than 25 grams of cannabis per day and no more than 50 grams per month from this collective cultivation. Members between the ages of 18 and 21 may only obtain 30 grams per month, but only up to a THC content of 10%. If a member turns 18 or 21 in the course of a month, the maximum monthly supply is adjusted in proportion to the quotient between age, number of days in the month in question, and 30 or 50 grams, respectively. For members whose place of birth lies more than six time zones east of the Central European timezone, the birthday itself is not counted.
Furthermore, these clubs need a youth protection plan (although they are not allowed to accept juvenile members), a prevention officer, only board members with no criminal record, a fence around the plantation that is at least 2.24 meters (or 1.78 meters in Saarland) high and which obstructs the view, a wastewater protection plan, a security plan, a supply chain officer, a clubhouse, a flag and an embarrassing name such as “Weedmacht”, “Little Red Riding Reever” or “Sieg High”.
The cannabis cultivation compound must be at least 200 meters away from schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, hospitals and so on. Lost places experts like me are currently in great demand to find suitable sites, such as old factory buildings. I expect an enormous boom, particularly in the eastern German states, but also a general revitalization of rural areas.
Incidentally, on the premises of the cannabis clubs, you are not allowed to consume cannabis. That would really go to far, wouldn’t it? Also, unlike in parliament, no alcohol may be served there.
Oh, I almost forgot the most important question: Where can you actually smoke the 25 grams? At home, of course. But only if there are no children or teenagers around. Nor if children or teenagers could be watching, e.g. from a neighbor’s house, from the street or from a passing train.
However, people are allowed to smoke weed freely in public. You only have to keep a distance of 100 meters from schools, kindergartens, playgrounds, children’s and youth facilities, sports facilities, churches and military bases. In pedestrian zones, smoking is only permitted from 8 pm, but then all the night until 6:59 am.
You can use this interactive map to test your neighborhood for drug suitability. You’ll be surprised how many kindergartens and playgrounds there are in your neighborhood that you hadn’t even noticed before.
I have run the test for my apartment in Chemnitz. The red zones are no-go zones. You can clearly see the advantage of living near a forest. I wouldn’t be surprised if I soon encounter many more people on my daily walks in nature than before.
For comparison, I also looked at the village where I grew up. The difference is striking and illustrates the advantages of the countryside.
For people in Berlin, I assume that beautiful Müggelheim will soon become very popular.
Keep in mind, though, that these maps work with automatically generated material and therefore overlook many children’s and youth facilities as well as sports facilities. You are really only safe in the great outdoors. Unless a a group of children is passing by. Or a school bus.
In principle, all bus stops where school buses stop must be kept cannabis-free on school days from 6:30 to 8:30 and from 12:15 to 16:30. Except during school holidays. If school is canceled, e.g. due to flooding, the child cannabis protection is only waived if the school cancellation was communicated at least 24 hours in advance, because otherwise it cannot be ruled out that a child did not hear about the cancellation and will still be at the bus stop. During school hours, cannabis consumption in the car is therefore prohibited as long as you are driving on a route that is also frequented by school buses. Unless you have tinted windows. In Thuringia, September 20th is World Children’s Day, which is a smoke-free public holiday. Special rules also apply in the northern German states whenever the wind force exceeds 6 Beaufort. The 100-meter zone is then adapted to the direction of the wind. In westerly winds, for example, it is shifted 20 meters per Beaufort point to the east. Vacation resorts, health resorts, church institutions, independent public corporations, universities, religious communities not recognized as churches, NATO military training areas, the German Patent and Trademark Office, embassies, consulates, chambers of trade, dyke associations, ski lifts and the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration may issue their own regulations, which must however (except in the case of federal authorities or foreign, supranational and international institutions) comply with the administrative regulations of the respective state. In areas with elevated radon levels in the soil and in former uranium mining areas, both of which are particularly relevant in Saxony, smoking is only permitted from the 2nd floor upwards.
One issue has, in my opinion, not been sufficiently clarified: What happens in the border regions if there is no prohibited facility within a radius of 100 meters in Germany, but there is a kindergarten or a playground less than 100 meters away on the Polish, Belgian or Czech side?
In effect, smoking weed will become something really bureaucratic and uncool. I myself will stick to tobacco, where I can rely on the Supreme Court decision BVerfGE 80, 137, which ruled that anything you do in the forest falls under the “unhindered unfurling of one’s personality”, protected under Art. 2 para. 1 of the German Federal Constitution.
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Rather somber moment, opening the e-mail from a citizenship client, and it says:
I have also attached the transportation records for my great-great-grandfather’s 1941 deportation from Hamburg to Lodz and his 1942 death record.
That really puts into perspective some of my other cases.
The client wants a divorce.
She has been separated for more than 15 years. Back then, the husband disappeared. No contact ever since. “Somewhere in the Balkans,” she says, “Kosovo, Montenegro, around there. He is making damn sure that ain’t nobody ever gonna find him.”
Also, she says, he is highly dangerous. Something about smuggling and weapons and gang warfare. With plenty of bodies buried in the Balkan forests.
Obviously, the case appeals to me.
I already see myself climbing the peaks of the Durmitor mountain range and swimming through Tara Canyon. Getting the backpack ready, I am looking forward to weeks of drudging myself from village to village, asking around for Mister ….. and on the lookout for hajduk henchmen.
But I am still a professional lawyer, so first I need to carry out some due diligence. I have to run an internet search for the disappeared husband.
After a few minutes, I have found him. I send him a message, he calls back right away. It’s a rather pleasant conversation. Of course he agrees to the divorce, no problem at all.
Almost disappointing that the case got resolved so easily.
Also, I really would have loved to see the face of the Family Court in Germany, had I handed in my invoice for three weeks of criss-crossing the peaks of the Balkans.
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Some might be surprised to hear this, but as a lawyer, my main goal is to bring peace into the world. This is how I do it:
– Client calls and wants to sue everyone preemptively and proactively, to litigate left right and center, and to file more motions than there are birds in the sky.
– I send her my fee agreement and ask for payment of retainer.
– The next morning, client calls: “You know, I have thought about it. I don’t think it’s really necessary to do anything right now.”
And there it is, another family feud avoided.
Long awaited, the day has finally come: The German parliament has passed substantial amendments to the Citizenship Act, which will – in many cases – make naturalization in Germany easier. In essence, the residency requirement will be shortened to 5 years, and Germany will no longer object to foreigners maintaining their original citizenship. Dual citizenship will no longer pose any problem.
But before we get into the details – and before everybody who is interested in German citizenship becomes too excited -, I have to put things into context:
There are basically three paths to German citizenship.
The most common way is by descent. If you have at least one German ancestor, you may already be a German citizen, without ever having realized it. Because there were several waves of mass emigration from Germany throughout history, there are millions of descendants around the world. Theoretically, there is no limit on how far back you can go in your family tree. In practice, if it’s more than three or four generations, it becomes rather tricky.
On citizenship by descent, I have a separate article. This path is not affected by the changes enacted now.
The second way is restitution. This concerns a whole number of different cases, in which your ancestors lost German citizenship, but you can now reclaim it. I also have a separate article on this rather complex issue. Again, these cases are not affected by the new law.
The third path is naturalization. This means that you immigrate to Germany, live and work there for several years, learn the language, pass the citizenship test, and pledge allegiance to the king. No wait, we’re actually a republic now.
As a citizenship lawyer, I deal with those cases the least, because they are usually straightforward. The main problems that require a lawyer in naturalization cases are prior criminal convictions, past or present use of the welfare system, and – until now – getting an exemption that allows you to hold on to your first passport.
Only naturalization is affected by the changes that will come into effect in June 2024. If you have previously looked into German citizenship by descent or by restitution, and the result was negative, you can stop reading. (Unless, and I am sorry that things are a bit complicated, you received a negative reply before the changes of 2021 were enacted. In this case, you actually should look into your situation very carefully. Or hire a hot-shot lawyer to do so.)
So now, let’s get to the point: What are the changes to German citizenship law?
Dual citizenship:
The most important change, clearly, is that Germany no longer objects to dual citizenship.
The principle already had many holes, and more and more citizens held dual or indeed multiple citizenship. Because country A can only legislate the citizenship of country A, but not those of countries B through Z, and because you often obtain citizenship without knowing it (particularly at birth), multiple citizenship is pretty much inevitable in many cases.
The insistence that you can only be loyal to one country was weird from the beginning, long outdated by now, and complicated to maintain. Thankfully, it has been given up completely. Henceforth, you will receive German citizenship regardless of what you decide to do with your existing citizenship. (You can still give it up if you want to – and if your home country permits you to do so.)
Interestingly, and often overlooked, this change also makes it much easier for Germans to take on a second citizenship. Because until now, we needed to obtain prior permission, lest we would have forfeited German citizenship (§ 25 StAG). Without knowing it, this has happened to hundreds of thousands of Germans living abroad. Trying to reclaim previously held German citizenship, either directly or by descendants, is a large bulk of my work.
For me personally, this opens up enticing possibilities. Especially as I have lived in a few countries already to which I feel a much closer emotional connection than to my native Germany. I just hope that the stint as an illegal immigrant in Bolivia won’t shatter the dream of living out my life by Lake Titicaca.
And remember: The new law only enters into effect in June 2024. (27 June 2024 to be exact, three months after publication in the Bundesgesetzblatt.) So don’t go rushing and applying for another citizenship just yet, or you will still forfeit German citizenship.
Residence between 3 and 5 years:
Due to many exceptions, the ban on dual citizenship really didn’t accept that many applicants. But another change will affect almost everyone: The residency requirement for naturalization in Germany has been reduced considerably.
Hitherto, the standard requirement for naturalization was 8 years, although there were several ways to shorten this period. The new standard requirement will be 5 years (§ 10 I 1 StAG).
And these 5 years can be reduced to 3 years in case of exceptional integration, as measured by language skills (German at the C1 level, § 10 III no. 3 StAG), school, education and work experience, as well as civic engagement (§ 10 III no. 1 StAG). You need to meet all these criteria cumulatively, not alternatively. So, to answer one of the questions I receive most often: If your German is not at the C1 level, there is no chance. Instead of arguing with me or the immigration authorities, you are much better off spending your time on improving your German until you can read this.
The new law holds on to § 12b StAG, one of my favorite sections of the German Citizenship Act, which means that you don’t have to physically remain in Germany for the whole time of the required residence. It even allows you to combine several stays. I have had plenty of clients who were surprised to learn that they already meet the residency requirement, because the time they spent in Germany as a student a decade ago counts. (Holidays don’t count, sorry.)
German citizenship for children of foreign parents:
Germany does not generally have ius soli, whereby you receive the citizenship of the country in which you happen to be born. (Most countries in the Americas operate like this.)
But there is an exception for children born in Germany to two foreign parents, if at least one parent has been residing legally in Germany for 5 years (§ 4 III 1 no. 1 StAG). These children will receive German citizenship at birth.
Obviously, these children will also receive their parents’ citizenship (based on the respective laws of that country or those countries) and will thus have dual or multiple citizenship. These children will no longer have to decide for only one citizenship at age 21 (as used to be case until now, § 29 I 2 StAG).
Adoption:
The rule that a foreign child adopted by German parents receives German citizenship by virtue of the adoption (§ 6 StAG) will remain unchanged.
But the rule that a German child adopted by foreign parents loses German citizenship (§ 27 StAG) will be removed. German children adopted by foreign parents will now keep their German citizenship. Whether they will receive their adoptive parents’ citizenship depends on the citizenship law of that country, of course.
This sounds like an arcane provision of the Citizenship Act, but it is relevant in a surprising number of cases. Especially in cases of descent, we often discover that a German child was adopted. Either because his/her parents were dead or lost, as was often the case after World War II, or – more relevant in recent years – because of adoptions in patchwork families.
A typical case goes like this: German mother with German child falls in love with a foreigner and they want to move to his home country. To speed up immigration, they get married and the father adopts the child. Although nobody intends to do so, the child may lose German citizenship. Because the mother doesn’t lose German citizenship, she thinks that her son still is German as well. Decades or generations later, they discover the error. Very tricky cases, especially as there are different types of adoptions, several exceptions to the rule, and oddly enough, many people who think they were adopted never were (in the formal legal sense).
Now, with § 27 StAG gone, you have one less thing to worry about. But then, if you have children, you always got plenty of other things to worry about.
Language requirement:
The general language requirement for naturalization in Germany is the B1 exam (§ 10 IV 1 StAG).
This is an easy intermediate level, which enables you to hold everyday conversations, read simple newspaper articles and write e-mails or letters. If anyone still writes letters. The Goethe Institute has sample exams for all language levels, so you can test yourself. Keep in mind that you don’t need to ace the test. You just need to pass it.
There is a short list of exceptions of people who do not need to pass the B1 exam:
I am a bit worried about this latest point, because I already receive far too many e-mails in which people ask me to file for an exemption from the language requirement. Suddenly, everyone wants to be dyslexic. But if you graduated from high school or have a university degree, you can also learn a foreign language. In any case, you have to attend a language course first and attempt to pass the exam (several times if necessary), before you can even think about using the “I’m too stupid”-excuse.
Your time is probably better spent if you simply learn a bit of German. It’s not hard, after all, and a very poetic and romantic language.
Financial requirements:
Germany has no minimum income requirement for naturalization, but you need to show that you can support yourself and your dependents without access to welfare. You must not be collecting either “Bürgergeld” or “Sozialhilfe”. All other public subsidies (e.g. the student support “BAföG” or the housing benefit “Wohngeld”), unemployment benefits based on your previous contributions (“Arbeitslosengeld”), or of course a pension do not pose any problem.
Thus far, § 10 I 1 no. 3 StAG included an exception for applicants who were on welfare “for no fault of their own”. This was a beautifully vague term, under which I could argue many different cases. Apparently, I went too far with that, because the new law restricts the exception to a few specific narrow cases:
This part of the new law is much harsher than the old rules. People with disabilities or depression, single parents, people who are taking care of an elderly or sick family member, and similar groups will have a much harder time to apply for naturalization. They are left with the application pursuant to § 8 II StAG, which is a discretionary naturalization. Paradoxically, these are the kind of cases which will probably require the help of a lawyer, although it concerns exactly the folks who don’t have much money. (Not that I want to imply that lawyers are expensive.)
Political requirements:
The new Citizenship Act is much more political than the previous one.
While people who were actively fighting against basic liberal and democratic values (§ 11 s. 1 no. 1 StAG) or terrorists (§ 11 s. 1 no. 2 StAG in connection with § 54 II no. 2 or 4 AufenthG) were already excluded from naturalization, the new Citizenship Act of 2024 includes a whole number of points which prevent naturalization, even when all other conditions are met.
From now on, foreigners who are married with several spouses simultaneously will be barred from naturalization (§ 11 s. 11 no. 3 (a) StAG).
As an expert on international family law, I can already see plenty of problematic cases. Because it happens more often than not that people “forget” to get a divorce before entering into a second marriage in another country. Sometimes, they have lost contact with their first spouse, sometimes they want to save the money for lawyers (never a good idea), sometimes they think it doesn’t matter. Whenever I tell people in that situation that it will come back to haunt them later, they don’t believe me. Well, now you have one more example how that nonchalance will ruin your life.
And Germany won’t naturalize any more machos. The new § 11 s. 1 no. 3 (b) StAG stipulates that naturalization is not an option if the applicant demonstrates through his (or her) behavior that he (or she) disrespects the equal treatment of men and women.
Wow. Honestly, if this was strictly applied, it would cover a large number of applicants, both men and women. After all, it’s not only toxic masculinity which poses a threat to equality, but also subservient anti-feminism. Let’s just put it this way, from the practical perspective of legal advice: If you are thinking about ever applying for German citizenship, stop making silly jokes based on gender stereotypes. Don’t be sexist. Don’t treat women as pretty objects. Don’t expect men to pay the bill on the first date. Don’t change your last name, just because you got married to some dude. Don’t ask your boyfriend to kill the spider if it’s on your side of the bed.
In any case, if this clause will be applied in practice at all, it will lead to the most interesting court cases.
The term “basic liberal and democratic values”, which as a core concept of German law is less vague than it sounds, will now have some of its elements spelled out explicitly. § 10 I 3 StAG will specify that “actions motivated by antisemitism, by racism or by other dehumanizing tendencies” violate the German constitution and the basic liberal and democratic values enshrined therein.
Again, this is a very wide clause, as it speaks of “actions”, not of criminal acts, let alone convictions. Those were already a problem before. Now, the immigration authority can check your Facebook feed for racist crap, antisemitic tropes or if you ever belittled victims of a genocide. They will also receive information from other government agencies, especially the prosecutor’s office and the intelligence services.
As opposed to the anti-machismo clause, I expect this section of the new law to be applied very strictly. I also expect this to lead to plenty of litigation, which could be good news for me as a lawyer. Problem is, I don’t like to work with racists or antisemites.
Revocation:
I suspect that these political aspects will be responsible for the bulk of attempts to revoke German citizenship. Because according to § 35 StAG, Germany can revoke citizenship within 10 years after naturalization if it turns out that the applicant provided false information.
So far, this revocation was already permissible even when the individual was rendered stateless by it (§ 35 II StAG). In the future, when most naturalized German citizens will retain their primary citizenship, statelessness is no longer a problem, which makes revocation even easier.
Ceremony:
Lastly, the new § 16 s. 3 StAG stipulates that there shall be a big party when you receive German citizenship.
Can’t nobody argue with that!
As I said, if you have a straightforward case, you don’t need a lawyer. But if you have a complicated situation, especially based on descent or restitution, or problems regarding the qualification of previous stays in Germany, questions as to whether you have been a resident at all, if you meet the “exceptional integration” criteria, or similar stuff, feel free to contact me for a consultation.
And please share the blog with anyone whom you think this information will help. Thank you!
Over time, most professionals become pretty good at spotting clients who ain’t gonna pay.
Some of these red flags are:
But the funniest thing is when somebody writes an e-mail, in which they explicitly state that they do want to pay for your services, but you know they won’t.
Here is an example from last week, after I had replied to the initial e-mail with a quote for a very modest consultation fee. I had even deviated from my standard fee, because it wasn’t exactly a very complicated case. Except for the complicated client, perhaps.
Dear Andreas,
I must express my surprise at the apparent tone of your message. While I understand the importance of your expertise and the value of legal advice, the juxtaposition of your statement that my question is a “very typical one” and the subsequent request for payment seems contradictory.
It’s funny when people who aren’t lawyers try to sound like one, but it ends up reading like convoluted nonsense.
Your initial assertion, “As your question is a very typical one, I don’t need to charge my full consultation fee,” led me to believe that my inquiry fell within the scope of routine queries you encounter.
It did. But you also gotta pay for routine haircuts, routine pizzas and even for routine heart surgery.
I want to assure you that my intention was never to seek a free service. I am more than willing to compensate for your time and expertise, as I understand the value of professional guidance.
It probably took you longer to verbosely “assure your intention” and “willingness to compensate” than a simple bank/Paypal transfer would have taken.
However, the accusatory note in your message implies an assumption that I am fishing for free advice, which is not conducive to establishing a professional and collaborative relationship.
Oh gosh, now it descends into the tone of those bland and boring business websites. I understand that, in order to make a living, we sometimes need to do things which are not particularly honorable. But when people think that human beings really talk like this, it makes me more sad than an orphanage full of children from Chernobyl, each of them with several tumors, gnawing away at their innocent little brains.
I am genuinely seeking assistance and guidance in navigating the complexities surrounding German citizenship, and I am more than willing to honor your fee structure.
When people say that they will “honor” something, you know they won’t. People who “honor” someone else’s territorial integrity, for example, usually invade their next-door neighbor soon thereafter.
Also, I don’t really have nothing as fancy as a “fee structure“.
If there is any misunderstanding or clarification needed on my part, please let me know. I believe a transparent and open communication style is key to fostering a positive working relationship.
Actually, without no payment, there ain’t gonna be no “positive working relationship” that can’t be “fostered”.
Thank you for your understanding, and I look forward to the opportunity to engage in a mutually beneficial professional exchange in the future.
“I would prefer not to,” as Bartleby said. And he worked at a law office, so he should know.
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The skepticism I had expressed the day before was proven wrong yesterday when it snowed so heavily that the whole city of Chemnitz was covered in a thick layer of powdery snow. And it seemed like it would never stop snowing!
I’ve already shown you how fantastically beautiful Chemnitz is. And with a snow-white topping, it all looks even more romantic.
But because those readers who have never had the joy of a Eastern European winter can’t imagine how romantic this season looks between socialist-era prefabricated apartment blocks, I limited myself to a short walk around my neighborhood. (Besides, I didn’t feel like trudging through the cold for hours.)
In a neighborhood like this, you get this cozy Siberia feeling. With a desire for hearty food, high-proof dessert and novels as thick as a brick and as dramatic as the Russian Civil War.
Sadly, though, I was right with my initial skepticism. Today, most of the snow has melted and the city is suffering from flooding.
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Don’t worry, I ain’t gonna bother you with sunsets and sunrises all the time.
But this morning was pretty neat.
That’s one advantage of living on the top floor, besides the exercise.
After I have come under criticism that my living room allegedly looks like an office, I have redecorated and put up some flowers.
Looks really cozy now, doesn’t it?
And for those of you who were so shocked by the Stalingrad poster that your toes froze off, you needn’t worry: It’s not celebrating the Wehrmacht, but the Red Army and its victory against German barbarism. - Notwithstanding the moral complication posed by the Soviet Union’s initial complicity with the Nazis. Sadly, though, I don’t find any posters celebrating the US Army here in East Germany.
Still, I think I may have to go to the Museum of Archaeology in Chemnitz, where they currently have an exhibition called “Home Sweet Home”. And I need to visit more flea markets. Problem is, at some flea markets in Chemnitz, you could think that the Wehrmacht is having a fire sale.
The Happy Hermit 