Latest on the weather ... although nothing is mentionable about today or tomorrow other than it will be chilly with highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s, the extended forecast is saying we could have a good snow storm on our hands by this weekend. I will definitely keep you posted and will put up pictures as soon as I have any.
My question for the day on Friday was about the sirens in Germany. Living in the city is wonderful and gives us many opportunities for things to do. But it also has its drawbacks. We happen to live less than one block from the main thoroughfare through downtown. On this main street is a hospital, and you guessed it, the route for all the emergency vehicles. So there is a common sound that we often here of the ambulances going to and from the hospital. Unlike the US where the ambulances make a high-pitched fast "whoow" sound that goes in a quick descending note, the ambulances here have a two-tone sound. For those musically inclined, these notes are a 4th from each other, starting on the low note and then going up to the high note. The sound just oscillates between those two tones. Here, the police and fire trucks also use this sound. In the states, the fire trucks sound more like an air-raid siren when they first start up, and the police can either have a straight lower sound that is almost like a strange honk, or the super fast higher pitched sound. Now I have to admit liking the US version better, because they all three have different sounds, so I know which type of vehicle is coming as well as how fast it is coming up. There have been some sites I looked at that mentioned that Germany would be going to a more American sound, but locals here deny it. At any rate, it has definitely become part of the music of life here in Germany.
The question for the day today: What is a turning circle?
The words for the day today are Fire truck: der Feuerwehr (foy ehr vehr), Ambulance: der Krankenwagen (krahnk ehn vah gehn) , and Police: die Polizei (pohl eet tsie).
