The GLoD (or German Look of Disapproval)
I mentioned on Facebook that we went to see the dentist yesterday. I shamfacedly admit that my kids hadn't seen a dentist in over a year...I was confused about where to take them. There is a dental clinic here on base, so I kept assuming that when the time came, we'd go over and make an appointment. Come to find out that not only are the ladies who staff the desk at the dental clinic total crabs, but that they won't see the families of active-duty personnel, just active-duty personnel (aka: Hans). So I found out a little too late that we have to go on the economy.
Which makes me nervous because I get nervous anytime I have to go out and deal with the Germans. Especially in a medical/dental way--will there be a language barrier? I mean, medical/dental is not an area in which you want to misunderstand each other, right?
My friend Jen suggested a good German dentist to me, so I made an appointment and yesterday was our day. I made sure to re-explain to the kids on the drive over there this extremely important fact:
"We are going to the GERMAN dentist, which means that we have to behave especially well because we are representing AMERICANS, OK?"
I probably could have dispensed with the pep talk because it made no difference to them at all. I just don't know what it is about Germans and their children: they are the most silent and goldarn dour people. Every time I go out I am embarassed because my kids sometimes speak above a whisper or run off from me. I honestly don't know what the Germans feed their kids because they're like silent little automatons. So of course, though the exams went well (and their teeth look very healthy and clean, sign of relief) we got the "German look of disapproval" the entire time we were there.
Not that I'm unfamiliar with the "German look of disapproval"....let's just say that I have a certain elderly relative who can dish it out pretty good!
I wish I could just shrug it off as a cultural difference, but I feel like in those instances they are judging all Americans by our behavior and I'm just mortified. No matter that the kids were behaving the exact same way 15 minutes later at the PX...nope, that's not embarassing because we're around other Americans.
But for anyone wondering, when I wasn't burning with the shame of being the mother of two exuberant American children, I was checking out the German dentist's office. It was very nice, extremely clean (what a surprise, right?) and the dentist, a Frau dentist, was very thorough and pleasant. There was absolutely no pain. Except mine.
Thank GOD we don't have to go back again while we're here!
Which makes me nervous because I get nervous anytime I have to go out and deal with the Germans. Especially in a medical/dental way--will there be a language barrier? I mean, medical/dental is not an area in which you want to misunderstand each other, right?
My friend Jen suggested a good German dentist to me, so I made an appointment and yesterday was our day. I made sure to re-explain to the kids on the drive over there this extremely important fact:
"We are going to the GERMAN dentist, which means that we have to behave especially well because we are representing AMERICANS, OK?"
I probably could have dispensed with the pep talk because it made no difference to them at all. I just don't know what it is about Germans and their children: they are the most silent and goldarn dour people. Every time I go out I am embarassed because my kids sometimes speak above a whisper or run off from me. I honestly don't know what the Germans feed their kids because they're like silent little automatons. So of course, though the exams went well (and their teeth look very healthy and clean, sign of relief) we got the "German look of disapproval" the entire time we were there.
Not that I'm unfamiliar with the "German look of disapproval"....let's just say that I have a certain elderly relative who can dish it out pretty good!
I wish I could just shrug it off as a cultural difference, but I feel like in those instances they are judging all Americans by our behavior and I'm just mortified. No matter that the kids were behaving the exact same way 15 minutes later at the PX...nope, that's not embarassing because we're around other Americans.
But for anyone wondering, when I wasn't burning with the shame of being the mother of two exuberant American children, I was checking out the German dentist's office. It was very nice, extremely clean (what a surprise, right?) and the dentist, a Frau dentist, was very thorough and pleasant. There was absolutely no pain. Except mine.
Thank GOD we don't have to go back again while we're here!
Comments
Tell Josiah and Annika congratulations on having a good check-up and to continue their excellent job of brushing!
Love from Grandma D
You should be proud and glad that your children act like children. That is healthy. They should not act like little adults. They are children for heavens sake. Anybody that doesn't see that has a problem--you don't.