More German than German

Well, I have decided to try to out German the Germans. As we all know, I have been riding my bike rain or shine, hot or cold, day or night. I live to amaze my German colleagues. As if not owning a car wasn't enough. Or learning their language as well. A couple of months ago, we were at a parent/teacher's conference at the Kindergarten. We got scolded for using plastic bags for the kids' breakfasts. The Germans told us we were being wasteful. Now, our kids have been trained by the best. They eat their food and dutifully stuff their plastic bags back in their lunch sacks so that Mama can wash them out and hang them on my knife block full of eighty dollar knives to dry. Unless of course, the little effing German kids take their food. Then, the little effing German kids throw those plastic bags on the ground for the teachers to pick up and throw away. Then we get in trouble. So Sarah has been prepping breakfast for two kids to take to school since September. We have gone through a single box of bags. We are frugal. But the right thing, apparently, is to take a little paper envelope and use that instead. Then, it is easy to throw away. Now, I can buy into that. If you think of being able to burn it without huge waste or maybe it recycles nice and easy. I personally think that it is wasteful to buy something that seems to be designed for single use. And the Germans seem ok with it in this case. Sarah bought some to try (she had to work over the issue for a few months until she could think of it as her idea so she could buy some). They are ok. They keep bread soft enough until lunch. They suck if there is anything on the bread (hey, it's paper, what can I expect, right?). So I started using them since they are here. Then I got to thinking. I realize that no one ever know it, but I have started reusing them. Yup. It means absolutely nothing, but just like Sarah has to think she came up with the idea of using paper bags for sandwiches, I have to show the Germans how to really apply their theories.

It's odd really. I don't have anything to gain, and there isn't a prize at the end. But by golly I'm gonna run that race like a crazed man.


Oh, and if you look closely at the third picture, you will see that SPAM is actually a delicacy from Denmark. See, we ARE classy in Arkansas.