Overseas back in the 80's.
I have no idea what it's like serving overseas now but back in the 80's . . . . .
What We Didn't Have
1. Cell phones - no picking up the phone on a whim to call & no texting!
2. Long Distance calling plans - it was EXTREMELY expensive to make calls to the states so it was a rare occasion when anyone did and even then it was only for a few minutes. German phones had --well, I don't know what they were called but they were like an odometer and when you made a call to the states, the numbers would roll fast and furious. You were charged, "by the mile".
3. Email, IM, chat --and basically no computers. We did have word processing which would do basic documents, mail merge and the like. We'd save everything to a disk, which was larger than an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.
4. FedEx or UPS or any express type mail. Oh, it was around but it was CRAZY expensive. We did have snail mail, which we didn't call it that back then. Letters could take up to 2 weeks, to get to us, packages even longer.
5. Shopping. Of course no Internet so mail order was by catalog and that was very time consuming. I ordered a sweater from Lands End once and after it finally arrived, it was too warm to wear it. Shopping "on the economy" could be expensive, depending on the exchange rate. in Ansbach, where I was, there weren't many places to go. There was a fairly large BX in Nuernburg but getting there was a challenge. I'd have to find a ride or take the bus --the bus option pretty much too all day long and then I'd have to make sure I didn't miss the last one back.
6. TV -- one military station, the Air Force Network. It played old shows and VERY stupid commercials. Radio was one station as well that would play a different genre of music at certain times a day. Only a few people liked when the country music played.
7. CD's had just made the scene so we were still using vinyl albums and cassettes. My roommate and I liked to go the the record store downtown.
It was a pretty isolated life style. I did get to travel quite a bit. I went to places all over Germany (including the black forest), Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Paris, Holland, Austria, London . . to name a few. I like riding the train. In fact, I LOVE riding the train, which was nothing like we have in the states. I did know enough conversational Germany to get around and a lot of Germans, especially the younger generation, spoke English. If the person wasn't fluent, we both knew enough of each other's language to get to the gist of it. Hotels were interesting because unless you were in a big city, in the hotels you'd share a a bathroom with other guests. There would be one bathroom at the end of a hall. Restaurants were different too. Many of them served "family style" dining so they didn't bring you plated food but bowls of stuff --just like at home. If there were only 2 people in your party and you were at a table for 4, without asking or informing you --2 strangers would be seated at your table. That was a little strange sometimes.
I did love the little town of Ansbach. Germans didn't really have big refrigerators like we had. If any, they'd have something small, much like you'd have in a dorm. The woman shopped market style --like daily fresh goods. There was a bakery, produce store and butcher. I never had a need for these things since I lived in the barracks but I loved to browse and watch the Germans women shop for their dinner. I LOVED the candy store that had an abundance of Gummy Bears and all sorts of European Chocolate. There wasn't a lot in Ansbach in way of clothing.
Germany was a contrast of old world against a modern day setting. Sometimes you could almost see or hear the war as the buildings and surrounding looked like a war-time movie setting. Other times it felt no different than being in the states. German ketchup was peppery so you had to be sure to ask for American Ketchup when ordering out. They usually served drinks room temperature and I hated that. A lot of restaurants didn't even have ice or if they did you had to ask for it. Germans used mayonnaise like we use ketchup --dipping their fries in it and such. Since I lived in the barracks I wasn't around families too often and I missed the sound of children, especially children at play and their laughter. There was a German public school that was right outside of our back gate. I used to like to be around there when school was getting out because I'd watch the kids and listen to them laugh and interact with each other, though I had no clue what they were saying. Of the few Germans I got to know, it was a general consensus they believed Americans were wasteful. Like, if I asked what they thought of Americans they'd comment how we waste or live in over abundance. For some reason, they were infatuated with Texas or New York. If asked where in the US they would like to go, it was often one of those two places. I'd always tell them, "Trust me, if you ever get a chance to go to American, Chicago is where you want to go." Chicago by an large was known as being a gangster city. They'd replied, "and get shot by gangsters?" Al Capone's reputation lives on.
Sometimes you'd run into someone anti-American or anti-military and they'd most always tell you their opinion --in their hateful way. Mostly though, was my experience Germans were very hospitable and accepting of us in their country. They called us "American GI." When I'd be on the economy they'd ask me, "You American GI?" One time during the duty day I was down town and in uniform. We weren't supposed to be off post in uniform, unless it was to/from your home or just couldn't be avoided. So I'm in a store in my BDU's and a guy comes up to me and says, "You American GI, you look like boy. You look like shoe shine boy!" I guess he meant I looked like I was wearing men's clothing, which I was since BDU's were designed to be anything but feminine. I really have no idea what he meant but he definitely was making fun of me. He walked away laughing. I was pretty offended and embarrassed. I didn't want to look like a shoe shine boy!
I have no idea what it's like serving overseas now but back in the 80's . . . . .
What We Didn't Have
1. Cell phones - no picking up the phone on a whim to call & no texting!
2. Long Distance calling plans - it was EXTREMELY expensive to make calls to the states so it was a rare occasion when anyone did and even then it was only for a few minutes. German phones had --well, I don't know what they were called but they were like an odometer and when you made a call to the states, the numbers would roll fast and furious. You were charged, "by the mile".
3. Email, IM, chat --and basically no computers. We did have word processing which would do basic documents, mail merge and the like. We'd save everything to a disk, which was larger than an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper.
4. FedEx or UPS or any express type mail. Oh, it was around but it was CRAZY expensive. We did have snail mail, which we didn't call it that back then. Letters could take up to 2 weeks, to get to us, packages even longer.
5. Shopping. Of course no Internet so mail order was by catalog and that was very time consuming. I ordered a sweater from Lands End once and after it finally arrived, it was too warm to wear it. Shopping "on the economy" could be expensive, depending on the exchange rate. in Ansbach, where I was, there weren't many places to go. There was a fairly large BX in Nuernburg but getting there was a challenge. I'd have to find a ride or take the bus --the bus option pretty much too all day long and then I'd have to make sure I didn't miss the last one back.
6. TV -- one military station, the Air Force Network. It played old shows and VERY stupid commercials. Radio was one station as well that would play a different genre of music at certain times a day. Only a few people liked when the country music played.
7. CD's had just made the scene so we were still using vinyl albums and cassettes. My roommate and I liked to go the the record store downtown.
It was a pretty isolated life style. I did get to travel quite a bit. I went to places all over Germany (including the black forest), Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Paris, Holland, Austria, London . . to name a few. I like riding the train. In fact, I LOVE riding the train, which was nothing like we have in the states. I did know enough conversational Germany to get around and a lot of Germans, especially the younger generation, spoke English. If the person wasn't fluent, we both knew enough of each other's language to get to the gist of it. Hotels were interesting because unless you were in a big city, in the hotels you'd share a a bathroom with other guests. There would be one bathroom at the end of a hall. Restaurants were different too. Many of them served "family style" dining so they didn't bring you plated food but bowls of stuff --just like at home. If there were only 2 people in your party and you were at a table for 4, without asking or informing you --2 strangers would be seated at your table. That was a little strange sometimes.
I did love the little town of Ansbach. Germans didn't really have big refrigerators like we had. If any, they'd have something small, much like you'd have in a dorm. The woman shopped market style --like daily fresh goods. There was a bakery, produce store and butcher. I never had a need for these things since I lived in the barracks but I loved to browse and watch the Germans women shop for their dinner. I LOVED the candy store that had an abundance of Gummy Bears and all sorts of European Chocolate. There wasn't a lot in Ansbach in way of clothing.
Germany was a contrast of old world against a modern day setting. Sometimes you could almost see or hear the war as the buildings and surrounding looked like a war-time movie setting. Other times it felt no different than being in the states. German ketchup was peppery so you had to be sure to ask for American Ketchup when ordering out. They usually served drinks room temperature and I hated that. A lot of restaurants didn't even have ice or if they did you had to ask for it. Germans used mayonnaise like we use ketchup --dipping their fries in it and such. Since I lived in the barracks I wasn't around families too often and I missed the sound of children, especially children at play and their laughter. There was a German public school that was right outside of our back gate. I used to like to be around there when school was getting out because I'd watch the kids and listen to them laugh and interact with each other, though I had no clue what they were saying. Of the few Germans I got to know, it was a general consensus they believed Americans were wasteful. Like, if I asked what they thought of Americans they'd comment how we waste or live in over abundance. For some reason, they were infatuated with Texas or New York. If asked where in the US they would like to go, it was often one of those two places. I'd always tell them, "Trust me, if you ever get a chance to go to American, Chicago is where you want to go." Chicago by an large was known as being a gangster city. They'd replied, "and get shot by gangsters?" Al Capone's reputation lives on.
Sometimes you'd run into someone anti-American or anti-military and they'd most always tell you their opinion --in their hateful way. Mostly though, was my experience Germans were very hospitable and accepting of us in their country. They called us "American GI." When I'd be on the economy they'd ask me, "You American GI?" One time during the duty day I was down town and in uniform. We weren't supposed to be off post in uniform, unless it was to/from your home or just couldn't be avoided. So I'm in a store in my BDU's and a guy comes up to me and says, "You American GI, you look like boy. You look like shoe shine boy!" I guess he meant I looked like I was wearing men's clothing, which I was since BDU's were designed to be anything but feminine. I really have no idea what he meant but he definitely was making fun of me. He walked away laughing. I was pretty offended and embarrassed. I didn't want to look like a shoe shine boy!
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