Toytown Germany

Germany's English-speaking crowd
Advertisement

Welcome to Toytown Germany, the English-language community website for Germany. Over 7,500 English-speakers are currently active members. Read the introduction, view the members map, or jump right into the chat forum.

Germany | Berlin | Munich | Other cities | ...all cities

Claudia Schiffer's latest Vogue photos disappoint - Various publications are currently running a headline that the June 2008 edition of Vogue Germany has topless photos of Claudia Schiffer. The Sun's: Claudia Schiffer goes topless. Marie Claire's: Claudia Schiffer's naked cover. But damn it, she's no more naked than in any of the other bazillion of photos she's done previously. These newspapers ought to be prosecuted for false advertising and wasting my precious mouse click time.… read more…

Albert Einstein letter auctioned for £170,000 - On auction at Bloomsbury Auctions in London today (Thursday, May 15, 2008) is a letter written by Albert Einstein to Eric B. Gutkind on 3rd January 1954. The letter is written in German and is expected to fetch £6,000 to £8,000. A translated quote from the letter: Albert Einstein: The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still primitive legends which are nevertheless… read more…

Giving away an unused parking meter ticket - I have faced this scenario a few times and am interested in how other people regard it, especially now that Munich and other cities are cracking down and creating specified parking zones with varying hourly rates. This morning I paid 50 cents for parking in a time-limited zone and got a ticket worth 1½ hours (don’t ask me, I thought 50 cents would be ½ hour, which was all that I needed). When I came back to the car 20 minutes later I took the… read more…

Germany's dry Riesling wines - So it is asparagus time and nothing complements spargel like a nice bottle of dry riesling. I read the below article in the IHT and have started to sample German rieslings (many produced right here in my backyard). They are good, very good. Anyone enjoy a German riesling that stands out both in quality and value? Hope to hear from you! International Herald Tribune: Just right for spring: Germany's dry rieslings. The tulips on Park Avenue are… read more…

Train derails after hitting 25 sheep near Fulda - From Sky News: Three people were injured when a high-speed train carrying 170 people derailed after smashing into a flock of sheep. Sounds funny, isn't. The German press is mentioning 23 injured, some of them with multiple fractures. The ICE was doing about 250kph on entering the tunnel and hitting the sheep belonging to a shepherd who was grazing them on meadows close to the tracks. At least 20 sheep were killed and all but two of the coaches derailed.… read more…

Latest news headlines via spiegel.de:
Latest news headlines via thelocal.de:
Latest news headlines via dw-world.de:

Walk-in advice centre for stalkers - Via BBC News: Berlin offers stalkers a way out. A walk-in advice centre for stalkers has opened in the German capital Berlin - the first of its kind in the country. Stalking was made a criminal offence in Germany a year ago. Free advice will be dispensed to help stalkers kick their habit. "Stalking is like an addiction - the perpetrators keep increasing the dose," said the psychologist in charge of the centre. See the website:… read more…

Grand Theft Auto IV released on 29.Apr.2008 - Oh yes on Tuesday April 29, 2008, the newest game in the GTA series will be released, and it's looking to be a corker! Anyone here getting it? Grand Theft Auto (GTA) is a sandbox style video game series created by Dave Jones and primarily developed by Scottish company Rockstar North. The gameplay consists of a mixture of action, adventure, driving, and occasional role-playing, stealth and racing elements and has gained controversy for its… read more…

Movie "Lauf um dein Leben" - Andreas Niedrig, son of a policeman, grew up in Oer-Erkenschwick and hit the downhill track almost before his voice dropped: Cigarettes at 13 led to cocaine, speed, LSD and heroin at 16 and the usual horror-show story of a teenage drug addict living on the streets, stealing, lying and almost dying. But he managed to check himself into rehab, stuck to it, came out clean at 22 and got a job making orthopedic prostheses. None of this would ever have… read more…

If I were benevolent dictator of Germany - If I were benevolent dictator of Germany, these would be amongst my rulings: Shop opening hours would be unrestricted, 24/7 opening allowed. Smoking disallowed in all enclosed spaces, no exceptions. No speed limits on any Autobahns anywhere nationwide, ever. Oktoberfest coach parking moved off site, new tents take its place. What new changes would you legislate? No lengthy discussion of individual issues, just list your own proposals.… read more…

German schoolboy doesn't prove NASA wrong - NASA have been using Microsoft Excel to do their calculations again. They had previously thought that the Apophis asteroid only has only a 1 in 45,000 chance of striking Earth in the year 2036. According to new calculations by a German schoolboy, however, the chances are actually 1 in 450. NASA have verified and agreed with the new assessment. So folks, in 28 years time we're looking at 800 foot tidal waves followed by an indefinite period of dust… read more…

Rampenfest in Oberpfaffelbachen - Oberpfaffelbachen is proud to host the first ever Rampenfest. What is Rampenfest? Only the most amazing event in the history of Bavaria. It celebrates the launch of the new BMW 1-Series in America. This will be a monumental event for both Oberpfaffelbachen and America that you won’t want to miss. If you plan on joining the hundreds of thousands of tourists, journalists, foreign dignitaries for the festival, we recommend that you book hotel reservations… read more…

Adventures in Eating Out - Join a cast of adventurers on an exciting expedition across the city each Wednesday… as they search for new and exciting restaurants The concept: Nuremberg has many different types of restaurants. Each week, we explore the city in search of some new, interesting places to eat. (People may suggest where we go on the list and at meeting up.) The main rule: The place we go to has to be interesting for some reason, and that reason must be… read more…

Latest topics from the lo-fi chat forum:

Backed-up sewer line in rented apartment - Landlord or tenant responsi...
Backing out of an oral rental contract - Obligation to pay or not?
Claudia Schiffer's latest Vogue photos disappoint - It's not...
Albert Einstein letter auctioned for £170,000 - He describes religion...
I'm wearing sandals and white socks - Could somebody kindly shoot...
GPS navigation for a bike - Brands and experiences
Giving away an unused parking meter ticket - Legality/morality of shar...
My downstairs neighbours smell like dogfood - Do my neighbours need a ...
Playing hard to get - Can it make or break a potential relationship?
Amusing German words for a wedding speech - "These will come in h...
Translations of "abgegangen wie warme Semmeln" - "Selli...
Selling an American car in Germany - I received a surprise offer for m...
Scientology business interests in GMX and Web.de - Has anyone else hea...
What not to do at a sushi restaurant - Ginger-munching ignoramuses mak...
eBay seller demanding retraction of comment - I received a letter from...
Where to buy Senetti/Sennetti plants - Info on stockists in Germany
Apartment rental scam suspected - Landlord "not in Berlin at the ...
Rude note left on an apartment washing machine - Because I unloaded so...
Massage therapists without German certification - Job prospects for fo...
The joy of driving safely - Is this a social disease?
Getting to university without high school diploma - Is it possible? Wh...
Need help with marriage in Germany - Obtaining necessary documents fro...
Popsy - sperm-shaped bottles of liquor - But how many men would drink ...
Availability of allergy-friendly brown bread - €20 offered in exchan...
Special offers with Deutsche Bahn in first class - Tickets can be chea...
SPF ratings on locally available sunscreens - Explaining the various p...
German translations for "I guess" - As in "No, but if y...
Licenses for driving motorbikes or mopeds - Is a regular car driver�...
A rant about rules of the road - Right-of-way when there are parked ca...
Compulsory "bridge holidays" or "Fenstertage" - Op...