Because it has the same root. In Bulgaria we also call them Немци, pronounced the same way as in Romanian. Ням (nyam), means mute, plural is неми(nemi), Nemți sounds more like people from a land where people are mute (speak gibberish )
While it really does feel like it, as a person working in healthcare, I do see some change after the whole shitstorm from recent years.
- There are people who actually wear a mask, few, but they are around.
- A lot more people seem to be conscious of spreading their illness to other people be it a cold or COVID.
- People definitely wash their hands more often. I know we do.
- Some people started getting their annual shots when they didn't intend to before.
- Local businesses open their windows and doors a lot more than they used to.
But also I also see some negative tendencies:
- Interest in flu shots has waned. That might have something to do with the govt introducing a free flu shot programme from your GP if you're above 65 or with specific conditions (which is a great thing) But I definitely see a lot more vaxx-scepticism and fear of combining both shots (infant vaccination plans are a lot more intense and the vast majority are fine).
- People politicising a disease.
- This is country specific but food supplement companies aggressively promoting "immune system stimulants" to the point where in the beginning of The Plague™ they somehow managed to include them in hospital treatment plans.
This came out longer than intended but there were some things that I needed to get out of my system.
A couple started frequenting my feeder recently. They're very skittish but it's out of this world when the light hits just right and reveals the iridescent blue tail feathers. Beautiful birds.
Yeaaah... live and learn! I wanted to experiment because looking things up is no fun. Also tooting @ a community from Mastodon creates all sorts of weird formatting in the title when viewed from Lemmy. It would be amazing if there was more cross-compatibility.
Also the creepy guy will become much less creepy when finished. He was another amazing scientist that I had never heard of until now. George Washington Carver!
Derp. I guess mastodon uploads don't carry over to Lemmy. Ah well.
As others noted, lettuce is not that good bang for the buck, and bread keeps reasonably well in the fridge. Oatmeal is great and can be left overnight in the fridge and be ready for the morning. I do mine with a tablespoon of flax seeds, freshly ground, whatever nuts I have lying around or peanut butter, frozen berries (a lot cheaper than fresh ones, our Kaufland has the ones I like, Lidl tends to add cherries but YMMV in Germany) and plant milk of course. Any seasonal fruit goes well in oatmeal otherwise.
If you don't mind spending 20 minutes on a stove you can also make a salty version with some soy sauce, paprika, onions and a little bit of (rice) vinegar.
Not sure how much it costs in Germany but a small block of tofu, imported from Germany, in the Bulgarian Lidl costs 1€. There are multiple varieties. Basil tofu goes well in salads to add some extra protein.
Again it involves a bit of cooking but lentils are cheap fast cooking protein. Red lentils with bulgur Turkish style are love.
Turkish stores probably have Cig Köfte in the fridge. It's made of bulgur wheat, spiced, very nutritious, and relatively cheap. Goes well in wraps with hummus and tomatoes/cucumbers. Falafel is great too but it might cost more.
Explore the cuisine of other countries, especially Middle Eastern, Indian, and ones that are serious about Christian fasts (Ethiopia, Georgia, Armenia). They use ingredients that don't cost much, the meals are delicious, and oftentimes it's easy to prepare.
As for boxes, I use old brine cheese boxes (don't judge, leftover from my vegetarian years) in a plastic bag to prevent leakage. Otherwise make sure it makes a tight seal.
Shop smart, in the veganDE lemmy community there is a weekly post about vegan discounts in Germany. I would kill to have that here, might as well do it myself someday.
Not sure if I am of any help but best of luck. Cycling to work builds up muscle. Your endurance can only get better with time. I'm seriously considering cycling rather than walking too.
As a train traveler in Bulgaria (absent from this statistic but present in the one posted in the comments), I can vouch for our low rates of train commute (still 3 times higher than Greece) The car culture is going strong with everyone using their own vehicle. A lot of places are barely reachable by bus and unreachable by train. It takes longer and there are delays. The security is questionable with creeps causing trouble fairly often, despite police always being present. It's rather dirty, the trains are mostly Soviet era. We can't talk about air conditioning, only open windows (which you prop open with an item that you're not afraid to lose) and scorching radiators.
Despite all that I love commuting by train. I can sit comfortably, stretch, walk around, use the (very poor) toilet if needed. I can cross stitch when creeps don't try to talk to me, I try to sit around grannies that take interest at most. It's cheap, you can go from the coast to Sofia in about 7 hours for 15 euros, half if you have a card. It's easier to talk with the person I'm traveling with. The scenery of rural Bulgaria is absolutely beautiful, and best of all - No motion sickness!
Funny, I get all the Melitta products all around me, EXCEPT the brewer itself! I found it online but it cost as much as a V60 so I have no incentive to try it.
The filters are good, I haven't had issues with them. I hear good things about the cones, the openings seem smaller than a v60 so the flow might take longer. In theory you can grind a tad bit coarser to compensate if you follow a V60 recipe. The cone itself is plastic so it retains heat well. You can pre-heat it with boiling or hot tap water to increase extraction.
So far I'm happy with the coffee I'm brewing with it
That's what matters. I can only give general advice. Play around with the grind settings to dial things a little if you want. Try things out with different water. Ultimately the coffee itself, pouring technique, temperature, grind size, filter, water quality all play a role. The cone is just a small part.
I totally did not mean to disregard mending clothes! On the contrary, we buy mostly second hand, and if there is a hole that looks fixable, it's getting fixed. Things are worn until they can't anymore. If they don't look presentable, they're being worn at home until they disintegrate. The problems with fast fashion are a whole different beast but come from the same place as disposable tech.
I've been giving my cat Brit. A... Czech brand that he seems to totally love. Dry kibble in the mornings, wet food in the evenings. His water intake seems good that way. He has a sensitive stomach and so far this is one of the few brands he has no problems with. Hills is another brand that was ok but its quality isn't much better than Brit at a higher price tag, it's also owned by Colgate Palmolive.
Just make sure you get the original ones. I hear the cheap Chinese ones are more trouble than it's worth. They are on the pricey side but they're well worth it, at least for me they were!
Can them or make lyutenitsa with them (still shelf-stable if canned right)