The Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) offers a free subscription service for its readers. Since its launch four years ago, 50.000 have already subscribed.

As a subscriber you can get notified in the case of:

* Thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, snow drifts, black ice, or extreme heat

* Fog and frost warnings for the Baltic Sea and North Sea

* When subscribing you have the opportunity to list each need for information in three categories, e.g. you can check for e-mail notification for either light, medium or heavy snow fall. For example, getting notified for a light or medium snow fall may benefit house owners or Hausmeisters to know when to get up early to clear the sidewalk. Or you may also subscribe to only hail warnings, to know ahead when to move your car under cover.

Interested? Then visit dwd.de/newsletter for more information (German).

Five weeks ago, in a rush to get to Seoul’s Incheon Airport, we left our daughter’s travel companion Winnie the Pooh behind. He remained at K-haus Gwanghwamun in Seoul until the hotel manager, Ms. Lee, and I cleared by e-mail his transport to Germany.

There were at least a dozen e-mails as I had hoped to have Winnie shipped to my friends’ address in Japan, but time was not on our side. Then we had to resettle the destination (Germany), kind of transport (small parcel by ship), and method of reimbursement (PayPal).

Winnie started his return journey from Seoul on 12 April.

During all these times of communicating, I forgot to mention to ask Ms. Lee to write “used product” on the customs declaration form. So two days ago, a big envelope containing three papers, arrived in the mail. The German customs office here in Oberursel asked me to come in and declare my parcel as it contained no bill, wasn’t marked as a gift, etc.

The customs officer asked me what I expected to get and I told her my little story. Then I was given a parcel knife to open it in front of her. After recognizing that this was indeed a very used plush animal, I was sent on my way, with Winnie in my arms.

Winnie the Pooh, the traveller

Doesn’t Winnie look tired? I thought overseas flights are long enough for us, but he really looks ragged out from this long ocean transfer and truck ride. On top of that, our daughter will employ him as a head rest again tonight.

A few days ago, I had to go to the pharmacy to get our son’s prescription filled.

I was surprised when the pharmaceutical assistant pointed out the issue date. It had been posted by error for 01 July when the current date was 02 September. She went on to explain she could not fill the prescription as is. Only if I paid in cash, I could take home the medication. I dished out € 469,90, picked up the prescription, and called the doctor’s office.

After I briefly explained the situation and asked for a correct prescription to be sent by mail, I heard the doctor’s assistant saying, “OK.”. I waited two more seconds to hear a simple “Tut mir leid”, but instead she responded with, “Yes, we will mail it to you”. And the receiver was slammed down.

I received the correct prescription in today’s mail and have to return to the pharmacy once more to reclaim the funds.

They must have had some office problems, obviously. But friendly customer service and the usage of a simple apology are not on their maintenance list.

Sorry to have bothered you, Frau Naumann.

Good news for all of us expats, re-pats, global nomads, or just late shoppers.

Supermarket REWE has extended its shopping hours to 24:00. At the moment, this applies to one local store only: Oberursel, Im Zimmermühlenweg. But if this proves to be a smart move, I am sure more will follow suit.

Visit REWE to see the list of local supermarkets and shopping hours. Below Finden Sie Ihren Markt, just type in your location.

Also, for expats being used to delivery service, lebensmittel kurier delivers in towns such as Bad Homburg, Oberursel, Wiesbaden, Schmitten and Kronberg (among others).