Laundry
I did my laundry for the first time in Germany last night. It's more complicated than you'd think. In order to use the washing machines in my dorm, you need to talk to the Wasch-AG. I don't know what AG stands for, but you basically have to sign up to be in the "club" which allows you to use the laundry room. Some people who live in the dorm volunteer to be an AG and are in charge of their particular responsibility. There are a lot of AGs for a number of things in our dorm, including Internet and sauna. We have a sauna in our dorm. I told the people on my floor we should go sometime and have a sauna-party. Later, I realized that most people use the sauna nude. I don't like the idea of a sauna-party so much anymore. I had a list from the Internet of all the Wasch-AGs in our dorm. One by one, I went to their rooms. The first person wasn't there, and the second had a sign on his door. I couldn't exactly read it because it was in German, but I understood a few words: "Please do not..." so I decided I'd try someone else. Finally, a guy by the name of Peter was in his room with the door open. I filled in a tiny bit of paperwork and gave him 10 euros to open my wash account. It's a euro per wash and it automatically deducts from your account when you use a machine. Normally, the Wasch-AG would then show you the laundry room in the basement and tell you how it works. Some people from my floor had already given me the tour, so I told Peter there was no need. He was glad because he was kinda busy. I always feel bad pestering any of the AGs.
So, you have to make an appointment to do your laundry. There are probably over 150 people living here and only three washing machines, so it's important to be organized. To make an appointment, you just go online and sign in using your account ID; a few clicks of the mouse later, and you've got yourself a date with the laundry room. There are hour-and-a-half time slots all day. Then, when it is your time, there is a computer down in the laundry room. You must log in withing the first 15 minutes of your wash period and that activates any of the machines you signed up for. If you fail to log in, you get a sort of demerit. A few of those, and you've lost you washing privileges. This all sounded so complicated when it was explained to me. At MSU, you don't need to have any account or anything. You just walk into the laundry room and use any machine that is available. I was worried I wouldn't be able to understand the German log in instructions. I was sure I'd mess something up. And the 15 minute time limit puts you under some pressure. But when the time came, everything went smoothly. It took 10 seconds to type my log in name; I had plenty of time. Using the machines was interesting, as well. All the words were in German. I didn't know where to put the detergent. I didn't even know if what I was using was detergent. I could only guess from the pictures on the container since I couldn't read it. Now I know what it's like to be illiterate. I didn't know what temperature to make the water. There's a dial you turn, indicating degrees Celsius. I don't even know which temperature Fahrenheit to wash my clothing; how am I supposed to know what to set it at? I just left it at 40 degrees Celsius where the last person had it. Then I pressed what I assumed was the start button. I had brought all my clothing down in random bags I had lying around my room, since I have no hamper or laundry basket here. I brought it back up in separate trips so I wouldn't be struggling with it so much. In the end, it all worked out. I think my clothes are clean. They smell a little like detergent now.
So, you have to make an appointment to do your laundry. There are probably over 150 people living here and only three washing machines, so it's important to be organized. To make an appointment, you just go online and sign in using your account ID; a few clicks of the mouse later, and you've got yourself a date with the laundry room. There are hour-and-a-half time slots all day. Then, when it is your time, there is a computer down in the laundry room. You must log in withing the first 15 minutes of your wash period and that activates any of the machines you signed up for. If you fail to log in, you get a sort of demerit. A few of those, and you've lost you washing privileges. This all sounded so complicated when it was explained to me. At MSU, you don't need to have any account or anything. You just walk into the laundry room and use any machine that is available. I was worried I wouldn't be able to understand the German log in instructions. I was sure I'd mess something up. And the 15 minute time limit puts you under some pressure. But when the time came, everything went smoothly. It took 10 seconds to type my log in name; I had plenty of time. Using the machines was interesting, as well. All the words were in German. I didn't know where to put the detergent. I didn't even know if what I was using was detergent. I could only guess from the pictures on the container since I couldn't read it. Now I know what it's like to be illiterate. I didn't know what temperature to make the water. There's a dial you turn, indicating degrees Celsius. I don't even know which temperature Fahrenheit to wash my clothing; how am I supposed to know what to set it at? I just left it at 40 degrees Celsius where the last person had it. Then I pressed what I assumed was the start button. I had brought all my clothing down in random bags I had lying around my room, since I have no hamper or laundry basket here. I brought it back up in separate trips so I wouldn't be struggling with it so much. In the end, it all worked out. I think my clothes are clean. They smell a little like detergent now.
Comments
(23.5°C is Room Temperature, but they usually fudge it to 300 K because it is so easy.)
Science. :)