Tongue Tied

(Photo courtesy of JF Photography)

In America I used to be smart...I swear! I used to know things and I used to be important. Some may even have called me intelligent or funny. I was trusted and sometimes sought after for advice. These identifying factors have been torn from me and I find myself questioning whether or not those characteristics are still somewhere inside me.

As you may know from an earlier blog, I started working again at the beginning of this month as a nurse in the Neonatal ICU (with premature and critically ill infants for all you non-medical folk). As exciting as it is, I still throw a temper tantrum 30 minutes before I have to leave for work. I stomp around the house mumbling "I don't want to go..." until the time comes when I have to leave at which point I cling to Eddie and scream "I DON'T WANT TO GO! DON'T MAKE ME GO!" (I realize now how horrible that must be for him. Oops...I should probably to get it together soon.) But alas, I go...

My lunch is packed with food I think is normal to eat at lunchtime in Switzerland (I just want to fit in). My hair is up in a bun and my fingernails are short and nude. I am wearing a pair of white pearl earrings and a pair of the unsexiest white underwear I could find in my drawer. Even though I don't sweat, I made sure to put on lots of deodorant just in case my body reacts differently to European stress than it did back at home.

As I drive along in my Skoda Octavia (I know, I never heard of that car before I came here either) I approach the border from Germany to Switzerland and I reassess my surroundings:
Seat belt on? Check.
Sun visor up? Check.
Face easily visible? Check.
Semi pleasant smile (not a big American smile)? Check.
Sunglasses/hat/hood off? Check.
Passport easily accessible? Check.
Sticker on the windshield allowing me to drive on the Swiss highway visible? Check. 
Ready to respond if they stop me and ask me where I am going and if I have meat in the car? ... Um, half check?

The customs officers wave me through without stopping me for questioning...phew! I say a small prayer of thanks. After all, I don't plan on talking to anyone for another 30 minutes anyway...

Yet again, I'm surprised that I somehow make it through the city of Basel with all the ridiculous traffic laws/signs. When it comes to driving here, I'm just faking it 90% of the time. "Whoa, what did that sign mean?! Oh, too late. We'll just see what happens!" If I had a quarter for every time I was honked at or high-beam flashed...I'd have a lot of useless American quarters here. :)

Finally, I reach the parking garage and, as usual, it is complete with parking spots perfect for a Mercedes Smart, a Mini Cooper, or a tricycle...but nothing larger. I somehow finagle myself into a parking spot and send up another small prayer of thanks that I didn't scratch the back door of my car on a random large cement pillar...again. ::grimace:: (I'm still really sorry about that, Ed!)

Crap...now I have to actually get out of the car. But but but...I'm so content just sitting here, it's so warm and cozy! ::gulp:: I check my teeth in the rear view mirror and I'm off! As I walk down the street to the hospital I keep my head low because I still don't plan on talking to anyone for another 15 minutes...

I reach the locker room and I am relieved to see that I am the only one there in my row. I don't want anyone making fun of my granny panties. I can hear the Swiss-German chatter of some nurses in another row but I tune it out because my brain isn't ready to start translating yet. I reluctantly strip from my comfortable clothes and change into my stiff, unflattering, all white scrubs. I clip my badge to my chest pocket and I turn it so that my dumb picture is facing the right way. I pause for another second as I read "Rachel Frick - Diplomierte Pflegefachfrau" (whatever that means). For years my badge read: Rachel Bartolone - RN, BSN, NICU...I liked that name. ::sigh:: With one more scan to make sure the locker room is empty I drop to my knees and I pray. (Yea, I'm so anxious to go to work that I need to ask for heavenly help. I know, it's pathetic.) It usually goes something like this:

"Hey God, how's it goin'? Yea, I know, it's me again, I'm sorry. Please forgive me for all of my sins. I would like to thank you for everyone and everything in my life but I need your help again today. Please guide me in making the right choices. Please don't make me look stupid today. Please help me say and do the right things. I want to make you proud. You chose this career for me and if you want me to help these babies and their families I'm going to need you to work with me and through me. Don't leave me, I need you with me...every second. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen."

I slowly peek open my eyes and I see that no one is there to look at me strangely. I rise from my knees, brush them off, and I push open the locker room door and head up to my unit. I think I'll take the stairs again today. I don't want to meet anyone in the elevator because (you guessed it) I don't plan on talking to anyone for another 2.5 minutes...

I reach my unit, clock in, and as the glass doors slide open I would guestimate that my pulse is in the upper 90's with and irregular rhythm and my respiratory rate is either 60 or 0.

Brain - "Move right leg forward..."
Me - "No!"
Brain - "Do it!...Good...now the left one...good..."

Shoot, here comes someone already...what is her name again?

Swiss Nurse -"Grützi!"

Brain - "Rachel, smile say 'Grützi' back."

Me - "Grützi!" ... Great, my "r" was so American. Was that smile too big? Great, they probably think I'm fake.
Note to self: Along with about 10 kgs, I need to lose this accent ASAP! ... (I'm fully aware that both will never happen.)

I find a chair and wait for report to start...all-the-while I fight the overwhelming urge to run back downstairs, grab MY clothes, sprint back to MY car, and hightail it back HOME. I push the image of Eddie and our pup, Teddy, out of my head and tell myself I'll see them again in 9 short hours. For now, I'm on my own.

The charge nurse begins with report...I say a small prayer hoping she'll speak Hochdeutsch (high German).

Charge nurse - "Grützimiteinand. Fangen wir mit 'Baby Schmidt' an? Mit ihm ischalleschgut...alleschTIPTOP!" 

Me - ...shit, Swiss German (AKA "Schveetzedooch").

My family and friends all speak high German and that's what I learned in my integration course but once you cross the border to Switzerland they speak with such a dialect that I can't understand them for the life of me! I'm too embarrassed to ask her to switch to high German so it looks like I'll just sit here and nod my head every few seconds like I understand what is going on around me...when in reality I'd give anything to melt into a silver puddle and float away...(Alex Mack style circa 1996.)

And so my day begins! My chirpy preceptor and I greet each other and she alerts everyone that her and I will be answering the phone today (there is not secretary)...I grit my teeth and my blood pressure rises to about 250/110. Something so simple as answering a phone brings me unbelievable stress. I don't even answer the phone at my own house! When it's a German number I play hot potato with it and pass it off to Eddie. Ok fine, if she wants me to answer the phone today...I'll answer the phone! I shake it off...

We get our assignment and go check on the babies. As soon as I lay eyes on the little ones I instantly feel I'm back where I am supposed to be. Now that I am finally able to work with them and be hands-on again, I feel like I'm back in my element. It's all this other jazz that comes along with the job that makes my head spin. A few weeks ago I asked someone what "Sauerstoff" was. Turns out...it means "oxygen" in German. Yea, Rach, they're really going to trust you now that you just asked what oxygen is. Super. Can you imagine?

A father of a neighboring baby taps my shoulder and I spin around:

Swiss Daddy - "Schweitzlüliowvthischliülitzsnuniischkucksili?" (<--- Not an actual sentence but that's how it sounded to me.)

::crickets:: Me - "Wie bitte?" ("I'm sorry?")

Swiss Daddy - ::louder:: "Schweitzlüliowvthischliülitzsnuniischkucksili?"

At this point my face is as red as can be and I'm just staring at him wide-eyed. I have no idea what this man wants from/is asking me! I have to summon my preceptor who answers his question effortlessly. For all I know he was asking the time. I survey the scene and conclude that the window behind me doesn't open wide enough for me to jump out. I'm mortified. I look like a complete idiot and I know it! I just turn back around and pretend like I don't feel like a huge nincompoop. (::giggle:: "nincompoop") ;)

My preceptor steps out of the room to get some paperwork and...the phone rings. I don't move...or blink, or breathe, hoping that if I act like a T-Rex has just entered the room the person on the other line will just hang up. Nope. It rings again. Ok, I'll give it one more ring and hopefully my preceptor will be back. 
::ring:: 
Scheisse! I answer it.

Me - "Neonatologie, Rachel Frick."

Woman - "Jagrützivoll. Hsdoihfosihgoishrgfhdchchchchiehagoihraeöihgörihgoihraogtio3849z5698q37li."

Something about a delivery? A vaccuum? Later today? I don't know. I ask her to repeat it all again and I still don't get it. I'm too ashamed to ask a third time so we both hang up. When my preceptor comes back I tell her what happened and we both agree that if it's really important, she'll call back? I wish I had an invisibility cloak.

This anxiety and uncertainty continues for hours...hours! On our break the nurses are speaking Swiss German and I figure it's ok to turn my brain off for some minutes. I bring out my lunch and I feel like Fatty McFatterson because every one else is eating crackers with pudding (?) or one piece of what looks like uncooked bacon? I daydream of my OSU nurses back home and Adriatico's pizza....mmmmm!

I work the rest of my shift without causing any bodily harm to an infant...which I chalk up to a success these days. I clock out, change back in my clothes, and power walk to my car. On the radio there is more Swiss German and I jab the power button just in time before my head combusts. I pass the German customs with ease and pull up to my house. With my last ounce of energy I cross the threshold and collapse in the living room.

Eddie enters the room and for a moment I wonder to myself how long it will take before the simple sight of that man doesn't make light up like a Christmas tree and make me forget all the troubles in the world.

"How was your day, babe?" He asks innocently...in English...and it feels good to be home.

America vs. Germany

91.   Just a little FYI - The word "pudding" is the same in English, German, and Russian. Write that down.

92.   Ed didn't know who Oprah was and has never seen the Wizard of Oz. This is mind boggling to me.
  
93.   A lot of people here often blame sicknesses on cold air. For example: Having the AC on high in a car for too long can cause a cold. Or if you sit on something cold like cement you'll get a bladder infection. They make no mention of having to initially come in contact with bacteria or a virus. I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone sometimes.

94.   Don’t try to twist off the top of your beer bottle in Germany, better carry around a bottle opener…or marry a weirdo who can open 2 bottles of beer on each other.

95.   It costs about $0.90 to send a standard sized card/letter to Germany.

96.   Americans are more patriotic. We proudly hang our flags outside our house. That's not very common in Germany. A man by the name of Adolf kinda ruined that for everyone.

97.   Similarly, it is illegal to sing the first two stanzas of the German national anthem. It was overplayed during WWII and the Germans only recognize the third stanza as their anthem. Sad.

98.   Today, Germans are also not allowed to have the letters "SA" or "SS" on their license plates because it used to be an abbreviation for SA - Sturmabteilung and SS -Schutzstaffel. These two groups were basically young men that Hitler gathered to do a lot of his dirty work. They protected the Nazi party, intimidated the Jewish people and German citizens into obeying, performed illegal property searches, and ran the concentration camps. It's sad but Germany is still rebuilding its image after that tragedy.

99.   It's not surprising to see topless women on the cover of newspapers...more specifically the "Bildzeitung." Granted it's not the classiest paper but still I was shocked at first. Naked women are right smack dab in the middle of the front cover and in color. I'm not sure if it's everyday but at least on the Sunday paper. Needless to say, that will not be lying around on the breakfast table in my house.

100.  I was also astounded to see two completely naked teenagers (a boy and a girl) in Eddie's little sister's magazine. She was about 13 at the time. That part of the magazine answers sex questions. (?!?!?) That just wouldn't fly in a Seventeen magazine here. The sex/nudity mentality is definitely different. It’s hard to say which is better…

"When in Rome!...um, I mean, Rümmingen?"

Top 10 Ways You Realize You Might Now Be Living in a Small German Village

(Each picture on this blog was taken in Rümmingen.)

10. Your neighbor's house looks like this:

9. While preparing dinner in the summer it is not uncommon to hear, through your unopened window, sheep baa-ing and their bells clanging. When you look outside you see this across the street:

(Photo courtesy of JF Photography)

Oh hello there!

8. During an average day you see more horses than people...no joke.

(Photo courtesy of JF Photography)

Population of Columbus, Ohio - 797,434
Population of Rümmingen, Germany - 1,664



7. When you search for your new hometown on Wikipedia you get this:

Hey, great, thanks for the info.


6. By the time you realize you're entering the village...you're already exiting it.

Hi Rümmingen! Um, er...Bye Rümmingen! Area - 1.72 sq. miles


5. People actually still use this as a means of transportation:

This thing is called the "Kanderli" and it rolls by my house every weekend. I like to wave at the passengers on the train through the kitchen window. Sometimes I go out on the terrace and make Teddy stand up so they can see him over the wall and we wave at the children together. It seems like a sweet village tradition until its blaring horn wakes you up at 8 AM on a Saturday at which point you curse its 118 year existence.

4. On the village website it stakes claim to:

A school (That I didn't even know existed until some months ago and only has new classes starting every other year due to not enough children.)

A bank (I think they mean the one ATM machine around the corner?)

A "Dorfladen" (Translation - Village Store) that sells one bottle of milk, one slice of cheese, one egg, one slice of bread...etc.

  (<--- The store is so small that this picture of it is almost to scale.)

A flower shop (That has been closed for years)

A hotel (That closed last year)

A restaurant (That I've never heard of anyone going to)

A fire station (That is directly across the street from my house and yet I have NEVER seen/heard them go out on a call with sirens on. I see them practicing all the time though. I suppose that's a good thing?)

A recycling center (That is open for a whopping total of 5 hours a week - Fr. 4-6 and Sat. 9-12.)

A soccer field

Tennis courts (members only)

A volleyball court (That was donated to us from a local radio station because they felt bad there was nothing to do here...I'm joking...kinda.) 

3. Your town was founded in the year 767. I typed that correctly too, there is no "1" before the "7."

2. If you travel more than 15 minutes in any direction away from your house, you'll find yourself having to explain to people where you are from and what it is close to.

And the number 1. way you realize you may now be living in small German village:

While on a walk with your dog you're hit with the realization that people here walk their goats.

I'm aware that some of that info may make this place look bad so here are some more pictures of my village that may (or may not?) make it look better. As usual, pictures courtesy of my talented brother-in-law Johann Frick. For more pictures, please visit:

www.johannfrick.de

(Me in a field. Note the horse in the background. I wasn't lying about the horses!)

Auf Wiedersehen!
-Frau Frick

America vs. Germany

81.   I find the ice cream here to be more icy than creamy. It's good, but different. I sure do miss me some Handel's or just a good ol' fashion American ice cream sundae. The idea of Cold Stone/Menchies here would be mind boggling. I can hear it now "Vhat do you mean zhere iz Sneeckerz und Gummibears in zhe icecream? Zhat iz khrazy!" (Even after living here for so long, my German accent sucks.) It's hard to find hot fudge here (and no, Italian ice cream parlor lady, don't heat up chocolate syrup and tell me it's hot fudge...it's not the same!) 

82.   People back home often ask Eddie if he skis. The answer is no. We live near that Alps but Eddie has only gone snow boarding twice. Cross country skiing doesn't count. I've never tried skiing because I heard through the grape vine that broken femurs hurt.

83.   Germans can be a bit nosy. I feel like they get into your business a little more than Americans. It's hard to explain. It's like they get unnecessarily agitated by small things like cars not having license plates, or people passing them on the highway (they LOVE to flash their lights at you), or a neighbor once told my sister-in-law that she was going to call the police if she didn't get off the handle bars of her friends bicycle. If someone wore shorts to the store in January in the US we'd probably be like "hm, he must be cold," and continue about our business but it Germany, oh my heavens, that would be OUTRAGEOUS! They would stare at him like he had three heads. When I go grocery shopping I often catch the Germans looking in my shopping cart. (?!?) "Um, can I help you?" I almost want to bring a blanket with me and drape it over my cart so they can't see in. Now that would drive them crazy. One last example: our neighbor once asked Eddie why we didn't open our windows one night. Um...firstly, why are you looking at my windows at night? Secondly, they are MY windows and it's MY house. I'll do with both what I please.

84.   Germans are much better at following the “left lane is for faster traffic” rule. Once they pass, they almost immediately get back in the right-hand lane again. Not so much in the US. I guess they have to while driving so fast on "the Autobahn." ;)

85.   If you order fee-fees (that’s Rachelian for french fries), they will ask you if you want ketchup or mayonnaise. Side note: ketchup packets cost 20 euro cents.

86.   Yes, they serve beer at McDonald’s.

87.   Like any country, it takes a while to get used to their light switches, outlets, and toilet flushing handles/buttons. Here are what they look like in Germany:

 or  or  or...

88.   My brother-in-law thinks our toilets in the U.S. have too much water in the bowl. I like to think with the extra water, there is a smaller change of...moose tracks? Each German toilet has a brush next to it to take care of said problem.

89.   Heineken is not a German beer. Becks is though. The beer here is good, I guess. I'm not a big beer drinker (or a big any-kind-of-alcohol drinker) but if I do drink a beer it is usually a "radler." A radler is half beer-half sprite or half beer-half coke. It sounds weird, but it's actually pretty good. Do not attempt this back in the States. It tastes lousy back home but definitely try one if you visit.

90.   Cans (pop cans, beer cans, etc) are not that common in Germany. 

Gross Photos

This post is just a collection of strange signs I've seen throughout my travels. Some of them are oldies but goodies. Enjoy!

Um...what? Question - What's a "vehicule?" And please don't answer all at once..."one only

at the time" please. (Found near Genf, Switzerland).

This is a clothing store in Freiburg, Germany. I know many-a women that I assume get their entire wardrobe from here...and could probably be the CEO of the company.

This store can be found in the village next to mine (yes, I said village). It's called Bad Design and it is located in Binzen, Germany. "Bad" in German means "bathroom." Incidentally, Bad Design has since closed down...apparently their designs really were bad.

This little gem of a restaurant can be found in the Brussels airport in Belgium. "Panos" means "diarrhea" in Russian. Doesn't anyone research a name before they label their company? It would be great to hear someone walk up and said "Hi, yes, I'll take a number 2, please." Aw man, I'd probably panos my pants!

Hm, yea, uh no thanks. I'm all set. I just filled up on Curdled Goat Cheese. (This one was spotted in Amsterdam, Netherlands.)

O-H... (Note: Eggs are not refrigerated.)

(Find it.) ...I-O!

 USA USA!

...complete with all Vietnamese workers. I may or may not have been kicked out of that "salon" after demanding my money back. I'm sure it was pretty comical to hear an American and a Vietnamese arguing...in German!

I'd crack up every time I had to write a check to my satellite company. "Pay to the Order of: Satan." or "Hey hun, did you remember to pay Satan this month?"

(Please excuse Ed's head but I was in a hurry to capture this one while we were driving.) "Gross" in German means "big." I hear this word a lot but for a split second I can't help but think of the English meaning. Here you can see this business advertising "disgusting photos"...I'm not gonna lie, it peaks my interest.

Here you can see a sign kindly alerting you that you are now in Bitchville, France. I'd like to be the mayor of that town some day...

I'm going to leave you with this little gemmer that can also be found near Bussang, France. (Note: I've been trying to snap this picture for years. I'm happy to finally add it to my collection.) Question number 1 - How much does a "pain sandwich" cost? Question number 2 - If I buy one "pain sandwich" do I get a knuckle sandwich for free?

America vs. Germany

71.   Germany's chancellor is Angela Merkel. Germany also has a president...their roles are still confusing to me.

 

("Angie AKA Ang")

72.   Most of Germany was pro-Obama...surprise, surprise.

73.   The weather in our part of Germany (the very southwest) is typically the warmest in the country. However, it is just about the same as it is in Ohio, deciduous forest with four seasons. We definitely get more snow back home. I still joke and say "why couldn't I have married someone from Brazil?" Winter is lame 99% of the time.

74.   My favorite German sentence to say is "ich wünsche Ihnen einen angenehmen Aufenthalt" which translates to "I wish you a pleasant stay." You have to hear me to say it!

75.   This is important for any American traveling here - A lot of times, you will see people in the same clothes they wore the day before, and possibly even the day after that too! You have been warned! I remember being taken aback by this but I guess you learn to get over it.

76.   Central air/AC is unheard of in households. (Don't get me started with my frustration on that topic.) Heat comes from radiators.

77.   The windows open differently than ours. They don't use screens on their windows or screen doors.

(They can either open like this or, if you turn the handle the other way, they open up completely - like a door.)

78.   They use the metric system (you already knew that though, right?). Thank goodness I am a nurse; the conversion process is much more familiar. Baking is still a pain in the butt and my recipes are a lot more work but, on the bright side, my weight sounds better in kilos.

79.   The quality of the roads is much better in Germany/Switzerland. The potholes in Ohio are amazing...must have some correlation to our POS cars. I rarely see one here...although with 19% tax, I better not...

80.   Credit/Debit cards are MUCH more popular in the States. Good luck finding a vending machine that accepts credit cards over there.

 

Happy Birthday, Random Swiss Baby!

Today was the first time I touched a baby in over 20 months. At my new hospital the neonatal nurses get called back to every C-Section so the other new girl and I went back to the OR with our preceptor. While standing in the room waiting for the baby to come through the door, my preceptor asked us if we wanted to help...there is a high chance that I may have knocked her over/shoved the other orientee out of the way as I stepped up (more like leaped) to the bedside. Moments later in came a 4 kg, pink, screaming baby complete with frantic limbs and spread fingers! I only got to stimulate the baby and shorten the umbilical cord but I got teary-eyed as I whispered "Happy Birthday" to him. I'm back to doing what I love! Oh, in case you didn't know or you easily forgot - EVERY baby born healthy is a true miracle...ok even the ones that need our help at the beginning are miracles too. I'm blessed to have the job that I do.

(Note: NOT the baby I speak of. Photo NOT courtesy of JF Photography.)

Some of you might find that picture/what I do nasty but no worries. All the nurses here have enough time to bath the babies after like this:

I realize my last blog didn't have any facts in it. Please excuse my error and accept 20 more in this blog below. (No one else even noticed. I can see how much they're appreciated!) Hmph!

America vs. Germany

51.   Everything is cheaper in America. Everything is bigger in America...(cars, refrigerators, parking spots, people, and-so-on-and-so-forth).

52.   The quality of products is higher in Germany.

53.   "Diet" (as in pop) = "Lite"

54.   As most people know, Germans are more mobile than Americans. I found the amount of bicycle riders to be amazing at first. They have strict rules with their bikes/scooters too. You would get pulled over for not having a light on your bike at night. I couldn't tell you the amount of random people I've luckily seen last-minute riding bikes in the States. Also, if you biked most places in America, you would get made fun of. Kinda sad…

55.   Going to "university" is not as expected as it is in the States. Typically, Germans go to school for what would be equivalent to 13 years back home, learn a trade for 2 years at a business (like an apprenticeship), and then begin working.

56.   Ed drinks "vollmilch"…literal translation "full milk" aka vitamin D milk. Don't worry, in the stores, it's not refrigerated. No big deal. I’ve seen eggs not refrigerated too. Eddie gets frustrated when I bring that topic up but it blows my mind!

57.   "PickEL" in German means "pimple." You can imagine my embarrassment after expressing my love for "pickLEs."

58.   Similarly, “Gurken” means "pickle" in German. “Gurken” means cucumber in German. Are you understanding my frustration?

59.   Random American - "Did you eat wiener snitchel and sauerkraut?!?"

Me - "Yep, nonstop. It's weird how Germans eat nothing else yet still meet their daily nutritional requirements!" ::blank stare::

I must explain that snitchel can be any sort of meat. There is chicken snitchel, weiner snitchel, veal snitchel, etc. And to be honest, I don't think I've had sauerkraut since I've been there. I do like spätzel though. :)

60.   Saunas/Thermal baths are much more popular in Germany. Each one of Eddie's houses has at least one sauna. And yes, I've been to public nude ones.

62.   Fanta is a popular pop in Germany but I feel as though it is not as sugary/sweet as it is back home.

63.   I must also correct the pronunciation of the word "dankeschön" aka "thank you.' It is NOT "dankeshayne" like Wayne Newton might lead you to believe, but more like "dankeshoen/dankeshoon."

64.   "How much is a plane ticket?"

Well, it depends on when you go. I've paid as low as $500 something and upwards of $1,500 (round trip). Winter is cheaper, summer is more.

65.   It is about 5,000 miles/8,000 kilometers to Germany. Approximately 16 hours total travel time. The long flight over the ocean is about 8-9 hours...to which people respond "Oh my gosh! I could never do it!" Yes you could. It's not that bad. Myrtle Beach is a 12 hour car ride. This is more comfortable and you would do it for true LOVE.

66.   Germans' preferred shower temp. is lower than Rachel's preferred shower temp. That's just a scientific fact.

67.   Americans usually have fixed shower heads from above. Germans usually have hand held shower heads. Ed installed a fixed one just for me so now we have both...and turns out, I use the hand held one more!

68.   Germany no longer uses the Mark. Switzerland uses the Franc. Ed thinks the 1 dollar bill is stupid and thinks it should only be a coin.

   

69.   You can drink beer and wine at 16 and liquor at 18.

70.   You can get your driver's license at 18 but it is expensive to take the test. Everything totals to over $2,000. It is common for them to not get their license right away for this reason. What is it in the US? Like $200? Clearly 200 is better than 2,000 but I'm still undecided which is better - 16 or 18 years old.