European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 28, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Consumer watch an essential guide to making overseas Jimme by Mary Neth consumer editor Hough it is written As a guide to one German City it 3 a Book most americans living overseas will find informative. Put together by the american women s club of Hamburg the 288-Page paperback Hamburg in your Etc of the essential guide to making Hamburg Homo is full of lips to ease Aljus Lenl 10 living abroad. The authors draw upon their own experiences to pinpoint problems that cause their countrymen problems they Don to however ladle out sympathy to grumbles Only Good advice. For example americans who have come from sunnier dimes often sink into gloom when confronted Wilh Middle european gayness. Hamburg for sure does t offer anything like Florida Sunshine Gray foggy Damp Days Are followed by Gray Cloud wet Days. The average temperature Range in fahren toil in Winter months is from the mid-20s to upper is the Book s advice do As the natives Don t Wail Lor a Nice Day to do anything instead grab your Raincoat lain hat umbrella and some rubber boots and forge ahead of of postpone the picnic but you get the idea " 1 accept he cold wet Days 2 dress appropriately for them 3 buy yourself a Handy folding umbrella and 4 gel Oul there and do whatever you planned to do1 " Afler the weather comas the que Salon of time americans Are reminded that a dinner invitation for 7 30 . Is More often stated verbally As Halb acht literally half eight. You Don l want to Misun Tjersland his and show up at b 30 you might be served dessert. But you won t be invited backs also pointed out. There is a difference in the Way numbers Are in pressed and in writing dates " Tho use of commas and Decimal Points is the opposite of american usage . Do 7.000,00 is. 17.00000 when writing dates the sequence for the month and Day is also the opposite of american usage . 7.11.84 is november 7.1984." the Book is divided into three sections. Untangling red tape has chapters on permits and registration banking eur cheques automated Teller a Etc the German postal system taxes and Legal guidelines Lor foreigners gelling around covers All types cd transportation. Gelling milled goes into detail on renting Telephone service shopping medical care kids and pets. Etc. And electrical appliances. Alto giving living overseas a shot in the  is a Long chapter on Volls and cycles and everything electric electricity in Germany and in Many other countries runs at 220v/50hz 220 Volls 60 cycles. In Japan Lor instance the voltage is much lower than in Germany 100v is. 220v however the cycles May be either 50 he or 60hz, depending on the specific locale. In the United states Canada and Mexico the electrical system runs on 110v/60hz both the voltage and the cycles Are different than in  the Book Points Oul that if your appliances Are nol 220v, you must use a transformer which will transform or reduce the voltage to a level your appliances will accept. Minor differences in voltage such As Between 100 and 110 Volls. Or Between 230v found in parts of South Africa and 220v, Are not a problem. All Modem electrical appliances Are constructed with at least 10% tolerance to voltage variations. Differences in cycles however do make a functional difference in a Lew  a rundown is Given on All types of appliances and electrical goods with Dildo real cycles and How they can be Betto pealed. Slim of him lamps and Light fixtures other than fluorescent fixtures which were made Lor lower voltages will work without being rewired and without a transformer but you must use 220v Light bulbs. Using an american Light but could Causa the bulb to explode vacuum cleaners work quite Well bul you la need plenty of your Home country s Extension cords transformers Are heavy it s impractical to lug them around plus spare bags and belts German sizes May not fit when it comes to clocks however there can be problems clocks will be accurate Only it they were manufactured for 60hz. Many 60hz clocks can be modified Al a competent service Center to accept Soho bul it s Robab Synol Worth the  also presenting problems Telephone devices . Answering machines automatic dealers Extension phones modems Lor computersetc., purchased outside West Germany May work Here but it s illegal to use them in conjunction with he local phone  All such items Musl have he approval of the German Federal postal  chapter continues to advise on what kind of plug adapters Are needed and How to determine How Many and what capacity transformers to buy. Altogether the women who put the Book together Haven t missed much when it comes to knowing what americans overseas need to know in daily living. Available from the publisher Ernst Kabel Verag Postrach 605320,2000 Hamburg to or the american women s club of Hamburg. Postrach 551066,2000 Hamburg 55, the Book Sells for 23.50 do which includes postage and handling. The heat s on finally Hen it comes to healed discussions Between americans and their German landlords heat or Lack of ii is a frequent subject. It is my understanding wrote a Reader recently that the heating season1 begins ocl. 1." this year however aha noted there were Many times when the temperature was very Cool in september in both the mornings and evenings and Access to heal waa almost impossible with our landlord. Our preschool children were sniffling and waking up in the night because of the coolness. Yet the act that we had already paid 2.000 Marks for Oil and the Oil waa already in the House did not seem to carry any weight., 1 our landlord lives above us and has a Wood Heater to use when he wishes. Our apartment does nol have a Wood heeler and a have to use an Energy inefficient electric apace Heater to warm our Kitchen and bathroom  Atud citing to Milf problem at the end of the so called heating season she would like to know the Law m regard to provision of heat in German rentals. According to Geb Hwd Volk Usa eur German attorney adviser there is no Federal statutory Law that sets the time of year Hept must be provided or the temperature that must be maintained. Generally courts Nave decided that renters have a right to a temperature of around 20 degrees celsius 21 c equals 70 degrees fahrenheit. This Means that the time designated in your contract when heat will provided la an individual agreement you have made Wilh your landlord bul thai you should expect the temperature nol to fall below 70 f. Since there in t a German Federal Law thai covers heating in detail to advises first talking to the local housing office. If officials there Are not Able to work out the problem you Are having with your landlord he says the next Slop should be the Legal office. Have the local German attorney adviser read your contract he says. According to another Legal authority on German rental Laws when the temperature has fallen below 20 c Between 7 . And 23 . In a rental he ranter has been Able to demand a reduction in his monthly payments. Newty heating by have been a continual cause of Contention Between renter and landlord. Americans renting German housing should be aware that a new Law came out May 1904 that sets Down Rule on How such bits should tie figured. At the end of june 1964 Al German rentals were to Nave special Melon to determine individual apart Nunt use of smrt. Local military housing office end German Legal assistance offices should be queried if there Era questions about the wiling or if Legal meters Are being used. . Page 18 the stars and stripes Friday november 28,1986