Another Step for my integration

Good news for me: I just became a member of the DAV, the Deutscher Alpenverein. That is the German Alpine association. And this membership my friends, just made me a better person. Well of course I am still a foreigner but I am definitely gaining an interesting aspect there.

Indeed, the Germans (or at least the ones here) are almost as crazy as the Austrians when it comes to mountains. It is one of the most important thing ever: you must love the mountains. Then it does not matter if you go skiing, snow-boarding, hiking or rock climbing or just raclette- making in a “hutte”, you just have to love them.

And the DAV, it is the official mountains-hugger association. It gets you special prices and a bunch of discounts for rock-climbing, borrowing books, renting a “hutte” as well as the right to participate to a lot of mountains-hugging events.

But it is not the only thing it does: It makes you a good person. It shows you UNDERSTAND the mountains. And those people who do not have the little green card… they are suspect. Yes sir, they are.

So, after 18 months being here, I decided I should do something to justify my presence in the sacred Alps and got my green card. Easy to get, you just need to go on the website of the local DAV (here is Munich) and fill the “Anmeldung” formular to be a part of it.

Then they will quickly take the money away from you (31 euros when you are under 27) and send you the pretty laminated plastic thing stating your membership. It is actually pretty useful and it does pay itself out really quickly if you are into the mountains sport. Which you are anyway, aren’t you?????

Your membership starts as of December to the January of the year after, so now is a good time to get a membership in order to make the best out of it.

I already feel I am a better person. Now I can say stuffs like “yeah with my DAV Sektion…”: I am sooooooooo close to looking like a native.