Simviation Forum - Germany leads the way

Nov 1^st, 2003 at 12:30pm

ozzy72 Offline
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Pretty scary huh?
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The innovative Germans have once again shown the rest of the world the way forward.

Women in Hamburg who want to shop without dragging along grumbling male partners can leave them at the nation's first kindergarten for men. This adult daycare centre has plenty of amenities to keep the big boys occupied.
The living-room-sized space at one end of the Nox bar in central Hamburg looks like it has been perfectly equipped as a children's daycare centre. There are comic books spread out on tables, comfortable couches, a remote-controlled car, plastic toys and even a playpen of sorts with a construction set. It is only when you catch a glance at the copies of Penthouse and Playboy scattered about that you realise this is not your average kids' area.
In fact, children aren't allowed here; women aren't, either. The Nox bar has set aside this room for men only. More precisely, for men who have no desire to tag along with their wives or girlfriends while they look for skirts, scarves and handbags in the designer boutiques.
Women wanting a few hours of Saturday shopping in peace can drop off their partners at the Männergarten, where for €10 (£7), the men get a meal, two beers and an afternoon of boys' games, cards, conversation and sports on TV.
"The women are issued a receipt for their partners when they drop them off and can pick them up again when they return it to us later," said Alexander Stein, the manager of the Nox bar and creator of the Männergarten.
He got the idea from a female customer who thought big boy daycare would be a good way to get rid of her husband while she combed the nearby stores. "She found it all too stressful and thought this might be a solution. Both were very happy with the way it turned out," he said.
Besides providing non-stop sports on TV, Stein has also arranged special presentations for the boys in his charge, [on subjects] such as home-improvement workshops and men's literature. Upcoming topics include whisky tasting, cigars and cocktail mixing.
"My wife loves to shop and I don't," said Günter Rudden, 59, whose wife dropped him off so she could enjoy lunch and a little shopping with a friend. "Why should I have to suffer while she looks at shoes? This is a very good alternative."
The camaraderie is what appeals to men who spend the afternoon here. The Männergarten offers the chance to engage in a little conversation and hang out with other guys. The name badges each man wears help break the ice.
"Last week, I spent a couple of hours talking with two interesting guys who were here from Wuppertal, which is about three hours away from here. I couldn't have done that if I'd stayed at home," said Holger Leez.
But for some men, it takes a while to get comfortable, according to Bianca, a waitress at the Nox bar. "Some guys look almost scared after their wives leave them here," she said. "We just kind of take their hands and assure them everything's going to be OK."
The intense interest in the Männergarten concept has taken the Nox bar completely by surprise. Mr Stein has been overwhelmed by calls from the media and says some of the Männergarten men have as well...
"Whether we keep it going depends on who comes when the buzz dies down," Mr Stein said. "Some of our regulars have put their head round the door and recoiled in horror."
But the buzz has infected bar owners in other German cities. According to the Nox website, Männergartens are opening up in Cologne, Munich and Berlin.

There are two types of aeroplane, Spitfires and everything else that wishes it was a Spitfire!

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