My German Reading Adventure: The Kindle Paperwhite Dilemma

Berlin Blues and Bookworms

Okay, so things are…interesting here in Berlin. I’m still getting used to everything, you know? The language, the pace, the everything. I’m working as a freelance translator – mostly legal stuff, which is, let’s be honest, pretty intense – and it’s keeping me busy. But after a long day staring at contracts, all I really want to do is escape into a good book. I read a lot, actually, which is probably why I’m considering this whole e-reader thing.

Hast du schon mal überlegt…

You know how it is – I’ve been thinking about buying a new e-reader, specifically the Kindle Paperwhite. I’ve been looking into it, yeah. I’m totally fascinated. I find it really interesting. I read a lot, but I often have problems reading outside because of the sun. That’s exactly what the Paperwhite is supposed to solve, right? It has a glare-free display. And it’s supposed to be super fast, they say. I saw the page: [Read More The specs sound really good. And the battery life is supposed to be weeks! That’s a dream!

The Werbung Problem

But I’m wondering if the ads are going to be annoying. That’s the big question, isn’t it? It comes with ads, or so it seems. Yes, that’s what it says on the page. I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth paying extra for the battery life and the display quality, just to have ads. Maybe a model without ads would be a better choice. Good idea! We should look at it again. “Schau mal,” I told my colleague, Luke, yesterday – he’s trying to learn German too, a bit slower than me, but he’s really dedicated. “Wir müssen das nochmal genauer anschauen.” (We need to look at that more closely.)

German in Practice

I actually had a little trouble with that sentence. I said “Wir müssen das nochmal genauer anschauen.” Luke corrected me. “Nein, nein,” he said, laughing. “Wir müssen das nochmal sehen.” (No, no, we need to see it again). See, even simple things are tricky. I keep mixing up “anschauen” (to look at) and “sehen” (to see). It’s a constant battle! I asked him, “Wie sagt man ‘to check’?” and he replied “‘Prüfen’!”. (“To check” is Prüfen!).

Comparing Prices – A Hassle

Anyway, I’m going to look at the page again and compare the prices. I’ll do that! I also spoke to my landlady, Frau Schmidt, she lives next door and she’s obsessed with her tablet. “Ist es vielleicht besser, ein Modell ohne Werbung zu kaufen?” (Is it maybe better to buy a model without ads?) she asked. I said, “Ich weiß nicht. Das ist eine gute Frage.” (I don’t know. That’s a good question.) She thinks everything should be cheaper. She’s right about one thing though – she spends way too much time online!

Meeting Up?

Maybe we should meet up soon to talk about it. “Vielleicht treffen wir uns bald, um uns zu beraten?” (Maybe we can meet up soon to advise each other?) I messaged Luke. I’m hoping he can help me make a decision, and, honestly, just chat in German. It’s getting easier, slowly, but I still feel so self-conscious sometimes.

Next Steps

I need to actually order it though. I’m thinking of getting the version without the ads, just in case. It’s a bit more expensive, but…well, you know. Let’s see. I’m going to spend the evening comparing prices on Amazon and maybe looking for reviews. Gute Nacht (Good night!) to everyone! I’ll keep you updated on my German reading adventure.

Useful German Phrases:

• Hast du schon mal…? – Have you ever…?
• Ich überlege… – I’m thinking…
• Wie sagt man…? – How do you say…?
• Wir müssen… – We need to…
• Ist es vielleicht besser…? – Is it maybe better…?
• Ich weiß nicht. – I don’t know.
• Gute Nacht! – Good night!