It has been over a year now since I first
moved to northern
Germany – open-minded, plan-less, and without having any idea of what to
expect
from the country. Now, here I sit, perhaps a bit less open-minded, still
plan-less
and directionless, but now with a pretty good idea of what one can
expect from
Germany and the German people. I feel that this would be a good time to
make
note of some of the differences and oddities that I have observed in
this
strange land. I originally created this document for the purpose of
having something to look back on and have a laugh over years from now.
Since you are reading this, I have apparently decided that it turned out
to be a beautiful work of literary art worth sharing. :) It is quite a
lengthy document so feel free to read it one piece at a time or to pick
out the parts that you find most interesting! Also, please make your way down to the bottom of the page and leave a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I continue to learn
more about this place every day, and to be amazed and amused. Sometimes in a
positive and admiring way, and other times in a frustrated, criticizing,
missing my American normalcy kind of way.
Most, if not all of these things have probably been written about by
other people before. And in actuality, I may have even read some of those
articles before. However, these sorts of cultural differences and nuances can
sometimes take on a different meaning once you have experienced them for
yourself…and been stuck there, in that situation, with no choice but to keep
experiencing it, and come to terms with it. Nevertheless, I hope that reading
about my observations will give you some sort of insight or idea into how
everyday life goes here. Now is probably a good time to note that my
experiences with Germany are for the most part limited to the Bremen area, in
the north of the country, and that I fully understand that many things cannot
be generalized to refer to all of Germany, or all Germans. Also, I have no
intention to offend anyone. Rather, I simply wish to document the information
that I have gathered through completely unscientific methods: my personal and
perhaps occasionally biased opinions and observations. With that said, if you
are truly offended by what little-old-me thinks and notices… stop reading. And
grow up.
1- Friendliness
2-
Health
3-
Food
4-
Restaurants
5-
Traditions
6-
Punctuality
7-
Transportation System
8-
Bikes
9-
Language
10-
Booze
11-
Products
12-
“Things”
13-
Quiet Time
14-
House Shoes
15-
Save the Planet!
16-
Doors
17-
Driving
18-
Traffic Lights
19-
Crime & Weapons
20-
Lines
21-
Work vs. Life
22-
Water
23-
Kids
24-
Plan EVERYTHING
25-
Space
26-
Public Property
27-
Dogs
28-
Pedestrians
29-
Cancer Sticks
30-
What is Germany Made of?
31-
Hosts
32-
Safety
33-
Bottle Opener
34-
Sexuality
35-
Education
1-Friendliness
I have often been asked “What is the biggest difference that
you have found?” and my answer to this question has not changed throughout my
year here. This difference would be the friendliness of the people. It may be
useful to note that as I write this, I am sitting at my home, by myself, on a
Saturday night. I do this relatively often. It’s not my loving husband’s fault
– people need their lives saved at all hours of the day and all days of the
week, and I’m sure he would rather be here than working. What surprises me
about this situation is that I have been here for over a year, and still
haven’t found friends that I could be spending this time with. I’m not an introverted
person, and I’m open-minded about new people and new things. I have made a few
friends, whom I do enjoy spending time with, when such an occasion may arise.
However, I obviously haven’t made enough, since most of the invitations we send
out end up declined, and we definitely send out more invitations than we
receive. For whatever reason, I haven’t found those people yet that would say
“Oh, you have no plans tonight? I’ll stop by and hang out for a bit!” or “Why
don’t you come along with me for the night?”
The fact is that German people have invisible walls
protecting them from … friendship. In general, they are not quick to be
friendly with people. Polite yes, but friendly no. You have to find a way to
get past this (metaphorical) wall first. If you have a mutual friend, or some
other sort of “in,” then they are much more likely to unlock the door in the
wall for you, or at least give you directions to where that door might be
located. However, if you don’t have an “in” then you probably have to spend a
lot of time climbing over, or breaking through this wall in some way. Once a
friendship is formed, Germans make great, loyal friends (I am told). That point
is difficult to get to. In discussing
this with an American friend once, he was convinced that this problem would not
exist for him because he is so outgoing and makes friends easily. However, I am convinced that his personality
and intentions wouldn’t matter, because the native people here have their ways
that they are set in. Sure, you might be able to have a brief, friendly
conversation with, for example the person serving you day after day at the
bakery, but to me this is more of a showing of politeness rather than true
friendliness.
This friendliness issue affects life on an everyday basis.
It has an effect on the atmosphere and energy that I feel around me, and on the
energy that I give back. For the first several months that I lived here I would
smile at random people that I passed on the sidewalk. Most people would do a
double-take, and often give a confused look back to me. It was almost as if
people were actually offended by my superfluous smiling, or perhaps even
thought I was crazy. I grew up in America, where the philosophy I was taught is
that you should smile at random people all the time, because you never know
when the energy created from your smile could brighten up someone’s day. I have
talked to some fellow expats about this issue, and it seems to be something
that we all have noticed. One person told me that after several months she
began putting on her “German face” whenever she was in public. To me, this is a
really sad thing. There are psychological studies that show that smiling can
actually MAKE you happier (and the reverse is also true). Some people say that
the American “friendliness” is actually superficiality. However, I think that
the friendliness that people show in the US, even to random strangers, creates
a comfortable atmosphere with positive energy.
I miss that atmosphere.
Of course there are some exceptions to this generality of
unfriendliness. These include people who are interested in (or come from) other
cultures (for example people who have traveled to countries outside of Europe),
and many people who have moved here from other parts of Germany. Also, Sundays.
On a Sunday you are free to smile at a stranger on the street and even say
hallo, moin, or guten Tag… and they are even likely to return the pleasantry.
2- Health
The attitude toward health here is very different from that
in America, which I find very refreshing. One example of this is the health
insurance issue. Everyone living in Germany can and does have health insurance.
If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed to you …. (haha). And the
health insurance is of a much different standard than we are used to in America
(for those who are lucky enough to have it, anyways). Generally the insurance
companies here basically just do what you would hope/expect an insurance
company to do. If you need to go to the doctor or hospital they pay for it. All
of it. No copays, or partial payments (generally). This actually results in the
whole attitude toward health, and the way that health care professionals act,
to be completely different. Hospitals even seem to have a different sort of
atmosphere to them.
There is also a much bigger acceptance of homeopathic and
holistic medicine. The practitioners are abundant, and aren’t viewed as
“witches” as the general impression seems to be in the US. Even among the
medical doctors there does not seem to be as much of a focus on pharmaceuticals
and covering up medical problems with drugs and surgery, as the case is in the
US. If you are acclimated to the general
American “scenery” you will most likely notice the surprising lack of obese
people roaming the streets. Don’t get me wrong, the American diet and lifestyle
has penetrated Germany and this can be seen, however it is nowhere near the
extent that it has reached in America.
3- Food
This leads me to the issue of food. There is so much that I
could say here…. where to begin? First of all, Germans want to know exactly
what they’re eating, and all ingredients (including any which may be
genetically modified) are required to be listed on the label. In the US there are thousands of ingredients
which don’t have to be legally listed, and if an ingredient must be listed,
there are many ways to disguise it on the label. For example you must be on the
lookout for over 20 different “code words” which indicate that your product
contains MSG (source: http://healthwyze.org/index.php/component/content/article/322-fibromyalgia-the-fda-ignores-an-entire-disease-caused-by-its-approved-excitotoxins-and-remains-silent-about-the-cure.html)!
In Germany eggs are required to be marked with a number indicating the conditions that the chicken lives in. The lower classes of eggs, including those produced by caged chickens that can’t even move around, can’t even be bought in Germany anymore. Many foods which are very commonly bought from supermarkets in the US are completely illegal in Germany. Examples include meat tainted with chemicals and hormones such as Ractopamine and arsenic, milk and dairy products tainted with rBGH (a growth hormone), drinks tainted with Brominated Vegetable Oil, and bread tainted with Potassium Bromate. If Americans knew what products these were in, and knew what detriments these ingredients would cause, we would be smart enough not to want them either. America needs to wake up and catch up. (source: http://topinfopost.com/2013/07/10/10-american-foods-that-are-banned-in-other-countries)
In Germany eggs are required to be marked with a number indicating the conditions that the chicken lives in. The lower classes of eggs, including those produced by caged chickens that can’t even move around, can’t even be bought in Germany anymore. Many foods which are very commonly bought from supermarkets in the US are completely illegal in Germany. Examples include meat tainted with chemicals and hormones such as Ractopamine and arsenic, milk and dairy products tainted with rBGH (a growth hormone), drinks tainted with Brominated Vegetable Oil, and bread tainted with Potassium Bromate. If Americans knew what products these were in, and knew what detriments these ingredients would cause, we would be smart enough not to want them either. America needs to wake up and catch up. (source: http://topinfopost.com/2013/07/10/10-american-foods-that-are-banned-in-other-countries)
Germany really is a land of Wurst (sausage) and meat. It’s
not just the stereotype, it’s true (this reminds me of a hilarious pun- "Jokes about Germans are the wurst"...hahaha...). Some of the foods that they eat here
(particularly the older traditional meats) would intimidate even a traditional
meat eater (although I am vegetarian).
For example, bloodwurst. Yes, sausage made from the blood of slaughtered
swine. However, even with their love of meat and sausage Germans are
surprisingly more open to vegetarian and other healthy eating than most people
that I know in America (of course as mentioned the meat that they eat here is
much less chemically and hormonally altered than what we get in America). It is
quite common for a German person to appreciate eating one day per week
vegetarian, for example. They also appreciate organic food products and
markets.
In general I would say that, aside from a few traditional
dishes, German cuisine is not particularly noteworthy or well known. The
flavors tend to be rather dull in my opinion. The thing that Germany really
does well: Bread. Brot. Brötchen. There
is no scarcity of bread in Germany. There is a bakery on seemingly every corner
(comparable to a fast food restaurant on every corner in America perhaps?). A
typical German breakfast is a table covered in an assortment of bread rolls, an
assortment of meats (including mettwurst – a raw-looking minced meat spread
onto a roll, topped with raw onions), an assortment of cheeses, and perhaps a
slice of cucumber or tomato. Oh, and don’t forget the egg. It may be found
hard-boiled and perfectly thinly sliced on top of a breakfast roll, or perhaps
the more traditional German way- soft boiled, partially peeled, placed into a
special soft-boiled-egg-dish, and eaten with a spoon and lots of salt.
In my experience I have also found that Germans are not
particularly open to trying fancy-schmancy new dishes that their palates are
not yet accustomed to. On more than one occasion I have brought what I thought
was a simple pasta salad to a get-together, only to bring it all home with me.
It is also worth noting that portion size in Germany (or
Europe as a whole) is generally smaller than in America. Additionally, there is
a prevalence of Turkish food (in response to the prevalence of Turkish people
of course) such as the beloved 4 am drunk food: Döner Kebap.
4- Restaurants
When you enter a restaurant in Germany you generally seat
yourself. Also, don’t expect the
waiter/waitress to keep coming back to you and asking if everything is alright.
Customer service is looked at a bit differently here. A German typically eats
with the fork in the left hand and knife in the right. You don’t set either of
these utensils down throughout the entire meal. Even if it is pizza or a sandwich,
Germans eat with a fork and knife. Also, you must always say “Guten Apetit’
before you take a bite. Germans are also not big fans of ice. You can expect
anything that you order to come ice-less.
Tips are not expected as they are in the US. People are paid
higher wages and expected tips are not built in to their pay as they are the
US. It is usually acceptable to round up the bill to the nearest Euro or two. When
you ask them for the bill (they will never just bring it to you without being
asked, that would be considered rude) they will bring it and then stand there
and wait for you to pay. If you were to leave a tip on the table without giving
it to them directly, it would disappear in the abyss.
5- Traditions
I love the fact that Germans have been able to hold on to so
many of their traditions (no matter how strange and unnecessary many un-Germans
may see them as being). Most of these traditions revolve around the weather or
time of year, and around drinking. Also, whatever you do, do NOT celebrate an
event before the exact moment that it is considered an event (i.e. saying happy
birthday before the minute it is officially your birthday, or holding a
baby-shower before the moment that it is absolutely certain that the baby is
indeed born). Here are some of the interesting
traditions of which I speak:
Polterabend – “Night of making noise.” Basically right
before you get married, a bunch of friends come over to bring you luck by
breaking dishes for you to clean up, nailing the bride's shoe to a tree, setting
the groom’s pants on fire, and sometimes devising little game-like tests that the
couple must pass to prove they are worthy of marrying. It’s actually much more
fun than it sounds.
Kohlfahrt – “Cabbage tour.” A group of friends get together
on a cold winter day and wander through the streets pulling a wagon full of
booze. The participants often wear little shot glasses around their necks and
play drinking games. When everyone is drunk and cold enough they approach their
final destination: a restaurant, where they dine on the very traditional meal
of Kohl and Pinkel (cabbage and a meat concoction containing ingredients that
you probably don’t want to identify before you eat it).
Birthdays – since I come from America- and from a family
where you are treated as royalty on your birthday- the birthday traditions here
in Germany rub me the wrong way. If you want a party for your birthday, for
example, you are expected to throw it yourself and to provide everyone with
alcohol, drinks, and snacks, at your own cost. But here’s the kicker: when you turn
30, you are punished if you are not yet married. This punishment is in the form
of public humiliation. Manly duties usually involve sweeping some steps in a
public location (such as a church or town hall), while friends go behind and trash
the cleaned areas again and again so that the job is never finished. Females
usually have to polish doorknobs (ironically, no American euphemism intended
here). Loving friends often stick the knobs into a jar of something like
Nutella, to give the lucky woman something of substance to clean. The birthday victims can only be relieved
from these duties by receiving a kiss from a virgin (and where do you find one
of those these days?).
Baby Pinkeln – “Peeing on the baby.” Following the birth of
a baby, friends gather together and (surprise!) drink a lot of alcohol. If the
parents are not too exhausted then they join.
It is the grandmother’s job to create a potent concoction of
alcohol-soaked raisins for the party. The philosophy here seems to be that
drinking a lot and having a lot of fun around the baby (in America this would
generally be considered a dangerous and irresponsible situation?!?) will help
the baby to have a healthy urinary tract for the rest of its life. Well…
they’re a pretty healthy bunch – who am I to argue the logic?
Christmastime always involves Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas
market), with lots of Glühwein
(hot mulled wine, often with a shot of booze added) to stay warm, advent
calendars wreaths and candles, and putting shoes out at night on December 5th
for Nikolaus to fill with candy and goodies. Christmas is actually a 3 day
celebration here, beginning with exchanging gifts and the traditional goose
dinner on Christmas eve.
New Year’s Eve is called Silvester in Germany. I’m not sure
why or how this name came about. Nonetheless, it is a very beloved holiday
here. The necessary traditions include: watching “Dinner For One” (which is interestingly
entirely in English) as well as several other old comedy skits, and lighting
off fireworks at midnight. Fireworks are absolutely necessary. Cleaning up the
debris, however, is apparently completely optional.
There are several (American) Holidays that the Germans leave
out of their yearly plan, such as Halloween. I have desperately tried for 2
Halloweens to find people willing to dress up and experience the amazingness of
the holiday. Not happening. However, the Germans also add a few extra holidays
to the calendar compared to Americans so this area is compensated for. For
example, Carnival.
6- Punctuality
Very important: be on time. Not early, not late, but exactly
on time. The German railway system however, appears to be a complete exception
to this rule. I still haven’t figured out how this paradox can exist: it
appears as though everyone in Germany uses public transportation (it’s the
responsible thing to do!), and that trains are on time about 5% of the time,
yet somehow everyone reaches their destinations exactly on time. Curious.
7- Transportation System
That leads me to point 7. Everyone seems to appreciate the
value of the public transportation system, despite its unreliability. And
everyone seems to respect the rule and buy a ticket EVERY time they get on,
even though the tickets are rarely checked. How very responsible and
environmentally conscious of you, Germany!
8- Bikes
This, in turn, leads me to another point. Germans can BIKE.
They bike everywhere, and they do it damn well.
Need a visual? Picture a normal teenager riding for, say 10 consecutive
minutes without even touching the handlebars, because his hands are busy both texting
and eating a Döner. He pulls up to a bike parking area next to, say, 300 nicely
parked bikes outside the train station. Everyday routine. Germans are on bikes
essentially from the time they can walk, until the time they can no longer walk
(I took a picture the other day of about 150 kids’ bikes outside an elementary
school in my town). I regularly see children from approximately age two scooting
pedal-less bikes behind their parents as they go for walks. It is also very common
to have special lanes on a road, or separated from the roadway, specifically
for bikes.
9- Language
This obvious difference cannot go unmentioned. I must assume
that everyone in the world has the same stereotypical sound-clip of a German
stored somewhere in their brain as I do. And it doesn’t sound pretty. Well, in
reality…. yes it sounds exactly as you imagine. True story: several times I
have stood back and observed a conversation between my husband and another
person, and when it ended I was positive that they were fighting, someone’s
life was threatened, we were kicked out, or the cops were about to be called…
and it turns out that the person was telling a joke and all parties involved
were actually enjoying the conversation. It takes a well-trained ear to
decipher between the natural abrasiveness of the language, and an actual angry
tone. The language just has some special ability to turn lovely sounding words
into scary sounding things. Butterfly……SCHMETTERLING!
Also, I would advise you not to attempt to learn this language for
fun. Okay, a little bit is fun… but as soon as you get to the grammatical
aspect the world ceases to make sense.
There are 6 different ways to say the word “the” depending on the way it
is used. Also, genders are assigned to every noun in a completely nonsensical
fashion. Woman – feminine. Okay. Man – masculine. Sure. Boy – masculine. Girl –
neutral. Carrot?? Well… if left to my creativity, I could make an assumption…
but it would be wrong. It’s Feminine.
Jewelry? Again, wrong. Masculine.
A couple interesting vocabulary notes: In German, there is
no specific word for “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.” You simply call that person
your friend. This seems a bit ambiguous to me and leaves room for some
interesting misinterpretations. Many German words look and sound very similar
to English words, and many times they have the similar meaning. However, do not
rely on this to be a rule. Don’t be intimidated by words like “die” (which
simply means the), “Bad” (which means bath), or “Dusche” (which means shower…
the full body kind). Germans also have several words in their daily vocabulary
which they believe are English. The words themselves seem English, but in fact
we would never use them in such a way in English. For example “Handy” for cell phone,
“Mobbing” which means bullying, “Beamer” for a projector, and “Partner Look” as
a description of a couple who dress alike.
Also, Germans use completely different words when talking to
a person formally or informally and it is important to make this distinction right
away and use the correct form (the du form or the Sie form). You should
generally be formal with anyone with whom you are not close friends or have
never met before, however you should always be informal with children. If there
wasn’t enough pressure just to be able to speak the language, this rule adds a
whole new dimension.
On the positive side of the language issue, I would like to
add that Germans are rather talented linguists, especially when compared to
Americans. Essentially all Germans are taught English in school. Therefore,
even those who will tell you that they don’t speak English most likely have a
basic understanding of it (and almost every German will tell you that their
English is “bad” and then, when pressured, amaze you by putting together
sentences better than many Americans that you know). This could have something to
do with the fact that they deal with English on an everyday basis. Many songs
on the radio, and even store and product names are in English. Random English
words or phrases will appear within a conversation. A few days ago I overheard
some older women on a train insert “time is money!” into the middle of their
German conversation. I have also heard things such as “An apple a day!” and
“Ladies first!”
10 – Booze
America and Germany are nowhere near on the same page with
their drinking mentalities. It was less than 100 years ago that America
actually made alcohol completely illegal and taboo and Germany has never
stopped coming up with new occasions and “reasons” for drinking it. A baby has
been born – let’s drink! It’s Oktober – let’s drink! It’s cold outside – let’s go
outside and drink! It’s hot outside – let’s go outside and grill and drink! We
finished our dinner – let’s drink! However, a good German somehow manages to
maintain themselves, behave themselves, and to never appear drunk. Perhaps this
stems from the way that drinking is NOT considered a no-no in Germany.
In America we put
teenagers through high school and college and FORBID them to drink alcohol
until they are 21. During this time they can drive cars, smoke cigarettes, have
babies, or travel overseas and risk their lives to fight for their country, and
all is fine and dandy as long as they don’t have a sip of alcohol. Of course,
we all know that they will want to do it anyways (perhaps for the simple reason
that it is forbidden, or perhaps because they are surrounded with media and
people making it appear to be fun, or perhaps simply for the same reason that
people have wanted to drink alcohol for the last several thousand years?). The
problem is that when they do manage to get hold of some alcohol illegally,
they will drink as much of it as they can as fast as they can. They can’t get
caught with it, right? In America we raise binge drinkers. In Germany people
can buy “soft alcohol” (beer and wine) at age 16, and “hard alcohol” (liquor)
at age 18. A parent can buy their child a beer or wine when they are 14 years
old (note: this does not mean that a parent can be negligent and get their kid
drunk). Teenagers can learn about alcohol, and how to drink responsibly, from a
younger age at a slower pace and under supervision. Lots of people have
different opinions about it… but from where I’m sitting it appears to work
pretty damn well.
On the subject of alcohol I can also add that you can buy
alcohol just about anywhere in Germany. Grocery store, corner store, department
store, train station… and you can also drink it just about anywhere. Public
drinking is not only allowed, but very common. On the street, on the
bus/tram/train, occasionally at the workplace, or even in your car while you’re
driving (provided that you’re not drunk of course). A friend recently told me
that some coworkers threw her a surprise baby shower at her workplace, on her
last day. They served shots.
German beers, by the way, are only allowed by law to contain
the basic ingredients: water, hops, barley. You will not find specialty brews
in Germany. However, you will find several mixtures. You can find beer mixed
with lemon-lime soda, or orange soda, or grapefruit, for example. Usually
half-half, which obviously reduces the alcohol percentage as well as flavor of
the beer. These “beers” are typically chick drinks.
Also, there is no required closing time for bars. They stay
open until the fun stops.
Important note: when someone says cheers to you (“prost!”)
you must clink the bottom of your glasses/bottles while looking the person
directly into the eyes. Failure to make eye contact will result in 7 years of
bad sex. Don’t risk it. The average penis size in Germany is ½ inch more than
in America ;) (source: http://www.targetmap.com/viewer.aspx?reportId=3073)
11. Products
I have been surprised by some of the items that I cannot
find here. Since I love to cook, and had become quite accustomed to American
ingredients, the task of finding some of these ingredients has presented itself
as quite a challenge. On the bright side, in Germany the price that you see on
the tag is the exact price that you will pay at the register. This applies for
all things, all the time, because tax is included in the price. What the hell
is the sense of all the extra math anyways?
Things I can’t find (or have eventually found but only for
an insane price):
Baking Soda. The German version of baking soda is completely
different. Your American-style chocolate chips cookies will come out like
cookie batter chips.
Chocolate chips or Hershey kisses. This one is not too
difficult to deal with because Germans do chocolate excellently and I have resorted
to buying chocolate bars and chopping them up.
Chex cereal. The holidays just aren’t the same without Chex
Mix (thanks for the addiction mom!)
Hummus. Luckily I can just make my own instead.
Celery, Spinach, Kale – can only be found for limited times
at certain times of the year. Anyways, Germans don’t eat celery like Americans
do – they use the root of the vegetable much more commonly. And I don’t mean to
scare you away… but pizza does not come with wings, which in turn do not come
with celery and bleu cheese.
Cheddar cheese. As an update, I have found a store that I
can purchase cheddar cheese from the deli at, but it is nowhere near as common
as it is in the US. On the other hand, they have about 10 thousand other kinds
of cheese here.
Liquid bleach. I actually bought bleach powder the other
day… something just didn’t seem right about it.
Vanilla Extract. The more common way to bake with vanilla
here is to use “vanillazucker” which is vanilla flavored sugar. It sort of
defeats the purpose of trying to bake without sugar. Luckily, you can make this
yourself. Or charge visitors from the US a vanilla extract boarding fee.
Ground turkey. Locatable but not easily. Luckily I’ve gotten
over this addiction.
Several other items that were on this list have been
eliminated thanks to the Asian stores in Bremen. Edamame, Sriracha, and certain
spices (like chilli powder) for example.
12- “Things”
I can see much more clearly now how America as a whole is
very consumer-oriented. People in America own many, many things. And it seems
that they are always looking for the next thing that they are going to buy. Now
don’t get me wrong, I realize that there is that one day every year when
Americans sit back and do nothing but be thankful for all the things that they
have. Yes, I’m talking about the day before Black Friday… when people will
scratch and fight and wait in lines starting at 3 am to GET MORE THINGS. To be
fair, it’s not entirely our fault, Americans. The media raised us that way.
For some reason, people seem to have fewer “things” in
general here. However, the things that they do have seem to be of better
quality. This could possibly be attributed to the fact that there is less space
in general to keep those things in. However… it could also possibly (I’m going
out on a limb here!) be attributed to companies like Walmart who can get people
in other countries to make super cheap products for them- at a sacrifice of course
for quality and humanity- and then use the media to convince you that these are
things that you need. Anyways… enough of my big-business rant. People in
Germany have fewer of the less valuable type of possessions than Americans do.
The consequence of this is that when you are in Germany and
you want something specific, or something cheap, it can be difficult to find. There
is no super-center one-stop-shop. The first time this hit home for me was when I
needed to buy contact lens solution. I actually had to go to a pharmacy to find
it… and they only had 1 bottle in stock! The next time was when we wanted to
buy some camping supplies. Flashlights, sleeping bags, a tent…. you actually
have to go to a camping store (or a department store). Germans apparently don’t
mind having to stop at a few different stores to accomplish their shopping.
Bakery, then butcher, then pharmacy, then grocery store, for example, is
completely normal. They have really managed to hold on to their “mom and pop
shops” (or “aunt Emma shops” from German).
13 – Quiet time
Germans believe very strongly that people need time to
relax. That time is Sunday. It is actually illegal for most businesses to be
open at all on a Sunday, so that pretty much leaves you with no choice but to
stay home. It also requires you to plan ahead a little bit, because you will
not be able to go to a grocery store when you wake up hung over on Sunday with
no food in the house. There are only a few Sundays per year that stores can be
open as an extra “shopping day.” For example, before Christmas.
In smaller towns and older villages that are more in touch
with their roots, there are “quiet hours” every day from approximately 1pm to
3pm. Don’t let anyone catch you doing anything loud -such as having fun or
mowing your lawn- during this time. You will receive a stern talking-to… in
German… which will without a doubt be intimidating.
14- House shoes
Everyone in Germany has a special pair of shoes reserved for
wearing indoors. Very often they are some version of Crocs (I like to call them
birth control shoes), or slippers. Sure, people in the US wear slippers too…
but we don’t take it nearly as seriously as Germans. They are a necessity here.
Very often when you enter a person’s home they will indicate that you should
remove your shoes, and they will offer you the use of an extra pair of house
shoes that they have sitting nearby just for such an occasion. On the other side,
a guest in your home may actually ask you if you have an extra pair for them to
wear. For some reason walking around in socks is unthought-of.
15 –Save the Planet!
Nearly every home in Germany contains an elaborate recycling
system, which foreigners will need to study and practice for months before they
can fully understand and correctly use. Such a strange thing… it’s as if…. they
actually care about the environment! There are separate places for glass (which
is then further separated by color), paper products, plastic products, ”Bio”
waste (compostable), and finally “Restmüll”
or whatever garbage is leftover. Sure we
have recycling systems in the US… but do people really recycle to their full
potential? Or at all? At one point when I lived in North Carolina we inquired
about separating our plastic and glass, and the person at the dump actually
told us not to bother because it all got combined when it got to them anyways.
Captain Planet must be rolling in his grave….
Recycling bottles is actually made easier by the plastic
cases that they come in here (cans are not very common). You simply put the
plastic or glass bottle back into the slot of the hard plastic case you bought
it in, and bring it back to the store, where you are given cash for them! Some
states in the US have bottle and can deposits, but not all, and many people
ignore them anyways because the process is dirty and consumes time and space.
In Germany a glass bottle is worth 8 cents, and a plastic bottle is worth 25
cents. Homeless people wander the streets and earn their booze money by
collecting all the bottles people are too lazy to recycle on their own.
Cleaning the streets, earning money, saving the environment: win-win-win.
Germans are also big on other ways of watching out for the
environment. Wind mills have basically taken over power production so that
there is no need for atomic plants anymore. Also popular are: solar energy, electric
and smart cars, public transportation, eliminating plastic bag waste (You have
to pay –generally 20 cents - for each bag that you want when you go shopping.
You may be familiar with the concept from Aldi. They are also in the process of
making one-time-use plastic bags completely illegal.) and any way that a little
bit can be saved.
16 – Doors
Don’t step out your front door quickly to grab the mail
without your keys in your hand. Doors cannot be opened from the outside without
a key. This is in direct contrast to America, where many people don’t EVER lock
their doors. And since the windows are
also completely different from American windows (Turn the handle one way and
the window will detach on the top and tilt inwards. Turn it another way and it will
detach on the side and swing completely inside like a door.) you won’t be able
to push one up to crawl inside.
17 – Driving
I recently, FINALLY, obtained my German driver’s license (By
the way, this test is a nightmare. Yes it is mostly multiple choice, however
you have no idea how many of the choices may be correct. Is there 1 correct answer?
or 2? or all 3?) However, I’m still not
completely comfortable actually driving. And it’s not the Autobahn that
intimidates me, as you may be thinking. Some rules are completely different here
than they are in America, and I really have to think about everything I do. For
example, they do have a “right before left” rule, but it works completely
differently than in America. Cars driving on roadways to the right side of you are
allowed to pull out in front of you. You actually have to yield at nearly every
roadway that you approach. However, to make things more complicated, this is
only the case in areas without little signs with yellow squares on them or
areas with no signs.
Also, in an attempt to slow traffic down, the German people
have decided that it is a good idea to place random obstacles in roadways. For
example, this obstacle is often in the form of a giant pot with a tree in it
that you are forced to drive around, or a random spot of grass surrounded by a
raised curb. Not only do you have to drive around these protrusions, but
usually the remaining space of roadway is not wide enough for 2 cars to fit
through at the same time. This often turns into a game of
who’s-going-to-stop-chicken.
DO NOT flip a person off while driving in your car. That’s a
place where they put their feet down. High and strict fines. Also, if you were
to carelessly drive by a person walking on the sidewalk and splash them with
water, that person could write down your information and legally demand that
you pay for their dry cleaning bill.
For a German, obtaining a driver’s license is a long and
expensive process. Generally speaking it takes at least a year and around $2,000,
and you can’t start until you turn 18. A CPR/First Aid class is also required
(wouldn’t you feel a bit more comfortable knowing that everyone on the road had
at least some basic knowledge for emergency situations?). Also, gasoline is
around 2-3X more expensive here than it is in the US. Side note: it is rather
unusual to see an automatic transmission car here.
It is not common at all to see a police car hiding somewhere
radar-gunning cars like a deer hunter. The police generally leave the task of
catching and punishing the speeders to radar cameras. If you speed past one of
these cameras your photo will automatically be taken and you will receive a
letter in the mail with your photo and a calculation of exactly how fast you
were going. The courts in Germany are not clogged up with such insignificant
matters so you will not attend court. You will simply pay a fine by mail, and
if applicable, accept whatever license points may be associated. It’s a pretty hard
system to argue with.
18- Traffic lights
While you sit at a red light waiting, the light will
momentarily switch to yellow and then to green. I’m not sure exactly of the
reasoning here but it is reminiscent of street racing. Also, legal right-on-reds
are pretty much nonexistent (unless there are specific signs).
19- Crime & Weapons
Most German people think it’s a bit crazy that just about
anyone can obtain a serious weapon like a gun almost instantaneously and
without question in America. That’s just not the way that things work in their
country. Not many people are allowed to have guns. Only those who are are
extensively trained, such as police officers and hunters (it’s not an easy
process to get a hunting license here). German people seem to care very much
about safety. They want to feel secure. In general, I would say that it seems
to work. Bremen is a reasonably large city, and for the most part I don’t feel
intimidated to walk around after dark (and this is coming from a country girl).
Of course, there are crazy and weird and dangerous people everywhere, so there
is always risk. However, at least Germans can feel relatively comfortable that
they will probably not end up face to face with a firearm in their travels.
This has an interesting effect on suicide in this country.
Of course not having a gun does not make a determined person any less willing
to do something about the “problem” that they are alive. Obviously they can’t
turn to guns for a simple solution… so what is the next most simple? As strange
as it seems to me… there seems to be an awful lot of jumping in front of trains
going on here. Perhaps I have an altered perspective because my husband is a
paramedic who has to go scrape these bodies off the tracks, or perhaps I am
simply not acclimated to this method of death since I grew up in a country area
where train travel wasn’t common. Either way, this is an uneasy observation (so
I just thought I should pass it on to you!!).
The lack of guns seems to have the direct effect of lowering
crime rates. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to express an opinion about gun
control here. What works for one country may not work for the next…. however….
something they did seems to be working. Let’s compare some statistics (source: http://www.civitas.org.uk/crime/crime_stats_oecdjan2012.pdf).
Per 100,000 people, how many cases of attempted homicide are there in each
country? US: 5, Germany: 0.8. How many cases of rape? US: 28.6, Germany 8.9.
Robbery? US: 133, Germany: 60. There are some big differences there. On the
other hand, I’d also like to mention the statistics about assault. US: 262,
Germany: 630. Judging by these statistics it appears to me as though people in
Germany fight each other, but not so much kill or rape or rob each other. Interesting stuff… I’ll leave you to
interpret the statistics as you will.
As far as drug problems go, I don’t have much insight into
this problem. However, I can say that Germany has no idea what bath salts are,
and I’ll take that as a positive.
20 – Lines
Man oh man does this one irritate me. Germans tend to be
very polite and socially obedient. I have no idea how they missed the social
obedience lesson on how LINES should function (interesting note: lines are
called Schlangen in German which translates to snakes). This drives me
absolutely crazy and if I spoke the language better I would have most
definitely initiated a strong “debate” about this issue many-a-time in supermarkets
already. In the US we have an unspoken but well known system: when a new
cashier opens their register, the people who have been waiting the longest are
entitled to be the first in that line (assuming of course that you don’t
already have all of your items on the conveyer belt). First come, first serve.
This phrase seems to have a completely different meaning in Germany. Just
tonight I was in a line at the grocery store. The woman in front of me was
purchasing a month’s worth of groceries, and I had one item in my hand.
Eventually a man showed up behind me with a few items in his hands. The next
cash register opened up and said “Next please!” and the man ran right over
there, feeling perfectly entitled to the “next” position. This example is not
as extreme as those I have seen in the past. There could be 10 people behind
you in line, and you could have been waiting there ½ hour, and the German way
is that whoever makes it first to the newly opened register has the right to be
there and somehow not feel like a complete schmuck for budging. “First come,
first serve” in Germany means that if you make it there first, you get it.
Regardless of how long you have been waiting. Some of the situations I find
myself in really make me wonder how a similar situation would go over in
America. But I really believe there would be a throw down. American’s don’t
stand for that sort of business.
21 – Work vs. Life
In America, we live to work. In Germany, people work to
live. In Germany they really seem to understand that there should be a balance
between work and personal life. Compared to America, Germans have an insane
amount of time off. And miraculously, they are able to accomplish an enormous
amount in the time that they work (I assume you all know about Porsche,
Mercedes, Volkswagon, BMW, and Siemens as examples). Germans love taking vacations. Every year
(crazy, right!?). They look forward to and plan the trip, and then they have a
chance to relax from their stressful work life while they are on the trip,
which usually lasts longer than a week (otherwise, what would be the sense in
going?). Americans are not able to do this. “America is the only developed
country in the world without a single legally required paid vacation day or
holiday” (source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/08/countries-most-vacation-days/2400193/).
In Germany, like most of Europe, employees receive about 4 weeks of PAID
vacation. They recognize the fact that humans need to have some time to
de-stress from their hectic work life. It makes sense for the country to do
this because healthy people do better work. How do we miss that in America and
still survive? At least in my own life, I can very obviously see how badly
people in the US are suffering from this.
As a result, Germans in general seem to love to travel.
Europe is quite easy to navigate, and many Germans take up this opportunity. In
America, it seems that most people feel that there is absolutely no need to
travel outside the country. The majority of Americans have never even stepped
foot outside of their own country (even though there are 2 that are directly
attached to theirs) and don’t even own a passport (I recently heard a statistic that more people in the US own a Michael Jackson CD than a passport.....really!?). They feel no need to see
other lands or cultures or get an idea of how the rest of the work functions. Or
perhaps people would like to do this kind of exploration, but they are so boxed
in by their strict work schedules that they are never afforded the opportunity.
Either way, it is quite sad to me. We
should live to LIVE, not live to work. Life (and health) should be priority.
22- Water
In contrast to Americans, Germans like their water full of
carbonation. If you order water in a restaurant, this is typically what you’ll
get. Even if you would specifically order still water in a restaurant, you’d
have to pay for it. Ironically Germany has an abundance of clean drinking (tap)
water that they simply don’t drink. Because it doesn’t have bubbles.
23- Kids
A huge percentage of German adults choose not to have
children. This is a problem for the country. The native German human is on the
verge of becoming an endangered species!!! Okay, a little exaggeration there…
but really, about ¼ of the population in Germany are immigrants, and the
immigrants seem to be the only ones who want to have babies (and lots of
them!!). Ironically…. the government actually gives out “Kindergeld” to people
who have children (one of the few countries that do such a thing). Germany
cannot even bribe Germans into having babies. I don’t know that much about
specifics but as a general figure you could guess that a person receives $250
per child per month
On the note of having children, America is one of the only
countries in which companies are not required to give any paid maternity leave
at all. In Germany the parental leave available is unbelievably great. They
expect a person to take at least 1 or 2 years off upon the birth of a child.
And they want the parent to receive money during that time. Imagine that... a
country that wants to pay its citizens to stay home for a while and put some
effort into successfully raising new citizens…
24- Plan EVERYTHING
Germans plan everything. I thought I was a planner, but it’s
actually a bit extreme here. The moment my husband and I announced that we were
engaged his family wanted to know the address and dates of where to book their
flights to. Oh… and congrats!!
The filing system in Germany however, drives me crazy. You
cannot find a filing cabinet, or even the files that would go inside such a
cabinet. Instead, everything here is stored in binders. Which leads me to
another point: the size of a sheet of paper is completely different here.
German paper is a bit skinnier and a bit taller than American paper (is it
possible that people simply grow in resemblance to the paper?). Oh the things
one takes for granted….
25- Space
As is the case in many European countries, space is
appreciated and well-used. Bigger is not necessarily better. Roads and parking
spaces are smaller, but the cars are also smaller so it works. I’ve been to
villages in the mountains where I swear neighbors could reach out of their
second story window and give high-fives to each other, over the road. Some
people who live in cities actually rent garden space within the city to be able
to plant some veggies. They don’t waste space around here.
26- Public Property
I was a bit confused and apprehensive the first several
times we took the dog for a walk here. Basically, you can drive to just about
anywhere where you see a field or woods… and simply start walking. Everyone
does this. And it’s perfectly legal. Farmers’ fields are perfect places to stop
for a walk. If there is no sign (and I don’t know if I have ever seen such a
sign) then you are free to walk about as you please. I still feel unsure when I
do it… as if some American farmer is going to step out with a gun.
27- Dogs
Aaaannndd speaking of dogs, Germany has a much greater
acceptance of them than where I came from in the US. It is very common to see
dogs in trains, trams, restaurants, or shops. A bit opposite to America, if
there is no sign you can assume that you CAN take your dog inside. Also, a new
law has been passed that requires people who own a dog to take a class to learn
how to properly take care of dogs.
28- Pedestrians
That little green light that tells you when it’s safe to
walk across the street (has anyone in America ever noticed one of these
lights?) is taken very, very seriously.
In the course of learning this lesson in Germany, if you are lucky
enough to avoid a broken pelvis (unlike me), you will most certainly be subject
to mean glares and scolding from angry elderly Germans every time you fail to
wait those extra few seconds for the green light.
29- Cancer Sticks
It seems as though everyone in Germany smokes cigarettes. The
movements to stop the habit don’t seem to be as strong as what’s going on in
the US. One German person that I spoke to actually told me that he would love
to visit the US, but that the main thing holding him back was his intimidation by the cigarette laws. He was afraid of getting to the US and not being
able to find a place that he was allowed to smoke, or that people would give
him mean and dirty looks for smoking. It’s really strange to me that people see
the US that way… but when I walk down the streets in the city here I can smell
just how much Germans LOVE their cigarettes.
30- What is Germany Made of?
It’s difficult to describe the feeling of the surroundings
when you’re in Germany, and how they’re different from the US. Personally I
would describe it as a feeling of history, if that makes any sense. It amazes
me to look at buildings that have been standing for…say 500 years. To think
about everything that it survived and what people standing in the same exact
spot as me were doing and thinking 50 or 100 years… or one or 2 or 3
millenniums ago. The history is great (and sad at times, of course).
With the historical architecture aside, buildings in Germany
are actually made of different materials than those in the US. I haven’t seen a
piece of sheetrock since I’ve been here. Everything is concrete and rock. Even
the shingles on the roof are some sort of clay or ceramic or rock (I was
recently informed that roof shingles are not attached to the building, but
deliberately placed on unattached so that during a heavy storm they will fly
off and not take the entire roof with them). I actually have a bit of
experience in general construction in the US… and Germany just leaves me
clueless. I didn’t even know how to go about hanging a picture on the wall.
Now let’s go into a few details of the houses or apartments
themselves. First of all, every room in Germany has a door. And the Germans
open and close the doors very often. In my first apartment in Germany, I think
only about a month went by before I lifted the damn kitchen door up off the
hinges and got it the hell out of the room and out of my way.
When you rent an apartment in Germany you can expect that
there will be no kitchen appliances or counters or cupboards. Also there will
be zero closets, and light fixtures. That’s just completely normal here. It is
also completely normal that the bathroom contains a tub and a shower,
completely separate from each other (I thought they were trying to save
space!?). Our first apartment had a normal bathroom (with shower, bath, toilet,
and sink) and a guest bathroom (with a sink and a toilet). The light switch was
on the outside of the room, and once the light was on for 2 minutes a fan would
automatically come on. I liked to tell guests that the room was equipped with a
shit-detector. If you start to take a shit… a fan will automatically come on. I
liked the effect of nervousness that it had on people. :)
If you want to go to the bathroom in a public place then you
will have to pay. This is common even at bars, stores, and sometimes
restaurants. There is either an entry fee, or a bathroom attendant that will be
expecting a tip. Because I’m a very cheap person, this causes me to pee a lot
less. On the bright side, you can always expect that your restroom experience
will be a clean one.
Don’t be confused when you want to go visit a toilet on the
1st floor of the building. The English version of first floor is
actually considered the ground floor in Germany. The next floor up would be
considered the first floor. Lots of room for confusion and getting lost there…
The streets in most villages or towns or cities in Germany
are cobblestone. Annoying to drive
across, but they really create a nice quaint village feel and look.
31 – Hosts
As soon as you walk through the door of a German’s home they
automatically offer you a drink. That seems to be considered the most
hospitable thing you can do for a guest in Germany (whether they are visiting
for 10 minutes, 10 hours or 10 days).
32 – Safety
German people care very much about their safety. Because of
this there are approximately 1,000 different types of insurance that you can
buy. Health insurance is mandatory of course, but you can also purchase lots of
different supplemental kinds. In addition to those pertaining to your health,
for example, you can purchase theft insurance, damage insurance (in case you
accidentally damage another person’s property), additional retirement
insurance, disability insurance, or insurance pertaining to different types of
weather. People here rely on and appreciate their insurance, feel that they are
much safer and worry-free with it, and cannot understand why other people would
not want their lives to work the same way.
There is also an obvious lack in harmful wildlife in this
country that coincidentally seems to align perfectly with their need to feel
secure and safe. No need to fear snakes, spiders, wildlife, health problems,
crime... what is left?
33 – Bottle opener
To be a true German you must be able to open a bottle of
beer with essentially any object. There are no wimpy twist tops. I have seen
bottles opened with sidewalk curbs, lighters, keys, spoons, (those are all EASY
of course) and even newspapers.
34- Sexuality
Germans are not shy in this arena. First of all,
prostitution is legal, as it is in most places outside of the US borders. This
allows for people to do the things they would inevitably do anyways with much
less risk of disease and other problems. When everything is out in the open, the
people in this profession can be much safer because they are tested, and
because they don’t have to be sneaking around. Believe it or not, people seem
to turn out OKAY even when they are faced with the possible option of legally
having sex whenever they want.
Another very interesting point is that of nudity. Germans
(or perhaps Europeans in general?) are refreshingly open about not having any
clothes on. To the point where a person might come downstairs in the morning
and make coffee au natural, regardless of who may be present, without a care in
the world. My first visit to a sauna in Germany was quite an experience. There
was no clothing allowed. There was no regard to a person’s age or sex or
anything else. Just don’t bring anything else in except yourself and a towel to
sit on. My husband told me that his family visited nude beaches when he was a
child. When they pulled up his parents would strip down and basically say… “Hey…
strip, or sit in the car.” I find this openness very realistic and refreshing. I also imagine
that such an openness would create a much more positive self-image and
self-acceptance in young people than what we foster in the US.
35 – Education
I wish that I knew in high school what I know now. I
certainly wouldn’t have wasted so much money studying in America, when studying
in Germany would have actually been cheaper and given me a chance to learn and
experience so much more. It costs around $300-350 to study at University of
Bremen for ½ a year. I am still in debt to the American government for the education
that I received there years ago.
Apprenticeships are very common in Germany. It is also very
common that a person first finds a company that they want to work for, and THEN
they go to school to learn what that company wants them to learn. When a person
finishes their education in Germany they already have some on-the-job training
and are very knowledgeable and employable. I feel that in general the American
education system does not actually prepare you to work.
The pre-college education system is also completely
different. All children attend the same school until 4th grade. At
that time a decision is made as to which of three paths the child should take
for the remainder of their education. The most promising pupils are sent to the
highest level – Gymnasium. The next level is Realschule (which ends a couple
years before Gymnasium), and the lowest level is Hauptschule which students
finish at the 9th grade. Only people who go to and complete
Gymnasium are allowed to attend Universities. People who attend the other two
levels of school typically start a job training when they finish. Therefore,
your future is pretty much decided for you by the time you are 10 years old.
This “Journal of Thoughts and Observations” is still a piece
of work, in work. I have no doubt that
new interesting observations and ideas will continue to cross my path on a
daily or weekly basis. Also, I would love to hear comments or feedback about
the topics I have or have not written about. Whether you agree, disagree, or
simply wonder, intelligent discussion and debate most certainly only helped and
never hurt anyone. :)
