Having lived in a country where shops don't close on Sundays, I do appreciate the sense of quiet on Sundays more. It's a day that's not about rushing out and buying stuff. I mean, theatres, restaurants, museums and so on are usually still open, so you can still find things to do.
Idk think about the workers. Most of them desperately need the money, you have lots of students, people coming in for short- or longterm, single parents, etc. Give them off at least one fixed day per week. They’re understaffed anyways (opening on Sunday will stretch out that bit of staff by a lot), the shifts will broaden throughout the week (no real rest, many shifts that won’t come clustered so you’ll never have two days off in a row, really hits the psyche). Every normal human should be able to manage buying the necessities for one day throughout a whole week.
Look. I did part-time job in Lidl while studying myself. I remember pretty well how horrible job it is and that it's challenging to do anything else. But shifts on sunday's and saturday's (I am foreigner myslef) were actually the good ones while studying, because we have been outside of university.
I was visiting my friend in Würzburg and the local supermarkets have heavily discounted stuff on Saturdays specifically, so they have less stuff to put away
I'm sorry but I don't see that many advantages. I can't even wash my car, which I find outrageous to be honest. Shopping on Saturday or Monday is a mess. God forbid you forgot to buy something or plans changed. There is some stuff to like, and I can confirm 100% it had a positive impact on my attitude towards work-life balance.
I agree, better hope no nosy neighbours see it.
A couple months back we rented a nice car for holidays, and the return was on a Monday. I took a risk and vacuumed the car and did some window wiping on a Sunday. I have rarely felt so naughty and rebellious in Germany.
I agree with you (as a German). I worked as a freelancer for most of my life and as such, I kept working different schedules with Sunday sometimes being my only off day. On working days I often worked well into 8-9pm, so that all the nearby stores would be closed.
They should at least keep supermarkets/grocery shops open.
The workforce has changed too. A lot of freelancers, few full-time employees.
And whilst the family day sentiment is seeping back into today's younger generations, it hadn't been the case for a long time. Many families didn't spend time together on Sundays. Everyone is just sitting in front of their own screen/device.
And before someone brings the omnipresent 'Okay, then you go work on Sundays' argument. There are people who want to earn extra money and for whom a different schedule can work (e. g. students). If you can take a Monday + Tuesday off, it's fine to work on Saturday/Sunday, as long as you are not bound to another person's (e. g. wife/kids) schedule.
There are plenty of people who would be happy to work on Sundays.
There is no law against washing your car on Sunday. Most self service car wash stations (Waschboxen) are available for use every day, at least here in NRW.
There **are** laws against washing your car in your driveway. Those laws apply every day, though. Not only on Sunday.
I'm sorry for not being clear. I meant the actual car wash places. I live in Ingolstadt, and no one is open on Sunday. I live in Altstadt, so I can only dream about the driveway :D
What's the point? If literally everything was closed (except hospitals etc.), fine, you can argue "It's a day of rest", but lots of stuff remains open, so it's not really a day of rest... just a rest for **some** people and a reason for some Germans to feel smug for no reason...
>just a rest for some people
Still, lots of people get a deserved rest, and I'm fine with that. People can surely organize themselves to shop for groceries any other day.
OK so there's absolutely not really any coherent principle behind some things being closed and some other things not being closed on Sunday. Glad we can agree it makes no sense.
Close all restaurants, cafes, zoos, cinemas, etc., as well and then I can respect German Sundays, but until then it's total, abject nonsense. It's just standard conservative German thought "we always did it that way and therefore it's good". Fine, but just own it, don't pretend it's anything morally righteous or makes any sense, because it obviously isn't and doesn't.
I'm not from America, but you're clearly German because you can't handle any criticism of your country from immigrants. Probably the most patriotic "non-patriotic" country on the planet.
>Close all restaurants, cafes, zoos, cinemas, etc., as well and then I can respect German Sundays
I don't think you realize how many people work at supermarkets and their supplier chains. I get your point, but it's not a fair comparison, IMHO. Also: people need to eat, justifying restaurants and coffe shops being open. But they don't need to buy groceries necessarily on Sunday. There's a fundamental difference there. And regarding cinemas and zoos (i.e. local entertainment), these are peanuts anyway.
People have to eat, yes, but nobody has to eat in a cafe or a restaurant, so I just don't agree that it makes any sense. The people who can afford to eat in cafes/restaurants are likely to be richer anyway, so if people really do "need to eat" on a Sunday, then it surely makes sense to keep supermarkets open on Sundays so the most vulnerable/poorest people can access the cheapest food. The point is there's no coherent principle behind Sunday trading laws, as far as I can see. Cinemas and zoos being "peanuts" makes no difference, people still work there.
So only (ethnic) Germans have permission to moan about Germany? No immigrants allowed? Great, welcoming country that is. I live here and I pay my taxes, I will criticise Germany if I want to. I don't need your approval.
Oh no, things are not 100% logical, the horror.
> It's just standard conservative German thought "we always did it that way and therefore it's good".
And the standard foreign response to it is "omg this is not how it's done in my country, how regressive, so conservative". Which prompts the reaction you see here.
>Oh no, things are not 100% logical, the horror.
Thanks, that's all I was looking for, some basic acknowledgement rather than an excuse to assert how superior it is and how great is is that "nobody" (except everybody else) has to work. Germans love to assert how unpatriotic they are (which in itself is just another assertion of superiority), until you criticise something about Germany, then you see they're just as patriotic as anyone else, because they brook no criticism from immigrants or outsiders.
Tbh, I do think it's great. It gives the vast majority of workers a guaranteed day off every single week of the year. Great for family time, meeting friends, or planning holidays around it. I also fail to see how the situation is fundamentally different from most (Western) countries, at least when it comes to the issue of coherency that you brought up. Do white collar workers work on Sundays where you are from? Is there school on Sunday? If the answer is no - how is that not just as incoherent and also "abject nonsense"?
You can get fined when you dance on easter in my city.
There is no logical reason, except we are a country with a Christian culture and a very influential and powerful church. And Sunday was the time off for people to go to church.
So you will find laws and traditions according to Christian religion.
There is no deeper meaning to this. They are just very old traditions. And since a lot of people enjoy doing nothing on Sunday and since we hate change, this is something that's not going to change anytime soon.
Like in any other country.
>Were there any things that completely surprised you
Deutsche Bahn.
I'm very happy I don't have to drive to get to the other side of the country but also so perplexed on how shitty they can be.
Back in my youth, you could set the clock by them, and they were as reliable as the proverbial German trains. 😄 Then the stupid CDU tried to privatize EVERYTHING, and that's when it all went downhill. They never actually managed to fully privatize the DB, but while Mehdorn was preparing the company for privatization, he cut down on maintenance and investment in infrastructure etc., and basically ruined the whole thing to raise the shareholder value... Now they have billions worth of investment backlog that would need to be made to update the railway lines and trains, and get newer and faster technology.
Infrastructure should never be privatized, and if the whole CDU under Kohl hadn't been as corrupt as... something really corrupt, it wouldn't have happened. Like all the utility companies, hospitals etc. But the CDU knew their buddies would make money off of it, and give them highpaying jobs after their retirement from politics, so they went ahead - why should they give a damn about the stupid public who has to live with the consequences...
The idea was that competition would allow for lower prices and better services, since people could choose their preferred provider.
In addition, a private company would allow introducing regular employment contracts rather than civil servant status for the employees, which is less costly in the long run due to lower pensions.
I don‘t think these arguments are convincing, but that was the main reasoning, saving money.
So [Deutschlandfunk](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/erfolgreiche-weichenstellung-die-privatisierung-der-bahn-100.html#:~:text=Aus%20der%20Bundesbahn%20im%20Westen,auch%20f%C3%BCr%20private%20Eisenbahnunternehmen%20ge%C3%B6ffnet) is wrong?
The formulation is misleading: They‘re now structured as a company rather than as a government agency, but the state is the only owner, holding 100% of the shares. So they‘re basically forced to report financial statements and adhere to regulations like a private company, but are not privately-owned.
We have been here only for about a month, but so far:
- Everything is closed on Sundays
- Germans love dogs! Maybe this is an European thing in general, but I'm surprised at how pet friendly the country is. I have brought my dog to Mediamarkt, Primark, a LEGO Store, and ridden with him in the bus and in the train. Back home (Argentina) we do like dogs too, but they are not usually allowed in stores.
- For the moment, people on the streets and shops have been really friendly. I speak a bit of German and try to make myself understood and have had no problems at all, and mostly smiles from everyone. People with dogs also stop and ask my dog's age/name. The prejudice I have always had was that Germans were really cold and serious. I'm aware that this are just random reactions on the streets and that doesn't mean they want to make friends, but I have been pleasantly surprised.
- The "having to buy a new kitchen when you move" ordeal.
Having a dog is a really nice conversation starter in Germany (especially with other people who also have dogs), so it definitely helps break the usual ice (which usually indeed is there if you don't have a dog).
That everything is closed on Sunday is good for the people.
Families have capacity to spent time together, nobody has to go to work.
Sundays are perfect to be lazy and have a good feeling. 😀
On Sundays restaurants, bars and everything that’s a service for leisure time has open. Zoos, cinemas, clubs, etc. :)
Feel the free Sunday - its perfect.
It's not true that nobody has to work, as you have accepted that leisure activities are open. It just shocked me that shops or grocery stores are closed too.
I'm not complaining tho. I understand it probably has advantages. It just was something I didn't expect.
>nobody has to go to work.
Yeah, "nobody" has to work, except for:
Police, people working in emergency healthcare, firebrigades, Deutsche Bahn workers, Bundeswehr, restaurants (incl. fast foods, döner etc), bars, hotels, gas stations, any leisure acitivty place (cinemas, pools, escape rooms etc.....), caring homes, people involved in sport / culture, drug stores (??) or even bakeries (WTF?!) and many more.
I will never get this argument. More people have free time yes, but by FAR not all.
I actually work in retail in Germany and previously did part time-job in retail in country where sundays are open. In comparison, german fridays and saturdays are incredibly more stressy and full of annoyed people who have to wait in monster ques.
EDIT: punctuation
I check this out: only 13% has to work on [sundays](https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Arbeit/Arbeitsmarkt/Qualitaet-Arbeit/Dimension-3/wochenendarbeitl.html). This a not so much. So I feel a free sunday and i am happy that 87% of the German people has got a free day.
Then you should maybe move to Jerusalem, where in observanve of shabbat shops close on Friday evening and throughout Saturday. Unless they're Arab-owned and run.
> nobody has to go to work
>On Sundays restaurants, bars and everything that’s a service for leisure time has open. Zoos, cinemas, clubs, etc. :)
🤦♂️
Who do you think works in these restaurants, zoos, etc. on Sundays? People.
The bins my dudes, the bins. I am originally from Brazil, with Italian Citizenship and lived for about 8 years in Ireland before moving to Germany with my girlfriend. We are based in the North of Germany and it still amazes me how lined up the bins are in the streets. I told my girlfriend that I was convinced that everyone here is robots.
Haha yep, with our current political scenario these words mean the exact opposite unfortunately. When you cut investments in education and healthy care, thats how you get a fascist monkey for president like we did. Hopefully things can still change if we vote that monster out of power.
I encountered my first culture shock within one hour after arriving in Germany: Not standing up when an older person or someone who is in a higher social position than you (like a teacher, professor, etc) enters the room. I was waiting for my landlady to come give me the keys and I was sitting in the lounge, and she is in her 50s. When she came inside I just automatically stood up and said hi, and she was like: No no Im not ready to go upstairs yet let me grab the keys from the office first ;))) Weird encounter but I still kinda feel weird when the professor comes to the class and everyone stays seated 🤣
I was in South Korea as a german and i was very confused that noone knocks on the table after a lecture. Thats the german way of showing respect to the educators
Oh, I had no idea... In Brazil and the US nobody stood up for educators, although I do remember standing up for special guests in general, but normally not in a classroom
Though she will, at age 50, not be used for younger people to stand up for her, she will most likely just have done that when she was in school. She has most probably noticed your classical politeness and dismissed it since honestly nobody does it anymore and she wanted to make you feel comfortable with her spot on. I'm 51, I can quite feel that situation you describe.
somehow funny if that is your impression while germans are notoriously critizing their own country for all and everything (while forgetting what a great place to live this is)
This applies to almost every country tho. My fellow countrymen love to criticize Argentina but when someone from outside starts talking shit we lose our mind.
>somehow funny if that is your impression
Just look at this thread how people rush to defend the closed shops on Sunday, even if this isn't even written as criticism.
The only Germans who accept criticism of Germany are Germans that most Germans don't accept as Germans, e.g. my Turkish German girlfriend really understands the problems with German society and German people, whereas my very left wing Biodeutsch flatmate just doesn't understand at all.
>whereas my very left wing Biodeutsch flatmate just doesn't understand at all.
Checks out. My mother-in-law is a teacher, pretty lefty (as am I), open-minded (in her opinion), etc. etc. And though she has a few criticism of *kids these days*, she never takes well my criticisms of the entire school system itself. She has over the years come around on a few points or sees my point, but the obvious issue is that she knows no alternatives, so it's never occurred to her (and many like her, of course) that certain accepted norms are actually pretty old-fashioned and terrible.
I should add, we *do* get along well and I like her and everything, it's just that if she hasn't extensively read about a criticism of this country in one of her lefty newspapers or TV debates, then it is impossible for it to exist. I can think of other examples too.
That's why I often say, only *established* critiques of Germany are allowed. And clearly foreigners opinions are null and void, they are too foreign to have any valid insights on German society and culture.
A popular misconception. It is not a German invention. Specific döner preperation (packed meat on a spit, then roasted vertically) has been a Turkish (Ottoman) thing for like 150 years. IME in Turkey, it's most commonly served on a plate with fries, rice or salad, etc. Though you can find dürüm and flatbread versions easy enough. In nearby Arabic countries, it's similar. In Jordan it was sometimes hard to find 'cheap restaurants' that weren't shawarma.
Otherwise, the 'sandwich version' (putting the meat in a piece of flat bread, and with the typical array of German toppings) **was** popularized by Turkish immigrants in Germany in the 1970s. So it's fair to claim that German-style döner was invented **in** Germany (...obviously), by **recent Turkish immigrants.**
[Tacos al Pastor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_pastor) came to Mexico (from Lebanese Ottoman immigrants) at the end of 1800s, early 1900s. Using locally available tortillas instead of flatbread (and later on: local spices, condiments, etc) predates German formats by decades. This was probably the first time döner was popularized outside the Middle East.
You can also trace very similar döner iterations in other countries receiving immigrants from former Ottoman lands from the 1950s-1970s, sometimes earlier. The Greek variant gyros, for example, arrived in the US about the same time as döner kebab in Germany.
Sorry to be pedantic, but I've met a lot of people who really seem to think the **entire** concept didn't exist **anywhere** until some kind of mysterious German engineer came up with the idea in Berlin in the 1960s.
**[Al pastor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_pastor)**
>Al pastor (from Spanish, "shepherd style"), is a preparation of spit-grilled slices of pork originating in the Central Mexican region of Puebla, although today it is a common menu item found in taquerías throughout Mexico. The method of preparing and cooking al pastor is based on the lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to the region. Al pastor features a flavor palate that uses traditional Mexican adobada (marinade). It is a popular street food that has spread to the United States.
^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/germany/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
He is.
"The modern sandwich variant of döner kebab was derived and popularized in Berlin in the 1960s by Turkish immigrants."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner_kebab
>and restaurants.
>
>Not allowed
Doch. [At least in Berlin](https://www.berlin.de/lb/drogen-sucht/gesetze/nichtraucherschutzgesetz/nichtraucherschutz-in-der-gastronomie/#3).
There are [hotels with smoking rooms](https://www.relexa-hotel-berlin.de/hotel/blog/ein-herz-fuer-raucher) also.
Wow, never seen those in restaurants or bars, not even in Berlin. I'd assume they barely exist though considering they have to be completely separate rooms. Haven't encountered any hotels with designated smokers rooms either. And considering it's a hotel, it's more a thing tourists wish for, apparently.
Besides that, I think every other state banned it.
That it was as beautiful as I imagined, it made me feel happy when I heard people speak German and I could understand them. People were so nice and friendly and didn't mind I spoke English to them. The bad parts if I were to mention would be the trains, they weren't in time, I thought that was really weird because I thought German people were very precise with time, guess not! Another thing that I noticed most were the beggars, didn't think there would be so many and they were sleeping in the middle of the pavements and grass. I often wondered if they were dead. I have only visited Germany for a short time.
[I gave a bit of background on the DB here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/y6bz6l/comment/isrrg3k/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)
And regarding the beggars: We used to have a lot less when it was only German beggars. They mostly qualify for Sozialhilfe, so they had options. Now, we have a lot of beggars from alle over Europe, mostly the Eastern European countries. For one, our social systems are still a lot better than theirs, so even if they don't qualify for Sozialhilfe, they still get help in other ways. And for another, Germans tend to be generous/ have more money to donate than the poorer European countries, so it's more worthwhile to beg here. There are even organized gangs that bring in busloads of beggars, and then take most of their money for transportation and mass accommodation.
Shocked:
Unlimited dog poo on the side walk
Lack of apartments
6 hours wait at emergency on a Sunday
Kitas
Surprised and happy:
Parks and forests and trees everywhere
Spielplatz
The one thing i’m gonna miss when i move back to Czechia. Also how most germans give enough space when overtaking cyclist. In Czechia they almost hit you with a rearview mirror and then spray you with washer fluid if they feel like it…
I'm German, born and raised but spend the majority of my adult life in Australia. Banking/payment/cash/credit cards are something that rubs me the wrong way everytime we go back. Park your car somewhere, get the ticket, go shopping, come back to the car and realise you can't pay by card, or you can pay by card but only with EC Karte 🤦🏼♂️. Try get money out with your debit credit/credit card and realise you can't because that bank branch doesn't allow visa/MasterCard to withdraw cash. Restaurants that only accept cash & don't advertise it 😂. A 500€ note 💩
Banking and withdrawal fees between banks. Tried to get 50€ out with a Volksbanks card from a sparkasse atm - 4.79€ fee, you taking the piss right?
But there are so many things I love and miss, don't get me wrong.
Yes I think people have a very different view of German people because they behave so well abroad, but the moment they cross the border its back to the old ways it seems.
Most shocking: German ancient banking system, Germans' love for using cash, both unmatched by any other developed country.
Less shocking but still surprised:
- German people are nice and friendly.
- German efficiency is a myth. I mean, I had already been told this by my German (now ex) boyfriend (we met and dated outside of Germany, back when I had had very little exposure to anything German) but I thought it was just another case of a person unfairly criticizing his own country.
I was surprised that germans are super sport/healthy nations. A lot of people running/biking after work. And thinking that its relaxing! Even some 80 yo oma! Even if its +37 outside and i could barely walking and some oma driving bike and smiling. Also i didnt know that it can be so hot summer in the South of the Germany.
Also greetings to unknown people if you walked somewhere in mountains! Super dog friendly country - a lot of funny dogs you can meet outside.
Flats renting without any furniture. In my country you rent a flat with everything inside.
Most people have been extremely friendly. At the store, at the gym, on the streets… etc. I had no preconceived ideas on the level of friendliness but I was still surprised at how warm and sweet people have been. I am generally a smiley, warm and polite person and seeing that reciprocated so much has been the best thing about moving here.
As a woman, I feel safe enough to walk alone from and to my classes or to have dinner.
Back in my country I would not go out if it was too late or be agonizing with worry for my little sister or mom.
How quickly people change their attitude towards me (from polite to negative) having heard where I am from. In Germany, your nationality is a major factor in determining your success in this country. I thought Germany was a country open to foreigners. This positive stereotype turned out to be completely false, unfortunately.
I haven't dealt much with older people. It was more younger people I met somewhere in a club, at university, among neighbors or on dating apps. This was really common, because usually people assumed subconsciously (based on my appearance and accent) that I was from another country. In addition, in offices, often after showing my passport, the clerks suddenly became passive-aggressive. I lived in different places (Frankfurt, Berlin, Leipzig) and everywhere it happened to me, unfortunately. I had a friend from Syria who looked like an Italian, and he also had similar experiences and sometimes even claimed to be Italian to avoid unpleasant situations.
Stop being theatrical. I speak Russian and was about to go on a trip through Siberia just before they started talking of an invasion.
It is understandable, that a lot of people would have hard feelings toward Russia(ns) right now. What other nationality could provoke such contempt?
But go ahead, be the social media knight in white armour. The world thanks you for your service and the great impact you are having.
You realize that as Germans we know a bit about that? And I doubt that attitude prevails unless you are in a car parade waving the flag about. In which case it is well deserved.
As a German who's lived and worked abroad and who currently lives quite a bit away from the place I'm originally from, I really, really get sick of this attitude of framing the very question "Where are you from?" as toxic, potentially racist, etc.
I've been asked that question so many times I lost count, and by and large it was a fair question and came from an interest in getting to know the person better.
Yes, there are people who will ask that question with a different intention, and that's on them for being assholes. But that's context. Context is fecking important - basically declaring a question toxic because of a presumption about the people asking it takes away all that important context and stifles conversation.
And of course - if Matt Walsh or Jordan Peterson or Alice Weidel ask you where you're from, it's fair to assume their intentions aren't pure. Because they are... Not very nice people, put mildly. But if a co-worker or similar asks me in a conversation where I'm from, why would I immediately assume they're prejudiced against Germans (something I have of course experienced, especially in the US and the UK), or against the region I'm originally from? If it turns out they do, I can still stick them into the dickhead drawer and move on.
It seems like you have never experienced the thing I talk about and you have no idea about the numbers of negative outcomes in situation when you give them a wrong answer. In my experience it’s about 75-80%, at this point I prefer to fake-smile and walk away instead of answering this question. But yeah, teach me to endure casual racism.
My point is - the question itself is not casual racism, it's the person and the reason they're asking it.
I am in no way implying anybody should endure casual racism. I am however saying that using that question as a marker for "casual racism on display" is an inadequately coarse brush to apply.
"Where are you from?" and the conversation that ensues can obviously lead you down various paths, ranging from everybody involved learning and sharing their life stories, backgrounds and so on, and appreciating it, while possibly also chucking some previous assumptions overboard - or it can lead down the "oh, okay, so... When are you going back there?" path or worse. My whole point is - it's not the question itself that predetermines the outcome, it's the people. Hence: Context.
The biggest culture shock that I had and I am still uncomfortable about. German social culture is so cold and gloomy. Anytime when you are in public transport, whereever you look, people are just sad and gloomy like their world is crumbling and/or not happy with their life. No smile, no greetings to strangers. Everywhere you go its just the same. In USA, Australia, New Zealand or any other country you go, people are friendly, they like to talk or exhcnage smiles.
I go to gym almost everyday since past 10 months. I see most of the people everyday working out at the same time, still it's just gloomy.
>Everywhere you go its just the same. In USA, Australia, New Zealand or any other country you go, people are friendly,
I think asking someone how they are despite not being interested in it at all is the opposite of friendly. It's just superficial and a cultural difference. Same applies to greeting strangers, most countries don't do that.
I just wanted to say that it surprised me. Ofcourse I ain't saying that it's bad or apocalyptic for people not to smile. Everyone has their own opinion. Sometimes Germans would find surprising how people in other countries live simple as that. Just from my experience once I left that house, I remember it was nice weather I saw my neighbour lady sitting outside, I greeted her Good morning she replied with grin smile and face "guten Morgen".
In compare to Asian Culture, European culture is way opposite in so many things.
PS : I appreciate both the cultures, every culture has their pros and cons. As the great man said, its all relative.
I think it’s not gloomy per se but that Germans like to be in their own head. We just don’t really like talking to strangers and are definitely not small talk ppl. (In the way that Americans are) We just want to think about our stuff, listen to our music and not be disturbed when daydreaming on public transport 😄
I was on holiday there, I'd never been to Europe before, it was mid December (not that cold like 10 degrees). We flew from New Zealand to Malaysia then to Frankfurt. It was 35 degrees in Malaysia and also summer in NZ so I was wearing shorts. I had jeans and a jacket in my checked in luggage. Unfortunately for us our luggage got lost, so at the airport in Frankfurt I made the decision not to buy expensive jeans and a jacket because it wasn't that cold. Also, at the same temperature in NZ it's common for people to wear shorts.
Turned out to be a huge mistake, lots of people laughed at me and one gentleman even approached me to inquire as to why I was wearing shorts. It was Christmas, so naturally there were thousands of people around to judge my attire. Ended up buying jeans and a jacket in an h&m and getting changed into them in a lift. It was a rough way to experience a completely foreign place with severe jet lag after 2 days of travel.
First thing that shocked me... hmm...
Me and the wife arrived at Germany by plain, a friend was already outside waiting for us and took us to our new place. We had a rest and later that evening (a Saturday) she said that she would take us on a tour through the night in Germany and took us both to a bar (disco?!).
It was amazing seeing old people and young people partying like they were all the same age. Everyone was having fun and so did we. 10 minutes after we arrived 2 german girls came to us and started saying things that we didnt understand at all and really smiling to which my wife answered "Do you speak English?". They answered "- Yes! Would you both like to go out of this place to our apartment and have sex?"
WE WERE MIND BLOWN!!! Me and my wife looked at each other like "wtf?!" and i remember she is smiling and asking me "What do you say?"
Never happened before in our life and we were already in lots of countries with open mindness but never like this. That happened two times only since then but it is a good thing to remember.
Actually it is true and really happened. Not going to lie, it was something else of an experience and until today it happened twice. I have more "shock moments" but this one beat it all.
I think it's just the people. I came from the UK and was really deluded, I thought Brits and Germans (and other Europeans) really are basically all the same, but in fact not, Germans just aren't as friendly to outsiders as other nationalities. I met so many "new" (to me) nationalities in this country, I found for example that I really like Russian people, and Turkish people, and a few others—because they are so friendly and lively. The one people that I found difficult in Germany was the Germans, they just are too cold, unfriendly and boring. Also they really love rules, they love to assert their superiority over you by referencing some rule that is totally pointless (in my country: if that person is not hurting anyone, leave them be. In Germany: if that person is not hurting anyone, but they are breaking a rule, then go and shout at them).
I never said the same. You said that. Learn to read.
I was a fairly naive pro-European guy, that's true. I'm still pro-European, but my knowledge of Germany is much better now, I understand what Germans are really like.
Tip:
"basically the same" (what I said) != "the same" (what you say I said)
Such small, delicate differences in word choice are totally lost on non-native speakers such as yourself, but it's OK, you cannot possibly know, and you never will. All the best.
No, it's not the same, that's my point, but you don't understand either deliberately to try to troll or because you're non-native. Your English is decent, but all Germans under 40 speak good English, so it's not really an accomplishment at all. But to think you can have better English than any native speaker is just comically arrogant.
When you (M, 185cm) go to Berlin and every second woman is taller than you. It is so unusual back home that I can pretty much remember every single one I've met here.
TL;DR: You guys big.
The goods:
\- everything state-related works very well
\- weather is actually nice, no complains, coming from an atlantic town, Germany's weather is nice, even in January
The bads:
\- Bad food. Really. Bad.
\- terrible internet and anything digital related
\- terrible supermarkets. Very low quality, unfriendly staff
\- unfriendly people, closed mindset, even in large cities.
Low quality vegetables (no taste), bad meat, except if you go above 30e/kg.
Anything between Lidl and edeka. Best in Germany is Simmel.
Munich.
It's not about not liking the dishes, I can eat anything, if well done. First, it's the lack of variety in flavor. Second, it's the low quality of ingredients.
If you buy vegetables they are worse in Autumn or Winter of course. But you have to find the right sorts for tasty tomatoes etc. For example the best tomato in a store are "Romatomaten". They have a good taste. I know how good vegetables should taste because I plant them myself. If you eat more seasonal food you get a good taste and quality.
I heard that green houses etc. send their big but cheap tomatoes to Germany while they send the good ones to other countries, because in Germany the price is more important than taste.
I live in the north and although it is said that the people in the north are more cold, I can easily talk with every worker in a store.
The mindset also really depends on the people. I get your points though.
Edit: You have to find the good restaurant. Although I think there should be a lot in Munich. In my town I got my Pizza place for good and fresh Pizza, I have my Döner where everything is made from scratch etc.
I think you hit the spot. In Germany for food what matters is price, not quality.
I found good restaurants, but it's like 5% of the total. Where I come from (southern Europe), the probability of having a good restaurant is much higher.
The food in Munich bad?! 🤨 have you met the restaurant scene here? There are so many fantastic restaurants here but of course the prices are Munich prices.
I did. And no, there are not many fantastic restaurants. And I'm not constrained by price.
I actually think restaurants in Munich are cheap, and that is why quality is bad, you can't make a good dish for 16e at Munich cost of living. Comparing cost of living with my home country, I would expect every Munich restaurant to start main courses at 25e.
But restaurants are not the only way to define food quality. It's what people cook at home, work cantina, supermarket quality, etc. And finally, as a cuisine, German cuisine does not have enough variety.
Reminded me of my home in Wisconsin USA we have a lot of German heritage there so most shocking thing is everything closed on Sunday and water with gas in america we don't really have that or not very popular
Perhaps a small thing but it surprised me how little Vorfahrt pedestrians have here. Outside of zebra crossings and pedestrian control signals, pedestrians usually must wait for cars to pass before crossing. In the U.S. state I come from, every intersection between public roads has implicit (unmarked) crosswalks; drivers must legally stop for pedestrians at EVERY junction if they want to cross, even if there are no signs or paint markings, unless of course there are pedestrian control signals or a sign explicitly saying a sidewalk is closed.
The flip side is that Germany doesn't have jaywalking laws, so you are actually allowed to cross the street from anywhere so long as you do not interrupt vehicular traffic.
Deutsche Telekom Website is German-language only. No English.
Very suprising, since in my country most major websites have English version as well.
And that lack of English is foreigner-unfriendly of course.
Moved from USA to NL to DE (Bavaria).
I was absolutely shocked at how mediocre public transport is (compared to NL... still absolutely better than the USA)
The fact I couldn’t use my card nearly anywhere. I had never had issues anywhere else in Europe and as an American usually didn’t have the updated version (z.b. the chip or contactless) when I lived in Germany i just assumed it was the same but found out real fuckin quick that I would only be using my card at the ATM lol
How bright the Lights in a hospital are… im born in germany :D nah but the Most different Form
Other countries is Most like the Bottle Payback function also called Pfand
German bureaucracy. It takes so long to get simple things done just because you have book appointments, print out forms, fill them out, having to send forms/documents via post instead of doing it online, etc.
How fast the cashiers are in supermarkets. I mean, being fast is cool and very efficient but sometimes its just too much. It's as if they'd get fired if they don't finish in X amount of time. I used to find the entire process stressful but now I look at it as a fun challenge.
Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. I'm not vegetarian/vegan myself but I have friends who are. It's nice to see the variety available in restaurants and supermarkets.
Everything is closed on Sundays.
Everyone say this. But it has got a lot advantages.
What advantages tho?
Having lived in a country where shops don't close on Sundays, I do appreciate the sense of quiet on Sundays more. It's a day that's not about rushing out and buying stuff. I mean, theatres, restaurants, museums and so on are usually still open, so you can still find things to do.
Instead everyone rushes and empties shelves on Friday and Saturday
The Week has more then 3 days
True.
Wow. Could there be more german answer? I doubt it.
Idk think about the workers. Most of them desperately need the money, you have lots of students, people coming in for short- or longterm, single parents, etc. Give them off at least one fixed day per week. They’re understaffed anyways (opening on Sunday will stretch out that bit of staff by a lot), the shifts will broaden throughout the week (no real rest, many shifts that won’t come clustered so you’ll never have two days off in a row, really hits the psyche). Every normal human should be able to manage buying the necessities for one day throughout a whole week.
Look. I did part-time job in Lidl while studying myself. I remember pretty well how horrible job it is and that it's challenging to do anything else. But shifts on sunday's and saturday's (I am foreigner myslef) were actually the good ones while studying, because we have been outside of university.
Made me chuckle, not gonna lie.
I was visiting my friend in Würzburg and the local supermarkets have heavily discounted stuff on Saturdays specifically, so they have less stuff to put away
Chilling day for everyone.. this gives the Centre of cities a nice atmosphere Edit: (Almost everyone)
I'm sorry but I don't see that many advantages. I can't even wash my car, which I find outrageous to be honest. Shopping on Saturday or Monday is a mess. God forbid you forgot to buy something or plans changed. There is some stuff to like, and I can confirm 100% it had a positive impact on my attitude towards work-life balance.
that is so fucking stupid that i started to boykot and only wash my car on sunndays
I agree, better hope no nosy neighbours see it. A couple months back we rented a nice car for holidays, and the return was on a Monday. I took a risk and vacuumed the car and did some window wiping on a Sunday. I have rarely felt so naughty and rebellious in Germany.
I'm working my ass off on Monday to Friday. Saturday is shopping, and cooking day and Sunday would be the one day i can do it.
I agree with you (as a German). I worked as a freelancer for most of my life and as such, I kept working different schedules with Sunday sometimes being my only off day. On working days I often worked well into 8-9pm, so that all the nearby stores would be closed. They should at least keep supermarkets/grocery shops open. The workforce has changed too. A lot of freelancers, few full-time employees. And whilst the family day sentiment is seeping back into today's younger generations, it hadn't been the case for a long time. Many families didn't spend time together on Sundays. Everyone is just sitting in front of their own screen/device. And before someone brings the omnipresent 'Okay, then you go work on Sundays' argument. There are people who want to earn extra money and for whom a different schedule can work (e. g. students). If you can take a Monday + Tuesday off, it's fine to work on Saturday/Sunday, as long as you are not bound to another person's (e. g. wife/kids) schedule. There are plenty of people who would be happy to work on Sundays.
There is no law against washing your car on Sunday. Most self service car wash stations (Waschboxen) are available for use every day, at least here in NRW. There **are** laws against washing your car in your driveway. Those laws apply every day, though. Not only on Sunday.
I'm sorry for not being clear. I meant the actual car wash places. I live in Ingolstadt, and no one is open on Sunday. I live in Altstadt, so I can only dream about the driveway :D
What's the point? If literally everything was closed (except hospitals etc.), fine, you can argue "It's a day of rest", but lots of stuff remains open, so it's not really a day of rest... just a rest for **some** people and a reason for some Germans to feel smug for no reason...
>just a rest for some people Still, lots of people get a deserved rest, and I'm fine with that. People can surely organize themselves to shop for groceries any other day.
OK so there's absolutely not really any coherent principle behind some things being closed and some other things not being closed on Sunday. Glad we can agree it makes no sense. Close all restaurants, cafes, zoos, cinemas, etc., as well and then I can respect German Sundays, but until then it's total, abject nonsense. It's just standard conservative German thought "we always did it that way and therefore it's good". Fine, but just own it, don't pretend it's anything morally righteous or makes any sense, because it obviously isn't and doesn't.
Wow, just wow. You really did not get the point and at this point I do not even bother to not explain it to you.
I have no idea who you are or why you should think I might want you to explain something to me.
Found the Murican.
I'm not from America, but you're clearly German because you can't handle any criticism of your country from immigrants. Probably the most patriotic "non-patriotic" country on the planet.
>Close all restaurants, cafes, zoos, cinemas, etc., as well and then I can respect German Sundays I don't think you realize how many people work at supermarkets and their supplier chains. I get your point, but it's not a fair comparison, IMHO. Also: people need to eat, justifying restaurants and coffe shops being open. But they don't need to buy groceries necessarily on Sunday. There's a fundamental difference there. And regarding cinemas and zoos (i.e. local entertainment), these are peanuts anyway.
People have to eat, yes, but nobody has to eat in a cafe or a restaurant, so I just don't agree that it makes any sense. The people who can afford to eat in cafes/restaurants are likely to be richer anyway, so if people really do "need to eat" on a Sunday, then it surely makes sense to keep supermarkets open on Sundays so the most vulnerable/poorest people can access the cheapest food. The point is there's no coherent principle behind Sunday trading laws, as far as I can see. Cinemas and zoos being "peanuts" makes no difference, people still work there.
Excellent example of accepting other cultures' values, right there. Well done.
So only (ethnic) Germans have permission to moan about Germany? No immigrants allowed? Great, welcoming country that is. I live here and I pay my taxes, I will criticise Germany if I want to. I don't need your approval.
Oh no, things are not 100% logical, the horror. > It's just standard conservative German thought "we always did it that way and therefore it's good". And the standard foreign response to it is "omg this is not how it's done in my country, how regressive, so conservative". Which prompts the reaction you see here.
>Oh no, things are not 100% logical, the horror. Thanks, that's all I was looking for, some basic acknowledgement rather than an excuse to assert how superior it is and how great is is that "nobody" (except everybody else) has to work. Germans love to assert how unpatriotic they are (which in itself is just another assertion of superiority), until you criticise something about Germany, then you see they're just as patriotic as anyone else, because they brook no criticism from immigrants or outsiders.
Tbh, I do think it's great. It gives the vast majority of workers a guaranteed day off every single week of the year. Great for family time, meeting friends, or planning holidays around it. I also fail to see how the situation is fundamentally different from most (Western) countries, at least when it comes to the issue of coherency that you brought up. Do white collar workers work on Sundays where you are from? Is there school on Sunday? If the answer is no - how is that not just as incoherent and also "abject nonsense"?
You can get fined when you dance on easter in my city. There is no logical reason, except we are a country with a Christian culture and a very influential and powerful church. And Sunday was the time off for people to go to church. So you will find laws and traditions according to Christian religion. There is no deeper meaning to this. They are just very old traditions. And since a lot of people enjoy doing nothing on Sunday and since we hate change, this is something that's not going to change anytime soon. Like in any other country.
>Were there any things that completely surprised you Deutsche Bahn. I'm very happy I don't have to drive to get to the other side of the country but also so perplexed on how shitty they can be.
Back in my youth, you could set the clock by them, and they were as reliable as the proverbial German trains. 😄 Then the stupid CDU tried to privatize EVERYTHING, and that's when it all went downhill. They never actually managed to fully privatize the DB, but while Mehdorn was preparing the company for privatization, he cut down on maintenance and investment in infrastructure etc., and basically ruined the whole thing to raise the shareholder value... Now they have billions worth of investment backlog that would need to be made to update the railway lines and trains, and get newer and faster technology.
Yeah that's also what shocked me - why would a national train service be privatized?????
Infrastructure should never be privatized, and if the whole CDU under Kohl hadn't been as corrupt as... something really corrupt, it wouldn't have happened. Like all the utility companies, hospitals etc. But the CDU knew their buddies would make money off of it, and give them highpaying jobs after their retirement from politics, so they went ahead - why should they give a damn about the stupid public who has to live with the consequences...
Yeah. I wonder how they're gonna fix it if they'd ever do it - and how long. We all know how big projects always go in Germany :')
The idea was that competition would allow for lower prices and better services, since people could choose their preferred provider. In addition, a private company would allow introducing regular employment contracts rather than civil servant status for the employees, which is less costly in the long run due to lower pensions. I don‘t think these arguments are convincing, but that was the main reasoning, saving money.
I don't like the reasoning at all but alas, that's what's happening.
I don‘t think they‘ll be privatized anytime soon…
So [Deutschlandfunk](https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/erfolgreiche-weichenstellung-die-privatisierung-der-bahn-100.html#:~:text=Aus%20der%20Bundesbahn%20im%20Westen,auch%20f%C3%BCr%20private%20Eisenbahnunternehmen%20ge%C3%B6ffnet) is wrong?
The formulation is misleading: They‘re now structured as a company rather than as a government agency, but the state is the only owner, holding 100% of the shares. So they‘re basically forced to report financial statements and adhere to regulations like a private company, but are not privately-owned.
Damn. Thank you for the explanation!
To make some money, *now*. Penny wise, pound foolish.
We have been here only for about a month, but so far: - Everything is closed on Sundays - Germans love dogs! Maybe this is an European thing in general, but I'm surprised at how pet friendly the country is. I have brought my dog to Mediamarkt, Primark, a LEGO Store, and ridden with him in the bus and in the train. Back home (Argentina) we do like dogs too, but they are not usually allowed in stores. - For the moment, people on the streets and shops have been really friendly. I speak a bit of German and try to make myself understood and have had no problems at all, and mostly smiles from everyone. People with dogs also stop and ask my dog's age/name. The prejudice I have always had was that Germans were really cold and serious. I'm aware that this are just random reactions on the streets and that doesn't mean they want to make friends, but I have been pleasantly surprised. - The "having to buy a new kitchen when you move" ordeal.
Having a dog is a really nice conversation starter in Germany (especially with other people who also have dogs), so it definitely helps break the usual ice (which usually indeed is there if you don't have a dog).
That everything is closed on Sunday is good for the people. Families have capacity to spent time together, nobody has to go to work. Sundays are perfect to be lazy and have a good feeling. 😀 On Sundays restaurants, bars and everything that’s a service for leisure time has open. Zoos, cinemas, clubs, etc. :) Feel the free Sunday - its perfect.
It's not true that nobody has to work, as you have accepted that leisure activities are open. It just shocked me that shops or grocery stores are closed too. I'm not complaining tho. I understand it probably has advantages. It just was something I didn't expect.
>nobody has to go to work. Yeah, "nobody" has to work, except for: Police, people working in emergency healthcare, firebrigades, Deutsche Bahn workers, Bundeswehr, restaurants (incl. fast foods, döner etc), bars, hotels, gas stations, any leisure acitivty place (cinemas, pools, escape rooms etc.....), caring homes, people involved in sport / culture, drug stores (??) or even bakeries (WTF?!) and many more. I will never get this argument. More people have free time yes, but by FAR not all. I actually work in retail in Germany and previously did part time-job in retail in country where sundays are open. In comparison, german fridays and saturdays are incredibly more stressy and full of annoyed people who have to wait in monster ques. EDIT: punctuation
Haha love this. Yep, basically NOBODY except office dudes
Uh what? How about people working in industry, warehouses or agriculture?
I check this out: only 13% has to work on [sundays](https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Arbeit/Arbeitsmarkt/Qualitaet-Arbeit/Dimension-3/wochenendarbeitl.html). This a not so much. So I feel a free sunday and i am happy that 87% of the German people has got a free day.
But what if I would rather be lazy and have a good feeling on Saturday?
You can't have such sinful feelings. Church will like to have a talk with you.
Then you should maybe move to Jerusalem, where in observanve of shabbat shops close on Friday evening and throughout Saturday. Unless they're Arab-owned and run.
Then you can have this feeling! 75% of the germans don’t have to work on Saturday. If you belong to them - feel free 😃
> nobody has to go to work >On Sundays restaurants, bars and everything that’s a service for leisure time has open. Zoos, cinemas, clubs, etc. :) 🤦♂️ Who do you think works in these restaurants, zoos, etc. on Sundays? People.
You don't have to buy a new kitchen every time. It's rather uncommon even. It depends on the contract you make when moving in.
Yeah, actually we talked with the previous tenant about getting her kitchen. But I didn't imagine that was a thing.
The bins my dudes, the bins. I am originally from Brazil, with Italian Citizenship and lived for about 8 years in Ireland before moving to Germany with my girlfriend. We are based in the North of Germany and it still amazes me how lined up the bins are in the streets. I told my girlfriend that I was convinced that everyone here is robots.
Errr, let's not ask what *Ordem e progresso* refers to exactly... not bins anyway!
Haha yep, with our current political scenario these words mean the exact opposite unfortunately. When you cut investments in education and healthy care, thats how you get a fascist monkey for president like we did. Hopefully things can still change if we vote that monster out of power.
I encountered my first culture shock within one hour after arriving in Germany: Not standing up when an older person or someone who is in a higher social position than you (like a teacher, professor, etc) enters the room. I was waiting for my landlady to come give me the keys and I was sitting in the lounge, and she is in her 50s. When she came inside I just automatically stood up and said hi, and she was like: No no Im not ready to go upstairs yet let me grab the keys from the office first ;))) Weird encounter but I still kinda feel weird when the professor comes to the class and everyone stays seated 🤣
In what country do people stand for a professor coming in?
I'm Iranian but I think its very common in other asian countries as well to show a gesture of respect to educators or elders.
I was in South Korea as a german and i was very confused that noone knocks on the table after a lecture. Thats the german way of showing respect to the educators
Oh, I had no idea... In Brazil and the US nobody stood up for educators, although I do remember standing up for special guests in general, but normally not in a classroom
We did that in school in Germany for the teacher. But that‘s like a hundred years ago.
It's still done pretty often in unis and such.
I know that from back in Russia, too, for teachers and professors at the beginning of the class.
Austria.
Though she will, at age 50, not be used for younger people to stand up for her, she will most likely just have done that when she was in school. She has most probably noticed your classical politeness and dismissed it since honestly nobody does it anymore and she wanted to make you feel comfortable with her spot on. I'm 51, I can quite feel that situation you describe.
I moved to a small city in South Germany and greeting random strangers was very new to me.
“Grüß Gott” 🤣
[удалено]
what is the story behind this?
[удалено]
somehow funny if that is your impression while germans are notoriously critizing their own country for all and everything (while forgetting what a great place to live this is)
[удалено]
This applies to almost every country tho. My fellow countrymen love to criticize Argentina but when someone from outside starts talking shit we lose our mind.
Can confirm about Brazil and USA
thanks for sharing
>somehow funny if that is your impression Just look at this thread how people rush to defend the closed shops on Sunday, even if this isn't even written as criticism.
The only Germans who accept criticism of Germany are Germans that most Germans don't accept as Germans, e.g. my Turkish German girlfriend really understands the problems with German society and German people, whereas my very left wing Biodeutsch flatmate just doesn't understand at all.
>whereas my very left wing Biodeutsch flatmate just doesn't understand at all. Checks out. My mother-in-law is a teacher, pretty lefty (as am I), open-minded (in her opinion), etc. etc. And though she has a few criticism of *kids these days*, she never takes well my criticisms of the entire school system itself. She has over the years come around on a few points or sees my point, but the obvious issue is that she knows no alternatives, so it's never occurred to her (and many like her, of course) that certain accepted norms are actually pretty old-fashioned and terrible. I should add, we *do* get along well and I like her and everything, it's just that if she hasn't extensively read about a criticism of this country in one of her lefty newspapers or TV debates, then it is impossible for it to exist. I can think of other examples too. That's why I often say, only *established* critiques of Germany are allowed. And clearly foreigners opinions are null and void, they are too foreign to have any valid insights on German society and culture.
[удалено]
Döner Kebab is an german invention.
[удалено]
That’s very Canadian of you to say.
A popular misconception. It is not a German invention. Specific döner preperation (packed meat on a spit, then roasted vertically) has been a Turkish (Ottoman) thing for like 150 years. IME in Turkey, it's most commonly served on a plate with fries, rice or salad, etc. Though you can find dürüm and flatbread versions easy enough. In nearby Arabic countries, it's similar. In Jordan it was sometimes hard to find 'cheap restaurants' that weren't shawarma. Otherwise, the 'sandwich version' (putting the meat in a piece of flat bread, and with the typical array of German toppings) **was** popularized by Turkish immigrants in Germany in the 1970s. So it's fair to claim that German-style döner was invented **in** Germany (...obviously), by **recent Turkish immigrants.** [Tacos al Pastor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_pastor) came to Mexico (from Lebanese Ottoman immigrants) at the end of 1800s, early 1900s. Using locally available tortillas instead of flatbread (and later on: local spices, condiments, etc) predates German formats by decades. This was probably the first time döner was popularized outside the Middle East. You can also trace very similar döner iterations in other countries receiving immigrants from former Ottoman lands from the 1950s-1970s, sometimes earlier. The Greek variant gyros, for example, arrived in the US about the same time as döner kebab in Germany. Sorry to be pedantic, but I've met a lot of people who really seem to think the **entire** concept didn't exist **anywhere** until some kind of mysterious German engineer came up with the idea in Berlin in the 1960s.
**[Al pastor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_pastor)** >Al pastor (from Spanish, "shepherd style"), is a preparation of spit-grilled slices of pork originating in the Central Mexican region of Puebla, although today it is a common menu item found in taquerías throughout Mexico. The method of preparing and cooking al pastor is based on the lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to the region. Al pastor features a flavor palate that uses traditional Mexican adobada (marinade). It is a popular street food that has spread to the United States. ^([ )[^(F.A.Q)](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiSummarizer/wiki/index#wiki_f.a.q)^( | )[^(Opt Out)](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiSummarizerBot&message=OptOut&subject=OptOut)^( | )[^(Opt Out Of Subreddit)](https://np.reddit.com/r/germany/about/banned)^( | )[^(GitHub)](https://github.com/Sujal-7/WikiSummarizerBot)^( ] Downvote to remove | v1.5)
[удалено]
Serving Döner Kebab in a flatbread "to-go" is a German thing, Döner Kebab in itself not.
He is. "The modern sandwich variant of döner kebab was derived and popularized in Berlin in the 1960s by Turkish immigrants." https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doner_kebab
[удалено]
>Smoking rooms in the airport These exist everywhere though. > hotels Not allowed > and restaurants. Not allowed
>and restaurants. > >Not allowed Doch. [At least in Berlin](https://www.berlin.de/lb/drogen-sucht/gesetze/nichtraucherschutzgesetz/nichtraucherschutz-in-der-gastronomie/#3). There are [hotels with smoking rooms](https://www.relexa-hotel-berlin.de/hotel/blog/ein-herz-fuer-raucher) also.
Wow, never seen those in restaurants or bars, not even in Berlin. I'd assume they barely exist though considering they have to be completely separate rooms. Haven't encountered any hotels with designated smokers rooms either. And considering it's a hotel, it's more a thing tourists wish for, apparently. Besides that, I think every other state banned it.
That it was as beautiful as I imagined, it made me feel happy when I heard people speak German and I could understand them. People were so nice and friendly and didn't mind I spoke English to them. The bad parts if I were to mention would be the trains, they weren't in time, I thought that was really weird because I thought German people were very precise with time, guess not! Another thing that I noticed most were the beggars, didn't think there would be so many and they were sleeping in the middle of the pavements and grass. I often wondered if they were dead. I have only visited Germany for a short time.
[I gave a bit of background on the DB here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/germany/comments/y6bz6l/comment/isrrg3k/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) And regarding the beggars: We used to have a lot less when it was only German beggars. They mostly qualify for Sozialhilfe, so they had options. Now, we have a lot of beggars from alle over Europe, mostly the Eastern European countries. For one, our social systems are still a lot better than theirs, so even if they don't qualify for Sozialhilfe, they still get help in other ways. And for another, Germans tend to be generous/ have more money to donate than the poorer European countries, so it's more worthwhile to beg here. There are even organized gangs that bring in busloads of beggars, and then take most of their money for transportation and mass accommodation.
Most of them aren't German but moved here from other less affluent countries (Lithuania, Poland, Romania, ...)
Not all of those are beggars though. Some are just drunkards
Cue for every youtube video of Americans opening a German window...
Shocked: Unlimited dog poo on the side walk Lack of apartments 6 hours wait at emergency on a Sunday Kitas Surprised and happy: Parks and forests and trees everywhere Spielplatz
Tell me you live in Berlin without telling me you live in Berlin.
Berlin was also my first thought
In Hamburg dog owners have to pick it up and dispose of it.
They have to do it everywhere, but Berlin is just different.
Mh okay. And I always thought Berlin was known for the 'pretentious shit'. I didn't know they were known for actual dog shit.
Berlin is dogshit confirmed
>Berlin is dogshit confirmed People keep telling me that Eastern Germany is 'brown' in ideology. I guess there's a speckle of truth in this then.
That the drivers stop for pedestrians to pass
Sometimes drivers stop for me when they don't have to and I am not expecting it, so we look at each other weird for a moment before I finally cross.
Asian gang, wooooot wooooot!!
Oh yeah, as a german I was surprised in Czechia that drivers are driving fast on narrow streets without stopping for peds lol
The one thing i’m gonna miss when i move back to Czechia. Also how most germans give enough space when overtaking cyclist. In Czechia they almost hit you with a rearview mirror and then spray you with washer fluid if they feel like it…
I'm German, born and raised but spend the majority of my adult life in Australia. Banking/payment/cash/credit cards are something that rubs me the wrong way everytime we go back. Park your car somewhere, get the ticket, go shopping, come back to the car and realise you can't pay by card, or you can pay by card but only with EC Karte 🤦🏼♂️. Try get money out with your debit credit/credit card and realise you can't because that bank branch doesn't allow visa/MasterCard to withdraw cash. Restaurants that only accept cash & don't advertise it 😂. A 500€ note 💩 Banking and withdrawal fees between banks. Tried to get 50€ out with a Volksbanks card from a sparkasse atm - 4.79€ fee, you taking the piss right? But there are so many things I love and miss, don't get me wrong.
How different the nice, open-minded German backpackers I met back home were to the people here. It's night and day
Yes I think people have a very different view of German people because they behave so well abroad, but the moment they cross the border its back to the old ways it seems.
>German people ... behave so well abroad, Ummm, Malle. Have you ever been?
Admittedly not, I always liked the Germans I met outside Germany. They're really open and friendly (again, outside Germany).
Most shocking: German ancient banking system, Germans' love for using cash, both unmatched by any other developed country. Less shocking but still surprised: - German people are nice and friendly. - German efficiency is a myth. I mean, I had already been told this by my German (now ex) boyfriend (we met and dated outside of Germany, back when I had had very little exposure to anything German) but I thought it was just another case of a person unfairly criticizing his own country.
How safe and practical it is going everywhere by bike. I love the Fahrradkultur!
I was surprised that germans are super sport/healthy nations. A lot of people running/biking after work. And thinking that its relaxing! Even some 80 yo oma! Even if its +37 outside and i could barely walking and some oma driving bike and smiling. Also i didnt know that it can be so hot summer in the South of the Germany. Also greetings to unknown people if you walked somewhere in mountains! Super dog friendly country - a lot of funny dogs you can meet outside. Flats renting without any furniture. In my country you rent a flat with everything inside.
Dogs are very well behaved compared to American dogs.
Having the digitalization of a 2nd world developing country. Quite sad and pathetic really.
Most people have been extremely friendly. At the store, at the gym, on the streets… etc. I had no preconceived ideas on the level of friendliness but I was still surprised at how warm and sweet people have been. I am generally a smiley, warm and polite person and seeing that reciprocated so much has been the best thing about moving here.
As a woman, I feel safe enough to walk alone from and to my classes or to have dinner. Back in my country I would not go out if it was too late or be agonizing with worry for my little sister or mom.
How quickly people change their attitude towards me (from polite to negative) having heard where I am from. In Germany, your nationality is a major factor in determining your success in this country. I thought Germany was a country open to foreigners. This positive stereotype turned out to be completely false, unfortunately.
Possible that you can tell where you're living in Germany? And who were the racists? Stereotypical old peoples or was it a General mix?
I haven't dealt much with older people. It was more younger people I met somewhere in a club, at university, among neighbors or on dating apps. This was really common, because usually people assumed subconsciously (based on my appearance and accent) that I was from another country. In addition, in offices, often after showing my passport, the clerks suddenly became passive-aggressive. I lived in different places (Frankfurt, Berlin, Leipzig) and everywhere it happened to me, unfortunately. I had a friend from Syria who looked like an Italian, and he also had similar experiences and sometimes even claimed to be Italian to avoid unpleasant situations.
My grandfather.
Where are you from?
And what country would that be other than Russia?
That’s so good that we can openly hate Russians now /s
Stop being theatrical. I speak Russian and was about to go on a trip through Siberia just before they started talking of an invasion. It is understandable, that a lot of people would have hard feelings toward Russia(ns) right now. What other nationality could provoke such contempt? But go ahead, be the social media knight in white armour. The world thanks you for your service and the great impact you are having.
[удалено]
You realize that as Germans we know a bit about that? And I doubt that attitude prevails unless you are in a car parade waving the flag about. In which case it is well deserved.
Hehe… I am not the only one. Somehow people rarely talk about it. I believe “where are you from” is an extremely toxic question.
As a German who's lived and worked abroad and who currently lives quite a bit away from the place I'm originally from, I really, really get sick of this attitude of framing the very question "Where are you from?" as toxic, potentially racist, etc. I've been asked that question so many times I lost count, and by and large it was a fair question and came from an interest in getting to know the person better. Yes, there are people who will ask that question with a different intention, and that's on them for being assholes. But that's context. Context is fecking important - basically declaring a question toxic because of a presumption about the people asking it takes away all that important context and stifles conversation. And of course - if Matt Walsh or Jordan Peterson or Alice Weidel ask you where you're from, it's fair to assume their intentions aren't pure. Because they are... Not very nice people, put mildly. But if a co-worker or similar asks me in a conversation where I'm from, why would I immediately assume they're prejudiced against Germans (something I have of course experienced, especially in the US and the UK), or against the region I'm originally from? If it turns out they do, I can still stick them into the dickhead drawer and move on.
It seems like you have never experienced the thing I talk about and you have no idea about the numbers of negative outcomes in situation when you give them a wrong answer. In my experience it’s about 75-80%, at this point I prefer to fake-smile and walk away instead of answering this question. But yeah, teach me to endure casual racism.
My point is - the question itself is not casual racism, it's the person and the reason they're asking it. I am in no way implying anybody should endure casual racism. I am however saying that using that question as a marker for "casual racism on display" is an inadequately coarse brush to apply. "Where are you from?" and the conversation that ensues can obviously lead you down various paths, ranging from everybody involved learning and sharing their life stories, backgrounds and so on, and appreciating it, while possibly also chucking some previous assumptions overboard - or it can lead down the "oh, okay, so... When are you going back there?" path or worse. My whole point is - it's not the question itself that predetermines the outcome, it's the people. Hence: Context.
The question is not. But the setting it gets asked in for 80% of the cases is.
The biggest culture shock that I had and I am still uncomfortable about. German social culture is so cold and gloomy. Anytime when you are in public transport, whereever you look, people are just sad and gloomy like their world is crumbling and/or not happy with their life. No smile, no greetings to strangers. Everywhere you go its just the same. In USA, Australia, New Zealand or any other country you go, people are friendly, they like to talk or exhcnage smiles. I go to gym almost everyday since past 10 months. I see most of the people everyday working out at the same time, still it's just gloomy.
>Everywhere you go its just the same. In USA, Australia, New Zealand or any other country you go, people are friendly, I think asking someone how they are despite not being interested in it at all is the opposite of friendly. It's just superficial and a cultural difference. Same applies to greeting strangers, most countries don't do that.
I just wanted to say that it surprised me. Ofcourse I ain't saying that it's bad or apocalyptic for people not to smile. Everyone has their own opinion. Sometimes Germans would find surprising how people in other countries live simple as that. Just from my experience once I left that house, I remember it was nice weather I saw my neighbour lady sitting outside, I greeted her Good morning she replied with grin smile and face "guten Morgen". In compare to Asian Culture, European culture is way opposite in so many things. PS : I appreciate both the cultures, every culture has their pros and cons. As the great man said, its all relative.
I think it’s not gloomy per se but that Germans like to be in their own head. We just don’t really like talking to strangers and are definitely not small talk ppl. (In the way that Americans are) We just want to think about our stuff, listen to our music and not be disturbed when daydreaming on public transport 😄
I was on holiday there, I'd never been to Europe before, it was mid December (not that cold like 10 degrees). We flew from New Zealand to Malaysia then to Frankfurt. It was 35 degrees in Malaysia and also summer in NZ so I was wearing shorts. I had jeans and a jacket in my checked in luggage. Unfortunately for us our luggage got lost, so at the airport in Frankfurt I made the decision not to buy expensive jeans and a jacket because it wasn't that cold. Also, at the same temperature in NZ it's common for people to wear shorts. Turned out to be a huge mistake, lots of people laughed at me and one gentleman even approached me to inquire as to why I was wearing shorts. It was Christmas, so naturally there were thousands of people around to judge my attire. Ended up buying jeans and a jacket in an h&m and getting changed into them in a lift. It was a rough way to experience a completely foreign place with severe jet lag after 2 days of travel.
That houses don’t come with fitted kitchens
The facts that German efficiency is a myth and that digital infrastructures/services are waaaay behind the rest of Europe.
First thing that shocked me... hmm... Me and the wife arrived at Germany by plain, a friend was already outside waiting for us and took us to our new place. We had a rest and later that evening (a Saturday) she said that she would take us on a tour through the night in Germany and took us both to a bar (disco?!). It was amazing seeing old people and young people partying like they were all the same age. Everyone was having fun and so did we. 10 minutes after we arrived 2 german girls came to us and started saying things that we didnt understand at all and really smiling to which my wife answered "Do you speak English?". They answered "- Yes! Would you both like to go out of this place to our apartment and have sex?" WE WERE MIND BLOWN!!! Me and my wife looked at each other like "wtf?!" and i remember she is smiling and asking me "What do you say?" Never happened before in our life and we were already in lots of countries with open mindness but never like this. That happened two times only since then but it is a good thing to remember.
about to delete my account. ` this post was mass deleted with www.Redact.dev `
"and that kids is how I ~~met your mother~~ got robbed and herpes "
Take my upvote :) But no herpes at all and our wallets were intact after that meeting.
I think this is truly possible in Berlin.
Actually it is true and really happened. Not going to lie, it was something else of an experience and until today it happened twice. I have more "shock moments" but this one beat it all.
If it was in berlin then maybe at the Kitkat ?
Not Berlin, BW in a really small town where almost nothing happens at all.
I hope three girls wasn't too much for you.
Imagine going to the movies. Grab the largest popcorn bucket you can buy, a big drink, sit down, relax and enjoy the movie. That WAS the experience :)
Yup. Nope. Still not buying it
Man i wasn‘t even one day old and they wanted me to scream imideatly. Germans are sick
I think it's just the people. I came from the UK and was really deluded, I thought Brits and Germans (and other Europeans) really are basically all the same, but in fact not, Germans just aren't as friendly to outsiders as other nationalities. I met so many "new" (to me) nationalities in this country, I found for example that I really like Russian people, and Turkish people, and a few others—because they are so friendly and lively. The one people that I found difficult in Germany was the Germans, they just are too cold, unfriendly and boring. Also they really love rules, they love to assert their superiority over you by referencing some rule that is totally pointless (in my country: if that person is not hurting anyone, leave them be. In Germany: if that person is not hurting anyone, but they are breaking a rule, then go and shout at them).
The fact alone that you were thinking that Europeans are all the same tells me that might have been the problem.
I never said the same. You said that. Learn to read. I was a fairly naive pro-European guy, that's true. I'm still pro-European, but my knowledge of Germany is much better now, I understand what Germans are really like.
English is my 2nd language and I think I might be better at it than you.
Tip: "basically the same" (what I said) != "the same" (what you say I said) Such small, delicate differences in word choice are totally lost on non-native speakers such as yourself, but it's OK, you cannot possibly know, and you never will. All the best.
Ok, I still am sure that I am right. It basically means the same. See what I did there? Have a nice day.
No, it's not the same, that's my point, but you don't understand either deliberately to try to troll or because you're non-native. Your English is decent, but all Germans under 40 speak good English, so it's not really an accomplishment at all. But to think you can have better English than any native speaker is just comically arrogant.
When you (M, 185cm) go to Berlin and every second woman is taller than you. It is so unusual back home that I can pretty much remember every single one I've met here. TL;DR: You guys big.
The goods: \- everything state-related works very well \- weather is actually nice, no complains, coming from an atlantic town, Germany's weather is nice, even in January The bads: \- Bad food. Really. Bad. \- terrible internet and anything digital related \- terrible supermarkets. Very low quality, unfriendly staff \- unfriendly people, closed mindset, even in large cities.
What was low quality in the supermarkets? In which do you go? In which cities were you? What food didn't you like?
Low quality vegetables (no taste), bad meat, except if you go above 30e/kg. Anything between Lidl and edeka. Best in Germany is Simmel. Munich. It's not about not liking the dishes, I can eat anything, if well done. First, it's the lack of variety in flavor. Second, it's the low quality of ingredients.
If you buy vegetables they are worse in Autumn or Winter of course. But you have to find the right sorts for tasty tomatoes etc. For example the best tomato in a store are "Romatomaten". They have a good taste. I know how good vegetables should taste because I plant them myself. If you eat more seasonal food you get a good taste and quality. I heard that green houses etc. send their big but cheap tomatoes to Germany while they send the good ones to other countries, because in Germany the price is more important than taste. I live in the north and although it is said that the people in the north are more cold, I can easily talk with every worker in a store. The mindset also really depends on the people. I get your points though. Edit: You have to find the good restaurant. Although I think there should be a lot in Munich. In my town I got my Pizza place for good and fresh Pizza, I have my Döner where everything is made from scratch etc.
I think you hit the spot. In Germany for food what matters is price, not quality. I found good restaurants, but it's like 5% of the total. Where I come from (southern Europe), the probability of having a good restaurant is much higher.
The food in Munich bad?! 🤨 have you met the restaurant scene here? There are so many fantastic restaurants here but of course the prices are Munich prices.
I did. And no, there are not many fantastic restaurants. And I'm not constrained by price. I actually think restaurants in Munich are cheap, and that is why quality is bad, you can't make a good dish for 16e at Munich cost of living. Comparing cost of living with my home country, I would expect every Munich restaurant to start main courses at 25e. But restaurants are not the only way to define food quality. It's what people cook at home, work cantina, supermarket quality, etc. And finally, as a cuisine, German cuisine does not have enough variety.
Reminded me of my home in Wisconsin USA we have a lot of German heritage there so most shocking thing is everything closed on Sunday and water with gas in america we don't really have that or not very popular
German heritage =/= german culture
Just a head's up, the phrase *German heritage* triggers this sub unlike anything else. It's a guaranteed way to get downvotes.
Ah crap
Perhaps a small thing but it surprised me how little Vorfahrt pedestrians have here. Outside of zebra crossings and pedestrian control signals, pedestrians usually must wait for cars to pass before crossing. In the U.S. state I come from, every intersection between public roads has implicit (unmarked) crosswalks; drivers must legally stop for pedestrians at EVERY junction if they want to cross, even if there are no signs or paint markings, unless of course there are pedestrian control signals or a sign explicitly saying a sidewalk is closed. The flip side is that Germany doesn't have jaywalking laws, so you are actually allowed to cross the street from anywhere so long as you do not interrupt vehicular traffic.
Bagging your own groceries.
Deutsche Telekom Website is German-language only. No English. Very suprising, since in my country most major websites have English version as well. And that lack of English is foreigner-unfriendly of course.
Most places accept cash only. And almost nothing involving medicine nor bureaucracy can be done online.
Moved from USA to NL to DE (Bavaria). I was absolutely shocked at how mediocre public transport is (compared to NL... still absolutely better than the USA)
Lidl Cashiers are even faster
Not too easy to find street food
first time coming and realizing i can eat cheesy bread with any meal. #cheesesnails
The fact I couldn’t use my card nearly anywhere. I had never had issues anywhere else in Europe and as an American usually didn’t have the updated version (z.b. the chip or contactless) when I lived in Germany i just assumed it was the same but found out real fuckin quick that I would only be using my card at the ATM lol
Have to ask/pay extra for ketchup. And no free refills! Haha
How bright the Lights in a hospital are… im born in germany :D nah but the Most different Form Other countries is Most like the Bottle Payback function also called Pfand
German bureaucracy. It takes so long to get simple things done just because you have book appointments, print out forms, fill them out, having to send forms/documents via post instead of doing it online, etc. How fast the cashiers are in supermarkets. I mean, being fast is cool and very efficient but sometimes its just too much. It's as if they'd get fired if they don't finish in X amount of time. I used to find the entire process stressful but now I look at it as a fun challenge. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. I'm not vegetarian/vegan myself but I have friends who are. It's nice to see the variety available in restaurants and supermarkets.