Blogabroad
by Mary Pinckney Waters
January 23, 2006 - You're not in
America anymore
"I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna have to. I can't
take it anymore. It looks so cold and refreshing and
it's right in front of my face saying 'DRINK ME, DRINK
ME!'"
I slide my hand over to my friend's Coke and move
it to the other side of the table, promising to return
it once his food arrives. He, on the other hand, promises
himself that his first action upon returning to the
United States will be to order a soda and drink as
many refills as possible. (Please note the use of "he" and "himself" in
this sentence as opposed to "she" and "herself." Yes,
you're right; boys are stupid.)
Earlier this month, Jon, whom I've known since high
school, visited me for the thousandth time and Europe
for the first. After witnessing his episodes of culture
shock, I realized I hadn't yet written a blog on the
cultural differences an American might recognize when
in Germany.
Before I start listing them off, I think it's safe
to start with a disclaimer. Take these observations
for what they are:
1.) observations, made by me, a biased individual.
While I may consider Germany one giant freezer, a New
Yorker might complain about getting sweat stains here.
2.) generalizations, made about a entire country,
undoubtedly with exceptions.
3. incomplete. These are not nearly all of the differences
between Germany and America, but simply a collection
of ones I've taken note of and happened to remember
after I sat down at my computer just now.
* If you're a dog-lover, you're a Germany-lover.
Dogs are allowed in many stores, as well as public
transport.
* Public transportation plays a tremendous role in
Germans' lives. I feel as if I see more city buses
than cars. People, including grandmas and grandpas,
ride bikes all over, and no road is without both pedestrian
and bicycle paths.
* Gotta go? Better have some change. Using the restroom
can sometimes cost money, normally around 50 cents.
I recommend taking advantage of restrooms at, for example,
a restaurant you're dining in rather than in a store
you're passing by. You'll be more likely to relieve
yourself at no cost.
* Toilets in Germany generally contain much less
water than in America and flush via large buttons on
the walls. I wouldn't bank on Charmin toilet paper
either.
* American plugs won't fit into the electrical outlets
here without adapters. The outlets are designed differently
to use less energy.
* Heaters also save energy through hot-water pipes.
* Almost all windows open wide horizontally when
their handles are turned sideways and crack vertically
at the top when their handles are turned upward.
* Pillows are huge squares. So are light switches.
* Each dialed-out call from a landline phone in Germany
is going to cost you. But whenever you receive the
call, whether it's at home or on your cell, you won't
be paying a single dollar. Well, euro.
* When shopping, you sometimes have to pay for the
bags for your items, especially in grocery stores.
The check-out lines are like high-pressure marathon-races;
the store worker remains seated while scanning in fast-forward
as you pile your own checked-out groceries back into
your cart to be bagged after you have exited the check-out-line
raceway.
* You rarely ever see a host in a German restaurant.
If you stand around looking around for one, people
will wonder why you haven't already sat at an empty
table.
* Your waiter brings your meal to the table when
it's ready, regardless of when your dining partners'
are, and it's perfectly polite to eat as soon as you
receive your food. Remember, Germans are very practical-minded.
Why shouldn't the food be served when it's ready, before
it's cold? Why shouldn't you eat the food in front
of you if you came to a restaurant to eat?
* Tips are much smaller, as servers earn much more
per hour.
* If you're full already, you better find some more
room because you'll be hard-pressed to find to-go boxes
in restaurants here.
* As mentioned at the beginning and probably already
known, no free refills in Germany, or in most of Europe,
for that matter. What you might not know is that beer
is very oftentimes cheaper than soda or other non-alcoholic
beverages. That's right; rub your eyes and read it
again. Who can live without free soda refills now?
Mary Pinckney Waters welcomes your comments
and feedback:
marypwaters@yahoo.com |
