Germany has two things on every corner: bakeries and police officers. Both make me feel safe.
I’ve loved getting to dwell in German culture over these past two
weeks, and I’ve observed so many things that I’ve fallen in love with.
Of course, I’ve also seen some things that weren’t my favorite, but
believe me, the giant cathedrals and beautiful museums more than make up
for the culture clash.
Here are some fun aspects of German culture:
Water is not free, ever. You must purchase it, but that means it
always tastes fantastic; that is, as long as you get still-water and not
mineral water, which they call “water with gas.”
Germany is hot, and a/c isn’t super popular. Luckily, they built all of their windows with an opening feature.
Germans are not as keen on saying “hello” and smiling when walking
down the sidewalk, but if you ever need any help at all, they’ll go
above and beyond.
Almost all stores close on Sunday, which means if, like me, you run
out of toothpaste on Saturday, you have to brush your teeth with water.
Beer is cheaper than anything on the menu.
German food isn’t nearly as popular with Germans as food from
literally anywhere else on the planet.
I’ve had Italian more times than I
can count, and it’s because I’ve only ever seen one actual German
restaurant.
Germans really love baked goods.
Good luck if you ever need to use the restroom; they’re elusive.
The language barrier is rarely a problem because so many Germans
speak English, but in the off-chance that it becomes a problem, it can
lead to some comical miscommunication.
Germans are not any different; we’re all human beings; we laugh at
the same things and we get scared of the same things. Being here has
been neat because I’ve seen how even in different cultures, we’re all
similar.
When you try to speak in German, native speakers often laugh (not in a mean way, but in a “you’re cute for trying” way.
Germany is very big on the environment, which is an absolutely
wonderful thing (in fact, today I accidentally attended an enormous
Environment Festival, thinking it was some type of state fair. State
fairs have better food, but environment festivals have more interesting
people.) Unfortunately, this save-the-planet mentality means that trash
cans are exceptionally rare, and that recycling is often divided into
four different categories.
Obviously, there’s plenty that I’m leaving out of here, but the point
is that German culture is different. However, it is wonderful all the
same, and it’s really fun to figure out. I’m excited to see how these
other cultures re-shape my perspectives, too!
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Follow Hunter as he studies business in Germany at https://heartoverseas.wordpress.com/
For more internship and study abroad opportunities within Walton College,
visit http://walton.uark.edu/global/index.ph
