Things I Miss About Living in Germany

• Festivals: Every time I see a post about which bands are playing at Summer Breeze, it makes me want to cry. The music festivals in Germany are about 3 days long. (Some across Europe are even longer, like Metal Camp, which is 7 days long) You bring your camping gear, a lot of beer, canned food and a good mood. Out of all of my "vacations" (the vacations I have taken in my life have pretty much always included visiting family), Summer Breeze Festival has belonged to my favorites. I miss the way everyone was there for the same reason: the music and good times. It didn't matter if you knew anyone or not. You rarely ever saw fighting and if there was any at all, it would be forgotten a few hours later at the latest. xD Here in the States I don't know of any festivals that last longer than a day or that don't require getting a plane ticket. = /

• The S-Bahn: I have no idea why I miss those trains. The tickets are overpriced, if you are riding in town you are lucky to find a seat on the train and Oktoberfest or any other "Fest" is (or at least used to be) a nightmare on those trains. But they were so practical when you wanted to go out for a drink or when you were tired. You didn't have to worry about parking, car trouble, getting gas (even though that is replaced with the need to buy tickets) and it didn't require much effort on your part. I miss the sound of the trains starting (as odd as that sounds!!) and the driver's announcements over the intercom. And I also miss that stupid dark and light blue boxy pattern on the seats, which weren't too terribly comfortable. 

• Small Shops and Strip Malls: There is just something much more welcoming about a small shop with brick walls in a strip mall as opposed to a huge building like Walmart or the mall. I liked being able to walk around Marienplatz on the cobblestone with the fountains and the chimes and the people sitting out drinking coffee. Then going into little shops along the "street" that was off limits to vehicles. 

• My SCOOTER!: I live in a smaller town, so you have more cars than pedestrians. And you most certainly don't have scooters around. I haven't seen a single one. My scooter was my transportation. He was my buddy. My friend. I even named him Gismo. =( (I can't find a picture at the moment, but I will update as soon as I find one!)

• Safety: I don't know what it is, but ever since I moved back to the States, I've felt the need to keep my mouth shut, my doors locked and to stay inside late in the evening. In Germany, I would bike around at midnight or even walk and not have to worry about any creepers jumping out of the bushes. Plus, if someone was pushing my buttons, I could give them a piece of my mind without having the fear of possibly getting stabbed in the chest or shot.

• Heathcare. Honestly, I think just that word says it all, if you are at all familiar with European Heathcare. 

• Skiing!: It was SO much cheaper to go skiing in Germany than it is here! It was 28 Euros for a day pass at Ski-Paradies Sudelfeld, which is about 36 bucks. Not bad! (This includes the lift btw...not sure how it works here in the states, but your day pass is basically a lift ticket in Germany)

• The Clothing: I can't find anything similar to  http://www.emp.de/ or  http://www.queen-of-darkness.com/ except hot topic...but it's really not the same. If anyone knows of anything at ALL, PLEASE let me know!! I looked a bit on Amazon but I didn't find much.

• The Food!: Man I would give anything for a bowl of Knödelsuppe and then a big plate of Kasspatzen with a side of Gurkensalat, Kartoffelsalat and Wurstsalat. That is way too much food but I'd eat it all!!

• Beer: If anyone in Germany would be willing to send me a few bottles of Augustiner Hell and a few bottles of Tegernseer Hell, I would love you forever. 
• Nougat Bits: How can they NOT have this in the States?!

• Pfanner Green Tea: I haven't been able to find anything like this. I LOVE IT.

Culture Shock: The Differences in Deutschland

While living in Germany for ten years, I had to adjust to all of the cultural differences between Germany and America. Trust me, there are a lot. I am listing several below, that I have come to learn throughout the past years. It seemed that not a month went by without learning something that I hadn't known before about the German culture, especially when spending a lot of time with my German friends and families.

Falls ihr das liest, bedanke ich mich VIELMALS für die Unterstützung und Hilfe in den letzten zehn Jahren, obwohl ihr es bestimmt unterhaltsam fandet mir zuzusehen, wie ich das erste mal die Weißwurst MIT Haut gegessen habe und meinen Maß nicht richtig gehalten habe. Und ihr lacht euch bestimmt im Moment auch über meine total schrecklichen Grammatikfähigkeiten den Arsch ab. Aber ohne euch, wären mir bestimmt viel mehr peinliche Sachen passiert. xD

Lifestyle and Behavior

• You will never see the elderly wearing shorts, tennis shoes and/or baseball caps. Ever.
• In the winter, nearly EVERYONE you see, even men and teenage boys, will be wearing a scarf and have at least one metal thermos of their favorite tea with them everywhere they go.
• You will find that German media such as television does not censor anything. If you were watching Jerry Springer in Germany, you would hear it without a single beep. Sexual topics are also much more open in Germany and sexual education is much more common and informative in schools than it is the United States.
• Don't be surprised if a German tells you straight to your face that your shoes are ugly, even if you didn't ask for their opinion. White lies are practically non-existent. This is not a sign of disrespect, though. Consider it a truthful, honest opinion, no matter how blunt it is and try not to take offense. I know it's hard. xD
• If a German shows they like you and enjoy your company, you can (in nearly all cases) be certain that this person likes you. The automatic American "hi-how-are-you-niceness" is something you will not see in Germany, so if the conversation is good, that is probably a good sign.
• "Gleiches Recht für Alle" (Same rules go for everyone) is something you will hear often. This is the main reason I learned German quickly. There were no special exceptions for me, just because I couldn't speak the language.
• Staring in Germany is more okay than it is in the US, where parents teach their children that staring is rude. So don't be surprised if you are being stared down by the old woman sitting across from you on the train, especially if you have colorful hair or piercings.
• Germans wear their wedding bands on their right hands.
• That Germans are all dressed in Lederhosen, Dirndl and forest green and brown hunting clothing is completely false. (Most of the time ;D) Germans have a very good sense of style and the fashion scene is rather chic. You rarely ever see anyone over 25 wearing a t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. (Sorry, Mom! ;D) As a matter of fact, tennis shoes are very uncommon. In comparison to the US, I find the German style a little more artsy-looking in your average teenager/young adult.
• There is no American football in Germany. There is "Fußball" (soccer), which nearly every German obsesses over. Crowds in the streets are also much more common. Whenever Germany wins during a big game (World Cup, European Cup), you will hear people honking, screaming, chanting, whistling and making noise in the streets for at least an hour. People will pile up into cars, sit on the hood and the trunk and hang out the windows, sometimes even driving tractors, holding flags and screaming their favorite soccer songs and chants at the top of their lungs. Either very entertaining or extremely annoying.
• I find that Germans don't get into physical fights as frequently as Americans. The fights tend to be more verbal. (This doesn't mean that a German won't kick your ass, especially when politics are involved. You do NOT want to be caught between left- and right-wings in a fight. Trust me.) Beware when debating, fighting verbally or arguing with a German; you'd best be armed with the ability to articulate yourself and the gift of improvisation, or I can tell you right now that you're doomed. You can also feel more safe to get into a verbal fight without being stabbed or shot at in Germany. But be careful, if insulting someone verbally or with gestures in traffic, you could end up paying a huge fine. And insulting a cop will allow them to legally throw you behind bars.

Communication

• When speaking to someone older than you, of higher authority or an adult, it is ESSENTIAL that you refer to them as "Sie" (formal version of "you") instead of "du". Saying "du" is only okay with someone you either know very well, or who has specifically said that it is okay. Otherwise, it is observed as disrespectful.
• Germans have a lot of respect for the elderly, so it is basically expected from you to greet the elderly with a friendly "Guten Tag" (good day), hold doors open for them and let them have your seat on the train.
• Ciao is not just Italian. It is frequently used to say "Goodbye" in Germany.
• Germans shake hands a lot, even if you've met several times. So it is always best to keep eye contact and your hands out of your pockets.

The Public and Transportation

• Phone booths and mail boxes are all yellow, except for the Deutsche Telekom phone booths. They're pink.
• Taxis are usually Mercedes Benz's or BMW's and are a tan color. They are often seen parked at a train station.
• In nearly every German restaurant, especially fast food restaurants in big cities, you will find a "Klofrau"; a woman who cleans the restrooms. It is expected from you to give her a few cents for keeping everything "clean". Some restrooms in public places such as the train station cost about 50 cents to get into, which is in your favor. Trust me.
• You can order beer nearly everywhere, including McDonalds. No, I am not kidding.
• Cars are common, but there are definitely not as many in Germany. Most Germans rely on public transportation; the S-Bahn, U-Bahn, Straßenbahn and Bus (trains, subway, buses and street trains) to get from A to B, which are located everywhere.  It is very uncommon to live in a town without its own train station. But don't get caught without a ticket, or you will receive a hefty 50 Euro or more fine from the Bahnpolizei (transportation police). We won't even get into the prices if you fail to pay the fee on time.
• You will find that gas prices are outrageous in Germany. This is meant to encourage people to use the public transportation or carpool, which is better for the environment. German metropolitan areas now require that any vehicle entering the city MUST have a clean air emissions certification sticker on the windshield, or they may not drive, unless the car is considered an antique.
• It is true - if you are on the far left lane of the Autobahn, you can basically drive as fast as you want (within reason and when not stated otherwise for rush-hour or weather reasons). But watch out. German drivers on the Autobahn, especially the ones driving the expensive German cars, are really fast and don't appreciate being slowed down.
• If you Jaywalk in Germany, you can expect to be ticketed if the police are around, or smacked by an elderly German woman's umbrella or purse.

The German Home

• When using the bathroom in a German home, sometimes you will find a shower and a sink, but no toilet. The toilet is in a completely separate room; sometimes with a sink, sometimes without. Bathrooms also almost always include a place to hook up a washer and dryer. I don't believe I have ever seen a laundromat in Germany.
• You will find almost no doorknobs in Germany. Most all of them are handles.
• Doors in a German home are always closed. It is a symbol of privacy. If the bathroom door is closed, don't stand around waiting. Because chances are, it is not in use and you will be waiting there for a long time.
• When looking for a new home in Germany, you will find that the kitchen is completely empty; cabinets, stove and all. You have to provide your own cabinets and appliances, which are required to be installed by a professional. Do-it-yourself is not okay.
• German homes are made from brick, and therefore have extremely thick walls and good insulation. Nearly all homes have basements.
• You will rarely ever find air conditioning in a German home. It is seen as unnecessary and wasteful. (And it's too cold to really need one in the first place!)
• When walking into a German home, you will find everyone's shoes right next to the front door. A lot of Germans have several extra sets of "house shoes" or slippers for their guests. Always be prepared to remove your shoes when entering a German home unless told otherwise. It would be best to automatically take them off and not ask if you can keep them on.

Food, Mealtime and Eating Out

• Germans generally have their warm, bigger meal at lunch. For dinner, there is usually "Brotzeit", which is made up of fresh bread, cheeses and meats.
• If you order pepperoni on your pizza, you won't find your favorite American pepperoni topping. You will have large, green hot chili peppers covering your pizza. If you want anything close to pepperoni, ask for a salami pizza.
• When you ask for a glass of water in a home or at a restaurant, you have to specifically ask for tap water, or you will receive a glass of mineral, fizzy water. The first time I experienced this was on our Lufthansa flight to Germany when we moved there. Asking for free tap water along with a meal in Germany is frowned upon. (Every time I've done this in Germany, which has been VERY often, I was looked at like I was crazy. xD)
• When you walk into a restaurant in Germany, you can sit wherever you'd like. You don't have to wait to be seated.
• When you are finished with your meal, leave your fork and knife in the 4:20 position. If you aren't finished and for some reason must put your knife and fork down, cross them on your plate and the waiter or host will know not to take it away.
• Unless eating at a "Imbissbude" (food stand), you will rarely ever see paper plates or bowls, even at a cook-out.
• The "Weißwurst" is a very popular sausage in Bavaria, often eaten with a glass of "Weißbier" to go along with it. However, there is a strict rule about the Weißwurst: you must lightly cut through the layer of skin and peel it off before eating unless you want to be looked at like a complete idiot.
• You will notice that when a German eats Spaghetti, they roll the noodles onto their fork by placing their fork in their spoon.

Shopping

• Generally, all shops and stores are closed at seven or eight PM, Sundays and all Holidays. Unless you want to pay the extra money at a 24 hour gas station (if the town you're in has one), you'd better get everything you need before closing. You will find that shops and stores are busiest right before a holiday or on the weekend, because everyone is stocking up.
• When you go shopping at the grocery store, make sure you have a Euro handy! All shopping carts require a Euro to use. You get it back once you return the cart. Good idea!
• Germany is a very "green" country and you have to pay for plastic bags at almost all grocery stores. Germans generally bring shopping bags/baskets/carts with them on a trip to the grocery store.
• Tax is included in German prices, so you always know exactly what you have to pay to the cent, which I find extremely practical.
• There are plenty of people who work at a store or shop, but don't expect to be asked by any of them if you need any help finding anything. You have to go to them and ask.
• Bookstores in Germany are for buying books only. If you want to drink coffee, go to a coffee shop. If you want to read, go to the Library. Most bookstores in Germany are actually very small and the chances that the book you want is not available at the store, is very likely. Almost all the books I've bought at German bookstores have had to be ordered and picked up on a later date.

Drinking and Smoking

• Germany is a heavily smoking country and it is not as frowned upon as it is in the States. I remember being able to smoke in restaurants until 2008, when they changed the laws to outdoors only. The smoking age was also 16 until September of 2007, when the age was changed to eighteen, which meant that I was legally allowed to buy cigarettes for only a few months and then had to wait to legally buy them until my eighteenth birthday. You will not find a lot of garbage on the streets in Germany, since, as I said before, Germans are very "green", but you will see cigarette butts EVERYWHERE. People habitually throw them on the ground.
• You will see cigarette vending machines all over Germany. Most all of them require a bank card or identification card with a chip inside, which states that you are eighteen. This is only practical in the sense that the stores aren't open as frequently as in the United States.
• Drinking in public is legal in Germany, so avoiding the public transportation systems late at night during the Oktoberfest might be a good idea, unless you don't mind excessive rowdiness, loud people, puddles of vomit in public areas, the smell of beer and broken glass. This is how it was when I lived in Germany. But recently, drinking alcohol has been banned in all public transportation. There was of course a protest which included a few thousand teenagers and young adults drinking and partying in the Munich S-bahns and causing damage to over 50 trains. The damage cost was around 100.000 Euros. o.O
• When you go to a party at a German's house, no matter what age, you drink beer in a bottle and in some cases, a glass. You will NEVER see the typical American college party red plastic cups.
• You can't turn a cap to open a beer, so don't even try it. You will need a bottle opener, or, as many Germans do it, a lighter, a robust surface such as a table or in brave cases, a strong pair of pearly whites. I have seen a million more methods, which I will not list here, because the list is too long. xD
• When you toast in Germany, you say "Prost!". Make sure to look the person you are toasting with in the eye. It's considered bad luck to not do so.
• "Vorglühen" is a German term for drinking before going out to drink. When using public transportation to get to a club, bar, concert, soccer game or party, it is normal to have a few beers or other alcohol along with you for the ride. (A friend let me know that drinking alcohol on trains, on the tram etc. is no longer permitted. Drunks or people transporting alcohol are still allowed to use public transportation.) Only in Germany. However, all the alcohl you have with you must be drunk by the time you reach your location, or it has to be thrown away or hidden in the bushes. Also, there are no bathrooms on the train, so if you are about to take a 30 minute train ride, you'd better either have a strong bladder or avoid drinking large amounts before using public transportation. I speak from experience.
• All bars and other places that serve alcohol except for some clubs, do not require an ID to get into. (Although for many places, you can enter at sixteen.) As long as you look around sixteen or older; sometimes the age doesn't even matter, especially when accompanied by an adult. Getting drinks underage is much easier in Germany that in the United States.

Law Enforcement

• Police officers wear green and khaki uniforms, which, as you can imagine are highly attractive. O.o (The design is slowly being changed to blue everywhere but Bavaria and Saarland.) They drive around in BMW cars and generally Mercedes-Benz or VW vans in Bavaria, which are the easy recognizable colors of bright green and white. (Like the uniforms, in all of Germany but Bavaria and Saarland, the colors are slowly being changed to bright blue and silver.) The vans are refered to as "Grün-Weißer Partybus" by many Teenagers and young adults. (The green and white party bus).
• Undercover police are very common in Germany. At the Frühlingsfest, (a mix between the county fair and Octoberfest, just much smaller) you would see them wearing Dirndl and Lederhosen, walking around, pretending to be enjoying themselves. How do you recognize them? They aren't drinking and snap their heads in the direction of a fist fight in an instant. When driving around on a daily basis, you recognize the black, fairly pricey German car. (The undercover police in our town were easy to spot, because of the license plate stating that the it's county was Rosenheim.)
• Police officers make security rounds around town on a regular basis. If you look at all suspicious (troublemaker appearance, young smoker, in a loud crowd, drinking etc.), you may be stopped by the police and searched or asked for your identification. If you don't have a valid ID on you, the police may take you into the station.
• If you are smoking underage and look that way, the Police may confiscate your pack of cigarettes and call your parents to tell them how naughty you were. In most cases, a German parent will truthfully tell the police officer that they gave the child the pack of cigarettes and scold them for taking their child's property. Smoking under eighteen is not allowed in public, but allowed in the home if approved by a parent. However, selling cigarettes to anyone under eighteen is illegal.
• You are required to sort your garbage by paper, plastic, remaining, compost and glass. If you fail to do so, you may find all of your garbage bags dumped in front of your door.
• Fishing and Hunting is only allowed with a license.
• You have to be eighteen to receive a driver's license in Germany and seventeen for a permit. Parents don't teach their children to drive, as many do in the United States and Driver's Ed is not offered in schools. You pay around 2000 Euros for your classes and license. While learning and on the driving test, you are required to drive a stick-shift. Automatics are very seldom in Germany.
• There is no right on red in Germany. If you turn right at a red light, you can expect to go for a ride in the Grün-Weißer Partybus.

By the way, just to be absolutely clear: these are of course all stereotypes. As a friend pointed out, of course not ALL Germans walk around in a scarf drinking tea in the winter. ;) What I am referring to in this post, is the big picture! No offense at all intended. :)

German School Systems

I have been asked so many times by so many people how exactly the German school systems work. I am sure it is a little different in every "Bezirk" (State), but this is how it was for me when I went to school there.

The public state-run schools are free, but charges and fees for books and general materials throughout the year do come up. Going to school from first to at least ninth grade is mandatory and there is no homeschooling in Germany. You generally start out with Kindergarten, which is more like Preschool in the United States. It is not required and you don't really learn anything.

Then you enter the Grundschule (Primary School), which lasts from 1st to fourth grade. You begin to learn English from first grade all the way until graduation. In first and second grade, you don't receive grades. In fourth grade, the grades you make will depend on which secondary school you are placed into for fifth grade until you graduate. If you grades aren't good enough to make it into the higher schools, you can take qualifying exams. If you pass, you're in, if not, you're out. That simple.

Secondary education in Germany is split up into three levels. The Hauptschule (secondary general school: prepares you for employment and ends with the Hauptschulabschluss dipoma after ninth or tenth grade, depending on which type of diploma you are on track to getting),
the Realschule (intermediate school: more intense and prepares you for either a further school to eventually lead to University or employment and leads to the Mittlere Reife after tenth grade) and the Gymnasium (grammar school: prepares you for University, ending with the Abitur diploma after twelfth or thirteenth grade).

• If you end up in the Hauptschule, and your grades are good enough in the first year, you can be placed either in the Realschule or Gymnasium, which requires repeating the fifth grade. You also have the opportunity to take the exams again. If your grades are good in sixth grade, you have one last shot at the Realschule, but no longer the Gymnasium. Most people I know who got the general Hauptschulabschluss ended up working as craftsmen (mechanic, carpenter, brick layer etc.), but some also went on to the Berufsschule (job school), where you receive training and education at companies and part time vocational schools. However, there are two types of grade 10: one is the higher level called type 10b and the lower level is called type 10a; only the higher level type 10b can lead to the Realschule and this finishes with the final examination Mittlere Reife after grade 10b.

• In the Realschule, you are required to choose an education track in seventh grade: math, art, language and business, which will offer you specific classes to your interest. After graduation, you generally continue on to the Fachoberschule (Vocational upper secondary school), which can lead to University.

• In the Gymnasium, you are required to chose a second foreign language (French, Latin, Italian etc.) in sixth grade, which you will take until you graduate.

A day in the life of a student:

School generally starts at around 8 AM. You go to your homeroom, where you will have all your classes with the same people in the same seat. (Acception: classes that can't be taken in a homeroom such as chemistry or PE) Your class schedule is different every day and takes a little while to memorize. Each class is generally around 45 minutes. After your first three classes of the day, you have a "Pause" (recess and snack time). In the Grundschule, it is about half an hour long and it secondary school, it is about fifteen minutes. There is usually a small area where bread, sandwiches, pastries, snacks and drinks are sold during this time. After the Pause, you have between one and three more classes before going home. If extra curricular classes are offered after school, such as band, volleyball or french conversation, you have an hour lunch break where you can either bring your own lunch or eat in the cafeteria.
After school, you come home, eat lunch (which in Germany is generally a hot meal, like the American dinner) and have an hour long "Ruhezeit" (quiet time). During this time, most stores are closed for a few hours and you aren't allowed to play loud music or make a lot of noise and disturb your neighbors. This time is mainly used for resting and napping. Homework and studying takes about as much time as it would in America.

Other little differences about the school systems:

• at the beginning of every class/day with a teacher, the whole class stands up and chants "Gu-ten-Mor-gen-Frau/Herr-___".
• in the Grundschule, you wear house shoes/slippers in the classroom. There is usually a place to hang coats and put shoes either inside or right outside the classroom
• throughout school, you either have a Catholic, Evangelic or Ethic religion class, which is required.
• when you raise your hand, you raise as if you were to tell your teacher you need to use the restroom; with one finger pointed up.
• from first through fourth grade, you are required to use special lined paper, to teach you correct penmanship
• from first through fourth grade, you are required to use only blue-inked fountain pen
• pencil is not allowed for ANYTHING but art class in Germany. Even math. If you need to erase something, you are recommended to cross it through with a ruler or use a special fountain pen eraser. Wite-out is discouraged.
• German school desks seat two people. They are long and have two spots underneath to put things under the desk. It is a smart thing to pair up with a pal quick or arrive early on the first day of school, because in most cases, you will be stuck there all year and not be allowed to switch.
• dress code is not very strict in Germany. Of course, there are limits; you shouldn't be walking to school in a mini skirt and a tube top on a daily basis, but you aren't going to get in trouble for crazy hair, a lip ring or ripped jeans.
• there are no hall passes. If you need to go to the bathroom, raise your hand and ask. Most teachers are okay with it.
• there are no lockers. Since you are generally in the same room all day, you have no need for one. You can leave things under your desk or at your seat. The risk of anything being taken is very slim...theft is not bad an issue in Germany as it is in the states.
• there is no student parking. Since you have to be eighteen to get a license in Europe, student parking isn't very necessary. If you do, however, have your own transportation besides a bike, such as a scooter, you're going to have to find your own parking spot.
• chalkboards aren't mounted to the wall. They can be adjusted up and down and even open up. Certain parts of the chalkboard are even with normal lines or graphing lines. They are not cleared off with American erasers. In Germany, you use a wet sponge and a squeegee. Most classrooms come with a sink and a mirror to clean the chalkboard and wash hands. (Germans are very hygienic people...and the girls love to crowd around the mirror between classes to retouch their makeup ;D)