These are just some things I’ve noticed after almost two weeks in Germany. Pretty much everything shocks me but here are some standouts.
Shock #1
Germans really really care about bread. Every single meal offered at the hostel somehow offers or centers around bread; doesn’t matter how. Within the first thirty minutes of arriving at the hostel, I’d been offered a roll. Because I was so out of it after 36 hours traveling I just ripped the roll in half. The counselors around me were horrified. I felt attacked but I know they were just trying to connect with me. After so many summer camps I know that teasing campers is a quick way to establish relationships. I also learned that the correct way to cut a roll is lengthwise and spreading the butter evenly.
Shock #2
The windows are different, but it goes deeper than the windows. It’s about how the rooms are designed. I’m starting to notice the small ways Germans organize their lives around high energy costs. If the room has a side facing the outdoors, there’s almost always floor to ceiling windows. This allows sunlight to stream in and half the time you don’t need to turn the lights on. Also, because it usually doesn’t get unbearably hot in the summer, most buildings don’t have air conditioning. All windows have a closed, slightly open, or swing function (the picture below explains it better). And the windows are open, all the time. Bugs get in but it’s better than boiling alive.
Shock #3
Everyone smokes. I should’ve guessed since Europe is known for having a more open smoking culture. It also might be the area that the hostel is but you can’t walk outside without getting hit with at least three walls of second hand smoke. It’s not only a communal thing like I thought it would be, I see (mostly men) smoking alone all the time. Rolling your cigarettes is also a big thing. I’ve talked to two separate people on the train who were calmly rolling a cigarette the whole time. A lot of young people also vape in public. Normally people in the U.S. make some effort to hide their vape but not here. I can’t tell if it’s more accepted or it’s a sign of rebellion the way wearing a marijuana shirt is.
Shock #4
People are more private. Just in general, no one really advertises who they are. There are no car stickers saying dog mom or parent of an honor student. I look at people on the bus and on the train and I really have no idea who they are. There aren’t many shirts with logos on them. People have different styles but nothing ever really sticks out. Everyone I’ve talked to on the train has been very nice and interested but the conversation is never really about them. People keep to themselves and there’s an air of self sufficiency that keeps everything running smoothly. Privacy is important in a way that I’ve never experienced as an American.
A collage of pictures for anyone who wants to see what I’ve been up to these
BEA'S YEAR ABROAD 