Hallo meine Lieben, how's your week going? I hope it is full of sunshine and happiness! I am linking up with Lin, you can join the Ten On Tuesday fun here.
1. My latest food addiction is Kohlrabi Schnitzel. So yummy, vegan and easy to make. I want to eat them every day.
2. I was surprised to hear that you can use the word "Kohlrabi" in English too. You can also say "cabbage turnip" but I don't know if it is very common.
3. I rediscovered my love for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". I am watching season 2 right now. It is fun to see my favorite characters Spike, Oz and Giles again.
4. It is weird to see David Boreanaz as Angel after you've seen him as Agent Booth in Bones. I need to figure out if he is more of a vampire or FBI agent.
5. I love to eat potatoes (I am pretty sure every German does) but I hate peeling them. I should hire a potato peeler. I would probably eat potatoes every single day if I would not have to peel them.
6. I am refusing to drink out of jars. They are for marmalade.
9. All the time I have preferred wearing contact lenses but right now I am absolutely in love with glasses. I just think it is time for a new pair. I already found a really cute one I adore.
10. My mean word of the week is "miscellaneous" because I have no idea how to say it. I never use it. Never ever. I am glad you can easily replace it.
Happy National Skunk Day!!! Yay! How do you celebrate it? I think it is pretty funny that there is a skunk day. I have never heard about that before but I think that there should be a day for every animal! But in general I think that we should celebrate animals every day of the year. And I mean every animal. Not just the cute ones. Animals make me smile, they make me happy and they are such an important part of my life. So celebrate them!
A couple of days ago I went for a hike and I saw so many animals, it was awesome. First I saw a chipmunk and chipmunks are definitely under the top 10 of my favorite animals. I have never seen a chipmunk in Germany, I guess they don't live there. I need to do some research. But I see them all the time in America and I am so in love with them.
And then I saw a monster. I swear. Do you remember the weird animal Lilly and Marshall from How I Met Your Mother had in their apartment? The cockamouse?
And I swear I saw a frogmunk. It was a mix between a frog and a chipmunk. It had the shape of a chipmunk but no fur. It had the skin of a frog and a frog head. But it was fast like a chipmunk. I only saw it for a second, then it hid behind a tree, jumped and then it was gone. But it was a frogmunk. I discovered a new species and I could not be any prouder.
I also saw a normal toad. And the best thing was that I saw a mother bunny with 3 baby bunnies. So cute. They just sat there but when I came closer they run away. I tried to convince them that I am a friend but they were too scared and I can understand them.
The bad thing was that I forgot my camera at home. I was so mad at myself. And I am sure that David thought I was completely stupid and crazy but that's okay.
I guess they fell in love and had babies. That's my only explanation.
I want to talk about a stereotype today.
My husband recently told me that he thinks that all Germans sound angry and evil. Nobody ever told me that before but it made me think. A lot. I mean, I live with that person and he thinks that I always sound mean and evil. That's terrible.
So, am I really like that? How do I talk? How do Germans talk? Do Germans talk in a different way when they are in other countries? I was a little helpless because that was a little bit of a shock to me.
I have to say that I do have a loud voice. I am not a quiet person at all. But I don't think that every German is like that. But I guess you can still be angry even when you don't talk in a loud voice. I don't know. I am so confused at the moment.
I have thought about Germans in general. I have never felt like they sound mean, angry, evil or anything like that. What do you think? I mean, I have watched Germans on American television and they always sound nice. Michael Ballack for example. He is a former German soccer player and now the soccer expert at ESPN. His English is awful but he talks in a very calm voice and sounds like a nice person. A couple of weeks ago I have seen a documentary about people at death row in Texas. It was from a German guy and he interviewed inmates. And he sounds nice. Very nice. I mean, he talks to killers but sounds like the sweetest person on earth. So are there any Germans in America that sound mean? I really don't know. I can't think of anyone.
So is it me? It must be me. I mean, there must be a reason that my husband thinks that Germans sound mean. At least when they speak English. My voice is loud. And yes, I am a very emotional person. I get even louder when something bothers me or when I am excited. Maybe that sounds mean?
I admit that I scream at the TV when I watch soccer. Because I am excited. Or angry. But that doesn't mean that I always sound like that.
So maybe the problem is that I always say what I think. I guess that's a German thing. I am always open about things and I tell people when something bothers me. Is that the problem here? Does that make me sound angry and evil? It's possible. I am used to behavior like that. My Dad and my friends always tell me when I do something stupid. Or when I say something that doesn't make sense. They tell me to shut up when I talk to much. They are always open and tell me how they feel about me. Even when it hurts. And I appreciate that. Because I always know what they think and that they don't tell me things just to make me happy. I know that Americans are always friendly and polite. So maybe it hurts them when you always say your honest opinion and don't care what people think about you. I really don't know. Do you guys have any ideas? Do you think Germans sound angry? I am thinking a lot about this topic and that's the only explanation I have. But it's possible that I am the problem.
Hallo meine Lieben, I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Mine was awesome. We went to German village in Columbus on Saturday and we spent Sunday at our friends' new house (an old farm house). What did you do? We had two main reasons to go to German village: we really wanted to see the huge book store, it has 32 rooms full of books. And David wanted to see if the Bratwurst at the German restaurant is a real German Bratwurst. It was around 1 p.m. when we arrived at the German village that's why we started our day in the restaurant. We had to wait almost an hour to get a table which was very annoying for me but pretty normal for an American like David. The played some nice music outside while we were waiting: The Ententanz and Dschingis Kahn for example. I was proud because I was the only one who knew the German lyrics. Haha.
After what seemed like ages a girl in a weird Dirndl brought us to our table and we ordered. Salad for me because Germans only eat meat according to their menu. And Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Reibekuchen (potato pancakes in English, Grumperküschelcha in Saarländisch) for David. David said the Bratwurst was okay but not like the ones he tried in Germany. I expected that outcome because their Bratwurst didn't really look like German Bratwurst. Plus they had stuff like "Knockwurst" and "Weiner Schnitzel" on their menu. If you are a real German you know that it's "Knackwurst" and "Wiener Schnitzel". So I am not sure if they have any Germans working there, I did not hear a single German word during our day there.
Plus all the "German pastries" might be delicious but they are definitely not German. And I have to say that "fudge" is definitely not a German thing. Even when they sell it in "Schmidt's German fudge and gift house". But yeah, we had an awesome time and lots of fun....just not a very German time.
After that we walked around in German village for a while, looked at the "Hausfrau Haven" (Hausfrau means housewife) and other funny little stores and then went to the Book Loft. Which is an awesome place. 32 rooms full of books, posters and puzzles. I have no idea how long we have been there but I got completely lost and it felt more like a museum than a book store.
I looked for a vegan baking book but didn't find one. But it's definitely worth a trip because they offer all kinds of books, you just need lots of time to look at everything.
If you ever travel to Columbus you should definitely plan a visit at the Book Loft.
Only funny when you are German: Toffifee is called Toffifay in America. I wonder why they changed that. Thanks Schatz, for an awesome day!
Oh, and while we walked around in German village we saw some guys walking around with guns which was a little scary to see after all the recent shooting but it didn't stop me from taking some pictures. That was probably a bad idea, David wasn't very excited about it but we did not get shot. And I still have my left arm. Here's the proof. 2 big guns and guys completely dressed in black. Nice.
Hallo meine Lieben, I hope you are all having a wonderful and sunny day! I know, the weather in Germany is not very nice at the moment but I am sure it will be better soon! Wann wird's mal wieder richtig Sommer? Hopefully soon! Ach, Rudi Carell! Herrlich.
Okay. Food is important. I love to eat and to cook. I am a terrible baker but I think my cooking is fine. I can't find all the things I like and used to eat in Germany here but I think I found a good way to deal with it. I am glad that I found my Maggi Würze here in America. It hurts a bit that I have to pay 4 Dollars for a 100ml bottle but okay. I love it, I need it, I use it for everything (by the way, I can get a 1000 ml bottle for 3 Euros in Germany. Man.). I miss German Bretzeln though. One time I bought an American pretzel (why do you spell it wrong, America?) and there was sugar on it. I want salt! Or sunflower seeds! But not sugar. I found some fantastic vegan Würstchen though! Good job, America! That makes it a lot easier to grill out! By the way, David says that the German Bratwurst in America never tastes like German Bratwurst.
As you can imagine there are many differences between German and American food. I could talk about this for hours but I just want to mention a few that really stand out to me. Please write me if you have any other suggestions. ★ Chips for lunch When I first came to America I thought that's just a thing that David does. He sometimes eats chips for lunch. For example he has a hot dog on his plate and next to it a handful of chips. As a side. For me chips is not a side. In Germany you get vegetables or rice or salad or whatever as a side but I have never seen chips on a plate. I don't know why you would do that. Because it's easy? I mean, you just have to grab a bag and but the chips on your plate, no cooking etc. And no, it's not just David. Everybody eats it. I have seen other people do it, I have even seen it on TV. Walter White eats chips for lunch. It's so weird for me. Really. I mean, for me chips is something you eat in the evening in front of the TV when you watch a movie. Or at parties. I know that people eat fish and chips in England but as far as I know these "chips" are fries or something similar to that. And it's hot, not cold plain chips. So yeah, it is really weird for me to see people eat chips for lunch together with their other food. And I am not sure if I will ever get used to it. For me it's an evening snack. ★ No coffee after a meal. I know, I know. People drink coffee in America too. That's not what I mean. But when I go out for lunch or dinner in Germany I order a coffee when I am done eating. It's a ritual. I need that after a meal. Every restaurant has a menu with different coffee specialties. You don't see that in America very often. To be honest you rarely even see a "Getränkekarte", a card that lists all the different drinks the restaurant offers. Like different wines, beers, coffee etc. And I have never seen people order a coffee after a meal. That's weird because for me drinking a coffee is a perfect way to end a meal. Okay, when I go to my favorite Pizzeria in Germany I drink a coffee first and then get some free alcohol when I want to pay. That's nice. I never get free alcohol in America. It's a little mean if you ask me. My grandfather always said that "Alkohol ist gut für die Verdauung", Alcohol is good for your digestion. For me it's a very nice and cozy thing to drink a coffee after a meal in a restaurant. But it's just not possible to do that in America because a) they don't offer it and b) they bring you the check as soon as you finished eating. I have said that before, going out for dinner is an experience for me....nothing you do in a rush. I want to sit in a restaurant for hours and talk. With a nice hot cup of coffee. ★ leftovers I have to say that this bothers me a lot because I just can't understand it. One time I went to a restaurants with David and his parents. It was a buffet. As far as I know you can stand up and go to the buffet as often as you want. There are no limitations. That means you can go, get something, eat it and then decide if you are still hungry and then go again. Sounds easy. But I have to say that I was a little shocked! The place was not very crowded and there was so much food and I am sure that it was enough for everybody. But the other customers went to the buffet and came back having their plates (yes, plates. Not just one plate) full of stuff. I felt like I was in the middle of a war, food was short and you have to grab whatever you can. That's what my grandmother told me about World War II. You can't be picky, get as much food as you can carry, you never know when you will be able to get food again. But we're not at war and hey, it's America. There's lots of food so you can be sure that you don't have to starve in a restaurant. I really don't know why people do that. All the tables were full of plates. Don't get me wrong, people can eat as much as they want! Really. Take as much as you can eat! But the problem is that people don't eat all their food! You see so many leftovers on the plates and I really wonder why people got all that food in the first place. I understand that people just don't like some of the food but you could try it first and then decide if you want more. David calls my plate "the European plate". I always try not to leave any leftovers. ★ real cheese It's so funny for me to see that every American food that contains cheese says "With real cheese". It is a running gag in our house that we always make fun of the "reeeeeeaaaaaal cheeeeeese". It's really weird for me that every package says that it contains real cheese and not fake cheese. Shouldn't that be normal? Okay, in my opinion American cheese is NEVER real cheese but that's another story.
★ baking = opening a package I have never seen so many baking mixtures before. Really. It's overwhelming when you go to a grocery store and see hundreds of different packages. I never use them but I have seen that you get a package for every kind of cake, muffin, cupcake you want. And I feel like everybody uses these mixtures. I rarely see homemade cakes. I admit that I have seen homemade pies at Thanksgiving but what about a Schwarzwälderkirschtorte? Seems like people always buy cakes but rarely make them on their own. And I know that Americans LOVE their frosting. I just can't understand why. ★ no bakeries I know, I have said that before....I miss my German bakeries! Bread, Laugenbretzeln and my Dinkelapfeltasche (spelt-apple-turnover). Every German village has a bakery, no matter how small it is. Only 700 people live in my home town. There is no supermarket, no nothing. But we have a bakery! People need a bakery. I want to go to a bakery on Sunday morning (yes, a lot of bakeries are open on Sunday mornings even when all other stores are closed) and get my warm crunchy Brötchen and eat it with yummy marmalade. ★ no fat Nothing contains fat in America. At least the packages say so. One time we went to the supermarket and I looked at yogurts (David likes yogurt, he eats it with his lunch by the way, not as a dessert or snack). Every single yogurt said "no fat". There was NO normal yogurt. I mean, you get non-fat yogurt in Germany too but that's the exception, not the standard. In America you don't even have a choice. Everything is non-fat and non-taste. Let's be honest, Fett ist ein Geschmacksträger, fat is a flavor-carrier. The fact that the food is fat-free might look healthy. But isn't it a little weird that all the yogurts contain lots of sugar instead? But it seems like people fall for it. ★ everything German is Bavarian That's another weird thing for me to see. It seems like Americans love everything from Bavaria. Yeah, Bavaria is a great state! I love it. But not every German food comes from Bavaria. I mean, in Germany you don't buy "bayrisches Sauerkraut", you just buy Sauerkraut because it's a German thing and not a Bavarian thing. But I guess it sells better in America when it says that it's from Bavaria. It's a good advertising strategy.....but for Germans in America it's weird to see that all German food is Bavarian food.
Do you like German food? What's your favorite food from your country? Have a wonderful day! PS: You can find more here:
Hallo Ihr Lieben, I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! As you all know I am a huge Fußball fan and the Euro 2012 is going on. I hope my Germans will win. Usually I sit in front of the TV or a huge screen somewhere outside with lots of people, I have my face painted with the German colors, have a beer and scream at the screen because I am so excited. This year I can't be excited. Because the UEFA (damn you, Union of European Football Associations) decided that Ukraine is one of the two hosts of this years cup. Besides other reasons that I don't want to address here on my blog Ukraine decided to "clean" the streets from stray dogs in order to make the city attractive for all the visitors. "Cleaning the streets" means that they killed, poisoned, shot the dogs, they burned them alive or beat them to death, run them over by cars. They even used a mobile cremation truck to kill as many dogs as possible. You can read about it here. Ukraine made many decisions that I can't support but this treatment of animals makes me sad, devastated and angry. I can't understand how the UEFA could make such a decision. They ruined the Euro for me...but even worse they took the lives of thousands of innocent animals that did not have the chance to survive. It is a sad time in the history of soccer. And I wish that more politicians would speak up against the saddening behavior of Ukrainian government and the UEFA. I can't support this decision and I wish that the fans would have decided not to buy the tickets for the games that take place in the Ukraine. But unfortunately lots of people just turn a blind eye on it.
Okay, are you still there? It's time for another part of my America vs. Germany series. Today I want to talk about a very important topic for me. And yes, I am aware of the fact that this topic might irrelevant for others. So first of all I have to tell you a little bit about myself: I make a hot water bottle before I go to bed from September to April. I wear warm socks in bed. I wear a scarf most days of the year. I have a warm blanket on that couch that I use every night, even in summer. I rarely wear short stuff because I get too cold. In winter I sometimes wear two scarves, gloves, a really warm coat, a hat (I look stupid but I don't care), I even have a little pocket heater. I have a heated blanket. When the temperatures are under 20C I get cold. And yes, I have heard the argument that this is just because I don't eat meat but that's crap. So yeah, I am an icicle. I don't like it but I live with it. But I have to say that America doesn't make it easy for people like me. I don't know if I am the only person in America who feels like that. For example: It was February the first time I went to America. February. Cold. I wore my winter coat, boots, scarves, gloves. I went to my gate at Frankfurt airport and what did I see? People with flip flops! And shirts! And shorts. I was very irritated but that was nothing compared to what I saw at Charlotte airport. More flip flops, more shorts and more short sleeves. I felt like an outsider. David only wore a hoodie but no coat by the way. So yeah, that was my first experience....Americans don't get cold. It must be something in their genes. I don't know. So I am different. I can live with that.
The first time I went to an American movie theater was quite a shock to me. It is freezing cold in there! At least for me. It seems like I am the only one who feels like that because I always see people with shorts and flip flops in the movie theaters. Even girls which is very surprising for me because most of my Europeans friends are like me and get cold very easily. Last week we went to the movie theater and it was hot outside. I mean, really hot. Like 30 degrees Celsius or 90 degrees Fahrenheit. I wore ballerinas but I took warm socks with me, a hoodie and a scarf, And I needed all of it. First I wanted to be brave and see how long I can last with my short sleeves. After 10 minutes I started to wear my hoodie....a little later the socks. And then I used my scarf as a blanket. I am weird, I know. Please tell me that I am not the only person who feels like that and brings warm clothes to the movie theater.
So America, I know that you like air-conditioning. But don't you think it's a bit too much sometimes? Last year I went to a restaurant with David, her sister and her boyfriend. It was the first time I met David's sister and I wanted to make a good impression. It was May and it was very hot outside. I wore sandals, a top and jeans. I had a coat with me but I left it in the car because it was so hot. We decided to go to a restaurant....I can't tell you how much I suffered in there. Everybody else seemed to be fine. Although David's sister said later that it was a little chilly inside. "A little chilly" was definitely an understatement. I was freezing cold! Freezing! I started to shiver like crazy but as I said, I wanted to make a good impression so I did not go back to the car to get my coat. I was brave. And almost froze to death. Every American has air-conditioning in the house. I haven't been to a house without air-conditioning. In Germany we have air-conditioning in public offices etc. That's okay. It is definitely not as cold as in American buildings. But most people don't have air-conditioning in their houses. At least I don't and all my friends don't. I would be interested to know if some of my German readers here have air-conditioning in their house? Anyway, the house we live in here in America has air-conditioning and David loves it! I always call our bedroom "The ice hell" because sometimes it is so cold in their that I have to sleep in winter clothes in summer. Okay, I admit...it is not as bad as it was anymore. When I visited the first time I was shocked because of all the cold. I think we found a compromise now and we can both live with it. I think German houses are different, that's why we don't have air-conditioning. The houses are build in a different way. I mean, I never had air conditioning in my house but it was always very comfortable in summer. At least for me. Maybe Americans would feel different about it. I don't know. How do you feel about air conditioning? Are you always cold? Or do you wear flip flops in February? Remember this post? My cats are from another planet and came to take over the world! And I recently discovered that at least one of my bunnies joined them!
Go, Tiffie! He may look harmless but he is quite a super bunny! You can't stop him! Have a wonderful Saturday! I really hope Germany will win even when I can't enjoy it. And I also hope that the team will set an example and speak out against animal abuse!
Hallo Ihr Lieben, first of all I want to thank you guys for all the lovely comments on yesterday's post! It really means a lot to me that you enjoy reading my posts and take the time to leave me a comment. You are so wonderful and I am happy that I met you! Since I started blogging I have met so many fabulous people, I love reading your blogs and your comments, you are all so wonderful and it means so much to me that I can share my thoughts with you! You rock! Every day is an adventure for me, there are so many differences between my two countries, some are weird, some are funny but it is always very exciting for me to discover all these things that make my life so special. You can find number 1-5 here. So here are some more random facts about America and Germany. I know that many things in America are different from state to state so I can only talk about my experiences.
An American in Europe. He does not look excited! 6. the flag and pride. Okay, I can see a big difference between the two countries here. Lots of people have the American flag in front of their house, you see the American flag on postcards, paper plates, stickers on cars, clothes...everywhere! People are completely excited to be American and they show it. I like that! I mean, it is cool that they get so excited about it, I like excited people. Americans love their country but they also love other countries and want you to tell them more about the place you come from. In Germany you barely see the German flag. Sure, you see them in front of government buildings but that's pretty much it. People don't have the German flag in front of their house. It's completely different to America. I mean, Americans can say that they are proud to be American. But honestly, I don't think that Germans can say it like that. It's our history. When you say that you are proud to be German then people think you are a Nazi. That is kind of sad. Yes, we have that history. But it is not like that anymore. Germany is a nice country and I like to be a German. Would I say that I am proud to be German? Probably not. Because it sounds weird. I think the only time you see German flags everywhere is during the World Cup or the Euro Cup. People go crazy, paint their faces in black-red-gold (yes, me too), have flags, wear the shirt of our team and we all watch the games together in front of a huge screen. It is called "public viewing". I love it. People are proud to be German during that time because of the Fußball. We don't show it the rest of the time. The same applies to the national anthem. You don't sing the German national anthem without a Fußball match. I hear the American anthem all the time.
7.movie titles I have talked about this before but sometimes it bothers me how stupid German movie titles are. I feel a bit ashamed when Germans translate the original title to something completely stupid. I mean, there is no need to do this. You can just keep the original title like other countries do. But I guess Germany can't because they have to show that they can dub every single American or English show or movie. Personally I can't watch most of my favorite shows in German. It just sounds weird. One of my most favorite shows is "Friends". I have watched all seasons several times. But the German version is so NOT funny. I don't know who translated the show but these people had the talent to ruin most of the jokes. And the voices just sound weird. I prefer to watch the original version of the shows and movies.
No, I won't watch "Meet the parents" tonight, I will watch "Meine Braut, ihr Vater und ich" (My bride, her father and me) because the title sounds so intelligent. 8.bread America, you are a great country but I have to say that your "bread" stinks! Sorry, but it is true. I am used to have really nice dark bread, with a yummy crispy crust and lots of grains it in. That's what I am talking about:
I am not really satisfied with your soft weirdness you want to sell me as a bread. For me it's toast because I have to toast it first to get something crunchy. Plus: No grains. It tastes like paper. It really does. I am sure I would be able to find a good bakery somewhere, maybe even a German bakery. But unfortunately not here in town. I am thinking about baking my own bread. I miss my German Brot, I really do. 9. holidays and vacation time David always says that we Germans are lazy because we have so many vacation days and holidays. Today is a holiday in Germany by the way. No work. At least in my state. So yeah, we do have many holidays in Germany and we have at least 30 vacation days every year.. That does not mean we are lazy but I guess our whole life is not just work. Wouldn't it be nice to have some more vacation time? Do you really like to work that much and have only 15 vacation days a year? Yeah, I thought so. So that's a big plus in Germany. It is a question of "live to work" or "work to live". Sure, lots of people like to work and love their jobs but there is more in life than just work. I prefer to have some more free time for traveling, doing things with my family, read books or just relax. I really do. And I am sure every American would be happy about some more holidays and vacation days.
10. shops are always open. I think Germany is moving in that direction. I remember that a couple of years ago stores closed at 4pm on a Saturday. Or even earlier. It depends on the size of the store. Now you can say that most stores close at 8 pm and they are always closed on Sundays. There are some exceptions to that. For example some stores are open the Sunday before Christmas. But that's usually only a couple of hours in the afternoon. Some stores are even open until 10 pm in some bigger cities. So yeah, that's different to America because all the major grocery stores are open 24 hours a day. And that is almost every day. That's okay but I really have to say that I don't need that. I never had the desire to go shopping on a Sunday. Never. And I don't need a new outfit at 10 pm. I really don't. Sure, it is nice that when you bake a cake on a Sunday afternoon and you are out of flour you can just go to the store and get some. But when does that really happen? I never needed that. When I wanted to bake a cake I got the ingredients on a Saturday. Or I went to my neighbor to borrow some flour. Sure, some people work every day and maybe they only have time to go shopping on a Sunday. Okay, I guess for those people it's kind of nice that the stores are open all the time. But how many people really need that? I don't know. Personally I like to have a relaxed Sunday without any shopping. Sunday is my day to read books, catch up with some shows, watch a movie, go hiking etc. But I don't need a new outfit that day. Or do my grocery shopping. Maybe it is just because I grew up with closed stores. But I can survive like that. I really can.
11. handshakes Okay, I need your help for this one. I feel like in Germany people do a lot more handshakes. Especially in business situations. Or let's say: when you go to a doctor do you shake his/her hand? I shook a couple of hands here in America and I always felt like people look at me in a strange way. Is that just my imagination or are handshakes not a very common thing in America? Okay, that's it for today. :) But there are still some differences left for more posts. I hope you are all having a wonderful Thursday! Lumpi is asleep but he wants me to say hi to everybody!
Hallo Ihr Lieben, as most of you know I am a German native who is currently living in the United States of America and I guess you can imagine that there are some major differences between those two countries. I have talked about ice cubes in my drinks, driving in America and going to a restaurant. And today I want to discuss some smaller differences between my two countries.
First of all: It really is a big adventure to live in a completely strange country. I mean, everybody reads and sees things about America on the news, in books etc. And you think you know a lot about the other country. But some things are quite shocking to you when you actually live in that country. Even when you heard about it before. So there are many things I am still getting used to. There are things I like better in America and also things I like better in Germany. Personally I like to read about all the differences between countries so I hope you will enjoy reading this. 1. bank notes. It was so weird for me when I came to America for the first time. In Germany I changed some Euros into Dollars because I thought I would need it. In Germany you don't use your credit card when you go to the bakery to get a bread for 2 Euros. You pay cash. So I thought it would be better to change some money. I have seen the American bank notes before but when I actually had them in my hands it was quite a shock. They all look the same! The have the same size, almost the same color...only the number on it is different. So when I actually go somewhere and pay cash (I really feel weird when I pay 2,56 Dollars with my credit card) then I get really confused and people have to be patient with me. I have to take all the notes out of my wallet and look at them to find the one I need. It is even more confusing with the coins because I am not used to them yet. I have to look at every single one to see what it is. And the writing is so small that it takes forever to read it. So I am sure I look like a complete idiot at the check out. It is so much easier to pay with Euros. Sure I am used to them but honestly, it was much easier to get used to Euros than to Dollars. We changed our currency back in 2002 from Deutsche Mark to Euro. And it was no problem. I did not feel like an idiot (sure everybody had to get used to it but still). So yeah, most time I just pay with my credit card to avoid that people make fun of the weird European girl who can't handle her money.
Aren't they cute? Different colors, different sizes, different architecture on it. 2. trains. I don't have a car here in America. I never thought that it would be such a problem but you can't get anywhere without a car! No chance! Okay, I lived in a very small town in Germany (700 people live there) and the public transportation wasn't that great there but at least there was public transportation! The town I live in now is much bigger but: No bus! Not one single bus! No train! Not even bike lanes. Not even a sidewalk on the busiest road in town. So I take the bike to go to grocery stores. And yes, I am the only one who does that. People honk all the time. I am scared. There are so many cars and I have to drive on their road to get to the grocery store. It is more than terrifying! It is hell. Is there a bicycle stand in front of the grocery store? No. So I have to hide my bike behind some flowers and hope that it will still be out there when I come back. But I guess nobody will steal it because people don't really have a use for it. They have their cars. In Germany I took the train to go to work. I had time to read and drink a coffee and I did not have to worry about traffic jams and finding a place to park. I think the whole time here in America I have seen 2 trains. It is weird. Sure there is the subway in New York etc. But I don't live in a huge city like that. So: No public transportation.
German train station. 3. beer. I guess you knew that I have to talk about this topic. There is no doubt that German beer is better than American beer. German beer is probably the best in the world. It is a huge part of our culture. But I really don't want to get into detail. The thing I want to talk about is the drinking age. In Germany you can buy beer when you are 16, you have to be 18 to buy stuff like vodka, rum etc. In America you have to be 21 to even get a beer in a bar. That is really weird for me and I don't know what to think about it. Is it good? Or not? I mean, you can drive when you are 16 but you have to wait 5 years to be able to buy a beer. I have to admit that I sometimes feel like an alcoholic here in America. I don't drink much, a beer or two at the weekend. Or we share a bottle of wine. When I go to a party I have a couple of drinks. For me that's normal. you won't find a German party without alcohol. Most people drink responsibly. But here I am the only person in my American family who even drinks alcohol. Except of David...I am a bad influence, I really am. But there is no wine at family parties. How is that in other families?
4. friendliness. Yes, Americans are much friendlier than Germans. At least on the outside. Germans can be grumpy, I admit it. When you go to a party as a stranger it might be difficult to start a discussion with a group of Germans. That's not because we are completely unfriendly. We are shy. We need some time to get used to the situation. We need to figure out what to say first. We are reserved. But we DO like you. Trust me. So just start a conversation with us and you will see that most of us are really nice. Americans are always friendly. In every store people smile at you, when you go to the post office the person behind you starts a conversation with you. In Germany people complain why they have to wait so long. I know. That's annoying. But we don't mean it. We don't hate everybody else who waits at the post office. Really. That's just how we are. Americans smile a lot. Germans not so much. We only smile when we mean it. I like it that Americans are always friendly. I also have to admit that sometimes it's a bit too much. It hurts to have to smile back all the time. Haha. But I do my best. Just don't hate me when I am not in the mood to smile. I can still be friendly. Even when I don't smile at you. Sometimes it is so exhausting. But Americans never get exhausted of that. How is that?
5. recycling. Well, that's really weird for me in America. In Germany I have my "Gelber Sack" (yellow sack) where I put my plastic cups, cans, aluminium foil etc. in. I have a "Biotonne" for things like plants, grass, leftover food. I have a container for white glass, a container for brown glass, a container for green glass, a container for paper, one for clothes and shoes, there is a place you can bring your old batteries, a place where you can bring oil, paint etc. And there is a trash can for everything else. Here in America I have a ton. Period. That's weird. I don't like that. At least we found one place in town where you can bring some of the stuff and sort it. Like paper and glass. But what's with my Gelbe Sack-trash? I am desperate! Help me! I feel bad just to put it in the normal trash? I want to rinse my yogurt cup and put it in a sack! I grew up with that and I feel really really really bad when I can't do that!
Oh, there are lots more differences I want to talk about. So please make sure to come back to read the next part of my little series. My song of the day is "Schwarz zu blau" by Peter Fox. A pretty cool groovy German song about Berlin.
Oh and I have the feeling that people like cute animal pictures. :) So here's a little adorable chicken for you!
You can also read about the strange fact that German movies never use the original American title here (Mein Baby gehoert zu mir, ist das klar?) and some funny facts about Germans here. (You know you're German when...) Have a lovely Wednesday!!
I think you all know that I love my home country. We have the best soccer team in the world, we have really cool cities, sometimes not so friendly people, we have mountains, we have the sea, we have lakes, we have good cars....we also have some awesome food.
And yeah, America is a pretty cool place too. As you can imagine, there are lots of differences between the two countries. And there is definitely a huge difference between the restaurants....Two different worlds of dining experiences. And that's what I want to talk about today.
1. please wait to be seated.
The first time I went to a restaurant in America I just wanted to walk right in and go to the best looking table and sit down. But no. It wasn't that easy. On my way in I saw a sign from the corner of my eye. "Please wait to be seated". Okay. That was strange for me. I have to wait for somebody to come and show me a table? I can see all the tables and I am able to pick the one I like. Thank you. But hey, I am in a strange country so I have to follow the rules. It just doesn't feel that comfortable, to be honest. I mean, in Germany, I have all the time in the world to search my table, take off my coat, sit down, get comfortable and THEN somebody comes, brings me the menu and asks me what I want to drink. I like it that way. Maybe I will get used to the other way someday. We will see. But I am not a little child who needs a leader to a free table. I want to choose. I don't want anybody else to make that decision for me. Sure, I can say that I prefer another table but that's all so complicated. It could be soooo easy! Why do you make it so hard for me? But maybe it is just polite? Maybe people don't want to make a decision and are happy that other people do it for them? I really don't know. All I know is that I have chosen my table for my whole life and I would like to stick to that. What's so bad about that? And yeah, even in Germany people come and help you take off your coat etc when you found your table. So we are not impolite. Just to make that clear.
2. selection.
I admit that I am not the easiest eater in the world. But there are other people in this world who prefer their meals without meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, onions etc. And I am always able to find something that I want to eat in a German restaurant. But I never had so many problems before than I have now in America. I mean, you would think that you are able to just pick a salad from the menu and you are fine. But NO! I went to so many restaurants, looked at the menu, saw that there are salads on the menu, looked a little closer and found out that there is meat in EVERY SINGLE stupid salad. Why is that? Can somebody explain that to me? I expect a salad to be meat-free. Or at least I expect that there is one salad on the menu that is meat-free. I don't think my expectations are that high but maybe I am a snob. I have heard that I am a beer snob (Hi Kari, my dear!) but I think this is a little different! And I really only want one meal on the menu that I like to eat! Please! So yeah, maybe I went to the wrong places, I am sure there are lots of great vegetarian restaurants in the country that would offer great stuff. But first of all, there are no vegetarian restaurants in this town. And second, it must be possible to find something that fits my needs in every restaurant. The third thing is that my husband and all my family here do eat meat etc. so they want to go to a restaurant that offers meat. But thank you, Chinese restaurant in town for having a wonderful tofu with mushrooms and peppers in pepper sauce! Thank you so much! You make it really easy for me!
Another thing is that I am usually not in a rush when I go to a restaurant so I don't have a problem to wait a little longer for fresh products. I prefer to eat things that don't come out of a can or aren't frozen. So you don't think you have to hurry to bring me my meal! I would LOVE to wait a little longer for a fresh prepared meal, don't worry!
3. refills.
Okay, okay, I realize that I am a little mean and that it sounds like I hate eating in America. That's not true! I am just making some improvement suggestions. Haha. No, seriously. I like America and I like eating here. So there is one really great thing here in America: free refills (except of all the stupid ice but we have talked about this before. here). I love being able to drink as much as I want. I mean, in Germany I order a drink and I pay 2,30 for a little 0.33l coke. That's not enough to drink for the whole meal but a whole lot of money. So yeah, I need at least 2 drinks. And maybe you want a coffee after your meal and then you end up paying more for the drinks than you pay for your food. That's just not right. So yeah, woohoo for America and free refills! You don't even have to ask for it which is really really nice! You can just drink drink drink and don't have to worry about the money. The only sad thing is that you don't get a free refill on beer but I guess you can't have everything. Plus I would not want a free refill on American beer, I am a beer snob, never forget about that.
4. plastic.
I have been to some restaurants that have plastic cups or even plates. Why is that? I am in a restaurant and not on a camping trip, okay? I can't help myself but that's a little disgusting. The restaurants with the plastic plates were those kind of places that offer a buffet. But that's not a reason to have plastic plates, right? (Saying "right" at the end of sentences is a very German thing too, I guess.) So I don't know why you do that. They just never look really clean, I don't know why. Porcelain plates are so much easier to clean and you don't see all the cuts from the knifes in them. So I can't explain why you use them, American restaurants. Get porcelain plates, please. And glasses. Not plastic cups. I mean, I always use a straw because the plastic things look so pfui (German for "icky"). But I would really prefer a nice glass. Thank you!
I have to be fair and say that I have only been to a couple of restaurants like that in America. So it's not that big deal. But I have never ever seen a restaurant with plastic cups or plates in Germany.
5. check.
That's a thing that annoys me a lot. I am still eating and the waiter brings me the check? Honestly? Don't disturb me! Leave me alone. I want to eat my meal. Maybe I will order a coffee then. And think about a dessert. But at least I want to sit there and talk to my husband, friends, family as long as I want. Without being disturbed. Sure, sometimes they say that there is no hurry to leave but what else do you think when they bring you the check? Do they want you to leave and make room for other people to spend their money? Going to a restaurant is an event for me. I want to enjoy it. I want to stay as long as I feel comfortable. Even if that means that I stay until the restaurants closes. You can do that in Germany. Nobody will kick you out or bring you the check. So yeah, I do understand that American restaurants want to make more money and they won't when you stay as long as you want because you get free refills. But the customer is king, so shouldn't you allow him to stay as long as she/he wants? I would say so. So please don't rush me. Give me the time to finish my meal and have a coffee. I would appreciate it a lot!
Thank you America! I love you a lot!
Did you ever eat in another country? What are your experiences?
If you want to read how an American feels about the German dining experience, go over here to lovely Amanda's blog: Overseas Adventures
My song of the day is "Write about love" by Belle & Sebastian.
I don't really have a story about it...it's just a very cute song.
