6 UNCUTE THINGS Germans do 😱🇩🇪 

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omg SAME!

I almost do everything in flip flops (except when it's winter). Even hiking for days in the Black Forest is no problem if you are used to it. And yes, the feet gets a bit dirty, but that's only loose dust since your feets do not sweat with constant air around them. Compared to that you get the nasty sweat and bacteria combo in your closed of shoes. ;P And i can dip them into every water source on the way. Quiet refreshing on long trails. :)

You must be my Onkel because this was his explanation verbatim!

haha very fair point! 😅 -J

Hoookay, let me be a strong defender of socks in sandals, I never grasped the issues against them: * It is only unaesthetical to people who are not used to seeing that kind of footwear. In my opinion, it's merely unfashionable, because fashion czars have told you that socks in sandals are a no-no. You may similarly argue that hipster beards or muslima niqabs or plaid pencil dresses are unfashionable? But as long as you're looking clean and put together in your everyday-wear, nobody should be offended by your fashion choice, period. * Why do we use socks AT ALL? Simple, socks in general, have the purpose of protecting the feet from getting cold and protecting the outer footwear from getting too sweaty. The principle applies for boots, for shoes, and to some degree even for sandals. In the summer, you may partake in outdoor activities in hiking sandals, and there are certainly plants and animals that might bother your feet. Not to mention the sandals themselves: I have a pair that I like but when walking in them for hours, one of the straps rubs my skin open. That pair now gets matched with socks, and I don't hurt myself. * Siete Caracolas is fully right: We Germans don't have "sandal weather" most of the time anyway, but I want to wear my sandals not just around the house (where I may conveniently change to more protective gear), but during a whole day in town. In the noon heat while out shopping, I would put the socks away in my bag, if only to not to offend shop clerks, but you BET I will wear them once it gets briskier in the late afternoon or evening. * Ugly feet. Not everyone has perfectly nice toenails, for whatever reason. Pedicures are not a thing for most men, and especially longtime smokers may still like to put on sandals, while also not liking to expose their yellow rotted feet. You complain about old men in white tennis socks and Birkenstocks? Build a brand for manly, functional and affordable pedicures, and eliminate the underlying reasons.

As it's much mor common among older people, I would also think that it's because of temperature and comfort. Sandals are usually more comfortable than shoes, especially in summer and older people get cold more easily. In addition to that, many older people don't care much about fashion, rather what is comfortable and good for their health. Personally I don't do it (from Denmark and in my twenties now), but it's just something I don't care about. For small children it is similar to old people. The "fashion" aspect is irrelevant and they get cold more quickly; plus their skin on the feet is thinner and can get injurey more easily while playing.

The reason i was always told as a child is that you have to war socks because being barefoot in leather shoes would result in you getting verrucas ...probably BS but that's why I think old people consider going barefoot in shoes, even sandals a complete no go

"Socks and Sandals are the optimal footwear for everything" -Linus "Techtips" Sebastian.

I go to Aldi for food once in a while and ran into a cute Latina girl I thought I had seen before. So I asked her how often she comes here and she said, I come here Aldi time. 🤔😝

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Das frage ich mich auch! Was soll daran schlimm sein? Ich trage gaaanz selten Sandalen und würde immer zumindest ein paar Socken einstecken, für den Fall, dass es doch kälter wird als erwartet. Ich hasse kalte Füße! Und bei nackten Füßen bekomme ich sehr schnell Druckstellen oder Blasen. Außerdem finde ich nackte Füße auch nicht sehr schön anzusehen!

walk barefoot😁

My wife is the same, it has to be Birkenstock and Hiking socks and has been for the last fifty years. At least Birkenstock are easier to find in England these days?

😄 ok to be fair, at home and during winter we also wear socks with our house shoes (Birkies, of course). It's just wearing this combination in public where the confusion starts for me. But thanks so much for giving your perspective! Helps to understand the why a bit better 😃. -J

@@simplegermany I live in the US and shoes with sandals are a HUGE joke. But you know what? Once you hit 60, you no longer care. It's lovely! (I'm 70 now and have had 10 years of not caring. Snort!)

the answer to the question: "Why would you wear sandals with socks?" is: "Why NOT?"

Then get well ventilated mesh full shoes. Plenty of them around. Poland has the same weather as Germany and wearing sandals with socks is one of the most commonly known no-nos there. We even say "he wears socks with sandals" as an euphemism for a barbarian.

Without socks my feet get sweaty on these plastic hiking soles. Disgusting is what’s coming after the sweating feet. Beside the already given point about: - why not with socks - sandals are great with their open air feeling - better with socks than without pedicure :) - it’s a faux pas they say, but why

If I wanna wear socks in my sandals, i just do it. If i wear sandals i mostly wear socks in my sandals. And I honestly don't care about what other people might think about that...

I’m German and would like to understand the point of your statement. What’s the special German thing you refer to in your story?

@@FlorianGuitar85 From a North American standpoint, you would never tell someone that the price they were asking was too high. Particularly if you had just told them you had an offer made on the property. It would be rude to say something like that and would imply you thought the person was greedy. :D

@@nomirrors3552 So let me get this right...You ask let's say 2.000 USD for a car and I go tell you that it's too much and we should agree on 1.800 for example...that is considered "rude"? What about all the life wisdom we got from "Life of Brian"? What about "This guy won't haggle"? Isn't that actually the rude thing? But seriously, I can't imagine smiling like an idiot into a seller's face just because of wrong politeness, when deep within I feel uncomfortable with the price. You know what happens, when people are not pointed out on their greed? Apple.

@@FlorianGuitar85 I think you misunderstand, he was not interested in buying the property. He was only interested in hearing the price because he was looking at other property in the area. It was not haggling or in the interest of buying. He made no counter offer nor a suggestion of a better price. Also, if I ask $2000 for something and I tell you someone has already said "yes, I will pay that price", then you can't possible say you think the price is too high, right? *Because someone is paying that price.* Therefore the market says the price is correct. Also, I like Apple products :) The new Macbook Air M1 is an amazing machine for the price.

@@nomirrors3552 Thanks for explaining 🙂 Of course I can call a price too high, even if another one is willing to pay it, but it’s to each their own. Some people simply don’t have good business sense and are not able to tell what’s worth a certain price and will just say „yes“. We have a saying in Germany that goes: „Every day a dumb one gets out of bed“

Nah.. respect queues, respect others.

Oh yea it’s so cute when they let you pass in the supermarket 🙂. Maybe for part III 😝

Simply be straightforward. Us Germans are used to harsh and direct criticism. So if something sucks, you can straightforward say: "This sucks", simple as that. Important is that you never simply insult the adressed person, always keep it on a non personal level, e.g. if you don't like the dress of a friend it is ok to say "you don't look good tonight" or "I don't like the dress you are wearing" but not "you look strange, seems like you do not have a great idea of fashion." I've only realized how confusing our way of criticising to other folks is when I met my former wife who is from Finland. She had already lived a couple of years in Germany, so she was used to German habits, but when I met her family for the first time, they seemed to have a really hard time with me when I din't like things. Her sister later told me that they in the first time sometimes had the feeling that I absolutely can't stand them when there was something that I disliked. Over the years they got used to my directness and I also learned to be less direct, so we met kind of in the middle of the way.

@@roelli79 😅

@@simplegermany It would be interesting if you guys could do a video with some training/ scenariios on "German abruptness diplomacy" (OK, I made that up) to kind of frame what is within the norm - obviously meaness is not OK.... I think it would help prepare myself and others us for our new lives in Germany. I'm also afraid my own German American self might be too straightforward 🙄 (learned it from my Dad) .... Packing now, I'll be there in November, sooner if my work has it way - very excited to be there.

Oh sorry, we only saw this comment just now! Hope your move to Germany goes smooothly 😆. Thanks for the recommendation, will add it to our list of ideas. Cheers!

😅😅 Expresso und Gnotschi. Did not know of those two 😋. -J

Exactly that! 😂

I saw that rule written out in Czechia once, and then again in Hungary, and ever since I stand on the right. In many of the more busy cities in Germany, not blocking the escalator has become an unwritten norm, thankfully. But hey, use the opportunity of "brutal feedback" to solve the "escalator problem". Happy to help! XD

I used to shoo people standing on the left and walk by. But I have given up, now I walk as far as I can and stop standing to the right. Kinda the same with letting people leave trains before boarding. When I leave and somebody tries to enter I just leave and if they get jostled it's their problem. But I have stopped explaining to people how to act in a civilised way when I wait to board and they don't get it.

But if only few people want to walk on an escalator it is used only to 50% which makes it slower for everyone.

Love it!

Yeah, both valid points 🙃

That theory may be right for a few, but I believe, most people, wearing socks in sandals, do not like wearing closed shoes at higher temperatures, as sandals are cooler than the closed shoes , which (in my opinion) always require socks when worn and that can become too hot. I have all my (as far back i remember) worn sandals without or with socks in until the really cold times come around. Then I start wearing closed shoes.

Same for me, I dont want my feet to be publically displayed as firstly my feets get dry skin soon so either i have to keep them lotion up so that they look beaitiful oterwise with less oily skin feets or hands look ugly.. Secondly ; Socks absorbs the swetting.. so sandals dont get dirty even feets dont get dirty either Thirdly: i dont give a shit about what others think i do what i feel comfortable with & not to please others or for fashion statement

hahaha oh yes, that is a fair point! Maybe for part II 😆

So regarding the How are you answers, if you don't care how people are, why don't you just say hi instead? How is that a German problem?

@@babsihebeis8939 Exactly, I rest my case?

People telling the wearer that it looks ugly are nuts and should get their head examined. How rude can you be to bother other people with your weird hang-ups?

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Yeah but in the US you guys say tortillas with a single L, soooo

Hehe thanks for your nice words! 🙂

Pa-eh-ja

That's correct! Thanks @Ricki :)

@@simplegermany I had two girlfriends from Guatemala and one from Colombia when we were in school together in Germany, so I know a teensy bit of Spanish (mainly the bad words).

🍸 Prost! 😋

I also haven't heard it, but it's also nothing people around me talk about all the time. The "v"/"w" pronounciation error for English words is more common.

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Same with me. I very seldom heard someone say Mallorca like Mallorka with an l. It's usually just ignorance of the phonetic rules of the Spanish language and happens to people who are not attentive enough to notice that other people pronounce Mallorca like Majorka.

Yup, was about to write the same thing. Must be regional. Up here in HH, it's "Majorka" (sure, some people say "Malle") and "Teckiehla".

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It's a balancing act. When talking to a stranger outside a social setting : All honest, all day! Stranger in a social setting: Start out nice and adapt as you go Friends and family: Absolute trust means absolute honesty! But there's more willingness to calm it down on top of that.

Thanks for sharing!! We talk about a few examples in some videos. It’s mostly that Germans give you a straight answer, they have no hesitation in saying no. Whereas the Latino mostly says yes to be polite even though they know they will never do it. Example: a Spanish colleague of Jen moved to Dublin and during the farewell drinks said to the group of friends ‘you are all coming to visit soon right?’ Jen answered of course, I answered no, because I knew we had no vacation days left and plenty of other plans for the year. Jen thought I was being very rude 😅

@@simplegermany HA ha!! That's an awesome response. So it's kind of like responding w/ what the person wants to hear to be nice vs. saying what is true, even if it seems blunt. Which is so true, I would probably respond like Jen in that case but then feel bad after knowing I could not really fulfill that request and wished I was more honest like you and just say no, we'll miss you and are sad to see you go but have no plans to visit you anytime soon! 😂😂😂

Thanks a lot! Good luck for getting your citizenship soon! 😊

🙈 haha oh no! Yeah, that sounds like very honest as well. Thanks for sharing Ricky!

That's weird! don't think Germans would say something like that. That is a rather NO GO in conversations! Far too rude. You can tell someone that he/ she has done something the wrong way and explain how it should be done properly. But we Germans usyally don't mention overweight or other topics of someone's appearance.

😅 that’s awesome!

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Also the number of people in the exact same outfit of all black plus dirty white shoes and tennis socks is astounding. There are people walking around in groups where everyone has this same outfit. My gf and I thought people were twinning on purpose like couple outfits but nope. Apparently it’s supposed to be cool and stylish, but I don’t think so.

haha that's the so famous 'Berlin style' I think 😆. Yeah, I guess Chicago gets colder than Berlin. Let us know how your first winter goes! ❄️-J

But that's really unhealthy and they will catch a cold! I can't understand why people dislike sandals in shoes. I personally don't like the view of naked feet in sandals. Only if the feet are extremely well cared for and the nails are painted.

Jep, when we say that Germans like to follow rules, we generalize a lot. There is never 100% of stereotypes 😉

😂 oh yes we also know the water bottle 🙈

I told this to my German aunt and she got all red in the face and told me "But I can't sit in the sun! I NEED to reserve a seat!"... Yes, there's always a very specific reason. As if the others wouldn't like that spot too!

For me there a 2 reasons to reserve a place 1. Too much too carry around (exapel: 1 a backpack, a duffle back, and jacket so why not put that stuff on/under/over a free Chair so it doesn't lay in the walking ways) and 2. To stay in a social group just imagine you and family/friends/coworkers a at a restaurant and at your table is one place free and a stranger is going to sitting there that destroyes the privacy in that group and is just cringe So it is kinda a defense mechanism for our "you mind your own business and I mind mine, (if it follows the rules) " culture/mentality

@@TheLtVoss exactly. The same reasons ALL the other guests have ;)

Haha maybe it is a regional thing! Thanks for your insights 🧦😄

To your point 2: never ever ask someone wearing a kilt, what he is wearing underneath, or anything at all. It's annoying, and I speak here out of the experience.

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