#ThingstoknowaboutGermany #MovingtoGermany #LifeinGermany #germanculture #germansociety
Things you should know before moving to Germany
1. Germans will know that you are a foreigner. They just do.
2. Germans are very traditional, very hierarchical. They respect and follow the hierarchy. One example is COVID-19 lock down wherw entire nation was align with the government directives to the letter.
3. Germans are rule-oriented in every aspect of life - make sure you wait at traffic lights - and prepare yourself for a lack of flexibility in rules and regulations. In Germany, rules are integral part of daily life.
4. German are very punctual in every aspect of life from coming to appointments to timing of trains and buses.
5. The German language is a lot of trouble. Don’t worry about messing up the tenses or articles. They’ll understand you, but they’ll also correct you. If you mention that you are beginner for German language then they are very helpful in correcting and supporting you.
6. There is much more trust between people and a greater sense of society. People will return your lost keys or wallet.
7. They love pork - in all its incarnations. If you are pork lover, Europe and specially Germany is country for you. For me, it is forbidden and I have to be careful when eating outside.
8. Germans usually do one thing at a time. At first, I used to start talking to people who are busy in other work and they sometime stop you and ask you to wait. Some time they are bit rude but Germans are very direct and it is good aspect of this society.
9. Learn not to interrupt or jump into a conversation. Everyone wait to speak until the other person has finished. Jumping into conversation is considered extremely rude.
10. German customer services is not good. First if you are not German speaker, you will struggle to talk to them. Further, customer services are available during work hours hence don’t expect them to pick your calls after 5:00 or late Saturday. However, emergency services are contactable 24x7.
11. Germans are eco-friendly. Learn how to recycle. Before you know it you will be happily recycling everything from glass bottles to paper towels. Further they are also preserving nature.
12. Get used to going grocery shopping in more than one shop. Supermarkets don’t have everything in them so you need to know where you find your required items. Certain supermarkets will carry different brands but still it is not comprehensive.
13. Sunday is rest day in Germany hence you will not find any open store. Even selected pharmacies are open on Sunday. If you forget to buy groceries, the nearest place is fuel station where you can find some regular items but you have a pay higher price for it.
14. There is lots of paperwork waiting for you in Germany - more than you can imagine. Every week, I have on average 20 letters in my mailbox and sometimes more.
15. Dogs and Cats are nicely treated and allowed in most of the hotels and restaurants. The pets are considered family members hence taken care by their owners.
16. Most Germans speak English, and when they tell you they speak only a little bit of English, don’t believe them - their English is probably perfect. In some cases, I have seen people don’t speak English at all even I know they can speak English so if you are planning to come to Germany, get the basic understanding of German language.
17. Germans are calling country. If you need to contact a person, don’t email, just pick up that phone and call them.
18. Germans are not spontaneous. Make appointments with them to do pretty much everything, including going for a coffee break. That might be an exaggeration for some people, but for others, maybe not.
19. Especially for foreigners out there: there is no personal space, people stand very close to each other.
20. Germans might overstep their boundaries in regards to commenting - it has to do with that sense of community.
21. Germans separate their private and work life - don’t consider calling your colleague after working hours.
1 окт 2024
