Germany Highlights 2024: Cultural Differences + Odds and Ends

In no particular order, here are some neat things about Germany that I thought would be fun to share:

• Always lock the bathroom door. In North America, we usually leave the bathroom door open when we’re done to show that it’s unoccupied for the next person. In Germany, the door is always closed so the only way to know if it’s open is to try the handle. LOCK. THE. DOOR.

• The vast majority of younger Germans speak English, especially in a metropolitan area like Berlin. English has been part of their curriculum for several decades now.

• Canadians tend to be polite up until a certain breaking point, then we switch to aggression. Germans are more constantly assertive. Since my wife told me I needed to be assertive in Germany, I MAY have gone a bit too far and been too direct. It’s a fine balance.

• Waiters/waitresses don’t hover over you as much in Germany. They will seat you, they will come back to take your order, and then they won’t really bother you until you indicate that you would like the bill or want to order more food. You can’t be passive and just hope that the server will check up on you, or you may be waiting for a LONG time.

• Dinner rush in Germany is around 7:00 PM, as opposed to 6:00 PM in Canada. 

• I saw very few pickup trucks. In fact, I was actually shocked the one time I saw a Dodge Ram. Our German friend explained that few people actually require trucks since most of Germany is flat and has mild winters, with plenty of rain and little snow. If you need to transport something larger, a van is a better option due to the frequent rains. 

• Obesity is far less common in Germany (19%) compared to Canada (30%). This could be due to diet, or the far more active lifestyle, or a whole range of other factors. I was definitely walking more in Germany since the neighbourhood we were in was quite walkable.

• I know I already mentioned the dairy vending machines in an earlier post, but I really liked them. It’s nice that older folks have the option to get essentials closer to home. 

• Due to differences in German vs English, some words that sound normal to Germans sounded silly to me. Like schaftlicher, Dinkel Flakes, stabmixer (an immersion blender) and the Inselexpress. 

• Excellent cycling infrastructure. I have not looked up bicycle trails in Germany, but I would imagine there are several good multi-day bike trips. Many small towns are connected by a network of good paved trails.

• Beer and black licorice are a great combo.

• As you go farther north in the country, the beer becomes more bitter and the people speak more bluntly. 

• The dogs are amazingly well-behaved. Probably half of the dogs I saw were off-leash and they never once tried to jump up and lick any strangers. They stayed right by their owners, and even waited at the crosswalks, no leash required. Also, Germans love their dachshunds.

• Beer is literally cheaper than water in some places.

• The bottle deposits are much higher, so you get a lot more money back when you return the bottles. Many grocery stores will have a fun machine in the back which reads the barcodes on your bottles and cans and determines how much money you get back. It then prints a receipt which you bring to the cashier.

• Cash is king. Most people still use cash for their daily transactions. I rarely saw people using credit cards, at least not at restaurants and grocery stores.

This is the end of my "Cultural Learnings of Germany for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Canada" for 2024. It is an excellent country for tourists with abundant history, some good natural/protected areas (although not quite like Canada's), excellent transit, and a well-educated cosmopolitan population. I will return, possibly next year, and continue enjoying Deutschland. Until then, I'll just keep Rammstein in my monthly rotation.