Random observations about Germany

I didn't feel like writing in German today so I thought I'd write about Germany instead.Here are 15 random observations about Germany, although some of them might apply elsewhere in Europe.

1. When I'm riding my bike, sometimes the pigeons on pavements just don't fly away. I have to slow down and go around them for fear of running them over!

2. For numbers, the comma and the period are switched. So 25.000 is really 25,000 and vice versa.

3. I need to put in a 1-euro or 2-euro coin, to get a cart at most supermarkets. You get it back when you return the cart to its location but it's annoying. I sometimes find myself not having the change and cursing the system! Is hiring a cart-gatherer so expensive?

4. Germany isn't big on credit cards. Even some big shops and stores like Aldi's won't take a credit card. It's always a good thing to know beforehand. It is either EC-card (European debit card) or cash.

5. Points 3 and 4 lead to 5, you always find yourself carrying a lot of change here. One, because you have to carry some cash in case cards are not accepted. Two, because you always get a lot of coins for change in stores since they have coins with denominations upto 2-euros and no paper-bills upto 5.

6. The honor system on public transportation is amazing. You can get right on and off buses, trams and subways without having to show your ticket, although you are required to have one. Sometimes there are random checks to catch the occasional "schwarzfahrer" or free-rider, and that can be very humiliating in front of law-abiding germans looking at you with disgust. (No, it hasn't happened to me yet because I always travel with a ticket.) It's only on long distance trains that you can be certain that a train inspector will be inspecting your ticket.

7. Recycling. People are serious about their recycling. I have numerous bins outside my building for paper, plastic, ceramics, biodegradable waste, metal and glass. The glass one is divided into brown glass, green glass and white glass.

8. A lot of people buy their drinks in glass bottles, which can then be returned later for some cash. And no, it's not like the 5 cents for recycling in the US. When you buy these, it says "Pfand" on the label. That means you are paying extra (the Pfand) for it and you get it back when you return the bottle. No money to be made.

9. The Pfand also applies to a lot of other places. For example, at a fest, if you buy a "glühwein" (hot alcoholic beverage), they give it to you in a ceramic cup and you pay a few euros extra as Pfand. It can even apply to some bars and other places.

10. Carbonated water. This is what you are likely to get if you order water in a restaurant. And no, they don't just assume you need water and bring it to you. If you say you don't want any drinks, they will literally bring you nothing to drink the entire meal. The carbonated water or fizzy water, whatever you want to call it tastes horrible. I learned early on that you have to be very careful when buying water. Some small stores may not even have any still-water.

11. Tipping is not very common here, especially among the students. And most tipping is just rounding off the bill!

12. Old people seem to be out and about a lot! Many are seen cruising along on their bikes with groceries.

13. Small/mid-size cars dominate the streets, SUV's are not as rampant as in the US.

14. I don't know if this is common, but one of my professors wipes the chalkboard with a sponge and water. He likes it really clean and has developed an efficient technique of wiping it clean. My previous language teacher did it too. A sponge is used to wipe the chalkboard anyway and classes generally have a sink in the corner, so I wonder if it's more common that I think.

15. Bums are few and far between. I have seen a few beggars on the streets (and even these are temporary beggars who just vanish the next day), but in general I find that everyone seems to have a more or less similar standard of living.


That's it folks. Have a great weekend!!