Hello friends,
Wie geht´s? Mir geht auch gut, Danke!
This is one of the most comfortable and well-rehearsed conversation I have ever had. After speaking a sentence in German I would be so proud of myself, that, my head filled with pride touched the sky. And then as soon as, someone would ask something more in German appropriately known as Deutsch my bubble of pride and dreams would land up on grounds. If you are a foreigner, new to Germany then you could easily relate to me and at the same time you would have a film playing before you, of all the awkward talks and moments at various events.
I was and am an introvert but completely shutting up from the world, is some other level and all because you cannot speak the language or for that matter even be able to have a basic conversation. It was a complete let down, realising from that I decided to write this post, to share my experiences in Germany and help people avoid the same mistakes. No offence to the people here as they’re very kind and helpful. This is my first post on Germany and that was just my background story to let you know what motivated me to get on to this.
Don’t worry all my post will not have such sentimental edge as I am here to share most of the knowledge and information about how foreigners can help themselves and not feel left out.
Thumb rule:
Speak the language: Frequently i came across, sentences or certain articles that state, you need to learn the language to have a good conversation. But, very soon I realised that learning doesn’t help you much, if you are not confident to speak it. Same was the case with me, rather is still the case with me. So, my first and far most important suggestion would be, not just learning but speaking the language. It doesn’t matter how good or bad it sounds or whether its grammatically correct or not. But to speak and people would be willing to help.
Something more from my experience
OMG it´s Sunday! For me this was never an affirmative, as I come from India, where everything is open on a Sunday and not only till its regular time rather even late night. So, with such background it was very difficult to adapt. Now, what to do with such situation?
After getting out of the trauma, I found ways to make the most out of a Sunday!
How?
Restaurants and cafes: Restaurants are open on a Sunday and what could be better than having less crowd and no waiting. Yes, that’s right Sunday could be the best day to enjoy your meal or have a couple of drinks in a calm and silent restaurant. Or you can have a lovely afternoon reading a book and sipping coffee at some beautiful cafes in the downtown. Germans enjoy coffee with a piece of kuchen (cake). Most Sunday afternoons are reserved for this tradition of Kaffee-Kuchen.
Watch a movie: if you enjoy watching movies but not in deutsch/german, then Sundays can be your favourite day. Sundays are the best to watch a movie as there are quite a few English movie options. Its the day for English movies.
Fun activity: Germans have a huge fan-ship for the game of Football. With such crazy following, they too enjoy participating in some kind of indoor or outdoor activities, which is probably the reason :: they are part of some or the other Verein (association). If you are pro-active and enjoy playing games or into outdoor activities, then Sunday is a treat. There are many indoor and outdoor activities that you can consider doing on a Sunday, bowling, paint-ball, escape room, trekking, cycling, Nordic walking, spa and relaxation etc. There is a vast variety of options you can consider for a Sunday.
Here people like to have a relax Sunday, to have a fresh start at the coming week, Sundays are often family days, with homemade meal and casual environment. Earlier it was a religious reason, to not work on the Lord´s day; now its more of a social take, to spend time with family and friends.
Punctuality: German people have prophecy in punctuality. They like reaching the destination before time. So, if you have a meeting with anyone in Germany, if not before time than try and be on time, to set a good impression. A buffer of 10-15 mins is within the tolerance limit.
Aerated water: here people prefer drinking sparkling water or carbonated water rather than regular water. So, if you ever order water in a restaurant, be certain it´s sparkling or ask the waiter to serve regular (Still) water.
Water: since we are talking about water, let me tell you, people in Germany use tap water for drinking. It is completely fine to consume water directly from the tap, as they confirm the water is in purest form and doesn’t not need any filtration. Cold water is mainly used for drinking, while the hot water used for household chores and other purposes.
No limit autobahn: the state highways of Germany, better known as the autobahns are no speed limit zones in Germany. Yes, you heard it right, you get to drive like Michael Schumacher without any limit bearer.
Fines: Germany is full of rules and regulations which indeed is a blessing in disguise. There are rules for everything and so they have fines implied, for every rule you break. From breaking traffic rules, to parking in a wrong spot, from using offensive language, middle finger to abuse someone. They have fine for everything. So, if you believe in rules are meant to be broken, then be ready to be fined.
Safe and Secured: During my stay in Germany which is now about 2.5years, I did not feel in danger or scared at any moment of time. The country is extremely secured and safeguarded. You can go around the city late nights and reach back home without any fear. There are no robberies, house breaks or any other kind of threats.
People and their Lives: People here are quite straight forward and like to talk straight to the point. That is one of the most peculiar and distinctive quality of the German people. With being straight forward they are too generous and genuine.
They prefer Cash: With high-end technology and mechanical advancement, the country is booming in its automobile sector. Yet it is difficult to digest that the Germans do not prefer using Debit/Credit cards. In here, it is could be a mistake to not carry enough cash as many restaurants and stores work on Cash only principle. It could be pretty embarrassing to ask the way to nearest ATM, if you short on cash.
Germany being a developed country and home to the world´s most modern and celebrated automobile brands; the people are still connected deep to their roots and have a very traditional ideology. They prefer in shopping from the markets than online, they go for daily grocery shopping to eat fresh. They enjoy making variety of breads. That is all what makes them unique!
Author: Kinnari
Welcome! I am Kinnari, a 20 something Engineer from Pune, India. Presently residing in Germany, which got me an opportunity to explore the world around me! Staying far from my family also got me a chance to step into the kitchen and put my apron on! Altogether a big opportunity to share my experiences with you!
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