As compared to Americans, Germans live very different lives. After being here for a little over a month, there are many things about the German culture that I have come to love! There is so much here that us Americans can learn from. But there are also things that I find ridiculous here in Germany. So without further adieu, here is my list of the good, the bad and the ugly of Germany.

The Good:

Solar Panel Screen in my dorm

Solar Power: Alternative energy is huge here in Germany. Almost every other house here in Tuebingen has solar panels, and my entire dorm building is solar powered! In the entranceway to my dorm there is a big screen that tells how much energy the panels have collected today. Motion detectors control all the lights in the building so no energy is wasted by keeping the lights on all the time. It’s a great concept that America could learn so much from!

Pfand Symbol

Pfand: When you buy a bottle of water or soda here in Germany, they charge you a little bit extra for what they call “Pfand.” It loosely translates to “collateral” or “security (deposit).” But after you finish your drink, you simply take the empty bottle back to vending machines located in every supermarket and you get your “Pfand” back! Not only does it encourage people to recycle because they want the “Pfand” from the bottle, but it also is a great way for students to buy snacks! We save up all our “Pfand Flaschen” (bottles you can get money back for) and then go and buy chocolate with the money we get back.

Responsibility with alcohol: In the United States, most people are very sensitive about alcohol. Children are shielded from it and taught in school about how dangerous it is. Of course there is truth in those warnings, but in general there is a very “taboo” sense around drinking. Here in Germany they are completely open about it. There are kids who are 14 or 16 years old having a beer in a Biergarten and nobody thinks twice about it! However, because there is more of a loose atmosphere around drinking, Germans handle alcohol more responsibly. (Of course this is only my opinion and many might disagree.) When I have gone out to parties or bars here in Tuebingen, the majority of people drink simply to have a good time, not to overindulge or for the purpose of “getting drunk.” (See Stephanie’s post about alcohol in Germany here.)

Bus in Tuebingen

Public Transportation: The bus and train systems here in Germany are phenomenal. Although they can get a little pricey, you can take a bus or train to almost anywhere in the country. Even little towns in the countryside are connected to bigger cities by rail, and if not, there’s for sure a bus that will take you to a city where you can find a train. In America our public transportation is very scattered and not as comprehensive. Even here in Tuebingen (a midsized city but hardly a major hub) the bus system runs all the time and would rival that of American cities 3 or 4 times its size.

The Bad:

Crosswalks: Here in Germany the little light that tells you whether or not pedestrians can cross at an intersection is held in such high esteem that every German will always, ALWAYS obey what it says. It could be the middle of the night on a one-way street with no cars in sight. But people will wait. And wait. And wait. And wait until the pedestrian light turns green. It drives me nuts! To top it off they even try to guilt you with signs that translate to “Be an example. Stay on red, go on green,” and “Don’t walk on red. Be a role model for children.” God forbid you ever see that there are no cars, buses or bikes in sight and cross the street on red! Then you’ll have people yelling at you left and right! Okay Germans, I get that you want to keep everyone safe, but I don’t need a little light to tell me what I can see with my own two eyes.

Bureaucracy: A stereotype of the German people is that they are very orderly. They take this organization to the extreme with their paperwork. There is a form to fill out for EVERYTHING here in Germany. You want a student ID? Here are 4 different packets to fill out. You want to eat in the cafeteria? Another form. You want a pre-paid cell phone (it doesn’t even come with a contract!) and you must also fill out form after form after form. This bureaucracy culminated in a process called “Immatrikulation” (matriculating = enrolling in the University). This huge process took days to prepare for – and that was with help from the International office here in Tuebingen. I’m so sick of paperwork right now; I can’t even begin to explain my frustration.

Powdered Soap/Paying for Bathrooms: Who knew there was such a thing?! Powdered soap? In the cafeteria, on the train and in other public places powdered soap is everywhere. Not only is it disgusting in theory, but also in its application. I feel like I’m washing my hands with sand, and at the end they still don’t feel clean. The Germans really need to use liquid soap across the board. I mean, is it really THAT much more expensive? Also, I pretty much believe that you shouldn’t have to pay to perform natural bodily functions like breathing or going to the bathroom. But no, you have to go to the bathroom in the train station? That’ll be 1 Euro. In a tourist district? 1.50 Euro.

The Ugly:

Body Odor: In America I’d never really notice many people that didn’t bathe regularly. With the exceptions being a men’s locker room or a middle school hallway, most people at home have the whole personal hygiene thing down. But here? Probably about a dozen times a day you’ll get a whiff of rank body odor. Walking down the street, on the train, in an elevator, standing in line at the supermarket. It’s everywhere. I am looking forward to winter simply because there won’t be as much B.O. floating around.

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I hope that none of that came across as particularly bitter, but there are some things that begin to wear on your nerves when you’re in a foreign country.

This next week I’ll be on a retreat for my intensive German class, so I won’t be able to update this blog or my twitter until next weekend. Until then, all the best!

Tschüß!