Germany didn't change me, I actually found a perfect place where I actually fit in! In my homeland, I was the outcast for being too much in to planning and organizing; no rush, no nosey personality. So I really feel like I belong, finally ♥
So funny that people from south America say Germany is so structured and organized while the lady from China basically said - in a very polite way - it's complete chaos. Beautiful. XD
Well, I guess in China strikes are simply not allowed. I could be wrong. But there, you do as you're told or your 'social credit score' gets lowered. They just keep going and have the system engrained in them.
I get her point tho! Many Asian countries are much more efficiently organized. Cause in Germany we have a big problem with paperwork complicating many processes and it shows when you are trying to file for a new ID or stuff like that. It will take months
@@leac.s.2334 sure. Let's take the best of each and make it ours. Asian structure ( the positive sides to it. ) With south American vibes, dances and music. German beer and land scapes on top. Doesn't sound all too bad to me.
@@leac.s.2334 Germans (as a stereotype) try to do justice to each and everyone. This makes laws and paperwork ever more complicated. Germans appear to not realize that perfect justice is inaccomplishable, however hard they try. This, together with a sense for order which is genetically encoded (one might think) results in a society that generally matches its clichés.
I learned not to be late. I am more aware of the environmental issues. It taught me I can learn German! To be less materialistic and enjoy doing nothing but relax on a Sunday. I have become less nervous of harassment or violence or theft. I relaxed 😌
Goddammit. You f#cking environmentalists. You will tax the hell out of everyone and visually pollute all of the countryside with your windmills. I hate you.
Germany changed me a lot. first of all, I became much more organized. I learnt how to enjoy small things and also Germany inspire me a lot. This country is literally a well of inspiration and new knowledge to be picked up. Every day when I get up I feel so excited that I live in this outstanding country. Also I became much calmer and easy-going person. Germany made me much more patient and logically acting person with systematized approach towards solving problems.
I have lived in the US the majority of my life but feel like I’m better aligned with German values. The US has been disappointing for a developed nation which was built on systems and processes but common folks do not value a good system and so there is more chaos than necessary when going about your daily life (outside of work).
The Russian girl was so articulate and well balanced. All these young people came across very well and it was a heart warming, optimistic video. I'm British and live in Prague.
Yeah, especially the Turkish girl was very refreshing. Always had a good time meeting Turkish girls or people in general from Türkiye. Unfortunately the German-turkish community is so isolated in Germany that it negatively impacted almost any interaction I had with them so far.
@@SuperBarneygumble i don't care about a big part the turkish germans anymore. it is their choice and theirs alone. it is not us germans that are isolating them. THEY want their own little sub culture with only the least possible contact to germans. if they speak german then they speak broken turkish german, FULLY on purpose to show us germans exactly where they stand when it come to us and to integrating. Even some 3rd and 4th generation german turks are behaving that way. That's is my own experience of more than 30 years (i am 42) and all well integrated turks that i ever talked to see and think exactly the same as me when it comes to these guys. Every single one.
Lived and worked in Germany, fitted in with the Germans very easily, and found them to be great at helping out, interesting to talk to and very wonderful people. Went to China 6 times and found that the Chinese streets will virtually come to a standstill, with the pedestrians, to ogle you if you're non Asian, or non African. Lived in Korea for a spell, beautiful food, very inexpensive and the people are very hospitable, even if the girls fall asleep on your shoulder on the train.
@@dennisjungbauer4467 Well (South-)Koreans certainly do, their birthrates aren't 0.8 just from birth-control or infertility alone. Also from watching K-dramas, I can't even think of one that hinted towards full-blown intimacy, even kissing was quite rare.
Very inexpensive? I thought Germany would be among the top most expensive. I think it would be difficult for me to get work there, considering that I am a candle factory worker in the US.
@@stephenhowes8937 I'm saying Korea is inexpensive, not Germany. Even though UK, where I'm from, was in EU it was impossible to claim any social security payments there when seeking work. Plus, in Munich, where I was staying, there's a housing shortage for the locals, as well as any new comer seeking to live there. Unlike Berlin, where apparently it's easier to find accommodation, but impossible for a foreigner, at an European, to get a job, unless on the black market.
I absolutely love Germany. It's crazy to think how much the world has switched up in a century. Germany used to be the biggest enemies. Now it is one of the biggest allies and partners on the world stage, doing a lot of good in the world. I really want to visit Germany. Great video! Your friend from Canada!
I've been living in Germany for more than 12 years. Coming from a very quiet, small and humble northern country, I have always been shy. Watching this video has made me realise that I have become very honest and unapologetic 😂 I loved rules and laws before but now even more - I need everything to have structure and things go according to the plan. In my opinion Germans are not spontaneous at all and I have started to hate surprises 😂 It's really cool to see how one grows as a person in another culture and environment.
Your remark comes as a surprise. I hate it. 🙂 Just joking. Yes, a lot people don't like surprises as we are more on the pessimistic side and so a lot of people think surprise = bad.
@@volrathsstronghold I don't like them either especially as I get older. If you are planning a surprise party for someone you have to convince them to come out with you for a quiet drink to a venue where the surprise party is when they are feeling down about not many people remembering their birthday. Like in the film Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging when the protagonist has her fifteenth birthday. Her mother wakes her up in the morning and tells her that for her birthday treat they would be going to a night club. Just the two of them knowing that her friends will attend the birthday party of her love rival in another night club. Someone she always hated and it was even worse when the love rival started dating her crush. Then the protagonist gets to the nightclub to find there is a surprise party for her and hardly anyone is at the other birthday party. Plus they can be used to upset other plans the receiver might have. Deliberately or unintentionally.
I never like to apologise for anything that is clearly not my fault. Or on behalf of someone else who did the wrong thing. Especially if the other person was justified in doing that wrong thing.
I'm English and my husband is German and, when he met me, he said he would've assumed by the way I look and act that I'm German not British. When I asked why he said it's because I wear very little makeup, I don't wear skimpy dresses to go out when it's freezing cold (apparently he got a shock when he saw British women wearing tiny dresses in winter on a night out), I'm more health conscious than the average Brit (he'd seen a lot of Brits binge drinking), I'm fair but not pasty, and I'm quite reserved and I love efficiency!
@@USEismydream Not everyone does, but many do - especially on a night out. A lot of the women I know and am friends with wear very thick foundation and heavy eye makeup. Big lips, hair extensions and very thick, drawn on eyebrows are popular here too. I haven't seen as much of that in Germany.
@@jnd5706 That sounds very american. I'm German and i'd appreciate a girl more if she shows her flaws with little makeup, than changes her apperance with tons of it. In the end we are all human and nobody is perfect. Embrace your flaws and be down to earth. Humbleness is the biggest turn on for me
Great answers and awesome stories! And I’m still thinking since Saturday afternoon about “how Germany changed me” and I’m still not done with it, crazy!
I can rly relate to the girl from South Korea. It was hard at the beginning to live in Germany and not understand ppl around u. At the end it's all about the language. Learn German, folks! xD
As a native born German I have to say that it's pretty hard to learn our language. To all the people who come to Germany: Please don't give up trying! Most of us highly appreciate people from around the world who want to learn german language. Such people get mad respect. Stay safe, and please feel welcomed to Germany!
Tell that to the syrians, afghans and iraqis and all the economical migrants from north africa. They mostly stay only with their own people and dont want to learn the language and assimilate!!! And i speak cold hard truths, i have a migration background aswell but born and raised in Germany!!! But that is so disrespectful!!!
@lucatarantino4956 Ja ich weiß das es auch Ausnahmen gibt trotzdem sprechen die Zahlen für sich (Wir haben noch über 1,8 Millionen Flüchtlinge die in unseren Sozialsystemen (Hartz4/Bürgergeld) sind und dort nicht raus wollen (Quelle: Bundesagentur für Arbeit/Jobcenter)!!!! Wir haben seit 2015 über 70% Abbrecherquote bei Flüchtlingen was die Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt angeht bei Jobs, Ausbildungen, Maßnahmen, Praktikas usw (Quelle: ARD & ZDF) und laut IFU Studien kann/will nur jeder 7. flüchtling arbeiten
I'm German, live in Berlin, and I know quite a lot of foreigners due to taking part in meetups - a thing almost no German knows about. I feel like they live a completely life to Germans. The two groups don't really mix. Most expats don't work normal office jobs, they work in startups or it. Germans work in shops, they work as carpenters, they work for the state or in normal boring offices. You don't really meet the other group. So I'd say that all these answers from these expats are independent of them being here in Germany. They are just away from home and forced to grow up and become independent because they're far from their social security net. I would bet that 90% of these answers are the same with any expat group around the world.
True, a lot of the answers were any expat experience. Though some could also be the opposite, i.e. embrace the chaos vs. embrace the organization. I feel like sometimes you just fit better in one culture or another, as a personality. I grew up in Asia, as an Austrian, and when I came back I struggled with making friends, fitting in with the culture and finding my place, even though I look and sound Austrian 100%. Strangers actually asked me if one of my parents was a foreigner, because it was so awkward. Nowadays people don't ask, but I tend to hang with the immigrant/expat crowd, rather than with carpenter/government office crowd.
@@thirstwithoutborders995 but the thing is, the expats don't really experience German culture (you cannot count Spätis and Biergarten as culture) - as I said they live in their own bubble within the metropolitan bubble of Berlin or Munich or Hamburg. They have their own culture
I don't think that's true. You're talking about expats only, not every foreigner is an expat. There's plenty of foreigners working "normal" jobs - normal immigrants. The expat bubble is a very specific subset of foreigners with a very specific type of experience.
As a German living in a small town with 50000 inhabitants, I must say that I have the complete opposite experience. Regardless of profession and lifestyle, Germans and foreigners get to know each other here. That's because we are together in kindergarten, at school and at work. On the other hand, having lived in Berlin in the past, I can confirm your statement from my own experience. Nevertheless, it is not typical for Germany that people stick together in isolated subcultures. That's simply how people lead their lives in the big cities - not only in Germany, but all over the world. When you live among millions of others, you do have to actively ignore 99.9% of your fellow human beings just to stay sane. The life in a smaller community allows you to see, know and like so many of your neighbors that one would simply have ignored in the big city.
About the monitor on the car. I still don’t recommend doing this in Germany leaving your stuff unattended in public. Because I encountered many occasions where the stuff I left/forgot in public wasn’t there anymore when I came back to look for it. Turns out every single time it wasn’t stolen, but somebody took my stuff to the Fundbüros😂 (a place where „lost“ stuff is gathered and you can go there and get it back for free). In fact once when I was little somebody took my schoolbackpack and returned it to the school(bc the books had my school name including my name) and alas, my name was called out through the speakers throughout the whole school to get my backpack back.
@@avitalsheva I don't really know why you put "Germans" in quotes. It might also help to actually read the full comment, which actually said that your stuff doesn't get stolen, but that concerned citizens will have taken it to the Fundbüro before you get back to grab it yourself. So unless you are suggesting that our brethren from Africa are doing exactly that and you are just using the quotes to poke at the people who cannot accept that someone from Nigeria might be German and consider themselves German, you should really take these sentiments to a channel that isn't a celebration of German diversity. I'm sure they'd be much more appreciated there
@@khazaddum6570 No NOBODY from Nigeria or Afghanistan or Morocco will be German . Like you if you will born in Japan or Korea you do not become miraculously ethically Japanese. Being German is ethnicity which is coming with very specific personal traits. Physical and psychological - as these two are tied and cant be divided. As you cant say that just because some look like Lion we cant expect he will behave as Lion or if somebody looks like cow, you cant expect to behave like cow. Physical traits predispose personality.
@@avitalsheva most of what you said has long been disputed by scientific research. The only true statement you made is that someone who is ethnically Japanese cannot become ethnically German. But being German is not about appearance. After all, not all people born in Germany look alike either. You even said it yourself "Just because someone looks like [a] lion you cannot expect them to behave like a lion". If you apply logic principles this statement means that you cannot use appearance to judge someone's behavior, ergo, by your own admission it makes no sense to use being born with brown skin as an indication of someone being German or not. Because physical traits DO NOT predispose personality. As scientific studies have shown over and over again, variation in physical appearance do not correlate to behavior when controlling for culture. Correlation does not equal causation. If you look it up you will see that: 1. The parts of your genes that control your appearance are not affecting or affected by the parts of your genes that control the initial makeup of the brain 2. That the variation in this initial makeup of the brain is unrelated to the country of origin (disregarding things like malnutrition/drug use etc.) 3. That virtually all of your social behaviors (for example bringing stuff to the Fundbüro or Lüften or waiting at the red light) are learned behaviors. Meaning that a child born in Nigeria and raised in Germany in a German Cultural environment would develop exactly the same as a white child born here. Weeelll... If it it weren't for all the experiences of racism the first child would have to endure, because of people like you, excuse me for saying that. I would suggest you get a phrenology-map and checking for bumps and divets on your friends head. If they are all still living in the times you seem to, I'm sure you'll be considered a scientific genius
@@khazaddum6570 No nobody from Nigeria nor any Arab country nor Japan will become German. Never. Culture is arising from ethnicity and not vice versa. Culture is created by by characteristics of specific ethnic group. Like bonobo are chimpanzees and regular chimpanzees are chimpanzees but their behavioral pattern is different. So Nigerian child can pick up some German behavioral patterns but it will never become really German. By definition it is impossible like no Arab or even German will go north and will become Inuit/ Eskimo .Because specific customs and behavior is coming out of ethnic specifics of that group. Africa is like Africa because African people know exactly that what they know.. and Singapore look like Singapore exactly because Singaporeans know what they know. Regarding Japanese - please make your research as Japanese are not ONE ethnic group but even Japanese consist of more ethnic groups. Very similarly like Germans. But still there is very much common characteristics among all Japanese groups.
This was really wonderful and interesting to watch. Amazing to hear and see all people from different countries in Germany and their thoughts and perspectives. I lived in Germany for only 10 years but it changed me forever. I wish I can go back ❤
To contribute a very german answer to this joke: In Germany YOU get charged by a standardised 230 Volt with a frequenzy of 50 Hz. But the question remains: How many MILLIAMPERESTUNDEN ??? 😜😁🤪
a great idea to ask people that question.. you could to the same interview in Switzerland and Austria. It would be interesting to see whether people will reply more or less along the same lines or mention very different things... I can imagine that for a Brazilian, or Argentinean there seem to be not that many "impact" differences between A, CH, D; but someone from Ireland or France may percieve big differences--
Germany hasn‘t changed me because I am German.🤗 But I definitely feel that Germany changed a lot over the last 50 years, people getting more relaxed, more international (EU), more tolerant, speaking better English, less formal (much more Du instead of Sie, more hugging and so on).
Die Leute sind "relaxed" weil mittlerweile sowieso alles egal ist und den Bach runter geht. Ansonsten beschreibst du Entwicklungen, die durch das Jetzeitalter eingeläutet wurden. In den 1930er Jahren war für die meisten nicht mal denkbar, in Ostpreußen Urlaub zu machen. Und was hat das ganze mit Englisch zu tun? Menschen lernen seit der Antike Sprachen, mit denen Handelsinteressen realisiert werden können. Derzeit erlebt Spanisch in Deutschland einen enormen Aufwind, weil es keinen Sinn macht, aus politischen Gründen weiter Französisch zu lernen, obwohl man 3 mal im Jahr in Spanien ist.
I work at a bigger german company and it took me a bit to adjust to call even my boss by his first name after school drilled me for over 13 years to refer to higher ups per last name or „Sie“
At this point if I applied to another company and found out that I have to use "sie" to my colleagues that would be kind of an instant-no. I use "sie" so incredibly rarely nowadays. Like when talking to an older in a supermarkt or something. For anyone else I'd rather use "du" just to create an immediate connection (or rather avoid immediate distance) when talking to anyone.
Since I watch videos like that I finally started to love my country. I'm glad not all people think we're weird and "cold" and nasty.. Didn't know that. ❤
@@USEismydream Ich denke nicht, dass die Deutschen das nicht anerkennen. Ich denke, dass die Deutschen andere Länder sehen die einiges besser machen. Z.B.: Warum unterstützt Deutschland andere Länder mit kürzerer Lebensarbeitszeit? Warum bekommen ich in Österreich, bei gleichen Einzahlungen in die Rentenkasse, deutlich mehr Rente? Warum ist unser Schulsystem dem Finnischen so weit hinterher? Siehe Pisa-Tests. Warum sind Schulgebäude teilweise in so einem desolaten Zustand? Warum wurden keine Filteranlagen, gegen Covid und möglicher weiterer Pandemien, in die Schulen eingebaut? Ist die Gesundheit unserer Kinder in ganz Deutschland nicht eine Milliarde Euro wert? Warum sind unsere Straßen so schlecht? Das gabs ja in den 80er Jahren auch nicht. Warum wird die Steuerlast immer höher und es kommt, zumindest gefühlt, immer weniger beim Bürger an? Seit den 80er Jahren hetzt eine Gesundheitsreform die nächste. Ist da etwas besser geworden? Haben sich die miserablen Einkünfte des Alten-und Pflegepersonals verbessert? Eindeutig NEIN! Der Applaus während der Hochzeiten von Covid war der einzige Bonus. Der macht aber nicht satt. Die Situation der Bundewehr kann man noch erwähnen, wie konnte es dazu kommen? Bei unseren Politikern wird es Jahre, eher Jahrzehnte dauern bis die Bundeswehr wieder für einen adäquaten Schutz Deutschlands imstande sein wird. Diese Liste könnte man auch noch beliebig fortführen. Politiker, der einzige Beruf in dem man von nichts eine Ahnung haben muss.
Whenever I'm watching videos like these, I wonder how many of these changes are due to living in a foreign country and how many changes are just due to growing older in general
Many things i can totally relate to:)) But the most i liked they mentioned, that one starts to appreciate own culture even more and finding out who you really are❤
omg, the turkish lady rocks! She reminds me a lot of other turkish friends I met abroad. So open, positive, and communicative. I'm glad that she apparently enjoys her time in Munich.
This video was interesting for me as a German. Strange was only one thing: Although I learned British English in school, for me the girl from England was the most difficult to understand, unlike the others, and I do not know why.
Surprisingly, Brits teach us an artificial British RP accent, which doesn’t exist in real life except of BBC broadcasting and they don’t speak it themselves :-)
@Den SPb Most of the people I know speak RP/BBC English. It's a common accent for middle class people, particularly in the southern art of England. But as far as the wider population goes, you're right.
I am anglophone in Canada, and I got used to the variety of accents from the UK by watching Coronation Street when it was beamed overseas. It took time. Sometimes, I still need written captions on screen to fully understand the dialogue. For me, the most baffling UK lingo is 1)the slang spoken by teenagers (as happens in all countries) and 2) the dialects that drop consonants, like the Rs, but especially the missing T's: words like 'bottle', 'little', and even 'what', become incomprehensible. Liked your comment.
I love how I can now easily identify a Kenyan (being a Kenyan myself), I enjoyed hearing her speak. And yes I have also become such a planner, not perfect but way more than before.
Bravo, Mr. Brit! Of all the questions on all the blogs with man-on-the-street interviews, this one has to be one of the most THOUGHT PROVOKING ever. Not just the info coming from the speakers, but the written comments flooding in. It will take days to read them all. Trying to explain Germany and its people to the outside world is no easy task. They may speak a common language, but I suspect the cultural differences between regions are significant. Also the differences between rural and urban, and between social classes. The country is also undergoing enormous social change due to immigration. If someone had told me 20 years ago that Germany would become the most multi-ethnic, multi-racial country in Europe, I would not have believed it. The people you interviewed seem to confirm this: from EVERY continent! Something special must be going on there. German is not an easy language to learn, and not exactly an international language. Yet, that doesn't seem to be a barrier for newcomers who have sought that destination and adapted to it. Something else noticeably different about this blog; not many Germans have posted comments. Comments are streaming in from the international community. When I look at a similar blog from Holland directed at anglophones, 90% of the written reponses come from Dutch people. They are very concerned how the outside world perceives them. That applies to many countries. Could it be that Germans are not so self-conscious as other nationalities? As a sociologist, I encourage you to keep up the good work, keep asking good questions. It is all very enlightening. Thanks!
Here's the german comment to change that :) Jokes aside, in comments of other videos, you are almost certain to see comments from germans wondering how their country is perceived by foreigners, whenever the topic shows up. It's an interesting perspective in regards to how germany has become an immigration country. I'm not happy to admit it, but personally, I'm still somewhat sceptical towards this development. Maybe this might change given the time and hopefully some good encounters in the future. Have a nice day, bye👋
Very nice idea and interesting. I'm from México and then lived in the US for 7 years before comming to Germany so I don't know what is what...but, I think the trash handling was a big thing for me but I also feel I started to enjoy my personal time more like the guy from Brasil. It would be nice to know how long each of them have been in the country. Small note: Columbia is a state in the US. while Colombia is the country ;)
1:29 - 2:04 - so true. From my experience, the only people who wanted to go to party, invite you for a drink, want to play games, and are interested in other cultures are the foreign students. Once you stop being a student, you can become lonely.
@@kingofshit303 what if you don't have any hobbies but just want to talk to people and go for a drink / coffee and talk about the world? My ex boyfriend (German) was in a table tennis club and he had no friends from there, they just met during the training and thats it. I joined a tennis club and also there met noone, barely had some people to play with. What clubs do you recommend?
Yisus Christ this is 1000% true. I made a bachelor degree here and at the uni I only made friendship with foreigners for this reason. Now I've been already working for one year and haven't made any social life because it's not the uni anymore. It's hard but you kinda get used to it.
So what I can recommend is the app bumble. In case if you don't know it, you have 2 different match settings. Either you look for dates or what's probably more interesting for you atm, u switch to friends. So I moved to Berlin during corona 2 - 3 years ago and bumble actually helped me getting to know new people. Btw. of course u can filter the people for example men and women who are 22-35. 😄
Having lived in numerous countries, I'm convinced that, although not perfect, Germany may be the best country in the world at the moment. Germany is a... mature country. Where the USA felt like a country run by rebel-without-a-clue teenagers, Germany feels like a country run by our grandparents. Germany expects maturity: self-sufficiency, initiative, confidence, compromise... they like their order, peace, and quiet. Show respect, expect respect, grow up and follow the rules. The world doesn't revolve around you. Germany is beautiful. The people here value their shared spaces: nature, parks, etc. It's one of the cleanest and most well-cared-for countries I've ever seen, and one of the safest places I've ever experienced. Germans are reserved, but not necessarily unfriendly. They're slow to open up, but are warm and loyal friends once they do. They take care of their neighbors, no one gets left behind here. Yes, Germans can be a 'hard' people... but they're also a strong people. One look at how they raise their children should make it clear... Germany means business :D
This made me follow you. It is SO great, so valuable, for me as a German, to witness other peoples views on us Germans, German behaviours, ... Thank you! You are widening my horizon.
Just came across this - I am German having lived in many countries all over the world and I can second everything the interviewees say 😉 Every country changes you and you have the opportunity to adapt to what you agree and feel comfortable with. It's always a chance and a change to live abroad
@@fluffypuffyboy586 well in the US they have way less tax, apparently. Because looking deeper than just shallow talking points, in reality many can pay more and there's more poverty.
@@samuelsamenstrang6069 I am already in the USA, best life. I earn 250k instead of 70k as a software engineer. Health insurance is covered by my employer, in Germany I had to pay 450€ monthly. Taxes are much lower and the prices similar. It was super depressing getting only 3000€ monthly out of my 70k, while receiving nothing in return.
Just tumbled across this video and being German myself, having lived here for most of my life, save for a two years stint in Australia and one year Studies in Scotland, I must say it's refreshing to see all those comments about my Vaterland seen through a foreigners pair of eyes. Makes me appreciate even more of what I have. Granted, we do have our share of problems to solve, though, and I believe some tough years coming up with some tough decisions to be made by society. Nevertheless, I really like living in Germany. Next vacation stop ... Amrum in a couple of weeks.
Maybe because fax machines were invented in Germany? But seriously, every nation has habits that others only know from hearsay, like when Americans pay a bill by cheque instead of online banking, or when Britons install separate taps for hot and cold water instead of a single-handle mixer tap, or when Frenchmen throw all their rubbish into one bin.
It has changed me immensely. I have come to know myself & more of how the world really is, and how it is to be surrounded by diversity & acceptance. Not to mention no worry about being shot while walking down the street, and having medical insurance!!! Yes, I'm from the USA.
@@zaphod333 When speaking English, to refer to the nationality, just say "American". The country is "America". If you mean the N. and S. American continents, then it's "The Americas".
@Mark Thank you for trying to help me improve my English skills. I am aware that the terms you prefer are common in the US. However, since they are sloppy, inaccurate, and presumptuous, I'm afraid I must reject their use in the form suggested. Calling a country "America" is sloppy at least when the "United States of" part is omitted. For the same reason, there is no nationality that is accurately called "American." To appropriate the term "America" for the United States alone is clearly presumptuous. I am inclined to accept "The Americas" to some degree. However, it would be more accurate to say "America" and omit the addition of "North/South" when referring to the double continent. I understand that this is to avoid perceived ambiguity. However, since I object to the chauvinistic use of "America" when really the "US of America" is meant, there is no ambiguity at all. Since there are 49 (I think) countries in America, and English is spoken with one accent or another in presumably all of them, it gives the reader additional information about which part of America the accent is presumed to belong to than the mere use of "American." Anyway, writing "USAmerican" is a conscious and well-reasoned decision. Nevertheless, I appreciate your efforts to help me improve my English skills. Please do it again whenever you see fit!
Germany is not just Germany. A lot depends on where you live in Germany and in which social circles you move. Whether in the south (west), in the middle or in the east. The environment and the people there shape you much more than anything else. For example, the Germans themselves say that it is much easier to make new friends in the East than in the South. The people there are simply more open, speak their own thoughts directly. Without detours, even if it might hurt you at first. You can tell that just by phoning East Germans. And I say that myself as a West German. On the other hand, you also have to be able to deal with the relaxed manner. Whether business or private.
Germany and specially Berlin is the one place where I used to have a sense of belonging … it’s like the air becomes more breathable, everything becomes more beautiful and I feel like I’m home
I'm Ecuadorian and lived in Munich for almost 4 years... I definitely grew up as a person and now that I'm back in Ecuador, I can clearly feel the difference between me and my friends and many people I meet
In Turkey small talk is important.The lady next to you in a bus/train/metro/plane will start talking to you. The person waiting next to you in bank/hospital will talk to you. Your taxidriver,your barber,your coworkers will talk to you. you can sit on a public bench and can start talking the random person who sit beside you. Weddings are a huge thing in Turkey for example their size are incredibly big like 200-1000 people (sometimes bigger) comes you can totally find a new person to talk. Sociality is a very important in our culture along with hospitality.
@liliencron Big cities are especially places with a lot of tourists dont do that much. But I lived in Bursa for 4 years and I had many random talks with strangers,in the busses ,waiting in hospital and bank. It also effected by how approachable you look of course. I am a very approachable person so 7-70 everyone wants to start and talking after half of an hour of talk they ask my number or tell me their family,health problems. In my city Kütahya I cant wait any line without a random person starts to talk. I dont like it sometimes but it is mostly enjoyable.
As a german: dont expect germans to be friendly and outgoing if you cant speak german well. They might not speak english well enough to enjoy the conversation with you and prefer to joke in their native language. After all, they did not leave germany, YOU CAME to germany. So please: learn some german before you say germans are cold or excluding
Excellent video on expats and how their life in Germany. I just found all the answers to take a decision on moving to this beautiful country soon. Thanks for sharing awesome moments with people all over the world who found their home in Germany.
@Rumana Amin German here 😉 In case you might need info about what's needed to live/work in Germany please look up for "auswaertiges-amt". Top left on that site is a Button to switch to English language. Good luck and all the best to you with greetings from Germany 😉
Been born and raised in Ger and I can relate to what the Chinese woman says. Germany has been losing a whole lot of structure over the last 15 years. It is going in a US oriented chaotic direction. Education dramatically sinks to a point where people should hardly be left to make up their own decisions anymore as they are driven solely by media extremes. Wealth levels are starting to vary in levels that have never been there before. Like when 20 years ago someone was running a succesful company the boss had the bigger house and the better car. Nowadays the boss has 17 houses in various cities and a collection of 52 cars. The employees in contrast have to rent super smal flats for 60% of their income. Grammatical structure and rules are being "dissolved" while trying to include refugees into our society which does not work. You can do either one of that but not both at the same time. If you do not know how your language works, you are a 100% unable to teach it to others. Same goes for culture.
It's not always easy which changes in the interviewees stem from living in Germany and which from living in a foreign country and the challenges it brings. Anyways, great question
so many people who say they feel more independant. i am happy to hear that actually. i know there are a lot of people born here who would think the opposite...maybe...possibly... happy to have such well spoken people here
as someone who was born in Schweinfurt it pains me just a little that the girl from South Korea did not feel welcome there. I think when we still had the US military bases in Schweinfurt, her experience might have been better. I myself left Schweinfurt for the US decades ago, but i do go back to see family every year. I hope this improves. At the same time, there are not many cities quite like Munich. Schweinfurt does have a huge international community, though. Turkish is very well represented for sure.
Turkish people are by far the biggest group of immigrants we have in Germany. So it’s not really surprising to have Turkish people living all over Germany.
When staying in China I would not complain if people call me longnose because it simply is a funny fact. I would smile inside and outside if I am called Piefke in Vienna. And I would not be bothered on a visit to Tanzania if black curious kids would like to touch my porky skin. I really wonder what makes her wonder that an exotic couple receives a bit more attention than any other boring neighbour.
this is quite good! I can confirm just about all the comments made in the video - I know a lot of other ex-pats who say similar things - punctuality, stand-of-ishness, also the value of consciously taking care of friendships, which I also experienced - thanks!
I don’t live in Germany I visited and traveled to Germany, it made me more precise, more humble, more practical, appreciate quality time, more cooperative less self-centred and it opened my eyes how German learn from cultures and work
I really want to give props to the people at 5:05, 7:15, and 11:58 because I can tell they've done a lot of work on their accents. I couldn't've guessed where they came from just by their voice alone.
I remember the asian girl that was before in Schweinfurt. She was in the first international Study year there. Could be 8 years ago. Its a small city and it was also a new situation for all germans there. I wish i had back there more contact to the international students, but with not so fluent english it was hard.I hope after that many years that it is not longer so weird in Schweinfurt but I think still ligthyears away from munic
people in germany are a lot more direct and don't sugarcoat everything - that is something that a lot of foreigners see as being rude. sorry for that, but it makes quite a lot of things more efficient.
no it's not that. i myself am very direct no bs person. However, what bothers me in Germany is the lack of politeness. For example, in the UK they are very polite and have manners. Not in Gemany though. They(service/cashier) may yell at you in a store and not even say Entschuldigung. That's not only me but all my friends have similar experieces. Had an older customer once from the US who told me a story how once in a German store security yelled at him and agressively grabbed the stuff he already paid for just because the poor guy being from the US didn't collect and put the stuff fast enough in his bags. Small things but they do add up and it would be much nicer if people treat each other like people, especially in formal situations and when dealing with strangers.
yes, this is correct. it would be nicer and much more 'civilized' and at least builds a nicer perceived atmosphere. the thing with the cashiers here is that the low-cost supermarkets have very short spaces/shelves behind the cashier to incentivize you to pack faster otherwise you run out of room very fast with even just a few items - and the cashiers are being judged by their management to scan the items FAST to not create long queues. (as they also have to clean and stack the shelves... it is urged to finish the customer interaction fast to go back to their other chores. and usually the nr. of employees in such markets is very limited.)... @@Vivi-vg9lx and yes, this comes off as rude. even to germans.
@@muysli.y1855 yes and no - mostly being nice / rude is also related to how your day goes and in general the personality of the person you are interacting with. concerning NL - i felt at home whenever i worked in the netherlands. I love the life style and language. once I got used to it and stopped grinning like mad bc people spoke in something that sounds to germans like 'kiddie/baby speech'. nowadays I see that with germans encountering the dutch language for the first time, but cannot relate to that anymore. my main issue: whenever I tried speaking dutch people directly switched to english or german...
My daughter lost her wallet at a museum in Germany with money in it. Someone returned it to the front desk. In my country, this might happen but might not…I was so pleasantly surprised by this gesture. It made me feel good about people again.
As a Hispanic, I never planned my vacation with the exception of destination and duration. Being with a German for over 30 years, I am now the detailed planner and my German husband is the one taking it easy and relax, no planning whatsoever. I want to plan my next 2 or 3 vacations 6- 12 months in advance from dates, destination, and plane tickets, to hotels, restaurants and activities. I cannot believe this how I am right now. I used to plan nothing and went with the flow... 😮
I came to Germany when I was 32. It didn't change me that much. Norwegian society and everyday life is not that different. It all depends on what type of person you are... Here are some ways Germany has affected me as a person, or things i've learned about Germany (this is in Berlin): 1. if you want a doctor's appointment, you have to work for it. 2. if you mess up in the slightest, like forget your monthly-train ticket at home, you will pay for it. there is no reasonable discussion to be had. 3. no one gives a shit where you are from. get over it. 4. Turkish people are alright, for the most part they don't care about you and keep to themselves, even if you provoke them (men). 5. When you go out to any sort of pub, coke and amphetamine are almost treated like "do you take sugar with your tee?" 6. air-conditioning at home is a privilege 7. beer is cheaper than water 8. wine is almost cheaper than water 9. restaurant food is mostly trash. if you want to eat healthy, stay away and cook at home. 10. it's a norm that 3-5% of all package shipments are lost 11. people get shot in the streets, but that's mostly gangsters from abroad, or Turkish guys fighting about a girlfriend or something 12. if you fall a sleep in wedding (part of the city), someone will wake you up and tell you "it's a dangerous place", but 10 minutes later you will find your jacket, wallet, phone, glasses and passport on the bench/table 10 m away from were you blacked out. 13. German teens and young adults like to sing loudly when they are preparing for a party 14. if you live close to a football field, be prepared to hear loud, hysterical shouting 3-5 times a week for 1-3 hours each time. I mean guttural, full-force shouting as if a war was going on. 15. it's a chill place to live and there are almost no limits on what you can do on in your free time.
You are right, German cuisine sucks, there is nothing other than sausages and I hate sausages. I was always hungry in Germany, I don't eat fried things, fast food, processed meat, so it was very difficult and tasteless.
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Germany didn't change me, I actually found a perfect place where I actually fit in! In my homeland, I was the outcast for being too much in to planning and organizing; no rush, no nosey personality. So I really feel like I belong, finally ♥
Oh wow!
I am glad you feel that way and finally found that place!
@@berlinbeachkat4878 thank you kindly!
Latvia aka Lettland aka Baltic States aka Ex-Soviet Country :D
@@kupuhka1357 i would have guessed that latvia isnt that much different to germany.
So funny that people from south America say Germany is so structured and organized while the lady from China basically said - in a very polite way - it's complete chaos. Beautiful. XD
Well, I guess in China strikes are simply not allowed. I could be wrong. But there, you do as you're told or your 'social credit score' gets lowered. They just keep going and have the system engrained in them.
considering chinese traffic. I really dont know what she is on about.
I get her point tho! Many Asian countries are much more efficiently organized. Cause in Germany we have a big problem with paperwork complicating many processes and it shows when you are trying to file for a new ID or stuff like that. It will take months
@@leac.s.2334 sure. Let's take the best of each and make it ours. Asian structure ( the positive sides to it. ) With south American vibes, dances and music. German beer and land scapes on top. Doesn't sound all too bad to me.
@@leac.s.2334 Germans (as a stereotype) try to do justice to each and everyone. This makes laws and paperwork ever more complicated. Germans appear to not realize that perfect justice is inaccomplishable, however hard they try. This, together with a sense for order which is genetically encoded (one might think) results in a society that generally matches its clichés.
Really appreciate the fact that you put the country in the corner now. Helps to keep a context
Thanks, it was a great advice we got from someone who was watching our videos before ;)
I learned not to be late. I am more aware of the environmental issues. It taught me I can learn German! To be less materialistic and enjoy doing nothing but relax on a Sunday. I have become less nervous of harassment or violence or theft. I relaxed 😌
Goddammit. You f#cking environmentalists. You will tax the hell out of everyone and visually pollute all of the countryside with your windmills. I hate you.
the last few sentences…
that’s fucked up…
I have to say the no shops on a Sunday thing still annoys me, but I like to do "urban" stuff on a sunday.
U got the spirit
@@filip6994 why, isn't it a good thing they are less nervous of harrassment lol?
Germany changed me a lot. first of all, I became much more organized. I learnt how to enjoy small things and also Germany inspire me a lot. This country is literally a well of inspiration and new knowledge to be picked up. Every day when I get up I feel so excited that I live in this outstanding country. Also I became much calmer and easy-going person. Germany made me much more patient and logically acting person with systematized approach towards solving problems.
So you agree that probably Russian penguins destroyed german-owned pipelines Nordstream 1&2 .
@@ms-jl6dlrethink your life choices
@Jack : I fully agree
@jackwalker5916 bro, ngl. Your comment about my country was so wholesome. Thank you so much for it aka vielen herzlichen Dank :)
I have lived in the US the majority of my life but feel like I’m better aligned with German values. The US has been disappointing for a developed nation which was built on systems and processes but common folks do not value a good system and so there is more chaos than necessary when going about your daily life (outside of work).
The Russian girl was so articulate and well balanced. All these young people came across very well and it was a heart warming, optimistic video. I'm British and live in Prague.
no she seemed very disrespectful and cold
@marvin2678 ayo what? She seemed super sweet to me lol
@@marvin2678 soft arse
@@marvin2678 WTF !
@@marvin2678I wouldn’t say 😅pretty open minded person, just was focusing to say all clear,to be understood
The Turkish and South Korean friends are such a vibe! :D loved hearing their answers haha
same
Sorma
@@almora4888kaltak karı sinirimi bozdu.
Yeah, especially the Turkish girl was very refreshing. Always had a good time meeting Turkish girls or people in general from Türkiye. Unfortunately the German-turkish community is so isolated in Germany that it negatively impacted almost any interaction I had with them so far.
@@SuperBarneygumble i don't care about a big part the turkish germans anymore. it is their choice and theirs alone. it is not us germans that are isolating them. THEY want their own little sub culture with only the least possible contact to germans. if they speak german then they speak broken turkish german, FULLY on purpose to show us germans exactly where they stand when it come to us and to integrating. Even some 3rd and 4th generation german turks are behaving that way. That's is my own experience of more than 30 years (i am 42) and all well integrated turks that i ever talked to see and think exactly the same as me when it comes to these guys. Every single one.
Lived and worked in Germany, fitted in with the Germans very easily, and found them to be great at helping out, interesting to talk to and very wonderful people. Went to China 6 times and found that the Chinese streets will virtually come to a standstill, with the pedestrians, to ogle you if you're non Asian, or non African. Lived in Korea for a spell, beautiful food, very inexpensive and the people are very hospitable, even if the girls fall asleep on your shoulder on the train.
Girls falling asleep on your shoulder doesn't sound so bad lol
@@kozhikkaalan Haha, same thought; guess we're missing intimacy? 😅
@@dennisjungbauer4467 Well (South-)Koreans certainly do, their birthrates aren't 0.8 just from birth-control or infertility alone. Also from watching K-dramas, I can't even think of one that hinted towards full-blown intimacy, even kissing was quite rare.
Very inexpensive? I thought Germany would be among the top most expensive. I think it would be difficult for me to get work there, considering that I am a candle factory worker in the US.
@@stephenhowes8937 I'm saying Korea is inexpensive, not Germany. Even though UK, where I'm from, was in EU it was impossible to claim any social security payments there when seeking work. Plus, in Munich, where I was staying, there's a housing shortage for the locals, as well as any new comer seeking to live there. Unlike Berlin, where apparently it's easier to find accommodation, but impossible for a foreigner, at an European, to get a job, unless on the black market.
I absolutely love Germany. It's crazy to think how much the world has switched up in a century. Germany used to be the biggest enemies. Now it is one of the biggest allies and partners on the world stage, doing a lot of good in the world. I really want to visit Germany. Great video! Your friend from Canada!
Always loved Germany;)
Und ich als Deutscher finde Canada unglaublich interessant, jedenfalls will ich in Canada mal Urlaub machen.
@@drwho1188 thank you! Hopefully you come here one day
We even invented Ecosia
Thank you for sharing this thought and acknowledging 🫶
I've been living in Germany for more than 12 years. Coming from a very quiet, small and humble northern country, I have always been shy. Watching this video has made me realise that I have become very honest and unapologetic 😂 I loved rules and laws before but now even more - I need everything to have structure and things go according to the plan. In my opinion Germans are not spontaneous at all and I have started to hate surprises 😂
It's really cool to see how one grows as a person in another culture and environment.
Your comment suggests that Germany is not a place for April Fool jokes and tricks.
Your remark comes as a surprise. I hate it. 🙂 Just joking. Yes, a lot people don't like surprises as we are more on the pessimistic side and so a lot of people think surprise = bad.
@@volrathsstronghold I don't like them either especially as I get older. If you are planning a surprise party for someone you have to convince them to come out with you for a quiet drink to a venue where the surprise party is when they are feeling down about not many people remembering their birthday. Like in the film Angus, Thongs And Perfect Snogging when the protagonist has her fifteenth birthday. Her mother wakes her up in the morning and tells her that for her birthday treat they would be going to a night club. Just the two of them knowing that her friends will attend the birthday party of her love rival in another night club. Someone she always hated and it was even worse when the love rival started dating her crush. Then the protagonist gets to the nightclub to find there is a surprise party for her and hardly anyone is at the other birthday party.
Plus they can be used to upset other plans the receiver might have. Deliberately or unintentionally.
I never like to apologise for anything that is clearly not my fault. Or on behalf of someone else who did the wrong thing. Especially if the other person was justified in doing that wrong thing.
I'm English and my husband is German and, when he met me, he said he would've assumed by the way I look and act that I'm German not British. When I asked why he said it's because I wear very little makeup, I don't wear skimpy dresses to go out when it's freezing cold (apparently he got a shock when he saw British women wearing tiny dresses in winter on a night out), I'm more health conscious than the average Brit (he'd seen a lot of Brits binge drinking), I'm fair but not pasty, and I'm quite reserved and I love efficiency!
lmao so it is really true that British women wear a lot more make up? I thought that's more a cliche.
@@USEismydream Not everyone does, but many do - especially on a night out. A lot of the women I know and am friends with wear very thick foundation and heavy eye makeup. Big lips, hair extensions and very thick, drawn on eyebrows are popular here too. I haven't seen as much of that in Germany.
You are basically German :)
@@jnd5706 That sounds very american. I'm German and i'd appreciate a girl more if she shows her flaws with little makeup, than changes her apperance with tons of it.
In the end we are all human and nobody is perfect. Embrace your flaws and be down to earth. Humbleness is the biggest turn on for me
@@Skyl3t0n Brits are the Americans of Europe.
Great answers and awesome stories! And I’m still thinking since Saturday afternoon about “how Germany changed me” and I’m still not done with it, crazy!
I really enjoy your interviews so much. Everyone you talk to is so nice and fun and has so much insight❤ I'm so glad that people enjoy Munich.
Aww thank you for your lovely comment :)
Nice video. I appreciate, you let people talk, listening patiently, without interrupting and also giving them time and attention, while they talk. 👍
I can rly relate to the girl from South Korea. It was hard at the beginning to live in Germany and not understand ppl around u. At the end it's all about the language. Learn German, folks! xD
Always learn the language of the country you want to live in. Otherwise you will never fit in. And if you refuse then why even immigrate.
As a native born German I have to say that it's pretty hard to learn our language.
To all the people who come to Germany:
Please don't give up trying!
Most of us highly appreciate people from around the world who want to learn german language. Such people get mad respect.
Stay safe, and please feel welcomed to Germany!
I agree! And dont feel pressured or frightened to speak grammatically correct. It will come with time and we understand you regardless 👍
Tell that to the syrians, afghans and iraqis and all the economical migrants from north africa. They mostly stay only with their own people and dont want to learn the language and assimilate!!! And i speak cold hard truths, i have a migration background aswell but born and raised in Germany!!! But that is so disrespectful!!!
@lucatarantino4956
Ja ich weiß das es auch Ausnahmen gibt trotzdem sprechen die Zahlen für sich (Wir haben noch über 1,8 Millionen Flüchtlinge die in unseren Sozialsystemen (Hartz4/Bürgergeld) sind und dort nicht raus wollen (Quelle: Bundesagentur für Arbeit/Jobcenter)!!!! Wir haben seit 2015 über 70% Abbrecherquote bei Flüchtlingen was die Integration in den Arbeitsmarkt angeht bei Jobs, Ausbildungen, Maßnahmen, Praktikas usw (Quelle: ARD & ZDF) und laut IFU Studien kann/will nur jeder 7. flüchtling arbeiten
That one guy went from being Albanian to being Ecuadorian in like 1min while having an American accent hahaha
I noticed that too, but in the beginning he identified himself as Albanian. 😉
Yep I noticed that & thought he sounded American too!
Russian FSB sleeper maybe...
Also he was Romanian in the first seconds of the video
He’s American lol you don’t get that type of English accent growing up in a foreign country he’s just claiming he’s heritage
I'm German, live in Berlin, and I know quite a lot of foreigners due to taking part in meetups - a thing almost no German knows about. I feel like they live a completely life to Germans. The two groups don't really mix. Most expats don't work normal office jobs, they work in startups or it. Germans work in shops, they work as carpenters, they work for the state or in normal boring offices. You don't really meet the other group.
So I'd say that all these answers from these expats are independent of them being here in Germany. They are just away from home and forced to grow up and become independent because they're far from their social security net. I would bet that 90% of these answers are the same with any expat group around the world.
True, a lot of the answers were any expat experience. Though some could also be the opposite, i.e. embrace the chaos vs. embrace the organization. I feel like sometimes you just fit better in one culture or another, as a personality. I grew up in Asia, as an Austrian, and when I came back I struggled with making friends, fitting in with the culture and finding my place, even though I look and sound Austrian 100%. Strangers actually asked me if one of my parents was a foreigner, because it was so awkward. Nowadays people don't ask, but I tend to hang with the immigrant/expat crowd, rather than with carpenter/government office crowd.
@@thirstwithoutborders995 but the thing is, the expats don't really experience German culture (you cannot count Spätis and Biergarten as culture) - as I said they live in their own bubble within the metropolitan bubble of Berlin or Munich or Hamburg. They have their own culture
I don't think that's true. You're talking about expats only, not every foreigner is an expat. There's plenty of foreigners working "normal" jobs - normal immigrants. The expat bubble is a very specific subset of foreigners with a very specific type of experience.
@@kulak403 In this video however most of them appear to be foreign students or former students that stuck around.
As a German living in a small town with 50000 inhabitants, I must say that I have the complete opposite experience. Regardless of profession and lifestyle, Germans and foreigners get to know each other here. That's because we are together in kindergarten, at school and at work.
On the other hand, having lived in Berlin in the past, I can confirm your statement from my own experience. Nevertheless, it is not typical for Germany that people stick together in isolated subcultures. That's simply how people lead their lives in the big cities - not only in Germany, but all over the world. When you live among millions of others, you do have to actively ignore 99.9% of your fellow human beings just to stay sane.
The life in a smaller community allows you to see, know and like so many of your neighbors that one would simply have ignored in the big city.
About the monitor on the car. I still don’t recommend doing this in Germany leaving your stuff unattended in public. Because I encountered many occasions where the stuff I left/forgot in public wasn’t there anymore when I came back to look for it. Turns out every single time it wasn’t stolen, but somebody took my stuff to the Fundbüros😂 (a place where „lost“ stuff is gathered and you can go there and get it back for free). In fact once when I was little somebody took my schoolbackpack and returned it to the school(bc the books had my school name including my name) and alas, my name was called out through the speakers throughout the whole school to get my backpack back.
Yes because a Nigerian.. Moroccan and other " Germans" will take care about your things .....
@@avitalsheva I don't really know why you put "Germans" in quotes. It might also help to actually read the full comment, which actually said that your stuff doesn't get stolen, but that concerned citizens will have taken it to the Fundbüro before you get back to grab it yourself. So unless you are suggesting that our brethren from Africa are doing exactly that and you are just using the quotes to poke at the people who cannot accept that someone from Nigeria might be German and consider themselves German, you should really take these sentiments to a channel that isn't a celebration of German diversity. I'm sure they'd be much more appreciated there
@@khazaddum6570 No NOBODY from Nigeria or Afghanistan or Morocco will be German . Like you if you will born in Japan or Korea you do not become miraculously ethically Japanese. Being German is ethnicity which is coming with very specific personal traits. Physical and psychological - as these two are tied and cant be divided. As you cant say that just because some look like Lion we cant expect he will behave as Lion or if somebody looks like cow, you cant expect to behave like cow. Physical traits predispose personality.
@@avitalsheva most of what you said has long been disputed by scientific research. The only true statement you made is that someone who is ethnically Japanese cannot become ethnically German. But being German is not about appearance. After all, not all people born in Germany look alike either. You even said it yourself "Just because someone looks like [a] lion you cannot expect them to behave like a lion". If you apply logic principles this statement means that you cannot use appearance to judge someone's behavior, ergo, by your own admission it makes no sense to use being born with brown skin as an indication of someone being German or not. Because physical traits DO NOT predispose personality. As scientific studies have shown over and over again, variation in physical appearance do not correlate to behavior when controlling for culture. Correlation does not equal causation. If you look it up you will see that: 1. The parts of your genes that control your appearance are not affecting or affected by the parts of your genes that control the initial makeup of the brain 2. That the variation in this initial makeup of the brain is unrelated to the country of origin (disregarding things like malnutrition/drug use etc.) 3. That virtually all of your social behaviors (for example bringing stuff to the Fundbüro or Lüften or waiting at the red light) are learned behaviors.
Meaning that a child born in Nigeria and raised in Germany in a German Cultural environment would develop exactly the same as a white child born here. Weeelll... If it it weren't for all the experiences of racism the first child would have to endure, because of people like you, excuse me for saying that.
I would suggest you get a phrenology-map and checking for bumps and divets on your friends head. If they are all still living in the times you seem to, I'm sure you'll be considered a scientific genius
@@khazaddum6570 No nobody from Nigeria nor any Arab country nor Japan will become German. Never. Culture is arising from ethnicity and not vice versa. Culture is created by by characteristics of specific ethnic group. Like bonobo are chimpanzees and regular chimpanzees are chimpanzees but their behavioral pattern is different. So Nigerian child can pick up some German behavioral patterns but it will never become really German. By definition it is impossible like no Arab or even German will go north and will become Inuit/ Eskimo .Because specific customs and behavior is coming out of ethnic specifics of that group. Africa is like Africa because African people know exactly that what they know.. and Singapore look like Singapore exactly because Singaporeans know what they know. Regarding Japanese - please make your research as Japanese are not ONE ethnic group but even Japanese consist of more ethnic groups. Very similarly like Germans. But still there is very much common characteristics among all Japanese groups.
This was really wonderful and interesting to watch. Amazing to hear and see all people from different countries in Germany and their thoughts and perspectives. I lived in Germany for only 10 years but it changed me forever. I wish I can go back ❤
Why‘d you leave? :)
Such overwhelmingly positive feedback. Was such an uplifting episode and so unexpected joy filled!
Germany didn’t charge me, I found myself here ❤
That‘s a change too😅
how many volts ?
@@jeromedevotta3406 😂
@@jeromedevotta3406 😅😅😅😅
To contribute a very german answer to this joke: In Germany YOU get charged by a standardised 230 Volt with a frequenzy of 50 Hz. But the question remains: How many MILLIAMPERESTUNDEN ??? 😜😁🤪
This warms my heart.
Greetings from Braunschweig. 😊
Turkish girl isn't less friendly and outgoing because she's in Germany now. She's less friendly because she lives in Munich :D
hmmm debatable
Yeah Berlin may be better
actually, there is Berlin (maybe Hamburg), and the rest is German Germany.
this
@@tomodomo1000 true but bavaria also isnt germany
a great idea to ask people that question.. you could to the same interview in Switzerland and Austria. It would be interesting to see whether people will reply more or less along the same lines or mention very different things... I can imagine that for a Brazilian, or Argentinean there seem to be not that many "impact" differences between A, CH, D; but someone from Ireland or France may percieve big differences--
Yep after why Germany we will switch to Austria 🇦🇹 😅
Germany hasn‘t changed me because I am German.🤗
But I definitely feel that Germany changed a lot over the last 50 years, people getting more relaxed, more international (EU), more tolerant, speaking better English, less formal (much more Du instead of Sie, more hugging and so on).
Die Leute sind "relaxed" weil mittlerweile sowieso alles egal ist und den Bach runter geht. Ansonsten beschreibst du Entwicklungen, die durch das Jetzeitalter eingeläutet wurden. In den 1930er Jahren war für die meisten nicht mal denkbar, in Ostpreußen Urlaub zu machen. Und was hat das ganze mit Englisch zu tun? Menschen lernen seit der Antike Sprachen, mit denen Handelsinteressen realisiert werden können. Derzeit erlebt Spanisch in Deutschland einen enormen Aufwind, weil es keinen Sinn macht, aus politischen Gründen weiter Französisch zu lernen, obwohl man 3 mal im Jahr in Spanien ist.
I work at a bigger german company and it took me a bit to adjust to call even my boss by his first name after school drilled me for over 13 years to refer to higher ups per last name or „Sie“
At this point if I applied to another company and found out that I have to use "sie" to my colleagues that would be kind of an instant-no.
I use "sie" so incredibly rarely nowadays. Like when talking to an older in a supermarkt or something. For anyone else I'd rather use "du" just to create an immediate connection (or rather avoid immediate distance) when talking to anyone.
Right. Und die Bahn ist nicht so pünktlich anymore.
Hallo Dir
Since I watch videos like that I finally started to love my country.
I'm glad not all people think we're weird and "cold" and nasty..
Didn't know that.
❤
😀
Es ist schade, dass du so gedacht hast. Frage mich, warum...
@@roaldruss4211
Weil es oft so dargestellt/vermittelt wird.
🤷♀️
@@FrogeniusW.G. Ich denke das liegt daran dass sehr wenige Deutsche Small Talk mögen
Ich empfehle den Besuch eines Psychiaters.
It is amazing to see how positive (overall) the opinions are....
Ja weil die eben keine deutschen sind. Wir meckern halt immer und die meisten deutschen wissen einfach nicht wie gut sie hier Leben.
@@USEismydream Ich denke nicht, dass die Deutschen das nicht anerkennen. Ich denke, dass die Deutschen andere Länder sehen die einiges besser machen. Z.B.: Warum unterstützt Deutschland andere Länder mit kürzerer Lebensarbeitszeit? Warum bekommen ich in Österreich, bei gleichen Einzahlungen in die Rentenkasse, deutlich mehr Rente? Warum ist unser Schulsystem dem Finnischen so weit hinterher? Siehe Pisa-Tests. Warum sind Schulgebäude teilweise in so einem desolaten Zustand? Warum wurden keine Filteranlagen, gegen Covid und möglicher weiterer Pandemien, in die Schulen eingebaut? Ist die Gesundheit unserer Kinder in ganz Deutschland nicht eine Milliarde Euro wert? Warum sind unsere Straßen so schlecht? Das gabs ja in den 80er Jahren auch nicht. Warum wird die Steuerlast immer höher und es kommt, zumindest gefühlt, immer weniger beim Bürger an? Seit den 80er Jahren hetzt eine Gesundheitsreform die nächste. Ist da etwas besser geworden? Haben sich die miserablen Einkünfte des Alten-und Pflegepersonals verbessert? Eindeutig NEIN! Der Applaus während der Hochzeiten von Covid war der einzige Bonus. Der macht aber nicht satt. Die Situation der Bundewehr kann man noch erwähnen, wie konnte es dazu kommen? Bei unseren Politikern wird es Jahre, eher Jahrzehnte dauern bis die Bundeswehr wieder für einen adäquaten Schutz Deutschlands imstande sein wird. Diese Liste könnte man auch noch beliebig fortführen. Politiker, der einzige Beruf in dem man von nichts eine Ahnung haben muss.
@@USEismydream Wenn man lange hier lebt sieht man mehr Probleme. Das ist wie in einer Beziehung...
@@Nairam10 Klar ist es Gewöhnung aber eben auch einfach Privilegienblindheit. Und das muss so nicht sein und sollte deshalb auch kritisiert werden.
Whenever I'm watching videos like these, I wonder how many of these changes are due to living in a foreign country and how many changes are just due to growing older in general
I could have watched a whole video with that turkish and south-korean ladies, they really made my day :)
Thank you =)
We had over 16mins of footage speaking with them ;)
The same here ;)
Many things i can totally relate to:))
But the most i liked they mentioned, that one starts to appreciate own culture even more and finding out who you really are❤
omg, the turkish lady rocks! She reminds me a lot of other turkish friends I met abroad. So open, positive, and communicative. I'm glad that she apparently enjoys her time in Munich.
This video was interesting for me as a German. Strange was only one thing: Although I learned British English in school, for me the girl from England was the most difficult to understand, unlike the others, and I do not know why.
It's a strong dialect, yeah when brits meet our english can get very strong :)
@@yourtruebrit Ah, makes sense. Same to Germans and other speakers of their respective mother tongue.
Surprisingly, Brits teach us an artificial British RP accent, which doesn’t exist in real life except of BBC broadcasting and they don’t speak it themselves :-)
@Den SPb Most of the people I know speak RP/BBC English. It's a common accent for middle class people, particularly in the southern art of England. But as far as the wider population goes, you're right.
I am anglophone in Canada, and I got used to the variety of accents from the UK by watching Coronation Street when it was beamed overseas. It took time. Sometimes, I still need written captions on screen to fully understand the dialogue. For me, the most baffling UK lingo is 1)the slang spoken by teenagers (as happens in all countries) and 2) the dialects that drop consonants, like the Rs, but especially the missing T's: words like 'bottle', 'little', and even 'what', become incomprehensible.
Liked your comment.
I love how I can now easily identify a Kenyan (being a Kenyan myself), I enjoyed hearing her speak.
And yes I have also become such a planner, not perfect but way more than before.
Bravo, Mr. Brit! Of all the questions on all the blogs with man-on-the-street interviews, this one has to be one of the most THOUGHT PROVOKING ever. Not just the info coming from the speakers, but the written comments flooding in. It will take days to read them all.
Trying to explain Germany and its people to the outside world is no easy task. They may speak a common language, but I suspect the cultural differences between regions are significant. Also the differences between rural and urban, and between social classes.
The country is also undergoing enormous social change due to immigration. If someone had told me 20 years ago that Germany would become the most multi-ethnic, multi-racial country in Europe, I would not have believed it. The people you interviewed seem to confirm this: from EVERY continent!
Something special must be going on there. German is not an easy language to learn, and not exactly an international language. Yet, that doesn't seem to be a barrier for newcomers who have sought that destination and adapted to it.
Something else noticeably different about this blog; not many Germans have posted comments. Comments are streaming in from the international community. When I look at a similar blog from Holland directed at anglophones, 90% of the written reponses come from Dutch people. They are very concerned how the outside world perceives them. That applies to many countries. Could it be that Germans are not so self-conscious as other nationalities?
As a sociologist, I encourage you to keep up the good work, keep asking good questions. It is all very enlightening. Thanks!
Here's the german comment to change that :)
Jokes aside, in comments of other videos, you are almost certain to see comments from germans wondering how their country is perceived by foreigners, whenever the topic shows up.
It's an interesting perspective in regards to how germany has become an immigration country. I'm not happy to admit it, but personally, I'm still somewhat sceptical towards this development. Maybe this might change given the time and hopefully some good encounters in the future.
Have a nice day, bye👋
Sehr interessant, dass du die Videos immer in der Nähe der LMU films 😂 - ist wirklich ein schöner Spot in München 😊
Very nice idea and interesting.
I'm from México and then lived in the US for 7 years before comming to Germany so I don't know what is what...but, I think the trash handling was a big thing for me but I also feel I started to enjoy my personal time more like the guy from Brasil.
It would be nice to know how long each of them have been in the country.
Small note: Columbia is a state in the US. while Colombia is the country ;)
Great video - so many cool people :-) Turkish Girl swagger is awesome haha. I loved hearing about your experiences!
1:29 - 2:04 - so true. From my experience, the only people who wanted to go to party, invite you for a drink, want to play games, and are interested in other cultures are the foreign students. Once you stop being a student, you can become lonely.
You need to join clubs to make friends.
not sure where you live but I would strongly disagree. There's no better place than Berlin for partying for example.
@@kingofshit303 what if you don't have any hobbies but just want to talk to people and go for a drink / coffee and talk about the world? My ex boyfriend (German) was in a table tennis club and he had no friends from there, they just met during the training and thats it. I joined a tennis club and also there met noone, barely had some people to play with. What clubs do you recommend?
Yisus Christ this is 1000% true. I made a bachelor degree here and at the uni I only made friendship with foreigners for this reason. Now I've been already working for one year and haven't made any social life because it's not the uni anymore. It's hard but you kinda get used to it.
So what I can recommend is the app bumble. In case if you don't know it, you have 2 different match settings. Either you look for dates or what's probably more interesting for you atm, u switch to friends. So I moved to Berlin during corona 2 - 3 years ago and bumble actually helped me getting to know new people.
Btw. of course u can filter the people for example men and women who are 22-35. 😄
Having lived in numerous countries, I'm convinced that, although not perfect, Germany may be the best country in the world at the moment.
Germany is a... mature country. Where the USA felt like a country run by rebel-without-a-clue teenagers, Germany feels like a country run by our grandparents. Germany expects maturity: self-sufficiency, initiative, confidence, compromise... they like their order, peace, and quiet. Show respect, expect respect, grow up and follow the rules. The world doesn't revolve around you.
Germany is beautiful. The people here value their shared spaces: nature, parks, etc. It's one of the cleanest and most well-cared-for countries I've ever seen, and one of the safest places I've ever experienced.
Germans are reserved, but not necessarily unfriendly. They're slow to open up, but are warm and loyal friends once they do. They take care of their neighbors, no one gets left behind here. Yes, Germans can be a 'hard' people... but they're also a strong people. One look at how they raise their children should make it clear... Germany means business :D
If germany was so good. 25 percent of germans wouldn’t immigrate to usa. :)
This is such a spot on view❤
Interesting…
And this is why I started German class ...I can't stand Americans anymore..I am in California and OMG
This made me follow you. It is SO great, so valuable, for me as a German, to witness other peoples views on us Germans, German behaviours, ...
Thank you!
You are widening my horizon.
Great video. Wonderful to see so many people from around the world. And as the American woman said "get out while you can."
Just came across this - I am German having lived in many countries all over the world and I can second everything the interviewees say 😉 Every country changes you and you have the opportunity to adapt to what you agree and feel comfortable with. It's always a chance and a change to live abroad
Germany has made me a better person. More awake. I think everyone should give it a visit. You will see how beautiful it is here.
well i life here. And Germany makes me Poor. 50+% Tax.
@@fluffypuffyboy586 then go away
@@fluffypuffyboy586 well in the US they have way less tax, apparently. Because looking deeper than just shallow talking points, in reality many can pay more and there's more poverty.
@@samuelsamenstrang6069 yeah in a few years i will go.
@@samuelsamenstrang6069 I am already in the USA, best life. I earn 250k instead of 70k as a software engineer. Health insurance is covered by my employer, in Germany I had to pay 450€ monthly. Taxes are much lower and the prices similar. It was super depressing getting only 3000€ monthly out of my 70k, while receiving nothing in return.
so many great people in germany. thank you for beeing here.
On one hand Germany has made me a more organized person, but at the same time I have become more critical in my thinking and boring in my behavior!
Just tumbled across this video and being German myself, having lived here for most of my life, save for a two years stint in Australia and one year Studies in Scotland, I must say it's refreshing to see all those comments about my Vaterland seen through a foreigners pair of eyes. Makes me appreciate even more of what I have. Granted, we do have our share of problems to solve, though, and I believe some tough years coming up with some tough decisions to be made by society.
Nevertheless, I really like living in Germany. Next vacation stop ... Amrum in a couple of weeks.
It's really great fun to watch your videos. Thank you very much !
This was interesting. This guy is a good interviewer.
I love these stories
I've learned new skills since I moved to Germany. For example, I had to send a fax for the first time in the 40 years I've been on this planet.
Wait till you use a teleprinter.
Maybe because fax machines were invented in Germany? But seriously, every nation has habits that others only know from hearsay, like when Americans pay a bill by cheque instead of online banking, or when Britons install separate taps for hot and cold water instead of a single-handle mixer tap, or when Frenchmen throw all their rubbish into one bin.
😅😅😅😅
This is so on point! Somehow german politicians still think about if digitalisation is really a thing .. 😂
It has changed me immensely. I have come to know myself & more of how the world really is, and how it is to be surrounded by diversity & acceptance.
Not to mention no worry about being shot while walking down the street,
and having medical insurance!!!
Yes, I'm from the USA.
Enjoying everyone’s responses and yours might just be the one to help me make the decision to move there as well. :)
I agree with the guy from Albania: Not walking around soaked to the bone the entire day makes you softer.
The guy from Albania also comes from Ecuador. 😅
...and has a strong USAmerican accent.
and he said “Romania”(?) at the beginning.
@@zaphod333 When speaking English, to refer to the nationality, just say "American". The country is "America". If you mean the N. and S. American continents, then it's "The Americas".
@Mark Thank you for trying to help me improve my English skills. I am aware that the terms you prefer are common in the US. However, since they are sloppy, inaccurate, and presumptuous, I'm afraid I must reject their use in the form suggested.
Calling a country "America" is sloppy at least when the "United States of" part is omitted. For the same reason, there is no nationality that is accurately called "American." To appropriate the term "America" for the United States alone is clearly presumptuous.
I am inclined to accept "The Americas" to some degree. However, it would be more accurate to say "America" and omit the addition of "North/South" when referring to the double continent. I understand that this is to avoid perceived ambiguity. However, since I object to the chauvinistic use of "America" when really the "US of America" is meant, there is no ambiguity at all.
Since there are 49 (I think) countries in America, and English is spoken with one accent or another in presumably all of them, it gives the reader additional information about which part of America the accent is presumed to belong to than the mere use of "American."
Anyway, writing "USAmerican" is a conscious and well-reasoned decision. Nevertheless, I appreciate your efforts to help me improve my English skills. Please do it again whenever you see fit!
Germany is not just Germany. A lot depends on where you live in Germany and in which social circles you move. Whether in the south (west), in the middle or in the east. The environment and the people there shape you much more than anything else. For example, the Germans themselves say that it is much easier to make new friends in the East than in the South. The people there are simply more open, speak their own thoughts directly. Without detours, even if it might hurt you at first. You can tell that just by phoning East Germans. And I say that myself as a West German. On the other hand, you also have to be able to deal with the relaxed manner. Whether business or private.
Please come to Cologne!!! The episodes will be amazing! trust me!
Germany and specially Berlin is the one place where I used to have a sense of belonging … it’s like the air becomes more breathable, everything becomes more beautiful and I feel like I’m home
Great episode this , I found it very enlightening. Keep up the good stuff!
Thank you :)
I'm Ecuadorian and lived in Munich for almost 4 years... I definitely grew up as a person and now that I'm back in Ecuador, I can clearly feel the difference between me and my friends and many people I meet
Looking sharp my friend!
Thank you! Cheers!
In Turkey small talk is important.The lady next to you in a bus/train/metro/plane will start talking to you. The person waiting next to you in bank/hospital will talk to you. Your taxidriver,your barber,your coworkers will talk to you. you can sit on a public bench and can start talking the random person who sit beside you. Weddings are a huge thing in Turkey for example their size are incredibly big like 200-1000 people (sometimes bigger) comes you can totally find a new person to talk. Sociality is a very important in our culture along with hospitality.
Where in Turkey is this? Never experienced that in Bursa. No one talks there to somebody else randomly.
@liliencron Big cities are especially places with a lot of tourists dont do that much. But I lived in Bursa for 4 years and I had many random talks with strangers,in the busses ,waiting in hospital and bank. It also effected by how approachable you look of course. I am a very approachable person so 7-70 everyone wants to start and talking after half of an hour of talk they ask my number or tell me their family,health problems. In my city Kütahya I cant wait any line without a random person starts to talk. I dont like it sometimes but it is mostly enjoyable.
@@exosproudmamabear558 Yeah ok tbh, I think I look grumpy most of the time and I can't change it. But still strange.
Your people behave like trash sometimes. Especially in football championships.
Love your interviews ❤️
As a german: dont expect germans to be friendly and outgoing if you cant speak german well. They might not speak english well enough to enjoy the conversation with you and prefer to joke in their native language. After all, they did not leave germany, YOU CAME to germany. So please: learn some german before you say germans are cold or excluding
right
The Albanian guy from 10:06 later turned into an Ecuadorian only 5 minutes later - awesome, only possible in Germany!
He identified as an Ecuadorian later on.
Excellent video on expats and how their life in Germany. I just found all the answers to take a decision on moving to this beautiful country soon. Thanks for sharing awesome moments with people all over the world who found their home in Germany.
@Rumana Amin
German here 😉
In case you might need info about what's needed to live/work in Germany please look up for
"auswaertiges-amt".
Top left on that site is a Button to switch to English language.
Good luck and all the best to you with greetings from Germany 😉
Great you will definitely enjoy it
If you leave a Screen on the streets in Berlin - people will come and smash it! Munich is definitely a very safe place to live in.
Yeah, but won't be native Germans that smash it...
Been born and raised in Ger and I can relate to what the Chinese woman says. Germany has been losing a whole lot of structure over the last 15 years. It is going in a US oriented chaotic direction. Education dramatically sinks to a point where people should hardly be left to make up their own decisions anymore as they are driven solely by media extremes. Wealth levels are starting to vary in levels that have never been there before. Like when 20 years ago someone was running a succesful company the boss had the bigger house and the better car. Nowadays the boss has 17 houses in various cities and a collection of 52 cars. The employees in contrast have to rent super smal flats for 60% of their income. Grammatical structure and rules are being "dissolved" while trying to include refugees into our society which does not work. You can do either one of that but not both at the same time. If you do not know how your language works, you are a 100% unable to teach it to others. Same goes for culture.
Your style is👌!
Thanks 😅
You saying “honestly thank you so much” so many times at the end of the video is just so wholesome
It's not always easy which changes in the interviewees stem from living in Germany and which from living in a foreign country and the challenges it brings. Anyways, great question
so many people who say they feel more independant. i am happy to hear that actually. i know there are a lot of people born here who would think the opposite...maybe...possibly...
happy to have such well spoken people here
Germany changed me from a guy who looked like baby to someone who looks like 54 years old.
I gained 13 kg here and I'm not happy about that
I like the way RUSSIAN talk...very calm and detailed information
She is rare exception.
I'm happy here n Germany 🇩🇪.. calem Berlin....
Waiting for the day I get to bump into you on the Munich streets!!
as someone who was born in Schweinfurt it pains me just a little that the girl from South Korea did not feel welcome there. I think when we still had the US military bases in Schweinfurt, her experience might have been better. I myself left Schweinfurt for the US decades ago, but i do go back to see family every year. I hope this improves. At the same time, there are not many cities quite like Munich. Schweinfurt does have a huge international community, though. Turkish is very well represented for sure.
Turkish people are by far the biggest group of immigrants we have in Germany. So it’s not really surprising to have Turkish people living all over Germany.
When staying in China I would not complain if people call me longnose because it simply is a funny fact. I would smile inside and outside if I am called Piefke in Vienna. And I would not be bothered on a visit to Tanzania if black curious kids would like to touch my porky skin. I really wonder what makes her wonder that an exotic couple receives a bit more attention than any other boring neighbour.
@@Manie230 Russian and Eastern Europe are larger
Huh?
Luckily, the us base quite schweinfurt
and the one thing that connects all humans at the end of the video - a big smile 😊 greetz from germany
LOL the Argentine guy says he got more structure in his life...like showing up for a meeting on time, on the right day!
I'm Australian of Germany ancestry and now live in Germany, and I feel more at home here "culturally"
“It made me more independent because no one will help you here!”😂 Facts!😂😂
this is quite good! I can confirm just about all the comments made in the video - I know a lot of other ex-pats who say similar things - punctuality, stand-of-ishness, also the value of consciously taking care of friendships, which I also experienced - thanks!
I don’t live in Germany I visited and traveled to Germany, it made me more precise, more humble, more practical, appreciate quality time, more cooperative less self-centred and it opened my eyes how German learn from cultures and work
I really want to give props to the people at 5:05, 7:15, and 11:58 because I can tell they've done a lot of work on their accents. I couldn't've guessed where they came from just by their voice alone.
Well spotted
Accents are cute get over it
I remember the asian girl that was before in Schweinfurt. She was in the first international Study year there. Could be 8 years ago. Its a small city and it was also a new situation for all germans there. I wish i had back there more contact to the international students, but with not so fluent english it was hard.I hope after that many years that it is not longer so weird in Schweinfurt but I think still ligthyears away from munic
6:10 you cant leave this in many big cities in germany, perhaps in munich. Germany has become so crazy unsafe the last 10 years
Moving to Munich in 5 days. This is a fascinating video to watch beforehand
How is it going?
@MikeP01111 Haha good timing. Yesterday was my 1 year anniversary. It's honestly fantastic and I love it here. I couldn't be happier with life :)
@@RecklawTheAmazing im glad to hear that and i wish you more wonderful years here :)
@@MikeP01111 thank you so much!
I’m moving to Munich in January. I’m so nervous! I hope I find nice people like the ones featured here.
It's funny how the South American's talk about being more structured and the Chinese girl says it's more chaotic and unpredictable.
You are growing great
I have a request Do you please upload German startup culture videos
It's very helpful for creative people's
people in germany are a lot more direct and don't sugarcoat everything - that is something that a lot of foreigners see as being rude. sorry for that, but it makes quite a lot of things more efficient.
no it's not that. i myself am very direct no bs person. However, what bothers me in Germany is the lack of politeness. For example, in the UK they are very polite and have manners. Not in Gemany though. They(service/cashier) may yell at you in a store and not even say Entschuldigung. That's not only me but all my friends have similar experieces. Had an older customer once from the US who told me a story how once in a German store security yelled at him and agressively grabbed the stuff he already paid for just because the poor guy being from the US didn't collect and put the stuff fast enough in his bags. Small things but they do add up and it would be much nicer if people treat each other like people, especially in formal situations and when dealing with strangers.
yes, this is correct. it would be nicer and much more 'civilized' and at least builds a nicer perceived atmosphere.
the thing with the cashiers here is that the low-cost supermarkets have very short spaces/shelves behind the cashier to incentivize you to pack faster otherwise you run out of room very fast with even just a few items - and the cashiers are being judged by their management to scan the items FAST to not create long queues. (as they also have to clean and stack the shelves... it is urged to finish the customer interaction fast to go back to their other chores. and usually the nr. of employees in such markets is very limited.)... @@Vivi-vg9lx
and yes, this comes off as rude. even to germans.
compare to people from Netherland which are also direct but less rude
@@muysli.y1855 yes and no - mostly being nice / rude is also related to how your day goes and in general the personality of the person you are interacting with.
concerning NL - i felt at home whenever i worked in the netherlands. I love the life style and language. once I got used to it and stopped grinning like mad bc people spoke in something that sounds to germans like 'kiddie/baby speech'. nowadays I see that with germans encountering the dutch language for the first time, but cannot relate to that anymore.
my main issue: whenever I tried speaking dutch people directly switched to english or german...
My daughter lost her wallet at a museum in Germany with money in it. Someone returned it to the front desk. In my country, this might happen but might not…I was so pleasantly surprised by this gesture. It made me feel good about people again.
Everyone from all over the world,who live or had been in Germany will never be the same.abe naturlich,in a good way.😊
As a Hispanic, I never planned my vacation with the exception of destination and duration. Being with a German for over 30 years, I am now the detailed planner and my German husband is the one taking it easy and relax, no planning whatsoever. I want to plan my next 2 or 3 vacations 6- 12 months in advance from dates, destination, and plane tickets, to hotels, restaurants and activities. I cannot believe this how I am right now. I used to plan nothing and went with the flow... 😮
I adore the turkish woman, she is so bubbly and fun
Interesting question actually. Well done.
I came to Germany when I was 32. It didn't change me that much. Norwegian society and everyday life is not that different. It all depends on what type of person you are...
Here are some ways Germany has affected me as a person, or things i've learned about Germany (this is in Berlin):
1. if you want a doctor's appointment, you have to work for it.
2. if you mess up in the slightest, like forget your monthly-train ticket at home, you will pay for it. there is no reasonable discussion to be had.
3. no one gives a shit where you are from. get over it.
4. Turkish people are alright, for the most part they don't care about you and keep to themselves, even if you provoke them (men).
5. When you go out to any sort of pub, coke and amphetamine are almost treated like "do you take sugar with your tee?"
6. air-conditioning at home is a privilege
7. beer is cheaper than water
8. wine is almost cheaper than water
9. restaurant food is mostly trash. if you want to eat healthy, stay away and cook at home.
10. it's a norm that 3-5% of all package shipments are lost
11. people get shot in the streets, but that's mostly gangsters from abroad, or Turkish guys fighting about a girlfriend or something
12. if you fall a sleep in wedding (part of the city), someone will wake you up and tell you "it's a dangerous place", but 10 minutes later you will find your jacket, wallet, phone, glasses and passport on the bench/table 10 m away from were you blacked out.
13. German teens and young adults like to sing loudly when they are preparing for a party
14. if you live close to a football field, be prepared to hear loud, hysterical shouting 3-5 times a week for 1-3 hours each time. I mean guttural, full-force shouting as if a war was going on.
15. it's a chill place to live and there are almost no limits on what you can do on in your free time.
you went to the wrong restaurants, good ones are often outside of cities in the middle of nowhere :D
I don't geht ist... Berlin hast so many great restaurants with healthy food... I'm flabbergasted...
You are right, German cuisine sucks, there is nothing other than sausages and I hate sausages. I was always hungry in Germany, I don't eat fried things, fast food, processed meat, so it was very difficult and tasteless.
@jazzochannel the statements about gun violence, restaurants and packages is so cap lol
I feel like berlin is going to be very different to other areas around germany though
Great video. I was suprised that all the people that you interviewed have such a good command of the English language.
The rest wasn't on display.
The turkish girl IS funny asf😂😂😂😂
Great content, lovely people you found to interview
I feel home in Germany more than I do in my country.
This is an amazing format!!