As a newcomer to any city or country, it is evident that one comes across various cultural shocks, particularly in a country with a different language. Here are some cultural shocks for a newbie in Germany.
3 P’s – Privacy, Punctuality and Planning
Germans respect other’s privacy. They clearly differentiate personal and professional relationships and tend not to share more personal information with many people.
“7 am is 7 am” in Germany, neither 6:55 am nor 7:05 am. One of our Buddies shared an interesting experience. When he went to an interview just 30 minutes earlier, he was asked whether he missed to plan his trip efficiently.
Tap water
It is very common to drink water directly from the tap and the restaurants do not provide free water as well. It is also not common to drink water from your bottle at a restaurant. Tap water is purified and good to drink. Another interesting fact is that water is also considered as a drink (pun-intended) when you go to a bar or a restaurant!
But why do most of the Germans drink bottled water from supermarkets? Mystery uncovered yet!
Sunday is not a Shopping Day
Usually, in many countries Sunday is a day to roam around the city, shop things and enjoy! But in Germany, the shops are closed on Sundays. A simple logic – the shop owners also need their weekends. 😉
If it is a rule then it is a rule
Many would have experienced it while driving in Germany. Everyone (well, mostly everyone) follows the rules. A rule is a rule in Germany and not meant to be broken by anyone. We have also covered an experience about a newbie when he broke a driving rule in Germany (See here).
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If you are an expat looking for writing legal letters in German, communicating with officials, bureaucratic help, filling forms, assistance by a Dolmetscher/Interpreter for doctor visits, job center or any office, translating your CV, Cover Letter, etc check out our platform here and share your request. You will be connected to our Buddies who are expats, native speakers and locals who know the processes, your language and willing to assist you within hours.
If you are willing to help others in these aspects, then join us as a Buddy here.
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