I got my homework done early today! I'm going to celebrate by spending some time at the Gutz-Kow tonight (the bar in our dorm basement.) Then it's back to class at 9 am tomorrow... for a test. Yeah, should probably study for that soonish.
Since there's not much new to write about, but I like procrastinating, I thought I'd write about some of the differences between here and the US. They warned us of "Culture Shock" (btw I just wrote that as "schock" and had to fix it lol), but I don't think anything here is all that different from other Western culture, except for the language of course. After studying abroad in Korea, this is like just going to the country next door.
There are still quite a few differences though, some good, some bad, and some just plain annoying.
I'll be positive and start with the good ones! :-)
- Everything is a hell of a lot cheaper here.
- The guys here are all so tall and lanky.
- They also have that romantic European charm lol.
- The clubs actually play music you can dance to!
- The street train system is much cleaner, quieter, and faster than the T.
- By each street train station there's a sign that tells you how many minutes until the next train is coming so you can decide which line is quickest.
- The music and electronic stores have so much "Clubsound" music that I think I've died and gone to heaven!
- The guys give you space to dance in the clubs and don't try to grind up behind you (therefore you don't have to worry about being fondled either.)
- Germans are hardcore about recycling and composting. Also, only very few of the stores use plastic or paper bags. If you want to go shopping you have to remember to bring a tote with you. A lot of the houses have solar panels too.
- You can buy alcohol pretty much anywhere and drink it pretty much anywhere. And it's all wicked cheap. The checkout line at the grocery store lets you choose between chocolate and nips.
- The sirens have harmonics.
- The street train runs until 4 am!
- Gibt es viele Fickzeuge Geschaefte mit viele mehre Dinge als Amerikanische Geschaefte!
Ok, time for some of the weirder and not-so-pleasant differences:
- You can't get fresh brewed coffee anywhere. It's all from an automated machine (which only fills your cup half full, and if you fill it to the top you have to pay double.)
- The kitchens in our dorms don't have freezers (that's not cultural, but it's still annoying.)
- The gyms don't have cardio equipment.
- The dorm windows don't come with curtains or curtain rods.
- The dining hall only serves lunch.
- Pretty much all of the food has little pieces of meat in it that I have to pick around.
- People don't start dancing here until midnight or so because the clubs all stay open until 6 am.
- The weather is so unpredictable, kinda like Colorado.
- They get really strict about jaywalking here. Don't mess with a German and his auto!
- Getting "controlled" on the street cars for not paying your fare is a 40 euro fine. (In Boston we usually just get a slap on the wrist and have to pay the normal fare.)
- This is a language difference and not a cultural difference, but knowing the genders and the plurals for all the nouns is so frustrating! Nothing is predictable in the German language.
- Because most of the guys here dress so nicely, it's hard to tell who's gay and who's metro. Are there even gays here? No one seems open about it, which surprises me.
- The mattresses here in the dorms are more like couch cushions.
- There's cobblestone everywhere, which looks cool but ends up hurting your feet like no other.
That's all I have for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more as I travel around the country!
P.S. That's a picture of Lin with an American hotdog!
Who knew? It's always so interesting to find out all of the little things that make a place different. They are usually pretty unpredictable and don't always fit together. Somehow, they become entrenched in the society. It reminds me of a quote I once read and still remember (though I don't remember who said it) "The wonderful thing about traveling is learning what other people do differently that you thought could only be done one way."
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