The stare I received as I quickly tried to get to the other side of the road in Germany in 2012 was so piercing that I've not forgotten it until this day. And it took a few of these unwelcoming stares for me to realises that I was being frowned upon for crossing the road... Continue Reading →
The lack of customer service in Germany
Essential organisation is required for the brutal 3 minute procedure of having your food practically chucked at you after being scanned, whilst you’re expected to pack, swipe your points card, sign after using your debit card (because apparently a PIN just isn’t good enough) and then maybe you’ll get a "tschüß" if you’re lucky as... Continue Reading →
Struggling to accept that ‘small talk’ and ‘awkward’ situations don’t exist in German
Germans are so direct that the term 'small talk' doesn't even exist in their language. Why? It's just not something they do. Regardless of whether it's a touchy subject or not, Germans jump straight to the point in conversation, rather than beating around the bush and facing confrontation as indirectly as possible, as do the... Continue Reading →