latest posts:
Why is there no ice in my drinks? Why can't I find ice at the grocery store? Where on God's green Earth are the ice trays to be found? Hi! Welcome to life in Germany! Here in Germany, most people don't have their drinks with ice in them unless it's a cocktail at a bar that specifically calls for it, and if you're looking to make it to keep it at home, you may be in for a surprise.
If you are studying or working in Germany long term, you're going to end up going flat (British English!) hunting at some point after you arrive. While most apartment hunting checklist points are the same between the U.S. and Germany, there are some points which are more specific to Germany that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Germany is not the biggest fan of open door plans. Okay, let me clarify: every room has a door, every door has a lock, and Germans like to make liberal use of both. Regardless of whether it's the living room, kitchen, or even two parts of a hallway, the doors are there and likely closed. If you're going to an office or university building, even during "open" hours, the doors will be closed and likely locked up as well. What do you do about this?
If you are going to be studying abroad in Germany, unless you are part of a program which specifically registers your in advance for specific courses or a plan of study, you will have to register after you arrive in Germany. When you do so, depending on the university and the timing of your arrival, how you go about this will likely be different than you are used to back home.
Something as simple as writing a letter can't be that much different from how we do it in the U.S., can it be? Well, no, not terribly off, but enough that you can create a minor headache for yourself or the Deutsche Post work who has to process your package or card.
How many grocery stores do you have in your city or town? If it's a bigger city, the answer may be "who knows?", but in a small town, it's probably only one. In Germany, the answer its "one on approximately every second street corner." It sounds like an exaggeration, but for an American who travels through Germany for any amount of time, whether they visit the downtown areas or go through the residential parts of a given city, the number of grocery stores is likely to be surprisingly high.
Yes, you can drink in public in Germany. Whether you are walking down the street or riding in a train, you are free to drink whatever you like in public. Depending on whether or not a soccer game is going on, the number of people doing so however is often rather low, and most noticeable near bars and clubs at night.
Smoking, and smoking public in particular, is far more common in Germany than you might be used to as an American who first arrives over here. Whether it's at bars, the outside seating areas of restaurants, the "smoking rooms" of a club, or just on the street in general, smoking is far more socially and legally accepted. As a result, cigarette machines are a common enough sight, be it in the back of a restaurant or bar, on the side of a building, or just free standing in some residential areas.