How often have you been at the grocery store, and you just want to take a cart to go on and do your shopping, only for the cart to be locked up? If you're perhaps in the U.S. and are thinking of the wheel locks that many stores use to prevent their carts being taken off the premises, you might be in for a surprise in Germany!
Read MoreSo you're out on the town, and reach into your wallet, pulling out your card to pay off your tab at the local Kneipe (pub), and the bartender shakes their head at you. What gives? In Germany, it's exceedingly common for most small businesses, bars, and restaurants to be cash only, and if they do accept plastic, it's probably only Girocard (or EC card; debit card). But why would this be the case, when everything down to farmers' market stands in the U.S. tend to take cards? Good question!
Read MoreOne of the more surprising discoveries that I made early on when I first came to Germany was the popularity of “Club-Mate,” a type of carbonated iced tea. It’s particularly common to see students carrying bottles around during exam season...
Read MoreQuick question: what do you do when you need to buy some furniture for your room in your Studentenwohnheim, WG, or that flat you rented before you realized it doesn't come with a kitchen?
Read MoreIn most U.S. states (except New Hampshire, Montana, and Oregon), it's standard practice when you are out shopping to have sales tax added to the prices of most goods at the cash register when you are checking out. However, here in Germany, sales tax...
Read MoreEveryone loves a good water, soda, beer, or other fizzy drink every now and then. In Germany, as with the U.S. and a number of other countries, bottles for such drinks have a Pfand, or deposit on them that you pay when you buy the drink, and can get back later...
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