My first week in Germany has made many great impressions on me. I’ve been able to discern a lot of differences between my home in the USA and Berlin, specifically.
My very first surprising observation was made right after getting to the airport in Berlin. It became clear right away that almost everyone understands English and that most important labels or signs have an English translation on them. In fact, our first church service was given in both German and English! The pastors alternated between the two languages to make sure all felt included and could understand their message. However, many of the restaurants that we have eaten at have had workers that do not speak any English. This has made for some particularly interesting transactions (with several order mix-ups). But, at the very least, this has allowed us to practice and become more confident in our German speaking abilities.
Another interesting thing I have noted is about the cars driven here. It seems as though everyone in Berlin owns a car that we think of as a luxury vehicle in the USA. After just one week in Berlin, I don’t bat an eye when I see a traffic stop with five Mercedes, an Audi and a Porsche or two pulled up one after the other. In the span of about seven minutes today, I saw four Ferrari’s, a Lamborghi, and two Audi R8’s. For many, this statement about the cars in Berlin may seem unimportant, but I write this for those who particularly appreciate car culture. I underestimated the magnitude of the European car industry.
On the other hand, a rather unfortunate reality that I have learned about Germany is regarding their drinks. Many from our home country would frown upon a man walking the streets with a beer in his hand, sipping as he goes. Here, this is not only accepted, but incredibly common. Unfortunately for those of us that do not enjoy drinking beer, beer is often cheaper than water here. Also, the water that is sold is in very small cups (relative to the USA) with no ice and no free refills. Hydration here is not a negligible cost of life.
My final observation thus far in Germany is of the creativity that their culture encourages. I cannot say whether it is simply the city of Berlin, or Germany, or all of Europe that promotes this creativity seen in the people here, but they have a creative element that goes unexpressed in the USA. Their expressive and varied fashion trends, unique building designs, and innovative technologies used in everyday life have impressed me greatly. Many of these technologies are what I wish I could bring back home with me. For example, most glass doors here are dually designed to tilt inward as a window allowing for a gentle breeze throughout the room. Or, in the bathrooms, there are “reusuable towel” roll dispensers that take place of paper towel rolls in the USA. They dispense an area of thin towel that may be used to dry your hands and then roll up the towel that was used, while dispensing more dry towel area. This roll of towel can be washed and reused, which is immensely cheaper and more eco-friendly than our counterpart in the US. And lastly, Germans always calculate and include taxes on marked prices, which makes for a smile every time I pay for something that costs one Euro with exactly one Euro!
Despite all of these things that I have learned to appreciate about Germany, I certainly miss the USA. I miss large potion sizes (especially with drinks). I also miss driving. In Berlin, driving is expensive and hectic which means that most people stick to public transportation. Lastly, I miss understanding everything around me. As fun as the “German-word-guessing-game” has been, it will be nice to understand a restaurant menu again.