Friday, September 2, 2011

Differences

Here is a list of things that I find different in Germany. Of course there are countless differences but these are simply the ones that I have bothered to write down and compile.
  • Sparkling Water
     -People here drink „fizzy water“ all the time. At school atleast half the kids drink it.
  • Cars
    -Most of the cars here are noticably smaller. It is also my fourth-something week here and I have seen a grand total of 4.5 trucks.
  • Leberwurst
    -Its like a meat-flavored butter, or a meat spread that oyu have on your bread.

  • Autobahn
    -Definately a place I want to drive on someday. Like the highways I am used to but on steroids.
  • More Formal
    -Everyone here is in general more formal. Theres a lot of hand-shaking going on, even with the younger kids.

  • Kaffee Time
    Coffee time? Tea time?
  • FKK Strands
    -What Germans call nude beaches, they are more common in Eastern Germany. Oh, and speedos.

  • Saunas
    -Saunaing here is generall done naked

  • School
    -No water fountains
    -No yellow buses, all city buses or bikes.
    -In the classroom sleeping and yawning (especially without covering your mouth) are frowned upon.
    -The windows on our doors do not have wire mesh in them.
    -There is no official attendance taken and put in the system so far that I have seen.
    -No mandatory German „I pledge Allegiance“
    -Each period is 45 minutes long. At 10:35 we have a 25 minute break and at 12:35 we have a 35 minute break.
    -There are no bells
    -There are eight periods in each day except for Freitag, there are six.
    -School starts at 8:10 every day. I get out at 13:55 every day except for Tuesday I get out at 15:35 and Thursday at 11:45.

  • Lawn Mowers
    -They have electric Lawn Mowers!

  • Windows
    -I find the windows here have a different handle. You just twist it and push the window out, there is no difficult sliding up and down or twisting.
    -On all the windows in my neighborhood there is also a metal or heavy plastic barrier that slides over the outsides of them that you put down at night. It seems like Fürsenwalde has the threat level of Grand Marais (minimal to none as far as I can tell) but everyone uses the window doors thing.

  • Rain Barrels
    -Most of the houses have rain barrells that attach to their hose.

  • Windmills
    -There are windmills every where here! I even saw a whole field of solar panels here once. Overall I would say much more energy conscious.

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