Nice integration of the sponsor into the video! Keep this sponsor for one more year and I switch (already paid for a competitor from which i feel their service declining atm)
hahaha Cyberghost can really be proud of their choice to sponsor you! I guess I've never seen a more creative way to introduce a product than this one! Welldone!
Do you want to know how German my husband is? We flew to Lisbon for a long weekend. At the airport in Munich we bought water. That bottle had German Pfand. He refused to throw it away in Portugal so he packed in our suitcase and returned it once back home in Germany. My kind of man! 😂
I’m this German: I keep my German Pfand bottles for a three week vacation in Denmark. And I keep the Danish Pfand bottles with my camping gear until next year’s vacation in Denmark 🇩🇰 ❤😃
We travelled thru 4 US states with a bunch of Coke Zero cans in the car the entire time waiting to get back to Oregon and recycle them. We got 6 bucks back.
I am sure, he did this only to save money and change, so he can combine it with going shopping,when at home. Otherwise, Pfand (in this political encroaching way since 25 years) is not only nonsense, but a occupational therapy for women only. It also increases the incentives for producing take-away waste. In some countries, like in Southern Europe, I would also take the stuff away home, in case you are convinced they would drop it in the nature instead. Pfand is pretty unpopular in Germany since 25 years, and not about environmental issues. In most times with plastic, is also just burned, after you spend your time.
It's a shame. I lost so many friends because of their recycling habits 😔 I just had to instantly blacklist them and report them to the PFAND-authorities
Pfand is basically a point, nearly no German cares about a bit. Not only do most public cities ignore it, if they are responsible for energy or waste, because the waste is anyways not recycled but burned to support German "wind turbines" focussed energy. It is also ridiculous, because people started to consume more than less products, which require Pfand and are bad for the environment. Also, everybody hates it, because it's stealing lifetime in this extended governmental intrusive sense. Originally, Pfand was a private system to start with, to lower prices for goods for the customers for specific recurring purchases. Today, it's the opposite.
regarding the "divider stick": Nobody is afraid of paying for your goods, but everyone is afraid of wasting their time waiting for the supervisor to appear at the checkout ("Frau Müller Kasse 13, 96") just to storno the wrong item and explain the lady before you that it is removed from her bill. And all people in the row will look at you for your lazy move not to put the divider stick in time on the conveyor belt.
This. And the cashiers are so fast, it is stressful trying to pack your stuff as it flies at you and having to keep an eye at the gap behind your groceries to say, "Stop, that isn't mine" just in time. And sometimes, if something rolls back, that gap might be breached... I prefer to just slap down a divider and focus on arranging the things on the conveyor belt in such a way the heavy items are up front and the delicate items in the back.
A little "klugscheißing": A german traffic light doesn't turn from "red" to "yellow" to "green", it turns from "red" to "yellow+red" to "green" 😆 when it goes back to red, only then the yellow is alone 😁
Same in the UK save that we call it amber. However, people just grumble when somebody doesn't move away instantly rather than instantly hit the horn button. We are not Italians.
How to upset an American: Start a conversation about religion or politics. From what I understand, Germans are perfectly fine discussing these topics. Not Americans.
@@martinjost5637Yes, that sounds like fun: Being on a party or even better a business meeting where you get the chance to introduce a German with a car fetish to an American with a gun fetish. Start the discussion and once the fire starts burning carefully withdraw, grab a huge bag of popcorn and enjoy the show! 😂
Germans dislike discussing religion and politics just as much as Americans. The loophole Germans found is they LOVE talking about other countries' politics. So, if you're an American in Germany, Germans will force you to listen to earfuls of their opinions of American politics.
Speed limit wouldn't bother me. Ban on cash, you could certainly compare it with gun fetishism in the USA. Something like that would be a reason for war in my opinion XD
Dude, calling non-Bavarians jealous of Bavaria is truly upsetting. Especially as a northern German, who lived in Bavaria I perceive the arrogance, ignorance, and exceptionalism of Bavarians as second to none in Germany, only matched by some of our transatlantic friends. Greetings from Hamburg, love your work
I think he found the right words, people are anoyed and upset maybe jealous, foreigners associate Germany with Pretzels and Lederhosen, instead of Grünkohl and Pinkel.
@@CriticalPolitenessBS!! I'm from the North and love it and I also like Bavaria (and a lot of other places in the world and in Germany), but I never even thought about envying Bavaria(ns)! Why on earth would I? They are no better or worse than the rest of us 🤷🏼♀️
Let's put it like this: When non-Germans talk about Germany and assume the Bavarian or Baden-Württemberg parts first, it's annoying. @@CriticalPoliteness
I agree with you that you can annoy many Germans by always comparing Germany with the state of Bavaria, because we have so many other beautiful corners in Germany such as the North Sea and the Harz Moutains in northern Germany, or the beautiful Baltic Sea coast with theirs in the east wide sandy beaches and the Baltic Sea. The wine - growing areas are also recommended, etc.
I had to smile a little at the beer photo. In the photo, the Kölsch glass is the same size as the Weizen glass. Important: A Weizen glass holds 0.5 l, while a Kölsch glass only holds 0.2 l.
And the Altbier glass looks nothing like an Altbier glass. You may not be allowed to drink beer out of the wrong glass, but you are allowed to drink other stuff out of a beer glass (case at hand, the Altbier glass which has the perfect size sind shape for almost any liquid, perhaps with the exception of 1) wine which should be consumed from a wine glass and 2) Kölsch which simply shouldn't be consumed at all).
You know what upsets me? Assuming the strict orderliness of Baden-Würtemberg for the rest of Germany. People in northern Germany are way more laid back.
It´s only the Württemberg part of Baden-Würtemberg... Badner are way more laid back too. You could see that at maps shwong the stationary radar traps on the roads, the border between Würtemberg and Baden was clearly visible. In Würtemberg every "Kuhkaff" got at least one Blitzer, in Baden there were a few in the big cities, but in the rest of the more rural areas, they were non existant, people seemed to just not care how others were driving on the roads :D
I'm from the north. But I have to admit I went to study in Constance in the south. Yeah, I was young and ... well, actually, it really was absolutely fabulous! But back to subject: we had two math profs, one from Baden and the other from Bavaria. The Bavarian was always bragging about the Math books he wrote and the famous people he met. The Badener always made fun of him for writing books when he could sit on the beaches of Lake Constance with a bootle of wine. A famous quote was: "people who like to write books should teach in Furtwangen, where it's winter for a quarter of a year and the other time it's cold and dark." (Furtwangen is in the Black Forrest and at that time had the highest suicide rate among students in Germany). So, yes, there definitely is a difference between Southern Germany and Northern Austria (also called Bavaria).
Baden is the Shire ("Auenland") of Germany. We care about good food - own cuisine as well as the French influence, beer, wine and make sure that there are enough Fäscht(le) to celebrate that. OTOH, Württembergers (We generally call them Schwaben) have a tough life, nothing to laugh and always Kehrwoche ;)
Hi Nick, ich bin gerade zufällig auf dieses Video gestoßen und habe herzlich gelacht und mich auch ein bisschen erwischt gefühlt. Vielen Dank für den Blick von Außen und für das wirklich tolle Entertainment. Thanks a lot and greetings from Cologne that is outside Bavaria. And the bikers here are way more relaxed than in Bavaria 😉
Another important point: being non-committal. “Hey John, would you like to come to our BBQ on Saturday.””Oh sure, that sounds great“ And then not show up.
The problem with the traffic light is that if someone waits like 0,5 sec after the light turned green it causes a delay of 5 sec when there are like 10 cars in a row. In Germany we have a lot of traffic lights and they also switch very fast. This leads to more waiting time. In addition it could happen, that the last car has to wait again for the same lights just because someone didn´t drive fast enough. So nobody wants to wait unnecessarily, especially with all the traffic lights. Some traffic lights are connected with each other. So if there are 5 Traffic lights in a row, and the driver in front is too slow, it could happen, that you have to wait in front of every traffic light instead of driving through them all. Believe , everyone would become mad xD
Yes! Not enough people think about the effect their delay has on the drivers farther back. Americans almost never seem to care about anybody but themselves at lights. I don't blame Germans for becoming upset.
Seems the impatient Germans are the ones thinking only of themselves. They need to have some respect for others and stop rushing everybody around them. Put your selfishness in check for once. @@hiimterry2009
It was called "gruene Welle" making it through every traffic light. Living in Canada for many years... so I don't know anymore. Canada could use some rules...it would help. LG an meine Heimat in Bayern (Greetings to Bavaria). I always enjoy Nalf... maybe Nalf will visit the Oktoberfest in Munich again? I miss Germany not just Baveria. 🌍🌳♥🥨 Cheers❣
This is the best NALF-video I've watched so far. You took your performance to the next level. Subject well chosen, sarcasm subtly delivered, moving and identifying between your two worlds. Love it! Great comedy potential. Would like to see more of this.
I am german and i would agree! Went from AUDI, VW and BMW to Ford and couldn't have made a better choice. WIth the german cars, there always were issues. Minor issues, but still always had to go to a garage to fix it. It really got ridiculous after reaching like 50-60000 kilometres. Until we bought the Ford, i thought it was normal. Well, it isn't. Never ever will i buy a german car again.
@@brotinger_1904 well, all points you mentioned are your personal likings and feelings. I never talked about these, i talked about the technical stuff, that annoyed the hell outta me. Ok, that's probably also a feeling :) I'd never change it back for the Beamer or any of the VAGs. I'd take the Beamer's engine though. A silky smooth Inline-6...
@@roncenti a friend of mine bought the Kuga MK1 Diesel ages ago and never had any problems (260000 km now). And that's why i took a closer look at Ford for myself. A mazda 6 and the Opel Insignia were also in play. But after test driving all of them, Ford got the deal.
About shoes off: neither in Northrhine Westphalia where I have grown up nor Lower Saxony and in Schleswig - Holstein you take off your shoes entering flats or houses. That would be very impolite to ask your guests to take their shoes off.
I disagree with the generalisation: Usually it is accepted when guest visiting another houshold that they keep their shoes on. But usually there is a small conversation involved about the topic out of courtesy. Guest visiting may ask if they should take off their shoes or leave them on. The host will offer them designated "guest house shoes" or slippers but more than often replay: "it's okay to leave your shoes on". As a guest you will wait for this offer from the host - just to walk in without asking and assuming might upset people.
I've lost count of the number of times I've avoided being t-boned by a huge pickup truck that was running a red light at an intersection in the US by my not pealing off immediately when my light turned green.
Listening to your examples I had to smile a lot. I am a guy from northern Germany. We are a lot more laid back than the people from Baden - Württemberg. The only thing that makes us upset is when you talk too much.
It´s only Württemberg. We Badners aren´t like that at all. And we even have something in common with you northerners, we also like to talk less. We can pack complete sentences in small 2 letter words, like, how are you? = un?
says someone who probably do not know anyone from Württemberg.... Very strange these "we are better than the other ones"-habits.... Typical as well, thinking not as a nation but as a tribe. Kopfschüttel. In the South the Northern people are regarded as cool, keeping distance not making friends so fast, not having humour. I know a lot who do not fit the pattern!
@@hadrianusemperor7261Die Kommentare hier sind genauso ironisch wie der Original-Podcastbeitrag von NALF, der sogar in seinem ersten Satz auf den eingeschränkten Ernst seines Themas hinweist. Meine Vorfahren stammen, wie der Name beweist, aus Baden.
Most of what you describe can be applied to much of Europe. Asking how someone is doing in Europe is really only a topic for people who know each other and they are curious about what the other person has been doing or how he is doing. More of a question in the family when you haven't seen each other for a long time. Walking in the bikeline is much more risky in Holland and Denmark, where you would not only get scolded, but someone would run you over with smile on their face. Being late is probably rude in half of Europe. The south of Europe will probably have it more relaxed, and the center and the north will really pay attention to it. By the way, greetings from Prague
Don’t be too early either, if your invited to dine in a private home at 7 pm don’ show up at 6 or 6:30 or 6:45, the host might not be quite finished with preparing food, laying the table or changing clothes, so this will stress the host.
We Germans have a lot of fun driving on the highway at 186 mph. Many people may think that we are hooligans. But if there's a traffic jam, we create an emergency lane for the ambulance. 10,000 drivers take part, none of them use the open route for themselves. No other country on this planet has such disciplined citizens.
In really urban areas you can leave the Pfand bottles standing next to a public bin. There are people who collect them to turn them in and get the coupons because they need the money. In very busy public spaces like a plaza in a bigger town or city, you may even see somebody or several people with one or more bags, actively asking for people's empty Pfand bottles.
I am Franconian, and I get mistaken for a Bavarian a LOT. No hyping of the State I live in from me. I'd rather be in BW or RP or even Hessen, but work is here. And anybody who wastes my time at the traffic lights deserves to burn in the deepest crevices of HELL! Bike lanes are known as "Todesstreifen" (death strip) in our very pedestrian family. You WILL risk your life if you go in there.
I'm German, I'm 64 years old, I have ! never ! put my shoes off iwhile visiting other people. This is definitely not a "German" habit. Might be some people do but not all.
Well, it IS a habit for polite Germans.😅 If you would like to keep your shoes on you ask at the entrance whether you should take it off. May be that the host says: "No, worries, please keep them on" but it also may be that the owner tells you to take it off, anyway. But if you don't ask many Germans won't let you know because they don't want you to feel uncomfortable. There are exceptions, e.g. craftsmen. It's just a matter of hygiene.
5 Minuten vor der Zeit ist des Soldaten Pünktlichkeit, nur der Sanitäter kommt 10 Minuten später. - deutsches Sprichwort A Soldier always arrives 5 minutes beforehand, just the medic arrives 10 minutes later. - german adage
We walked all through Schwäbisch Hall when we visited there and it's fun picking out the places we saw there while watching your videos. My wife and always look forward to them. By the way, the German traits you described all seem to me to be normal and reasonable behavior, including the thoughts on Bavaria. My ancestry is northern German. That's where we spend most of our time when in Germany and our German friends live there as well. Bavaria and northern Germany are very distinct from one another.
I lived in Schwäbisch Hall for nearly 4 years. Until I can return to visit former family members (my ex is from Hessental) and old friends, I look forward to Nick's videos!
any non bavarian german will tell you that bavaria is its own country. These guys sometimes have such heavy dialects that it's basically another language.
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Go to Baden-Württemberg, to the German/Swiss border. In some regions there people *do* speak another language (it's related to German, sure, but it is considered a language, and not a dialect, by at least UNESCO). Friends of mine do speak Alemannic, and when I heard them talk to their children, I couldn't understand anything. :D
The exception to number 9 is when you're walking around with your beer in the evening with a friend or something, it's totally acceptable to drink from the bottle in that case. Just make sure you leave the bottle somewhere it can be collected for pfand!
There is also an exception to number 5 (shoes in houses). While generally it is agreed upon to never wear shoes in apartments, in houses it is sometimes considered ok. Best course of action there is... to simply ask.
Wir lernen in der Fahrschule, an der Ampel im ersten Gang zu warten und die Kupplung kurz vor dem Kontaktpunkt (oder so ähnlich) zu halten. Ja, Leute, die bei Grün erst von ihrem Nickerchen aufwachen oder von ihrem Handy aufblicken, haben alles Schlechte verdient! 😂
I think the reason for being so swift with the grocery divider is different, you're about to start the Olympic 100m sprint final against the Usain Bolt of Lidl (the teller) so you need to give the person behind you as much preparation time as possible so the second you have loaded all of your groceries on the conveyor, it's polite to put the divider down swiftly.
The reason for drinking Weizen from a glass also is that the yeast which is an essential part of the flavour will only be released when the beer is poured.
And again an awesome example of NALF's ability to deep national psychology! His analyses are always so true. I can't get enough of it, already looking forward to the next one!
Tbf the divider thing isn't so much about paying but rather avoiding the inefficiency of the cashier having to book a cancelation "Herr Müller! Storno bitte Kasse 3!"
Actually, Germans (and Austrians) do ask "How are you?" frequently, but they use it not as a casual greeting but as a conversation starter. If someone asks you how you are, it means they want to ease into small talk, or that they are genuinely interested in your life in the last few days or weeks.
you got me! Even when you just talk about Bavaria! Ok, I moved from Lower Saxony / Hamburg down to Karlsruhe. That was a big deal for me "Nordlicht". But I never would live in Bavaria. Ok, visit it for holidays would be ok. But not living there! :D
There is an easy and polite solution to the "shoes inside" conundrum: Just ask. Any German host will consider you very polite and well-mannered if you ask. Because some older German homes can be a bit drafty and the owner is usually aware of that and will suggest that you can leave your shoes on.
I think you learned a lot about how German brains work and as a German I enjoy, when you explain how US Americans think. Your channel is a great contribution to understanding eachother. None of the cultures is better than the other, they are just different. And this is a good thing. Keep up the good work!
I think that house shoe thing is more a south and eastern Germany thing. I my area you can wear your shoes wherever you want except when you're visiting a person that originally is from the east.
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I think it's… undefined. Not regional, I'm pretty sure of that: I wore shoes in the house in my youth in the 70s/80s, and so did my friends, and that was and is in the south of Germany (Baden-Württemberg). And in the last couple decades I only recall one family/couple who asked guests to take of their shoes, and they were explicit that it was to avoid damaging their apartment's floors (so they'd not lose their deposit if the moved out).
@ Thats a new excuse. And I think you are right. I left Germany in 98 and never ever had to take my shoes off anywhere. I think people just got more Germ/dirt obsessed.
I live in western Germany and hardly know anyone who would leave their shoes on or doesn't expect the guests to take them off. Everyone takes them off in front of the entrance or in the hallway. Even when people have a home party everyone takes them off. Old people bring slippers if they come for coffee and cake.
the "south and eastern Germany thing" is a pretty wild theory ... and rather makes you wonder how you get to this conclusion. Of course not all the people are the same. But it is definitly more common to take your shoes off or at least ask if you should do so ... than the other way around. ...and probably more common with hosts having carpet or wooden floors than ceramic tiles
every american in germany: you have to take your shoes off! me entering thousands of homes in the past 50 years from the east to the west from the north to the south not being asked to take my shoes off a single time. 🤯
I don't think I've ever been asked to take off my shoes either (aside from my parents when I was a kid), but that's because I along with basically everyone I know do it anyway.
I am very German in a lot of your senses, but I love playing check-out chicken every single time. You get 5 points for every Warentrenner you don't put, 10 points for the other person putting it behind them. 25 points off for the cashier asking whether this still belongs to the other party. Requires nerves made from steel ;-)
I used to live abroad and had a lot of Spanish friends. I just gave up. When we were supposed to have dinner together, I just ate. When they wanted to come over to watch a movie, I just watched it. Despite their best intentions they never made it to my house before I was completely starving or before my bedtime. 😂
@@gloofisearch they really do and just don’t understand. 😭 They would be perfectly fine in the morning too, well rested and everything, while I can function on less than 7 hours of sleep.
Never underestimate german "Blockwart-mentalität".... being yelled at for sweating too much in a sauna is the best example for that. It should be part of the national anthem 🤣
7:07 I am german and used to live in Ireland for 6 years and there too they ask you "how are you" for a greeting. which is super annoying in the morning to hear every 5 steps or when waiting in line for the first all important coffee of the day, especially when you know they don't want to know and are just being "nice", and only expect a "yeah, alright. how about you?". so, on extra special days I actually responded by telling them as I would in germany. that really messed with their heads. 😅 the look of confusion and bewilderment with a slight touch of regret for having asked, was priceless.....🤣😂🤣
Usually people change shoes at the entrance of the apartment - taking off their street shoes for "house shoes" / slippers. Guest visiting may ask if they should take off their shoes or leave them on. The host will offer them designated "guest house shoes" but more than often replay: "it's okay to leave your shoes on". There is usually a small conversation involved about the topic out of courtesy. Just to walk in without asking and assuming might upset people.
@@henningbartels6245A few years missing, and i was asking since this is a sentiment i found very strongly in the under 35 year old :D Might be the age difference, but with older people i barely ever have a talk about that, its just an information. "Here are the slippers" / "Your shoes go there" / "Just leave your shoes on". No problems with that, though^^
Disclaimer: Bavaria feels like a different Country next to Germany to a lot of Germans. They wanna do it "their Way" either politically or culturally. A lot of them are just something else.
Sweaty guy, too. Never got yelled at in the Sauna for sweating through the towel but be sure to bring enough to always have a somewhat dry one available at hand. For the groceries dividers, I never sass anyone for not putting down theirs, I just put it there before I place my groceries. And, of course, another one after mine :)
A little addition: germans "lassen die kupplung schleifen" which is riding clutch, i think. So we already are in first gear :D. Gives us the 0.2 sec headroom to punctuality...
Note to being on time. Being too early is also something very rude, depending on the kind of meeting. (Seriously, you're better 5 minutes later at someone's home, than 5 minutes early!) Especially meeting someone at their home, means that it is absolutely unacceptable to be too early. In fact, you should be there right on time, or up to 5 minutes late, when meeting someone at their home. After all, they may still be busy with other things. When you meet somewhere outside, or it's an appointment at work, it's absolutely ok to be too early, since your actions won't have any negative impact on them.
Most of these apply in Sweden also with one big difference: If you screw up, no one will tell you. Not only will they not tell you, we will not get visibly upset or give any hint of a complaint or dislike. We will simply quietly dissasociate from the person doing it. So, yes, come into my home with shoes, you wont get a reaction, but you also wont be invited back, ever. Cut in line and the whole line will remember you, your face and what you did. We wont tell you, but we will discretely just avoid you. Take the last piece of cake in the lunch room, and you will be silently judged, forever, perhaps avoided.
I was stationed in Germany in the early 90's. Still visit once a year at least. I myself have a big issue with getting a beer in the wrong glass. Nothing worse than going to a "Beer" place, claiming to be beer experts, and then they serve me a Weisen in a pint glass. What the heck. I am so bad about my step-son does the same thing. When one of us gets served a Weisen in the wrong glass we text each other pictures of the glass.
Weizen has to be poured slowly and complete ,with some swirling to get the Hefe out (those bacterias that make alcohol) .We figured out a good way to put it in a glass,and you cant do it otherwise.I got mad on so many exchange students (spain etc) for drinking weizen from the bottle.
Don’t confuse a Willibecher with a pint glass. Looks almost the same but the Willibecher is for 0,5l and it’s perfectly fine to serve a Weißbier in it.
I‘ve never seen someone actually upset about the choice of beer glass. I’m fact, you can always drink straight from the bottle. Just say “Ich bin Flaschenkind” and you’re officially allowed to drink from the bottle
Hahahaha I’m German, living and driving in Germany! Not only “sleeping” in front of a yellow traffic light about to turn green, but as second or third car waiting for HOURS before you follow and thus allowing only 2-3 cars to pass the crossing - will make me light up with rage!! 🤬😡 😂😂😂😂
About "how are you"...I've just returned from Ireland and they have pretty much the same expression, but also "Are you all right?" First I felt as if I was being asked if I'm sick or mentally ill :D and didn't know what to answer but later just answered "Fine, thanks". Took some time to get used to. And yes, you're right. If people ask "how are you", people should expect a direct answer to this question 🤪 And about walking on bicycle lanes, it's mostly bicycles who are driving on pedestrian ways in my own experience, which drives me crazy and bikers can also get very mad. This is why I stopped walking to work and now take a bus.
Me as a German I can most relate to the "Hi, how are you" thing he speaks about, and I am often having a hard time speaking to English people, when they just don't really care if I answer or not. Needs some getting used to as a German to not answer and just say "Hi" as well. And maybe this was intentionally avoided, but never make a Hitler joke when a German is present or don't compare Germany to the Nazi regime in any way, that can be taken as very upsetting or rude, that's even worse than comparing whole of Germany to Bavaria.
I stayed with a German family in Braunschweig for a week back in 1970. They didn't take off their shoes in the house. Maybe this is something new? One thing they did which I thought was strange at first but then really liked is that every morning when the family gathered in the living room before breakfast everyone shook hands with each other including me. The family consisted of the father, an elementary school principal, the mother, a son and daughter in their late teens and early 20s and the grandmother. Can Germans tells me if shaking hands like this is just when you have company in the house or what?
I‘m German and I’ve never heard of this or even saw this thing with shaking hands each other in the morning, that‘s really strange. Taking off shoes when entering the house is more a new thing, no idea where this comes from, but I for myself hate it, when I have to take my shoes off. But it’s not often the case for god‘s sake. 😉
We just shook hands of visitors coming into the house, not the ones living in the house. But we always greet each family member in the morning without shaking hands.
Being quick when the traffic lights turn green is expected, but the severity of response to delays seems to worse the more urban and the more south you live.
To be fair, I get mad when people steal half a second from me in traffic. I get sitting at the light and waiting for it to change is boring, but come on. We all got places to be and you aren’t entitled to waste my most precious resource.
You got the shoething wrong. Just ask on entry if it’s fine to lead your shoes on or not. Some of us have shoe on areas in the house, at some houses you will be provided with indoor shoes for guests. Beeing punctual is mostly accepted within +- 5min.
Can't tell you how much I'm enjoying your videos... But this one is by far the funniest! Thanks. My son has been living in Hamburg for 12 years. He doesn't want to leave.
Dear Nick, a few months ago you spoke about punctuality in one of your vlogs. You basically said that people who are unpunctual steal other people's time. We have the same thing in traffic at traffic lights. If you don't drive within a few seconds of the green light, you're stealing the time of the drivers behind you
The conveyer belt thing I always understood this way (may be wrong, but this is how I feel myself - being a German by the way): Its all about being quick and considerate about the one behind you. If I stand behind you, I am waiting for the divider to come down as a sign that you are done and I can put my stuff on the belt. That is why I also do it as soon as I am done, so that the one behind me can start putting their stuff on. I also move to the side a bit to give them space to do so. As the cashiers are usually so quick, if you don't hurry to put your stuff on, you may hold up the whole line - and I personally think it is a bit inconsiderate if someone in front of me doesn't move to let me put my stuff on - for the reasons I just put out. In a nutshell: It is again about being considerate and about being efficient. Bavaria is mainly an issue for most non-Bavarians because everyone outside Germany thinks we all run around in Lederhosen and Dirndls - which most non-Bavarians feel is one of the worst clichés and an affront to us as a people. Totally true: Do not contact me about work after hours - and do not update me about anything while I am on vacation. As long as I still have a job, it can wait until I am back. Actually: Even being let go I would prefer to learn when I am back, so it wouldn't spoil my PTO. Also: Great videos - I like your channel. Will check out more of your content 🙂.
I never experienced this issue with taking of my shoes visiting people. I lived in NRW, Hamburg, Lower Saxonie. Is this perhaps a habit in southern Germany only?
If I visit my friends in NRW and keep my shoes on while coming into their home, we wouldn’t be friends any longer. And for me it would be the same. 😅 So I don’t think that’s a regional thing. It probably depends on the person you’re visiting. If someone wants to keep their house clean, they probably won’t be amused if you come in without taking your shoes of. On the other hand if someone doesn’t care if their floor is dirty or not, they’ll probably be okay with their friends keeping their shoes on while visiting.
@@amandaziccatti6195agreed, everyone takes their shoes off here. Haven't been to any household in the last year's where I didn't take off my shoes. And I never need to mention taking the shoes off in my house because everyone just does it.
I think this tendency to criticize comes from the fact that many people know how well many things used to work. People worked hard and were usually rewarded for it. Those days are long gone, things are indeed going downhill in many areas, the middle class is shrinking, poverty is rising, social security contributions are increasing, bureaucracy is worse than Kafka could ever have imagined.
But if you don't drive when it's green, at some intersections the green phase feels really short especially for the people behind the first three cars, because it could mean it will be on red before they get their turn, so your two seconds could turn into a minute you are stealing from them. With multiple intersections on your way, it might be the difference between being comfortably early to being right on time and we can't have that!
The "Hey, how are you?!" is the equivalent to "Wie geht's?!" especially nowadays. Nobody really cares about your well being but it's a common not formal way of greeting just like in the US.
True. But many more Germans would tell you how they actually feel "Mir gehts heute Scheisse" than any American ever would. I do it often and the looks back from Americans are priceless. I usually reply: "Uhhgh don't ask".
@@roncenti Based on my experience not so much but I guess it depends on where you live. I live in a major city so the "Wie geht's?!" is just the way I explained over here.....
Hi, I like your videos because they seem to be honest. Here my point of view concerning "How are you". Me as a German lived in El Paso, Texas, in 1986 in a residential complex. One day when I was walking around I met the manager and she asked me "Are you happy?" I started thinking about the word "happy" and "happyness" and delivered a lecture to the manager about the word "happyness". It took me a while to understand that she wasn't interested in a discussion about "What is happyness", but just to hear "yes" or "no". I took her question tooo serious ;-) Now, so many years later, I can laugh about me.
I never witnessed the sweating through your towel thing. Much more taboo imo is drinking inside the sauna and talking loudly and lying down instead of sitting, when the cabin gets crowded during Aufguss. Also the thing with trains being notoriously late depends on the region, there are car states and train states in germany.
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Nice integration of the sponsor into the video! Keep this sponsor for one more year and I switch (already paid for a competitor from which i feel their service declining atm)
you forgot 13: calling a video 10 way to upset germans and having more then 10 points :D .
hahaha Cyberghost can really be proud of their choice to sponsor you! I guess I've never seen a more creative way to introduce a product than this one! Welldone!
@@Notfallhamster I hardly think that they would care...
Do you want to know how German my husband is? We flew to Lisbon for a long weekend. At the airport in Munich we bought water. That bottle had German Pfand. He refused to throw it away in Portugal so he packed in our suitcase and returned it once back home in Germany. My kind of man! 😂
I’m this German:
I keep my German Pfand bottles for a three week vacation in Denmark.
And I keep the Danish Pfand bottles with my camping gear until next year’s vacation in Denmark 🇩🇰 ❤😃
We travelled thru 4 US states with a bunch of Coke Zero cans in the car the entire time waiting to get back to Oregon and recycle them. We got 6 bucks back.
Not gonna lie I’m German and the urge to hold on to Pfand outside of Germany is very strong
I am sure, he did this only to save money and change, so he can combine it with going shopping,when at home. Otherwise, Pfand (in this political encroaching way since 25 years) is not only nonsense, but a occupational therapy for women only. It also increases the incentives for producing take-away waste. In some countries, like in Southern Europe, I would also take the stuff away home, in case you are convinced they would drop it in the nature instead. Pfand is pretty unpopular in Germany since 25 years, and not about environmental issues. In most times with plastic, is also just burned, after you spend your time.
I'm ashamed to say I've done that too! 😁😅
It's a shame. I lost so many friends because of their recycling habits 😔 I just had to instantly blacklist them and report them to the PFAND-authorities
Nalf just admitted to recycling deposit bottles... CANCEL HIMMMMM!!!
Same!
😁
Pfand is basically a point, nearly no German cares about a bit. Not only do most public cities ignore it, if they are responsible for energy or waste, because the waste is anyways not recycled but burned to support German "wind turbines" focussed energy. It is also ridiculous, because people started to consume more than less products, which require Pfand and are bad for the environment. Also, everybody hates it, because it's stealing lifetime in this extended governmental intrusive sense. Originally, Pfand was a private system to start with, to lower prices for goods for the customers for specific recurring purchases. Today, it's the opposite.
Babarians😂
regarding the "divider stick": Nobody is afraid of paying for your goods, but everyone is afraid of wasting their time waiting for the supervisor to appear at the checkout ("Frau Müller Kasse 13, 96") just to storno the wrong item and explain the lady before you that it is removed from her bill. And all people in the row will look at you for your lazy move not to put the divider stick in time on the conveyor belt.
This. And the cashiers are so fast, it is stressful trying to pack your stuff as it flies at you and having to keep an eye at the gap behind your groceries to say, "Stop, that isn't mine" just in time. And sometimes, if something rolls back, that gap might be breached... I prefer to just slap down a divider and focus on arranging the things on the conveyor belt in such a way the heavy items are up front and the delicate items in the back.
There is an ingenious way to avoid this. Just put the divider on the belt when you're finished putting your things on.
Exactly❣👀🥨
A little "klugscheißing": A german traffic light doesn't turn from "red" to "yellow" to "green", it turns from "red" to "yellow+red" to "green" 😆 when it goes back to red, only then the yellow is alone 😁
Thank you, I was looking for this comment.
Same in Denmark 🇩🇰
Same in the UK save that we call it amber. However, people just grumble when somebody doesn't move away instantly rather than instantly hit the horn button. We are not Italians.
How to upset an American: Start a conversation about religion or politics. From what I understand, Germans are perfectly fine discussing these topics. Not Americans.
How to upset both:
Discusse, what is worse: American weapon fetishism or German No-Spped-Limit Autobahn...
@@martinjost5637Yes, that sounds like fun: Being on a party or even better a business meeting where you get the chance to introduce a German with a car fetish to an American with a gun fetish. Start the discussion and once the fire starts burning carefully withdraw, grab a huge bag of popcorn and enjoy the show! 😂
Germans dislike discussing religion and politics just as much as Americans. The loophole Germans found is they LOVE talking about other countries' politics. So, if you're an American in Germany, Germans will force you to listen to earfuls of their opinions of American politics.
Speed limit wouldn't bother me. Ban on cash, you could certainly compare it with gun fetishism in the USA. Something like that would be a reason for war in my opinion XD
In the US, I think it depends on whether both or all people in the political or religious discussion are on the same side of these issues.
Dude, calling non-Bavarians jealous of Bavaria is truly upsetting. Especially as a northern German, who lived in Bavaria I perceive the arrogance, ignorance, and exceptionalism of Bavarians as second to none in Germany, only matched by some of our transatlantic friends. Greetings from Hamburg, love your work
I think he found the right words, people are anoyed and upset maybe jealous, foreigners associate Germany with Pretzels and Lederhosen, instead of Grünkohl and Pinkel.
Jealousy just sounds like a perfectly logical explanation for your hate. 😂😉
This.
@@CriticalPolitenessBS!! I'm from the North and love it and I also like Bavaria (and a lot of other places in the world and in Germany), but I never even thought about envying Bavaria(ns)! Why on earth would I? They are no better or worse than the rest of us 🤷🏼♀️
Let's put it like this:
When non-Germans talk about Germany and assume the Bavarian or Baden-Württemberg parts first, it's annoying. @@CriticalPoliteness
I agree with you that you can annoy many Germans by always comparing Germany with the state of Bavaria, because we have so many other beautiful corners in Germany such as the North Sea and the Harz Moutains in northern Germany, or the beautiful Baltic Sea coast with theirs in the east wide sandy beaches and the Baltic Sea. The wine - growing areas are also recommended, etc.
I agree...there are endless places to visit. I am Bavarian❣
True. But that's not only it. We all know some of you are actually jealous.
I agree to Bavaria being the most beautiful ... but people there are ... different. Not saying they all suck, but sure are special
As a German I am upset with ghost-sponsors right now.
use SponsorBlock.
*not sponsored
🤔 nöö 😊
I had to smile a little at the beer photo. In the photo, the Kölsch glass is the same size as the Weizen glass. Important: A Weizen glass holds 0.5 l, while a Kölsch glass only holds 0.2 l.
And the Altbier glass looks nothing like an Altbier glass.
You may not be allowed to drink beer out of the wrong glass, but you are allowed to drink other stuff out of a beer glass (case at hand, the Altbier glass which has the perfect size sind shape for almost any liquid, perhaps with the exception of 1) wine which should be consumed from a wine glass and 2) Kölsch which simply shouldn't be consumed at all).
You know what upsets me? Assuming the strict orderliness of Baden-Würtemberg for the rest of Germany. People in northern Germany are way more laid back.
It´s only the Württemberg part of Baden-Würtemberg... Badner are way more laid back too.
You could see that at maps shwong the stationary radar traps on the roads, the border between Würtemberg and Baden was clearly visible. In Würtemberg every "Kuhkaff" got at least one Blitzer, in Baden there were a few in the big cities, but in the rest of the more rural areas, they were non existant, people seemed to just not care how others were driving on the roads :D
A few decades ago, I thought Baden-Wurtemberg was part of Bacaria. Ooops...don't tell.
I'm from the north. But I have to admit I went to study in Constance in the south. Yeah, I was young and ... well, actually, it really was absolutely fabulous! But back to subject: we had two math profs, one from Baden and the other from Bavaria. The Bavarian was always bragging about the Math books he wrote and the famous people he met. The Badener always made fun of him for writing books when he could sit on the beaches of Lake Constance with a bootle of wine. A famous quote was: "people who like to write books should teach in Furtwangen, where it's winter for a quarter of a year and the other time it's cold and dark." (Furtwangen is in the Black Forrest and at that time had the highest suicide rate among students in Germany). So, yes, there definitely is a difference between Southern Germany and Northern Austria (also called Bavaria).
Baden is the Shire ("Auenland") of Germany. We care about good food - own cuisine as well as the French influence, beer, wine and make sure that there are enough Fäscht(le) to celebrate that.
OTOH, Württembergers (We generally call them Schwaben) have a tough life, nothing to laugh and always Kehrwoche ;)
It’s for entertainment bro, don’t be so uptight 😂
Hi Nick,
ich bin gerade zufällig auf dieses Video gestoßen und habe herzlich gelacht und mich auch ein bisschen erwischt gefühlt.
Vielen Dank für den Blick von Außen und für das wirklich tolle Entertainment.
Thanks a lot and greetings from Cologne that is outside Bavaria.
And the bikers here are way more relaxed than in Bavaria 😉
Another important point: being non-committal. “Hey John, would you like to come to our BBQ on Saturday.””Oh sure, that sounds great“ And then not show up.
The problem with the traffic light is that if someone waits like 0,5 sec after the light turned green it causes a delay of 5 sec when there are like 10 cars in a row. In Germany we have a lot of traffic lights and they also switch very fast. This leads to more waiting time. In addition it could happen, that the last car has to wait again for the same lights just because someone didn´t drive fast enough. So nobody wants to wait unnecessarily, especially with all the traffic lights. Some traffic lights are connected with each other. So if there are 5 Traffic lights in a row, and the driver in front is too slow, it could happen, that you have to wait in front of every traffic light instead of driving through them all. Believe , everyone would become mad xD
Yes! Not enough people think about the effect their delay has on the drivers farther back. Americans almost never seem to care about anybody but themselves at lights. I don't blame Germans for becoming upset.
This is a NY issue not only good ole Germany! Bless the Pfalz and Nord Deutschland. Bayern oh je….
Seems the impatient Germans are the ones thinking only of themselves. They need to have some respect for others and stop rushing everybody around them. Put your selfishness in check for once. @@hiimterry2009
Exactly!
It was called "gruene Welle" making it through every traffic light. Living in Canada for many years...
so I don't know anymore. Canada could use some rules...it would help. LG an meine Heimat in Bayern
(Greetings to Bavaria). I always enjoy Nalf... maybe Nalf will visit the Oktoberfest in Munich again?
I miss Germany not just Baveria. 🌍🌳♥🥨 Cheers❣
This is the best NALF-video I've watched so far. You took your performance to the next level. Subject well chosen, sarcasm subtly delivered, moving and identifying between your two worlds. Love it! Great comedy potential. Would like to see more of this.
These subjects from NALF and Feli from Germany really bring my German out! I show them to my wife and she says, “Yeah, that’s you!” Thank you!!!
The anger with all those 10 things is absolutely justified.
Easy: Tell them American/French/British cars are better than German cars
I am german and i would agree! Went from AUDI, VW and BMW to Ford and couldn't have made a better choice. WIth the german cars, there always were issues. Minor issues, but still always had to go to a garage to fix it. It really got ridiculous after reaching like 50-60000 kilometres. Until we bought the Ford, i thought it was normal. Well, it isn't. Never ever will i buy a german car again.
@@brotinger_1904 well, all points you mentioned are your personal likings and feelings. I never talked about these, i talked about the technical stuff, that annoyed the hell outta me. Ok, that's probably also a feeling :)
I'd never change it back for the Beamer or any of the VAGs. I'd take the Beamer's engine though. A silky smooth Inline-6...
@@Donnerfink Right! I have just reached the 19000 miles (304000 km) with my Ford Mustang and had to maybe have 3 things fixed the entire time.
@@roncenti a friend of mine bought the Kuga MK1 Diesel ages ago and never had any problems (260000 km now). And that's why i took a closer look at Ford for myself. A mazda 6 and the Opel Insignia were also in play. But after test driving all of them, Ford got the deal.
@@Donnerfink öhm, isnt Ford considered a german car. headquarters in cologne.
About shoes off: neither in Northrhine Westphalia where I have grown up nor Lower Saxony and in Schleswig - Holstein you take off your shoes entering flats or houses.
That would be very impolite to ask your guests to take their shoes off.
I disagree with the generalisation: Usually it is accepted when guest visiting another houshold that they keep their shoes on. But usually there is a small conversation involved about the topic out of courtesy.
Guest visiting may ask if they should take off their shoes or leave them on. The host will offer them designated "guest house shoes" or slippers but more than often replay: "it's okay to leave your shoes on". As a guest you will wait for this offer from the host - just to walk in without asking and assuming might upset people.
I've lost count of the number of times I've avoided being t-boned by a huge pickup truck that was running a red light at an intersection in the US by my not pealing off immediately when my light turned green.
And nevertheless the guy behind you will still honk...
Listening to your examples I had to smile a lot. I am a guy from northern Germany. We are a lot more laid back than the people from Baden - Württemberg. The only thing that makes us upset is when you talk too much.
It´s only Württemberg. We Badners aren´t like that at all. And we even have something in common with you northerners, we also like to talk less. We can pack complete sentences in small 2 letter words, like, how are you? = un?
Moin Moi..*gets kicked in the face*
@@ASW20kutscher😂😂😂 I was about to write the same even though I‘m from Frankfurt.
says someone who probably do not know anyone from Württemberg.... Very strange these "we are better than the other ones"-habits.... Typical as well, thinking not as a nation but as a tribe. Kopfschüttel. In the South the Northern people are regarded as cool, keeping distance not making friends so fast, not having humour. I know a lot who do not fit the pattern!
@@hadrianusemperor7261Die Kommentare hier sind genauso ironisch wie der Original-Podcastbeitrag von NALF, der sogar in seinem ersten Satz auf den eingeschränkten Ernst seines Themas hinweist. Meine Vorfahren stammen, wie der Name beweist, aus Baden.
The first upload already did the upsetting in a perfect way
I wonder why it always happens...
@@InTeCredo Shhhh. It's a deep, dark secret.
Correct.
I watched the whole 21 seconds then was upset.
Even more when I found out I couldn't comment ... 😉
Most of what you describe can be applied to much of Europe. Asking how someone is doing in Europe is really only a topic for people who know each other and they are curious about what the other person has been doing or how he is doing. More of a question in the family when you haven't seen each other for a long time.
Walking in the bikeline is much more risky in Holland and Denmark, where you would not only get scolded, but someone would run you over with smile on their face.
Being late is probably rude in half of Europe. The south of Europe will probably have it more relaxed, and the center and the north will really pay attention to it.
By the way, greetings from Prague
Exactly. How are you doing just isn't used figutatively as Hi in most of Europe I guess.
I think in France it's more like in America, it's standard to ask "Ca va?" and answer "Ca va."
I went to Prague for a long weekend, after more than 40 km some Hare krishna guys showed up and confused me.
@@butterbee2163 Good catch
Don’t be too early either, if your invited to dine in a private home at 7 pm don’ show up at 6 or 6:30 or 6:45, the host might not be quite finished with preparing food, laying the table or changing clothes, so this will stress the host.
elegant and fun way to introduce your sponsor, Nalf, well done 🙂
The honking at the green light is more like the expectation that you are mentally present when you participate in traffic with a car.
We Germans have a lot of fun driving on the highway at 186 mph. Many people may think that we are hooligans. But if there's a traffic jam, we create an emergency lane for the ambulance. 10,000 drivers take part, none of them use the open route for themselves. No other country on this planet has such disciplined citizens.
In really urban areas you can leave the Pfand bottles standing next to a public bin. There are people who collect them to turn them in and get the coupons because they need the money. In very busy public spaces like a plaza in a bigger town or city, you may even see somebody or several people with one or more bags, actively asking for people's empty Pfand bottles.
I am Franconian, and I get mistaken for a Bavarian a LOT. No hyping of the State I live in from me. I'd rather be in BW or RP or even Hessen, but work is here.
And anybody who wastes my time at the traffic lights deserves to burn in the deepest crevices of HELL!
Bike lanes are known as "Todesstreifen" (death strip) in our very pedestrian family. You WILL risk your life if you go in there.
Langsam tun mir Franken leid :D Alle die ich kennen lerne haben richtig Beef mit Bayern xD
I'm German, I'm 64 years old, I have ! never ! put my shoes off iwhile visiting other people. This is definitely not a "German" habit. Might be some people do but not all.
Well, it IS a habit for polite Germans.😅 If you would like to keep your shoes on you ask at the entrance whether you should take it off. May be that the host says: "No, worries, please keep them on" but it also may be that the owner tells you to take it off, anyway. But if you don't ask many Germans won't let you know because they don't want you to feel uncomfortable. There are exceptions, e.g. craftsmen.
It's just a matter of hygiene.
@@CriticalPoliteness - NO
5 Minuten vor der Zeit ist des Soldaten Pünktlichkeit, nur der Sanitäter kommt 10 Minuten später. - deutsches Sprichwort
A Soldier always arrives 5 minutes beforehand, just the medic arrives 10 minutes later. - german adage
We walked all through Schwäbisch Hall when we visited there and it's fun picking out the places we saw there while watching your videos. My wife and always look forward to them. By the way, the German traits you described all seem to me to be normal and reasonable behavior, including the thoughts on Bavaria. My ancestry is northern German. That's where we spend most of our time when in Germany and our German friends live there as well. Bavaria and northern Germany are very distinct from one another.
I lived in Schwäbisch Hall for nearly 4 years. Until I can return to visit former family members (my ex is from Hessental) and old friends, I look forward to Nick's videos!
any non bavarian german will tell you that bavaria is its own country. These guys sometimes have such heavy dialects that it's basically another language.
Go to Baden-Württemberg, to the German/Swiss border. In some regions there people *do* speak another language (it's related to German, sure, but it is considered a language, and not a dialect, by at least UNESCO). Friends of mine do speak Alemannic, and when I heard them talk to their children, I couldn't understand anything. :D
"nett hier, aber waren sie schon mal in Baden Württemberg?"@
Bavaria is the Texas of Germany.
that is accurate@@roncenti
@@roncenti, with the same attitudes...
The exception to number 9 is when you're walking around with your beer in the evening with a friend or something, it's totally acceptable to drink from the bottle in that case. Just make sure you leave the bottle somewhere it can be collected for pfand!
There is also an exception to number 5 (shoes in houses). While generally it is agreed upon to never wear shoes in apartments, in houses it is sometimes considered ok. Best course of action there is... to simply ask.
Deutsche und "Flaschenkind" ich trinke mein Bier immer aus der Flasche, wesentlich lieber als aus dem Glas.
you probably wouldn't do that with a Weizen, though. Pils is no big deal to drink from a bottle, but Weizen needs to be poured properly.
Germans and Dutch are so alike! 🙂
Wir lernen in der Fahrschule, an der Ampel im ersten Gang zu warten und die Kupplung kurz vor dem Kontaktpunkt (oder so ähnlich) zu halten. Ja, Leute, die bei Grün erst von ihrem Nickerchen aufwachen oder von ihrem Handy aufblicken, haben alles Schlechte verdient! 😂
I think the reason for being so swift with the grocery divider is different, you're about to start the Olympic 100m sprint final against the Usain Bolt of Lidl (the teller) so you need to give the person behind you as much preparation time as possible so the second you have loaded all of your groceries on the conveyor, it's polite to put the divider down swiftly.
The reason for drinking Weizen from a glass also is that the yeast which is an essential part of the flavour will only be released when the beer is poured.
Try a Belgian bar. They can have many dozens of beers, and every single one has to be poured into its own, branded glass.
And again an awesome example of NALF's ability to deep national psychology! His analyses are always so true. I can't get enough of it, already looking forward to the next one!
Tbf the divider thing isn't so much about paying but rather avoiding the inefficiency of the cashier having to book a cancelation
"Herr Müller! Storno bitte Kasse 3!"
Actually, Germans (and Austrians) do ask "How are you?" frequently, but they use it not as a casual greeting but as a conversation starter. If someone asks you how you are, it means they want to ease into small talk, or that they are genuinely interested in your life in the last few days or weeks.
you got me! Even when you just talk about Bavaria! Ok, I moved from Lower Saxony / Hamburg down to Karlsruhe. That was a big deal for me "Nordlicht". But I never would live in Bavaria.
Ok, visit it for holidays would be ok. But not living there! :D
There is an easy and polite solution to the "shoes inside" conundrum: Just ask. Any German host will consider you very polite and well-mannered if you ask. Because some older German homes can be a bit drafty and the owner is usually aware of that and will suggest that you can leave your shoes on.
I think you learned a lot about how German brains work and as a German I enjoy, when you explain how US Americans think. Your channel is a great contribution to understanding eachother. None of the cultures is better than the other, they are just different. And this is a good thing. Keep up the good work!
Even the way you present commercials is hilarious 😂❤👍
...and now I am upset realizing that literally all of those things do in fact upset me..😩
I think that house shoe thing is more a south and eastern Germany thing. I my area you can wear your shoes wherever you want except when you're visiting a person that originally is from the east.
I think it's… undefined. Not regional, I'm pretty sure of that: I wore shoes in the house in my youth in the 70s/80s, and so did my friends, and that was and is in the south of Germany (Baden-Württemberg). And in the last couple decades I only recall one family/couple who asked guests to take of their shoes, and they were explicit that it was to avoid damaging their apartment's floors (so they'd not lose their deposit if the moved out).
@ Thats a new excuse. And I think you are right. I left Germany in 98 and never ever had to take my shoes off anywhere. I think people just got more Germ/dirt obsessed.
I live in western Germany and hardly know anyone who would leave their shoes on or doesn't expect the guests to take them off. Everyone takes them off in front of the entrance or in the hallway. Even when people have a home party everyone takes them off. Old people bring slippers if they come for coffee and cake.
the "south and eastern Germany thing" is a pretty wild theory ... and rather makes you wonder how you get to this conclusion. Of course not all the people are the same. But it is definitly more common to take your shoes off or at least ask if you should do so ... than the other way around. ...and probably more common with hosts having carpet or wooden floors than ceramic tiles
every american in germany: you have to take your shoes off!
me entering thousands of homes in the past 50 years from the east to the west from the north to the south not being asked to take my shoes off a single time. 🤯
I don't think I've ever been asked to take off my shoes either (aside from my parents when I was a kid), but that's because I along with basically everyone I know do it anyway.
If you don't want to be late (#10), you have to honk at everyone who dosen't start driving immediately at a green traffic light (#3). 😆
Definiton of "Augenblick": the time in which the traffic light turns green until the German behind you beeps his horn!
This was one of the best implementations of an ad I've ever seen. I'd certainly subscribe now if I wasn't already
I looove those NALF videos! What a treat after a stressful day😍😍😍 love it! Period!
I need distraction ... and what better distraction is being German and read that videos title. Love you, Nalf!
I am very German in a lot of your senses, but I love playing check-out chicken every single time. You get 5 points for every Warentrenner you don't put, 10 points for the other person putting it behind them. 25 points off for the cashier asking whether this still belongs to the other party. Requires nerves made from steel ;-)
In may, I have been in Sardegna and Corsica for three weeks. Never, never complain about german drivers. They are babys compared to what I have seen.
god i love our little grocery devider bars
So when German drivers, honking at you when you don’t start driving immediately, are considered aggressive, what are the Italian drivers to you? 😆
Lol that‘s true! 😂 I recommend Rome, Naples, Palermo… it would be a complete new level 🙏🤪
Total, oder auch nach Griechenland. Da wird nicht nur gehupt sondern auch geflucht, Was das Zeug hält 😂
I used to live abroad and had a lot of Spanish friends. I just gave up. When we were supposed to have dinner together, I just ate. When they wanted to come over to watch a movie, I just watched it. Despite their best intentions they never made it to my house before I was completely starving or before my bedtime. 😂
LOL, funny. Yeah, Spaniards just start their day at 11PM;-)
@@gloofisearch they really do and just don’t understand. 😭 They would be perfectly fine in the morning too, well rested and everything, while I can function on less than 7 hours of sleep.
i had a portugues GF for 4 years.Einstein knows nothing about time.
Ask them to come 4 hours before you want them to?
Never underestimate german "Blockwart-mentalität".... being yelled at for sweating too much in a sauna is the best example for that. It should be part of the national anthem 🤣
Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit
für das deutsche Vaterland!
Dafür lasst uns alle beschweren,
brüderlich mit Herz und Hand!
@@Kokuswolf😂🙈
7:07 I am german and used to live in Ireland for 6 years and there too they ask you "how are you" for a greeting. which is super annoying in the morning to hear every 5 steps or when waiting in line for the first all important coffee of the day, especially when you know they don't want to know and are just being "nice", and only expect a "yeah, alright. how about you?".
so, on extra special days I actually responded by telling them as I would in germany. that really messed with their heads. 😅
the look of confusion and bewilderment with a slight touch of regret for having asked, was priceless.....🤣😂🤣
Usually people change shoes at the entrance of the apartment - taking off their street shoes for "house shoes" / slippers.
Guest visiting may ask if they should take off their shoes or leave them on. The host will offer them designated "guest house shoes" but more than often replay: "it's okay to leave your shoes on". There is usually a small conversation involved about the topic out of courtesy. Just to walk in without asking and assuming might upset people.
Just a guess, but you are no older than 35? :D
@@MannIchFindKeinName thanks for the compliment ... but, quite the contrary!
Are you?
@@henningbartels6245A few years missing, and i was asking since this is a sentiment i found very strongly in the under 35 year old :D
Might be the age difference, but with older people i barely ever have a talk about that, its just an information. "Here are the slippers" / "Your shoes go there" / "Just leave your shoes on". No problems with that, though^^
Disclaimer: Bavaria feels like a different Country next to Germany to a lot of Germans. They wanna do it "their Way" either politically or culturally. A lot of them are just something else.
Oh, like Texas 😂
Sweaty guy, too. Never got yelled at in the Sauna for sweating through the towel but be sure to bring enough to always have a somewhat dry one available at hand.
For the groceries dividers, I never sass anyone for not putting down theirs, I just put it there before I place my groceries. And, of course, another one after mine :)
Thanks and very useful! I like the way , you are showing us the different parts of your beautiful town!
A little addition: germans "lassen die kupplung schleifen" which is riding clutch, i think. So we already are in first gear :D. Gives us the 0.2 sec headroom to punctuality...
Note to being on time. Being too early is also something very rude, depending on the kind of meeting. (Seriously, you're better 5 minutes later at someone's home, than 5 minutes early!)
Especially meeting someone at their home, means that it is absolutely unacceptable to be too early. In fact, you should be there right on time, or up to 5 minutes late, when meeting someone at their home. After all, they may still be busy with other things.
When you meet somewhere outside, or it's an appointment at work, it's absolutely ok to be too early, since your actions won't have any negative impact on them.
5 minutes early is not a big deal, but better 30 minutes late than 30 minutes early!
Most of these apply in Sweden also with one big difference: If you screw up, no one will tell you. Not only will they not tell you, we will not get visibly upset or give any hint of a complaint or dislike.
We will simply quietly dissasociate from the person doing it. So, yes, come into my home with shoes, you wont get a reaction, but you also wont be invited back, ever.
Cut in line and the whole line will remember you, your face and what you did. We wont tell you, but we will discretely just avoid you. Take the last piece of cake in the lunch room, and you will be silently judged, forever, perhaps avoided.
Super funny and true at the same time. Let's see the rest of it. Thanks NALF!
I was stationed in Germany in the early 90's. Still visit once a year at least. I myself have a big issue with getting a beer in the wrong glass. Nothing worse than going to a "Beer" place, claiming to be beer experts, and then they serve me a Weisen in a pint glass. What the heck. I am so bad about my step-son does the same thing. When one of us gets served a Weisen in the wrong glass we text each other pictures of the glass.
It's Weizen. With a "zee"
I mean "Zed" for americans.
And I totally understand your point 😉
Weizen has to be poured slowly and complete ,with some swirling to get the Hefe out (those bacterias that make alcohol) .We figured out a good way to put it in a glass,and you cant do it otherwise.I got mad on so many exchange students (spain etc) for drinking weizen from the bottle.
Don’t confuse a Willibecher with a pint glass. Looks almost the same but the Willibecher is for 0,5l and it’s perfectly fine to serve a Weißbier in it.
@@yeoldegamer5112 yes it is, typing too quickly.
I‘ve never seen someone actually upset about the choice of beer glass. I’m fact, you can always drink straight from the bottle. Just say “Ich bin Flaschenkind” and you’re officially allowed to drink from the bottle
The "Altbier-glass" in the pic is horribly wrong!
Did you ever drink "Weizenbier/Weißbier"?😅 Everybody will get upset if you drink it from the bottle😂
Your editing and storytelling are always on point !
Funny and pretty accurate. But not walking in the bike lane is common sense, just like not walking in the car lane.
Hope you know that I sing your outro everytime like Mikey would have done ... every ... single ... video
Hahahaha I’m German, living and driving in Germany!
Not only “sleeping” in front of a yellow traffic light about to turn green, but as second or third car waiting for HOURS before you follow and thus allowing only 2-3 cars to pass the crossing - will make me light up with rage!! 🤬😡
😂😂😂😂
About "how are you"...I've just returned from Ireland and they have pretty much the same expression, but also "Are you all right?" First I felt as if I was being asked if I'm sick or mentally ill :D and didn't know what to answer but later just answered "Fine, thanks". Took some time to get used to. And yes, you're right. If people ask "how are you", people should expect a direct answer to this question 🤪 And about walking on bicycle lanes, it's mostly bicycles who are driving on pedestrian ways in my own experience, which drives me crazy and bikers can also get very mad. This is why I stopped walking to work and now take a bus.
Nalf, shoes off in the house is not in my house. I only switch shoes if is snowing or raining outside.
Thans for your insights.
Most of your points are really good and had me smiling! Just one thing: I love Germany being complimented. Can’t get enough of it 😁
Thank you so much for this video🥰. You cracked me up😂. I found myself in most of the points. Best regards from beautiful BAVARIA😉🇩🇪❤️🇺🇸 12:51
So true about not having the reflexes of Lewis Hamilton when the traffic light turns green 😂
Honking at the traffic light is meant to kindly wake up the sleeping driver in front of you.
Me as a German I can most relate to the "Hi, how are you" thing he speaks about, and I am often having a hard time speaking to English people, when they just don't really care if I answer or not. Needs some getting used to as a German to not answer and just say "Hi" as well.
And maybe this was intentionally avoided, but never make a Hitler joke when a German is present or don't compare Germany to the Nazi regime in any way, that can be taken as very upsetting or rude, that's even worse than comparing whole of Germany to Bavaria.
You nailed it. It was so much fun to watch. And yes.....do not take away my right to complain....it is untouchable
I stayed with a German family in Braunschweig for a week back in 1970. They didn't take off their shoes in the house. Maybe this is something new? One thing they did which I thought was strange at first but then really liked is that every morning when the family gathered in the living room before breakfast everyone shook hands with each other including me. The family consisted of the father, an elementary school principal, the mother, a son and daughter in their late teens and early 20s and the grandmother. Can Germans tells me if shaking hands like this is just when you have company in the house or what?
Family is a father, mother, two kids, a grandma, and a school principal?
I‘m German and I’ve never heard of this or even saw this thing with shaking hands each other in the morning, that‘s really strange.
Taking off shoes when entering the house is more a new thing, no idea where this comes from, but I for myself hate it, when I have to take my shoes off. But it’s not often the case for god‘s sake. 😉
@@ericminch No, sorry I wasn't clear. The father was a school principal.
The handshaking in the morning within the family seems really strange to me - never heard of such a habit.
We just shook hands of visitors coming into the house, not the ones living in the house. But we always greet each family member in the morning without shaking hands.
Thank you very much, you made my day. Several of the topics you are pointing out might be influenced by the area you are living in.
Being quick when the traffic lights turn green is expected, but the severity of response to delays seems to worse the more urban and the more south you live.
To be fair, I get mad when people steal half a second from me in traffic. I get sitting at the light and waiting for it to change is boring, but come on. We all got places to be and you aren’t entitled to waste my most precious resource.
You got the shoething wrong. Just ask on entry if it’s fine to lead your shoes on or not. Some of us have shoe on areas in the house, at some houses you will be provided with indoor shoes for guests. Beeing punctual is mostly accepted within +- 5min.
Can't tell you how much I'm enjoying your videos... But this one is by far the funniest! Thanks. My son has been living in Hamburg for 12 years. He doesn't want to leave.
In orther parts of Germany its actually very unusual to take your shoes off, people react the same way if you would get naked without warning.
Which part would this be ? Dirty farmlands walking around in rubber boots all day ?
I love these. Keep them coming. I wish there were more!
Dear Nick, a few months ago you spoke about punctuality in one of your vlogs. You basically said that people who are unpunctual steal other people's time. We have the same thing in traffic at traffic lights. If you don't drive within a few seconds of the green light, you're stealing the time of the drivers behind you
The conveyer belt thing I always understood this way (may be wrong, but this is how I feel myself - being a German by the way):
Its all about being quick and considerate about the one behind you. If I stand behind you, I am waiting for the divider to come down as a sign that you are done and I can put my stuff on the belt. That is why I also do it as soon as I am done, so that the one behind me can start putting their stuff on. I also move to the side a bit to give them space to do so.
As the cashiers are usually so quick, if you don't hurry to put your stuff on, you may hold up the whole line - and I personally think it is a bit inconsiderate if someone in front of me doesn't move to let me put my stuff on - for the reasons I just put out. In a nutshell: It is again about being considerate and about being efficient.
Bavaria is mainly an issue for most non-Bavarians because everyone outside Germany thinks we all run around in Lederhosen and Dirndls - which most non-Bavarians feel is one of the worst clichés and an affront to us as a people.
Totally true: Do not contact me about work after hours - and do not update me about anything while I am on vacation. As long as I still have a job, it can wait until I am back. Actually: Even being let go I would prefer to learn when I am back, so it wouldn't spoil my PTO.
Also: Great videos - I like your channel. Will check out more of your content 🙂.
I never experienced this issue with taking of my shoes visiting people. I lived in NRW, Hamburg, Lower Saxonie. Is this perhaps a habit in southern Germany only?
Probably depends on the family. My relatives in Saxony and Mecklenburg-Westpomernia use house shoes and invite guests to do the same.
If I visit my friends in NRW and keep my shoes on while coming into their home, we wouldn’t be friends any longer. And for me it would be the same. 😅
So I don’t think that’s a regional thing. It probably depends on the person you’re visiting. If someone wants to keep their house clean, they probably won’t be amused if you come in without taking your shoes of. On the other hand if someone doesn’t care if their floor is dirty or not, they’ll probably be okay with their friends keeping their shoes on while visiting.
In Hesse we always take off our shoes in the house. But I don't wear house shoes. I just walk around in my socks
@@all_in_for_JESUS "we"? You mean all the people in Hesse?
@@amandaziccatti6195agreed, everyone takes their shoes off here. Haven't been to any household in the last year's where I didn't take off my shoes. And I never need to mention taking the shoes off in my house because everyone just does it.
I think this tendency to criticize comes from the fact that many people know how well many things used to work. People worked hard and were usually rewarded for it. Those days are long gone, things are indeed going downhill in many areas, the middle class is shrinking, poverty is rising, social security contributions are increasing, bureaucracy is worse than Kafka could ever have imagined.
As a German I can confirm all
But if you don't drive when it's green, at some intersections the green phase feels really short especially for the people behind the first three cars, because it could mean it will be on red before they get their turn, so your two seconds could turn into a minute you are stealing from them. With multiple intersections on your way, it might be the difference between being comfortably early to being right on time and we can't have that!
The "Hey, how are you?!" is the equivalent to "Wie geht's?!" especially nowadays. Nobody really cares about your well being but it's a common not formal way of greeting just like in the US.
True. But many more Germans would tell you how they actually feel "Mir gehts heute Scheisse" than any American ever would. I do it often and the looks back from Americans are priceless. I usually reply: "Uhhgh don't ask".
@@roncenti Based on my experience not so much but I guess it depends on where you live. I live in a major city so the "Wie geht's?!" is just the way I explained over here.....
Hi, I like your videos because they seem to be honest. Here my point of view concerning "How are you". Me as a German lived in El Paso, Texas, in 1986 in a residential complex. One day when I was walking around I met the manager and she asked me "Are you happy?" I started thinking about the word "happy" and "happyness" and delivered a lecture to the manager about the word "happyness". It took me a while to understand that she wasn't interested in a discussion about "What is happyness", but just to hear "yes" or "no". I took her question tooo serious ;-) Now, so many years later, I can laugh about me.
I never witnessed the sweating through your towel thing. Much more taboo imo is drinking inside the sauna and talking loudly and lying down instead of sitting, when the cabin gets crowded during Aufguss. Also the thing with trains being notoriously late depends on the region, there are car states and train states in germany.
11:12 the way you said "Ordnung" slightly aggressively with that English accent... literally rofl right now :D
I admire your courage to put yourself through this. Love your videos. Hoping to visit Germany again some day, and I'm grateful for the tips!
Only one you should remember seriously: cyclists treat the bike lanes like drivers treat the „car lanes“. So just pay attention 💁
Du bist ein guter Beobachter. Du hast in allen Punkten Recht! 👍