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To summarise: 1) Biking is common 2) Renting a flat (Tough) 3) Rent Deposit system(2 to 3 months of rent) 4) Lazy restful Sundays(everything closed) 5) Ruhezeit(Rest time 10 PM-7AM) 6) Contract Renewals happen automatically 7) Bad customer service. 8) Change the way you speak(Be straight to point; no exaggeration) 9) Becoming friends with Germans(Difficult & takes longer) 10) Recycling 11) Learning German( do the prep work before you arrive)
@@mcImariion Fact is, as Germany is a very young Country in its current form, the regional differences are much stronger than differences to other countries. Here all in the north for example, we are very much like Danes, we even have a danish minority because the border did move so much over the last Century an a half. And the Northerners have great difficulties in communicating with the Southerners, so much so that we don't even understand their way of talking. Our Language is pretty similar to written German, whereas in the South, they only speak high German on official Occasions such as communicating with an authority. With their Family and Friends, they speak their Dialect. So, quite natural, we from the North appear cold and distant to the Southerners and they appear to us as a bit rural because they speak German with an Accent and are not that fluent in it because many of them spoke their first words in high German when they came to School.
Deutsche finden andere Deutsche unhölflich! In other news: Deutsche sind deutsch. :-) Ich als Franke habe zum Beispiel weit mehr unhöfliche Bayern erlebt als Berliner und finde z.B: die Süd-Thüringer ganz ok,... wie das wohl kommt...
I agree with most of your comments, these are issues to consider if you want to live in Germany and you are Canadian, US citizen or even Mexican like me. Since I am Mexican, my first language is Spanish. I have lived for some time in Germany and also in the US. My English is much better than my German, however when I am in the US, some people ignore me because they notice that my English is not my mother's language, my accent is different. On the opposite side, in Germany, frequently people congratulate me for trying to speak in German. I think this happens because people in Europe know how difficult is to learn a foreign language. I know you are Canadian, but this comments are for all the English native speakers, please don't expect that everyone should speak English and make an effort to understand the ones that try to speak English, even if their accent is strange.
In regards to #7: I definitely disagree personally. As a foreign(Irish) German speaker who’s been all over Germany, I’ve had nothing but good experiences when trying to do anything. People are super friendly if you make an effort to speak German as a foreigner. The way you approach them also has a huge effect. The Irish are still the most friendly imo, but Germans will also go the extra mile for you. Don’t mean this in a bad way, but if you approach people and just speak English in your normal voice/accent - that’s probably fairly polarising for them. You need to sweeten them up by attempting to get your point across auf Deutsch.
Did you agree or disagree with the trying to make appointments part? I am by pure unintended nature a bubbly person who probably over explains things when I feel like someone might not understand me. I also talk a lot so idk if I would be liked in Germany lol.
@@blackllistd5752 To much small talk sucks. I allways think "please come to the point" I don't want to small talk to employes in shops, they do it anyway only to sell more. That don't mean to be unfriedly or unhelpfully.
Do Germans want ketchup and mayonnaise with it? If they want, let's curl up for them, they can fuck us. Let's change the name for them to laugh or want us? Or let's build our house on them. what is this...
I agree with you with regards to hotline services. What I don't agree with, is when it comes to shop and restaurant service. Not only in Germany, in Europe in general, we don't like to have the people on top of us, neither in the shop, nor in the restaurant. We like to see, try it out and take our decision when we buy something and we expressly don't need any shop employee to bother us. Only if we need help, to order in a restaurant, to ask for the bill, we call for someone. This is not bad service, this is the way we like it and I hate in North America to be bothered by someone when I am trying to come to a decision or get asked by the 5th person if anything is ok and if I need something. On the other side, it seems to me that you made some really bad service experiences, but then again, it's Berlin and Berlin is known for being very different from the rest of Germany and, yes, rude.
Carlos Saraiva. I agree with you 💯 on not wanting to be bothered by customer service when making an important decision. I am an American and can’t stand this even about my own country 🤦♀️
Oh my god I know right ? I am a quite reserved and cold person with strangers )which seems like common sense) and working in customer service is an absurd nightmare here in Canada. Why do I have to bother someone who’s trying to pay for their groceries with dumb questions? Who goes to the shops to make friends for goodness sake
@@bluetickbeagles116 - thank you for your comment, which, by the way, answers something, i always asked myself. I've lived in Los Angeles (CA) and i always wondered if you really enjoy the constant interruptions when having dinner or shopping.
We probably watched hundreds of videos like this before we moved to Germany a few months ago. It was great having an idea of some things to expect. Thanks for sharing!
You cant possibly become "best friends" with someone after one day! Best friend means a lot here. You cant learn everything about a person after 1 day. That must be some superficial level of best friendship...
XDrakeX1 just because North Americans are friendly and want to be friends with you does not mean it’s superficial. Germans seem so suspicious and skeptical of this concept.
@@sandrac3113- Superficial might be a big word and I believe you don't see it that way, but this is not an American thing, it's a German and in general an European thing, because calling someone friend is a big, very big step, who requires time to build up trust, mutual understanding and to know the person, just liking and want to be friends, is here not enough. I know, this sounds flamboyant and stuck up, but that's the way the culture is. You might be working with someone and even be friendly with this person, but it can take years to pass from Acquaintance to Friend. Even people who grew up together, went to the same school and come from the same village might be, as adults, only acquaintances (Kumpel) and not necessary friends. As well, the shifting from acquaintance follows certain patterns who take their time, it's for us just impossible to accomplish all in so short time, hence our feeling that it is superficial. By the way, "Schulfreund" (school friend) has nothing to do with being friends as adults. I know, Germany is not easy.
When she talks about being best friends in an hour or days, she’s exaggerating. In the US for example, sometimes you “click” with someone and because North Americans tend to be more open to form relationships quickly, that person can sincerely become your best friend over time. But no, they were not best friends at once. Having said that, I like Germany’s style better. I’ve always been taken aback by people who attach themselves to me right off the bat. How do you back away slowly without seeming rude? In the States it’s not as easy as it seems like it would be in Germany.
Rental deposits are typical in many locations outside Germany as well. In Germany however, they have to give you your deposit back PLUS interest. Restful Sundays used to be a thing in Toronto not that long ago, ask your parents. Deal with autorenewing contracts by either striking out the clause in the contract when you sign, or sign up and IMMEDIATELY cancel. Then just complete the year.
@@nicosteffen364 Ach, wirklich? Gemäß dem bei uns zuständigen Abfallverband gehören in die Recycling-Tonne oder gelben Sack alle Verpackungen mit grünem Punkt. Andere Dinge (incl. Plastikfolien mit aufgedrucktem Recycling-Schlüssel, aber OHNE grünen Punkt) gehören in den Restmüll. Also: Plastik ist nicht Plastik. Und das soll dann einer verstehen, der aus einem nicht deutschsprachigen Land kommt. Ich kann die Leute verstehen, die das (zu) kompliziert finden. Aber so ist Deutschland: in vielen Dingen überbürokratisiert und zu kompliziert.
I actually used to date a woman in Quebec City and knowing basic French helped a LOT up there. Yes, I could get around only speaking English, but I found that in a lot of places, if you didn't at least try to communicate in French, you generally got "Je ne comprends pas". But, if you did attempt to speak French many times you got a response from the person telling you they speak English.
As with serious and seriös, just because it sounds like it means the same it does NOT. The difference between "friend" and "acquaintance" is not the same as between "Freund" and "Bekanntschaft / Bekannter". If you believe that because your dictionary tells you so, you will be disappointed. Always be aware that the cultural differences between Canada, the USA and Germany are much larger than you would think, in both directions !!
Also, of course they will kick you out at the end of their shift when the store closes (or even earlier when it's to be expected that you overstay the opening hours). They want to go home aswell. And if you come in late because of your own poor time management, then it's not their problem. But the underlying reason is, that in Germany, employees are not property of the employer and they actually have rights, so they have to be treated like human beings and being kept at work, just because some douche decided to come in late is inhumane.
I moved from Romania to Germany and everything you said was true. I didn't think moving from one European country to another would be so much of a culture shock. For people who plan to move to Germany, i would say learning the language is the most important. Thinking that you can just get by with English was my biggest mistake.
I love you guys' behavior, openness and friendliness. I observe that people of most nations behave differently, not only Germans, not as easily and quickly accessible to them.
Germany is not Munich. Berlin is Germany, Germany is Berlin as well, a good average to this country. I think you never spent time in Berlin! Not a second.
It is true in many countries - if you have seen one place, then you have seen the one place. To get a sense of how that country is in general, you need to visit a few places. Then you know what‘s different, but also the similarities. And those similarities are the common culture of that country. Sure, if you only have similarities everywhere, then it is a very uniform country. For historic reasons - Germany being divided in many kingdoms - I consider Germany to be more regionalized. There really are many differences in people‘s characters and their preferences in life, depending on where you are.
The Berlin people are famous in Germany to be very unfriendly. English is not the native language for Germans. So it´s not easy to read between the lines - especially when the English is not so good, what can happen. They learn it at school but when they never have to use it at vacation or for the job, by the time they forget it. Wishing you a good time in Germany and use your time to travel around, by example to Hamburg, a very beautiful city.
Thankfully, people from Cologne, Schwaben (around Stuttgart), Saxony, Bavaria or Berlin usually don't understand each other. Very different dialects and sometimes even languages. I grew up in an area called "Eifel", Snow Eifel, to be exact (next to the Belgian Border), and people there speak something related to Flamish, meaning were ok talking to people in Belgium and Luxembourg, but can not talk to people in Cologne which have a language of their own as well. We learn "Hochdeutsch" in school for a reason. If just to understand the news. Apart from totally different regional dialects and languages, we have very different cultures, political leanings, school systems, food, Bank Holidays differ slightly (the Catholics are a bit better off) and, of course, a very different sense of humour. Everybody who thinks Berliners are rude just doesn't understand their language, history, persistence (try living for decades walled off from the rest of the world in the middle of an enemy state with check points and watch tours with guys pointing guns at you, it's surreal and very sobering, I tell you), their indomitable spirit. They are prickly and have the biggest hearts.
@@gyehlove6420 Sure, there are also friendly people. But most have the "Berliner Schnauze" what they may like but most others it sounds unfriendly. There is a reason why they are called unfriendly in Germany. Not all but many.
It helps if you read the terms before you sign a contract. Most of the people have to work so they want to sleep at nighttime. So a party with a lot of noise on a Thursday........
Hi Diana, if you talk to Germans in English, please keep in mind that we're not native speakers. I do my very best when listening to your videos but I have to be fully concentrated to get what you say. No time left for 'reading between the lines' ; my CPU is already on 100%. Sorry for this weakness but imagine what happens I'd talk to you in German that fast and not taking care of your possibly limited vocabulary...
Dear Diana, I can totally relate to your experience. It's good to know I'm not the only one who struggles with some aspects of German culture. Halte durch! 💪
My German family came to the U.S. in the 1740's, and still I have these traits lol. I don't understand when someone says we should get together but they didn't really mean it. I am very straight forward in contrast to other Americans. So funny how traits can come down through generations.
Very god clip, respect ! Here is a humble suggestion : If you want to emerge into the language, watch your favorite show - once in english / once in german - leave 2 days in between for real life experience . ( " friends" is a good Canadian show , I believe that is available throughout all seasons in German translation. So, enjoy !
This is a great tip! “Friends” like the tv show with ross rachel and chandler? If so i love this show and can almost quote it word for word in english. So this would be great to begin to immerse myself in german as i learn it
Ich komme aus Baden-Württemberg und war zweimal in Berlin. Jedes Mal waren die Berliner seh,r sehr freundlich. Ich lebe derzeit in den USA und möchte behaupten dass man als Nordamerikaner in Berlin nicht wirklich Deutschland erlebt. Berlin is Deutschlands „Meltingpot“. Zudem vermisst man in Berlin nicht wirklich irgendetwas , was es in Nordamrika gibt, weil einfach alles zu haben ist. Vielleicht ein bisschen teurer, aber es ist erhältlich. Wenn Sie Deutschland erleben wollen sollten Sie in eine kleinere Stadt ziehen mit deutscher Tradition und relative wenig Zugang zu „tyoisch“ nordamerikanischen Dingen. Hier in den USA (ich weiß, nicht dasselbe wie Canada), vermisse ich vor allem den freien Zugang zur Natur und gute Nahrungsmittel. Feldwege und die Wurst-und Käsetheke. Gesunde Säfte nicht nur Apfel, Orange, Traube oder Cranberry. Und verbindliche Zusagen. Diese Dinge vermisse ich am meisten denke ich.
kauf doch ein bei Trader Joes, es ist eine deutsche Firma, sie haben auch einiges aus D., die Preise sind gut und alles ist ruecktauschbar gegen Geldzurueck wenn du unzufrieden bist. die Qualitaet ist auch toll und gut. keine GMO s. etc. von deinen kommentaren denke ich du wohnst im westen der usa oder im sueden. verbindliche Zusagen gibt es dort kaum, komm doch zu dem Nordosten, da gibt es so was und es ist auch einfach mehr "deutsch." uebrigens ich wuchs auch auf in BW ! ich verstehe dich ganz gut. kein Land ist perfekt, auch nicht D. , gruss. R.
Qopel. I‘m so glad that you mentioned how long it took you to learn the language. I have always been highly interested in how long it takes to become fluent. Lol...I’ve been using Duolingo but it will NEVER get me fluent, obviously (duh Lol). I wish I could be immersed 24/7 around Germans to learn. 👍🏻
I’ve been in Germany and right off bet I felt connected to many Germans, my way of thinking and their ways seemed very similar, so I decided to search for this types of videos to study about them more if ever I’ll be moving in Germany, yeah LOL I don’t see my self violating any of this rules I’m 100% okay with it, I feel like there are no rules because of my natural ways. I’m an INTP by the way from 16 personality types and I met a lot of WHAT I PERCEIVE as fellow INTPs, try to search about INTP and compare it to Germans. I think it’s very similar.
Same with us brits in a lot of ways, especially with us older ones.. I don't like being approached in a shop but if I need help will ask, Sundays and holidays used to be a days of rest for us too, and the way we are, similar to Germans... But then we were influenced a lot by America, and still are... Well some of us
Jenny Gibson Sorry. I don’t live in Bavaria , was speaking through my experience of travel. Hopefully someone else on the channel can give you some advice.
Customer service I have never had an issue with here. I come twice a year. RHUE zeit is one of the best things ever. I love it. Wish we had it in the usa
Great info! I reside in Brunn (Bavaria land) since Feb.2019. And yes! We must learn the language, life can become much more easy. Thank you for all the insights.
I biked to work a whole year in Germany 🇩🇪 it was nice and kept my weight down. I also did it in combination with a train. I’m buying a house in Germany
I have a German friend and it took us a really long time for us to become friends. But I honestly agree with Germans with wanting to form meaningful relationships because here in America, everyone is nice but very superficial (and I’m American btw) Of course it’s a cultural difference, and they are more serious, but I like how different their perspectives are and how logical and sensible they are.
It’s so funny how so many Germans get a bit sensitive about what you say in the comments. I grew up here, never noticed the unfriendlyness myself but you are so right! We do say costumer is king here but that‘s not something we actually really follow! Maybe it’s just a thing here in Stuttgart (Berlin as well!) I think in other cities people are more open and nice (from what I‘ve heard and experienced). I‘ve been to shops many times where the cashier didn‘t even greet me, I‘ve been hung up to at so many places, been talked to in very rude ways at the townhall. And I‘ve worked in retail for 5 years, I know what it’s like to deal with costumers but I was always nice to everyone. And my German is pretty perfect, I think people are way more unfriendly if you have a foreign accent (which is what my parents experience a lot, and I get it, it was more difficult to communicate with costumers that had trouble speaking German to me but you can still be nice).So yes compared to other countries strangers are not very nice here (not all of them of course! I‘ve also met very friendly, helpful strangers! And I have so many German friends which are the most helpful, kind people ever!and I even consider myself to be quite German. I like their effective systems and I love living here, don’t get me wrong. But people are just not that nice 😂 but I‘d say the French are wayyy worse 😂 rudest country I‘ve ever been to up until now.
Being offend is a national sport in Germany. Germans constantly correct you in comments or something like this. Otherwise is real life it might be considered rude.
As far as it concerns a rent deposit (it is usually called security or damage deposit (AB), it does exist in all of Canada, except Ontario (there is the last month deposit in action), but still there some other types of deposits. Ontario is the only province that allows landlords to collect a deposit to cover the last month of rent. This rent deposit cannot be used to cover damages or for any other purpose. If there are damages to the unit, the landlord must make an application against the tenant to collect those funds. A security deposit (or damage deposit) is money that must be returned to the tenant if certain conditions are met. If a rental unit is damaged during the tenancy or the tenant moves out without giving enough notice or paying all their utility bills, the landlord can keep all or part of the deposit.
I am german and I do not agree with No.6! I had some experience with the custom immigration while spending holidays in the US....these people were harsh and unfriendly. I never saw like that in GER
I'm going to germany this summervacation. It's an excellent place when you live in the Netherlands (like me) Or when you live in an other part of europe.
Hi Diana, It is very interesting what you have observed and what you are saying. In Europe there are many different cultures, and we have learned to deal with these cultural differences. In Austria, we can share many of what you have said about "Germany", but there are also major differences, and even Germany is not "Germany". There are cultural differences between Germany's different regions, even within Austria, and even within Tirol. In Innsbruck, situated in the middle between Oberland and Unterland, they say that when a guy gets to know a girl friend, before she gets a kiss in Oberland, she will already have a child in Unterland. Central and Eastern Europe, including Germany, the old Holy Roman Empire, but also the old Rzeczpospolita, and also Russia, are not a homogeneous culture like it is in America, and we consider these different cultures a richness. We have learned (unfortunately sometimes also less, leading to conflicts) to respect each other, to learn from each other. It is a necessity being driven from the geographic fact that these cultures do not have strict geographical borders like islands have, that through the last 20 centuries big armies have moved around, and that these cultures are open to all four directions. Some of what you said about Germany also applies to Austria, and even more to the Slavic parts of Europe. Let me pick two points: 1) You mentioned that Americans tend to exaggerate. I totally agree with you. For us Europeans, this exaggeration of Americans appears to be strange, sometimes even we feel that somebody tries to deceive us, not telling us the truth, at least that this person assesses a situation totally wrong. When I watch American commercials, for example, I often feel more disgusted than attracted from them. 2) When Americans seem to be "friendly" and invite you, for us Europeans it means a "real friendship", but often we then experience and are disappointed, that for Americans it does have a much less deep meaning. For us, real, deep long-term friendship is our focus. It is harder to achieve, as you correctly said, but it also holds much stronger than we feel Americans consider this. Roughly speaking, Americans tend to play Baseball, i.e. "hit and run", whereas Europeans play Chess where every move is considered for its long term impact. I think this is an overall attitude and major difference between European and American cultures. This was said by William B. Quandt, former member on the US National Security Council in the Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter administrations. In 1989 he said to our current foreign minister: "We in the US do not play chess, we play baseball, hit and run" on her question "I don't get it, in July you do this, in August that, and then in September again something totally different, what is the logic behind?". czcams.com/video/hu8On22xVGc/video.html On the other hand, when we Europeans are reserved in the beginning and try to come to a point, it must not be interpreted as being against somebody. No, it is just the other way around, we try to build up what is necessary to really understand each other, to gain confidence. To really trust each other and become real long-term friends, this is not an easy process. European cultures cannot be judged black and white like we feel often Americans do. I am sure you have already built up this understanding. This is what this video tells me. When you go East for instance to Slavic countries, this cultural character is even developed much stronger. From my experience, the relation between America and Germany is about the same as between Germany and Slavic Countries. From a Slavic perspective, for instance, Germans leave the impression that they have no or little feeling and understanding for these Eastern cultures. And I think this is somehow true. They sometimes behave like an elephant in a porcelain store. Who, for instance, in Germany or Austria learns Slavic languages, builds up an understanding of these cultures? Who of us really knows and understands the role of the Rzeczpospolita as it existed from 1569 until 1795? It had an important impact on the development of cultures, and its impact lasts until today. I just wanted to show this example to demonstrate that nobody of us is better than the other one. We are sitting in the same boat, we are facing similar challenges and problems, and we have to learn all of us, to get to know and understand each other, the many different cultures, to respect them, and to cooperate peacefully. Everybody of us who does this, is an ambassador for culture and peace. I thank you, Diana, for your excellent contribution.
I don't know which stores you go to but it's not right that in every shop there is bad costumer service. We also have the thinking that the costumer is the 'king'. Don't generalize it
Great tips I love your honesty and I agree with you I live in Minneapolis Minnesota and we are very busy all the time people are always on the go doing activities tons of retail shops running errands all day Sunday.
You only have 10?? Honey, I've been here for 8 years (from USA) and I can almost write you a book!! But on the other hand it is a different country so we have to adapt. The language was and still is the hardest for me. I was a computer programmer so I like to think logically but even logic is very different here. In my opinion the language is very illogical but as my language teacher would often say: das ist Deutch. (that's German) Good luck!
I have a question. We are researching a move to Germany. I notice you have plants in your videos. I have a pretty large plant collection and there’s some that I refuse to part with. Did you ship your plants or didn’t you get them in Germany? How easy is it to buy different pothos or others in Germany? Today I walked into a big box store and walked out with a Marble Queen and a string of bananas for really cheap and I’m afraid of not having that option any longer.
23 y/ old living in Munich and I've lived in 5 cities till now, all with completely different cultures. I think it was really naive of me to assume that I'll meet many people like me (as I actually have in the previous 4 cities).. I always had people with diverse backgrounds around me who have had similar stories, e.g. someone who was born in brazil, moved to the States, Indonesia, Switzerland then Sydney... so yeah, some how I feel like the way we behave/ think/ approach life is obviously quite different - and I should have known better and not taken this so lightly. For me, the toughest thing has definitely been socialising and making friends here :( It's a very complicated story with me but yeah I have really changed a LOT since I've moved here and my life's completely different here.. not really sure if its for the better or worse. However, I do hope it will get better with time (esp. when I get a job here) *fingers crossed*
Quiet hours - Yes, we take these hours seriously. Gosh, I have had so many discussions with my English neighbours about quiet hours. Sorry, I need to get up at 5 am as many of us use to do. The other points are also all very correct.
My flat owner just moved the apartment/me (a 17 year tenant) to a new housing company and I am showcked, by how bad the customer srvice is. First of all, they expect me to speak english. So I have to go out of my way to just communicate about housing problems. I dont think it´s even legal. And then they treat me differtly, because my contract doesn´t obligate me to about 1000 times the rent I rented the apartment for. My apartmen in Neukölln cost 180,- cold for 39 squaremetres, when I rented it 17 years ago. Now I pay 220,- I get, why they want me out of here. But it´s not nice, for a long time tenant.
Just follow the rules in Germany like in Japan, respect and be careful ur behavior, not being selfish to other people, give up ur free life styles! German is like Japanese, both country is high civilized!
Short comment to the rent and customer service topics. When I first moved to Germany, I rented a room in a shared flat from a private landlord. It went surprisingly smooth, the guy was very kind and helpful. Later I decided that I move to a small flat on my own. I wanted to rent the apartment through a real estate agency. That's another story... The most pathetic service I ever experienced. I almost had to go to a hotel for a week because they ghosted me for weeks even though all my application, etc. were ready. Might be a useful note to others:)
Hi diana btw nice videos quality content!! Just an advice here, you should really do try to learn german. Since your living there and I kinda saw a comment from a german somewhere that when foreigners try to speak german even if they arent fluent, germans would have higher sense of respect fo this foreigners. Happy Life Diana!!
Somethings seem to be Berlin specific, but also a lot of these things are normal in European countries (lazy sundays, no noise at night time, rent deposit, learn the language before moving because English is not the first language)
Why are some people so intent on criticizing her? My visits to Berlin and information from my son who moved to Berlin about 7 years ago and is raising a family there more or less confirm what she is sharing. Does she mispronounce a word? So what? Enjoyed the video.
Much of your list applies to any big city in America as well: customer service, rent deposits, recycling bins. I would not imply that it’s the US vs a European city when it’s clearly small town vs city.
Customer is king, but Germany is a republic.This the motto. I moved to Germany but I did a bit of digging and consulted expat dedicated websites beforehand. I had one issue with recycling because I was lazy, not because I didn't know. This is so well documented with charts even and every building has a schedule for picking up the recycling. I actually love that the Germans are honest, reserved and direct. I am quite extroverted sometimes and my blood gets heated, being a Latin temperament, but I always found the bff in 10 mins attitude off-putting, if not fake. Germany is quite nice and, even if I am still learning German, I never had a situation when I needed help and people did not offered to help.
Es gibt in Berlin Stellen wo ich NICHT Fahrrad fahren würde, aber es gibt wirklich schöne Stellen wo man es mit Genuss tun kann... I was in Canada too, not all Canadians are nice, sometimes you can see that they live close to the USA, being self centerd, cold and selfish people, dont care for others and complaining about the poor freeloaders with health care they dont deserve, that i was told by a 19yrs old girl in Toronto, with rich parents...
You are not cold.. I mean I can't speak for the whole country but.. You are just reserved.. Im reserved too.. But the only difference is.. In my country its not a common thing to be like that.. You will easily get bullied or something.. That's why I'm reserved but as well friendly and warm so I can live well here. But.. I have a question for you.. Does german feels suspicious to anyone when they are making friends?
Duolingo and EasyGerman are great ways to learn the language. Ich wohne in Die Niederlande und ich lerne die Deutsche Sprache. Ich gehe gern nach Deutschland.
Everyone I've met who's been to Germany says that they teach English in schools there and most people are fluent in English. I didn't expect language to be such a barrier for an English speaker!
The renting issue is just an issue because we had an influx of about 2 million additional renters the marked wasn't prepared for. So now rents are extremly high until the housing infrastructure catches up...but the rents will stil stay high obviously, they will just stop to increase so fast and it will be much easier to find flats and houses then.
Cicyling is stressful in Berlin when you are not in a bike lane and they are not everywhere. You're not missing anything. And point 6, yep. It can be very hard to deal with but almost all foreigners feel the same about it as you.
It is not that you have the option to choose when you are about to be kicked out of your apartment and have to say yes to the next option. Berlin is almost impossible to get "unlimited" contracts that easily.
@@ulisesloyafrank2489 : Sorry to head that the conditions got that worse. Years ago I lived in Berlin. I guess that AirBNB is contributing to that situation.
Carlo Cocciolo : Standard rule for unlimited apparent contracts in Germany are: the tenant can cancel every month and then have to keep it 3 month from that... but you can also stay x years and then within 3 months you can cancel... I don’t see the problem with that unless you are tourist or traveler. If you need less then 3 month I suggest a hotel where you can ask for long term cheaper rates or a „pension“ (German special term ... de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_(Unterkunft) )
Unfortunately most European cities have very close-minded people who can't understand that the world has changed. Many of these people had their houses as a gift from their parents, they didn't have to sweat to obtain their possessions, therefore they can't understand how the market works and they can't understand how some people struggle to get by with basic necessities. In the other hand, we have americans and british (with their over-valued currencies and overpowered passports) arriving in countries with their dollars being able to pay for everything for "dirt cheap" as they love to say, and these kinds of people are directly responsible for prices ramping up and making even harder for local people to afford things in local currency. And then you end up with even more division: the ones who never had to work for their possessions and the ones who have to work hard but can never afford to own anything.
The first time that my sister visited Toronto (from Halifax) she was struck by how cold and unfriendly the locals were. Whenever she went into a shop, the salespeople didn't want to have small talk with her. And people didn't say hello when she passed them on street.
There are a lot of true observations in this video and I think it will be very helpful for people coming to Germany. A couple of points though =;-)) Please, please don't say it is difficult to find an appartment in Germany because of the lots of expats coming here. I know this is not what you wanted to say, but things like this are gladly picked up by xenophobes. It is not (primarily) because of expats that it is getting more difficult to find an appartment or to afford rent, it is more about people moving from the country to the city for work. On the deposit-thing: you get your rent-deposit back _in theory_ I've read that lately landlords tend to keep it because of (imagined) damage to the appartment. It's a growing cause for lawsuits. On self-renewing contracts: There are rules to this. My recommendation: make friends with a German law-student, because many of those clauses are void. Back in my day we got out of every gym-membership, sometimes even with penalty payments by the gym. On making friends with Germans: In general: yup, we are a more reserved people, but that's also a regional thing. Northern Germany is notorious for this behaviour, apparently Munich is bad as well (according to Aspens videos) the least culture shock for North Americans will be Cologne in that sense. BUT: Just like in the US it is pretty simple to make contact with a stranger in a bar, but just like in the US he probably won't remember you the next day. So it is kind of superficial. That's of course a generalization. On customer service: that's a really difficult and multi-layered issue. American and German customer service are very different. I usually get a panick attack (I can exaggerate too =;-)) ) When I enter an American shop:"Hi my name is Joe, what can I do for you, can I show you..." All I wanted is to browse in peace and quiet. Now I'm on guard: does he thnik I want to steal somenthin or why is he folowing me around? How dare he! Damn now he's putting on a sales show which makes it harder for me, not to buy the stuff. I feel like I have to explain myself. Damn the pressure! Oh, He told me his name, I didn't listen. Was it Dave, John, Jeronimo, I can't ask him about this product, because it is rude, not to adress him by name.....etc. Welcome to a German mind! (Fellow Germans: don't tell me I'm the only one thinking like that!) Our idea of good customer service in a store is somebody attentive, at a respectful distance asking you, if you need help, once you make eye-contact or or look around as if you are lost. If they don't react to that, the service is crap. You can usually find it in young, "hip" clothing boutiques with bored, beautiful students as sales persons. Inspite of the differnce in philosophy, there is something to be said about customer-service of phone providers. everything governmental etc. "Here are the rules, deal with it". We can send you a technician between 8am and 2 pm. or betwewen 2pm and 7pm. Can he announce himself on the day in question to narrow the window? HOW DARE YOU! But is that really differnt in North America? Speaking of regional: I shouldn't forget that you are in Berlin. I don't even want to know what customer service means in Berlin. AS several other people commented here, Berliners are often considered rude. They have their own way of dealing with people which I hate. Some call "Berliner Schnauze" a charm of it's own. Personally I find it rude and arrogant.
Here where i live we have one of the VERY FEW "bigger"=around 1500 sqm grocery shop that is also open at sundays ! It in Wolpertshausen not far from the highway only 3km .. It the BESH-Market. Ok for American not big they ae used to shops with 20 000 sqm and more as a "usual bigger shop" with 24/7 open time..
Hi Diana, thanks for sharing another interesting video. From what I know, they have trains, buses and trams in Berlin, though trams are fairly limited, due to only the trams from the eastern part of Berlin being the main ones running. What public transport do you use there? The Sunday shop closures there are similar to what we used to have years ago here in Australia back in the 1960's. Adelaide took it one step further by not even running public transport on a Sunday. As far as I know, this is no longer the situation these days. The stores there remind me of some of the foreign stores in Sydney. I remember I entered a Greek store one day and was ignored completely. So, I can understand what you have experienced. Anyway, wishing you all the best. Robert.
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To summarise:
1) Biking is common
2) Renting a flat (Tough)
3) Rent Deposit system(2 to 3 months of rent)
4) Lazy restful Sundays(everything closed)
5) Ruhezeit(Rest time 10 PM-7AM)
6) Contract Renewals happen automatically
7) Bad customer service.
8) Change the way you speak(Be straight to point; no exaggeration)
9) Becoming friends with Germans(Difficult & takes longer)
10) Recycling
11) Learning German( do the prep work before you arrive)
Karthik G Thank you.
Now I won't see the vid, sorry 🤣
Oh goodness thank you. She is great but can be quite long winded.
Thank you soooo much!!
Thank you for this
I am sorry but for the most points, you must replace "Germany" with "Berlin".
isnt Berlin a foreign city from Germany :^)
@@mcImariion Fact is, as Germany is a very young Country in its current form, the regional differences are much stronger than differences to other countries. Here all in the north for example, we are very much like Danes, we even have a danish minority because the border did move so much over the last Century an a half. And the Northerners have great difficulties in communicating with the Southerners, so much so that we don't even understand their way of talking. Our Language is pretty similar to written German, whereas in the South, they only speak high German on official Occasions such as communicating with an authority. With their Family and Friends, they speak their Dialect.
So, quite natural, we from the North appear cold and distant to the Southerners and they appear to us as a bit rural because they speak German with an Accent and are not that fluent in it because many of them spoke their first words in high German when they came to School.
@@mcImariion Berlin is a federal state of Germany but Berlin is not Germany.
@@worldhello1234 LOL I am just making fun of the population composition in Berlin.
Nah, these things are common in germany
Zu Punkt 6: Die Berliner erscheinen auch anderen Deutschen als unhöflich.
Bleibt nur die Frage, wie viele echte Berliner haben sie tatsächlich getroffen und ein echtes Gespräch geführt. Gerade in der Innenstadt??
@@robertzander9723 Das stimmt schon, dass Ossis und Berliner unhöflich sind. Und wenn jemand berlinert, dann ist er ja wohl auch Berliner!
Deutsche finden andere Deutsche unhölflich! In other news: Deutsche sind deutsch. :-)
Ich als Franke habe zum Beispiel weit mehr unhöfliche Bayern erlebt als Berliner und finde z.B: die Süd-Thüringer ganz ok,... wie das wohl kommt...
@Heinz Schenk das ist absoluter Unsinn und völlig aus der Luft gegriffen. Vielleicht sollten sie ihr eigenes Verhalten überdenken.
@@m.alexander3071 Weil Südthüringer keine Berliner sind, ist doch offensichtlich…
I agree with most of your comments, these are issues to consider if you want to live in Germany and you are Canadian, US citizen or even Mexican like me.
Since I am Mexican, my first language is Spanish. I have lived for some time in Germany and also in the US. My English is much better than my German, however when I am in the US, some people ignore me because they notice that my English is not my mother's language, my accent is different. On the opposite side, in Germany, frequently people congratulate me for trying to speak in German.
I think this happens because people in Europe know how difficult is to learn a foreign language.
I know you are Canadian, but this comments are for all the English native speakers, please don't expect that everyone should speak English and make an effort to understand the ones that try to speak English, even if their accent is strange.
In regards to #7: I definitely disagree personally.
As a foreign(Irish) German speaker who’s been all over Germany, I’ve had nothing but good experiences when trying to do anything.
People are super friendly if you make an effort to speak German as a foreigner. The way you approach them also has a huge effect.
The Irish are still the most friendly imo, but Germans will also go the extra mile for you.
Don’t mean this in a bad way, but if you approach people and just speak English in your normal voice/accent - that’s probably fairly polarising for them.
You need to sweeten them up by attempting to get your point across auf Deutsch.
Did you agree or disagree with the trying to make appointments part?
I am by pure unintended nature a bubbly person who probably over explains things when I feel like someone might not understand me. I also talk a lot so idk if I would be liked in Germany lol.
@@blackllistd5752 To much small talk sucks. I allways think "please come to the point"
I don't want to small talk to employes in shops, they do it anyway only to sell more.
That don't mean to be unfriedly or unhelpfully.
Do Germans want ketchup and mayonnaise with it? If they want, let's curl up for them, they can fuck us. Let's change the name for them to laugh or want us? Or let's build our house on them. what is this...
If they want to be gods, let's get together and call them gods.
Just stay in the store until they close
And they don't talk to you because they don't want to annoy you. They only help if you need some
I agree with you with regards to hotline services. What I don't agree with, is when it comes to shop and restaurant service. Not only in Germany, in Europe in general, we don't like to have the people on top of us, neither in the shop, nor in the restaurant. We like to see, try it out and take our decision when we buy something and we expressly don't need any shop employee to bother us. Only if we need help, to order in a restaurant, to ask for the bill, we call for someone. This is not bad service, this is the way we like it and I hate in North America to be bothered by someone when I am trying to come to a decision or get asked by the 5th person if anything is ok and if I need something.
On the other side, it seems to me that you made some really bad service experiences, but then again, it's Berlin and Berlin is known for being very different from the rest of Germany and, yes, rude.
Carlos Saraiva. I agree with you 💯 on not wanting to be bothered by customer service when making an important decision. I am an American and can’t stand this even about my own country 🤦♀️
Oh my god I know right ? I am a quite reserved and cold person with strangers )which seems like common sense) and working in customer service is an absurd nightmare here in Canada. Why do I have to bother someone who’s trying to pay for their groceries with dumb questions? Who goes to the shops to make friends for goodness sake
@@bluetickbeagles116 - thank you for your comment, which, by the way, answers something, i always asked myself. I've lived in Los Angeles (CA) and i always wondered if you really enjoy the constant interruptions when having dinner or shopping.
Sounds perfect for introverts. 😀
Ikr
No. Go to iceland please.
Just a joke.
Hell yeah 🤣
Life hack for 5. Just cancel your contracts directly when you sign it.
We probably watched hundreds of videos like this before we moved to Germany a few months ago. It was great having an idea of some things to expect. Thanks for sharing!
You cant possibly become "best friends" with someone after one day! Best friend means a lot here. You cant learn everything about a person after 1 day. That must be some superficial level of best friendship...
XDrakeX1 just because North Americans are friendly and want to be friends with you does not mean it’s superficial. Germans seem so suspicious and skeptical of this concept.
@Sandra C
You seem to have no idea what the word 'friend' means in germany.
@@sandrac3113- Superficial might be a big word and I believe you don't see it that way, but this is not an American thing, it's a German and in general an European thing, because calling someone friend is a big, very big step, who requires time to build up trust, mutual understanding and to know the person, just liking and want to be friends, is here not enough. I know, this sounds flamboyant and stuck up, but that's the way the culture is. You might be working with someone and even be friendly with this person, but it can take years to pass from Acquaintance to Friend. Even people who grew up together, went to the same school and come from the same village might be, as adults, only acquaintances (Kumpel) and not necessary friends. As well, the shifting from acquaintance follows certain patterns who take their time, it's for us just impossible to accomplish all in so short time, hence our feeling that it is superficial. By the way, "Schulfreund" (school friend) has nothing to do with being friends as adults.
I know, Germany is not easy.
When she talks about being best friends in an hour or days, she’s exaggerating. In the US for example, sometimes you “click” with someone and because North Americans tend to be more open to form relationships quickly, that person can sincerely become your best friend over time.
But no, they were not best friends at once.
Having said that, I like Germany’s style better. I’ve always been taken aback by people who attach themselves to me right off the bat. How do you back away slowly without seeming rude? In the States it’s not as easy as it seems like it would be in Germany.
XDrakeX1. I agree 💯 an I‘m an American. It takes me a long time to want to hang out with someone bc I also want quality over superficialities.
Rental deposits are typical in many locations outside Germany as well. In Germany however, they have to give you your deposit back PLUS interest.
Restful Sundays used to be a thing in Toronto not that long ago, ask your parents.
Deal with autorenewing contracts by either striking out the clause in the contract when you sign, or sign up and IMMEDIATELY cancel. Then just complete the year.
No, the recycling system is not confusing. You just have to get used to it.
exactly!
Plastik, Glas, Metall, Papier/Pappe, Bio, Restmüll, was ist daran verwirrend?
@@nicosteffen364 Ach, wirklich? Gemäß dem bei uns zuständigen Abfallverband gehören in die Recycling-Tonne oder gelben Sack alle Verpackungen mit grünem Punkt. Andere Dinge (incl. Plastikfolien mit aufgedrucktem Recycling-Schlüssel, aber OHNE grünen Punkt) gehören in den Restmüll. Also: Plastik ist nicht Plastik. Und das soll dann einer verstehen, der aus einem nicht deutschsprachigen Land kommt. Ich kann die Leute verstehen, die das (zu) kompliziert finden. Aber so ist Deutschland: in vielen Dingen überbürokratisiert und zu kompliziert.
@@TheGermanObserver wie man zu trennenhat findet man zb auf der seite der gemeinde!
K. Schmidt you could say that about literally anything
Useful Information for me as I am traveling to Berlin-Germany next month.. Thanks for such informative video
Thanks! Have a great trip 😊😊
I actually used to date a woman in Quebec City and
knowing basic French helped a LOT up there.
Yes, I could get around only speaking English, but
I found that in a lot of places, if you didn't at least try
to communicate in French, you generally got
"Je ne comprends pas". But, if you did attempt to speak French
many times you got a response from the person telling you they speak English.
As with serious and seriös, just because it sounds like it means the same it does NOT. The difference between "friend" and "acquaintance" is not the same as between "Freund" and "Bekanntschaft / Bekannter". If you believe that because your dictionary tells you so, you will be disappointed.
Always be aware that the cultural differences between Canada, the USA and Germany are much larger than you would think, in both directions !!
After watching this video I decided to move to Toronto. Thank you for the video! Thumbs up 🙂👍
When you travel to Germany, you need an "Allwetterjacke" because man weiß ja nie.
#6: customer is king, but we're a republic now. ;)
Also, of course they will kick you out at the end of their shift when the store closes (or even earlier when it's to be expected that you overstay the opening hours). They want to go home aswell. And if you come in late because of your own poor time management, then it's not their problem. But the underlying reason is, that in Germany, employees are not property of the employer and they actually have rights, so they have to be treated like human beings and being kept at work, just because some douche decided to come in late is inhumane.
I moved from Romania to Germany and everything you said was true. I didn't think moving from one European country to another would be so much of a culture shock. For people who plan to move to Germany, i would say learning the language is the most important. Thinking that you can just get by with English was my biggest mistake.
Strange idea to move to a foreign country and learn the language of that country. Very very strange...
@@Oradon01 Well, there are people who move to my country and they get by with English, nobody shames them for not learning Romanian fast enough.
Thanks so much
From Romania to Germany... what do you expect?
@@BrigitaMencigarJb29m Some similarities?
I love you guys' behavior, openness and friendliness. I observe that people of most nations behave differently, not only Germans, not as easily and quickly accessible to them.
Best friends in a couple of hours? Now that's what I call exaggeration.
It was an expression lmao
Germany ist not Berlin. Do yourself a favour travel and explore the country. Your invited.
Germany is not Munich. Berlin is Germany, Germany is Berlin as well, a good average to this country. I think you never spent time in Berlin! Not a second.
@@MrRoztoc Ha ha , ok you right.
@@MrRoztoc Germany isn't Berlin. I think it's always a bad idea to judge a country by its Capital city.
It is true in many countries - if you have seen one place, then you have seen the one place. To get a sense of how that country is in general, you need to visit a few places. Then you know what‘s different, but also the similarities. And those similarities are the common culture of that country.
Sure, if you only have similarities everywhere, then it is a very uniform country.
For historic reasons - Germany being divided in many kingdoms - I consider Germany to be more regionalized. There really are many differences in people‘s characters and their preferences in life, depending on where you are.
Hallo there
Strange - in 39 years of my life in Germany, I've never been hung up on. But I've noticed that service in the former GDR is, in fact, very bad.
The Berlin people are famous in Germany to be very unfriendly.
English is not the native language for Germans. So it´s not easy to read between the lines - especially when the English is not so good, what can happen. They learn it at school but when they never have to use it at vacation or for the job, by the time they forget it.
Wishing you a good time in Germany and use your time to travel around, by example to Hamburg, a very beautiful city.
Thankfully, people from Cologne, Schwaben (around Stuttgart), Saxony, Bavaria or Berlin usually don't understand each other. Very different dialects and sometimes even languages. I grew up in an area called "Eifel", Snow Eifel, to be exact (next to the Belgian Border), and people there speak something related to Flamish, meaning were ok talking to people in Belgium and Luxembourg, but can not talk to people in Cologne which have a language of their own as well. We learn "Hochdeutsch" in school for a reason. If just to understand the news. Apart from totally different regional dialects and languages, we have very different cultures, political leanings, school systems, food, Bank Holidays differ slightly (the Catholics are a bit better off) and, of course, a very different sense of humour. Everybody who thinks Berliners are rude just doesn't understand their language, history, persistence (try living for decades walled off from the rest of the world in the middle of an enemy state with check points and watch tours with guys pointing guns at you, it's surreal and very sobering, I tell you), their indomitable spirit. They are prickly and have the biggest hearts.
@@kerstinvockert7571 But Kölsch (Ripuarian Francia dialect) still count as german, just not standard german
I'm tired of people generalizing things. People in Berlin are unfriendly blah blah blah. It all depends on the person.
@@gyehlove6420 Sure, there are also friendly people. But most have the "Berliner Schnauze" what they may like but most others it sounds unfriendly. There is a reason why they are called unfriendly in Germany. Not all but many.
Same thing in Oslo and Stockholm, its called big city syndrome ("were smarter than you and youre just an ignorant hillbilly if youre not from here")
It helps if you read the terms before you sign a contract. Most of the people have to work so they want to sleep at nighttime. So a party with a lot of noise on a Thursday........
Hi Diana, if you talk to Germans in English, please keep in mind that we're not native speakers. I do my very best when listening to your videos but I have to be fully concentrated to get what you say. No time left for 'reading between the lines' ; my CPU is already on 100%. Sorry for this weakness but imagine what happens I'd talk to you in German that fast and not taking care of your possibly limited vocabulary...
P0ĺ
Dear Diana,
I can totally relate to your experience. It's good to know I'm not the only one who struggles with some aspects of German culture. Halte durch! 💪
My German family came to the U.S. in the 1740's, and still I have these traits lol. I don't understand when someone says we should get together but they didn't really mean it. I am very straight forward in contrast to other Americans. So funny how traits can come down through generations.
Very god clip, respect ! Here is a humble suggestion : If you want to emerge into the language, watch your favorite show - once in english / once in german - leave 2 days in between for real life experience . ( " friends" is a good Canadian show , I believe that is available throughout all seasons in German translation. So, enjoy !
This is a great tip! “Friends” like the tv show with ross rachel and chandler?
If so i love this show and can almost quote it word for word in english. So this would be great to begin to immerse myself in german as i learn it
I can't belive ... im german in my heart!😂❤ it's perfect for me...
Ich komme aus Baden-Württemberg und war zweimal in Berlin. Jedes Mal waren die Berliner seh,r sehr freundlich. Ich lebe derzeit in den USA und möchte behaupten dass man als Nordamerikaner in Berlin nicht wirklich Deutschland erlebt. Berlin is Deutschlands „Meltingpot“. Zudem vermisst man in Berlin nicht wirklich irgendetwas , was es in Nordamrika gibt, weil einfach alles zu haben ist. Vielleicht ein bisschen teurer, aber es ist erhältlich. Wenn Sie Deutschland erleben wollen sollten Sie in eine kleinere Stadt ziehen mit deutscher Tradition und relative wenig Zugang zu „tyoisch“ nordamerikanischen Dingen.
Hier in den USA (ich weiß, nicht dasselbe wie Canada), vermisse ich vor allem den freien Zugang zur Natur und gute Nahrungsmittel. Feldwege und die Wurst-und Käsetheke. Gesunde Säfte nicht nur Apfel, Orange, Traube oder Cranberry. Und verbindliche Zusagen. Diese Dinge vermisse ich am meisten denke ich.
kauf doch ein bei Trader Joes, es ist eine deutsche Firma, sie haben auch einiges aus D., die Preise sind gut und alles ist ruecktauschbar gegen Geldzurueck wenn du unzufrieden bist. die Qualitaet ist auch toll und gut. keine GMO s. etc. von deinen kommentaren denke ich du wohnst im westen der usa oder im sueden. verbindliche Zusagen gibt es dort kaum, komm doch zu dem Nordosten, da gibt es so was und es ist auch einfach mehr "deutsch." uebrigens ich wuchs auch auf in BW ! ich verstehe dich ganz gut. kein Land ist perfekt, auch nicht D. , gruss. R.
Aldi ist auch häufiger in den USA inzwischen zu finden mit einem auf Amerika angepassten Sortiment
Expat bubble? When I moved to Germany, I was surrounded by German 24/7 and learned the language in about a year.
Wow! Respect! Since it is by far quite a challenging language to learn within a year!
Qopel. I‘m so glad that you mentioned how long it took you to learn the language. I have always been highly interested in how long it takes to become fluent.
Lol...I’ve been using Duolingo but it will NEVER get me fluent, obviously (duh Lol). I wish I could be immersed 24/7 around Germans to learn. 👍🏻
I’ve been in Germany and right off bet I felt connected to many Germans, my way of thinking and their ways seemed very similar, so I decided to search for this types of videos to study about them more if ever I’ll be moving in Germany, yeah LOL I don’t see my self violating any of this rules I’m 100% okay with it, I feel like there are no rules because of my natural ways. I’m an INTP by the way from 16 personality types and I met a lot of WHAT I PERCEIVE as fellow INTPs, try to search about INTP and compare it to Germans. I think it’s very similar.
I am INTJ and I think that I wanna move there permanently. It seems that all of the IXTX people will fit there perfectly.
Same with us brits in a lot of ways, especially with us older ones.. I don't like being approached in a shop but if I need help will ask, Sundays and holidays used to be a days of rest for us too, and the way we are, similar to Germans... But then we were influenced a lot by America, and still are... Well some of us
I hate being approached in shops if I need help I’ll ask!
You should probably re title it specific to Berlin. My experience in Bavaria regarding hospitality is the complete opposite.
I am about to move to Hohenfels, Bavaria. I need some advices, please
Jenny Gibson Sorry. I don’t live in Bavaria , was speaking through my experience of travel. Hopefully someone else on the channel can give you some advice.
Customer service I have never had an issue with here. I come twice a year. RHUE zeit is one of the best things ever. I love it. Wish we had it in the usa
Great info! I reside in Brunn (Bavaria land) since Feb.2019. And yes! We must learn the language, life can become much more easy. Thank you for all the insights.
I biked to work a whole year in Germany 🇩🇪 it was nice and kept my weight down. I also did it in combination with a train. I’m buying a house in Germany
I have a German friend and it took us a really long time for us to become friends. But I honestly agree with Germans with wanting to form meaningful relationships because here in America, everyone is nice but very superficial (and I’m American btw) Of course it’s a cultural difference, and they are more serious, but I like how different their perspectives are and how logical and sensible they are.
It’s so funny how so many Germans get a bit sensitive about what you say in the comments. I grew up here, never noticed the unfriendlyness myself but you are so right! We do say costumer is king here but that‘s not something we actually really follow! Maybe it’s just a thing here in Stuttgart (Berlin as well!) I think in other cities people are more open and nice (from what I‘ve heard and experienced). I‘ve been to shops many times where the cashier didn‘t even greet me, I‘ve been hung up to at so many places, been talked to in very rude ways at the townhall. And I‘ve worked in retail for 5 years, I know what it’s like to deal with costumers but I was always nice to everyone. And my German is pretty perfect, I think people are way more unfriendly if you have a foreign accent (which is what my parents experience a lot, and I get it, it was more difficult to communicate with costumers that had trouble speaking German to me but you can still be nice).So yes compared to other countries strangers are not very nice here (not all of them of course! I‘ve also met very friendly, helpful strangers! And I have so many German friends which are the most helpful, kind people ever!and I even consider myself to be quite German. I like their effective systems and I love living here, don’t get me wrong. But people are just not that nice 😂 but I‘d say the French are wayyy worse 😂 rudest country I‘ve ever been to up until now.
Being offend is a national sport in Germany.
Germans constantly correct you in comments or something like this. Otherwise is real life it might be considered rude.
As far as it concerns a rent deposit (it is usually called security or damage deposit (AB), it does exist in all of Canada, except Ontario (there is the last month deposit in action), but still there some other types of deposits. Ontario is the only province that allows landlords to collect a deposit to cover the last month of rent. This rent deposit cannot be used to cover damages or for any other purpose. If there are damages to the unit, the landlord must make an application against the tenant to collect those funds. A security deposit (or damage deposit) is money that must be returned to the tenant if certain conditions are met. If a rental unit is damaged during the tenancy or the tenant moves out without giving enough notice or paying all their utility bills, the landlord can keep all or part of the deposit.
Dont tone it down! Be yourself! lol Im in germany and I hate that they are so cold.
Five years ago the housing market in Berlin was still a paradise compared to how is it this year.
I am german and I do not agree with No.6! I had some experience with the custom immigration while spending holidays in the US....these people were harsh and unfriendly. I never saw like that in GER
I'm going to germany this summervacation.
It's an excellent place when you live in the Netherlands (like me)
Or when you live in an other part of europe.
Hi Diana, It is very interesting what you have observed and what you are saying. In Europe there are many different cultures, and we have learned to deal with these cultural differences. In Austria, we can share many of what you have said about "Germany", but there are also major differences, and even Germany is not "Germany". There are cultural differences between Germany's different regions, even within Austria, and even within Tirol. In Innsbruck, situated in the middle between Oberland and Unterland, they say that when a guy gets to know a girl friend, before she gets a kiss in Oberland, she will already have a child in Unterland.
Central and Eastern Europe, including Germany, the old Holy Roman Empire, but also the old Rzeczpospolita, and also Russia, are not a homogeneous culture like it is in America, and we consider these different cultures a richness. We have learned (unfortunately sometimes also less, leading to conflicts) to respect each other, to learn from each other. It is a necessity being driven from the geographic fact that these cultures do not have strict geographical borders like islands have, that through the last 20 centuries big armies have moved around, and that these cultures are open to all four directions.
Some of what you said about Germany also applies to Austria, and even more to the Slavic parts of Europe. Let me pick two points:
1) You mentioned that Americans tend to exaggerate. I totally agree with you. For us Europeans, this exaggeration of Americans appears to be strange, sometimes even we feel that somebody tries to deceive us, not telling us the truth, at least that this person assesses a situation totally wrong. When I watch American commercials, for example, I often feel more disgusted than attracted from them.
2) When Americans seem to be "friendly" and invite you, for us Europeans it means a "real friendship", but often we then experience and are disappointed, that for Americans it does have a much less deep meaning. For us, real, deep long-term friendship is our focus. It is harder to achieve, as you correctly said, but it also holds much stronger than we feel Americans consider this. Roughly speaking, Americans tend to play Baseball, i.e. "hit and run", whereas Europeans play Chess where every move is considered for its long term impact. I think this is an overall attitude and major difference between European and American cultures. This was said by William B. Quandt, former member on the US National Security Council in the Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter administrations. In 1989 he said to our current foreign minister: "We in the US do not play chess, we play baseball, hit and run" on her question "I don't get it, in July you do this, in August that, and then in September again something totally different, what is the logic behind?".
czcams.com/video/hu8On22xVGc/video.html
On the other hand, when we Europeans are reserved in the beginning and try to come to a point, it must not be interpreted as being against somebody. No, it is just the other way around, we try to build up what is necessary to really understand each other, to gain confidence. To really trust each other and become real long-term friends, this is not an easy process. European cultures cannot be judged black and white like we feel often Americans do. I am sure you have already built up this understanding. This is what this video tells me.
When you go East for instance to Slavic countries, this cultural character is even developed much stronger. From my experience, the relation between America and Germany is about the same as between Germany and Slavic Countries. From a Slavic perspective, for instance, Germans leave the impression that they have no or little feeling and understanding for these Eastern cultures. And I think this is somehow true. They sometimes behave like an elephant in a porcelain store. Who, for instance, in Germany or Austria learns Slavic languages, builds up an understanding of these cultures? Who of us really knows and understands the role of the Rzeczpospolita as it existed from 1569 until 1795? It had an important impact on the development of cultures, and its impact lasts until today.
I just wanted to show this example to demonstrate that nobody of us is better than the other one. We are sitting in the same boat, we are facing similar challenges and problems, and we have to learn all of us, to get to know and understand each other, the many different cultures, to respect them, and to cooperate peacefully. Everybody of us who does this, is an ambassador for culture and peace. I thank you, Diana, for your excellent contribution.
to be honest i think an american would have these "culture shocks" if they went anywhere generally just because america is so different.
I don't know which stores you go to but it's not right that in every shop there is bad costumer service. We also have the thinking that the costumer is the 'king'. Don't generalize it
I'm not German but I'm straightforward as well
Especially when you move to another country you should do a little checkup first
No. 6 is so true..however there are always exception with some kind people who are helpful and willing to switch to English if they can
Great tips I love your honesty and I agree with you I live in Minneapolis Minnesota and we are very busy all the time people are always on the go doing activities tons of retail shops running errands all day Sunday.
You only have 10?? Honey, I've been here for 8 years (from USA) and I can almost write you a book!! But on the other hand it is a different country so we have to adapt. The language was and still is the hardest for me. I was a computer programmer so I like to think logically but even logic is very different here. In my opinion the language is very illogical but as my language teacher would often say: das ist Deutch. (that's German)
Good luck!
Meee tooi !! ❤ good luck girl !!
I have a question. We are researching a move to Germany. I notice you have plants in your videos. I have a pretty large plant collection and there’s some that I refuse to part with. Did you ship your plants or didn’t you get them in Germany? How easy is it to buy different pothos or others in Germany? Today I walked into a big box store and walked out with a Marble Queen and a string of bananas for really cheap and I’m afraid of not having that option any longer.
I love your videos! :) You are full of energy and good vibes, I love that!
23 y/ old living in Munich and I've lived in 5 cities till now, all with completely different cultures. I think it was really naive of me to assume that I'll meet many people like me (as I actually have in the previous 4 cities).. I always had people with diverse backgrounds around me who have had similar stories, e.g. someone who was born in brazil, moved to the States, Indonesia, Switzerland then Sydney... so yeah, some how I feel like the way we behave/ think/ approach life is obviously quite different - and I should have known better and not taken this so lightly.
For me, the toughest thing has definitely been socialising and making friends here :( It's a very complicated story with me but yeah I have really changed a LOT since I've moved here and my life's completely different here.. not really sure if its for the better or worse. However, I do hope it will get better with time (esp. when I get a job here) *fingers crossed*
A year after your comment I hope you've made some friends!
How are you doin
You moved 6x?Have u bribed your lessors?I wrote this,because it's really hard to find a flat for a reasonable rent.At least nowadays.
Great video. Thanjs for that. And I love Berlin
thanks for your precise advices😍
Sounds like this is the first foreign place you’ve ever been.
Also the first time you’ve lived on your own?
Quiet hours - Yes, we take these hours seriously. Gosh, I have had so many discussions with my English neighbours about quiet hours. Sorry, I need to get up at 5 am as many of us use to do. The other points are also all very correct.
My flat owner just moved the apartment/me (a 17 year tenant) to a new housing company and I am showcked, by how bad the customer srvice is. First of all, they expect me to speak english. So I have to go out of my way to just communicate about housing problems. I dont think it´s even legal. And then they treat me differtly, because my contract doesn´t obligate me to about 1000 times the rent I rented the apartment for. My apartmen in Neukölln cost 180,- cold for 39 squaremetres, when I rented it 17 years ago. Now I pay 220,- I get, why they want me out of here. But it´s not nice, for a long time tenant.
Thank's Diana for those advises ❤
Just follow the rules in Germany like in Japan, respect and be careful ur behavior, not being selfish to other people, give up ur free life styles! German is like Japanese, both country is high civilized!
Exactly! Thanks for watching Lisa 😊
Frankly, between the two countries, "civilized" isn't the cultural trait that first comes to mind. Let me leave it at that....
Veronica so do you think that the USA is civilized? You must be American with such a stupid statement.
@@Hueby80 She is Canadian. Don't insult her.
Short comment to the rent and customer service topics.
When I first moved to Germany, I rented a room in a shared flat from a private landlord. It went surprisingly smooth, the guy was very kind and helpful.
Later I decided that I move to a small flat on my own. I wanted to rent the apartment through a real estate agency. That's another story... The most pathetic service I ever experienced. I almost had to go to a hotel for a week because they ghosted me for weeks even though all my application, etc. were ready.
Might be a useful note to others:)
Hi diana btw nice videos quality content!! Just an advice here, you should really do try to learn german. Since your living there and I kinda saw a comment from a german somewhere that when foreigners try to speak german even if they arent fluent, germans would have higher sense of respect fo this foreigners. Happy Life Diana!!
Somethings seem to be Berlin specific, but also a lot of these things are normal in European countries (lazy sundays, no noise at night time, rent deposit, learn the language before moving because English is not the first language)
Zu Punkt 10: Mach ein Video in deutsch. ;-)
😬😬😬🙈🙈🙈
Being bubbly is a beautiful trait 🥰
Yes we need a rest on a Sunday because during the week we are working off our asses.
Sunday day to rest I like it ..
Why are some people so intent on criticizing her? My visits to Berlin and information from my son who moved to Berlin about 7 years ago and is raising a family there more or less confirm what she is sharing. Does she mispronounce a word? So what? Enjoyed the video.
Thank you 😊
So funny how you pronounce : Ruhezeit’
I try 😅
Diana Verry you failed
@@Hueby80 she already acknowledged that by her response, dumbkoff
Much of your list applies to any big city in America as well: customer service, rent deposits, recycling bins. I would not imply that it’s the US vs a European city when it’s clearly small town vs city.
Customer is king, but Germany is a republic.This the motto.
I moved to Germany but I did a bit of digging and consulted expat dedicated websites beforehand. I had one issue with recycling because I was lazy, not because I didn't know. This is so well documented with charts even and every building has a schedule for picking up the recycling.
I actually love that the Germans are honest, reserved and direct. I am quite extroverted sometimes and my blood gets heated, being a Latin temperament, but I always found the bff in 10 mins attitude off-putting, if not fake.
Germany is quite nice and, even if I am still learning German, I never had a situation when I needed help and people did not offered to help.
Very Interesting. Vielin dank Diana.
Es gibt in Berlin Stellen wo ich NICHT Fahrrad fahren würde, aber es gibt wirklich schöne Stellen wo man es mit Genuss tun kann...
I was in Canada too, not all Canadians are nice, sometimes you can see that they live close to the USA, being self centerd, cold and selfish people, dont care for others and complaining about the poor freeloaders with health care they dont deserve, that i was told by a 19yrs old girl in Toronto, with rich parents...
I'm german and I'm really sad, that you think that germans are cold or something
You are not cold.. I mean I can't speak for the whole country but.. You are just reserved.. Im reserved too.. But the only difference is.. In my country its not a common thing to be like that.. You will easily get bullied or something.. That's why I'm reserved but as well friendly and warm so I can live well here.
But.. I have a question for you..
Does german feels suspicious to anyone when they are making friends?
Duolingo and EasyGerman are great ways to learn the language. Ich wohne in Die Niederlande und ich lerne die Deutsche Sprache. Ich gehe gern nach Deutschland.
Thanx for the details
Everyone I've met who's been to Germany says that they teach English in schools there and most people are fluent in English. I didn't expect language to be such a barrier for an English speaker!
You should have moved to Vienna, Austria. Pretty everything is much more easygoing over here.
and everyone talks weirdly lmao
Thanks.it was really use full
I’m thinking of moving to Berlin by myself which makes me so nervous though. Your advices help me a lot :)
Amazing to hear, thank you! Good luck with the move 😊
Me too...lol...though i do have a friend who lives there...married of course...I'm gonna b movin there this comin Nov.
The renting issue is just an issue because we had an influx of about 2 million additional renters the marked wasn't prepared for. So now rents are extremly high until the housing infrastructure catches up...but the rents will stil stay high obviously, they will just stop to increase so fast and it will be much easier to find flats and houses then.
Hey Diana
Awesome vlogs, keep going.
🙏😊🙋♂️
Please could you best site to finds jobs in Germany and some tips.
Cheers
You should move to Cologne. We are open.
As coming from the Neatherlands I really am surprised you like the cycling infrastructure in Berlin... it's so dangerous
In the US, outside of capital cities, there is no cycling infrastructure
You can’t beat the dutch cycling infrastructure. I think it‘s the best in the world.
Cicyling is stressful in Berlin when you are not in a bike lane and they are not everywhere. You're not missing anything. And point 6, yep. It can be very hard to deal with but almost all foreigners feel the same about it as you.
I find the automatic renewal thing to be convenient.
Moving to another country without knowing the basics in that particular language is effing naive girl.
3 years later and I’m still thriving here. Thanks for your concern
In my WHOLE life living in Germany, I never CONSIDERED renting an apparent for a limited time. But hey, I‘m german
It is not that you have the option to choose when you are about to be kicked out of your apartment and have to say yes to the next option. Berlin is almost impossible to get "unlimited" contracts that easily.
@@ulisesloyafrank2489 : Sorry to head that the conditions got that worse. Years ago I lived in Berlin. I guess that AirBNB is contributing to that situation.
Carlo Cocciolo : Standard rule for unlimited apparent contracts in Germany are: the tenant can cancel every month and then have to keep it 3 month from that...
but you can also stay x years and then within 3 months you can cancel... I don’t see the problem with that unless you are tourist or traveler.
If you need less then 3 month I suggest a hotel where you can ask for long term cheaper rates or a „pension“ (German special term ... de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pension_(Unterkunft) )
Unfortunately most European cities have very close-minded people who can't understand that the world has changed. Many of these people had their houses as a gift from their parents, they didn't have to sweat to obtain their possessions, therefore they can't understand how the market works and they can't understand how some people struggle to get by with basic necessities. In the other hand, we have americans and british (with their over-valued currencies and overpowered passports) arriving in countries with their dollars being able to pay for everything for "dirt cheap" as they love to say, and these kinds of people are directly responsible for prices ramping up and making even harder for local people to afford things in local currency. And then you end up with even more division: the ones who never had to work for their possessions and the ones who have to work hard but can never afford to own anything.
Getting a new place every few months makes rentin far more expensive that it is and this is usually not very common for germany.
Nice!!
The first time that my sister visited Toronto (from Halifax) she was struck by how cold and unfriendly the locals were. Whenever she went into a shop, the salespeople didn't want to have small talk with her. And people didn't say hello when she passed them on street.
siphonsnob that must have almost melted her...
There are a lot of true observations in this video and I think it will be very helpful for people coming to Germany. A couple of points though =;-))
Please, please don't say it is difficult to find an appartment in Germany because of the lots of expats coming here. I know this is not what you wanted to say, but things like this are gladly picked up by xenophobes. It is not (primarily) because of expats that it is getting more difficult to find an appartment or to afford rent, it is more about people moving from the country to the city for work.
On the deposit-thing: you get your rent-deposit back _in theory_ I've read that lately landlords tend to keep it because of (imagined) damage to the appartment. It's a growing cause for lawsuits.
On self-renewing contracts: There are rules to this. My recommendation: make friends with a German law-student, because many of those clauses are void. Back in my day we got out of every gym-membership, sometimes even with penalty payments by the gym.
On making friends with Germans: In general: yup, we are a more reserved people, but that's also a regional thing. Northern Germany is notorious for this behaviour, apparently Munich is bad as well (according to Aspens videos) the least culture shock for North Americans will be Cologne in that sense. BUT: Just like in the US it is pretty simple to make contact with a stranger in a bar, but just like in the US he probably won't remember you the next day. So it is kind of superficial. That's of course a generalization.
On customer service: that's a really difficult and multi-layered issue. American and German customer service are very different. I usually get a panick attack (I can exaggerate too =;-)) ) When I enter an American shop:"Hi my name is Joe, what can I do for you, can I show you..." All I wanted is to browse in peace and quiet. Now I'm on guard: does he thnik I want to steal somenthin or why is he folowing me around? How dare he! Damn now he's putting on a sales show which makes it harder for me, not to buy the stuff. I feel like I have to explain myself. Damn the pressure! Oh, He told me his name, I didn't listen. Was it Dave, John, Jeronimo, I can't ask him about this product, because it is rude, not to adress him by name.....etc. Welcome to a German mind! (Fellow Germans: don't tell me I'm the only one thinking like that!)
Our idea of good customer service in a store is somebody attentive, at a respectful distance asking you, if you need help, once you make eye-contact or or look around as if you are lost.
If they don't react to that, the service is crap. You can usually find it in young, "hip" clothing boutiques with bored, beautiful students as sales persons.
Inspite of the differnce in philosophy, there is something to be said about customer-service of phone providers. everything governmental etc. "Here are the rules, deal with it". We can send you a technician between 8am and 2 pm. or betwewen 2pm and 7pm. Can he announce himself on the day in question to narrow the window? HOW DARE YOU!
But is that really differnt in North America?
Speaking of regional: I shouldn't forget that you are in Berlin. I don't even want to know what customer service means in Berlin. AS several other people commented here, Berliners are often considered rude. They have their own way of dealing with people which I hate. Some call "Berliner Schnauze" a charm of it's own. Personally I find it rude and arrogant.
Is not easy to get work in germany
Du bist definitiv NICHT alleine! Ich schau mich auch lieber in Ruhe und alleine um...
hello Andrea,i'm Loveth.pls can I send you a private message?
Here where i live we have one of the VERY FEW "bigger"=around 1500 sqm grocery shop that is also open at sundays !
It in Wolpertshausen not far from the highway only 3km ..
It the BESH-Market.
Ok for American not big they ae used to shops with 20 000 sqm and more as a "usual bigger shop" with 24/7 open time..
Hi Diana, thanks for sharing another interesting video. From what I know, they have trains, buses and trams in Berlin, though trams are fairly limited, due to only the trams from the eastern part of Berlin being the main ones running. What public transport do you use there? The Sunday shop closures there are similar to what we used to have years ago here in Australia back in the 1960's. Adelaide took it one step further by not even running public transport on a Sunday. As far as I know, this is no longer the situation these days. The stores there remind me of some of the foreign stores in Sydney. I remember I entered a Greek store one day and was ignored completely. So, I can understand what you have experienced. Anyway, wishing you all the best. Robert.