Cultural differences between England and Germany

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I was in Germanyfor a year, and I found it quite similar to Britain in many ways.

My impression of the Germans (although obviously this is going to be a generalization) is that they are helpful, polite, fairly reserved in their community (like the Brits), **** gets DONE in Germany, paperwork wise, unlike the nightmare I am currently experiencing in France. One main difference I noticed is that people are a lot 'greener' there than they are in the UK: hardcore recycling, etc.

Reply 21

Nathanielle

Original post by avila

The only people who make a big deal about Oktoberfest are foreigners and Bavarians. The rest of us find it pretty annoying to be reduced to beer and autobahn. :s-smilie:

Bavarians find that annoying, too.

Original post by Direct15

Do the germans play board games?

Of course

Original post by Direct15

But do the germans have calenders? Oktoberfest is in september and only about a week in october if lucky

The Oktoberfest finishes allways in Oktober and the locals call it Wiesn anyway. In September it's warmer.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 22

kat91s

You are worrying about nothing - my whole family are German and I think we talk more than anyone I've met in the UK can.

Haha, one of the last things our german lecturer told us was that although a bus queue may form, it means nothing when the bus actually comes and it's every man for himself.

This is true. You quickly learn that he with the sharpest elbows wins.

There is some regional difference - we in the South think that those in the North are rude, but they usually have a few things to say about us too.

As I am English and German, I find it very difficult to make observations about my own culture, but generally I think you have nothing to worry about.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 23

Leipzig

Original post by Anonymous

First of all, let me make it absolutely clear that this is in no way a racist/ xenophobic thread - I love Germany and the German people.

Thing is- I'm soon to be going on my year abroad (to Germany) and I was just wondering how others had interpreted the German people? I've seen a few things over the Internet about how Germans aren't rude, but can appear abrupt, but it is more a cultural thing than actual rudeness. This just worries me a bit, as I can find it quite hard to read people.

There's an article for example on the BBC website, about how there is no German word for 'small-talk'. I can tend to ramble on a bit, and I spend most of my free time being sickly sweet to customers as I work in a department store and I guess I'm a bit worried that I'll be ignored or yelled at or something. Directness can make me feel pretty uncomfortable as well.

Just wondering if anyone had any experience that they could share with me? Am I worrying about nothing?

Where are you heading? I've spent a year in the former East and a year in Bavaria and, while they're both 'German', there's some regional differences to consider...

Reply 24

Manitude

There's a stereotype that German people can be a bit cold - not into passing the time with mindless chatter but from my experiences with young german people that's just not true.

And that thing about not having a sense of humour - not true either.
Though sometimes their sense of humour can be dark or dry to say the least.

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