It’s been just over two weeks since my arrival in the small village of Langenberg, Germany, where my husband and I are temporarily staying with my in-laws. The weather has been gloomy and cold, but that hasn’t bothered me one bit as I’ve been too distracted by the interesting newnesses of village life in a European country. From the overwhelming smell of horse manure from the moment we exited the airport in Paderborn, to the quietness of the village center mid-day when the businesses all shut down for their 2 hour lunch break, I am taking it all in. The holidays here were quite special too. It was my first family holiday in a very long time, as my parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses, and they haven’t celebrated any holiday since I was a kid. The Christmas trees look different here. A lot of them are very short and sort of bare. Not tall and full like those in America. They are still lovely though. It seems lots of people here get 2 full weeks off for the holidays, which is also quite different. Even the hotel we stayed at in Munich for 2 nights after we first arrived in the country was closing for two weeks- and it was a Four Points!
I’ve picked up on quite a few cultural differences already over the last two weeks. Here are a few of them:
You always look each person in the eye when toasting “Cheers”, or over here “Prost”
Each day from 12:30 until 2:30 small business close down for lunch. This includes most independent shops and the post office (though it’s likely this is different in the bigger touristy cities)
All the towels have little hooks on the end of them for convenient hanging
At a lot of bars, the server writes your order on your coaster. You bring your coaster to the register to pay before you leave
Most restaurants are seat-your-self (unless upscale or requiring a reservation)
In Germany, friends are family. There is a distinct line between acquaintance & friend and nothing in between
A typical German breakfast consists of coffee or tea (nearly everyone drinks both) bread, cured meats, cheeses, fruit & veggies. Sometimes boiled eggs
There are very high-tech window treatments in German homes
You go to the pharmacy (“Apotheke”) to get herbs here. A pharmacist in a white coat filled my order for Licorice root. Weird
There are two one person comforters on each bed
Everyone drinks sparkling water instead of still (except me)
It seems everyone rides a bike. It’s not uncommon to see a granny peddling down the road on her “Fahrrad” adorned with 2 baskets
People take walks here. Entire families will bundle up for a stroll around the neighborhood just to get some fresh air and exercise
Speaking of walking, when we go to friend’s homes, we walk there….which brings me to…
Having just one drink and driving is not an option here. If you plan to drive, you do not drink at all
The German language is a challenge. It’s going to take quite a bit of time for me to learn to speak it. I find it very difficult and rather intimidating. The good news is, many people here speak English quite well. The downside to that is that there isn’t the added pressure to learn German that would be present if they didn’t speak it. For now, I am happy they do. With the non-english speaking locals, socializing can be pretty awkward and boring. Some people are as shy to practice their limited English abilities with me as I am to try my German out on them. It’s quite uncomfortable living someplace where you don’t speak the local language. I’m even shy to go into a store by myself for fear that someone may approach me and ask me if I need help and I won’t know what they are saying, or that the register won’t have a visual reference for the cost of my purchase, and I won’t understand the amount when it is spoken to me. However, I have a belief that if you’fe feeling uncomfortable then you’re on the right track. Stepping outside of our comfort zone means we are venturing into unknown territory and trying out something new. This brings me comfort because I know that this is what truly living is all about! This is being good at life. I know I stand to learn a lot about myself on this adventure.
Living with my in-laws isn’t all that bad either. My father-in-law speaks no English, so again, that can be awkward. But my mother-in-law speaks quite well actually, better she realizes, and we get by just fine. I’ve been trying to say more words in German this week to really show some effort. I know that although she manages in English, it isn’t necessarily easy for her. Beyond that, she completely spoils us. She cooks for us each day and does our laundry, and she insists on doing so. We have plenty of privacy in the upper level of their house where we have our own room, office, living space & bathroom. I know they are very happy we are here and I have felt very welcome. I too am very happy we are here. A decade ago I was dreaming about one day visiting and exploring Europe some. I never imagined that I would actually ever live here! I’m not sure if it’s because both of my parents were born in Europe & that this is where my heritage is, but somehow I feel a deep sense of belonging here, even though this is not the country we are from. I still feel like I have a place here; I have a sense of coming home.
