German Cultural Curiosities


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    From the Germany Survival Guide by Spiegel Magazine

    NOTE: please read all these with a grain of salt!

    Difficult Germans

    1. Extreme pet lover - Give Me My Dog Back or I'll Let in the Neo-Nazis
    2. Ach, wie süß! How cute! Knut der kleine Eisbär
    3. Are Germans brutally honest?
    4. Masters of the stare down? You gotta problem, buddy?
    5. Are you an optimist? How stupid!
    6. Walking down the street is a contact sport in Germany
    7. Even crossing the street can be a problem
    8. How to survive driving in Germany - and bike riding as well!

      Food

    9. Germans behaving badly and buffets
    10. The German obsession with Gummi Bears
    11. Bavarian cuisine - the albino hot dog

      Health

    12. Organic food craze in Germany
    13. Germans are crazy about health - except for smoking
    14. Mysterious German illnesses? How's your circulation today?
    15. Ever been to a MEASLES party?
    16. Feeling ill? It must be the weather

      Organisation - tidiness

    17. Close the door!
    18. Slobs anonymous?
    19. The obsession with sweeping
    20. Impatient Germans don't stand in line in orderly fashion
    21. Keep organized with binders - typical German
    22. Germans take their garbage seriously - it's organized as well
    23. DEAD LINK - View the pics of the nicely sorted trash

      Shopping and Dining Challenges

    24. Sorry! We're CLosed! The problems of shopping in Germany
    25. Waiting for the waiter - the problem of paid professional waiters
    26. Are German restaurants dog-friendly or child-friendly?

      Homes and Gardens

    27. Don't have room for your own garden - rent one!
    28. The beloved garden gnome!
    29. Love thy neighbor - Germany has laws about noise and pretty much everything else

      The German nation

    30. THe Miracle of Bern - how modern Germany was born
    31. Germany's patriotism problem - flying the flag
    32. The lingering divide between eastern and western Germans and just as important - between North and South
    33. Hitler dealt with more often now in German comedy. Deutsche Welle

      Conversation

    34. Those lying Germans - I don't speak much English
    35. Germans aren't talkative in public, unless in an elevator

      Misc

    36. Stuck in the 80's in the land of mohawks, mullets and bad moustaches
    37. German beaches and the unique beach basket box
    38. Dinner for One? Germany's New Year's ritual. Never heard of it?

      Bathroom culture

    39. Why is that woman in the restroom? Is that a job? The Klofrau
    40. More on Germany's unpleasant odors and an explanation
    41. Very German restroom? and an old castle

    42. How to annoy Germans with your un-German ways. Tales of an American in Germany.
    43. Different German habits and unusual ideas about various everyday things