You are absolutely correct. I've been living in Germany for the last 11 years, things are only getting worse. Customer service is HORRIBLE, people simply don't have a clue what "service" is. Simply they don't understand at all, zero understanding. Not only restaurants, but everything sucks, The only way to get somewhat acceptable service is to buy something expensive (like buying an expensive car) and even then, you will probably not get it. Kindergarten is a nightmare of course. Just in NRW there is a lock of approximately 50k daycare workers. My experience from Aachen - Nordrhein Westfalen.
I actually had my cashier at Aldi get in trouble this morning for engaging in a 5 second conversation with me! Her boss said “less talking, more working - what you’re supposed to be doing.. YOUR JOB” 🙈 I so badly wanted to butt in and say “have you never heard of customer service?!”
At least, the owners could make their dogs lay out their visitenkarten (what a dog's poop actually is to other dogs) at the very edge of a way and not in the middle where everyone walks. The problem actually is the owner rather than the dog itself. _Where has an uneducated dog its a****le? At the other end of the lead._
I love how you keep saying "I'm so sorry" before starting each point. 😍 As a fellow Canadian, I can relate to all the points you make. Love your videos! 😍
Oh girl I just can so relate to you. I'm born and raised in Germany and all the things you're talking about are so true. Doesn't matter where I've been served the waitress or waiter were always sooo nice to me. When I go back home it's like I'm in a totally different world and feeling not at home. Crazy, isn't it? Still happy that you love Germany this much and even want to stay there. You're so polite, girl.
Wir haben auch eine 'Rue de la Kack' hier, wo Hundehalter die tolle Verdauung ihrer Lieblinge bestaunen, und hinterher die Tretminen nicht beseitigen. Und die Schweine sind nicht die Tiere...
Hi Jenna, pretty much on target, of course Düsseldorf is a little "Schickimiki". Once you get a little outside of town, the folks are usually more down to earth. It took me a while to learn the term "Vitamin B" (B=Beziehung) in order to get things done. In terms of dealing with German bureaucrats, I've found it helps to "ask for help" as opposed to "insist on your rights".
Hi Jenna, I really appreciate you and love your posts (positive and negative) and can agree on many things. In this one there are two things I don't understand and that is the thing with the Kita and the water. To all other points I could also say something but that would go beyond the scope of your request. Customer service is a disaster, yes, but we owe that to the McKinsey's from the USA, who have rationalized away everything in our companies that costs money. Many also want service because they think it's free but it's not, those are included in the price and then many don't want to pay it, You live in Düsseldorf, I can confirm that it rains the "Düsseldorfers" into their nostrils. In my time in USA I enjoyed the service but the always polite and "pure" friendliness was very often also exhausting because not genuine, I don't want to be greeted as one of hundreds by a doorman with a handshake when entering a department store. I live in Stuttgart and have no idea how the foreigners office here is but for the behavior of the Düsseldorf towards you I'm still ashamed and would like to apologize (also for all the others who probably feel the same). (My experiences with the authorities in the USA are not much better).
I like the term "toffee nosed" for hochnäsig. I have no problem with the superficial friendlyness of service personell in the US/CAN. But when it comes to real problems to be solved the incompetence strikes ma as a strong contrast. Which means that incompetence is not unknown here. But that goes along with offensiveness too.
Yes the "hochnäsig" point.Nobody should be jealous of a rich German person.I'm not.I have a good job.Earn good money. But it's the way a German will sometimes look down his or her nose at you.Terrible!
Hi Jenna, First of all, I think it's good that your "hate" main points deal with your personal experiences, which were recently rather the opposite of "great" and have no clichés as a source. It's all understandable and personally, as a German, I don't find these points to be a hit. Very balanced.
Thanks for the video. I'm considering moving to Germany and researching it, and I really don't think most of these things would bother me at all. Mean unhelpful bureaucrats are annoying but I can work around them. I appreciate hearing about your experiences.
Ich stimme total mit dir überein. Ich lebe in Spanien und habe manchmal Sehnsucht ( nostalgic feelings ) nach Deutschland. Dieses Video hilft. Es ist nicht so schlecht hier in Spanien.
Hallo Jenna;im Grunde stimme ich dir in allen Punkten zu,wenn es auch in den meisten Bereichen in den letzten Jahren schon besser wurde...falls wir von unseren lieben Beamten und Angestellten in den Behörden einmal absehen.In einem Punkt stimme ich aber weniger mit dir überein;ich finde das Personal in Kneipen und Restaurants eigentlich schon sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend....Auf jeden Fall ist es schön,das du dich hier so gut eingelebt hast und dich zuhause fühlen kannst.
The low cost german version of a cabin (and that seemed way more prevalent in Ontario/Quebec than in BC) would be a "Dauercampingplatz" - which there are a tonne of. Population density is a key difference (Germany has 1/3 the total land mass of Ontario and 5.5times the population = Germany is about 16times as densely populated as Ontario - and you live smack dab in the most densely populated state in Germany). Germany also has all sorts fo building rules that make it impossible to build in places that you would in Canada with a well, septic and generator. Before the current housing and real estate boom - you could find really low priced houses in Sauerland, Eifel and Bergisches Land, but none of those were really lake districts - all mining areas. But you bought and rebuilt a camper - a tonne of people have those about 20-100km from their home town, and go out to their little rented parcel there surrounded by similar every weekend - often with a lake, or a man made swimming hole. Nowhere near the same charm, or outdoor feel - but given the population density - it is what it is. I have heard of some investory buying old camping sites, and placing "vacation homes" on them, with a special sort of zoning and usage that makes them more similar to "Schrebergarten" or camping places, but with actual proper cabins - which also are nto officially allowed to be your first residence. The lake getaway places exist a bit more in east germany - especially in the berlin and saxony region where there are a lot of lakes.
I came to Germany over 20 years ago and I can relate to EVERY SINGLE POINT here except the very last one: yes, been there, done that. I guess I could have told a similar story......
You’re absolutely right about customer service. I can give you so many examples I could create a TH-cam channel based on that topic only. But many Germans obviously don’t care being treated like a supplicant.
Ich kann dir nur in allen Punkten zustimmen und deinen Unmut bestens nachvollziehen. Ich finde auch, dass das Hundekackeproblem in Berlin noch krasser ist als anderswo. Ich habe die Düsseldorfer im Vergleich zu den Kölnern und Wuppertalern auch immer als recht arrogant erlebt. Einen Wochenendsitz am See findest du höchstens, wenn du einen Dauercampingplatz an einer Talsperre kaufst. Was Freundlichkeit betrifft, hat sich manches etwas gebessert. So ist es z. B. üblich, sich am Ende eines Gesprächs oder an der Supermarktkasse etwas Gutes zu wünschen. Etwa ein schönes Wochenende oder noch einen schönen Abend oder angenehme Feiertage. Und wenn man in einem großen Laden oder einem Baumarkt endlich einen Mitarbeiter gefunden hat, der einem Fragen beantwortet, bekommt man oft eine gute Beratung. Dass man sich hier gut verkaufen muss, um etwas zu erhalten oder sogar Bestechungsgelder zahlen, wusste ich nicht. Wie schrecklich! Das muss eine relativ neue Entwicklung sein.
Pleasure is always mine im actually from pakistan but living in berlin since 2016 i wish you to come Berlin so we can make video together because im also youtuber
Short story about dog poo in Berlin: my colleagues and I met on a business trip there, I flew in from Munich, they from Milan. I complained about the dog poo everywhere, they stated how clean Berlin was. So much about perspective...
I definitely agree with the dog poo issue in Berlin. I lived in Berlin for quite some years, and dog poo was everywhere no matter if it was a posh or a socially deprived suburb. Here in Bavaria, the situation is only half as bad. Today, I had to dodge a large heap of dog poo on the footpath when walking to the supermarket, but that was an exception.
Everything you say is true. I really have to agree with you on all points. Even for me as a German, these are things that I find terrible. Especially this passive aggressive behavior in the Behörden.
Hi Jenna, thank you for your hints - not complaints. And that is the way how to understand those points you speak about. To understand those as complaints is destructive and does not lead us to a positive change. Thank you also for your honesty. This make it possible to get aware about that and get the chance to work on a change. It make it possible to see that also others, also German, did made such experiences. Regarding the dog poos, we had the same problem in our comunity and farmers complaint also about that as this is dangerous to cows or other animals which would be feeded with that crop - not mentioning the people. But our municipality levied a fine if dog poop is not removed and this changed the situation. There are plastic bags for free to dispose the dog poos. For most of the other point we should think about the quite different situation of canada and germany. Canada has 3.9 inhabitants per km, Germany does have 232. Many - very many people in Germany came from other countries, especially from EU. That make a lot of work and stress, especially for those who have every single day to do with that subjects. The same for Kitas and many other life situations. That is not an apology for unfriendly appearance, but it could help not to get angry every time. We German does make the same experiences. But it seems that there are differences in life looking at Berlin, Düsseldorf or Munich and their environment.
I'd say the dog poop is much more dangerous to cattle than to pple because the latter don't eat grass. Dog poop at your shoes sucks but doesn't sicken or even kill you.
You're at the wrong spot. I'm living in northern Germany for 37 years and I can't remember that any waiter or waitress have been rude or not friendly to me.
All points are - more or less - understandable (at least from a foreigner‘s perspective that moved to Germany and hasn’t grown up here). I also „complained“ about a lot of things when I used to live in the US. But the secret is to simply „let got“ at some point and realize that you are in the middle of a journey/transition (in terms of personal development). So who cares if single individuals aren’t nice to you (the Ausländerbehörde is obviously a very special example as Germans don’t have to deal with this specific authority)? You should simply be yourself; don’t allow someone else to ruin your day. You have created this amazing channel and achieved so much. You are smart, (very) funny and ambitious. It’s really hard to believe that someone like you hasn’t made plenty of friends in Germany. You have created some really great content ;-)
Thank you so much for the sweet comments 🥰♥️ and you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Letting go really is the only and the best way to move forward and start enjoying life here in Germany! It takes a while, but I do feel like I’m getting there 🥰 … a lot of things I used to cry over for days are now so easy to shrug off here and get on with my day! ♥️ it feels so so good!
@@lifeingermany_ Perfect, that’s the right mindset. You’ll see how “liberating“ it can be if you don’t overthink what and why someone said to you in a certain situation ;-) PS: I‘m a great fan, keep up the good work 🤙🤙🤙
In Costa Rica, land on the water (beach) is always public. You literally can't own it. Access to the sea is seen as a public good. I would think that you could do time shares of property on the water in Germany. Obviously people can't all own a second home that's not used.
In some states of the US there is a line, the high-water mark, which is the border bewteen public and private land. But people get very inventive to make access to that area less easy. In Germany timeshare is a rarity. You want to have your own property. Otherwise it would be advisable to use AirBnB or rent for the time you want to go there. The area in Germany is simply not that vast as in Canada. (We are a little smaller than the size of Montana with a population of 82 million. More than twice the number of Canada.)
So glad you made this video. I totally agree!! There’s dog poop in the larger cities all the time, it’s disgusting. Customer service in Germany is overall bad! Also, most people are cold/not very friendly at first and just not as happy as people in other countries I’ve lived. Lastly, there are not many sunny days here. I am a German who lived 21 years in the USA and I feel qualified to express my experience as well 😁
There are people who can be angry about in Germany, but just as easily in the rest of the world. In Germany there are regions where, for example, people work for authorities who are friendly, helpful and courteous. In other regions, however, this is not the case. There are also restaurants where the service is unfriendly and unsympathetic, for example. Elsewhere, friendly and courteous and also asks the guest if everything was okay (e.g. service, food and drink). In large German cities it is often the case that people have less time and are therefore more "superficial" towards others, which one then perceives as "unfriendly" (e.g. not saying "hello" or not smiling when passing by). In rural places, things are quieter and a little more relaxed and you perceive these people as friendlier. The experiences you have as a "non-German" in Germany depend on where you are (big city or rural region) and what kind of people you meet (friendly or unfriendly). I have often met people in my life who seem "unfriendly" to others, but in reality they are not, because it always depends on what kind of person you are in front of you (e.g. shy, reserved or inhibitions).
I'm German and I also receive rudeness and Hochnäsigkeit, I have two dogs and have to pick up after my own dogs plus other people's dogs if the poopoo is close enough, I worked in customer service and all clients liked me because I'm always polite, even if ppl are rude, and I just think to myself, what a miserable life they must have to let it all out on other people. I also lived in India and Sri Lanka and though life was much tougher, I felt quite happy and fulfilled ❤
Hi Jenna! Thank your for sharing your experiences. There is just one thing I want to point out: I don't thinkt hat we Germans are generally rude or unfriendly. When somebody I don't know is smiling at me on the street it is quite irritating for me... Why is she smiling? Do I know her? Do I look funny? Is anything wrong with me? I think it a cultural thing, nothing I would call unfriendly (at least the last thing I would like to be is unfriendly) but I am simply not used to smile at people I don't know. But please: never give up to get us Germans out of our Comfort Zone by smiling at us!
I agree with the Customer Service point, especially in München (sorry Bayerische Menschen)... I am from Costa Rica, where isn't allow to smoke on public spaces, included bus stops. When I walk in Germany the air smells like smoke, it's disgusting, and the people even smoke in from of their kids!!! 😱😱😱😱
One thing that surprises me is how long it takes to get things done. My wife is German and I'm South African. We live in a small town in Niedersachsen and we are trying to get our house renovated. After spending 15 Years in London we are used to companies competing for your business. The contractors here are so complacent that it's taking months to get quotes from some of them. You would think that Germans are really efficient and want the work but it seems that in small towns they are so busy that they don't really have to fight for business because there aren't other options. Maybe that's more small town problem rather than German.
Funny that you always managed to step into dog poop in Berlin ;) I've been living in Berlin for almost 4 years now and I think I stepped into dog poop twice. Well, maybe I'm just more cautious now and scan my environment all the time for possible threats XD And I also think it's really depending on the area. I think you come across dog poop much more in Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain or Neukölln compared to other areas, especially those in the former west and more "upper class". But yeah, if you're really watching out for it, I guess one will find dog poop anywhere every now and then
Hey Jenna! Interesting video, I've not yet experienced most of what you have, I do know experiences vary region to region and whether you live in the country/villiage or city, but I really dont like service and common courtesy here. I had an issue with the Auslanderbehörde and my gemeinde when I moved here z.B and making a complaint or even just giving general feedback, doesnt do anything or receieved. How is something meant to be improved upon if you cant give feedback on something? Blows my mind how things actually work here.
I don't understand how someone can be rude or hochnaesig to such a cute girl. 😉 Maybe, it's the "dark side" of our relative honesty, as which (too) many people here mistake their own impoliteness.
I have never experienced any rudeness towards me here in Germany, but I have lived in Goslar and, now, in a small village in the Upper Harz. Perhaps it is a large city issue. I grew up in rural, small town America, so I prefer small, quiet towns and villages. Now, the German language teacher I had for my face-to-face course in Goslar was horrible. After eight weeks, I switched to an online course with the Göethe Institut. We had a horrible experience when we moved out of our apartment though. When we purchased our house, we too, purchased it before it was placed on the market. We got a good deal on it as well. I prefer life here as opposed to living in the US.
Can’t relate to the dog poop thing, but i life in a smaler town🤷♀️ Same with the Ämter. People there a not so nice but ok. I understand you miss you weekend cabin... but thats really a first world problem. Seem you are well of, haveing bought a house.
@@lifeingermany_ But as my society did often try to make things perfect you could use the loopholes that appears when trying to close the last remainig gap. For a weekend hut ask a lawyer or look up the following rules: Beekeeper hut. A friend of my sister hade bought a patch of land with a small hut on it, a few months later the "Untere Naturschutzbehörde" wrote him a letter that his hut is illegal and that he must tear it down. He consulted a lawyer and got the advise that if he did have bees he could still use his hut as a shelter for a beekeeper. And now a couple of years later he still have his hut, in the middle of an "nature reservoir" and did enjoy his little pice of heaven.
Raum, Platz, Häuser und Wohnungen sind in großen Städten unglaublich teuer. Das ist "normal". Deswegen wollen ja auch immer mehr Menschen in den Städten/Dörfern außerhalb leben. Dafür wird dann auch ein langer Weg zur Arbeit in akzeptiert.
I agree that many employees at a restaurant are badly trained, or just don't care, but it would make me even more uncomfortable to be engaged into a conversation every single time, while they are actually not interested in what I have to say. That's why I hate buying at Gamestop - the employees are forced to talk and try to sell me things I don't want. Regarding the streets though, people aren't rude on purpose.. smiling at strangers just isn't a thing here and often considered as weird.
A couple of years ago! Well… I still have all my friends and family there, so I’m not out of touch with what’s going on at least. I know the prices are outrageous now! 😫 … but on the positive side, cottages are now becoming peoples primary residences thanks to new home office rules at workplaces! For example, my mom moved from Toronto out to Prince Edward County, which 5 years ago was super affordable and often for retired… in the last year it’s turned into this million dollar land and full of people my age who either gave up the 9-5 life or work from home office. ♥️
Thank you for finally sharing the cons about germany because its not paradise as some folks think. Well i am a dog person , having a dog means responsible acting.Beeing born as a Düsseldorfer Jung i do know we germans are not perfect at all
Düsseldorf is famous for it´s rude*ish service at restaurants, pubs and so on. Especially the Köbes is famous for his edgy, rude*ish style of customer service, but this is part of düsseldorfer culture. The dop poop problem is a really big problem all over germany, people seem to be to "proud" to pick up the poop of their dogs and I hate it. And they get really agressive if you tell them. Me for my part would love to live in Canada. Great landscapes, mostly friendly people and a lot more freedom than here in Germany.
Hallo Jenna, about the lack of customer service: The Düsseldorfer(!) Kabarettist(Comedian) Volker Pispers said once: ,,Der Deutsche will nicht bedient werden, er will beleidigt werden."(The German doesn't want to be served, he wants to be insulted). Well exaggerated but definitely sometimes applicable. Unfortunately, I don't know in which of his programs he mentioned this. Great, your Canadian-German perspective. Stay tuned!
The fact that Germany is crowded really stuck out when I first visited the US. I'm sure there is plenty of lake space available at the arctic circle in Canada. Not so much around the big cities where there s high demand. The same with everything else, Wohnungen, Kindergarten and the like. Regarding Berlin, I went once 40 years ago, didn't like it and never virited again (I grew up in Erlangen).
You are correct with almost everything you say ... but something we definitely dont need in Germany are more of your beloved cottages. We are going to seal enough surface to provide needed housing for people to live there.
Come on, I'm German and there are so many things I dislike, too. What you say about 'Behörden' - it's so true! Also, customer service. You're right! Even though I dislike if I'm bothered. I hate shopping at Lush for example. You can't look around on your own. As soon as you enter the shop someone talks to you. I wish there was a mix between both extremes. I've been to Berlin, too, and it never happened to me 😂 but I'm very careful about it - sometimes I look on the ground all the time. In my neighbourhood (small town in the Ruhrgebiet) people usually pick up their dog's poop. It depends on where you live. In my neighbourhood especially elderly people call you out if you don't do it 😂 By the way: Dear fellow dog owners, there are environmentally friendly bags for picking up dog poop.
D/P is the most disgusting. I can only wholeheartedly agree. Occasionally I found it on the narrow green stripe of my street I have to maintain (but not own. Another Germany nuisance.) So I hve to make a check run before I start mowing. Has been some time since I've been to Berlin (5 years?). But I didn't run into (onto?) dog remains on the streets. I know from earlier visits to stay on the concrete because the other areas of the broad sidewalks are considered poop meadows. So I always walk with a watchful eye and was lucky. The stance and self-righteousness of service people are another issue I agree on. Had a talk with a secretary who does the bills at the hospital. They overcharged me because they (she) assumed I was privatedly insured. But they didn't know by which company. Every company has limits to which they accept an increased bill. (1.9 times in my case) So they charge to the max the insurer accepts. Because I just talked to the person who schedules the appointments (CT-scan) I was never asked or had an opportunity to tell them about my insurer. But when talking to that person (lady is too much of an honorable term) she kind of accused me of not telling in the first place. And that is was my fault. But for them to ask by whatever person takes the appoinment never appeared to her.
Oh man 😣 I’ve had that happen to friends of mine too. It’s fine when people make mistakes, but it’s annoying when you’re then afterwards blamed for them. They should be asking everyone this question beforehand. 🤷🏽♀️🤔
Yesterday I went to fill petrol in my car for the first time in Germany. Unfortunately since it's my first time I parked in the opposite direction of my gas tank.. Generally the hose in USA is long enough to stretch around however here not... So I thought I can turn my car around for this like another guy who already did in my next lane. A woman just jumps out of her car and starts yelling that I have to go to the back of the queue again because I'm turning my damn car around. I waited 20 mains in line for petrol... And now I'm simply realigning my car, is that even a reason to start over again? Damn.... The one which is correctly side for my car has a sticker which says super is defekt.. What the f*** am I supposed to do. She got down from her Mercedes... Filled up for 25 euros... And drove away after making this stupid scene... It really drove me to tears.... And I'm 8 months pregnant.. I have enough troubles moving on my own... But this was over the top..
What a bitch. I hope there will be no next time, but be prepared to tell her that it's non of her business and that she has no right to yell at you. All the best for you and the baby.
Alles Gute ist nie beisammen, es gibt immer Vor- und Nachteile. Ich finde es schade, dass immer Diclaimer aufgesagt werden(müssen), damit nicht irgendwelche Leute so etwas als Hassviedeo verstehen.
I‘m German and I‘m hate the same thing for living in Germany. I have seen a lot of countries , I worked there or also live there and in addition I grow up in eastern Germany. With this background I appreciate the things in Germany much more. Anyway there also a lot of things I don’t like at all. Service - sometimes the service department seems to be they have the task to avoid customer to show up. The world can be so nice and peaceful without clients. I lived also for round about 10 years in Düsseldorf and yes you some representatives of the human species they are awfull. Especially older ladies they don’t know what to do with there money. But these kind of people you will find around the world. Just ignore them. On the other side I or we found allot of very nice people too often in the Altbier-pubs in the Oldtown. The problems with the dogs I can’t confirm, nether for Düsseldorf nor for Berlin. I lived there also for 3 Years. But of course it’s often depend where exactly you live in a city. Behörden- that’s a topic for it’s own and I believe almost every German can tell not so nice stories about it. For sure there also nice experience but at least in my opinion, if you have to to stick to some positive experiences then something is wrong. It should be the standard and not something special. I can continue but at some point in time you get used to it. You just register it , then a short moment to be angry and then just try to make the best out of it. At least that’s what I try to do. Not always successful but … If you get some kind of hateful comments I know it’s difficult but don’t feed the trolls. Just ignore them. It’s your personal experience, it’s your way to look at it and that’s totally fine.
Don't go alone to Düsseldorf Ausländeramt. Always take a german person with you. They are much more friendly then. And make sure the person you take with you, is even much more unfriendly then them and evey thing will work fine. I know those ppl there, they are not nice. They always try to crate problems, even if there are no problems.
You don't have to worry about a lot of hate comments for all your items are things that we Germans are annoyed of as well - or, as we say, "das geht auch uns Deutschen tierisch auf den Sack." 😎
With the dog poo I'm surprised since it is also actually forbidden in Germany to juts leave it. But maybe some people just don't care. Seems Canadians are more orderly then. With the smiles and customer service is true. I guess when you smile at strangers this seems kind of weird here in Germany or even in Europe in general. P.S. are you French- or Italian-Canadian by the way? Just from your smooth dark look.
´Most of those issues that you mentioned, are annoying but really did not bother me much (except with the Ausländerbehörder issue). But what really disturbs me is the hidden/latent racism you face here. I am Indian from Mumbai and my skintone is brownish. Germans are either not aware that they are racist or many of them pass comments or make remarks in a very hidden subtle way that initially I thought I misunderstood them or that my lack of German proficiency was the reason of misunderstanding the comments. However, now after living in Germany for the past 18 years, speak the language with full proficiency, studied in Germany, working in Germany for over 15 years, married and with two children in Germany, I can tell anyone with full confidence that Germans have a racism problem and very often ignore it. Thats one and the second biggest issue here is making friends among Germans. I have thrown plenty of dinner parties with dancing (you need to pour Germans alot of alchol to loosen them), but it is rarely that you get invited (in a year I can literally count 2-3 times in Munich)There are plenty of issues that I hate about Germany that has had a severe effect on my life, workplace and life as a mum. I have decided that I do not want to raise my kids here. My husband and I are both high-income earners and through our profession actively contribute to the economy as well as to the society. But there are plenty of serious issues here (btw: I have lived in three different continents, Germany is my fourth country and I can see that compared to London, Mumbai, Singapore and Dubai where I have all lived in, GErmany is tough. In Germany, I have lived in Stuttgart, briefly in Berlin and most of the time in Munich. have finally convinced my husband that we should leave Munich and Germany on the whole.
You are a truly global citizen..... Love your insights on Germany & the honest comparison you create every now and then with Canada. I can understand why you feel the lack of warmth in Germany, you're from the great white north..... Canadians are literally the sweetest people on the planet, & Germany unfortunately the polar opposite.... (Can't blame them their love for efficiency and perfection has made them a bit harsh, but they're an honest lot) We'd love to hear more about your time in India and Thailand. Lots of good wishes!
🥰🙏 thanks so much! I guess I’m going to have to make a video about my adventures through India and Thailand soon now that so many of you have mentioned this!
Du scheinst im falschen Teil von Deutschland zu leben. Ich habe meine Tochter 2 Monate vor ihren 4. Geburtstag bei der Kita angemeldet und eine Woche später war sie drin. Ich sag es ja immer wieder, der Harz ist die beste Gegend. 😁
@berlin dog poo: ich würde behaupten, in berlin ist das ganze sogar besser geworden (also trotz mehr hunden, insgesamt weniger hundekot). oder man lernt einfach nach einer bestimmten zeit sie zu meiden. es ist ja die eine sache, sich anzuhören über welche kleinigkeiten sich menschen freuen oder wundern, die hier nicht aufegwachsen sind. noch witziger ist aber wenn man als mittelalter mensch 20 jahre zurück blicken kann.
While I agree government offices are not very popular (certainly not just in Germany) I cannot agree on that dog shit issue in Berlin. I have been living in Berlin for almost 30 years, city center and parks around, and I never stepped in any dog shit. How is it possible that you "always" step in whenever you are in Berlin? Don´t be overdramatic! Streets here are not "very very dirty". Regarding service, yes Germany should be more customer friendly. But I have to say, in my experience the service in US might be more friendly (really depends on the area) but very poor in expertise. You can have 5 service workers around you but they are often useless if you have specific questions. It seems like service economy is their way to keep unemployment level low.
Agree!! Customer service sucks, I live in Mainz, and I love it, it's beautiful and perfect and the people are very nice, BUT at least here, they don't appreciate that you arrive speaking English, it's difficult if you don't speak german
I totally agree! Beeing not rich sucks really hard! I hate beeing not rich. Besides... c'mon.. you actually want some good old german bad customer service :D Its a bit like sado-masso. It hurts, but people love it :D
Good morning Jenna 🌞 I totally agree with your points, especially the dog poo issue is something i totally hate, the people like to have everything very clean, you have signs to not walk on the green and all this stupid things, but with dog poo it's different and almost nobody cares until someone walk's accidentally into it. Dusseldorf is beside of Munich one of the richer cities and the people from these cities are not getting tired to let you know that they have a lot of money. Customer service is horrible in Germany, it's ineffective, far away of being up to date and these servants know that they have a secure job and get enough money from our taxes. German civil servants usually work according to regulations and you can see that. The few nice ones get broken by the colleagues, bosses and of course by clients. Then they are brought into line, no extras.
Jenna, just one correction: It's "hochnäsig", not "hochnasig" 😉 You can pronounce the ä just like a long e in the word "Tee" ("hochneesig"), and it's perfect. Almost no German (except us media people) pronounces the ä properly (or do you hear the difference between "Bären" and "Beeren", when your husband says these words? Check it out!), it's absolutely usual to replace it with a long ee. Hope that helps, you are great anyway.
The difference between "ee" and "ä" is vanishing among the younger generation, but especially here in the South of Germany it is certainly (still) pronounced differently. I always tease my children when they say "Meedchen" and "Keese", sounds ugly in my ears.
Flix train is horrible. Never on time. And if you need a connection between you have to pay another ticket. Just buy a regular DB ticket. And there is not a lot of dog poo in Berlin. Not more than in any other European city. But she is right there was more dog poo years ago.
It's sad that you still think that we are unfriendly here in Germany. I think we've got a good customer service. I often made the experience that the service in the US (I've no experience with the canadian) is very, very friendly but useless. Lieber sachlich und effizient als künstlich überfreundlich und nutzlos. "Ich verstehe, dass Sie verärgert sind und werde ALLES tun, Ihr Problem zu beseitigen." Bullshit!
honestly as a german, I don't feel the customer service is rude? usually it is just neutral, some are nice, of course there are rude ones but they were very few and far between for me... maybe my perspective is different since I grew up here
I think as a Canadian, we just think it comes across as rude if they don’t smile to us haha. I’ve got to be used to it now.. however, there are unfortunately still a significant of customer service employees that are rude (even for German standards). The thing is in Canada, if you don’t put on a smile - even if you’re not rude, but neutral - you can and will get fired. 😣
Hi, du musst dich nicht für deine Meinung entschuldigen wenn du fühlst wie du fühlst ist das eben so. Und das ist Ehrlich und Aufrichtig. Dieses Theaterspielen nimmt immer mehr zu seit circa 15 Jahren und ich persönlich finde dies furchtbar. Je mehr Hundekot man sieht desto mehr Menschen tragen weniger Verantwortung für sich selbst und für die Gesellschaft. Schade.
Nice video, agree with all. But I'd like to add that people coming from NORAM are luckier than people coming from east. At least you skip most of the prejudices by most people in DE :) unconscious bias is like crazy here. By default they think you are not educated (or as educated as them) and you only came because you need this country as if there is no lack of resources in most sectors. Unfortunately additional to all the positive aspects, I find this one has a big room for improvement.
Why is that with the customer service in Deutschland? I remember from München to Austria, I accidentally got on the first class section of the Zug. A train attendant came by and checked my ticket, and started rattling something of at me that I didn’t understand, then the other people in 1st class looked at me, and in perfect English said “ Sir, just ignore her !”, so I did, and she ( the attendant) left. Guess I’m lucky the Police weren’t waiting on me at the next stop! * that was a decade ago, but I’ve actually heard of people being fined for doing this, but I guess the attendant realized I didn’t go to 1st Class with the intention of cheating the system, but rather by mistake.
When you have troubles with local communal offices (Behörden) you can complain at the ceo, mostly the people in charge for hiring people (Personalchef) or the general office leader (Behördenleiter). For unfriendly experiences in restaurants etc you should write a critic in their Google profile or on their fb account. Did not listen, just read part of the comments. The title somehow annoyed me, because these are probs you have allover the world, at least you know exactly what will be on your bill (otherwise the states) and you are not forced to pay bakschisch means are blackmailed to bargain to achieve things (Behörden), which is common even in parts of Europe (greece, as far as the story’s are true)
Hmmmmm - how come "Ausländerbehörde" is the word non German native speakers learn first to say without an accent?..... There must be a certain truth to it 🤣🤣
It is deliberate! Because "ö" and "ä" are sounds which are difficult for foreigners. So they have an opportunity to learn early on. There should be some thoughts put into a change to Üsländerbehörde to make it even easier for foreigners to integrate. Perhaps that has not been done because the majority of foreign speakers are Turkish people. Who have the "ü" already in their language. Thanks to Atatürk!
Wy do you say "hate" - because you only do not like it! "To Hate" ist a very mean und aggressive word, that you do better never say, because to hate makes people to bad gays and some time to a murder!
You’re right, hate is a strong word. I think perhaps I didn’t put enough thought into its meaning before uploading this video. I see from your other comments on my videos though that you are not impressed with my thoughts and the way I conduct my videos. I just want to say, that’s entirely okay! We all have different opinions and that’s what TH-cam is for, right? 🙃 sharing our own personal thoughts and opinions!
Rent deposit: there are rules and laws for it and if you are willing to fight, you got your money. th-cam.com/video/i3fR98d-35g/w-d-xo.html Darf ich aus einer Mietwohnung ausziehen, ohne zu renovieren? | Rechtsanwalt Christian Solmecke There a lot videos about renting (all in german) I have no idea when I last saw dog poo here in germany. I'm not searching for them and didn't walk into it. I would not walk on lawns without looking 😀 Customer Service: When I go shopping, I want to find something or pay and not to talk with a foreigner about the weather or "do you need more?". When I need something I ask for it .. so please leave me alone at the grocery store / clothing store / etc. I would hate it if the cashier start a chit chat with every customer in line. They should work so I can leave as fast as possible the grocery store and go home / out friends / etc. At the restaurant ... i want to have a good time with my friends / family and not with the waitress. And the waitress was never rude to me .. when something was sold out then I got the information with an apology. Effectiveness vs talkative! That are different personality mentalities .. we german like it simple and fast.
In my opinion you don't need to apologize at all if you find something you don't like because we say: "Es ist nichts so gut, als dass man es nicht mehr verbessern könnte" (There is nothing that good that you can't improve it anymore"). Nothing is perfect! (except me, hi, hi). "Hochnäsig": I am from Dortmund, have been working in Düsseldorf a couple of years ago, and also in Cologne. I made the experience that in Düsseldorf can be found more "arrogant" appearing people only at some special places there, mostly downtown arround the Königsallee. This is a little bit pitty for all the other normal and very kind Düsseldorf citizens, but that's my experience of Düseldorf. You are living in Flingern, don't you? Then I suppose that you have a lot of nice neighbours. Evereywehre you can meet nice people and dislikable people. But are you sure that you don't mix up typical german aloofness (thank you, google!) with rudness and arrogance? Leak of customer service? "Hi! Welcome to McDonalds! We are glad to see you! Would you like to have a coke along with your hamburger?" 😇 No, thank you for that "service"! 😂 But yes, that's something germany should improve a little bit.
You are absolutely correct. I've been living in Germany for the last 11 years, things are only getting worse. Customer service is HORRIBLE, people simply don't have a clue what "service" is. Simply they don't understand at all, zero understanding. Not only restaurants, but everything sucks, The only way to get somewhat acceptable service is to buy something expensive (like buying an expensive car) and even then, you will probably not get it. Kindergarten is a nightmare of course. Just in NRW there is a lock of approximately 50k daycare workers. My experience from Aachen - Nordrhein Westfalen.
I actually had my cashier at Aldi get in trouble this morning for engaging in a 5 second conversation with me! Her boss said “less talking, more working - what you’re supposed to be doing.. YOUR JOB” 🙈
I so badly wanted to butt in and say “have you never heard of customer service?!”
The German word for dog poo is "Tretmine". I think it describes the problem best.
At least, the owners could make their dogs lay out their visitenkarten (what a dog's poop actually is to other dogs) at the very edge of a way and not in the middle where everyone walks.
The problem actually is the owner rather than the dog itself.
_Where has an uneducated dog its a****le? At the other end of the lead._
I love how you keep saying "I'm so sorry" before starting each point. 😍 As a fellow Canadian, I can relate to all the points you make. Love your videos! 😍
Oh girl I just can so relate to you. I'm born and raised in Germany and all the things you're talking about are so true.
Doesn't matter where I've been served the waitress or waiter were always sooo nice to me. When I go back home it's like I'm in a totally different world and feeling not at home. Crazy, isn't it?
Still happy that you love Germany this much and even want to stay there. You're so polite, girl.
Wir haben auch eine 'Rue de la Kack' hier, wo Hundehalter die tolle Verdauung ihrer Lieblinge bestaunen, und hinterher die Tretminen nicht beseitigen. Und die Schweine sind nicht die Tiere...
Rue de la Kack 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍
Hi Jenna, pretty much on target, of course Düsseldorf is a little "Schickimiki". Once you get a little outside of town, the folks are usually more down to earth. It took me a while to learn the term "Vitamin B" (B=Beziehung) in order to get things done. In terms of dealing with German bureaucrats, I've found it helps to "ask for help" as opposed to "insist on your rights".
"Kann ich bitte Ihren Vorgesetzten sprechen?" is a helpful term as well.😊
Hi Jenna, I really appreciate you and love your posts (positive and negative) and can agree on many things. In this one there are two things I don't understand and that is the thing with the Kita and the water.
To all other points I could also say something but that would go beyond the scope of your request.
Customer service is a disaster, yes, but we owe that to the McKinsey's from the USA, who have rationalized away everything in our companies that costs money. Many also want service because they think it's free but it's not, those are included in the price and then many don't want to pay it,
You live in Düsseldorf, I can confirm that it rains the "Düsseldorfers" into their nostrils.
In my time in USA I enjoyed the service but the always polite and "pure" friendliness was very often also exhausting because not genuine, I don't want to be greeted as one of hundreds by a doorman with a handshake when entering a department store.
I live in Stuttgart and have no idea how the foreigners office here is but for the behavior of the Düsseldorf towards you I'm still ashamed and would like to apologize (also for all the others who probably feel the same).
(My experiences with the authorities in the USA are not much better).
I like the term "toffee nosed" for hochnäsig.
I have no problem with the superficial friendlyness of service personell in the US/CAN. But when it comes to real problems to be solved the incompetence strikes ma as a strong contrast. Which means that incompetence is not unknown here. But that goes along with offensiveness too.
Yes the "hochnäsig" point.Nobody should be jealous of a rich German person.I'm not.I have a good job.Earn good money.
But it's the way a German will sometimes look down his or her nose at you.Terrible!
Hi Jenna, First of all, I think it's good that your "hate" main points deal with your personal experiences, which were recently rather the opposite of "great" and have no clichés as a source. It's all understandable and personally, as a German, I don't find these points to be a hit. Very balanced.
Thanks for the video. I'm considering moving to Germany and researching it, and I really don't think most of these things would bother me at all. Mean unhelpful bureaucrats are annoying but I can work around them. I appreciate hearing about your experiences.
It’s all things one can easily get used to after a while! I think as long as you expect these shocks, everything gets easier! 🥰
Ich stimme total mit dir überein. Ich lebe in Spanien und habe manchmal Sehnsucht ( nostalgic feelings ) nach Deutschland. Dieses Video hilft. Es ist nicht so schlecht hier in Spanien.
Like your videos so much...cause of the reflection👏👍
Hallo Jenna;im Grunde stimme ich dir in allen Punkten zu,wenn es auch in den meisten Bereichen in den letzten Jahren schon besser wurde...falls wir von unseren lieben Beamten und Angestellten in den Behörden einmal absehen.In einem Punkt stimme ich aber weniger mit dir überein;ich finde das Personal in Kneipen und Restaurants eigentlich schon sehr freundlich und zuvorkommend....Auf jeden Fall ist es schön,das du dich hier so gut eingelebt hast und dich zuhause fühlen kannst.
I am suscriber from Austria :D Love your content, very interesting to get some perspectives from outside :)
Thank you so much! 🥰🥰
The low cost german version of a cabin (and that seemed way more prevalent in Ontario/Quebec than in BC) would be a "Dauercampingplatz" - which there are a tonne of.
Population density is a key difference (Germany has 1/3 the total land mass of Ontario and 5.5times the population = Germany is about 16times as densely populated as Ontario - and you live smack dab in the most densely populated state in Germany).
Germany also has all sorts fo building rules that make it impossible to build in places that you would in Canada with a well, septic and generator.
Before the current housing and real estate boom - you could find really low priced houses in Sauerland, Eifel and Bergisches Land, but none of those were really lake districts - all mining areas.
But you bought and rebuilt a camper - a tonne of people have those about 20-100km from their home town, and go out to their little rented parcel there surrounded by similar every weekend - often with a lake, or a man made swimming hole. Nowhere near the same charm, or outdoor feel - but given the population density - it is what it is.
I have heard of some investory buying old camping sites, and placing "vacation homes" on them, with a special sort of zoning and usage that makes them more similar to "Schrebergarten" or camping places, but with actual proper cabins - which also are nto officially allowed to be your first residence.
The lake getaway places exist a bit more in east germany - especially in the berlin and saxony region where there are a lot of lakes.
I came to Germany over 20 years ago and I can relate to EVERY SINGLE POINT here except the very last one: yes, been there, done that. I guess I could have told a similar story......
You’re absolutely right about customer service. I can give you so many examples I could create a TH-cam channel based on that topic only. But many Germans obviously don’t care being treated like a supplicant.
Thanks for this great video Jenna! 🙌
Jenna du bist richtig cool auch bei den Sachen die du nicht magst in Deutschland und dabei lächelst du immer so niedlich . Weiter so !
🥰♥️ hahah awww Dankeschön!!
@@lifeingermany_ Immer gerne Jenna .
Ich kann dir nur in allen Punkten zustimmen und deinen Unmut bestens nachvollziehen.
Ich finde auch, dass das Hundekackeproblem in Berlin noch krasser ist als anderswo.
Ich habe die Düsseldorfer im Vergleich zu den Kölnern und Wuppertalern auch immer als recht arrogant erlebt.
Einen Wochenendsitz am See findest du höchstens, wenn du einen Dauercampingplatz an einer Talsperre kaufst.
Was Freundlichkeit betrifft, hat sich manches etwas gebessert. So ist es z. B. üblich, sich am Ende eines Gesprächs oder an der Supermarktkasse etwas Gutes zu wünschen. Etwa ein schönes Wochenende oder noch einen schönen Abend oder angenehme Feiertage. Und wenn man in einem großen Laden oder einem Baumarkt endlich einen Mitarbeiter gefunden hat, der einem Fragen beantwortet, bekommt man oft eine gute Beratung.
Dass man sich hier gut verkaufen muss, um etwas zu erhalten oder sogar Bestechungsgelder zahlen, wusste ich nicht. Wie schrecklich! Das muss eine relativ neue Entwicklung sein.
My first time on your channel and i cannot go without subscribe you
Lots off love from Pakistan
Aww 🥰 thank you so much!!
Pleasure is always mine im actually from pakistan but living in berlin since 2016 i wish you to come Berlin so we can make video together because im also youtuber
Short story about dog poo in Berlin: my colleagues and I met on a business trip there, I flew in from Munich, they from Milan. I complained about the dog poo everywhere, they stated how clean Berlin was. So much about perspective...
I definitely agree with the dog poo issue in Berlin. I lived in Berlin for quite some years, and dog poo was everywhere no matter if it was a posh or a socially deprived suburb. Here in Bavaria, the situation is only half as bad. Today, I had to dodge a large heap of dog poo on the footpath when walking to the supermarket, but that was an exception.
Everything you say is true. I really have to agree with you on all points. Even for me as a German, these are things that I find terrible. Especially this passive aggressive behavior in the Behörden.
This reminds me of a German joke:
_Was haben Ämter und (alte) Blue Jeans gemeinsam? An den wichtigsten Stellen sitzen Nieten._
Hi Jenna, thank you for your hints - not complaints. And that is the way how to understand those points you speak about. To understand those as complaints is destructive and does not lead us to a positive change. Thank you also for your honesty. This make it possible to get aware about that and get the chance to work on a change. It make it possible to see that also others, also German, did made such experiences. Regarding the dog poos, we had the same problem in our comunity and farmers complaint also about that as this is dangerous to cows or other animals which would be feeded with that crop - not mentioning the people. But our municipality levied a fine if dog poop is not removed and this changed the situation. There are plastic bags for free to dispose the dog poos. For most of the other point we should think about the quite different situation of canada and germany. Canada has 3.9 inhabitants per km, Germany does have 232. Many - very many people in Germany came from other countries, especially from EU. That make a lot of work and stress, especially for those who have every single day to do with that subjects. The same for Kitas and many other life situations. That is not an apology for unfriendly appearance, but it could help not to get angry every time. We German does make the same experiences. But it seems that there are differences in life looking at Berlin, Düsseldorf or Munich and their environment.
I'd say the dog poop is much more dangerous to cattle than to pple because the latter don't eat grass.
Dog poop at your shoes sucks but doesn't sicken or even kill you.
You're at the wrong spot. I'm living in northern Germany for 37 years and I can't remember that any waiter or waitress have been rude or not friendly to me.
All points are - more or less - understandable (at least from a foreigner‘s perspective that moved to Germany and hasn’t grown up here). I also „complained“ about a lot of things when I used to live in the US. But the secret is to simply „let got“ at some point and realize that you are in the middle of a journey/transition (in terms of personal development). So who cares if single individuals aren’t nice to you (the Ausländerbehörde is obviously a very special example as Germans don’t have to deal with this specific authority)? You should simply be yourself; don’t allow someone else to ruin your day. You have created this amazing channel and achieved so much. You are smart, (very) funny and ambitious. It’s really hard to believe that someone like you hasn’t made plenty of friends in Germany. You have created some really great content ;-)
Thank you so much for the sweet comments 🥰♥️ and you are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! Letting go really is the only and the best way to move forward and start enjoying life here in Germany!
It takes a while, but I do feel like I’m getting there 🥰 … a lot of things I used to cry over for days are now so easy to shrug off here and get on with my day! ♥️ it feels so so good!
@@lifeingermany_ Perfect, that’s the right mindset. You’ll see how “liberating“ it can be if you don’t overthink what and why someone said to you in a certain situation ;-)
PS: I‘m a great fan, keep up the good work 🤙🤙🤙
In Berlin I hated that all of the green spaces were overgrown and unkempt. No landscaping in public spaces.
Berlin is almost bankrupt. No money.
In Costa Rica, land on the water (beach) is always public. You literally can't own it. Access to the sea is seen as a public good.
I would think that you could do time shares of property on the water in Germany. Obviously people can't all own a second home that's not used.
In some states of the US there is a line, the high-water mark, which is the border bewteen public and private land. But people get very inventive to make access to that area less easy.
In Germany timeshare is a rarity. You want to have your own property. Otherwise it would be advisable to use AirBnB or rent for the time you want to go there. The area in Germany is simply not that vast as in Canada. (We are a little smaller than the size of Montana with a population of 82 million. More than twice the number of Canada.)
So glad you made this video. I totally agree!! There’s dog poop in the larger cities all the time, it’s disgusting. Customer service in Germany is overall bad! Also, most people are cold/not very friendly at first and just not as happy as people in other countries I’ve lived. Lastly, there are not many sunny days here. I am a German who lived 21 years in the USA and I feel qualified to express my experience as well 😁
There are people who can be angry about in Germany, but just as easily in the rest of the world.
In Germany there are regions where, for example, people work for authorities who are friendly, helpful and courteous.
In other regions, however, this is not the case.
There are also restaurants where the service is unfriendly and unsympathetic, for example. Elsewhere, friendly and courteous and also asks the guest if everything was okay (e.g. service, food and drink).
In large German cities it is often the case that people have less time and are therefore more "superficial" towards others, which one then perceives as "unfriendly" (e.g. not saying "hello" or not smiling when passing by).
In rural places, things are quieter and a little more relaxed and you perceive these people as friendlier.
The experiences you have as a "non-German" in Germany depend on where you are (big city or rural region) and what kind of people you meet (friendly or unfriendly).
I have often met people in my life who seem "unfriendly" to others, but in reality they are not, because it always depends on what kind of person you are in front of you (e.g. shy, reserved or inhibitions).
I'm German and I also receive rudeness and Hochnäsigkeit, I have two dogs and have to pick up after my own dogs plus other people's dogs if the poopoo is close enough, I worked in customer service and all clients liked me because I'm always polite, even if ppl are rude, and I just think to myself, what a miserable life they must have to let it all out on other people.
I also lived in India and Sri Lanka and though life was much tougher, I felt quite happy and fulfilled ❤
Hi Jenna! Thank your for sharing your experiences. There is just one thing I want to point out: I don't thinkt hat we Germans are generally rude or unfriendly. When somebody I don't know is smiling at me on the street it is quite irritating for me... Why is she smiling? Do I know her? Do I look funny? Is anything wrong with me? I think it a cultural thing, nothing I would call unfriendly (at least the last thing I would like to be is unfriendly) but I am simply not used to smile at people I don't know. But please: never give up to get us Germans out of our Comfort Zone by smiling at us!
I agree with the Customer Service point, especially in München (sorry Bayerische Menschen)...
I am from Costa Rica, where isn't allow to smoke on public spaces, included bus stops. When I walk in Germany the air smells like smoke, it's disgusting, and the people even smoke in from of their kids!!! 😱😱😱😱
I totally agree with the smoking.
Well like smoke smokers cannot dissolve themself in the air
why shouldn't i smoke on public spaces?
@@mamamia6925 because it is public?
One thing that surprises me is how long it takes to get things done.
My wife is German and I'm South African. We live in a small town in Niedersachsen and we are trying to get our house renovated. After spending 15 Years in London we are used to companies competing for your business.
The contractors here are so complacent that it's taking months to get quotes from some of them.
You would think that Germans are really efficient and want the work but it seems that in small towns they are so busy that they don't really have to fight for business because there aren't other options.
Maybe that's more small town problem rather than German.
I'd guess that indeed is a small town issue. I've heard things pretty similar to what you said from small towns in Finland as well.
Funny that you always managed to step into dog poop in Berlin ;) I've been living in Berlin for almost 4 years now and I think I stepped into dog poop twice. Well, maybe I'm just more cautious now and scan my environment all the time for possible threats XD And I also think it's really depending on the area. I think you come across dog poop much more in Kreuzberg, Friedrichshain or Neukölln compared to other areas, especially those in the former west and more "upper class". But yeah, if you're really watching out for it, I guess one will find dog poop anywhere every now and then
Hey Jenna! Interesting video, I've not yet experienced most of what you have, I do know experiences vary region to region and whether you live in the country/villiage or city, but I really dont like service and common courtesy here. I had an issue with the Auslanderbehörde and my gemeinde when I moved here z.B and making a complaint or even just giving general feedback, doesnt do anything or receieved. How is something meant to be improved upon if you cant give feedback on something? Blows my mind how things actually work here.
I don't understand how someone can be rude or hochnaesig to such a cute girl. 😉
Maybe, it's the "dark side" of our relative honesty, as which (too) many people here mistake their own impoliteness.
Hi, I was born in Cologne and still live here and I can absolutely agree with every one of your points.
I get all of the mentioned points tbh. Perfect doesn't exist so hey.
edit: Gotta appreciate the time stamps! : )
I have never experienced any rudeness towards me here in Germany, but I have lived in Goslar and, now, in a small village in the Upper Harz. Perhaps it is a large city issue. I grew up in rural, small town America, so I prefer small, quiet towns and villages. Now, the German language teacher I had for my face-to-face course in Goslar was horrible. After eight weeks, I switched to an online course with the Göethe Institut. We had a horrible experience when we moved out of our apartment though. When we purchased our house, we too, purchased it before it was placed on the market. We got a good deal on it as well. I prefer life here as opposed to living in the US.
It might be because she lives in Düsseldorf. The people there have a reputation of being arrogant.
My wife is from Hartz (Wernigerode). We Live about 1.5 hrs from there in a small town and find the people are all very friendly.
It has become a trend recently for dog owners to pick up the poop after their dogs. Hasn't always been this way, though.
Can’t relate to the dog poop thing, but i life in a smaler town🤷♀️
Same with the Ämter. People there a not so nice but ok.
I understand you miss you weekend cabin... but thats really a first world problem. Seem you are well of, haveing bought a house.
It really is a first world problem, and I’m happy with what we have 🥰♥️
@@lifeingermany_ But as my society did often try to make things perfect you could use the loopholes that appears when trying to close the last remainig gap. For a weekend hut ask a lawyer or look up the following rules: Beekeeper hut. A friend of my sister hade bought a patch of land with a small hut on it, a few months later the "Untere Naturschutzbehörde" wrote him a letter that his hut is illegal and that he must tear it down. He consulted a lawyer and got the advise that if he did have bees he could still use his hut as a shelter for a beekeeper. And now a couple of years later he still have his hut, in the middle of an "nature reservoir" and did enjoy his little pice of heaven.
You have to take into account that once you spent all your wealth on a house you are no more well-to-do.
@@lotharschepers2240 What about Bestandsschutz?
Lived in Germany for 15 months.Two different places.Never saw dog sh#t problems.Never.
Raum, Platz, Häuser und Wohnungen sind in großen Städten unglaublich teuer. Das ist "normal".
Deswegen wollen ja auch immer mehr Menschen in den Städten/Dörfern außerhalb leben.
Dafür wird dann auch ein langer Weg zur Arbeit in akzeptiert.
I agree that many employees at a restaurant are badly trained, or just don't care, but it would make me even more uncomfortable to be engaged into a conversation every single time, while they are actually not interested in what I have to say. That's why I hate buying at Gamestop - the employees are forced to talk and try to sell me things I don't want.
Regarding the streets though, people aren't rude on purpose.. smiling at strangers just isn't a thing here and often considered as weird.
Couldn’t have said it all better myself! 🙃
4:58 really? Maybe it depends on locations. It is not happened to me for decades here in South Germany.
When was the last time you were in Canada? Most people can’t afford a cottage, let alone one on the water.
A couple of years ago! Well… I still have all my friends and family there, so I’m not out of touch with what’s going on at least. I know the prices are outrageous now! 😫 … but on the positive side, cottages are now becoming peoples primary residences thanks to new home office rules at workplaces!
For example, my mom moved from Toronto out to Prince Edward County, which 5 years ago was super affordable and often for retired… in the last year it’s turned into this million dollar land and full of people my age who either gave up the 9-5 life or work from home office. ♥️
Nice video
Thank you for finally sharing the cons about germany because its not paradise as some folks think. Well i am a dog person , having a dog means responsible acting.Beeing born as a Düsseldorfer Jung i do know we germans are not perfect at all
Moin, typische Antwort eines Gehwegverschmutzers:
Dafür zahl ich ja auch Hundesteuer! 😬
Düsseldorf is famous for it´s rude*ish service at restaurants, pubs and so on. Especially the Köbes is famous for his edgy, rude*ish style of customer service, but this is part of düsseldorfer culture.
The dop poop problem is a really big problem all over germany, people seem to be to "proud" to pick up the poop of their dogs and I hate it. And they get really agressive if you tell them.
Me for my part would love to live in Canada. Great landscapes, mostly friendly people and a lot more freedom than here in Germany.
Hallo Jenna, about the lack of customer service: The Düsseldorfer(!) Kabarettist(Comedian) Volker Pispers said once: ,,Der Deutsche will nicht bedient werden, er will beleidigt werden."(The German doesn't want to be served, he wants to be insulted). Well exaggerated but definitely sometimes applicable. Unfortunately, I don't know in which of his programs he mentioned this.
Great, your Canadian-German perspective. Stay tuned!
The fact that Germany is crowded really stuck out when I first visited the US. I'm sure there is plenty of lake space available at the arctic circle in Canada. Not so much around the big cities where there s high demand. The same with everything else, Wohnungen, Kindergarten and the like. Regarding Berlin, I went once 40 years ago, didn't like it and never virited again (I grew up in Erlangen).
You are correct with almost everything you say ... but something we definitely dont need in Germany are more of your beloved cottages. We are going to seal enough surface to provide needed housing for people to live there.
Lol I’m about to move back to Düsseldorf I’m living in Canada as well 😜 it’s getting cold in here
Come on, I'm German and there are so many things I dislike, too. What you say about 'Behörden' - it's so true! Also, customer service. You're right! Even though I dislike if I'm bothered. I hate shopping at Lush for example. You can't look around on your own. As soon as you enter the shop someone talks to you. I wish there was a mix between both extremes.
I've been to Berlin, too, and it never happened to me 😂 but I'm very careful about it - sometimes I look on the ground all the time. In my neighbourhood (small town in the Ruhrgebiet) people usually pick up their dog's poop. It depends on where you live. In my neighbourhood especially elderly people call you out if you don't do it 😂
By the way: Dear fellow dog owners, there are environmentally friendly bags for picking up dog poop.
D/P is the most disgusting. I can only wholeheartedly agree. Occasionally I found it on the narrow green stripe of my street I have to maintain (but not own. Another Germany nuisance.) So I hve to make a check run before I start mowing. Has been some time since I've been to Berlin (5 years?). But I didn't run into (onto?) dog remains on the streets. I know from earlier visits to stay on the concrete because the other areas of the broad sidewalks are considered poop meadows. So I always walk with a watchful eye and was lucky.
The stance and self-righteousness of service people are another issue I agree on. Had a talk with a secretary who does the bills at the hospital. They overcharged me because they (she) assumed I was privatedly insured. But they didn't know by which company. Every company has limits to which they accept an increased bill. (1.9 times in my case) So they charge to the max the insurer accepts. Because I just talked to the person who schedules the appointments (CT-scan) I was never asked or had an opportunity to tell them about my insurer. But when talking to that person (lady is too much of an honorable term) she kind of accused me of not telling in the first place. And that is was my fault. But for them to ask by whatever person takes the appoinment never appeared to her.
Oh man 😣 I’ve had that happen to friends of mine too. It’s fine when people make mistakes, but it’s annoying when you’re then afterwards blamed for them. They should be asking everyone this question beforehand. 🤷🏽♀️🤔
Yesterday I went to fill petrol in my car for the first time in Germany. Unfortunately since it's my first time I parked in the opposite direction of my gas tank.. Generally the hose in USA is long enough to stretch around however here not... So I thought I can turn my car around for this like another guy who already did in my next lane. A woman just jumps out of her car and starts yelling that I have to go to the back of the queue again because I'm turning my damn car around. I waited 20 mains in line for petrol... And now I'm simply realigning my car, is that even a reason to start over again? Damn.... The one which is correctly side for my car has a sticker which says super is defekt.. What the f*** am I supposed to do. She got down from her Mercedes... Filled up for 25 euros... And drove away after making this stupid scene... It really drove me to tears.... And I'm 8 months pregnant.. I have enough troubles moving on my own... But this was over the top..
What a bitch. I hope there will be no next time, but be prepared to tell her that it's non of her business and that she has no right to yell at you.
All the best for you and the baby.
@@Andreas_Cologne Thank you 😊
@@BoT001k UR welcome
Alles Gute ist nie beisammen, es gibt immer Vor- und Nachteile. Ich finde es schade, dass immer Diclaimer aufgesagt werden(müssen), damit nicht irgendwelche Leute so etwas als Hassviedeo verstehen.
Manche Deutsche müssen halt immer die Beleidigte Leberwurst spielen! :-)
I‘m German and I‘m hate the same thing for living in Germany. I have seen a lot of countries , I worked there or also live there and in addition I grow up in eastern Germany. With this background I appreciate the things in Germany much more. Anyway there also a lot of things I don’t like at all. Service - sometimes the service department seems to be they have the task to avoid customer to show up. The world can be so nice and peaceful without clients. I lived also for round about 10 years in Düsseldorf and yes you some representatives of the human species they are awfull. Especially older ladies they don’t know what to do with there money. But these kind of people you will find around the world. Just ignore them. On the other side I or we found allot of very nice people too often in the Altbier-pubs in the Oldtown. The problems with the dogs I can’t confirm, nether for Düsseldorf nor for Berlin. I lived there also for 3 Years. But of course it’s often depend where exactly you live in a city. Behörden- that’s a topic for it’s own and I believe almost every German can tell not so nice stories about it. For sure there also nice experience but at least in my opinion, if you have to to stick to some positive experiences then something is wrong. It should be the standard and not something special. I can continue but at some point in time you get used to it. You just register it , then a short moment to be angry and then just try to make the best out of it. At least that’s what I try to do. Not always successful but … If you get some kind of hateful comments I know it’s difficult but don’t feed the trolls. Just ignore them. It’s your personal experience, it’s your way to look at it and that’s totally fine.
Don't go alone to Düsseldorf Ausländeramt. Always take a german person with you. They are much more friendly then. And make sure the person you take with you, is even much more unfriendly then them and evey thing will work fine. I know those ppl there, they are not nice. They always try to crate problems, even if there are no problems.
I would agree about Berlin. I lived 1.5 year and I did not like it. I am moving to Düssedorf next week.
Düsseldorf is a much much different city 🙃
Both have their pros and cons but I think you’ll like it here!
@@lifeingermany_ I was on a project for 7 months in Düsseldorf and I liked the city.
Customer services all over the Globe is a caos, maybe in other planet ? ! Who knows where? 😉👍🤩
Do you visit Hamburg often as well? Also, will you share more about living in India & Thailand one day?
I’m in Hamburg at least once a year 🥰 love it there!!
I can definitely tell more about my stories in India and Thailand if you’d like! 🥰🤗
@@lifeingermany_ I’d love it!
Kein Hate : Egal wo man hin zieht .... nach der Zeit nerven einen immer mehr Dinge obwohl man das Land und die Leute mag
You don't have to worry about a lot of hate comments for all your items are things that we Germans are annoyed of as well - or, as we say, "das geht auch uns Deutschen tierisch auf den Sack." 😎
With the dog poo I'm surprised since it is also actually forbidden in Germany to juts leave it. But maybe some people just don't care. Seems Canadians are more orderly then. With the smiles and customer service is true. I guess when you smile at strangers this seems kind of weird here in Germany or even in Europe in general. P.S. are you French- or Italian-Canadian by the way? Just from your smooth dark look.
´Most of those issues that you mentioned, are annoying but really did not bother me much (except with the Ausländerbehörder issue). But what really disturbs me is the hidden/latent racism you face here. I am Indian from Mumbai and my skintone is brownish. Germans are either not aware that they are racist or many of them pass comments or make remarks in a very hidden subtle way that initially I thought I misunderstood them or that my lack of German proficiency was the reason of misunderstanding the comments. However, now after living in Germany for the past 18 years, speak the language with full proficiency, studied in Germany, working in Germany for over 15 years, married and with two children in Germany, I can tell anyone with full confidence that Germans have a racism problem and very often ignore it. Thats one and the second biggest issue here is making friends among Germans. I have thrown plenty of dinner parties with dancing (you need to pour Germans alot of alchol to loosen them), but it is rarely that you get invited (in a year I can literally count 2-3 times in Munich)There are plenty of issues that I hate about Germany that has had a severe effect on my life, workplace and life as a mum. I have decided that I do not want to raise my kids here. My husband and I are both high-income earners and through our profession actively contribute to the economy as well as to the society. But there are plenty of serious issues here (btw: I have lived in three different continents, Germany is my fourth country and I can see that compared to London, Mumbai, Singapore and Dubai where I have all lived in, GErmany is tough. In Germany, I have lived in Stuttgart, briefly in Berlin and most of the time in Munich. have finally convinced my husband that we should leave Munich and Germany on the whole.
Germans hate offices too 😄 we still fight a big kind of paper-war
You are a truly global citizen..... Love your insights on Germany & the honest comparison you create every now and then with Canada. I can understand why you feel the lack of warmth in Germany, you're from the great white north..... Canadians are literally the sweetest people on the planet, & Germany unfortunately the polar opposite.... (Can't blame them their love for efficiency and perfection has made them a bit harsh, but they're an honest lot)
We'd love to hear more about your time in India and Thailand.
Lots of good wishes!
🥰🙏 thanks so much!
I guess I’m going to have to make a video about my adventures through India and Thailand soon now that so many of you have mentioned this!
Du scheinst im falschen Teil von Deutschland zu leben. Ich habe meine Tochter 2 Monate vor ihren 4. Geburtstag bei der Kita angemeldet und eine Woche später war sie drin. Ich sag es ja immer wieder, der Harz ist die beste Gegend. 😁
@berlin dog poo: ich würde behaupten, in berlin ist das ganze sogar besser geworden (also trotz mehr hunden, insgesamt weniger hundekot). oder man lernt einfach nach einer bestimmten zeit sie zu meiden. es ist ja die eine sache, sich anzuhören über welche kleinigkeiten sich menschen freuen oder wundern, die hier nicht aufegwachsen sind. noch witziger ist aber wenn man als mittelalter mensch 20 jahre zurück blicken kann.
I agree with everything. As a German.
While I agree government offices are not very popular (certainly not just in Germany) I cannot agree on that dog shit issue in Berlin. I have been living in Berlin for almost 30 years, city center and parks around, and I never stepped in any dog shit. How is it possible that you "always" step in whenever you are in Berlin? Don´t be overdramatic! Streets here are not "very very dirty". Regarding service, yes Germany should be more customer friendly. But I have to say, in my experience the service in US might be more friendly (really depends on the area) but very poor in expertise. You can have 5 service workers around you but they are often useless if you have specific questions. It seems like service economy is their way to keep unemployment level low.
Agree!! Customer service sucks, I live in Mainz, and I love it, it's beautiful and perfect and the people are very nice, BUT at least here, they don't appreciate that you arrive speaking English, it's difficult if you don't speak german
I totally agree! Beeing not rich sucks really hard! I hate beeing not rich. Besides... c'mon.. you actually want some good old german bad customer service :D Its a bit like sado-masso. It hurts, but people love it :D
The town and the people who idon´t say the name (i´m from cologne) are known to be very "hochnäsig"!
Ein Dorf am Rhein😆
Good morning Jenna 🌞
I totally agree with your points, especially the dog poo issue is something i totally hate, the people like to have everything very clean, you have signs to not walk on the green and all this stupid things, but with dog poo it's different and almost nobody cares until someone walk's accidentally into it.
Dusseldorf is beside of Munich one of the richer cities and the people from these cities are not getting tired to let you know that they have a lot of money.
Customer service is horrible in Germany, it's ineffective, far away of being up to date and these servants know that they have a secure job and get enough money from our taxes.
German civil servants usually work according to regulations and you can see that.
The few nice ones get broken by the colleagues, bosses and of course by clients. Then they are brought into line, no extras.
I love your German words ❤️
Exactly like in Brussels 😔
Oh no 😔😣
After so many years I'm struggling with they're meanness terrible customer service 😪 ugly uncomfortable large square soft wired pillows
You crack me up. But I feel for you too. You see through so much bullshit.
Jenna, just one correction: It's "hochnäsig", not "hochnasig" 😉 You can pronounce the ä just like a long e in the word "Tee" ("hochneesig"), and it's perfect. Almost no German (except us media people) pronounces the ä properly (or do you hear the difference between "Bären" and "Beeren", when your husband says these words? Check it out!), it's absolutely usual to replace it with a long ee. Hope that helps, you are great anyway.
I'm currently studying German, and when I heard that word it sounded to me like "hoch-Nazis", so I googeld but I didn't find anything 😀
@@eugeniorossi1384 That's funny, but now you know better 😄 Enjoy your studies, must be hard considering how beautiful your own language is 😉
The difference between "ee" and "ä" is vanishing among the younger generation, but especially here in the South of Germany it is certainly (still) pronounced differently. I always tease my children when they say "Meedchen" and "Keese", sounds ugly in my ears.
Flix train is horrible. Never on time. And if you need a connection between you have to pay another ticket. Just buy a regular DB ticket. And there is not a lot of dog poo in Berlin. Not more than in any other European city. But she is right there was more dog poo years ago.
It's sad that you still think that we are unfriendly here in Germany.
I think we've got a good customer service. I often made the experience that the service in the US (I've no experience with the canadian) is very, very friendly but useless. Lieber sachlich und effizient als künstlich überfreundlich und nutzlos. "Ich verstehe, dass Sie verärgert sind und werde ALLES tun, Ihr Problem zu beseitigen." Bullshit!
Tja Düsseldorf ist so eine hochnäsige Stadt! Musste da mal 3 Jahre arbeiten und da merkt man, dass viele dort sich für was besseres halten!
honestly as a german, I don't feel the customer service is rude? usually it is just neutral, some are nice, of course there are rude ones but they were very few and far between for me... maybe my perspective is different since I grew up here
I think as a Canadian, we just think it comes across as rude if they don’t smile to us haha. I’ve got to be used to it now.. however, there are unfortunately still a significant of customer service employees that are rude (even for German standards). The thing is in Canada, if you don’t put on a smile - even if you’re not rude, but neutral - you can and will get fired. 😣
Hi, du musst dich nicht für deine Meinung entschuldigen wenn du fühlst wie du fühlst ist das eben so. Und das ist Ehrlich und Aufrichtig.
Dieses Theaterspielen nimmt immer mehr zu seit circa 15 Jahren und ich persönlich finde dies furchtbar.
Je mehr Hundekot man sieht desto mehr Menschen tragen weniger Verantwortung für sich selbst und für die Gesellschaft. Schade.
Few lakes
Nice video, agree with all. But I'd like to add that people coming from NORAM are luckier than people coming from east. At least you skip most of the prejudices by most people in DE :) unconscious bias is like crazy here. By default they think you are not educated (or as educated as them) and you only came because you need this country as if there is no lack of resources in most sectors. Unfortunately additional to all the positive aspects, I find this one has a big room for improvement.
😔♥️ yeah, you’re absolutely right about that!!
Why is that with the customer service in Deutschland? I remember from München to Austria, I accidentally got on the first class section of the Zug. A train attendant came by and checked my ticket, and started rattling something of at me that I didn’t understand, then the other people in 1st class looked at me, and in perfect English said “ Sir, just ignore her !”, so I did, and she ( the attendant) left. Guess I’m lucky the Police weren’t waiting on me at the next stop! * that was a decade ago, but I’ve actually heard of people being fined for doing this, but I guess the attendant realized I didn’t go to 1st Class with the intention of cheating the system, but rather by mistake.
Ordnung muss sein! 😂
When you have troubles with local communal offices (Behörden) you can complain at the ceo, mostly the people in charge for hiring people (Personalchef) or the general office leader (Behördenleiter).
For unfriendly experiences in restaurants etc you should write a critic in their Google profile or on their fb account.
Did not listen, just read part of the comments. The title somehow annoyed me, because these are probs you have allover the world, at least you know exactly what will be on your bill (otherwise the states) and you are not forced to pay bakschisch means are blackmailed to bargain to achieve things (Behörden), which is common even in parts of Europe (greece, as far as the story’s are true)
Why do you still live
Doesn’t mean I don’t love Germany too 😉
Hmmmmm - how come "Ausländerbehörde" is the word non German native speakers learn first to say without an accent?..... There must be a certain truth to it 🤣🤣
It is deliberate! Because "ö" and "ä" are sounds which are difficult for foreigners. So they have an opportunity to learn early on. There should be some thoughts put into a change to Üsländerbehörde to make it even easier for foreigners to integrate.
Perhaps that has not been done because the majority of foreign speakers are Turkish people. Who have the "ü" already in their language. Thanks to Atatürk!
Wy do you say "hate" - because you only do not like it!
"To Hate" ist a very mean und aggressive word, that you do better never say, because to hate makes people to bad gays and some time to a murder!
You’re right, hate is a strong word. I think perhaps I didn’t put enough thought into its meaning before uploading this video.
I see from your other comments on my videos though that you are not impressed with my thoughts and the way I conduct my videos. I just want to say, that’s entirely okay! We all have different opinions and that’s what TH-cam is for, right? 🙃 sharing our own personal thoughts and opinions!
Köbes 😂
You speak too much , try to be brief
Rent deposit: there are rules and laws for it and if you are willing to fight, you got your money.
th-cam.com/video/i3fR98d-35g/w-d-xo.html
Darf ich aus einer Mietwohnung ausziehen, ohne zu renovieren? | Rechtsanwalt Christian Solmecke
There a lot videos about renting (all in german)
I have no idea when I last saw dog poo here in germany.
I'm not searching for them and didn't walk into it.
I would not walk on lawns without looking 😀
Customer Service: When I go shopping, I want to find something or pay and not to talk with a foreigner about the weather or "do you need more?".
When I need something I ask for it .. so please leave me alone at the grocery store / clothing store / etc.
I would hate it if the cashier start a chit chat with every customer in line. They should work so I can leave as fast as possible the grocery store and go home / out friends / etc.
At the restaurant ... i want to have a good time with my friends / family and not with the waitress.
And the waitress was never rude to me .. when something was sold out then I got the information with an apology.
Effectiveness vs talkative!
That are different personality mentalities .. we german like it simple and fast.
In my opinion you don't need to apologize at all if you find something you don't like because we say: "Es ist nichts so gut, als dass man es nicht mehr verbessern könnte" (There is nothing that good that you can't improve it anymore"). Nothing is perfect! (except me, hi, hi).
"Hochnäsig": I am from Dortmund, have been working in Düsseldorf a couple of years ago, and also in Cologne. I made the experience that in Düsseldorf can be found more "arrogant" appearing people only at some special places there, mostly downtown arround the Königsallee. This is a little bit pitty for all the other normal and very kind Düsseldorf citizens, but that's my experience of Düseldorf. You are living in Flingern, don't you? Then I suppose that you have a lot of nice neighbours. Evereywehre you can meet nice people and dislikable people.
But are you sure that you don't mix up typical german aloofness (thank you, google!) with rudness and arrogance?
Leak of customer service? "Hi! Welcome to McDonalds! We are glad to see you! Would you like to have a coke along with your hamburger?" 😇 No, thank you for that "service"! 😂 But yes, that's something germany should improve a little bit.