5 Things Germans Do That Americans Find WEIRD! | Feli from Germany
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Germany and the US have a lot in common and moving here wasn’t really a huge culture shock for me but every now and then, you'll see someone from the other country do something and just think... HUH?! In this video, I wanna talk about 5 of these things that are completely normal to us Germans but WEIRD to Americans!
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ABOUT ME: Hallo, Servus, and welcome to my channel! My name is Felicia (Feli), I'm 28, and I'm a German living in the USA! I was born and raised in Munich, Germany but have been living in Cincinnati, Ohio off and on since 2016. I first came here for an exchange semester during my undergrad at LMU Munich, then I returned for an internship, and then I got my master's degree in Cincinnati. I was lucky enough to win the Green Card lottery and have been a permanent resident since 2019! In my videos, I talk about cultural differences between America and Germany, things I like and dislike about living here, and other topics I come across in my everyday life in the States. Let me know what YOU would like to hear about in the comments below. DANKE :)
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A friend of mine wanted a cold beer when he visited Germany. He asked for ice. The bartender looked at him extremely puzzled. He came back with a beer which had a scoop of ice cream in it: Eis.
Beer with ice is crime! Sorry
In England this would not be okay too 😂😂 get out!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It's NOOOT a Coke !!!!
@@ingobund8793 na USA weird how they want ice with everything in Europe na na I’m Not about that life 🤣
Bullshit xD no way a bartender has ice cream at the bar! And would (if he really had some) put it in beer! NO WAY! if this really happened tell me where ? ! in Bars you could get ice CUBES in cocktails ! Ice cubes in beer is weird, but ice cream sounds absolutely insane...
As a child, I was naturally curious of the world around me and the people in it, but like many Americans, was harshly reprimanded for staring. I was taught it was one of the rudest things you can do in public. To this day, I am mortified if I lock eyes with a stranger, because that means they noticed that I was looking at them. I quickly divert my eyes and pretend that I was just looking around randomly, but I know it was too late.
Is this just me, or do others have this same experience?
It's just you.
Omg, I love that you mentioned the german stare. I was in germany a few weeks ago and many germans would stare at me non stop with a kinda disgusting face, but whoever did that then came to me and threw in a nice joke or we started a conversation. In my head I literally started thinking that the more they stare, the more they are gaining courage to chat with you. At first I felt extremely uncomfortable, but then I liked it. I've been to many countries but I swear germans are some of the best and nicest people I've ever met. Thanks Feli for mentioning that and kinda proving my theory right 😄
Wish that was the case here. I lost count of times I was staring at a girl in some places because I like what I saw and/or I didn't yet have the courage to go up and talk to them. Either way, I've nearly gotten in trouble for it.
Now that kind of looking is a funny Facebook meme. Go figure.
That is actually “the look.” MAJOR difference.😂
I’m of German Descent, my great grandfather is a first generation immigrant from Munich, and its so vindicating to find out many of my habits would not be seen as odd or weird in Germany. Makes me even more excited to visit.
Me too !! And I have this too I didn't know where that came from jajaaj it's my German blood
What is it, do you stare at people?😅
I was born in Germany. My father is German, and my mother's family are Russian Germans who settled in Kansas. Growing up in Europe, I always drank my drinks at room temperature or off the balcony. I have been living Texas since 1994, and still to this day, I drink room temperature cokes or lite ice. I can even drink room temperature beer. I actually prefer it over very cold. I have actually learned a lot about many of my habits, the way I pronounce some words and ways I think and do things by listening to you. Please, keep it up..
What's weird is I was born and raised in America and have always hated having ice in my drinks. Like you said, the drinks are already cold, and the ice is just taking up space and making you slurp the drink around it (not to mention how gross the drink gets once the ice melts and makes it watery). I like when I travel to other countries and don't have to add "without ice" to the end of every drink order.
Don’t forget how it waters down the fever of the drink
Yes I love paying for refills.
@@tailsprowerfan2729 nope it makes it just right as you gulp it down
Same here. I've always ordered my drinks without ice. Many people I know do the same.
@@HamburgerHelperDeath who pays for a refill?
German here: I stare like this too when I think about some difficult stuff and I don’t realise what I’m watching. That’s it in most cases. Someone here said he thinks we collect courage to start a conversation: no, but watching each other without talking is a clear sign in Germany that you want to talk, especially if the two people don’t know each other
That's correct. Many times I stare intensely not really seeing anything, maybe even seemingly annoyed or angry when in reality I have a nice migraine and am just suffering alone😢
As a German, I can't tell how much I do this staring thing myself, but when I visited Thailand and Japan I was really impressed how they manage to completely avoid looking at each other even in crowded subways. You will never accidentally make eye contact with anyone there, or if you do, they are probably weirdos.
In Germany it happens all the time. Can be really awkward, can also be a good opportunity to start a flirt. ;)
How about a good conversation on good books?
Native Southern American English speaker here. I think this is the first time I've thought about using "flirt" as a noun.
@@davidpatrick2163 how about “he’s a flirt” ?
@@bobbyknight3589 Just saying that in my part of the world, I've never heard it, or maybe very seldom hear it. Instead of saying "He's a flirt", I say "He flirts a lot." YMMV
@@MissDuke2012 no, baby. "Flirt" is a noun, it's an adjective, it's an adverb. Depends on who is SAYING it and HOW it's said. Ranks up with "Bless your heart" from a Southern woman. This can mean about 10 things, ranking from "bless your heart" to "f you and the spider you rode into this fallen world on from the depths of Hell" depending on intonation and posture. Southern MEN learn early and often how to "read" this, by the way. Yankees fail this test a lot...
Way back in 1959 I was 12 years old, and while walking with my German relatives, we stopped at a road that had a light and no traffic as far as you could see. We didn't cross the road until the light turned green for us. Here in the states we cross roads no matter if cars are coming.
Your German relatives probably did this because you were still a child.
A lot of German pedestrians do not wait for a green traffic light, if there is no or low traffic though you could be fined for it. But it is customary not to do this in the presence of children. However, if you overlook the children present, you will at least be stared at - disapprovingly (with a stare that makes us Germans feel really uncomfortable;).
as a young man i once returned to my village from a daytrip at the middle of the night and the road was empty one kilometer up and down. I crossed a pedestrian light (red) and suddenly a police office came from a hide (whereever that had been) and wanted to fine me for that misbehaviour. We discussed a while since i did find no fault in crossing a red light in the middle of nowhere and he tried to appeal to my shame as "little kid up there on the window could watch and then learn the wrong behaviour". I replied that little kids who are up at 1 oclock in the night could not be helped anymore anyway. That disarmed him and he gave up cursing on the youth of these days and stuff like that :)
Rot gänger ist tot gänger!
Red lights are a waste of time and fuel, if there's no traffic in any direction. Slow way down, and then go.
I think it's American culture to push the limits of the law. How you think it was created to begin with?😂
Another Reason not to have a lot of Ice in your Drings(in Germany) is: No free Refills... You Pay for every Drink...
California also has a monetary redemption on bottles and cans, but the redemption process is different (no scan machines). It's done either by count (limited quantity), or by weight (large quantity). There are also a handful of other States that also have some form of redemption process for cans and bottles.
During the early phase of Germany's deposit system, it was common for employees of the grocery stores to count the bottles and cans for you. If you had a large quantity, you could count them yourself since the employees were often occupied at the cash registers. However, some people took advantage of this and included imaginary bottles and cans in their count to receive more money. There were early versions of the deposit machines where you could pick up the bottles and cans again from the back, as they hadn't been crushed yet and mounted into the wall. Nowadays, all machines are securely mounted in walls to prevent manipulation and the unauthorized collection of extra money, which caused grocery stores to suffer significant losses during the early stage of the deposit system.
I expected to see a ton of CRV (recently termed Container Redemption Value) comments on here. Although not the entire USA mandated states are listed on most containers listed thusly in CA, HI, MA, ME, MI, NY, OR, VT as well as many states or local communities (I particularly noticed in MT and UT). Interesting how wine and spirits bottles are not accepted in most instances.
I’m from Czechia. People here usualy don’t put ice in their drinks as well and also hardly anyone has AC at home. I’d probably be happy in the US, as I’m quite the opposite. When it’s 36 degrees outside in summer, I cool my place to 18 and throughout the year I drink all my drinks in glass full of ice (I bought the “american fridge” with ice machine). I even put ice in my beer as I love it ice cold, while most Czechs would rather drink it warm than with ice 😂😂😂
In America, we are scolded as children for staring at people. "It's rude to stare!"
As a German living in Germany I was teached by my parents not to stare at people, too. But on the other side it is the German way to blend people out because they are someway looking by not seeing, you know. In our populous country you have scarcely a place without looking at people.
Feli. In the 60’s. We made home made ice cream..The salt dropped the freezing temperature from 32 degrees to 18 degrees. On a 90 degree day it was a treat. To drop bottled ski’s ,double cola’s and long necks beers in this salty water. For 30 minutes. Pull the bottle out of this melting ice and open the bottle, drink this cold drink. With a sweet salty taste. But be ready for a brain freeze. I miss the glass bottle , days of a cold beverage. Later. Ps go try it with a bag of ice in a cooler and pour sea salt over the ice then add more ice.
the german stare part had me laugh out loud, it was absolutely hilarious! being from germany i can relate (and probably am guilty too there XD) .. but yeah we think nothing of it and it's just curiosity OR they dont even see you and are thinking of something completely else and are staring into the "void" and it happens you're standing there and become the focus of staring into the "void"... in that case i can 100% guarantee you that they don't even fully see you this moment XD🤣
We were having dinner in a restaurant with an American colleague. He ordered a coke, and was surprised it had no ice in it, and asked the waiter for some. The waiter blinked some times, as it was winter too, but obliged.
After dinner we had some coffee, and the waiter asked our American guest if he wanted some ice in his....
:)
Don't piss off the white girls here in America they love their iced coffee 😂 like a cult
I'm an American born and raised here and I'm the only person I know who hates having ice in drinks lol, I never understood why everyone else seemed to always want ice in their drinks because it's already poured out cold. If you wait too long to drink an ice-less beverage, it'll warm up to room temperature, not really a big deal in my opinion. But if you wait too long to drink a beverage full of ice, the ice will melt and ruin the drinks taste. And yet I'm the weird one lol
@@dhans9662 Maybe some like the tinkling of the cubes in the glass... and I have seen some eating the cubes... really chewing and crushing them.
All in all, Ice Coffee can be nice too... or is it Coffee Ice?
@@eefaaf We call it "Iced Coffee" but you've pretty much hit the nail on the head. Some of my family likes chewing the ice cubes (I've never understood that either) and I guess the presence of the ice makes the drink look more refreshing.
I also think Iced Coffee can be good as long as you drink it before it melts, but I overall prefer cold coffee (without ice) over hot coffee and iced coffee. We also put ice in tea and thats pretty much the only drink besides water that I like having ice in.
@@dhans9662 Melting cubes can't spoil your drink if the drink IS water already :)
I live in Boston and it's similar to Germany in terms of driving vs walking. Parking is always an issue, so if you are going a mile, it's quicker to walk than to drive through traffic and find a parking spot and then walk from the parking spot.
I live in Upstate NY and we've been doing bottle deposits for decades! I think not getting ice in your drinks is a great idea! More ice the less of your beverage in the glass!
Western New Yorker here and I totally agree!
Syracuse here. Yeah, we've actually started separating out bottle glass, too - no deposit, but you can recycle them at the bottle return.
I was going ro say, yeah, if you live in the northeast, bottle deposits are common.
Same deal in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, etc.
There was an entire Seinfeld episode where the b plot was Kramer and Newman went to Michigan with a truck full of bottles and cans because the deposit refund was 10 cents instead of 5 cents. Wackiness ensued.
I buy maybe 2 or 3 six packs of beer a month. I put the cans or bottles in a special bin and when it's full I bag it up and take it to the grocery store and run them through the machine, it spits out the receipt, and I redeem it inside the store for about $2.50.
When I don’t want to pay for a beverage glass full of ice, I tell the server “no ice”.
My theory is that tap water is cheaper than fizzy soda for the American restaurant. It's a scheme to put twelve ice cubes in the glass of fizzy soda in order to save the restaurant owner a few cents per serving. If water is one cent per ounce and fizzy soda is five cents per ounce, the more ice that is stacked in the glass, the less room there is for the soda.
The staring thing really creeped me out when I went to Berlin a few weeks ago. I didn't know if the guy staring was interested in me or hated me and I really couldn't tell how to go about it.
I think the "stare" is just a difference in the cultural convention how long it is considered appropriate to look at strangers (everyone is curious, but people from other cultures seem to learn that they "have to" look away sooner when they grow up, even if they find a person interesting). The same phenomenon as the difference which physical distance to a person you're talking to is considered appropriate differs widely in different cultures.
Nah, In Germany its definitely a long stare. You look away, then look back and still find that person staring at you. Feeli is right, they don't even realize they are doing it. I've experienced it several times when in Germany.
There are old woman in germany who extra prepair a pillow to the windowsill to have it more confortable when starring to people out of the window.
@@jefflewis4 Na! Das schon gecheckt?:
th-cam.com/video/8hNjEx6wJTw/w-d-xo.html
Yes. Just like personal space conventions and norms.
I learned to order “Eine Coca mit viel eis” but didnt really like how the bartender stared at me. So my German friend approached the bar and told the bartender that I was an expert Coke drinker. Anyway, the bartender explained that by law, and since the Cola came from the tap, he had to serve me the correct volume according to the size of the glass and ice would water it down. He ended up serving me a glass of warm Coke and another glass filled with ice. So much German culture in one glass of Coke. Hahaha.
it's obviously not against any law when requested as such
I recently saw an article on Google saying that in some fast food restaurants in the US there's a certain amount of ice they have to put in cups or they will give you less soda. There's a fill line I guess and they have to give you that amount of ice. A lot of people are complaining that if I order a large soda, for example, my cup should be full regardless of how much ice I want. It does seem to be a money thing. I haven't had that problem where I live and I hope I never do. Hopefully people will complain enough that those restaurants will have to give you a full cup no matter what. I guess some people are going to the store and buying a bottle instead of ordering soda at the restaurant. We are going to get around it. We have a budget too.
@@edithputhy4948 not in America maybe, but I wouldn't be too sure about Germany.
Of cause you get your coke with exactly as much ice as requested in Germany.
Seems legit AF!😂
I totally agree with the ‘no ice’ in beverages! Born & raised in the US. It makes drinks too cold, and I don’t like watered-down soda. 😊
My family came from South west Germany. I have family history back to the 1500s. I enjoy learning more about that area. Some day I hope to visit. I have lived in Shanghai China for 2 months I find that working people of any couture are good people but of course some things was weird to me.
I feel like the stare is being zoned out more than anything else
I am born and raised in the USA, and I’m 100% on board with no ice. I prefer room temp water, but just having already cold beverages without an entire cup of ice, and a splash of the drink, is totally fine with me! I often ask for no ice anytime I order somewhere.
I like ice, but not the whole glass/cup filled to the top. It's a way for businesses to max profits, but it's annoying when you finish your drink in 4 gulps and are left with a full cup of ice.
I am Canadian and lived in Strasbourg, France, in the late ‘80s. One of the biggest culture shocks was the very different work-life balance which in France was heavily shifted toward life/leisure. This was most dramatically manifested when, one day, I popped out at lunch time to buy some of the delicious-looking lunch offerings at a nearby bakery/charcuterie. My mouth was watering in anticipation. Imagine, then, my horror when I arrived at the shop a few minutes after noon only to be confronted with a locked door and a sign saying they would re-open later in the afternoon. I couldn’t believe it. A shop selling lunch food closed at lunchtime! When I later expressed my exasperation to my French colleagues, I was met with a disapproving frown and the comment, “They have to eat too, you know.” I only lowered my estimation in their eyes further by trying to explain that, in North America, we would eat in shifts or “on the run” in order to keep the shop open during what should be the most profitable period of the day. Of course, what I didn’t appreciate is that all of life in France is organized around a different work/life balance rather than maximizing profits and convenience to the customer. Obviously if I wanted a tasty lunch from that shop I should have bought it earlier, say, on the way into work. 😊 Feli, is it the same in Germany?
I think the french have perfected this lifestyle 😄 But Germany in this point also is closer to France than the US. Just remember our free Sundays. And I also have coffee and cake every day at work a few hours after lunch. But that isn't really the norm 😄
Hi Mark,
I'm from Germany, nearby Munich where Feli comes from. I'd say it depends on where you are. In small villages in small shops (and sometimes even in bigger cities) they'll close during lunch. In bigger shops they'll be open.
I lived in a very small village, there was no open shop on Wednesday after lunch. In the next village the shops were open from 8 AM until 20 PM *every* day.
I guess it's a habit lasting from old times. When I was a little child we've had only one little shop in our village, every mother was at home with the kids and so shopping was mostly done early in the morging when the kids were in school or kindergarden to have enough time to cook fresh before they came home.
Thank you Cleo and SusA! 😊
Geez, no wonder Germany marched in and took over France like it was nothing. France was probably closed for lunch.
@@1946luke 🤣
I'm originally from Michigan and I have to say the first one is something I'm SUPER used to as Michigan has a 10 cent bottle deposit on cans and bottles. Once they started automating the process too, we switched over to a machine similar to the ones you had shown!
The deposit machines at the German grocery stores were maybe my favourite thing about travelling there! I couldn't wait to take a whole batch of cans and bottles there haha.
Deposit. Introduced in Sweden in the early 1980s, introduced in Germany in the early 2000s.
You can visit New York State to find the same type of machines.
South Australia introduced its container deposit legislation in 1977 so is now 45 years old!
S.A. has always been progressive, introducing women's suffrage (voting) in 1894.
A thing I noticed while traveling Europe (including Germany) when asking for water in a restaurant as an American I'm expecting tap water. Not the case in Europe, if you don't specify tap water you get sparkling water. That was a big surprise to me the first time I ordered water in a restaurant.
Sparkling water is only standard in Germany (and maybe the other DACH countries? I'm not sure). My Spanish friends for example also think that the German obsession with sparkling water is really weird. Usually the waiter will ask whether you want sparkling or still water though. And yeah, when you order water at a restaurant in Europe you'll get bottled mineral water and you'll have to pay for it unlike in the US.
In Central and South America you have to pay to use the public restroom and ask for toilet paper. You also do not want ice in your drinks unless you want to get sick.
I'm from Pittsburgh and I remember a very long time ago, soda bottles were refillable and we got 10 cents each for them. Don't remember anything else, but there might have been
Eating barely hot food from plastic plates with plastic silverware at family dinners or hotel breakfast is one of the weirdest things I encountered in the US.
I can see how that would be seen as completely wasteful. I used to use paper plates sometimes when I was a bachelor and my girlfriend would point out how lazy and wasteful I was being. I stopped, but sometimes when no one is looking. Shhh.
Here in NY , we have a $.05 deposit on most beverage bottles that you get back when you return them. That has been in effect for at least 30 years. Some folks just toss their containers on the ground while others put them in the recycle bin , but never redeem the deposit. That opens up an opportunity for people , often homeless or those on welfare , the option of walking a route picking up the discarded containers and turning them in for the deposit. I was one of them - did that in the wee hours as often as possible while I was on welfare. Could make about $150 per year that way. Every little bit helped and it was good exercise.
Not all states in the US have the deposit on beverage containers. They are listed somewhere on the container or the top of the can. Those without often simply rely on recycling.
In Germany, if you are at a public place, and don't want to carry empty bottles back home. It's common to put them on the side of a trash can, so homeless can collect them easier.
The province of Quebec has a recycling program including cans. In Ontario, we just recycle beer and alcohol containers, but not pop cans. We recycle pop cans, plastics and newspapers, but we no longer separate them like we used to.
I find that here in North America they put too much ice in.
In Ohio, when bottled drinks were king (and glass), returning them for the deposit was the norm up through the 1980s. I think several states (including Michigan) still have deposits on cans and bottles (often marked on the container) where you can get money back if returned.
I was back in Michigan visiting family about a year ago and they still had a bottle return, 10cent. Now that I'm back in California, they have a different type of return, paid by weight. It's really hard to tell how much you will get, six 55gal yard bags only give you about 20-30 dollars when returning plastic bottles.
Oregon also has deposits
California did until recently. Aluminum prices fell and the contractors didn't renew their contract, so no one can recycle their cans & bottles anywhere. State still charges the recycle fees.
In NY, we've been doing bottle recycling for ages, so this isn't weird.
Yes! I remember this too in Ohio and Michigan!! Why did it stop?
When I was in Bosnia in the military I bought the two local ladies that cleaned my office ice cream. To my surprise instead of eating the ice cream right away they placed it on a shelf and told me they would eat it later when it warms up. They let the ice cream melt and then they ate the ice cream when it was warm. This very much surprised me and they told me that it was in healthy to eat cold things.
My mum used to say if unsure about what happening around you ask it better to ask than do something that will make you seem foolish because of culture differences
When i lived in Germany, in the 80s, we had someone delivere our sodas to us. We would leave our empty bottles in the crate they came in, just outside our door. The delivery person would switch them out for new bottles of soda.
After living there for 8 years, i no longer have ice in my drinks.
Working vor an international start up with some Americans on board and a working culture heavily influenced by American routines, business communication etc. the first thing I've noticed was the difference in appreciating things. What was "good" or "not bad" for a German was always "awesome" or "genius" for Americans or people who worked longer in the start up world. I don't know if one way is better than the other. While the American way is better to motivate people it tends also to be not completely honest which leads to avoiding to speak about problems or downsides of something. At least that what I've noticed.
Yep, completely normal. They also tend to pretend everything is easy while they hate how Germans point out potential issues. Usually the Germans will be right in the long term... ^^
Remarks like "genius" won't motivate ppl more tha a "good" as soon as they know the respective scale. They know what a "genius" is worth if almost everyone receives one. And i a system, where "good" is a rare exception, it will soon count more than the "genius".
My high school German teacher was quite sparing with praise. He thought that too much praise spoiled people. At the time, that seemed odd and ungenerous to me. But now, I think Americans tend to over-praise each other for little or no reason.
I’m 75 years old. When I was young in Southern California, we also had to pay a bottle deposit, and return the bottles for a refund. That changed in the 1970’s - I think because manufacturers could fabricate bottles much cheaper, and concerns about imperfect sanitation. And the bottle deposit didn’t stop people from throwing them out the car window.
Yep was just going to comment. Also think we had a more "walking culture" than now. (Though varies in different cities--I lived in Chicago, and didn't have a car for awhile. It was common to walk a lot more.)
Thank you for sharing this interesting fact. Greetings from GER. Have a nice Adventszeit
New to London from Canada. I think the lack of dryers is really the biggest thing for me. Also, people will comfortably walk up to an hour each way to run an errand, I don’t mind walking, I just think about the time. Don’t you have other things to do? What I enjoy is that most shops here are smaller and you get to know your community so much more than in North American with big box stores. I’ve grown accustomed to going to the flower stall once a week and chatting with the girl while I get my fresh flowers for the week, something I’d never have done at home
We have the same recycling system in Canada, but it defers from province to province. While Quebec has the same machines, where you need to put the cans and bottles one by one, Ontario let you crush the cans and you will returned to the Beer Store and they will either count them for you or just ask you how many cans you´ve got. We also tend to walk more than South of the Border. You will never catch a Canadian guy peeing while sitting! :)
The peeing while sitting started a few years ago when women were fed up to clean their husbands pee from the walls 😅
I am dying laughing here! Especially the ice in drinks! I live in the US for 28 years now and still can’t stand the bucket of ice they put into drinks. As a side note: here in New England we do have a bottle recycling program just like in Germany. Greetings from Maine and Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
I lived in Vermont and they have it there. I don't see it in the New York area now.
@@RuleofFive well yes - NY is not part of the New England States - so this makes sense.
@@dagi72164 Yes I am aware of that. I mentioned it because I live in the NYC area now.
The deposit system for recyclables makes perfect sense! Because it distributes the financial burden equitably: those who create the most mess pay more; those who make an effort to mitigate their impact pay a little; and those who adopt a conservation lifestyle are rewarded for doing their part 😊
It's just another poor tax.
@@jojothermidor It's not a tax at all, since you get a full refund of the deposit. Plus there are public trash cans here and there that have an extra shelf on the outside requesting people who intend to throw bottles away in spite of having paid a deposit to leave those on that shelf, so poor people, especially homeless persons, can pick them up and return them to a store to earn extra money.
@@tillneumann406 It's a tax. You're charging people an extra sum of money for a governmental service.
That's like saying that I don't get taxed because I get some back every year.
@@jojothermidor The government doesn't see any of that deposit money and has no share in it. The deposit/return system is organized by private companies, so it is not a governmental service (not that I would have any problem with it if were). And like I said, if you return the cans or bottles you will be fully refunded and not just partly.
@@tillneumann406 Same here. Our government doesn't see much of the money we pay, they just take out more loans from the fed. And the money we do pay goes straight into welfare.
Fundamentally, you're paying for a government service. It's a tax. Doesn't matter what the results are. and the refund acts more like a tax exemption for doing the labor.
I am an American, but I don't like ice in my drink unless it is a very hot day and I am trying to cool off.
The one thing I remember while visiting relatives in Germany was that they expect that you keep your hands above the dinner table. Of course in the US when you are not using your hands that would be considered to be bad manners. Also, here in Iowa we also collect bottles and cans for the deposit. It has been that way here since the 80s, although we only get a nickel back for ours.
What do you do with the hands under the table ? Fingering your balls or one ones of your neighbors ? I really had no idea where to put it there. I mean you always hold your silverware, or a glass, or italians talk with their hands, it looks very weird to hide them.
Can't wait, going back to Germany for the first time since '85. Loved the Bavarian people then and looking forward to showing my wife and Son who is doing a study abroad in Vienna and Prauge. I insisted on taking them to Ga-Pa and Munich as well.
Hi Feli. Love your channel and have watched most of them. You have the perfect personality for this. Your English is PERFECT! I too, graduated with a communications degree and worked in television for many years. So I know what is all involved in editing your show. Great job. You could get a job as an on air talent.
I visited Germany a few years ago with my wife. Our 1st European country.
We loved it. And almost everyone spoke English for us. I was so releived. Very friendly people and great history. Also, our family hosted a foreign exchange student my senior year. He was from Chile and could not speak much English.
But he was fluent in just a few months. How? By watching TV shows.
Keep up the good work. You are very talented and a joy to watch.
Your videos are so very entertaining ! And your production quality, editing, etc. is really so highly skilled. The vignette for your final point was totally adorable and funny. Love your channel.
Yes. Im Sitzen Pinkeln. I"m American, but I grew up in a German-American household. My mother would tell me to sit down to pee and I thought that that was normal, which it is, but just not in America. Still sitting and peeing all my life.
12:26 We have a similar thing in Australia. I'm not sure about other states, but in NSW we have similar machines that issue a receipt that can be redeemed at a supermarket, but even better is the St Vincent de Paul Society have warehouses with a number or large centrifuges that sort dozens of cans and bottles all at once. The operator simply pours you box of recyclables into the machine, which spins and collects them onto a short conveyer, reads the barcode, and shoots them into one of the bins for the different types of bottles/cans/containers. Once your load is done you go to the checkout, swipe your debit card, and the money is deposited directly into your account. A car load is usually $30 ~ $50 @ .10c per item. Much better than one at a time.
I'm an American and am always surprised whenever someone says they aren't familiar with bottle deposits. The state I live in has had bottle deposits for so long, I can barely remember when we didn't have them.
I've mentioned to a few Germans how I feel the "German stare" was a bit un-nerving and they were totally unaware that Germans do this.
Here in Canada, we also pay a deposit fee on drink containers. Some grocery stores have a machine that you can put them into, but most places have a bottle depot
Awesome Feli! 😊👍
In Mexico, one thing that I never got used to was what time to show up for a party or for dinner. It is customary there to be late. Gauging how late I should show up was always a puzzle... :)
Recycling varies from state to state, and even community to community. My community has been recycling for many years.
The cool thing about a Nation wide Recycling is that I can return a beverage can from my trip to Berlin in Munich. Or where ever I stop on my ride.
Growing up, our folks bought beer, soda and milk in returnable bottles. There was a 'deposit' on the case of bottles, deducted from the price of another case when returned. These extra-thick, heavy-duty glass bottles were washed inside & out, and refilled.
Wow, many comments! Just watched your video. I was an Austauschschueler back in the 80s in Hannover! Loved your video on what Americans find weird. Couple things I remember you might like. French fries either with mayo or rot weiss. Got used to it and loved it. Also, the windows in the homes are a unique style over in Germany and the fact that Germans don't use screens to keep flies out. Lot's of other things too but these two came to mind after watching your video. Frohe Weihnachted!
The no ice scenario cracked me up. I encountered that on my first Europe trip in Latvia. Many restaurants in the US offer free refills, so having a glass full of ice isn't a problem.
With basically a full glass of ice I would be expecting many free refills
it amazes me how many homes i go to in USA that have NO ICE in their freezer ... like WTF..? i always ask if they lost the family recipe for it.......
Is there a reason you need ice in your beverage in a cold country? Have you ever thought of the energy needed for freezing water until it becomes ice?
Sometimes, when you see an automat pouring something, you can see, that there quite often it is clear in between. And I think, that is (ice-?) water. At least in Germany.
So you get several watered down drinks instead of just one?
In Germany drinks have to be filled up to the cl mark, than ice cubes might be added. This to make sure to get what you paid for, Not to pay a lot for just water
We Americans too have a deposit scheme, where aluminum, copper, newsprint, and glass
are saved for recycling. I've been recycling such things for more than 39 years.
When I was in Germany one thing I noticed that was different is that when they carry a bouquet of flower they carry them with the stems up and the flowers down, which is the exact opposite of what Americans do when they carry a bouquet of flowers.
She is so happy! This channel is infectious!!!!
I wish she would teach me German.
70 year American here who always has to ask for no ice. Also born and raised in Ohio. Um, maybe I am a little strange, I do ask for ice in my coffee, not to make it cold but to make it so I don't melt my lips off.
What about slurping the first sips and then after 5-10 minutes you are good to go to enjoy your coffee in a reasonable temperature. Thats how I do it.
@@ritterderkokosnuss3379 Cancer surgery, lost part of my upper lip, no slurping for me.
I used to do that with my beer bottles. My in-laws used to think I was a drunk. But if you waited and stacked up 5 cases the 6th one I considered free.( It was). But when I was a child all sodas were in bottles and they were all deposit everywhere. That changed as aluminum cans started being sold. Now you can gather the aluminum and sell it for scrap. Though it’s only about 15-20 cents a pound.
One thing that I had to get used to when I first moved to New York was paying a deposit on bottles and cans, saving the bottles and cans to return to get the deposit back. There are stores that take the bottles and cans, or you can use the machine in the supermarkets. People take entire truck loads of bottles to the redemption centers! We save up a bag or two and redeem them. There are several states in the US that have deposits on bottles and cans.
I lived most of my life in the US, and the idea of there being available parking anywhere baffles me. Living in Los Angeles I often had to park half a mile from my own house at night. Traffic was also so bad that public transport was usually faster (unless you were going a really long way), and I often had nightmares about forgetting where I parked.
Half a mile from your own house? You don't have a driveway or garage? Sorry 'bout that, that must really suck.
It's the same in many German cities too, at least when you live in the city centre. We also have to park around 600m away from our house at a public parking area. Especially in old city centres houses often don't have their own parking slots because, well, you didn't need them back in 1800 when the street was built.
For a lot of northwestern Europeans (German, Netherlands, Belgium, UK, Scandinavia etc.), if you live in a city, it's not really that uncommon to not own a car at all. It's usually cheaper, faster and safer to travel by public transport or bike. And the concept of the giant parking lots is something I really do not understand. City centers usually have parking garages with multiple stories instead of entire flat parking fields...
@@jeffafa3096 true, but most households (at least in Germany) do own at least one car, even in big cities. But people still use public transport, bikes or their own feet despite having a car. It's especially necessary if you have stuff to do outside of big cities where the public transport tends to be abysmal. Or if you're working shifts.
@@Eagle_Owl2 if you think public transport in rural areas of germany is abysmal, i invite you to come to Atlanta Georgia. This will fix your view instantly. :)
Hello, Feli. So I'm American, and I've been to Germany twice and loved it both times. Also, one of my coworkers is from Germany....and she just returned from visiting family there. Your list is amusing, here are my thoughts.
1) Recycling cans and bottles is good. Back in the day, there used to be a similar program here in the US with glass bottles- you could get 3 or 5 cents back for each bottle. I'm not sure if it still exists. ( I'm not aware if a program existed for cans)
2) Ice in beverages. I don't mind less ice, in fact I prefer it, and for all the reasons you listed. I often drink my beverages, especially water, slightly cool or at room temperature.
3) Men peeing sitting down. I worked in early childhood education for 12 years, and helped potty-train the children. We let the boys choose if they wanted to stand or sit, and a good number of them preferred to sit. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
4) I have heard of VPNS, and may look into using one. I like that you get enhanced protection.
5) American football. I only recently found out that Germans watch it. I never knew.
6) Walking. I got used to walking at my former job as a dietary assistant in a senior care facility. I would average 7-10 miles each shift. When I visit larger cities, I only take transportation if I have to, otherwise I walk. I recently visited Chicago, and walked from Navy Pier to Holy Name Cathedral, and then back to my hotel. Very invigorating.
7) The German stare. I have heard about it, but didn't experience it until recently on my second trip to Germany. I was talking with my table mates at a restaurant. I wasn't being too loud, but the woman at the table near us turned around and stared hard at me. I refused to meet her gaze as I didn't think I deserved it. 🙃
I went to the Oktoberfest in Germany and loved it.
I have missed Germany over the years and hope to be able to get back for another before I get too old.
In Germany, too, the deposit is not included in the price, but is added on. The price tags show how much the deposit will be.
Men sitting down to pee must be a German thing, never heard of this in the UK or in Norway.
It's kinda humiliating for their men...
Hope u enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday Feli!🍗
A handful of states, like Michigan, have deposit systems. I was like, yeah, we do that here! lol
10 cents in MI.
3:00 The thing about having no ice in the drinks is: If the glass is full of ice, there is no space for the drink. You pay for 0,3 liters of the drink ypu want the whole 0,3l as a drink and not all of it full of ice and just a sip of the drink.
I've been studying in Leipzig, Germany, for two months and I haven't seen any public restroom where men are asked to sit down to pee.
True. What she said in the video only applies to very small places without urinals in the men's bathroom.
Can't say I have either... and I've lived my whole life in Germany
Remain standing, civilization is counting on you.
I have to say, I have (sadly) never had the opportunity to visit Germany and have spent mt entire life in the US; with that said, all of these "German" things sound 100% normal to me. I do realize that the deposit thing is an oddity as my state (Michigan) is one of the few with a deposit systems (this has really thrown me off whenever I have stayed out of state). The rest just seem like everyday truths for me though. Maybe I am just the weird one, but I can't say for sure where any of those habits really come from (other than the deposit being a real thing here).
Remember that Seinfeld episode when Kramer and Newman were going to "make big money" by loading a truck full of recyclables and driving to Michigan? 🤣
Love your channel
Happy Thanksgiving Feli
Carbonated beverages have a deposit on them as well but only in a few states
I lived in Northern Chile back in the mid-90s. The weirdest (and probably grossest) thing to me was that I had to get used to putting my used toilet paper (after a bowel movement) in the waste basket instead of flushing it.
I see this in Southern California (USA). There are often trash cans in the stall. The reason is that in Mexico and other Latin American countries, the sewer systems are so poor quality that that can’t handle anything other than human waste. The convention of not flushing toilet paper and “ass gaskets” is still followed even though the sewers will handle it. The system will even handle dead Gold Fish and illegal drugs during a police raid.
However, I’ve heard that the same old sewer systems in places like New York have the same problem. There are codes there prohibiting Garbage Disposal units on kitchen sinks to prevent dumping kitchen waste into the sewer system.
This is still a thing in many older buildings in Korea (where I've been living for the last 7 years). Old buildings have small pipes. So there are typically signs that say to throw tissue in the trash
Love Feli!!
I’m 60 and I can remember as a kid that we used to have bottles with deposits that was when soft drinks came in glass bottles. But we haven’t had it in decades I do think that some states do though
Back when glass bottles were common the US did more bottle drop offs but that was phased out in the early 80s with the rise of aluminum and plastic. If you find bottles in an antique store they may have the return amount on the bottle. I do think the green thing can go a bit extreme. However, glass bottles and recycling them should make a come back.
I do have friends that ask for no ice for the same reason you prefer it, we are paying for the fountain drink not ice, besides watered down Coke (I'm from Atlanta) just doesn't taste as good with melted ice. I have asked for no ice at times. Being a native southerner, I have had my own culture shock asking for sweet tea when visting the north, and sweet tea must have ice. May seem strange but it gets hot here. Mint sweet tea is especially delightful after working in the yard on a summer day.
The recycling thing must vary by state because I see a lot of people on the east coast crush their cans and I always thought it was just something they did and they were throwing it away. In California, they charge CRV (ca redemption value) with the can/bottle and you get it back at the recycling center and I always see bring in their cans uncrushed.
It depends on the recycling center you sell your cans/bottles to. The majority here in LA allow for them to be crushed. The center will crush them anyway when they have to sell them. Crushing allows you to minimize the space taken by the bottles at home and just travel to the recycling center once a month. A few recycling centers are more strict about the no crushing because they want to make sure people are not trying to cheat by putting other substances inside the crushed bottles/cans
Some states still give money back on returned cans and bottles. We used to get them here all the time as kids (back in the `60's). Sometimes, we'd go around the neighborhood trying to find strays that people either just dropped or were going to throw away and, once we got a bunch of them, we'd take them back to the store for the refunds. 32 oz. bottles would get us a nickel (imagine finding 5 of those, turning them in and getting enough money to buy a gallon of gas!!) and 10 or 12 oz. bottles would get us 2 cents.
My uncle used to have a sign next to his basement toilet that said, "Confucius say: thinking man who sitstopee splash less". But, he also had another sign on the 2nd floor toilet that said, "If it's yellow, let it mellow, if it's brown, flush it down!" In other words, if you pee, don't flush. Only after you shit. and, another of his house rules were (when his kids came to visit) was that you are NOT allowed to get a shower, you can ONLY take a bath and, when you're done, leave the water in the tub for the next person! I never knew how many people had to get a bath in the same filthy water before draining it or if any of his family actually abided by that rule!!
I worked at Cedar Point one summer and, when I came back home, 4 hours east of there, I found it quite strange that nobody in my own neighborhood would actually say hello to me!! At the park, EVERYBODY said hello to total strangers!! It wasn't any kind of a park rule, it's just the way everyone was! I still say hello to total strangers but it seems that a lot of people here have loosened up quite a bit and also say hello in response.
your videos are entertaining and informational
I live in one of the bottle deposits US States now, it took a while to get used to but now it’s just habit
Worked in Germany, made the mistake (one time) of normal speed unloading my shopping cart. Looked behind me to see Death Ray Stares from the 3 people behind me, I didn't make that mistake again.😊 Luv your videos.
I am smiling at your comment...Your "normal speed" is way to slow Michael.
Married in Canada now for some time....most people are very slow including my Husband.
🤣I am reading you comment again and get the picture. LOL 🌍😉💝
@@sonjagatto9981 Me too 😅🤣😂
Related to the “staring” thing. I find it INCREDIBLY off putting that people who live in ground floor apartments don’t have curtains and leave their Rollos up until well after dark. When my wife, son, and I go for walks I ALWAYS look away while my wife will ALWAYS look at the apartments. And apparently the folks who live there don’t mind in the least…😂
The beverage with ice strategy is the glass is now half ice,the near zero cost and only half beverage, so in effect you have paid double the price for half as much.
When I was a little kid in the 70's, we (USA) had glass bottles of soda, not plastic, and we got a deposit back on each bottle we returned to the store.
Ok Boomer.
My (Boomer) stepfather had a lot of them saved for making homemade beer in. Was that a fad in the '70s? This deposit system arrived in the 1850s with commercial breweries and soda works.
@@dorfkind8571 Okay Zoomer.
@@chitlitlah LOL
Could the 'German stare' one vary geographically? I've recently spent 3 weeks in northern Germany and never noticed any staring, even though I'm very self-conscious.. Everyone seemed much more polite and gaze-averting as opposed to the rude staring where I'm from :)
I love this - I spent a ton of time in Germany when I was young and really enjoy your videos ❤
Hello, Feli. I was laughing so hard!!! The ice cubes and the checkout line are hilarious. Great job!
Lived in Berlin a couple years and the thing that stood out for me is the lack of elevators in residential buildings -- notably the case in East Berlin. Even when there is an elevator, as our building had, most Germans would not use it unless they were going to the top floors. Received many annoyed glances in the elevator when taking it to the 4th floor! Oh, and in Europe, that actually means the 3rd floor. Hahahah.
Yes, because the first is Parterre!
I use the Elevator every time, but manny of Friends use the stairs 😅 I’m a little bit lazy 😉
In the Netherlands buildings only require an elevator they're more than 3 (or for an American 4) floors
@@ennemuk in Germany too 😊
@@ennemuk That checks out. :D
After living in Germany for three years, I noticed it quite a lot, but to be honest, a lot of Americans do this too, and I noticed I did this as well. Not as strongly in Germany, but we still do it. I think it's a mix of curiosity and some kind of natural human behavior that requires us to acknowledge people around us. Like in ancient times, we needed to make sure the small community we lived in were all accounted for, and nobody was missing from the tribe/community. Maybe it goes way back to that type of social human behavior.
Yes, I agree...this will also tell me if I can relax or have to be concerned about.
Just look at the shootings in the USA. One can never be to careful and therefore be aware of your surroundings as much as possible❣
@@sonjagatto9981 I'm not saying it's not a problem (cause it definitely is) but I really think you're exaggerating how dangerous the US is
Oregon does the can/bottle thing too. A lot of states do.
thank you for being patient kind understanding