German Culture Shocks that make Americans Nervous

Just an American trying to learn more about and Germany and the rest of Europe. This video is purely based on both me and my other American friends experiences in Germany. I'm sure they'll continue to change with time!
Today we're gonna check out German Culture Shocks that make Americans Nervous

[@HerbsttypenTamy]

I am German and live in Germany currently. I don't smoke and none of my friends does. I think it really depends on your bubble/group of friends.

[@MrsStrawhatberry]

The amount of people who smoke in Germany and Europe as a whole is much higher, you live in a bubble of non-smokers but everyone around your bubble smokes. The tobacco industry is quite prominent in lobbyism therefore the laws are not strict at all and it is not regarded as something as bad as it is in the US. It is still much too accepted in society here. Smokers think they are being discriminated when we talk about public health but the reality is: they are not being discriminated enough.

[@darien37]

So true

[@DonDadda45]

Just statistically alone you'd have to have a very closed group of friends to not have anyone that smokes

[@jolinalee3887]

Ist ein Generations ding

[@janschubert9451]

But if you compare the tobacco / vaping lobbys/cultures, it is clear that the tobacco lobby has a biiiig influence. vaping stuff has insane taxes now, i think EU wide. INSANE taxes. only the "basis" of the liquid, polypropylenglycol and/or glycerin, wich costed about 10€/L, costs 300€ !!!!! now, and the taxes will grow over the next years. so i would agree, that the smoking "culture" here is relative widespread

[@Suite21]

For the speak German part, Dude u have to acknowledge that there are people living like 30-40 yrs here in Germany that are not as good in speaking our language as u are. Its really mindblowing to me how good u are at it.

[@JamesBray3]

Thank you so much! But I still feel like my progress needs SO MUCH work hahaha! I can hear the mistakes when I speak 😂 but at least people can understand me better now than 2 yrs ago when I started learning!

[@Suite21]

@@JamesBray3 think about it, u learned it all by urself, we were teached english in School for at least 5 yrs, my english is far from perfect, but it isnt about perfect its about can u understand and express urself in the foreign Language and as i said i think u have done an amazing Job. The Part of ur Germany Videos where u were @ Mark Eggers home was so nice to see for me.

[@christianbreuer4975]

@@JamesBray3 My english was really bad till I went to GB two times and lived with a family there, being forced to speak english. As you can tell from my writing: my english isn't that good at all (and I'm out of practice), but what I learnt is not to fear making mistakes. Just talk. People will recognise that you're from a foreign country, no matter how good you speak - and that's why most people don't care at all if you make mistakes, as long as they get an idea of what you want. Otherwise they will ask. But making mistakes is much less emberassing than not even trying to speak a foreign language :)

[@jethex3542]

@@JamesBray3 on that topic I am glad you also mentioned, that germans are a lot more understanding and friendly, when they see that you even attempt to communicate, because we are unfortunately used to people not even trying.

[@ogedik7422]

Ja z.B die ganzen Türkenfamilien die sich nur mit Ihresgleichen zusammentun und nichts von Integration wissen wollen

[@Bassalicious]

Going nuts over nudity, swearing and alcohol in public but being okay with selling a 16yo a 12gauge shotgun is so nuts to me. I've never been to the US but I suspect the culture shock would be quite harsh for me even though I'm pretty familiar with US culture through social media, online friends etc..

[@kobold90]

The US is exactly like you image you image it. I was there for six months and nothing surprised or bothered me, thanks to my education with tv shows and social media.

[@Alexander_Kale]

I was kinda stumped when I stepped out of a train in cologne once and saw a advertising column telling me in subdued writing where the next brothelwas located. hadn't seen THAT before. But to think that prostitution is straight up illegal in the US? Yeah, THAT is weird to me. Especially since making porn apparently isn't. You cannot pay a woman to have sex with you, but you CAN pay her for having sex with someone else and filming it. Crazy...

[@albin2232]

I lived in the US off and on for years. Violence and crime is completely out of control.

[@karlklammer5473]

1. You can not drink anything from a closed container. 2. In Germany open carry means alcohol, in the US a gun.

[@JamesBray3]

Yooooooo facts 😭

[@exotischematerie1769]

@@JamesBray3 You cannot drink anything from a closed container. That's logic. Because if the container is closed, then nothing comes out......

[@KingSteven26]

@@exotischematerie1769 No shit Sherlock? Wer hätte das gedacht...? Thanks Captain Obvious!

[@FabiVoltair]

@@exotischematerie1769 no way!?

[@666LonesomeSailor]

@@exotischematerie1769 You bist such a flashpear, I glaub my pig is whisteling.

[@MrsMedicate]

The Smoking thing really depends on your social bubble. The people around me aren't smoking that much. Except my co-workers 😂

[@bema1908]

The cigarette smoking part changed a lot through the last decades. In my childhood and youth it was normal, that smoking in restaurant was allowed and everyone did it. Or commercials on cigarettes either on TV or billdboards and stuff. But yes, there are still a lot of cigarette smokers here in Germany.

[@christianmarx3249]

But the e-cigarets smoker increased a lot

[@irgendeinname9256]

It changed a lot over the last decades in every western country, that's not specific to Germany. Still much more popular here in Europe compared to the US

[@djdener5504]

I personally think that it mostly the older generation. My parents were smoking but stopped and always told me it isn't worth it. I tried it once and there are right. A lot of people in my generation have equal experience. Smoking is just not cool anymore. Especially with all the health risks

[@cekuhnen]

I think his smoking stereotype is radically to strong. I never met many smokers and smoking like in the USA became less socially expectable.

[@irgendeinname9256]

@@cekuhnen nah when I visited the US (California) I was very surprised by how few smokers I have seen. It's definitely much more common and accepted here, especially if you go out partying. There are also still many smoker bars here in Germany, which is completely banned in most states in the US.

[@hopejohnson6347]

As a German, who has lived in very different parts of Germany throughout the years, I have to point out that the smoking thing is very much local. You mentioned you were at Gamescon and that means, you were in the Ruhrgebiet. I've lived in Munich, in Berlin, in rural Bavaria, in Dortmund and in several other towns and I can confidently say: I've never encountered so many smokers as in the Ruhrgebiet. Ever. In every other place I lived, you maybe knew of one person who smoked in your larger friend group or maybe even just a relative of a friend. In Dortmund, I was literally the only non-smoker in my entire company!

[@joridhutter154]

Dude, in what world is the gamescom (Cologne) located in the Ruhrgebiet?! That is the Rheinland my friendo. That's two different cultures lol

[@chrissiesbuchcocktail]

About the beauty-standard (I think you got that one wrong): I am 55 and looking back over the decades I think we were never too obsessed with "looking the right way". At least not people who have a normal life not being a celebrity or influencer. I don't know if I am just living in my own little bubble but my family, friends or coworkers don't care about chasing a certain weight or look or worry about age (so they start with botox at 35). Yes we all want to look pretty & neat, dress nice and yes - many want to lose a bit of weight but I think at least for my generation there are much more important things than looks. I also know many women between 16-80 who never wear make-up (or only for special occasions) and half of the women my age and older do not shave at all (something I believe is an absolute no-go in the US). And the best is - nobody cares. I guess it might be an issue in school but later in life... not so much any more. So I don't think a lot has changed. And the body-positivity did not arrive here from the US if at all it developed on it's own.

[@kleinshui9082]

This! Makeup? Shaving my legs? Pff I may or may not if I wear a short dress the 2 hot weeks in summer :D My skin can thank me for sun creme and moisturizer after a shower. On body types, everyone loves different figures. I am a rather small super slim fit body type and usually get lots of compliments from men while severly lacking boobs and a big bum :'D So BBL bodies are not THE beauty standard, thank goodness!

[@Philemaphobia]

I am German-Murican and I can tell you: all my issues with my looks are from Murican Media not German Media. We have to be the perfect dolls from birth on. Looks are everything. Don’t be too fat, don’t be too skinny, not too dark not too light…..Germany isn’t fashionable, not trendy, not stylish - we just don’t care on an everyday basis. We like to style for special occasions and that’s our strength. Also:the last time Germany was considered stylish we inspired Oppenheimer, so let’s not.

[@chrissiesbuchcocktail]

@@Philemaphobia ❣

[@chrissiesbuchcocktail]

@@kleinshui9082 ❣

[@Kristina_S-O]

I have to disagree partly. Fat shaming was and still is an issue in Germany and much more so than in the US. I'm not speaking of having some curves or a few extra pounds, but about real obesity. That will still give you some unpleasant stares at the least, I have also witnessed very nasty comments. There still is a cultural difference between Europe and the US there. 1) There are more obese people in the States, they just don't stick out as much. 2) Americans usually make an effort to be friendly, so even a very obese person gets a compliment from a complete stranger every now and then. That's not happening to a fat person in Germany!

[@chrismuller9289]

Ehrlich gesagt hab ich einen biertrinkenden Siebzehnjährigen lieber vor mir als einen bewaffneten Zehnjährigen... ^^

[@michaelburggraf2822]

We really appreciate people making efforts of speaking German because we know that it's not the easiest language to learn and speak. You've acquired some quite remarkable knowledge of German hence there's really no need to apologize about every little mistake. I assume that Europeans are more used to learn foreign languages since the chance of encountering countries with a different language is much higher than in North America.

[@irgendeinname9256]

Bruh I could already speak it in kindergarten, easy af

[@MythenEcke]

​@@irgendeinname9256🤦🤦🤦🤦🤦

[@B055DERB055E]

As a German, I like how he explains his point of view from an American point of view. At the same time, I feel with him, When he becomes aware of what always seemed right to him and then other impressions open up another world. And somewhere in between lies the experience that you take with you. Love your videos for your honest nature ❤😊

[@Bassalicious]

Actually hearing you analyse that shopping situation again made me realise something: We Germans tend to get upset when somebody is making our life (or a specific situation) less efficient without providing some benefit like a nice conversation, a joke or whatever it may be. It also would make sense that the efficiency thing is a super common German stereotype because they are usually built on nuggets of truth.

[@amaisakura5186]

The smoking aspect is really interesting to me, I am German and around me my friends and my family do certainly not smoke. It's frowned upon to bother others with smoke and you can't make commercials for cigarettes since they aren't allowed by law - therefore I think this is a big regional aspect and you may have met a group of people who just smoke a lot. On the other hand I have been in Korea for a month and people there smoke a freaking lot, we saw a lot of school kids in alleys and so on. They just do so in hiding, but the facto a lot of Koreans do smoke. It's also known that big Kpop stars do smoke, they just ain't open about it. They have no smoke signs in every toilet since its a known thing that people go there to do so. So I think the difference is that in Germany people are just way more open about it. No one needs to hide their smoking habbits while in other cultures people would maybe claim to go to the toilet or to take a breather outside and go into hiding.

[@dragonminja246]

Nah it's not frowned upon at all. People smoke in germany all the time and everywhere. It's even normal and accepted that you take 6+ smoke breaks at work which effectively saves you an hour of work.... wouldn't call that being frowned upon. Sure commercials got banned and in some states smoking indoors got banned but the lobby is just so dominant. You just grew up in a non smoker environment which is good for you, not everyone has that luxury and those people usually get pushed into smoking early on. Children learn from their parents, right

[@amaisakura5186]

@@dragonminja246 I Don't know why you are trying to argue about my personal experiences and are claiming them as untrue?

[@plutoniumlollie9574]

The way Americans perceive cash the way they do was new to me and definitely makes sense now. And the thing about swearing here is, it's fine if you express your emotions -like being frustrated- with it. But calling people slurs especially in a discriminating way is definitely not okay. That being said, I enjoy learning about your observations you made in Germany. Great videos and looking forward to your next trip!

[@JonBroun]

You obviously have never sworn in Public and had a cop tell you that you are breaking city ordinance. They even gave me a ticket in which I paid, it was cheaper than paying a lawyer to argue 1st amendments rights. and every time I hear people swear in public I hear someone complain about it or cry there are women and children around. I have never heard anyone in Germany complain about this.

[@Bassalicious]

@@JonBroun I really dislike the modern parenting style of trying to shield children from the world. They are going to see it all eventually and they won't be ready imo. It's not just the US but it definitely seems more mainstream than here.

[@DonDadda45]

@@JonBroun Lol bro next time just tell the cop to fuck off and if he persists then record him. Idk if you live in some conservative bavarian village but swearing is totally normal and accpeted where I live especially nowadays. Even in Grundschulen words like Scheiße are normalized

[@plutoniumlollie9574]

@@JonBroun No, never witnessed something like this before. But again, this is not such a big deal in Germany. Maybe it's the level of aggression that makes it? I think we tend to be a little more tame than Americans?

[@irgendeinname9256]

Also swearing words in German sound much more powerful when you compare them to the English translation

[@hansmolders1066]

😂 I am a West German who lived 23 years in Alaska. My running joke was, if you speak multiple languages you are poly lingual, if you speak two languages you are dual lingual, if you speak one language you're American.😊 I resettled in Eastern Germany, I can't make this joke bc now I have to say Ossi! One guy laughed bc he didn't get the whole joke, the rest stared at me🎉

[@RichiSpilleso]

You are one of the few american that reacts to germany and actually trying to learn the language which is why I actually think you already doing more than most people I know. I mean there are more difficult languages in the world but still its very difficult and this insight you getting and the reward when you understand some small wordplays and stuff like this will be huge and thats why I really think you dont need to worry as much about your german level the fact that you actually try is enough.

[@normanboy9507]

Hey James, the one thing I want to "critizize" is the beauty standard thing. It should be totally irrelevant, if there is a thing somebody is calling "standard". Body positivity is all about acceptance and it really doesn't matter what you look like from a attraction standard. Being not fat is more a thing of being healthy ;)

[@cillacim]

Being not fat is being healthy 🤦🏻‍♀️ Did you ever think about anorexic people?

[@annakonda6289]

Thank you for being so positive and appreciative of the differences. Your videos are always very nuanced and you present your views in an interesting way. Great work!

[@Beatetemporaryhermit]

As a German who has travelled a lot and also seen things change here in Germany over the decades, I could comment a lot, but I see there already are 655 comments......am glad I found your channel, listening to your observations really is interesting. This time, especially the part about card vs cash - to me, it is the opposite, being forced to use a card in a foreign environment makes ME nevous, and I am still trying to figure how to pay with a phone, since I have seen in a movie that this is common if you want to use a bus in Sweden.....I'll keep watching your old and new videos.

[@MagnificentGermanywithDarion]

Hello James, I found your channel the other day and I have been enjoying your videos. Great video BTW, I loved hearing your point of view and It's awesome to hear that you are serving in Korea. I am prior Army (RET) and I was stationed in Germany, I have a total of six years living in Germany. I finally made it back to Germany after nineteen years back in 2008. Since 2008 I have been back twenty-five times and I am always planning my next trip. I am looking forward to catching up on your many videos. I have a channel myself and vlog my visits. Have a great one........!!

[@CT-001]

James please never change your character, you are such a emphatic and funny person i love your videos, i hope i am there when you comeback to cologne 🙏🏽❤️

[@Opa_Andre]

I smiled about your culture shock at the cashiers desk as I had something alike in an grocery store together with my parents while being in the US for the very first time back in the day. My parents didn't speak English at all and if they hear an English word which sounds similar to the German one, they just guess... Anyway, due to lots of customers in the store they formed a long line the few cashier desks which were open. While waiting I guessed it will take some time, so I informed my parents I will head up to the cooling section to grab some cold coke cans and will be right back. What I didn't notice was that shortly after they opened alot of other cashier desks to deal with the amount of customers waiting. Being on my way suddenly my dad came running any yelling at me to hurry up as the cashier didn't want to take our money. He told me that they didn't accept our credit card nor cash. So we ran back to the cashier where he looked at me with a big question mark on his face. I asked him whats up and he answered "plastic or paper" (where my dad assumed plastic = credit card vs. paper = cash). However it turned out that the question was if we would like to have our groceries packed in plastic or paper bags... something which wasn't even common at that time in Germany that a cashier or additional staff is packing your groceries.

[@horstguntherludolf6357]

I allways say to the Cashier "with Plastic" and hold up my Credit card.😂

[@offydannerson8049]

Great video! These are some very interesting observations

[@cemotazca8628]

In Berlin there is no beauty standard... Just come how you are❤

[@JyheS783]

French here ! Stumbled on some of your videos these past few days, enjoyed them all 😊 You're a very lovable guy, and I like you so much for opening on other cultures and countries without bragging about it. Good for you ! 👍

[@RotesKleid411]

Sehr reflektiert. Du gehst mit offenen Augen durch die Welt. Mach bitte weiter so.

[@RealTaIk]

There used to be a time where most Germans ended their sentence with "sorry for my bad english" even though their english was perfect because this was one of the first things we learned in school :D So you apologizing for you German kinda feels like nostalgia to me :D

[@danyael777]

When it's about smoking in Germany and the US i always remember that one Simpsons scene, where Homer is asked if he's a smoker and he goes like: "Oh no, my body's a temple." before he sticks a bar of butter in his mouth and lights it up like a cigar.^^ Yes, i smoke....

[@ascaniusvotan2319]

Ok. So your perspective on bigger people is really interesting, I had not noticed that change that much (german, 29). But, it is not like it is encouraged. From a friends of mine I got the reminder, that I got bigger than from 2 years before and even from my mother -> asking me whether I noticed and If I'd gonna do some sport or think about my diet. This direct approach might be a german thing but ye, helped me realize, that I could do better. I had other things to care about before, but now I have capacity to get back in some exercise and be more conscious about my diet. I have been doing a lot of sports during my youth and 20s (Handball, DLRG).

[@JonasReichert1992]

That was really fascinating to see someone from another country looking at my Home Country! Thank you!

[@Keno0355]

Current statistics say that 23.8% of Germans over the age of 18 smoke. In the US it is 18 percent. But many Americans don't smoke in public. It just doesn't make a good impression 😉

[@edincuric3873]

About the smoking in germany: Yes, in general we have more smokers on average in Germany than in the USA. At the same time, it kinda reminds me of the alcohol issue you mentioned, because it is more socially accepted in Germany than in the USA. That means you'll also see more people smoking in public, in the streets, at partys and all kinds of gatherings. In contrats from what I've heard you'll not see many smokers in the USA because it's simply not accepted. But still there are around 14% of people smoking in the USA, my guess is they rather stay at home to have a smoke.

[@JOZUWE]

thank you for the video

[@solanumdulcamara]

Good video, thanks

[@DesignerBro]

Intresting perspectives!

[@viis374]

12:00 I’ve actually never thought of the cash/card debate this way. I fully enjoy using cash because it’s easier to oversee how much money I use, I never thought about it being more easy to rob me. I guess that also implicates how save I feel in my country. I don’t really think about getting robbed or hurt much, especially in brought daylight.

[@KyrilPG]

Yup, in Europe in general, it's more common to tell someone, or to try to, "work well", not hard. Why should it be hard? Why should we consider hardship normal or valuable? Why shouldn't we aim to solve the inefficiencies and imbalance that make working something hard? It's thought that "hard work" should be avoided and we should pursue "good work", "fulfilling work", etc. And that's not limited to words or ideas, there are real actions, like the ever-increasing number of companies trying the 4 day week, setting up unlimited holidays (often paid), flexible and group planned schedules, skills-driven task allocation, etc. Also, companies can be liable in case of burnout of their employees... Plus of course the different kinds of paid maternity / parental leave. There's also the "right to disconnect" in some countries, where a worker can't be expected to check his emails or answer his phone outside of work hours... The "hard" in "hard work" is viewed as unnecessary and toxic. And it's long been proven that efficiency doesn't require hard work, but it requires good work from well balanced, rested and happy employees. It's surely not a paradise but I find it to be a much healthier work culture that aims for more fulfilling, more appeased, less invasive, less heavy and much more balanced work life.

[@pehpunkthahpunkt4179]

I would be interested if you had a "culture shock" in germany regarding police, crime and the feel of safty. from the internet we all know it is or has to be a thing... but how did it feel to experiance it? espacially personal storys (like the one where you were standing in line at the grocery store) enrich a lot and help to visualize the experiance 👍

[@pinkhope84]

Smoking got worse in the last few years, i hate it.

[@Pilsvergiftung]

I may be repeating something that has already been mentioned in the 600+ comments. German railway. We differentiate between local transport and long-distance transport. In metropolitan areas there is usually still an S-Bahn (suburban commuter train). There are various monthly subscription tickets for local transport for commuters and students. The Germany Ticket is now available monthly for almost all trains, subways, trams and buses in regional and local transport. Most people don't need to buy a ticket at the train station, they have a monthly ticket, an online ticket (smartphone) or there is a ticket machine at the train station/stop. At these machines you can usually choose an English edition, and often other European languages ​​as well.

[@vitushoffmann7890]

"everyone in germany speaks german" well you have not been to Sachsen yet ^^

[@Franziska_Nerlich]

Eiverpüpschnochemal!

[@pimphead4879]

Der dät hier nüscht verstehn.

[@Copycat398]

i follow you for a bit and i never knew you lived in Korea. I would enjoy aa video about that tbh. And keep up your hustle. (the edit is for the smoking part.) Yeah smoking in Germany/The Eu for that matter) is a problem and a trap i've fallen into my self. Somethings are done aboute it, but it's not very effective lol.

[@ickeyt3151]

Ur background music is amazing 😂

[@jethex3542]

working at a german retailer, hearing about how unsafe americans feel about cash was surprising. I thought here we are simply outdated and used to the cash, while other countries simply prefer the comfort of cards. we do have customers that solely carry cash, sometimes 500-1000€ in their portemonnaie ( very easy to tell as a cashier), even seen customers that easily carry well over 2000€ in cash. I never really considered that they feel unsafe for carrying so much, even though its usually older people ( or foreign workers that maybe, just maybe, dont have a bank and get their payment in cash). Also, if you do work in retail in germany, you need a very high tolerance to smokers-breath. it made me almost puke several times when i first got that job.

[@lynnm6413]

It‘s so disgusting, I thoroughly detest it. I once didn‘t take a job at a vet because she was a chain smoker and after my first day I was so sick I couldn‘t even eat anything.

[@remy2718]

I think one of the reasons why smoking is rather popular is the social aspect. At my old workplace, I was one of the few people who didn't smoke, so a lot of the time I missed out on socialization around the trash can. Back when I was in vocational school, some classmates would even repeatedly try to pressure me into smoking

[@UlliStein]

What stops you from standing at the trash can with your colleagues without a cigarette? That's what I did for years and it was nice.

[@remy2718]

@@UlliStein I would when they were smoking before or after work and the weather was nice. But during work, it's never been possible to just tag along, because the kinds of jobs I've had so far all required for at least one person to be working at all times. Most of the time, that ended up being me implicitly (because I was the only one who didn't smoke) or explicitly (because my station specifically needed to be active at all times, so I only got to leave for "official" breaks, when someone was scheduled to cover for me)

[@1lk3r]

I kinda realized something that I never really thought about or questioned before when you basically said "we Americans are used to only speaking English so if we venture out and dabble into another language we feel like we don't belong".. I was always pretty judgemental about Americans acting like 'America = Planet Earth' like other continents and/or countries don't even exist that I never really considered that it's be because it may not be as easy for you to travel to and visit European countries f.e. as it is for us within Europe of course. That opened my eyes a little. I discovered your channel just recently and became a "fan" very quickly when you said Döner is the best thing you ever tasted bc I have turkish roots due to my parents both being turks. 🤣 As a person who is generally interested in different cultures (mostly because of my turkish roots so I already grew up in two different cultures - turkish at home, german outside of home) it is very enjoyable to watch and listen to you explaining similarities and differences about the American culture and the German culture while also realizing how we take some stuff for granted and being unappreciative (Autobahn, fresh food everywhere etc, everyone basically minding their own business until you signal or directly ask for help etc). Thanks for the content and keep up the positive energy and vibes.

[@svenpedersen9140]

I may be totally wrong but since you met the german youtubers, your videos are better "edited" (on this one to much "cuts"... but better way than before). And also the way you speak with confidence now as oposed to laughing (like an idiot, not trying to be rude but crude hehe) will eventually get you to one mill man !

[@boomo5246]

Ive watched you videos for a long period of time now and i hope ill meet you at the gamescom😁🙏

[@flauschiger_keks]

Your German skills are great! You even speak it better than some Germans I know 😅

[@1337Arnonym]

Yeah, i guess by "some germans" you talk about the germans in the eastern and southern parts of germany 😁

[@Si0Ro]

I liked this kind of down to earth video style

[@quirrel77]

Fun Video to watch, especially the simple lifestylepart, where you seem to adapt to be more happy :) (I think other countires are even better in loving the simple things) The perventage of adult people smoking went down in the US and Germany from ~34% (2000) to ~22%(2020) similarly

[@williamrockwood5234]

idk... regarding the smoking, I don't actually feel that it's that much anymore. 2/3 of my friends don't smoke at all... back in the days that was a lot different, back then I would say that 5/6 of my friends did smoke, so it already went down A LOT. though those were the times when you could also still smoke in restaurants and bars. i basically don't know any place that doesn't accept card anymore, hell I even saw homeless people beg on the street and even they had a card reader (not that I'd ever put my card in that thing, but still). maybe some bakery or something like that... other than that you can basically pay with card everywhere. nah, beauty standards haven't really changed, it's still fit and thin rather than plus size. they try to push the idea so they put it on posters and whatnot but no one finds that more attractive.

[@nathing9240]

Covid really gave us a boost in becoming less cash bound…. Because cash carry a lot of germs so a lot of stores preferred that you don’t with it ☺

[@Chara_Lar]

Same here in Switzerland. Suddenly you could pay everywhere without cash and even without having to type a PIN (they even raised the limit from 40 Fr. to 80 Fr.).

[@RealTaIk]

Plus size being more accepted is just a city thing. I'm living near a town and I used to wear XXL clothing, I always had to order those from online shops because those sizes usually weren't sold in stores or I had to drive to bigger cities.

[@reinhard8053]

The thing with not working endless hours is also established by laws. In a correct company you can't work more than the allowed times or the company might get in trouble if it is controlled. We can work over the contract hours by ourself but only up to a certain limit. And we mostly take it as free time later if we don't have enough vacation days left. If the company wants you to work longer there need to be an additional contract accepted by both parties and the overtime is paid higher than the usual wage.

[@christianpeters5925]

Hey James, i saw a lot of your content so far and i want to say, your speaking skills are dope :) as other people already say, you speak better then a lot fof people living in germany for ages... even german people, born in germany have worse german skills then you have. you doing great. please keep your positiv and friendly charakter save :) big greetings from Chris aus Mönchengladbach :)

[@DonHoschbes]

Hello James, i hope your e3 trip wents well! We will see :) next time you could visit our little america as an american! I would like to see your side on kaiserslautern and Ramstein. Have nice trips in good old germany, greetings

[@Feuerelfe1331]

6:44 Should you partake? No! You don't have to hurt yourself just because others do it.

[@BakaSanXo3o]

It's interesting that you mention smoking. It has improved a lot in the area where I live. In the past, many more people smoked, but now they have become less common. There are also many more smoke-free zones. Sure, the smokers smoke really often. But in the past, it felt like you couldn't go anywhere without being smoked all over the place. That was really bad, especially as a non-smoker

[@lucientruth]

in germany is a saying: "schnelles Geld ist schnell weg" - "quick owned money is, very quick gone" -> meaning build your success slowly and consistent...

[@jkb2016]

9:35 you can bet that having to use anything BUT your native language is awkward for anyone who isn't used to it. It's not like we were born speaking German AND English, we have to learn the latter at some point later, as many people do.

[@ruxxie]

i m a mid smoker... we got some smoke wagons in trains back in the days.. but srs.. as a smoker.. i was walking tru .. and i was done :D

[@Usgar]

Cash based: We as a society were a bit behind or hesitant about card payments till like 2020 or so, until covid hit us all. Social distancing became mandatory and so became contactless (is that a word?) payment a thing. We kinda like skipped the card thing and went to paying with our mobiles, of course not everywhere, but from what ive heard so far from several channels like yours is that we are a bit behind in card payment options, but ahead of the US option when it comes to google or apple pay

[@Malgantar]

10:40 the cash only thing got way less during corona since the shops had to adapt a way of "touchless" paying. So now it's waaaay more common than before. I can now even pay cashless at a bakery.

[@yoloswagger5429]

6:47 from what I've heard peer pressure is one of the main reasons people start smoking in germany

[@jiminsgirl9812]

Especially the young ppl smoke a lot in germany- during my high-school and first uni years a lot of my surrounding classmates and friends smoked. But I noticed when they got older - around 22/23 they quit smoking because they realise the negative factors

[@lukasmuller1882]

Interesting to see the American view on what seems to be pretty normal to us Germans. 👍🏻 Other topic: Is there any chance u‘ll do a meet n‘ great when come back to Germany?^^

[@michaelburggraf2822]

I agree with you completely about smoking. It's quite disappointing.

[@ruuowo]

i love u for still using that phone tho!

[@jennabee9098]

How come you are so cool? I really don't get it. You are smart, always at ease. You are never angry or something. If there's any reciepe let me know. I might try and copy it. ;) Apreciate you so much. Thanks a lot for your content and all the work you put in your videos. ❤

[@patrickchrist4770]

In some cities like Aschaffenburg in Bavaria, u only get alcohol on gas stations if ur with a car. To avoid people drinking outside. In Hessen u need to buy ur ticket before.

[@kaisander909]

When you are in the cologne area again, you should try to experience some of the unoffical/secret raves. Mindblowing experience ;)

[@MrSenny90]

If u are in Dresden i show u around, beautiful city

[@Jinkasama110]

4:19 we have ticket-stations even at the train station

[@NavaSDMB]

European here, and the "no open container" thing has always baffled me. What, if you wrap something in a brown paper bag it stops existing? In Spain we have train stations and apeaderos. An apeadero is a point where you can get on or off but there is no way to buy a ticket (not a person, not a machine). If you get on at an apeadero you have to pay to the conductor when he comes by, and if the train is "excuse me, I'm trying to breathe here" full they won't walk through. I've seen habitual riders tell the conductor "I owe you three trips" and pay them.

[@michaelburggraf2822]

About the beauty standards: They aren't completely ignored but despite the media creating another hype every year living healthy and feeling well within your body are more important goals in general - at least I would say. Maybe it's a little bit different with the young generation trying to be slim. However there're also more recent studies indicating that the number of obese people is growing.

[@Tortojboksisto]

Hi James! I follow you since nearly 3 years on YT. I'm a native German and I would like to claim that learning more then two languages is a European thing because Europe is compared to the US a small continent with a whole bunch of ethnical and cultural background and languages. There are mostly Latin and Germanic tounges. But then there are Slavic and once more Finnish and Ugric or Turk languages in Europe. So if you want to visit different countries and cultural groups in Europe there's a pool of multiple occasions. That makes Europeans curious for learning some other words and sentences in languages that they weren't aware of, like I am doing. It's quite easy for a German to learn the Germanic languages like Dutch, Danish, Swedish or even Norwegian. But it's a challenge to get the Slavic tounges or the Latin ones. Tho' there are multiple connections between the languages to pick up the point of a conversation by just understanding the connected words of Latin or Germanic. For me, I'm still learning Spanish, Italian , Dutch, Hungarian, Russian, Polish, Sign language (DGS) and Esperanto. If you didn't know about Esperanto, you can find the history of that fictional plan language! Best wishes from Northern Germany!

[@CrisCheese_]

esperanto sucks, dont learn it

[@Tortojboksisto]

@@CrisCheese_ I'd guess it remains to be my own choice. But thanks for your honest opinion.

[@CrisCheese_]

@@Tortojboksisto sorry i use chronically twitter not sorry

[@thorsten6422]

I wouldn't say that Germany has a "smoking culture". What we have is a relic from bygone times that takes surprisingly long to fizzle out.

[@Mofameister]

The censorship thing is something I never understood. Like what's so bad about swearwords? Everyone uses them every day and most of the time they aren't even used in a harmful way. Most likely in a "oh this dumb silly thing happened" way or even in a positive way "this is sooooooo amazing". I don't see any reason for censoring those words. With alcohol I mean, it's normal for me as a German to see people drinking in public, but I guess that's actually something you could debate about. Guns on the other hand, i think it's fine how we handle it. It's like hard but still possible to get them. Don't know how it's really in the US but for us Germans it seems like you give everybody guns and don't really care if they are fit for handling them.

[@somersaultcurse]

9:08 had to laugh on the statement "apologizing for not speaking so good german"! i guess you also mentioned in earlier videos that germans always say "my english isn't good", but generally it is. this is not bcs we are too shy to say "yes i can", but more bcs we tend to believe that our english is really not that good. for example in my childhood while learning english, having a strong german accent and some pronounciation problems with difficult words, meant you are not good in english. in my head it was "as long as you are not fluent (and accent-free), your english isn't good". today i'm able to answer questions asked in english, without the information before-hand that my english isn't good. but i gave out this "warning" a lot when i met and talked to english speaking persons :)

[@Ilvy0-0]

Can you go visit austria That would be cool

[@CarryCherry92]

The problem about the German train tracks is that local and long-distance transportion use the same tracks. Idk about South Korea but I saw a documentation on Japan and how their divided system results in very punctual trains.

[@silkyh]

you need to go to Würzburg to the old Mainbrücke!! People drink Wine in glasses 🍷 and walk around all the time in the summer!!😁

[@UlliStein]

Coming from Germany, I visited Chicago by Amtrak, coming from Boston and going to Washington from there. I arrived at the Chicago station and was shocked that I had to walk two blocks before I could change to the metro. Two days later I got an email that the train was cancelled due to a catastrophe on the way. There was a button to get the money back but my problem was not about money but about the train. So I went to the station and had to leave Chicago one day earlier because the alternative route is served only three times a WEEK! This is what I found to be weird. When one route is blocked the trains have time to use the other route, right? So why not letting them go there once a day?

[@hajotge12]

Getting on a train without a ticket: The way to do it without any fine etc. is to go to the conductor before or right after entering the train and tell him/her that you need a ticket. That way they know that you are honest and they'll just sell you the ticket on the train.

[@M.vanHouten]

In Germany we say: Rauchen fetzt or Rauchst du, stirbst du! Rauchst du nicht, stirbst du auch.

[@furumarara87]

5:50 in the 60' - 70' it was completly normal in germany to be in a closed car with your kids, and both parents smoking. i would say, it actually got better since then.

[@mandy4679]

You should try spaghetti eis!

[@Vans89]

Open carrying in Germany hits different.

[@pfalzgraf7527]

The alcohol in public thing is a remnant from prohibition time in the USA. I'm with you about the smoking as someone who does have some problems with asthma, I don't like the habit! We had that no-smoking narrative here, too until ... ten years ago or so, somehow it doesn't work anymore. However, I also get worked up about those folks who vape with a swagger - ugh! I've worked as a language teacher. Believe me, Germans who learn another language are just as self conscious! That is just the nature of being in an environment where that language that you don't know that well is spoken as a default. However, I hope that your experiences rather encouraged you to go on learning German! With English as a foreign language the advantage is often that if you speak English in a non-English-speaking country, the people you speak with are just as unsure as yourself. Corona furthered the "contactless" payment. So, it is more widespread now. Your explanation of the unsafe feeling with cash is quite convincing. You came to traditional catholic Köln. I live in a traditionally more protestant area. Here, the work ethic is probably a bit less relaxed. However, you are right: pressure to hustle like heck is on another level in the USA. Good video - gives a German definitely some insights, too!

[@chrisrain2957]

The last time i knew the DB was on time was in the r/place pixeling over Turkey xD Well, if you are in germany, visit bavaria & try the beer(Augustiner, Chiemseer & Edelstoff). Kinda interessted in your opinion from the taste.

[@ozmaohbs]

5:15 smoking culture in germany basically is so visible because smoking indoors at pubs/public buildings etc. got banned hence all the smokers out on the street, also in private houses smokers usually smoke outside so they don't have to deal with rapid decline of wall paper x)

[@Ac3p3rgAA]

cash is the quickest payment method imo. I only use a card when i forgot my money.

[@vitushoffmann7890]

on language, in my experience americans are very surprised when you speak english pretty well AND know about their culture/history/politics. Some time ago i met a couple from chicago and they were flabergasted i was a fan of the cubs and like wrigley field and comented on the political situation etc.

[@gamingrevenge_t2]

Dont fall for that thats a fake that commented here

[@PinHeadSupliciumwtf]

Curious what you think about the 49€ ticket. I didn't go into effect yet the last time you were here if i remember correctly? Because unless you have to be somewhere on time and ICE is the better option, having the freedom to travel anywhere in germany for just 49 a MONTH is huge.

[@svenpedersen9140]

Great video anyways, just turn down the "cuts" a little bit. Great , I liked it !

[@M0ralAp0stel]

8:19 He can't get over it. 😅😅😅

[@amanda7549]

German speaking…Most of my friends don’t smoke. I think Its always okay to not smoke🤣. But smoking has a comeback. I m just happy that Its forbidden in Restaurants.

[@FabiVoltair]

would like to know, what you based your idea of germany's beauty standard on? what people you met liked, or who you saw being body-confident or specific models or you being influenced by what? :)

[@tosa2522]

I feel more like a target when people can track my buying habits over the years. That's why I don't participate in supermarket bonus/payback programs. Authorities can intentionally or unintentionally block my bank account access. So it's important to me that I can bridge a few weeks with cash. And no, I never carry all my cash around.