An American's Top 5 Warnings About Visiting Germany ♡🇩🇪

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In this video I will talk about the tips I gave my friends who were visiting Germany and things I wish I knew before going there.
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0:00 Introduction
1:25 Always have cash on you
6:32 Coldness
13:27 Cheers
14:36 Beautiful men/people
16:56 Vitamin D

[@HiFromHamburg]

The first 1,000 people to use the link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/hifromhamburg07221

[@johannesheinsohn6956]

8:40 "Customer service and tipping" My very own (anecdotal) experience working at a german gas station: Some things you need to know: 1. No Germans would normally ever tip a gas station clerk. 2. I did not expect to be tipped EVER. So I was nice to customers and provided additional services because I wanted to, not to get them to tip me. It was mindblowing to me, native Germans started tipping me for my exceptional service. At the end of a night shift (8h) I sometimes had tens of Euros of tips collected. Even my boss (owner of business) couldn´t believe it and thorougly checked me (security cams) to make sure I didn´t steal from anybody. Got multiple pay raises from him afterwards, since I also did additional stuff for him (cleaning, check best-before dates, fill up the shelves) whenever I had the time to do it. This is what I call employee valueation. ==> I felt valued by customers AND my boss.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

In the Netherlands it is not done to lie to persons, so no smiles or greetings unless they mean it, same in North Germany. Be serious and honest.. No fake friendliness.

[@andreas-franke]

As a German, I get alerted if a sales assistant in a shop is over-friendly to me because I know it's fake and he/she will just do it, because he wants me to spend more money and not just be friendly. So this "kindness" is a lie and this makes me feel bad and makes me angry at some point.

[@timsoreno]

The idea of "smiling" just when you're serving a customer or to say randomly "how are you", is considered fake in these cultures (it's not just in Germany). It's considered being dishonest and means that the "smiler" can't be trusted. Also, I think that it's not that they're not interested in more money, they believe there's a worthy trade-off in order to have a proper balance in life between living a life and not being completely subservient to the business.

[@joanneswyckmans5921]

Cash is about freedom and privacy. Your bank knows exactly what you bought if you pay with card

[@herwignemmer5649]

ähm no. shopping cart information is not populated to your card issuing bank.

[@joanneswyckmans5921]

@@herwignemmer5649 actually IT is. Is stumbled upon a newspaper article stating that the bank had somerhing to add to the research by the newspaper about shoppy since the period after covid. The bank concluded that more store brands where purchased by customers at grocerie stores then A brands like Unilever since covid is less prevelant and lockdowns are over with High inflation as a result. This is from a dutch newspaper.

[@herwignemmer5649]

@@joanneswyckmans5921 well, it is true that the bank knows the merchants you buy at. as you also see that in your card statement. but the shopping cart, so which articles you bought at this shop is not provided. actually it is seen as a flaw by consumers who are into cashless payment. therefore there are nowadays a bunch off apps that allow you to scan your receipts and add it to your payments in your card statement. anyways. i can understand your concern, just wanted to highlight that the data insights don't go that deep.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

lol where did ya get the cash? right...

[@manub.3847]

@@joanneswyckmans5921 The banks do not learn this from the mutual customer's card charges, since they can only "see" the total and the location. When a bank publishes this "information", it is more likely to come from business customer surveys or business customer orders and their payments, which are also made through the banks. So if shop X suddenly orders more organic and this is reflected in the account turnover, then one can assume that these products will also be in greater demand from the customers of shop x.

[@LaniMedea]

As a German with depression I cannot express just how much it would worsen my day if every stranger I met outside or while grocery shopping would ask me how I am expecting me to lie about it.

[@wora1111]

Customer service: As a German I appreciate customer service if I want it. If I am just looking around I want to be left alone. And if a clerk sends me away because they do not have the kind of product I want at this moment I will leave his shop and praise it (and the clerk) when telling my friends about the shopping experience. Oh and I will certainly return there because they gained my trust at that moment.

[@tasminoben686]

Moin, das geht mir genauso. Wenn eine Verkäuferin hinter mir her läuft, während ich einfach nur schauen will, fühle ich mich sehr schnell überwacht. Ich denke dann immer ob sie glaubt, dass ich irgendetwas klauen will. Und das nervt. Liebe Grüße Ben

[@arnodobler1096]

​@@tasminoben686 Hi Ben, wie war dein Urlaub? Meiner war super. Mir geht es genauso beim Einkauf - auch im Restaurant will ich meine Ruhe und Dauergrinsen find ich furchtbar und dumm. 🙋‍♂️

[@tasminoben686]

@@arnodobler1096 Moin Arno, danke, war gut. Mehr nicht. Ferienhütte war - disskutabel. Und ich konnte wg meines Arms kaum etwas machen. Wäre gern auf dem Ijsselmeer gesegelt. Hab am 04.08. MRT, dann weiß ich mehr. Aber die Holländer sind sehr entspannt und entgegenkommend! Freut mich sehr, das dein Segeltörn mit den Brüdern so gut war! Muß auf dem Bodensee toll sein! LG aus dem kühlen, noch trockenen Ahrensburg Ben

[@arnodobler1096]

@@tasminoben686 Drück dir am Donnerstag die Daumen 👍

[@ronaldv_tm]

On always carrying cash on you: remember that half of Germany (the German Democratic Republic - Deutsche Demokratische Republik) was a surveillance state between 1945 and 1990. The Germans discovered and realised the full extent of that after the (re)unification. Ever since, they are weary of anything resembling the collection of data on individuals. The low acceptance of electronic payment in shops is an example of that, but they also do not like Google streetview for that reason. Legal requirements for Google were so strict that Google decided to not map Germany. On tipping: the procedure is exactly as you described, or: leave some cash. Additionally, know that your waiter/waitress will appreciate a small but fair ((depending on how much I ordered, somewhere between 5-10%) tip, but he/she does not depend on them like staff do in the U.S. Europe has minimum wages that permit you to actually have a (modest) livelyhood. On coldness: There are exceptions (of course!) but in general: you gave the correct description. In the north (extending into the Netherlands) people can seem to be a bit cold. They're not though (as you have found out): they just keep more to themselves. But once you break through, they are very kind and welcoming! On talking to strangers: I've found it is getting less with young people, but the older (say: 35 and above) indeed do as you describe. And like you described: the different "Bundesländer" all have a slightly different culture, with the language as their common ground. That does not just apply North-South, but also East-West. So don't assume that being in Stuttgart will give the same results as being in Munich simply because they are both in the south. Even within Bavaria results will be subtly different: Nürnberg residents will respond differently to some events than those in Munich. On looking in each other's eyes while cheering: that has to do with why we cheer. In Medeval times, it was done to force glasses to spoil over into each other. By bouncing the glasses, and looking each other straight in the eye, you could tell whether someone was a real friend, or posing as one whilst trying to poison you with a glass of wine or beer. By spooiling over into the other persons glass, you would both get poisoned. At least, that was the idea back then. On hairstyles: thank you for the complliment! But to be honest: we too have our off days and some of us have those nearly every day. ;) On the bonus: very true, unfortunately. If you do not want tu use pills, use the UV light and go outdoors as much as possible. Winters in northern Germany (as in my native the Netherlands) suck, especially in the 30-40 days before Christmas and 30-40 after Christmas.

[@kantenklaus9753]

I am German and can only confirm that strangers are often distrusted or even rejected, and this applies not only to foreigners, but also to Germans. On the other hand, after a short phase of getting to know each other, it is possible to talk about very private things. Of course, there are also very open-minded Germans who are very friendly with unknown people.

[@chrissoclone]

My theory about credit cards in Germany is that, besides the hidden fees, we simply like full control of our money and avoid debt like the plague. Germans generally tend to be more careful about their debts and only take credits after long considerations (house etc.), otherwise try not to spend money they don't have and don't like surprises at the end of the month. It has more to do with personal liberty than privacy. Privacy concerns might just be the cherry on top for some. Americans on the other side, at least that's my impression, get used to being in debt from early on, and once you're knee-deep in crushing student loans or hospital bills you probably don't care anymore anyway, what's those few thousand dollars more or less, at least I get an iPhone to help me through the pain. :)

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

Maybe. But my take is that you cannot get a credit for day-to-day purchases in the USA by overdrawing your checking account. In Germany you pay with cheque, card or bank transfer without any thought of whether you account will be overdrawn. Like the CC it provides a credit for the missing amount at an insane interest. That feature is offered by credit cards. That is the simple difference which fuelled the ubiquitous use of CC in the US. Besides all the convenience of not having to carry and count cash. Banks therefore offer overdraw protection as a kind of solution. But what they do is simply to take money from your savings account and to put it into your checking account. But you still have to have to total sum to be paid in your accounts. So no credit awarded to you.

[@michaelaneumann2389]

About credit cards, I can only speak for the pharmacy I’m working at, the fees were one of the main concerns. It just doesn’t pay off, when customers/patients only buy pretty cheap stuff. That’s one huge reason why my boss is still hesitant to add credit cards as an option. 🤔

[@manfredfischer8944]

In Germany, tips are often paid in cash because the payment is then not registered digitally, so that the amount does not have to be taxed as well. In addition, when paying by card, it is unclear who actually gets the tip.

[@jakob7612]

Tips actually don't have to be taxed also when paid by credit card. In the restaurant I'm working at, we have a pretty smart digital ordering system, which knows exactly what amount is the actual bill and what amount is the tip so that each waiter gets their tips at the end of the day. But smaller businesses probably don't have that yet and managers may even keep the tips, I don't know 😅

[@MosquitoTheBloodStealer]

Thank you for the warnings!

[@GooberGoofy-lj5yd]

For me personally, having cash just makes it easier to restrict my spending in a healthy way. If I pay with plastic, 10 bucks here 50 bucks there and zap all your money is spend without realizing it. With cash, you have a very good idea of how much you spend at all times.

[@flowerpower8765]

The problem paying with credit card is that the bank is charging a percentage which at the end makes prices rising up and everybody has to pay more!

[@e-r-d-l-i-n-g]

Regarding short winter-days @ 17:17 Hamburg is roughly at the same latitude as the southernmost point of the Alaskan Aleutian Islands ;-) The southernmost part of Germany is roughly at the same latitude as Tacoma, Washington

[@manfredfischer8944]

North Germany has one hour LESS sun in winter BUT one hour MORE sun in summer than in the the south part of Germany.

[@wheelz8240]

Yay! Lila is back! Or the algorithm finally tipped in the correct direction.

[@spearfish5044]

To tip with cash is always preferred anywhere in the world. The advice about smiling and saying hello when for example you pass someone on the sidewalk is true, in my experience it would freak them out, it took me awhile to stop doing it as I am from the south in the US and it is an ingrained reflex to do that when you pass even a total stranger.

[@JoeBuddy0815]

I m living Baden-Württemberg which is the state on the southwest of Germany. The eatliest time sun is going down here in winter is 5 pm. It’s around January when it‘s night on 5 pm here.

[@gowest19]

we not often talking with strangers,there is a little distance.But when you know the people better ,you can find a friend for a long long term.Sometimes you make a friend for livetime.Stay well.

[@joki8148]

The low public acceptance for credit cards is mainly about privacy in my opinion. A lot of Germans are uncomfortable with banks, businesses and authorities having paper trails of all their purchases. Cash preserves the anonymity of the customer so nobody can data mine your shopping habits and flood your postbox with targeted ads, or worse, harass you because you buy stuff that some group finds morally objectionable.

[@georgiosntanis4353]

Never heard of the UV lamp thing or "everyone taking vitamin Supplements" lol, and I live in northern germany, actually just a 20 min trainride away from Hamburg!

[@lincolnsixecho51]

The central *plus* argument for paying cash was evaluated by psychologists: People, who go shopping, use to buy a real lot of more things (...even things, they originally weren't interested in to buy...), when they pay by credit card compared to people, who use to pay by cash!! - When you go shopping and have - for example - only a certain sum of cash money in your wallet, it was observed, that these consumers permanently tried to keep in mind, if they were able to buy something ... if they have enough money in their wallet. It is an scientifical empirical evaluated behavior, which showed, that paying by cash can prevent people from buying more then its good for them! Its an easy fact: If you got a credit card to pay ( an anonymous plastic chip which your mind doesn't connect with a concrete sum of money) you don't imagine a concrete paying limit - that leads many people to spent more money on shopping, then they originally wanted to! Its a perfidious trick, because it works on a subconcious level. People in germany are usually very aware of their financial budget ( its something like a part of our mentality to take much care for financial things, because germany'd come through times of starvation and poverty, f.e. after both world wars!) and so they don't like forms of payment ( like credit cards...) that reduce their attention for a rational use! Greetz!

[@LiebeNachDland]

Totally rad thumbnail.

[@johannesheinsohn6956]

16:50 "Usage of Vitamin D and UV lamps" That is correct. I mean, just look at the latitude of Europe compared to the US. Hamburg/Germany shares the same latitude with Newfoundland/Canada , so sunrises and sunsets are the same in those places. Southern California equals to Northern Africa.

[@Feier_Salamander]

I never heard anyone doing that. So I doubt it is correct. That does not mean, that it is still advisable because many people in germany have low Vitamin D levels.

[@johannesheinsohn6956]

@@Feier_Salamander You didn´t include where you are living in Europe. I´m from Hamburg/Germany. That is the city and area Ms. LambLike is referring to. UV lamps and the usage of vitamin D supplements in the winter are a thing in Northern Germany and Scandinavia for the reasons stated before by Ms. LambLike and me. I do it, my grandparents do it, my brother does it, the vast majority of my friends and acquaintances do it. All live in Northern Germany.

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

@@johannesheinsohn6956 In countries like Sweden, Norway and Finland it is a standard medical procedure to expose patients to high-powered light on a daily basis to cure winter depression.

[@kaiv6536]

One Problem with credit card, you have to pay the credit card company. Means, all products will be more expensive, only you pay with credit cart. Also, you have many debit cart payments, which are more cheaper in Germany (EC Lastschriftzahlung). And, why to hell you will pay for a Bretzel for 90 Cent by credit card. Northern Germans are more open to strangers, but they are different in her interactions. Was coming from Nothern Germany to the south, and people are more closed in my opinion...

[@AhmetMurati]

Here in Möhringnen a backery accepts payment by cards but a shop nearby often does not work. At Penny, I do buy things with card. As I recall the 2% of the payment goes to the payment processor. The shops Penny is only 750 meters away so pretty convienet. I even do not take my bicycle to go to the shop.

[@nicklenz7030]

The cost is much less, about 0,3% nowadays.

[@wolfgangreiss2929]

So funny sometimes you are such stereotype as many American when you talk about South Germany and always combine with Bavaria. South Germany and Germany at all is so much more than Bavaria 😄. About customer service you are right that in Germany it is not very good. But I also think that a smiling face is not only good service. I have seen when I visited America that many employees was smiling to me as customer and friendly talking but I also have seen that they don't was in good mood and not making good job. So we never know what behind smiling faces. You are absolutely correct that the German customer service must getting much more friendly and I think the middle between the American "show" and German customer service would be the best. Please forgive my bad english writing

[@escarina781]

Why we use cash over card is simply. first of all there are many ppl that dont get a creditcard in germany because of a particular company ... yeah i look at you schufa. second germans trust cash more than cards, your card can be revoked but not your cash in your bag. third there are a lot of germans that dont like it to be tracked what and where they are buying stuff. and iam sure there are more reasons i forgot here. for myself its a combination of the second and third reason. digital money just suck big :D

[@KGspark1]

I confirm that point with credit card, and maybe a reason are the credit card fix costs, but nearly everyone of us has an EC Card at least, which enables card payments

[@pt3800]

About the smiling from costumer service : It's not only culture... it is unprofessionell in most cases. If you are in a cheep or very small shop or for example an imbiss/foodtruck, they are more smiling and willing for conversation. Also a professional staff person is trained to orientate to observe the costumer first and only engage when the costumers obviously needs help/seems to look for something. I assume in the US it is the comparable, if you go to a high class (Michelin star) restaurant or in a high class or a high class Boutique... staff members will not jump arround like chickens and smile overwelmingly, but instead move as they have a stick in their ass. That's because they are trained to do so. Same in germany, only that the majority of staff members went 3 years to profession school ("Ausbildung") no matter if it is a regular shop or a high class one. ... in the US the concept to work somewhere is often learning by doing. In germany on the other hand after 10 to 13 years of school life if you don't study in university, you choose a profession and study that profession in a profession school for about 2 to 3 years. I hope I could explain it understandable. Also you could Google "Ausbildung zum Einzelhandelskaufmann/-frau" for sales/shop related profession, or "Ausbildung zum Hotel-/Restaurantfachmann/-Frau" for hotel and gastronomy related profession at the website of the IHK. You may have to use a translator, because I don't think there are language options.

[@georgiykeymach814]

Thanks! I wonder, have you been to German thermes/saunas? How do you feel there?

[@surajsinghmapingart2351]

OMG smiling differences between Northern Germany and Southern Germany 😀😕😁

[@skayt35]

Yes, a credit card won't get you very far in Germany. We mostly use debit cards at the grocery store or gas station. With smaller businesses and cheaper restaurants, they often only accept cash, though.

[@eisikater1584]

I don't quite get it. Why is cash less convenient than a credit card? In fact, I think it is MORE convenient because I know at once how much I spent. I didn't change my paying habits during the pandemic, and stores which don't accept cash, I won't visit. Tipping in Germany is a sign of appreciation, so you won't do it anonymously. If the bill is, say, 26.80 and you say, "make it thirty", then that's generous and means that you were completely satisfied with their service. I'm Bavarian and know little of northern Germany. They rarely visit us as tourists, so the North and the South seem to me like different cultures. Must be the climate. The warmer the weather usually is, the more people smile at each other. I never met a grim Italian, for instance. Customer service in Germany usually IS GOOD if you're a German who loves efficiency. For example, I hate shopping for groceries, but I have to in order not to starve. So I really love the efficiency of German cashiers who put you through the waiting line as fast as possible. If they have a smile for you, the better, but I don't expect it. Conversations with strangers were so restricted during the pandemic that here in Bavaria, after the masks fell, all hell broke loose. People even hugged each other, a customs I only knew from southern Europe and maybe France. Cheering with eye contact, yes, that's true. Some people say that it's an ancient Germanic ritual to look each other into the eyes while cheering with a beer or whatever you have because instead of contracts (a Roman invention), the ancient tribes sealed their deals with a handshake and a drink, and looking into each other's eyes was meant to show whether someone is honest or not. True or not, looking into each other's eyes means trust and confidence, still today. Believe it or not, even while I was working at home and in a video conference, nobody could see more than the upper part of my body, I still dressed in proper jeans and street shoes. And I would never go shopping in jogging pants. NEVER! Dressing properly means showing respect to other people, no matter what THEY wear. German winters are depressing, indeed, but I think you don't need vitamin D supplements if you're not vegetarian. And there are sunny days in winter, too; you just have to dare to go outside. Thanks for your video. It was very entertaining.

[@marylacken4016]

Even many bavarians don't visit Oktoberfest any more. It has turned to be a tourist event!

[@wora1111]

It is charming if you explain American greetings like a German would explain it to another German "It just means 'hello' ". You are still either germanized or doing a lot more thinking about what you say as opposed to what you mean.

[@michelletodd4893]

American child raised by a proud German mother who was born 2 years after the war. I say so you will understand her upbringing. So, not open people. You called coldness. My mother said a fool is always smiling. Americans would consider critical, but she would say things like You are wearing that shirt? It's washed out. You are friends with John, he doesn't come from a good family. Don't air out our business to everyone. If someone asks how is your mother, American, oh she has the flu, but doing better. German: How's your mother? She i s good. I was raised that way and when we would spend summer vacation with my Oma and Opa, it was adjustment. We went to the ice cream shop atleast 3 times a week for 2 and 1/2 months. Americans would know each other. Germans, put the money on the tray or pad and change is put on tray or pad. But when family is together, everyone talks over each other. But when you are invited for coffe & cake at the 4:00ish time, you were on good behavior and they would use best china. Yes, how you look in public. My opa always had a hat, button shirt.

[@IngeniiCultus]

You usually pay tips in cash because so the internal revenue won't know about it and it's easier to evade the tax!

[@HenryAusLuebeck]

SO, SCHNUGGI! Wir im Norden sind sowas von freundlich und nur am Lachen, Mädchen. Hamburg? Südlich der Elbe ist eh Bayern! xDGruß und Liebe aus Lübeck.

[@kaciidir9522]

You're gorgeous and an angel

[@jochenlutz6524]

I think we Germans don't like credit-cards because we don't want be spied out by companies. You can find the reason in our history. I the 3. Reich (Hitler regime) and later in the GDR (Stasi) the people were strongly monitored. People who didn't follow the rules got in trouble. Furthermore by buying things cash you always can see the money you still have and avoid the danger with credit cards to buy things the you don't have the money for.

[@KGspark1]

My opinion as a German: 1) yes, some of our "older people" and in rare cases "other people" still prefer cash payments, because they want to have more overview about their payments. Physical money gives them a better feeling of control over their deals. But normally that's not the general preference for people between an age of approx. 20-40 anymore. Of course, data protection and privacy about purchase informations is a big thing here but... I would rather trust my German bank, than Mark Zuckerberg, Apple, Google or other big companies... And yeah its really funny to write that in KZbin... Sorry Google, I love you xD 2) definitely true :D most easily and politely way to give a tip would be a sentence like "I would like to pay with card and give a tip", then they will overwrite the value in the display :) in rare cases, sometimes tipping with card is not possible, then it's good to have a little bit of cash with you, if you want to tip. By the way: it's pretty normal here to give NO TIP, if you were unsatisfied with the meal, with the service or if there was simply no outstanding point that give you a tipping reason xD 3) Unfortunately true. Most Germans are cold and introverted at the start. I would say that we are a careful nation, but unfortunately overly careful in my opinion. Smalltalk and smiling doesn't kill people and not everyone wants to beat or kidnap you for that ^^ so, hopefully that point will change more in the future. On the other Hand, Germans mostly are very thankful and open minded to you, if you helped them out somehow or if you spoke some lines with them and we know you personally better then :) but yeah, we are often not interested in "unnecessary smalltalk" at the start ^^ and yeah, our customer service often sucks xD unpolite customers could be a big reason, also maybe the conditions for their work & the payments - we must improve that. 3,5) I went to California twice and yeah, as a German I was really surprised about how many conversations we had with locals. Somtimes it was so overwhelming (2 hour "smalltalk", although we were actually totally exhausted from the days xD). But I enjoyed it and the smiles and the moods were often warm and welcoming :) By the way: Yes, Bavaria often has a "problem" with other German states and these states with us xD (I am from Northern Bavaria) Maybe we are mentally more linked to Austria, or everyone else is annoyed from Lederhosen, Oktoberfest, Weißwurst, Markus Söder or I don't know xD but at the end, we are all Germans and I guess the most people know that. I have some friends in other German states and I appreciate them so much, I am simply thankful to have them in my life :) 4) yeah, hold eye contact while cheering with Germans, you can heavily drink after that xD 5) yeah, overall I would say most (maybe 2/3?) of us are trying to look good and pretty in public. But it totally depends on the area and also, if it is a wealthy district or not. For me personally, it annoys me often. I am a simple man and I will definitely NOT LOOK pretty when I am going into a grocery store or something xD therefore, I also liked the USA. It was more uncomplicated and my impression was, that Americans think more about "the right time" to suit up and don't suit up for silly reasons :) 6) ahem... Interesting point :D yeah, in the many cases, we need more Vitamin D and Omega 3. It can make sense to boost it carefully with supplements. (but of course: please speak with a doctor at first!)

[@rooooooby]

I always give cash when I tip no matter which country I am in. The credit card company takes a cut when you use credit card.

[@georgiosntanis4353]

actually you can drive from northern to southern germany in less than 10 hours! not even half a day!

[@piepkwiep4312]

I think cash is like the bad Street View coverage in Germany. It's a privacy thing.

[@sinusnovi3826]

10:00 Germany is "Exportweltmeister" since years. There is no need yet to be friendlier than competitors.

[@robingarcia2455]

❤️

[@Theo-1984]

Tipping in cash makes it easy to avoid taxing the tip. If you do it electronically you have to pay more taxes...

[@hanssprungfeld917]

top

[@Rusty_James]

" the customer is always right".. "delight your customer" friendly customer service is good.. but when you take it too far, you get Karen's..!!

[@to.l.2469]

Meinst du mit "Credit Card" ausschließlich Kreditkarten oder auch EC-Karten. EC Kartenzahlung ist in Deutschland weit verbreitet. Ich zahle fast ausschließlich damit. Nicht aber "echte" Kreditkarten (Visa/Master/American Express etc.). 7:02 Since in the "World Happiness Report" Germany and the USA are roughly on a par, I would assume that it is either: artificial or that there are more well-off people living where you live... (In Germany the social classes are much better mixed than in the... UNITED STATES) 8:41 [..] "want" to be artificial.. 12:25 Ich würde das "very" streichen. Ich kenne sowohl Nord als auch Süddeutschland und so extrem unterscheiden diese sich nicht. Sicherlich in Touristenhotspots gibt es diese Tendenz und in "eingeschworenen" Gemeinschaften wie in kleinen Dörfern. Aber in Großstädten abseits der Touristen kann ich das so nicht unterschreiben. Eher anders: Wenn man in Hamburg miteinander Redet dann tendenziell "richtig", also kein Smalltalk. Sag ich jetzt einmal als jemand der kein Smalltalk kann.. 13:32 I've heard that very, very often from Americans. I have NEVER heard of it myself. It's probably more of a South German thing, at least this story with the bad whatever (sex usually)... 15:00 Me and my wife we must be aliens because we never cared about it. I have very long hair. Therefore, according to this logic, I should be an American male. Could it be that you are stereotyping? 16:14 Then go to Harburg or Willhelmsburg to get to know the other side of the social divide. Sounds like selective perception which is increased where it is "pleasant". That's another thing I don't like about the USA at all. The strong distortion of perception due to “information bubbles”. 17:00 Das ist so nicht richtig. Wer eine helle Haut hat und im Sommer oft im Freien ist benötigt kein Vitamin D. Wer allerdings einen Bürojob hat könnte Probleme bekommen. Ein Arzt kann bei der nächsten Blutuntersuchung den Spiegel feststellen. Vitamin D kann man auch überdosieren. Der Körper Speichert Vitamin D und bei gesunder Lebensweise inkl. Sonne reicht es für den Winter. 17:10 Super early is very relative. You've probably never been to Norway or Sweden? Or Alaska? Relative to California, of course, but California is not the world (Even if people there apparently like to believe it...) 14:40 Bitte informiere dich bevor du so etwas sagst. Deutschland ist nicht sehr groß von daher ist der Unterschied auch nicht groß. Es gibt website welche einem den Verlauf der Sonne relativ zum Breitengrad sehr anschaulich darstellen können..

[@stephanteuscher6583]

So no smalltalk with strangers in northern Germany. In southern Germany you could have but you won't understand their dialect. 😉 Some people need to take vitamin D in wintertime because of the lack of sun, others just go on vacation where it's sunny. Like southern Europe, Africa, Caribbean and so on.

[@sinusnovi3826]

5:50 Service personnel in Germany don't need tips because they earn enough money for living. In US they are employed slaves and need tips to survive

[@GooberGoofy-lj5yd]

I don't think you should be expected to smile when you are having the worst day of your life, or be expected to smile at all. If you smile it should be because you are happy, not because your business wants to make money.

[@GooberGoofy-lj5yd]

Also if you always smile no matter what the situation, smiling loses all meaning, it is just a thing you do, not an expression of any thought or feeling, more like breathing, less like talking.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

You do not tip in The Netherlands, the restaurant pays the people who work there, probably the same in Germany..

[@skayt35]

Most people in Germany do tip, at least where I lived. However, tips are not nearly as high as in the US, typically.

[@AhmetMurati]

Currently in Twitter in Germany it is trending Trending in Germany Kartenzahlung

[@UAuaUAuaUA]

Remember it like that: "The Americans have Johnny Cash , but the Germans like only Cash and no Johnny".

[@andreasbrandt1082]

If you tip in Germany, pls. do it in cash, otherwise it is taxable!

[@johnveerkamp1501]

you more an person for The Netherlands

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Cash.... in the Netherlands you always use your PIN card, never cash / credit cards, Germany is a bit weird, it has to do bit being 20 years behind...probably because of the DDR..

[@bstom5413]

Für jede Buchung kassiert die Bank Gebühren.

[@FarmerSchinken]

"Most of" is certainly wrong. I wouldn't call it rare for people to take vitamin D supplements. Maybe like one out of ten to one out of twenty

[@sinusnovi3826]

11:00 Hopping Jobs in Germany is not possible because Germans regulary have a special professional Job education and employers don't want to employ an uneducated Job Hopper.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

I was surprised to see that you think that Dutch people and German people are the same. Well, that is partly true. But still there are big differences in culture between Germany and the Netherlands. However, a bit less so with northern Germany and the Netherlands. Probably because after the fall of the Roman empire, the original population of the northern Netherlands went somewhere (nobody is exactly sure where) and the land was repopulated by people from Denmark and northern Germany. That is a long time ago (1700 years or so), but you can still notice it. For example north of the Rhine people in the Netherlands are mostly protestant and south of the Rhine (where the Romans were) people are still mostly Roman Catholic. Most people are nowadays atheïsts by the way. Germany is a bit more religious than the Netherlands (another difference). Furthermore, in the Netherlands people speak English as a second language, in Germany people will not so readily give up their own language. And the sense of collectiveness is greater in Germany, in the Netherlands people are far more individualistic. And I could go on.

[@HiFromHamburg]

Hi. I think there’s a misunderstanding. I was referring to style of clothing only. I don’t know enough about Dutch people or culture to compare more than just what I can visually see :)

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Vitamin D? Only kids, and only in winter. Vitamin is in butter etc.. Codd liver oil is good.

[@premierfootball5674]

Hi🏆⚽🎖

[@nicklenz7030]

Cheers and eye contact - I don't know about it and don't think it is a real thing in Germany. I never heard of it until Amaricans talked about it on youtube.

[@BremerFischkoop]

Vitamin D : it is a myth. I live in Bremen (for us people: near Hamburg) and don't no anybody who takes vitamin D.

[@JayDJones-zp4cq]

Hey, I am from Bremen, too and I am supplementing Zink, Omega 3, Vitamin D and K2 😂.

[@BremerFischkoop]

@@JayDJones-zp4cq .... but I (!!) didn't know you 😭😭

[@andreasrennhack9286]

If you pay tipping by creditcard the owner of the restaurant has to pay taxes for. So better give cash

[@herwignemmer5649]

that's not completely true. tips to the restaurant staff are free of taxes. with card payments the challenge is to separate tips from normal invoice in the cashier system of the merchant (here restaurant) modern card terminal solutions and cashier systems support the clear separation of tips. however a lot of merchants shy the investment in modernizing their cashier/accounting systems and infrastructure => it's easier to decline tipping with card payments.

[@paulenglberger521]

Hallo beautiful Lady ❤️😘 Cheers from Austria

[@Alexandra-dh9kl]

I nevr have cash on me, I just pay everything with EC Card. Hate to have money on me.

[@barbarossa7231]

you seem to have never been to Berlin, otherwise you would not have mentioned point 5😉

[@michaelschlueter3069]

Noone has to now wat i by

[@hansc8433]

You’re making yourself the center of the universe. Nobody’s interested in what you buy. They’re not interested in you as a person. You only count as a statistic, so companies know what kind of customer bought what. And no, governments aren’t interested either. No, they aren’t.

[@michaelschlueter3069]

@@hansc8433 Jes the Card campany interrest my Wallet.

[@jorgschimmer8213]

Puh. Never go to my favorite butcher shop in my town. Theire are the best with meat and sausages and stuff. But the customer service is…… interesting.

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

Those emphasis on cenvenience is kind of tricky. Or shall I say a false flag. When paying at the grocery you have to keep in mind that sales tax will be added at the cashier. So the price you see on the sticker is not what you eventually pay. Perhaps it is the same routine Americans are used to as paying in the restaurant. There you don't know either what the total will be because the tip has to be added. From a convenience point of view it is not convenient. At the grocery it doesn't matter much because you are paying with a card and the transaction doesn't need any brain involvement. It only hurts possibly your banking account. But at the restaurant you have to do math, think about the service and put the numbers in by writing. Totally annoying. Even if one considers the empowerment one has over the waitress and her service. So just like other cultural differences they get argued over what they are based on and might be true. But it is not a consistant scheme that applies to everything. I don't know whether it is still the case but to pay the utilities by getting a bill, write a cheque, put it in the envelope and have to mail it, only for them to hand it to their bank, it then sends it to my bank and even possibly get bounced because of insufficient funds is kind of medevial way of doing business. It is not based on convenience but on the way banks are allowed to do business.

[@johnveerkamp1501]

I THINK YOU WILL LIKE THE NETHERLANDS BETTER.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Hopping jobs is a sign something is wrong with you people will think..

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Looks: Here NL : Be modest, be decent, don't over-do it. No noisy loud colours which make you look cheap. In German more formal.. More fake.

[@sinusnovi3826]

10:49 Germans do not want to move around every decade. They want to stay and have a "familiy" with coleagues. They are sedentary

[@bazzjumpa1984]

this eye-contacting tradition is a very western germany habbit! in eastern part we dont do that...why should you? thats silly! about that tiping topic: round it up! We germans are usually very greedy!

[@gundleyG]

In Bavaria you are still "zugereist" (travelled from a not bavarian place) after 20 years. In Berlin you call yourself a native after seven years - and nobody cares where you ever came from. The north is often verry misdiscribed in US vids. Bavarians are the most "disliked" people in the rest of Germany. Most of them are not able to speak proper German. Talking about Oktoberfest specily in the north is like talking about "Carneval in Rio" to someone living in Alaska. It's strange - because it's a different culture. Take a look at the German history and you will understand that there were and still are many different tribes. People always smiling are suspect. They can't be honest. Germans prefer honesty - thats why we tolerate bad mood. Overfriedly - no money from me because my money is the only thing you want. Be real, be authentic and Germans will like you. The smile must come from the heart.

[@51pinn]

It's kind of annoying that you Americans keep using those German stereotypes. If I were to travel to the States, I would find out beforehand what to expect and where. The Oktoberfest, which seems to be the American synonym for Germany, is admittedly the largest funfair in Germany. With 83 million inhabitants in Germany and 6 million visitors to the Oktoberfest, this also means that 77 million Germans do not go to this festival. More cultures are united in Germany than Germany has federal states. You say in your video that the North Germans are rather reserved. Yes, that's right. In northern Germany it takes a little longer to establish contacts and make friends. But such contacts and friendships are much more profound than in southern Germany. And if you ask someone in Northern Germany about the Oktoberfest, they will certainly know about it, but they will not necessarily be interested in this festival. Just ask someone in Bavaria if they know the Glückstadt Matjeswochen. Then you will experience what the Bavarians don't know about northern Germany. If you come to Germany as a foreigner, you will usually meet helpful people everywhere. You just have to dare to ask, most Germans understand English, they just don't speak it that well. One last thing - we Germans love our cash for two reasons. Firstly, we don't want to surrender ourselves to complete control by the state and secondly, experience has shown us that the card terminals often don't work, something that also happens at ATMs. If you don't have any cash in the supermarket, you can leave everything you wanted to buy.

[@stoerenungeheuer543]

This is wrong. There are no 77 million Germans in the Federal Republic of Germany. "Die Gesamtbevölkerung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland betrug Ende 2022 etwa 84,4 Millionen Menschen. Davon waren etwa 72 Millionen deutsche Staatsbürger"

[@johannesheinsohn6956]

Seeing your outfit starting off the video cringed me so hard, you can´t imagine.

[@adamward8614]

I think Germans aren’t super nice to customers, because they think it’s fake to be too nice.

[@mariaobrien8228]

Ha ha you just confirmed that Americans smiling is to get money how sick.when we smile in Ireland it's genuine. I know which I'd prefer

[@HenryAusLuebeck]

Vitamin D???? Blödsinn!!! Da essen wir Kartoffeln mit Sauerkraut!