Living in Germany - SUMMER in Germany vs USA

[@TheManWithTheHatKiel]

The German ice culture is an Italian ice culture. Germans love Italian ice cream and most ice cream parlours are run by Italians - or by people who pretend to be Italian. Because the label "Italian" is actually a sales argument for Germans.

[@CamaroMann]

Indeed. Fun fact: I noticed a TV commercial for "Barilla Pasta-al-pesto" - with greek music (Sirtaki). I'm not sure, if THEY are that stupid, or they think WE are that stupid. Probably both. Either way, I wouldn't buy this... even if I had bought pesto in the past, that spot is a reason to avoid this brand.

[@CamaroMann]

@@palo918 They (Barilla) sell their products in Germany as "classic Italian cuisine" - and underlay their TV commercials with greek music. If they want to sell this to me as "classic Italian", I can imagine how "classic Italian" the food is when they don't even get the background music right - probably not at all.

[@andarted]

​@Wolfgang Preier I avoid buying advertised stuff, cause it's inefficient to pay companies to try to bind my attention without my consent and manipulate me to make irrational decisions, instead of just paying for the product.

[@andarted]

@Wolfgang Preier Germans are famous for their honest directness. There should be a german advertisement culture. Like: *_Milka chocolate_*_ - taste is not remarkable, but it's available everywhere_

[@Brainreaver79]

@@andarted love that idea. honest advertisement...what a novel concept :)

[@AndreasRichter72]

An Air Condition consume an enormous amount of electricity...and electricity is extreeeeeeemely expensive in Germany

[@Andyw1228]

When you would use it 356/24/7, but if you use it only a few weeks for a few hours it’s not that much. It doesn’t cool with electricity like an electrical heater heats. It’s chemical and there are only a few motors like in a fridge.

[@Station-Network]

The weather changed in the last 20 years here in germany. in the 80´s and 90´s i cant remember that we hat heat waves up to 40°C. Last year i hat "Hitzefrei" at work, thats crazy.

[@iordanemily9760]

Loved the video! It's interesting how different things are from the north of Germany to the south of Germany. This video actually inspired me to film a typical summer day in Germany. Let's see how that goes

[@annypenny8621]

Your videos are always so well prepared and structured! I love that ... 👍🏻

[@taylorintransit3421]

Thank you! I try!

[@philsaunter1956]

Germans opinion on A/C also comes from a time where summers were quite a bit less hot and with much shorter heatwaves. I don't think that the overall negative connotation is gonna change soon, even with the warmer climate, but only time will tell.

[@OrangStefan]

I also feel, Germans are put off by A/C, because they usually consume a lot of electricity and the price for electricity is much higher in Germany than it is in North America.

[@HotelPapa100]

@@OrangStefan This. A/C is terribly wasteful. You'll find that this is an underlying theme in many differences between US and European culture. At one point in time the US have decided just not to care about resources wasted.

[@denzzlinga]

In Southwestern germany, in the warmest part of germany, kind of all new built homes have air conditioning for years. It became standard because the new insulated homes barly need any energy to be heated that they use heat pumps for temperatur control, so you got the air conditioning function for free. And older building are refit with AC more and more, because people are anoyed by the heat especially at night and it´s a quite wealthy area where they can afford it.

[@prozaque]

An important thing to note about Rollläden is, that they are on the exterior side of the glazing. This difference is important for solar heat gain (SHG) control because when sunlight penetrates the glass, a wavelength shift towards infrared happens, meaning some light gets converted to heat. The Rollläden prevent this from happening. Interior blinds, common in American homes, are very inefficient (next to useless) for controlling SHG and typically are considered glare control only.

[@taylorintransit3421]

The architecture of German homes is definitely more efficient as insolating and protecting the inside of the home from heat and cold!

[@dnocturn84]

You should have mentioned "Schrebergärten", when talking about city people without access to a garden. Many people do use parks like mentioned in the video, but it is also a thing to rent a "Schrebergarten", which is basically your own little garden on the outskirts of a city, within a small colony of little gardens. That's a really popular thing among Germans, maybe not so much for young people. There you can have your own "oasis", where you can got to, when the weather is nice and enjoy nature. I looked it up, there are some of them around Oldenburg too. The downside of those are very strict regulations in most cases. So you are limited on how you can use your garden, what you can plant in your garden and how you can design your garden. For example: maybe you are not allowed to spend the whole night (or nights) in your garden house, are not allowed to plant specific trees or are not allowed to cut down trees that you don't like in your garden, are not allowed to make parties in your garden, etc.; the maximum size of a garden house is also limited in most cases, or the option to make a pool or a small fish lake. Most of these restrictions are a no-go for me, but maybe there are more relaxed Schrebergraten colonies out there, that I'm not aware of. But many city people like them anyways.

[@taylorintransit3421]

Good point! I definitely should have mentioned this. My boyfriend's father had a one when they were growing up that they went to in the summer outside of Bremen.

[@olllo]

Thats just a boomer thing.

[@solidstate9451]

@@olllo : No, it isn't. I have several acquaintances in my age (35-45) who own Schrebergärten, because they live in multi-story buildings and want a private garden for party.

[@dikkiedik53]

I'm from The Netherlands, but we have a lot in common with the German culture and people. I like your vlogs a lot and watch you for quite a while. In this vlog I missed your experience on being in the nude in public. Did you try it? or not? I'm 67 years old at the moment and only 4 years ago I started with FKK. It boosted my self-awereness a lot. I regret it very much I didn't try it earlier because I love it! It realy gives me a free feeling and I love the relaxed atmosphere in FKK areas.

[@taylorintransit3421]

I am still personally trying to get used to nudity in spas and wellness centers :D We also don't frequent lakes too often as for a long time we didn't have a car and I am also the kind of person that needs really hot weather to want to go swimming. Maybe next summer I will have to give it a try, but I have to admit that I'm sceptical!

[@JakobFischer60]

I was told by a exchange student in the US that he put a heater on in his lab because the AC made it so cold.

[@TheTioram]

Urban myth? Then again Russians open the window because the heating made it so sweltering hot

[@Jay-in-the-USA]

I can confirm so many people here in the United States have a pool. It is great during the summer.🤩⛱️ 🏊There are barbecues somewhere every couple of days...and once it gets too hot, you can just jump into the pool. TBH I don't know anyone in Germany that has a pool. "Freibäder" in Berlin (where I am from) were kind of horrible. Way too crowded and kind of dirty. Berlin summers are great for going to lakes (like Krumme Lanke etc.) Even though these are also kind of crowded. Here in Virginia we have quite a few lakes to go swimming. I would say I prefer the ones in Germany though, as the quality of the water is better there.

[@tasminoben686]

Jay in the USA - Mein Leben in den USA 😉👍🏻👋🏻

[@Markus421]

School vacation in summer is always 6 weeks. In Niedersachsen they are this year from July 16th to August 26th.

[@manub.3847]

6 weeks of summer vacation + 2 weeks each divided into autumn, Christmas and Easter / spring + about 5 more "flexible vacation days" that a school can schedule wherever it wants or the federal state turns it into a "Pentecost" vacation;)

[@bi0530]

And summer break season is from mid June to mid September, the states of Germany are offset to avoid a traffic chaos. Most states rotate their summer vacation time, some don't. So the kids in the "early states" will be heading back to school when the last states start their break.

[@TheManWithTheHatKiel]

With regard to air conditioning systems, I would like to point out that in Germany, houses are mainly built of stone and there are rather strict regulations for the energy insulation of houses. You can benefit from this in winter and in summer! The majority of people also reject air conditioning systems because they do not have a good environmental balance.

[@jeanyluisa8483]

I think the environmental conscience is also the reason we dont have that many private pools in Germany.

[@dnocturn84]

German houses beeing made of stone is also a reason for "Frische Luft" or fresh air. In order to get a good internal climate and to reduce moisture (and prevent mold on your walls, etc.), you'll have to get some fresh air in regularly, most people do this on a daily basis. This also doesn't go together that well with an AC, unless you really want to waste a lot of money. But I guess it's not that bad, if you just turn your AC on during two or three weeks, when it's actually that hot during summer (like right now). ACs getting more common in Germany now, so it's on the rise. Especially new build houses often come with a heat pump, which does offer AC funtionality during summer, because efficient heating is required when building a new one.

[@jeanyluisa8483]

@@dnocturn84 The original purpose of the first airconditions was to dehumidify the air in the industry. In private homes, offices etc, they are mainly used for cooling the air, but they still dehumidify. So stone houses and reducing moisture arte no reason against airconditions. So I think Taylors explanation is more likely, Germany - at least in the past - had quite few really hot days in summer, so most germans got along without aircondition. The quite high requirements for insulation, most houses having "Rolladen" etc. of course helped too. She is also right that many germans think aircondition will make them sick. Another factor might be the high energy consumption. Cooling usually needs much more energy than heating and airconditions usually work by electricity. Germany is one of the countries with the highest prices for electricity in Europe My concern about airconditions is, that too many people really exaggerate their usuage and cool offices, public places, shops etc. so far down that you start freezing after afew minutes. It's a bit insane that the same people who heat up their home to 24°C in winter, cool it down to 18°C in summer.

[@dnocturn84]

@@jeanyluisa8483 Yes, I completely agree with all the reason from the video. They do obviously rank much higher than my comment. And you are right about the dehumidifying effect of an AC. But most regular AC systems for private use (exept really professional and expensive ones) don't do the dehumidification well enough for most German houses. And the effect of actually spreading mold across your entire house is also there. Real AC systems for dehumidification cool the air really deep down (like 5°C or even further down), (much more) water gets seperated, air gets heated up again to your favorite temperature and becomes (real) dry air. Some even more fancy systems do also mix fresh air from outside to the air regularly. Cheap systems are not necessarly good for an old European house. edit: I did a bit of quick calculation and a normal AC for private use (split AC system) does reduce humidity relativ to outside weather, but the result inside will be horrible and the dehumidification effect will worsen the situation to real bad air conditions. Cool but really high humidity.

[@taylorintransit3421]

That's very true! I should have mentioned the cost and environmental impact of AC as well as the superiority of German architecture!

[@TheMadSqu]

This was very accurate and a really good summary of what its actually like here in summer. Like others mentioned the ice cream has a lot to do with immigration from italy in the 1950s. Greetings from Hannover!

[@taylorintransit3421]

That's true! Many thanks the Italians that brought their amazing food around the world!

[@Ginnilini]

About air conditioning: Most Germans don't support air conditioning because it's terrible for the environment and if you're not used to it, it's easy to get a cold. I always get sick on planes or in shopping malls. About bikes: Sooo many people have switched to bikes instead of public transport during the pandemic. I bought a new helmet last week and the shop assistant said lots of bikes and accessories are sold out. I'm not sure the hills are the reason why people bike less in the US because we have enough hills around Dresden. I feel like there's less infrastructure for cyclists in the US, like safe bike lanes or sidewalks that cyclists are allowed to use. I would never cycle in any of the cities I've visited in the US because all the cars are scary huge and cars can overtake on both sides and the roads are just less safe. Local German governments are currently investing quite heavily in improving biking infrastructure. About summer vacation: There's always exactly 6 weeks of summer vacation in Germany, but the timing is different in every German state and it also differs from year to year. The reason for this is to try and avoid traffic jams all over Germany because 83 million people are travelling to the Baltic or North Sea at the same time 😁. The staggered vacation times allow for a better distribution of holidaymakers in Germany, on Mallorca, on the typical Greek islands, etc.

[@christopherb.2986]

if a german comes near an aircon and then gets sick in the following weeks theyll always blame it on the airconditioning :D its a funny superstition...

[@Ginnilini]

@@christopherb.2986 True! 😂

[@johnp139]

Coldness doesn’t make you sick, viruses or bacteria make you sick.

[@taylorintransit3421]

Hello! You make a lot of really great points here. Biking infrastructure in the US is definitely lacking in most places. Germany has also seen a spike of purchases of e-bikes and I think this is making it easier for people who wouldn't otherwise bike to get outside and leave the car at home!

[@Ginnilini]

@@taylorintransit3421 you're right. My mum is also currently considering getting an e-bike and my slightly older neighbors got e-bikes last year. I also just remembered that I actually did rent a bike in San Francisco (great idea, not hilly at all) and cycling seemed pretty safe there. I'd forgotten about that.

[@TheManWithTheHatKiel]

On the subject of bathing in lakes: I still remember my youth. Because of the summer slump in the media, the only topic was an escaped pet alligator in a lake, which the police and fire brigade then tried to capture again over several days.

[@wesprog9809]

Are you sure that this wasn't on the 1st of April? :D

[@Adler71]

@@wesprog9809 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_season

[@wesprog9809]

@@Adler71 that was a joke ^^

[@wora1111]

Lakes: There are a lot of artifical lakes in southern Germany, called "Baggersee", that are used for swimming. Often there are parts of the lake reserved for sailors# divers, kids, swimming or sunning. Several lakes also have clothing optional parts, where you will find people with or without clothes.

[@iordanemily9760]

I feel like thats THE place to be for a German on a hot summers day!

[@lotharschepers2240]

Native Babyboomer German here and I think it would be nice to give you a helping hand about the vacation/school topic. In the 1970th all Bundesländer did gather together to negotiate what they could do to avoid the heavy traffic that occurs every year when the (btw) 6 weeks summer break started or end and they decided to install a schedule between early Juni and the 1. of August in which every Bundesland did start their summer school holidays. As you have already mentioned normaly we did only get a view hot days and this one did normally occur between 23. July and 23. August with that said you could imagine that everyone was and is willing to have the summer holidays when it gets hot. So with the exception of Bavaria and Ba-Wü all others did agree that they will rotate around the schedule (the others did insist that their local farmers, did need the help from the kids for the harvest and could not start at any other day than the 1. of August). In the last 5 decades, we have had multiple times discussions if that farmer's argument is still valid but until now it is the way it is. To make sure that every year did get nearly the same amount of days in school, the rotation is designed the way to make only small steps each year.

[@taylorintransit3421]

Thank you for the clarification!

[@jogi_54]

I want to add to the comments, I found according AC in Germany: (i m 65y) such hot, up to 35 - 40°C and at the same time long hot periods, we didn't had in the past. As I was a student, 35°C for a day was very hot, and >30°C max for a longer period seldom. So there was no need, for to have air condition for our massive houses.

[@taylorintransit3421]

My boyfriend also said that the climate in Germany has slowly but surely been changing. He also has noticed much warmer weather during the winter and markedly less snow...

[@juliegirl1989]

Schools in Germany have vacations in summer (6 weeks), fall (2 weeks), over Christmas (2 weeks) and around Easter (2 weeks). That leaves a lot of options for when you want to go on vacation with your family and many people prefer to stay home in the summer and travel at another time. Also, people without children in school will make sure that they travel outside of school vacation times because then it's usually cheaper.

[@IIIOOOUS]

In northern Germany it is about 3 weeks really hot and three weeks really cold. The biggest difference between north and south Germany in my opinion is the brightness of the sun.But as long as you can fly cheap to Spain in the winter, no problem

[@philiprennert7730]

In I’ve got 2 weeks holydays in winter, 2 week in around March, 6 weeks in Summer and 2 weeks at Fall and then about 2 more weeks throughout the year for like special days like Pfingsten

[@stephanteuscher6583]

Very nice! One thing though: the school vacations in summer last everywhere in Germany about six weeks. They are just a little calender-shifted among the federal states. And they have some vacation days at their disposal, so they could extend one or the other vacation a little bit.

[@carstenweiland7896]

Old A/C s had problems with bacteria breeding in its system and also old office buildings with A/C had often a terrible ventilation systems, all bad experiences. I personally love heat, 40°C plus is my weather.

[@MacBeard]

I love your views on Germany and our habbits. Its always funny to watch!

[@taylorintransit3421]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@Kessina1989]

Last year we had almost 4 months of these hot weather...

[@UsiUsiUsi]

Must be nice to feel the warmth. I'm always freezing below 30°C, so the hotness you are talking about feels like a blessing for me especially since summers are rather dry than hummid in half of the country since a climate border runs through Germany, What I ALWAYS miss in the discussion about AC are the real reasons. Most Germans love AC like people from the US just not that cold, more to temperatures between 20-25°C. But the fact is that AC does need a lot of energy and that is hella expensive. It is just simple arithmetic. I know a few people who got AC installed in their bedroom but only use it at nights to sleep comfortable and be less cranky about the weather. The other reason is that most houses and apartments in Germany are rented and you aren't allowed to put holes in outside walls to install the AC. Mobile AC isn't working alike and is even more a waste of energy. The insulation of most homes here doesn't allow to add AC later or makes it so expensive that you or your landlords think twice. It is just a few weeks. Biking is also quite common in the Southern areas despite being not flat. I bike a lot and I'm never alone, not even when it rains cats and dogs. There are a lot more bicycles around last years thanks to the ebike hype.

[@taylorintransit3421]

I'm someone who get warm really easily and cold really easily so I am rarely completely comfortable :D

[@TheManWithTheHatKiel]

To the bikes: Everywhere in Germany there are efforts to ban cars from city centres so that they offer more space for cyclists.

[@seelenwinter6662]

great idea from the green again... and then i want to see all of you with your bike in rain and snow... the green ever forget, that the summer is only a few month...

[@TarikDaniel]

@@seelenwinter6662 Ever heard of public transport? No? Shocking, I know 😉

[@KonradKeck]

One addition to your renting without garden / parks topic: there is a whole "Laubenpieper"-Culture in Germany. Especially in the cities where living is very dense, you can rent a patch of garden and join a "Kleingartenverein". These are highly regulated clubs originally designed for growing food in case of crisis. Nowadays they are more recreational. You probably find nothing more serious and dry as a Kleingarten while at the same time aimed towards leisure, pleasure and aesthetics. Not my cup of tea but a big topic for a lot of people in Germany.

[@m.h.6470]

You are allowed to take kids out of school for certain family events that can't be moved, like funerals of close family members and such. I do believe high round birthdays and weddings also fall in that category, but I'm not sure. But most importantly, this can only be done for a few days and the kids have to get up to speed on their own. Missed exams can usually not be repeated and - as far as I know - are counted as failed.

[@thecorinthian1593]

Yes, yes, yes and yes!

[@holmbjerg]

Having a private pool was beginning to become very popular in the late 60's early 70's until the energy crisis hit and pools became super expensive to maintain. The pool trend never really recovered from that crisis.

[@nicosteffen364]

Have you heard about Schrebergarten? Lots of city people rent a Schrebergarten, some grow vegetables there some just use it for relaxing. But its very hard to get one, you will have to sign in for a waiting list and follow some rules. Its a german thing, Schrebergarten and rules, rules like, how tall is the tree allowed to or the hedge, the green. Look for it, maybe its something for you.

[@hannesmayer3716]

In most Schrebergärten you have to grow some vegetables. There are rules even for that... ;=)

[@nicosteffen364]

If you like lakes, try the Bodensee, its an international lake! There are a lot of Hotels and Campingsites, if you go there, remember to visit the Pfahlbauten, a rebuild of a village from ancient times. You can even visit 3 countries on it, switzerland, austria and germany. In austria is a hill, the Pfändner, from the top you can see the whole lake in his beauty. They even have some fish that you only get there, i recommend to go to a fishing restaurant, where you also get fresh smoked fish. This area is also known for early spring, apples and good wine. In Markdorf the founder of Playmobil was born and is burried, in the village next to it i was raised. I could send you some pictures if you want. Its a perfect spot for everything, swimming, culture, biking, climbing the alps and many more.

[@taylorintransit3421]

We actually were thinking about going on a short vacation there a few weeks ago, but decided not to because Covid cases started spiking again all over Europe. Plus Germans have been traveling primarily within Germany and the prices were really expensive! We definitely have the Bodensee on our list for the near future though (: And thank you for all of the recommendations of things to do there!

[@stefanhaler3318]

Wo kommst Du denn her? Wisconsin hat Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay..... My cousin lives in Wausaukee in the north. Near Michigan. They lived in Milwaukee for about 50 years.

[@lphaetaamma291]

germany has the "Ruhrgebiet" (=Ruhr river area), a former coal and industry area with about 10 million citizens. It is an area of medium sized citys that are sometimes that close you dont reallize if you went to another city. On the other hand there are often (for America little) farm areas in between. Thats why the whole Rhein-Ruhr-area may will apply for Olympia 2032

[@diogenesrent4304]

Due to very strict environmental regulations regarding the emission of fine dust, the air is much clearer today. Fine dust absorbs or reflects radiation. Therefore we probably have higher summer temperatures at the moment.

[@dorisw5558]

Summer breaks are six weeks in all 16 states - the other vacations might vary from state to state.

[@dettmardencker7430]

Hi Taylor, nice to see you again! I like your very reflected videos and this one fits well in. Just some minor things: many of my friends and relatives in urban Bremen have a Schrebergarten. I think the english call them allotments. That are gardens in large garden areas and the most have wooden shag on it. They spend the most weekends there and enjoy their leasure time with gardening or family and friends fun incl. parties. The kids have 6 weeks holiday in summer. The times differs beween the Federal States and is organised, so not all germans have their holidays at the same time. it´s changing every year. My wife and I don´t have kids, so we always have our vacation between February and end of March and travel to tropic or subtropic countries to shorten the nasty winter time. There we see a lot of people from northern europe having the same idea. I think it´s pretty much the same as the people in northern US do. Other major reasons against a/c in germany are the costs and the environmental impact because of energy consumption. As you know, energy consumption in any way is expensive here. It would be on top of the costs for the heating during the long winter time. Please go on vlogging and have a relaxed week! Dettmar

[@taylorintransit3421]

Hi, Dettmar. I totally forgot about Schrebergärten! Some of my partner's most fond childhood memories are from the time he spent at his family's garden outside of Bremen. The first time I saw one of the small Kleingärtnerverein, I actually thought it was the German version of American trailer parks... I love the idea that people that live in a bigger city without a garden or only a small one have a place to go to escape the hustle a bit! Of course you are right about AC and energy consumption. I definitely should have mentioned the cost and environmental impact.

[@eisikater1584]

School vacations: Germany is a federal republic, so it has different states, just like the US. And summer vacations start at different dates. They told me in school that this is to avoid traffic jams on the autobahns heading south, because for some unknown reason, Germans drive to Italy while it would be warm enough here. Swimming and nudity: Swimming nude in a lake is fun for a male when some friend shouts, "attention! shark!" ("Achtung! Hai!" in German). I really turned around and swam to the bank as fast as possible, until my brain set in and told me, there are no sharks in Bavaria.

[@kermitfrosch6559]

In the middle and south of Germany there is a warm continental climate with high humidity. Therefore temperatures over 30 degrees appear as warm as 45 degrees in Egypt. And 40 degrees Celsius in Germany is killing you.

[@oliverhuhn9889]

In our office we have got an a/c since this year spring. Greatest thing ever :-)

[@hansgicke-leiter3633]

Re ice cream. Take little kids and try Spaghetti Ice and ask them what's the pasta, red tomatoe sauce or white cheese taste. I liked how they transfer it, that it is just looking like Spaghetti Bolognese with parmesan.

[@suserockle7332]

No, we're negativ about AC not because it's not healthy, many of us think it is not right thing to spend energy on, due to climate change. Another reason might be that we just didn't need it. But the weather has definitely changed in the last twenty years. Right now we get a new temperature record almost every year.

[@taylorintransit3421]

That's true! I totally forgot about the amount of energy consumption of AC. I do think the weather is trending warmer in northern Europe. It will be interesting to see if Germans have to adapt. I just know I couldn't handle this heat if it was longer than 1-2 weeks.

[@suserockle7332]

@@taylorintransit3421 Well, probably we do adapt. And the energy wouldn't be a problem if we only use renewable energy. And that's where/what? we are heading to.

[@jimhayes1432]

Its bloody hot off and on in the summer months. There is a serious lack of air conditioning.

[@CrowdyAC]

Another important reason against buying air conditioners: Air conditioning systems are often not exactly sustainable and environmentally friendly. Germany as a whole is much more conscious in the context of sustainability. Additionally, you got it wrong regarding the school vacation time: summer (6 weeks) fall (2 weeks) Christmas (2 weeks) Easter (2 weeks)

[@AP-RSI]

Most of the time ACs cost more and are not really economical. And I personally prefer colder weather. I like the really cold winters of the past.

[@taylorintransit3421]

It hasn't really snowed in Oldenburg for 2 winters and it is so sad!

[@nherio_]

If you start with your timestamps at 0:00 in the description youtube will recognize it and mark the parts in the video player

[@christopherb.2986]

i feel like a typical german vacation plan would be: city trip during 'easter vacation/ spring vacation', beach stuff in the summer, hiking or nature related things in the fall during 'fall vacation (2 weeks)' and skiing or snowboarding in the winter during 'christmas vacation and/ or winter vacation'

[@taylorintransit3421]

That's true! I know people that do exactly this! It's also nice to always have something to look forward to every season instead of just summer break.

[@ls_1284]

Only if you're rich though. My family and I always only had 1 week of vacation which was during summer (mostly just in Austria, sometimes Italy). With 3 kids it is not possible to travel that much because it just gets too expensive.

[@gailalbers1430]

i enjoy your perspective on Germany-but do you think you could add some video ?

[@TheTuscaloosa]

Electric AC is waste of energy. Period. There are natural ways on keeping you rooms cool.

[@hansgicke-leiter3633]

Re 12:47 private swimming pools need a lot of water if everybody does. Like the AC topic it's the personal convenience that tops communal interests. In California some even water their lawn, or paint it green as in Fake Grass

[@johnp139]

Doesn’t it rain in Germany?

[@taylorintransit3421]

I heard that there was a region near us in Niedersachsen that ran out of water for a few days this past summer because many people who would usually be on vacation had stayed home and many people had purchased private pools! Water conservation is definitely going to become a more and more important topic in the future (and already is in places like California)

[@necrionos]

never ever take a roof floor apartment. you make that mistake only once in your life. it may have a nice view, but during summer heatwaves its impossible to keep such apartments cool. personally i would prefer even a cellar apartment over roof floor.

[@althelas]

I live in roof floor apartments for more than 30 years now and when I move I always look for one of those. Yes, they tend to get a little bit warmer during the summer but that is bearable when you know what to do. I lived in an apartment on the 1st floor for 7 years and there was no difference in the summer temperatures to my last roof floor apartment but I hated the view. Now I have a roof floor apartment again and enjoy the unrestricted view of the mountains from my living room again., gosh how I missed that.

[@taylorintransit3421]

We didn't have a ton of choices when we first moved in together. We were under a time crunch and there weren't a lot of landlords that wanted to rent to a foreigner with a limited work visa that didn't have pay slips from the last three months because they were just starting their first job and a Masters student with only a working student job. We were lucky to get the apartment we got, but now we are moving to a ground level apartment! We learned our lesson (:

[@PianistStefanBoetel]

6:34 This sentence got you German citizinship 😂

[@taylorintransit3421]

Most of the time I'm totally in agreement, but is it really necessary in winter when it is -5° to open the windows at work!?!?

[@dorisw5558]

@@taylorintransit3421 yes, because oxygen in the air carries the heat from the radiator better, also dry heated air is what makes people more susceptible to colds (not the AC actually)

[@dorisw5558]

I don't know what electricity costs in the US but running the AC constantly and as cold as I have experienced it in the US, would up my bill to a level where I don't want it to go. It's also really unsustainable because they use so much energy.

[@johnp139]

It’s not just about the temperature but also about the humidity. The climate in the US is very different than in Germany.

[@AnniN96]

Und der Ferienbeginn der einzelnen Bundesländer ist Rotation. Die letzten Jahre waren wir in Niedersachsen immer früh dran mit dem Beginn der Sommerferien im Juni. Jetzt sind wir spät. Bayern und Baden-Württemberg sind aufgrund ihrer 2 Wochen Pflingstferien, die sonst (außer Sachsen-Anhalt) kein Bundesland hat, immer die Letzen im Rotationssystem und „rollen“ nicht wirklich mit. Außerdem haben wir außer den Weihnachtsferien noch Herbst- und Osterferien und manche Bundesländer haben noch Winterferien. Das sollte auch erwähnt werden. So haben Familien mit schulpflichtigen Kindern (der Grund, warum man nicht einfach zwischendurch in Urlaub fahren kann: Schulpflicht) eine größere Auswahl an Zeiten zu verreisen. Ich finde unser System besser, als 3 Monate auf einen Schlag schulfrei zu haben. Kinder brauchen, besonders wenn sie kleiner sind, mal eine Schulpause. Man merkt es immer wieder, wenn die Zeit zwischen den Ferien zu lange ist, dass sie einfach fertig sind. Es werden dann Schlag auf Schlag Klassenarbeiten geschrieben. Irgendwann muss dann eine Pause kommen. Obwohl uns die Ferienzeit vorgeschrieben wird, finde ich das deutsche System viel flexibler. Zur Klimaanlage: Viele denken, dass sie Probleme mit dem Nacken (einen „Zug“ oder einen steifen Hals) oder eine Erkältung von Klimaanlagen bekommen. Dabei geht es nicht primär um Bakterien. Deutsche Häuser sind außerdem meistens nicht in Holzrahmenbauweise gebaut, sondern Stein auf Stein. Die Häuser sind deutlich besser isoliert. Besonders in wirklich alten Häusern ist es im Sommer deutlich kühler, wenn man dazu noch Rolläden hat. Man hat bei diesen Häusern mit „dicken Wänden“ keine Klimaanlage gebraucht. Generell ist das auch die deutlich umwelt- und klimafreundliche Variante. Man sollte besser wieder Häuser „anständig und wie früher bauen“ und nicht schnell, schnell aus Holz, wie in den USA üblicher und immer häufiger in Deutschland. Es hatte alles seinen Grund.

[@adnanhilal5423]

Could you please make a video about high education in Germany. How to apply? how to find best school for you? More information for international students. Thank you

[@taylorintransit3421]

I am actually just going through the process of applying for university in the city I live in and it is sooo confusing. I will definitely be making a video on the whole process!

[@adnanhilal5423]

@@taylorintransit3421 Oh that will be great. Thank you in advance

[@Uninvisibl]

You're only 2 hrs away from my city!

[@kaiszillat7201]

Haha, I didn't know that are from Wisconsin. I was a foreign exchange student in Wisconsin.

[@taylorintransit3421]

Where were you an exchange student and when were you there? It's possible I've been there! 😊 Would love to know what your overall opinion of the state and people was.

[@kaiszillat7201]

@@taylorintransit3421 Did you receive my response message? I can't see it here 🤔

[@kraftwerk-hc5jg]

To everyone who reads this- goodnight. I love you. Tomorrow could be the best day of your life. Things are gonna be okay.

[@t.naradasx1158]

Klimaanlagen sind durchaus eine feine Sache. Allerdings finde ich diese Anlagen haben (mal abgesehen von den extrem giftigen Kühlmitteln, die ja ab und an mal ausgetauscht werden sollten; Thema Müll/Umwelt) den riesen Nachteil, dass sie extrem energiehungrig sind. Und Energie ist hierzulande sehr sehr teuer.

[@ralfmeske8179]

A main reason not to have an A/C are the electricity costs. Electricity in Germany is very expensive...and because of the less time of really hot periods makes an A/C unnecessary. Therefore we have our windows systems ;-)

[@johnp139]

Why is electricity so expensive in Germany? I thought that they used a large percentage of renewable energy.

[@ralfmeske8179]

@@johnp139 Yes, it is true but we have to pay taxes on electricity, too. Per month I pay now 73 Euro ...so, for a year 876 €...and this for a single person with a average power consumption...

[@taylorintransit3421]

We are also paying a "renewables surcharge" that is supporting this transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. All energy consumers are still paying for feed-in tariffs, which go to early adopters of renewable energy installations. - and then you have taxes, grid charges, etc etc on top of the base cost of electricity.

[@chriscross2473]

Summer in Germany can get hot. Luckily it is not that long. :)

[@sandrasamuelson4796]

Interesting

[@gerdahessel2268]

Wenn die Kinder in den USA 3 Monate keine Schule haben, wie organisieren die Eltern das? Muss ein Elternteil zu Hause bleiben? Sind die Kinder dann im Kindergarten/Hort? Gilt für eine amerikanische Mutter noch die "alte" Rollenverteilung: wenn Kinder da sind gibt die Frau ihren Job auf?

[@ingevonschneider5100]

Der Fernseher ist der Babysitter.

[@ailaya5127]

Es gibt Summer Camps. Die sind sehr beliebt.

[@taylorintransit3421]

Es gibt verschiedene Möglichkeiten für die Eltern mit Kindern. Wir hatten immer ein Babysitter, die auch im Sommer Ferien hatte. Sie war in High School und hat dann etwas Geld verdient. Das war für meine Eltern auch günstiger als ein Summer Camp. Viele Großeltern, die Rentner sind, passen auch auf die Enkelkinder auf.

[@Hanmacx]

I got click baited by that summer pic xD

[@seelenwinter6662]

to your bike.. if you got an insurance (hausratversicherung), they have to pay your bike...

[@taylorintransit3421]

We do fortunately have this insurance and he already got the money back. It was a shock though because we live in a very safe neighborhood, but we were too trusting of other people ☹️

[@michaelbenner4735]

Listen to the lady. She's spot on. (Me = German)

[@trueamnisias]

I would be good to mention climate change when discussing air conditioning because no, it's not 'fine' to have air conditioning in all houses and 'drive everywhere'. Also, for clarification, if Europeans say 'air conditioning isn't good for you' is because it does not allow the body's natural climitasation to weather and it's not good for the environment, not that it makes you sick (which it can also do by increasing likelihood of undercooling and catching summer colds if changing between conditioned and unconditioned environments) unless you carry a sweater with everywhere (which is the cream cake of killing the planet - cranck up the air conditioning whilst huddling under blanket).

[@taylorintransit3421]

True, I definitely should have talked about the environmental impact of air conditioning. But I also realize there are benefits to AC in particular in climates with extreme heat.

[@sylviaschaich]

In the German village I live most of the New build houses have AC

[@taylorintransit3421]

That's interesting. Maybe they are predicting it will be necessary because the warming climate?

[@sylviaschaich]

@@taylorintransit3421 yes, thats what I thought too

[@TarikDaniel]

Never saw a private house with AC in my entire life in Germany 🤔 Instead there is a growing number of Passivhäuser which have a very good insulation to save energy die to less need for heating/cooling.

[@sylviaschaich]

@@TarikDaniel here they are ....Private houses with AC

[@daniellino2787]

i wanna be abile to do the same

[@christianc6331]

Hi normaly your Bike will BE insured NY your Hausratversicherung. Die You Check this?

[@taylorintransit3421]

Hi, Christian. We do have this insurance and he already got the money back! Thanks for the recommendation 😊

[@christianc6331]

@@taylorintransit3421 tja und da sag mal noch einer wir Deutschen sind uberversichert 😂

[@christianc6331]

@@taylorintransit3421 spass beiseite, vielen ist wirklich nicht bewusst, das ein Fahrrad (bis zu einem gewissen wert) automatisch mitversichert ist und man daher gar keine extra Fahrradversicherung braucht. Sogar wenn das Fahrrad nicht auf dem Grundstück steht

[@sushipancake6559]

Am I the only one I see some people walking barefoot in Germany? I see them in here.

[@NickKnatterton.]

14:35 "playing with your balls" Aha :)

[@zam1am]

The liberty to breast feed in public is nothing intrinsically german. Young mothers won this back in the late 1970/80s after breast feeding itself fell out of fashion altogether in the 1960/early70s.

[@Paul_C]

Maybe going back to the USA is preferable.

[@eye347]

Why Oldenburg? There are much more attractive places in Germany.

[@taylorintransit3421]

Maybe so, but we both love the city! It is very clean and the people are really nice here (but I guess you find this in most places). We wanted to stay in Niedersachsen to be close to my partner's parents for when they start getting older and also for when we decide to have children, plus we just generally enjoy their company. We were also thinking about maybe moving to a different city, but decided right now is not a good time for both of us to quit jobs and have to start all over in probation period where we can more easily be fired if the economy takes a turn.