🇩🇪🇺🇸 WHAT I’VE LEARNED TO LIVE WITHOUT IN GERMANY

[@phenom_mb]

In Germany the water from the water tap is better and cleaner than that from the bottles at the super market. You can drink it right from the pipe. It is supervised and controlled by the health department.

[@emiliajojo5703]

👍

[@dearseall]

It has to meet stricter requirements too.

[@benttranberg2690]

Same in Norway. Can't imagine that it wouldn't be the same elsewhere in northern Europe, but I don't know how it is farther south.

[@matthias458]

So there is something what is maybe alike the urgent care. It's called "Ärztlicher Notdienst" or ""Ärtztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst" and is like a stand-in for your Hausartzt if its outside of his business hours and your injury isn't worth to go to hospital. You will find some of these nearly in every town.

[@GalaxyXPLR]

Actually the reason we don't have many restaurants here is because most people like to cook for themselves. You get very good and fresh ingredients in the supermarket so we like to cook our own food every day. We actually only go to restaurants if we are meeting with friends :)

[@sarag.7156]

the abundance of restaurants is not a German issue... if you move from a big city (NY in this case) to a small village anywhere in the world, how could you find the same amount of restaurants? ...if she came to Berlin she had a lot of restaurants from all over the world... but we are still in Germany

[@loveluxelogic1504]

I’m finding your videos very informative! I’m heading to Germany pretty soon so thank you for these super helpful videos! New subbie ☺️

[@ZoieMarie]

I'm so glad!

[@emymungwana]

I wish I was prepared for the hanging up part.. the first time a company attendant hung up on me I literally cried!

[@ZoieMarie]

When it happened to me the first time I was super shocked, wanted to have a cry myself 😭

[@Am-dz8jt]

Girl, I just came across your channel and omg I love it ! ❤️ I’m Irish but I’m currently learning German & taking lessons & hope to work there after I finish my masters ! Keep up the amazing videos 💖✨

[@seorsamaclately4294]

I live in a town of about 20,000 people here in Germany. We've got German, Italian, Croatian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican and Indian restaurants. in addition to that Afghan, Turkish and African takeaways.

[@oleratomoile9480]

Which town is it?

[@seorsamaclately4294]

@@oleratomoile9480 Halfway between Wiesbaden and Limburg at the A3, I won't get more specific here. I can tell you more if you contact me through email on my channel info.

[@oleratomoile9480]

@@seorsamaclately4294 hey...I can't find the email... can u please type it here ? If you're okay with of course

[@anabelsanchez4605]

Good to know! I have family in Germany so when I visit I will look into it.

[@NickMillerismyspiritanimal]

Thank you Zoie. You look so so beautiful in the video. I so agree with you on a lot of the things you mentioned. The customer service one is so big. I just had that same situation last week and the person was mad I asked her to simply repeat her statement and she was so ready to hang up on me. So annoying. I also hate sparkling water so I always need to be careful and make sure I order regular still water. Thanks again for the video. It was a lot of fun to watch.

[@dearseall]

Convenience: You can find a pharmacie in every town that opens during nights (Notdienst). You may have to pay an aditional service charge though. And you can find a basic food supply at gas stations.

[@seizegott]

You should move to Berlin for a while. There are a gazillion restaurants here.

[@tobyk.4911]

I don't pay with *credit card* in German stores, restaurants etc. - but I often pay with the *debit card* from my bank. Payment with a debit card is very widely available (in some places even required, for example when I used a bus in Berlin the last time and didn't already have a ticket before, the only option for buying a ticket from the bus driver was by paying with my "contactless" card. They don't take cash anymore in the BVG buses.)

[@escamoteur]

Hi, it really depends a lot in which size of city you live here what the selection of restaurants or shop is concerned (OK having been to New York I now there is no place like it.) I also think that you can pay at almost all places with local debit cards or with my phone but that might also depend a bit on the region

[@tamamoni8908]

The no AC, no dryers and room temperature water had me stumped. I was sweating in the summer 😭😅. Also, all stores closing on Thursday or Friday surprised me. We’re so used to having 24/7 service and stores in the States. Love your channel Zoie!

[@Janoip]

So most people who have a house also have a dryer, but if you live in an apartment for rent, you usually don't have room for a dryer. On Thursdays and Fridays, no stores are really closed, unless it's a holiday. For this, most stores on Sunday closed, because it is a rest, families and depending on if you are a religious is a day of God, then have only restaurants, gas stations, kiosk, Mc Donalds / Bk etc. and stores that are in certain places on eg in Bremerhaven has Edeka (grocery store) 24/7 on so that the dock workers can buy thinks.

[@LisaF777]

Most homes in Europe don't have AC. I'm from London 😅

[@jessicalocke5042]

I'm an American living in Switzerland, and I violently agree with you on the "netted windows" part. Like do people not want to keep bugs out while still enjoying fresh air? Also, I dearly miss sink disposers. Having your kitchen sink get clogged with food is not fun!

[@henningbartels6245]

In Germany they have this idea that food doesn't belong in the sewage sytem.

[@SD_Alias]

Food does not belong into the drain. You luring and breeding rats by doing so.

[@mimiwallen]

I don’t know Zee but your glooooow is blinding! 😌You already know though that you’re beautiful🙃

[@ZoieMarie]

Thank you 🤎✨

[@MrWelten1]

@@ZoieMarie oh talk about "Fliegengitter bzw Insektenschutz" you can buy them just look in the gelben Seiten search "Fenster und Türen" the can help you with that.

[@skz__OT8]

Going to a restaurant is very fancy and something you only do (and not even every time then) when you go on a date or there's some other special occasion (birthday, meeting with someone you haven't seen for some time, ...). The times I was with my family in a restaurant, when I was still living at my parents house, were 2-3 times a year (1-2 times during our summerholidays and maybe one more time during the year). Even now I don't really go to eat in a restaurant.... maybe 5 times a year? Normally you cook at home (cooking with friends is always funnier, most times healthier and cheaper than eating in a restaurant) or when you really don't want to cook, then you can order food. If there are too many restaurants it's very likely they just won't survive because there aren't enough people who want to eat there - especially when it's a restaurant that has only very specific food. ^^ Oh and regarding the credit card thing: I only have ~2-5€ in my portemonnaie and most people I know pay with their girocard which is always excepted (only a very very few shops don't accept them, but you can always find a Sparkasse to get cash :D). Credit cards like Visa or Mastercard are not as common. Mostly adults who really need credit cards use these. :) And convenience at night (except for health reasons like Ärztlicher Not- und Bereitschaftsdienst) aren't a thing because that's a time only a very few costumers will come in, it will ruin the store/coffeeshop/etc. plus who wants to work at that time. Imagine working at that time to serve people coffee, that's a bit crazy in my opinion (but I guess that's cultural difference :) ) :D That's why I always have coffee and other things I like at home, so I don't have to buy them in the middle of the night :) And if there's something you don't have but really really need, you can always find a gasstation, but it's always more expensive there xD

[@sucram1018]

Restaurants aren't only for what you claimed them to be.

[@janek8929]

Regarding services I agree. Germans do not tread customers as superior but they thread you on eye-level. I was two weeks in the states and when I came back to Germany I felt not accepted as customer but like a suppicant. But be aware that this can be increased in nordic countreis. In Finland no waiter comes to you. You take a seat, then you have to go to the order point. Sometimes you have to stand in line, you order and pay directly. The only work of the waiter is to bring the order and to clean up laterly. As a German initially I felt uncomfortablily but after a while I was not agains. In general in Finland there are no bullshit jobs.

[@SupremeBitch]

It’s not perfect, but it works for Blue Cheese dressing….at Lidl you can get their store brand of Joghurt salad dressing, a small chunk of Blue Cheese in the cheese section, and blend it with a blender or stick blender. Just noticed in this video that you are a fellow islander….this is definitely not what we were used to, but it is amazing how quick one can adapt.

[@Itsmayaqueen]

As a foreigner living in Amsterdam who also love blue cheese dressing, thank you for the tip!

[@patrickiii1693]

There is actually a so-called Bereitschaftsdienst or Notfalldienst for medical emergencies on the weekend/holidays, if it is urgent enough that you have to see a doctor immediately, but it´s not life-threatening. You can toll them for free at 116117 and they´ll give you the doctor´s offices in your area that are on duty, so you can get immediate service. ;) Also Germany has lots of beaches, just all located in the north, but I´m sure you know that. Regarding customer service. Those are usually shitty paid (in-between/student) outsourced jobs, so I personally cut them some slack, but it´s true that people there are often not very motivated.

[@lenecejohnson4627]

Lol this brought back memories. I visited Berlin in Feb 2020 and people looked at me crazy when I wanted to pay with cards... and when they tried it didn't work!! I'm from the WI and I have definitely learned to live without the beautiful sandy beaches and pleasant custoner service since moving to Paris!

[@ZoieMarie]

I know!! I get the same looks 😂 and I’m still trying to get used to the lack of customer service, it’s just so very different to NY 😅

[@frankmbambo876]

South Africa and Germany are a lil similar but urgent care is always available in clinics and hospitals.

[@brigittemiebs3228]

If you need a doctor call 116117 anywhere in Germany at any time and you will be helped. 🙋🏻‍♀️

[@TheGrooveboxx]

If you need urgent help, e.g. a doctor or medicin, you can go to the nearest hospital to the Notaufnahme (ER in the US) or the Notfallpraxis, also located in the so called Kreiskrankenhaus. ;) And usually pay with VISA at Rewe or Edeka, also Lidl and Aldi accept it. Some smaller shops and Restaurants don't, thats because of the fee they have to pay. I like your content btw :)

[@vm3141592]

Yes, there is no urgent care, or very very rare. In Hamburg there is one (1) which is open when the doctors are closed. So people normally go to the hospital when they have an issue (even when it’s not necessary...)

[@AMULDARRY]

come to north germany we have many beaches here . in my hometown flensburg we got 4 beaches :-)

[@cherrymac268]

Apparently there is also urgent care here in Germany, its called Bereitschaftspraxis.

[@thickbrownlegs1859]

When I lived in Italy the frizzante water was a surprise to me, I had to remind myself distilled water please. Always glowing as pre usual love.

[@ZoieMarie]

Yes! It’s now a staple for me to say “still water please”. And thank you for watching and commenting 🤎

[@thickbrownlegs1859]

@@ZoieMarie you’re quite welcome love. Gotta support 💚🌺🤙🏾

[@tobyk.4911]

I hope that the use of "distilled water" here is a typo or "wrong autocorrect" ... that would be dangerous

[@abeot]

Ok Zoie...nice video. However, I am inclined to disagree with super markets and restaurant being limited. I live in Stuttgart proper and there are quite a Bit of variety...you just have to know where to find them. To me what is significantly absent is caribbean food and culture and the creative flair in arts for example seeing dancers in street or open street art exhibits

[@kashanawhidby1159]

That's funny in Germany they don't use credit cards. I rarely walk around with cash. I know not having the diversity of restaurants and foods has to be a challenge at times.

[@ZoieMarie]

Yeah it’s just not that Common. And yes, not having diverse restaurant/food options does hit hard at points but I’ve learned to over come it

[@bibliopolist]

I have never met anyone here in Germany who used credit cards for actual credit. They are just ridiculously expensive compared to a bank credit. So there is no real advantage using credit cards, and stores tend to hate them because the cost is very high for them. Some stores (like Aldi) here are so cheap that accepting credit cards would mean they'd forfeit most of their margin to the credit card company. What is very common, and ever increasingly so, is the debit card (still known as "EC Card" but normally now Maestro, Girocard, VPay) , but the big providers seem to change a lot of those systems greatly right now, so who knows what will come next... Probably paying by phone will be standard in some years. I don't think credit cards will ever be used in offline contexts in Germany.

[@henningbartels6245]

@@bibliopolist though Aldi accepts all kinds of card including crredit cards. Yet there is some truth about thre point that Germans don't like the idea of credit or making debts that much. This trace is part of German culture which likes stability and consense and aviods risks, uncertainty and change.

[@marsa74]

I'm confused. When I pick up 200 € from an ATM that is enough for 1 month because I usually pay with my watch or, more traditionally, with my credit or debit card (yes, I have both). Cash is only required when I buy from my local butcher (not the one in the super market) or vegetables directly from a farmer (e.g. asparagus, strawberries and that stuff). But okay, I'm from the rural part of Germany and, obviously, the larger cities are a little bit behind. No wonder, I heard some of them even lack proper internet bandwidth having less than 500 MBit/s 😊

[@SD_Alias]

In the big cities there are tons of restaurants. But you are right in the rural parts of Germany the people are used to cook for themselfs instead of going into a restaurant. And mention the beaches: Of course living in southern Germany there are no beaches. You should visit or move to northern Germany than…

[@tobiwan001]

Of course the trains have AC. The houses don't have it because it's about two weeks per year when you would acutally want it. We had snow until May this year and mid-June we are still heating! I think COIVD has now finally ended cash payments in Germany btw. However, most use debit and not credit cards a lot more. You also don't have credit card debt in Germany. It's a completely different system. E.g. the US still uses cheques, these haven't existed in Germany for decades. Agree with the customer service though...

[@Thomas-bs4tv]

I do not know where you live but i come from the Ruhrgebiet and I cannot imagine any type of restaurant that doesn't exist over here. I guess the same counts for cities like Hamburg, Berlin or others. Of course it;s different in the countryside. I guess that's the same n the US. A vegan restaurant in a small town in Louisiana may be hard to find. Same is with grocery stores

[@lori637]

American, here, been living in Germany for 13 years. I will *never* get used to the lack of public restrooms... And if you're lucky enough to find a toilet, chances are you have to pay for it 😂

[@user-lo5kx3wu3j]

I been thinking about to moving to Germany, I'm from Alabama so, all this is super new to me.

[@Otternase2011]

You are able to pay cashless at most stores with your Banking or EC card. This is some Kind of local creditcard since it permits card payment in the eu but other than real creditcards EC- cards (euro cash) are mostly accepted within the EU. A certain minimum paymant May be required for cashless payment though.

[@adriennesamantha]

We don't have netted windows in the UK either and we only have air conditioning in public places such as offices, trains

[@prinegonbevaris1788]

Germany has something like Urgend Care, called "Ärztlicher Notdienst". Gerneral practitians take turns to stay open after hours, so non-lifethreatening urges can still be treated. You can call 116117 to find out, what doctor is on shift today and you can even ask for the doctor to make a house visit, if you are immobile and could not reach the doctors office. The same is true for Apotheken (drug stores) as well, taking turns to keep one store open all night. Since I work in customer support, I hardly disagree, that hanging up on customers is a common thing to do. If you are not out of line and unrespectful, we don't hang up, but if you are, we are allowed to do so. There is one thing different than it is in the US: We expect the customer to aid finding a solution. If there is a malfunction, we may request you to perform some tests to pinpoint the reason for the malfunction. Showing the attitude, that as a customer you wouldn't need to do that and everything has to be fixed remotely without you doing anything also is a good way to get hung up upon. You are able to complain against supporter who are acting unprofessionally. If you can recall name and time of your call, you can write a board complaint to the company. In most cases there are no consequences, but if multiple complains add up, that supporter can get in trouble. Also if the complaint is detailled and believable, it is likely that the supporter has to explain himself to his superior. Also note, that usually you can decide, wether your call gets taped or not. If you agreed to, in some cases (but not all of them) this tape can be listened to to suppport your claims.

[@crystals.4293]

You can get the mesh at Rossmann to put in the windows.

[@JayStephan]

Ha Ha...I LOL'd when I saw the ranch dressing because miss it too. I can also related to it on the peanut butter side. I have yet to find a good peanut butter. Even after 14 years of living in Germany 1/2 time, I still forget to carry cash and then I go into panic mode when I need it. I actually got used to windows not having a mesh and took out the mesh from our windows in our house in California...I kind of got used to the clean look...but in the summer time I regret it.

[@ZoieMarie]

Yeah it’s just the small things like ranch (and peanut butter) which I miss from home 😭 and same with me! Although I know the cash system here I sometimes forget as well and start fretting 😂. Thank you for commenting and watching 🤎✨

[@stophi2581]

of course restaurants are more limited in smaller countrys or citys. you need enough customers to make a living - how many people live in NewYork ? and how many in Würzburg ? If you go to Berlin you will find a lot more different restaurants - but that´s also the biggest city in Germany.

[@spitzerhall]

No AC in Germany!! Zoie - when do you release your First german Video??

[@mizot84]

I saw a cooking video recently and googled what Ranch sauce actually is, never hearing of it before. Of course there are different recipe variants out there on the internet but turns out it is basically what I grew up with here in Germany ;-) Nowadays we mostly make a vinaigrette because we are lazy. However, you should make your own Salat dressing anyway, it's so much better than everything you can buy as a convenience product!

[@martingades]

There are the Baltic Sea and the North Sea so there are a beaches of course depending where you live they are not 5 minutes away but if you live in a state located in the centre of the US you most likely won’t spend the weekends at westhampton beach 😂 but technically it is easily possible to spend a weekend on the beaches of Germany even living in the south it is a 7 hour drive from Munich to the Baltic Sea you can even take the TGV from Munich to the Côte d’Azur it’s takes 10 hours and that are 1100km’s

[@subconcioussongsvid]

Love your channel. I am an expat in Hamburg. You apparently live down south. Have you ever worn a Dirndl? Oktoberfest is right around the corner....

[@dirkgoldschmitt6572]

Guten Morgen, ZM🌹Inzwischen bauen Hausbesitzer in die Dachwohnungen gerne AC Split-Geräte ein, aufgrund der Sommertemperaturen von mehr als 25° in der Nacht😁

[@dirkgoldschmitt6572]

Always🌹

[@ZoieMarie]

Ah cool! ☺️

[@ludwigderbartige5191]

Dann lieber das Haus dämmen oder an der Sonnenseite bessere fenster einbauen. Die Maßnahmen wirken dann auch im Winter.

[@karenrilke4718]

35 Grad in der Nacht, in Deutschland?

[@DE-nw9sv]

@Zoie-Marie I just came across your channel and have watched some of your videos. Thanks for all you've shared, very helpful info. 2 questions: 1. You mentioned there's no AC in the apartments/houses...isn't the weather usually cold/cool enough where ACs wouldn't be necessary, per se? 2. For the windows, since they're not meshed (as we call it in Jamaica), are there a lot of insects that come in? What recommendations do you have for getting windows meshed (netted)?

[@grandloser28]

A Word to the customer service. As always germans like to come fast to a point. Sugaring at work is bad and a sugar sweet calls by service is also bad. Nobody has time for an 15 minute "how are you" talk, when you can say in a polite manner: Hi ,my name is xyz, i have this problem, can you help me please? Short and nice...

[@sucram1018]

Some customer service is like that in the USA. It depends on the company.

[@talitam.8414]

I feel like it's more or less the same all over Europe based on my own experience.

[@difal7335]

Nah, in the UK you can use card in most places, customer service in quite decent. I used to work in a call centre for a big brand and you could get fired for hanging up on people. Also the default water you get in restaurants is still. And we have 24 hr supermarkets. In the supermarket you can find a pharmacy and a section to buy clothes and electricals. So its possible to get your weekly groceries, a new outfit and a new TV all in one shop haha.. If the supermarket isnt 24 hours it will will close at like midnight or 11pm. I would say these things are are norm in bigger cities in the UK! 😄

[@talitam.8414]

@@difal7335 ok my bad! Hope I didn't offend you lolol!

[@luislaplume8261]

By the way the beauty product there are apparently good . You could pose for an art class in painting.

[@dinola3268]

Aircondition: NY has the latitude of Neaples, Italy. Most german cities are more north than all big canadian cities. Kundenservices: Ich habe noch nie gehört, dass Kundenservices in den USA Deutsch sprechen.

[@kalihouston6075]

Everything you've said is what I'm currently trying to adjust to 😪

[@renemeier3121]

As a German, I like to pay with cash, only if I don`t have any money with me, then with a card. Peoples are just different.

[@benttranberg2690]

I am not so sure you are right about there being no equivalent to "urgent care" in Germany, and no access to medicines outside of opening hours. I suggest you ask somebody where you can get this, just in case you suddenly need it one night or weekend.

[@iamrish1]

Very insightful thanks

[@sibulelenobhuzana3314]

The no credit card thing would throw me off, I never carry cash😅

[@ZoieMarie]

Yeah it was a real shocker when I first moved here 😭

[@meribefree]

Is there insulation inside the walls of the apartments and houses?

[@Scorned405]

Oh no. I could not live without AC. I also heard that there’s not much ice in Germany

[@steph1518]

Not much ice? You mean in drinks? Because there's lots of ice on the streets in the winter... But no, pretty much everyone has a few ice cube trays in their freezer at all times, but it's true that we don't fill every single drink with it.

[@tobyk.4911]

I guess you would be quite fine without AC in Germany for probably about 80% of the year ... however, the summers seem to become hotter and the number of hot days seem to increase, so that ACs apparently become more interesting / relevant. What exactly do you mean by "not much ice in Germany"? Ice outside in winter? Or crushed ice in drinks? Or ice cream?

[@peterherth7379]

Some cities do have medical places which are open even when normal doctors have closed. In any case you can call 116117 24/7 and they will connect you with a doctor on call who can advise/visit you, if needed. Similarly, one of the pharmacies in your region should be open for urgent purchases, they are on a shifting schedule, search for "Apotheken Notdienst". But indeed, regularly they are closing quite early. Wrt. the lack of AC - when I was a kid, I rather liked those few days where summer was really hot. It rarely got so hot that it was really bothersome except for a few days per year if at all. And if it did, it was considered a sign of a "real summer", that you had those days. A bit like welcoming an occasional heavy snow in the winter. But it is startling, that temperatures have risen noticably since I was a kid. So AC is becoming more common in Germany too and I guess eventually it will be considered standard. And indeed, most German places are badly prepared to retrofit AC units, unless you are willing to drill through walls. I quite like your videos - as a German working at an american company and having been to the US a few times, I find it highly interesting how much the countries have in common and then how many things are sometimes different, especially when you don't expect it. But the great thing with that is, one can pick the best of both. So I have learned in the US about the wonders of AC, how much ice you can put into a drink on a hot day and of course what a proper BBQ is :)

[@SD_Alias]

But with rising prices for electricity and the climate change we should avoid AC

[@KeturaSaint-Fleurose]

This was very interesting So most of the food there is solely German food? I do want to live in Europe sometime:)

[@ZoieMarie]

No in the big cities there are varieties (still not as much as I’m used to) but in the little towns (which is most of Germany outside of cities) I find it’s really limited

[@mrjimmienoone2130]

@@ZoieMarie You're serious? Well, I've never been in New York, but I know the Western states quite well, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, even California ... And I felt that you can buy absolutely NO FOOD there - at least nothing which I would call 'food'. No bread which deserves the name, no eatable salami or ham, same with sausages, no quality chocolate, no good cheese, hardly any wine, apart from the (very good) Californian ones... People told me that you cannot even buy rabbit meat - although I don't know if they ripped me off. I love rabbit stew. Each time I went into a supermarket I got terribly homesick. - Not to speak of the coffee which really shocked me (no misunderstanding: it's not SO much worse than German coffee, but I'm used to Italian coffee).

[@meribefree]

the window screen is huge; so how goes it with bugs and mosquitoes?

[@ludwigderbartige5191]

5:50 Yes, this is the customer service desert 🏜

[@enathupaarvai7964]

Very informative

[@ZoieMarie]

Glad you think so!

[@enathupaarvai7964]

@@ZoieMarie Yes, next month my elder son moving to Germany.

[@Peace8267]

One thing I worry about when I move to Germany is having the right hair products. I have afro-hair (4a), so I'm afraid Imma have to learn to live with some fucked up curls

[@seorsamaclately4294]

Please watch Hayley's video, it might give you some pointers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nV7LZ2qDd6-lr5Y

[@tobyk.4911]

At least in big cities, there are certainly some shops that sell special hair products for African hair. Even while there are not as many Black people in Germany as there are in many parts of the USA - you wouldn't be alone with this. Maybe a good idea to search online for "afro shop [+city name]" If you are going to live rather in a small town or on the countryside in Germany, you would probably need to go to the next large city sometimes, in order to get what you need for your hair.

[@WillietsWorld]

Hey Zoie, those who hang up on you are just not built for customer service. I work in customer service and it can be difficult with some customer, but we were never advised to hang up on them. Kleiner Tipp: when starting the call always ask for a name and a general email address of the company. Regarding the restaurant, visit Leipzig for an amazing experience. Viel Spaß!

[@ZoieMarie]

I’ll take that tip! But I found that if I ever did get bad support there was no hotline or no one from the company actually did anything 😞 anyways thanks for commenting!

[@ihn]

Did she mention, she is from NYC?

[@onlyneecy5016]

Nope all trains in NYC have AC thank god. I would be sick omg.

[@MrSmithie25]

I have to disagree concerning costumer service. We have a shortage of people who work in the field, because of bad payment and how costumers treat the staff. In US everybody is that "fake helpful and friendly" So in germany, most try to treat you on the same eye-level. It is just that "here dear costumer, i present you the facts and this is how we handle things by our own policy - take it or leave" sounds harsh, but as a costumer you have not all the rights you claim. There is no need for open stores 24h because nobody will go shopping at night. You would have to pay the staff more and it violates work laws in some way. Some gas stations open 24/7, but it is just not that necessary.

[@ludwigderbartige5191]

1:50 Why did you need two ACS ?! Each needs 1.7 k Watts or more!

[@ZoieMarie]

I don’t have two ACs… 🤔

[@ludwigderbartige5191]

@@ZoieMarie I thought 😏..

[@purpleeyessmith4151]

Girl could you be anymore gorgous! A cleare ten 💜

[@ZoieMarie]

Thank you!! 😭✨🤎

[@stophi2581]

it´s kind of funny how americans always complain about closed restaurants. Have you ever thought about why that could be ? if you pay your employees a fair amount you also need to make enough money. If you have open the whole day - without nearly any guest .... how ??? If you only pay them €3,- an hour that´s no problem. you need a cook, service and so on. people in europe usually eat midday or in the evening so restaurants also usually have open from about 11-14/15 and than open again at about 17. there are even restaurants which are only open over midday or only in the evening - depends on their guests and their overall concept.

[@an-an]

You are already 4 years in Germany an you have no EC/Girocard?

[@ZoieMarie]

nope

[@tobyk.4911]

4:30 Mentioning a lack of beaches near your home in a "differences between USA and Germany"-video is a bit ... let's say, misleading. A lack of beaches nearby is not something typical German. We do have beaches in Germany, but of course not everywhere. I'm sure the same could be said about the US. If you moved from Long Beach to, for example, somewhere in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas or Montana, I guess the nearest beach would probably also not be very near to your place.

[@Aschagwerb18]

We just moved to Germany last month. It’s definitely changed a lot, many places do accept credit cards now but small business usually don’t. The food here is….sad. Very sad. Cold sandwiches and bakery items, and I’m just so used to the different varieties we could get back in America. :(

[@ZoieMarie]

Yeah it’s going to be a bit of challenge to adjust. I know for me I actually like the food here but in other aspects I’m still slowing adapting

[@che7941]

well it also really really depends where you live 🤔 big cities usually have a proper variety of different restaurants and also different supermarkets. For example in Düsseldorf there are bunch of amazing asian, middle eastern and african supermarkets.

[@That_dark_ranger]

I swear you keep getting finer 😍😍

[@luislaplume8261]

Gosh! Germany is more capitalist than NYC, and NYC is the center of capitalism in America. I am a New Yorker, grew up there from 1956 til 1985 before moving to another state.

[@anna_marie.bre9839]

why do you need an AC in your home ?:)

[@ZoieMarie]

B/c it can get very very hot in the summer time

[@c.zachos8554]

I have a modern German AC (in reality totally stone age but bought new 😂). It's a small box that you fill with water and plug into the wall socket🙈🤣. The water is dispersed cool. German ACs😂

[@hunchbackaudio]

I'm from the Netherlands and I hate it that I can't use my Mastercard in Germany. They only accept German banking cards, if at all, everywhere else in Europe Mastercards and phone payment are accepted, no problem. I think that's retarded. Credit cards is a different story. They have a fee for every transaction and shops don't want to pay that, understandably.

[@tobyk.4911]

As you mention "phone payments": Did you try contactless payment with your phone at a card reader for contactless debit cards (which most shops in Germany apparently have)? Recently my brother used the PayPal app on his phone to pay in a shop (and later also in a bakery) at card readers that I usually use (contactless) with my debit card... which leads me to believe that it's probably possible to use the PayPal phone app (or similar other apps) on a phone with active NFC to pay at most debit card readers in German shops.

[@hunchbackaudio]

@@tobyk.4911 I don't use PayPal, I use Apple pay, was in Paris a month ago, worked flawless everywhere, no cash needed anywhere. I haven't been in Germany for a while, so maybe things have changed a bit. It's about time though.

[@misscidella]

Americans and AC 😂😂😂😂 I will never understand

[@ZoieMarie]

😂🤷🏾‍♀️

[@Bea-xc7wy]

There is no air conditioning, nor is there an option to install it yourself? House, transport, at work... all without air conditioning? Are you kidding me? I can only imagine those smells that spread through Germany, especially in summer. So strange. 😐

[@paula5611]

🤭they just hang up..wow

[@mimiwallen]

I’ve recognized in several visits to Germany, they’re not for the small talk and so arguing with ppl on the phone or even in stores is not tolerated. I understand too as some people live for confrontation and at times intentionally provoke Customer Service to get their way. I once worked at the Gap in high school 😩ppl can be brutal!

[@ZoieMarie]

Yeah it’s happened to me a few times 😭 But I wouldn’t say that hanging up is a standard here in Germany just some experiences I’ve had.

[@blueturtle1813]

something I learned to live without CUSTOMER SERVICE lmaoooo

[@ZoieMarie]

Haha yes true!

[@bodokleber]

All true. Und....Servicewueste Deutschland, yes.

[@teddyd111]

There is no customer service in all of Europe. Sure people will be nice to you for your money. But customer service in the US goes beyond that. That's why Europeans come across as rude.

[@NajLahsen]

In my opinion the United States citizens would never find "customer service" anywhere in the world. They are used to have everything catered to them, they want to be served on a silver platter, and they are very ENTITLED. I work in the customer service for decades in the USA and I know this to be true, along with ALL my co-workers. Sometimes when traveling abroad I tended to take my US mentality to other countries, and one time I remember one of my friends telling me I've developed this USA attitude/mentality that I needed to leave back home.......and yes it's absolutely true!

[@royaldestiny]

No credit cards, no dryers, no customer service? Germany sounds like a few countries I’ve visited in Africa. Actually. Africa is better because houses and apartments do come with AC.

[@tobyk.4911]

African countries are usually also much hotter than Germany, so that AC is more needed.

[@SD_Alias]

But do all african houses have a heating system that cope -20°C?

[@benttranberg2690]

Don't make simple assumptions based on just one individual's personal impressions and statements. Drilling into a subject may reveal a different reality. Not to say that this isn't interesting.

[@peacetkwgo5510]

You so beautiful your boyfriend very lucky too have you❤

[@ske7568]

Oh yes Customer Service is non existent here for sure. I realized this quickly and the hard way. It’s like the reverse here employees are rude and customers are super nice. I asked my German father in law to install netted windows and a meshed door. He thought I was clever.

[@Janoip]

It depends on what you buy and whether you are a private or business customer. For restaurants I agree, but for things like warranties and service for tools/machines, Germany is better positioned than e.g. the Usa or almost all Asian countries. It's also a problem that Tesla has in Germany, that the service is still too bad and the big companies don't use Teslas as company cars anymore, because if there are problems it takes too long and is too complicated at Tesla compared to others. And one reason I can think of why the employees come across as unfriendly to Americans in the U.S. is that in your country people are always overly friendly, which would be extremely annoying to Germans, and waiters, for example, are not dependent on tips in Germany, which is why they do not pull out their legs to get more tips.¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@ZoieMarie]

Same. I realized the very hard way when I had calls disconnected as I was still talking lol 😭

[@gerdpapenburg7050]

My personnel opinion: if I do not like it in a country I just return home where everything is better. Why don't you do the same?

[@InnerPower4me]

she just gave her own opinion, why should she leave.. she didn't speak anything negative

[@maryymendes]

Oh, sure... "Oh, they don't accept card, I will go back to my country". You're Smart. Congrats.

[@ludwigderbartige5191]

Sorry for this "Pappnase"-Guy

[@misscidella]

Ummm

[@difal7335]

She said these are things she has learned to live without. Not that she doesnt like Germany. Xenaphobes think they are so slick by being obtuse.