After being in Germany for nearly a full week, it proves undeniably difficult and seemingly impossible to capture all of the changes which have occurred around me. The food, the language, the transportation, the street signs--literally everything I can think of is unfamiliar in at least some minor way, and at this point I find it both incredibly fascinating and slightly frustrating. I am growing past the initial shock of expected differences, and am just as surely finding this new culture slip into the cracks of my everyday routine. The way the shower is turned on. How to dry my hands in some public places. What kind of water to order at a restaurant. It's always something so simple that I've done a thousand times before in the United States, that is suddenly changed and naturally unforeseen in my attempts to predict what life would be like abroad. I'm beginning to operate on a slightly different paradigm that is so exciting I can't help but take photos of every little thing and share a few of these quirky anecdotes with you.
1. I worked at an international printing and paper convention in Dusseldorf called Drupa. The WCs (water closests..the German name for bathrooms) there have interesting looking paper towel dispensers which I quickly found out to be neither paper towels nor dispensers. After washing my hands, I stood with them dripping wet trying to pull at the paper cloth that was pulled taught across its mechanical holder. Nothing gave and no one was around to observe using this apparently cryptic piece of machinery, so I became frustrated and walked out, resourcing to my jeans as a mediocre substitute. I later learned that the machines holds a long roll of fabric, which you pull downward far and wipe your hands on; the machine pulls the fabric in a few moments later and rolls the fabric so a fresh part of the linen is exposed to the next user. This also explains the small closet where a lady sits and replenishes the rolls of fabric all day as they become used.
2. If you order just a water anywhere in Germany, be prepared to specify what you'd like--there is a clear distinction between sparkling, flat and tap. One of my co-workers at the trade show was serving at the refreshments section and I asked her for a glass. I didn't know what to pick and she chose sparkling water for me. It was carbonated an bubbly, completely throwing my taste palette off, as I expected something fruity or champagne-like to follow. This happened each sip and since have decided that sparkling water is an acquired taste.
3. When you sit down at a German restaurant and they set a basket of Pretzels on your table in front of you, they are NOT free like bread is in the US. In fact, nothing in Germany is free--the ketchup at McDonalds is 20 cents a packet, and sometimes it costs a few cents to use the public WC.
4. Germans are really gung-ho on going green. I see things here and there that consistently remind me of how environmentally-conscious the country seems to be. I first noticed this in my arriving night at the hotel room. Upon entering, you are to insert your key into a small pocket fixture attached to the wall. This allows the electricity in the room to work, and in turn ideally forces occupants to remove the key upon leaving to ensure that all lights and appliances are turned off while no one is there. I'm glad someone informed me of this otherwise I'd have had a real fun time trying to figure that one out! I've also seen a number of wind generators along the highway and even solar paneling on ordinary houses in Frankfurt.
Sorry for the long post! I have a feeling that a few more focused posts are in order for next time (:
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