Guest Obiwan Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 I was in America, more specifically in the city of Key West. Ernest Hemingway, one of my role models, once lived there. The first thing that strikes you as a German is how polite people are. The second is the friendliness. The third is the apparent absence of aggression of any kind. On the street, every second person smiles at you as if they want to marry you on the spot. Strangers crossing your path give you a friendly nod. In Germany, people who don't know you usually act as if you don't exist and look straight through you. Once back in Germany, I also smiled and nodded at everyone for the first few days. People must have thought I was mentally ill. Americans constantly asked, "How're you doing?". One day, I had a problem with my bike. Twenty seconds later, a tatooed body-builder guy rushed over and fixed it. Afterward, his fingers were covered in oil. He smiled at me and said, "I'm glad I could help". When two cars want to park in the same space, each driver bends over backward to let the other have it; this ritual can take up to a quarter of an hour. And although the Americans introduced a smoking ban before Germany did, they are far more tolerant of smokers than we are. As one of our politicians put it, the German people entered the smoking ban era as solemnly as if they were walking into a church service. But Americans are polite even to smokers. In the US, the non-smoker asks, "Can I help? Need a light? And can I get you a snifter of cognac to go with that?". Germans are fond of calling Americans superficial, "They don't really mean what they say". I say I would rather have someone superficial help me fix my bike than have someone step on my suede shoes with great sincerity! The thing I find odd is: The Germans have an almost fail-safe welfare state, they overwhelmingly reject military operations of any kind, drill countless water wells in Africa, are greener than almost any other nation, wouldn't give students anything less than a B, even if they spit on their teachers, and treat criminals like children who have accidentally knocked over a glass of soda. In all public or offical matters, Germany is extremely warm, peaceful, and understanding. All its aggressiveness is reserved for personal interactions. A typical day in Germany goes like this: Mister Müller prepares a vegetarian meal for himself and the dog he has rescued from a Spanish animal shelter, goes online to transfer a 150 Euro-donation to Amnesty International and to quickly sign a petition in support of unemployed Roma from Romania. Leaving his apartment, he greets his neighbor in the stairwell with the words: "You messy old hag! If you ever leave your garbage next to the trash can again, I'll sue you!". Then, Mister Müller heads off - by bicycle, of course - to an anti war demonstration. On his way, he makes sure to key a car because its fender is extending four inches into the bike lane. In the US, the situation is reversed. Americans wage war after war. Any lunatic can easily buy a gun. Military and intelligence agencies are as hard as steel. Judges pass death sentences at the drop of a hat. And border controls are as tough as nails. Personally, I don't like any of that. But everyday life? Easy like sunday morning... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foamy T. Squirrel Posted June 21, 2014 Share Posted June 21, 2014 Thank you for sharing your observations. I have interacted with many people from Europe, Asia, and Africa, both personally and professionally. The Germans and the Dutch love to travel, and they do it well. I always enjoy their company; although they are obsessed with order and cleanliness, they are not nearly as judgmental as the French or the British upper classes. Ultimately, though Euros often whine and complain about the US, most of us are your cousins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBG 150 Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 I need to take a ride to Key West to experience this sort of behavior for myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foamy T. Squirrel Posted June 22, 2014 Share Posted June 22, 2014 On this day in in 1788, the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified. Just thought you should know. As long as we have that, we are not dead. Just thought the world should know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foamy T. Squirrel Posted June 23, 2014 Share Posted June 23, 2014 Gee, the Yankees managed to tie Portugal...not bad, considering most of us forget how to play soccer once we're old enough to hold a baseball bat... (Yes, I said "soccer." Don't come unglued. ;D) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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