Start Lifestyle „Freundnachbarlich“ – Serie Teil 1

„Freundnachbarlich“ – Serie Teil 1

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Diana und Steve Bright
Diana und Steve Bright

Welche Erfahrungen englische Freunde mit Deutschen und Deutschland gemacht haben und umgekehrt

Steve und Diana Bright mit weinglas und Gin Tonic in der Hand
Steve and Diana Bright

Di and I find the Germans we know embarrassing!

We are embarrassed by their incredible language skills and our lack of knowledge of any language beyond the outskirts of the city of Birmingham. We expect Germans to understand us by speaking in our native tongue but louder. We also mime what we want, which comes across as we are having a seizure.

Now I’m retiring, I must improve my German. People say I am turning into  “Grumpy Old Man” – I do wonder if this will be a benefit. The German language always sounds angry, when two people talk it sounds like an argument

There is a stereo typical image of there being one way to do things, the right way, the German way! In reality, we only know one person in Germany who acts like this (they will remain nameless). My own brother is very much like this, so I am wondering if my Mother had an affair with a salesman from Dusseldorf!

Everything Germans do is “Right first time” – not quite. Every time we have flown to Germany we hire a car. First time the car’s SatNav was programmed in Chinese – really! I don’t know if this was a touch of German humour. Our journey to Seligenstadt took two hours longer as we did several laps of Frankfurt Airport! The far side of the airport is very attractive. On our last trip the hire company lost our car in the airport, they then misplaced the replacement car and we spent quite a while longer than planned. I don’t know if somewhere in the German psyche there is a love of your airports and you want foreign visitors to spend as much time as possible admiring them from the outside and inside!

Forgiving, even after we voted to give up our European Citizenship, you still welcome us.

Generous – we find you as a nation very generous – on all levels.

Clean. Very. Your towns, cities and countryside always appears spotless and clean. But what is it with the Graffiti? Wherever you travel – Graffiti. My feeling is if you don’t move you get a coating of spray paint.

Beer and Wine – delightful – as a race you need to shout more about your wine.

Restaurant Food – umm, what can I say – love your sausages though.

Humour, whoever had the idea that Germans do not have a sense of humour is totally way off. They are great fun and are prepared to laugh at their own idiosyncrasies.

Garden Gnomes – this may be just me, but I’ve never seen so many – are there laws which state that gardens must have a Gnome?

Bread is part of the German DNA. There is certainly plenty of it and it’s good stuff. Katenbrot,  Dreikornbrot, Fünfkornbrot, Sonnenblumenbrot, Pumpernickel,  Hörnchen (better than French Croissants), Milchbrötchen, Vollkornbrot to name just a few. In the UK we have two types – white or brown and sometimes it is sliced!

Diana and Steve Bright

Siehe hierzu auch Karin Schumann

4 Kommentare

  1. Such a humourous analysis of our little weaknesses and a very generous view of our strengths.
    So if I understand that correctly I don’t have to be so polite and understanding anymore (it is really strenuous ) and start behaving like a German again at least in Germany.
    Desperately looking forward to getting back to the UK and spending a good time with all my good English friends. Auf Wiedersehen!

  2. I think, now I can be a little more proud of our nation. Especially because you called us homourous. We wouldn’t be German if we didn’t have such a variety of bread and our lovely wine. Beside of that I never noticed that only in Germany there are so many Graffiti. I never had an eye for it in other countries actually.
    And why don’t you want to stay in our airports a bit longer? They are so beautiful though. I can’t understand that at all. 😉

    Warm regards
    Pascale

  3. A very sweet analysis about the little pecularities we Germans have – and spot on! 😛
    Generally love the idea about the series – espsecially in times like these!

    Cheers,
    Lea

  4. A very sweet analysis about the little pecularities we Germans have – and spot on! 😛
    Generally love the idea about the series – especially in times like these!

    Cheers,
    Lea

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