Public transportation, the obvious choice. But there’s a stark difference. For one, the seats and the floors are incredibly clean. Every passenger silently stares out of the window, not looking away even despite a sound. I got on the bus and watched one woman accidentally drop her bag on a second woman’s toes. Even when the first woman vehemently apologized with a quick “Entschuldigung!” the second woman said nothing, not even looking away from the window. I dropped a 2 euro coin on the bus floor, which made a loud sound as it rolled away from me. Despite how it seemed to shatter the silence on the train, no one even glanced at me.
Public transportation, part 2. They don’t wait for you here! I’ve missed buses because I was mere feet away from the doors before they closed and the bus driver drove off. Once the doors open, you have a few seconds to get on the train. If you miss it, then you may need to wait between ten minutes and one hour. Sometimes the buses come very late or very early, so it’s important to be at the stop at least ten minutes beforehand. And another shock was that the so-called efficient German transportation system isn’t as efficient as I envisioned. There are issues every day, particularly with trains, that cause very long delays, turning thirty-minute trips into two-hour long ones.
Walking on the streets. Everyone walks at a regular pace, slower than I’m used to, and people cut each other off without a second thought. In America, when we make eye contact with each other, we acknowledge it with a slight nod, a smile, or even a wave. But here, I don’t make eye contact with anyone, and when I do, it’s a blank stare. Their stern faces were initially unnerving, but I like being able to stare at my feet and walk.
The food. There’s no such thing as a quick meal. Every day that I eat with my host family, we get out all the silverware, the plates, and set the food out. Slowly, we serve ourselves, sharing things about our day. When there are multiple courses, we always wait for the last person to finish eating, even if it takes a long time. The same goes for leaving the table: wait until the last person finishes eating. Eating while walking on the streets is also unheard of. Even with little snacks like a small piece of toasted bread with butter, my host family sits at the table and eats the bread on a plate. I’m also not used to using a knife and fork (even for pizza and things that I normally eat with my hands!) but I’m getting quite good at it!
Last modified on 2024-08-15