There are some things that just don't fly in the U.S. but do fly in whirligig leaps and bounds in Germany. Most people know about the notoriously pervasive examples not limited to but including swearing on public radio and television, Speedos worn in public, legal prostitution, and the coddling of one David Hasselhof as if he were the misplaced tabloid lovechild of America and the Fatherland. Although popular, these oddities are merely the black and white of the cultural rift an ex-pat in Germany will sometimes experience. There are countless shades of gray tucked away in between that can be infinitely more baffling and comedic to a foreigner than a George Clooney Nespresso ad. At precisely the right cultural combination, however, the result can be strikingly refreshing and I hope the pictures can help to illustrate this perceived juxtaposition.
One outstanding item you can't grasp through the pictures, however, is the prolific honor system the Germans utilize, here in Hannover anyway--unfortunately for now there is no way for me to tell for sure having spent the majority of my time in one city. For example the city buses never check if you have a ticket during the day, only when you travel in the evening. The metro that runs above as well as underground here is different though and you are subject to random checks at all hours. There are plenty of restaurants and bars that also do not keep track of your order while you are there, other than to serve you the goods. Afterward, because they never shoo you out of an establishment, you are welcome to sit as long as you like then simply walk up to a waitress or the cashier when you are ready to leave and tell him/her what you ordered, no questions asked! I mentioned this scenario in hushed tones of amazement to different people who all agreed that this would not fly in the U.S., but more notably countries like Italy and France where passively waiting your turn for anything is a moot affair and incidences of petty theft are markedly higher. Of course there are the occasional young-uns and derelicts who take advantage of the system, but for the most part Germans know how to keep themselves and others in check when it comes to upholding this wonderful arrangement.
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| I always knew San Diegans were best represented by shrooms in a cheesy cream sauce. |
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| X-mas sexy Santa window display at a local tanning salon. |
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| I wonder why this was in the sale section?? |
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| Jagermeister drinking and teddy bear making don't mix. |
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| Odd and weirdly awesome wig display at a craft store. |
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| Playing with the electric trains arcade at the Braunschweig main train station. |
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| A man came up and said cheerfully to me in German, "These trains are for small kids but I can see that you are a big kid (at heart)." |
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| Little plastic people forever missing their ride. |
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| Did I mention I was having a beer while playing with these trains? | | |
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| Supergeek-out to the soundtrack via live orchestra while watching the movie. I'm sure all German Matrix fans have the same smug smile Neo is sporting in this poster. I wonder how they'll reproduce the Rage Against the Machine tracks... |
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| At first I looked at the soda prices at the theater concessions and was like, "Nothing too different here." But then... |
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| Behold! The beer is cheaper than the soda! At the movies! |
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| And there's a mind numbing selection of reasonably priced frozen goodies and candy! Plus Ben & Jerry's is everywhere here. :) |
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| Some theaters here offer assigned seating when you purchase tickets. We caught Black Swan in the original version--OV, and meaning English speaking for this particular film. The local Edwards type theater has a different OV film each Tuesday but usually only plays it once so you have to keep on your toes with their schedule. We missed the Tron boat unfortunately. :( |
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| Just pretty lights. Rather than those horribly produced local real estate ads and celebrity trivia games. |
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| Mario enjoying his concession beverage of choice. |
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| A Becks tap encased in a layer of shaped ice. Not that this wouldn't fly but it's pretty cool. |
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Watching Bremen, the hometown of Becks beer, play Hannover. The little red key crest is their city's symbol and you see it all
over town. |
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| Mimosa and coffee station at a local trendy jeans store. Who said your champagne brunch had to stop when you head out to shop? |
