A Cameryn B. - First Week in Berlin - Observations

Dear Cameryn,

As my first week to Berlin comes to a close, I have lots to reflect on, not the least of which being the different customs and behaviors I’ve seen here. It is weird to be completely immersed in a new culture with a new language and many new rules. For one thing, we have had to be very vigilant of our jaywalking and taking up space in public because we have to stay clear of the bike lanes throughout the city. As well, Germans are not as loud in public as Americans, so we often find ourselves receiving annoyed glances from Berliners on the subway or in other public spaces.

The place where I have been most surprised by Germans has been at fast food restaurants- I have been in a KFC and a McDonalds so far. (Side note: I prefer to eat actual German food during my time here, but the members of my cohort have other plans I guess.) Germans take extremely long to order and leave from fast food restaurants- I was pretty shocked to spend 45 minutes in line for KFC when in the US the same ratio of customers to workers should have taken 15 minutes. Germans walked up to the counter for casual conversations and often spent their time near the register looking at the menu or asking questions - to me it was a huge annoyance but everyone else in line maintained their patience, so I had to too. It’s interesting to see the small things that make cultures different- in this instance, what are the annoyances of Americans vs. those of Germans.

I hope you continue to enjoy your time in Germany- you have a week left, so make the most of it! Keep trying to improve your German, and make lots of great memories!

Lots of love!

Cameryn