Made in Germany

When I first set out to study abroad last year, travel and have life experiences, the concept of gelling into the surroundings was alien to me because I'd taken for granted that it would happen seamlessly as it had all along until then and it did. My first year in Germany (along with a stint in the US) as an International Student slid over as smoothly as the first cup of coffee on a hangover morning - no complaints whatsoever. So much so, that most people (except my parents, thankfully) are persuading and pleading me to come home for a vacation after graduating.

Having been abroad for almost an year and a half to notice that there are certain aspects that most definitely fall into the purview of Culture Shock (Germany being the focus in this post) which I noticed all this while but voicing them only now.

1. Time 

The German obsession for time is famous the world over and is one of the pillars in their success story. The demanded accuracy is in minutes and late coming of any sort is utterly looked down upon as incompetence. Even TV/radio shows start at oddest time intervals - for example I have seen the 8 O'clock news on a few channels beginning at 19:52.

The accuracy of their public transport is probably tuned to the second on many occasions. There are updated printed schedules of buses and trains in every station and one often notices buses and trains pulling into the railway station at the same time if their schedules happen to coincide. With such a high degree of precision, it is not uncommon to note people tuning their wrist-watches based upon the arrival and departure of buses or trains.

Two incidents come to mind -

a) A crowd (maximum 15 people - that's what constitutes a crowd here) was assembled at a bus station in anticipation of a bus. When the bus arrived 2 minutes late, an old lady actually went and asked the driver why he was late by 2 minutes; the driver apologized for being late and assured the lady that he would make up the time in the remainder of the journey. 

b) A train was set to depart at 08:46 and an Indian acquaintance who had just landed into Deutschland and armed with the Indian Stretchable Time reached there promptly at 08:46 to see the train depart from the platform leaving him behind.

2. Beer

There is a famous joke that always does the rounds that beer and not haemoglobin runs in German blood; I`m beginning to think that there's some truth to it now. The beer obsession comes in a close second after time, anything and everything right from the your lawn being freshly mowed to getting a PhD elicits a beer. It is without doubt their favourite drink and costs cheaper than water in many places.

Beer rivalries are like football club rivalries and have fanatic following which are decades or sometimes even centuries old. What this means is that beer brewed in one city will not be consumed if sold in some other city due to the rivalry and if despite that you choose to disrespect the local beer - the least you can expect is people giving you dirty stares if not a sound thrashing. It is noteworthy to add that each football club has its own official brewery from which fans will drink during their games at stadiums, bars and pubs.

Also, don't ever bother passing off foreign beer brands as world famous to a German. The following is a reply I got from a colleague when I did - Friend, let me tell you how foreign beer is made. They make a raging bull drink Berliner (famous German beer) and when it poops - you get all the foreign beer brands, because that's all they are - a load of bull crap.

3. Cars

Home to the biggest, oldest and the most famous car makers in the world, it is no wonder that the Germans are obsessed with cars - importantly German made cars. The city I live in houses the headquarters of Volkswagen and are the locals proud of that! The popularity of German cars is too well known for their excellent performance, sleek looks and brand image. It is precisely these aspects that make a German thump his chest in pride while whizzing across the Autobahn.

It is blasphemy for a German to buy a foreign made car despite it being pocket friendly, having classier features, cheaper insurance or even better performance. Although you do see the likes of many a foreign car manufacturer plying their products on the market, they have still not been able to shake the traditional German mindset and make inroads into it. 

4. Naturism

Citizens of this country follow many well-established customs, including naturism. Their attitude toward nakedness in public places took me by surprise. Not least when I was in the changing room of the gym to which I go. 

There I was amidst people from all age-groups naked from the waist down - very naked. When I finally managed to change into the exercise-gear, there before me was a woman - a pretty woman - pushing her broom at my feet. This very real vision was the female cleaner in the male changing-room! Our eyes met. I blushed. She pushed on blithely, unconcerned. Or when I went to take a shower with no curtains, no enclosures, nothing. 

My colleagues tell me that nakedness is de rigueur. The sight of the nude body is completely normal - natural, as they put it. And, they say, being naked is nothing to do with sex. There is never a stir or a twitch of a sexual nature. To which I only manage a "hmmm".

What is your experience of a 'culture shock'?