German Culture Shock Makes Sense After 2.5 Years Living in Europe

Indexé : 2026-05-20

[00:00:05]Zane. I can count to 10 in German. Don't ask me why. I've always had this thing about Germany and the German language. I think maybe because my babysitter was a German. Her name was Miss Leapsite. And that was a long time ago. I was probably only like four or five. But some reason I remember that. I took German in college. I've just been infatuated with Germany for some strange reason. This is going to be a good one here today.

[00:00:29]because we are taking a look at Americans face culture shock in Germany.

[00:00:34]This is insane by Pecaroni TV. I think that's how you say that name. I will definitely include a link in the description so you can head on over there. Subscribe to his channel and do all of the YouTube stuff. So, this is going to be Americans in Germany. I don't know. This is going to be a little bit scary. But before we get going here, go ahead and like the video. That really helps a lot. Let's see what we can see.

[00:00:56]Can somebody tell me why German houses look so crazy on the outside? Like, I'm literally not even joking about this.

[00:01:02]Like, German houses will literally look like this. I've seen houses that look like this, you know?

[00:01:08]>> Come on.

[00:01:11]Is this real? I mean, not real is in like you are there house that look like that? I mean, is this real? She really asking that?

[00:01:22]Obviously, you can go to any country and find a house that looks like that.

[00:01:25]That's not all German houses. Maybe I should calm down and see what she has to say. But I don't know about that.

[00:01:30]>> Even houses that look like this. This is not bad. But you know what I'm saying?

[00:01:34]Or even houses that look like it came from the three little pigs or this scary home.

[00:01:40]>> Oh god, what is wrong with people?

[00:01:48]I think she's just trying to say something so somebody will click on her thing. I I don't know. Three little pigs.

[00:01:56]That's terrible.

[00:01:58]>> Or even houses that look like it came from the three little pigs or this scary home. And you're probably wondering like, why are you roasting German houses? You're an American. Be quiet.

[00:02:08]Because the houses on the inside, they look like this. Like I'm so confused.

[00:02:13]Like German houses be ugly on the outside but beautiful on the inside.

[00:02:16]Like I've had friends walk me over to their house and it looks like this on the outside. They're like, "It's completely safe. This is Germany. We don't have any GIA." And the outside of the apartment will literally look like this. I'm terrified for my life. It looks like I'm going to get jumped by another German woman. And then on the inside, it looks like a fivestar like hotel. So, if you come to Germany and you looking at the houses and they look crazy, do not be scared. They just look a little old on the outside. They're beautiful on the inside.

[00:02:46]>> I'm an American.

[00:02:47]>> Hold on. Okay. First of all, I got a problem with how the accent that she tried to impersonate. Even though I just said the German language, I just counted to 10. So, I don't know. I wasn't trying to impersonate German language. I was doing my best. And then the other thing is, isn't that interesting that I think if I was going to have it one way or the other, if I was going to have a house that didn't look great on the outside but was super comfortable inside, imagine that because I live on the inside, or would I rather have a house that looks amazing on the outside but is not comfortable on the inside? I think that that's a lot of the way that many Americans think. It's about how you look to the people, what kind of image you have.

[00:03:34]Wow, that's crazy that she did all that.

[00:03:38]But anyway, that's just my take on that.

[00:03:40]Let's see what this lady had to say here.

[00:03:41]>> In Germany and somehow when I go out, people always know that I'm from the US or that I speak English. What about my outfit or how I look right now screams American? Please tell me cuz I feel like I'm blending in. It's super hot here today. I just walked. This is all my groceries. I brought my own bag. I bought a soda, sunglasses.

[00:04:05]>> Oh my god.

[00:04:12]I mean, honestly, I wouldn't think she was anything but American. I don't know.

[00:04:17]Maybe the shorts, the big old sunglasses.

[00:04:22]Uh, I don't I don't know what about what she's wearing is screaming American.

[00:04:30]Wonder >> I do wear my AirPods. Is that weird?

[00:04:34]Maybe it's AirPods. How do people know?

[00:04:36]This happens to me all the time. And I can speak German, so I don't know why they immediately start talking to me in English. It's so crazy. Also, I live in a small town in Germany. It's not like I'm in Berlin or Munich where everybody speaks English. This is a smallish city.

[00:04:52]Let me know your thoughts.

[00:04:54]>> Well, if it's a small city, that means you're going to stand out more. I mean, hello. This is like common sense. Also, I experienced this here in the US. My wife and I talk about it all the time.

[00:05:03]Like, people just look at us and they're you, you know, it's like they're not from here. Well, it's pretty obvious.

[00:05:09]Well, no, I shouldn't say that. I was going to say it's obvious that I'm not from here, but there are other dark-kinned people that are born and raised here in Spain. But you know, sometimes it's some of the things that you do like how does she talk? How does she carry herself? Does she walk too close? Does she walk, you know, too far from someone? And there all of these things scream American. How you stand, I think, can determine how, you know, if you're an American, her mannerisms, all of those things can tell if you are from there or not. I mean, it's pretty pretty straightforward, but I don't know. Maybe she should have asked me before she made this little Tik Tok here.

[00:05:51]Um, wow. Oh, god. That little kick at the end, that's American.

[00:05:58]Actually, I don't know if it is, but it should be. That's funny.

[00:06:02]>> Actually bought all of these clothes here. Anyways, >> that don't matter.

[00:06:07]>> All right, listen up. I am an American living in Germany and I've been here for about 10 years now. So, I feel fully qualified to speak on this matter. When I first moved to Europe, I was under the impression of like I'm only here temporarily. This is like an extended holiday. I'm going to do my thing here for a couple years. Eventually, I'm going to go home and I'm going to go live back in the States. That's my homeland. You know, land of the free, home of the brave. Like, >> there's no place better.

[00:06:34]>> Now that I've been here for so long, >> I'm not sure I'm ever leaving. I'm not sure I will ever go back.

[00:06:40]>> Okay. Growing up, I feel like we were all fed the same lie. Like there is no place better than the US of A, you know, like we are the best country in the world. We are the greatest country in the world. Everyone wants to be us.

[00:06:54]Everyone wants to come and live here.

[00:06:56]Like we are the center of the universe, right?

[00:06:59]>> And let me tell you one thing, >> that ain't it. The second I moved to Germany, I was humbled real quick.

[00:07:08]No one is jealous of us, >> right?

[00:07:10]>> No one wants to be us. No one wants to live in America. If anything, >> they pity us.

[00:07:17]>> And sometimes I feel like they even look at America like it's one big joke of a place.

[00:07:23]>> The look on people's faces when we tell them what we had to pay to go to college, it's like >> they can't even fathom it. They think that we're joking, that we're playing some prank on them. Yeah.

[00:07:34]>> Or it's like you had to have a lifeaving surgery and you had to pay thousands of dollars for it.

[00:07:42]>> Here in Germany, if you want to go to like a public university, for example, you might pay a few hundred max. And if you need something medically that's like necessary for you to live and be healthy, it's covered by insurance. I've had two babies here in Germany, one in the hospital and one at home. And my home birth was also covered by insurance. My husband has also had a few surgeries here in Germany. He tore his MCL. He had to get a knee surgery. He's gotten wisdom teeth out. He had to get veins removed. He's gone under a leg four or five times. We've never had a bill ever. I feel like the biggest difference between Europe and America that I literally can't even wrap my brain around is the fact that here basic kind of like human rights, things like medical care, education, etc., etc., public transportation >> are seen as a luxury in America that you have to afford, you have to save for.

[00:08:33]It's so crazy and it really makes my >> She is really talking on this one, but I don't want to pause it cuz she's saying some good stuff.

[00:08:41]>> Blood boil. When I see people that I know and like love in America and they're like talking about how they can't even afford groceries and they're making their own butter at home because they can't even afford to pay butter, it's just >> we are so shell shocked every time.

[00:08:55]sticker shocked actually. Every time that we go home, when we were just home over the summer, we had to buy a toothbrush and toothpaste because like my husband forgot it here and like didn't pack it. He went to this CVS. I think $13. What?

[00:09:07]>> $13. He had to shell over for a tube of toothpaste and a basic stupid toothbrush. Here, I think our tubes of toothpaste are like $1. Like literally, this is not an exaggeration, $1. Just why were we fed this lie growing up that we live in the greatest country in the world when people die because they can't even afford healthare or they can't even go to the store and pay for butter or they're working two jobs just to like live life normally not even luxuriously.

[00:09:35]And then there's other places in the world that you don't need to do that.

[00:09:39]It's just I don't get it.

[00:09:41]>> Jim, >> oh man, she said a lot there. I mean, it's true. I know people think it's weird that Americans think that, but I mean, it's just the way it is. I don't know. I'm not I don't think it's right.

[00:09:58]I know I've experienced it, so I know it's completely different, but just when you're growing up, it's it's almost like you're told, you just have a belief that you're in the best place that there ever was and everybody's trying to come there. That's why they have all the, you know, and because the country was built on that. There's stories of people who came there and sacrificed everything and came over there with $5 in their pocket and now they have this great business and making all this money and you know, so I just think that you just start to believe that your country is the best and all these other countries, you know, they have all these problems, but the United States is amazing.

[00:10:41]Well, I don't I don't necessarily think that. And you want to know what's interesting is that right now, like I have family that I've been telling some of the great things about living in Europe. I mean, I can go down a list of all the, you know, less expensive groceries, not having to worry about health care, all all of the the convenience of being able to travel to all these other countries. I can go through everything and they'll say like, "Yeah, but we're in the United States and those people don't know what they're missing and everybody wants to come over here."

[00:11:17]Man, it's crazy. It's crazy. And some people will never leave because they think they got the best place in on and everything you could possibly have. So anyway, I don't know. It's it's so interesting, but it is true. It is a real thing. That's what people think over there.

[00:11:38]>> Things that will shock Americans part 11. Okay.

[00:11:41]>> Number one, your sick days are basically unlimited because you get 6 weeks fully paid sick days.

[00:11:51]>> And then um after that, I think it's 60 or 70% of your income that you're getting.

[00:11:57]>> Number two, as long as you have a doctor's note, >> your job can't fire you. And it's a lot harder to fire you anyway because you need a legitimate reason for it. like missing work without no you know calling in >> or um stealing and stuff like that.

[00:12:13]>> Wow. So in the US I mean they're proud that it's at will you know state you know which means they can let you go at will. Sometimes you have to have some things to back that up depending on where you are. You know I I used to manage a lot of people in California. California is a lot, you know, they have a lot of protections for the worker. Then I moved to Texas. In Texas, they don't necessarily have those protections for the worker. They believe that the owner is the the the owner or the manager is they have definitely have way more um clout pull, whatever you want to say, than a worker. So, they can just let you go because that's what they want to do.

[00:13:00]At least that's the experience that I had. And then if they let you go, they need to let you know I think four weeks in advance. It needs to be like the next month over, but it can't be like on the 30th of the month >> because that would make it the month, not the month after, but the month after that.

[00:13:17]>> No.

[00:13:18]>> Number three, maternity leave is 3 years. You heard that right.

[00:13:22]>> What the hell?

[00:13:24]Three years. How did I not know that?

[00:13:27]Three years.

[00:13:29]Is this real? Maternity leave is three years and you get to go back to your job. I mean, I probably should have let her finish, but I had to pause because I want to talk about that. Is that real?

[00:13:40]Three years.

[00:13:42]>> And number four, our shelf toilets.

[00:13:46]>> Google it.

[00:13:47]>> I just came here to get something strong so I can go back to work after this. I'm not going to prescribe you anything strong. Okay. What does that mean?

[00:13:54]You're not going to give me any medication. I'm going to give you a doctor's note. You are officially Kankushim and you'll stay home the rest of the week. I don't need a doctor's note. Okay. My first ever patient to be upset about being crank. Well, yeah.

[00:14:07]What am I going to do? Sit at home all week, do nothing, and not even get paid for that? Uh, you will get paid, of course. What do you mean I will get paid? What do you think the doctor's note is for exactly? It's telling your company to pay you the rest of the week when you are recovering at home.

[00:14:24]>> Well, >> I didn't know you could tell my company to do that. Yes, I can do that. Wow, doctors are really powerful in Germany.

[00:14:33]>> Many how many?

[00:14:34]>> Wait, so if you're hourly Okay, I think in the US if I'm salaried and I miss work, then I'm still going to get paid.

[00:14:49]But if you're hourly, as in you get paid an hourly wage and you miss work in Germany, they're still going to pay you for a week.

[00:14:58]Is that true? That's pretty cool. I think in the in the US, they don't pay you if you're hourly, especially you might be part-time, and it's real tricky over there in the US because if you're part-time, they don't have to give you certain benefits. And fulltime is anything that's 32 hours or more. And now it's been a few years, I don't know, maybe five, six years before I was managing people. So, I don't know, things could have changed. But I know that we didn't have full-time employees.

[00:15:32]I mean, we had some that were salaried, but we didn't have full-time hourly. So, they'd get like 28 hours, maybe 30, but if you kept them under 32, then they didn't get benefits. Isn't that horrible? But that's how it was. That's that's that's what we did. So, let's see what he has to say.

[00:15:54]>> Americans are always shocked.

[00:15:57]>> Really powerful in Germany.

[00:15:59]>> Many Americans are always shocked that the German language is the main language in Germany. Yeah, sure. You don't need German to live in Germany, but you need German to drive in Germany. You can get by with English. What?

[00:16:16]>> Okay. I think he said you don't need German to live in Germany.

[00:16:24]He say you need German to drive.

[00:16:26]>> German to drive in Germany >> to drive in Germany.

[00:16:29]>> You can get by with English. Well enough. If you are a tourist or a visiting professional, but unless you learn the language, there is a social glass ceiling you'll never break. a secret level and you might never even know it's there. Failing to learn the language is by far the biggest reason experts throw in the towel and go home.

[00:16:53]Hello everyone, my name is Antony. I am the judge and the jury and the executioner. What >> you have any question?

[00:17:00]>> What where that where that come from?

[00:17:03]Judge and the jury and the exe executioner. But he's speaking some facts right there cuz I mean it's happening. It's happening to us here, but we're not throwing in the ch towel. I mean, we're learning. I can understand a lot. I mean, I can go to the We went to the uh vet vet veterinarian veterinarian just today.

[00:17:23]Hopefully, I'm saying that right. The vet just today. And we had to understand everything that she was saying, talking about our little cat, Skittles. That's the name of the cat. But anyway, but we the speaking part was a little bit challenging. So, but I I I know people that have lived in Spain for 10 or 12 years and don't speak Spanish. It's like you're just not trying at that point.

[00:17:46]And I know that people would appreciate it. And you know, they appreciate that we try. So, he's definitely saying something like you are limited if you don't try and communicate with the people and if you don't eventually get to a place where you can actually communicate and express who you are. So I that was a good good point there.

[00:18:08]Judge, jury, and executioner. I think that's what he said. Let me see.

[00:18:12]American finds out how much college costs in Germany. Oh god.

[00:18:19]How much is tuition? Like approximately like how many courses you have to take per semester? I mean how much money?

[00:18:26]Money for what? Just how much do I need to pay per semester? Well, the total amount is around 230 per semester.

[00:18:35]230,000.

[00:18:37]God, that's even worse than the US. No, 230.

[00:18:42]But that is mainly for the train ticket.

[00:18:44]So, you do not have to pay extra to use public transport. But attending the university, that costs nothing, of course. Wait, you mean nothing as >> free? Yes. This is how much it costs?

[00:18:56]>> Oh, man.

[00:18:59]We paid 18. When I was in school, I graduated in 19 94.

[00:19:09]When I was in school, it was 18,000 a year just for the tuition. But we had room and board, you had to eat, you had, you know, you had all of those things. So, um, and then I was fortunate enough to go back in early 2000 to be a coach there. And the tuition, I mean, they had this thing where they were trying to increase the tuition. And so what they did is they they had a like a drive to bring in like higher level teachers just and and re uh remodeling a lot of buildings, adding new buildings, making it so that they could charge more. So they did all that and I think by the time I left there in like 2001 or two or three or somewhere in there, it was about 50 or 60,000 a year to go there. I don't know what it is right now. It's probably upwards of somewhere between 60 and 70,000 a year.

[00:20:16]Oh man, it is so crazy. And there's no well in in the US what you get a lot is uh scholarships like if you're an athlete you can have a scholarship but my school was considered a division three school and as it related to athletics there was no scholarship like you they didn't have scholarships. So division one has the most scholarships division two has some. Division 3 doesn't have any. So hopefully that's that's correct. I could be wrong on that. But yeah so it's it's expensive to go there. It blows my mind. I don't know, man. I wish I would have known.

[00:20:51]I don't even know if I would have been able to come over. I don't know if I could have I I don't know how it works.

[00:20:56]I wish I would have known. I wish I I would have been like, you know what? I'm going to Germany or somewhere and get, you know, uh, free education, but I don't know how they feel about the Americans taking advantage of that. I don't even know that's a thing. Anyway, how much it costs to give birth in Germany. Oh god, why? This video is trying to depress me and depress everybody. Here we go.

[00:21:18]>> To give birth in Germany. An American mom living in Germany and I gave birth to this child three months ago and I just got my bill in the mail. Let me first say I have private health insurance here in Germany which uh is different for everyone but for me I have to pay for my healthcare in full and then I submit that claim to my insurance and my insurance reimbures me for it. I had a pretty uncomplicated birth. I did receive an epidural and I was in the hospital for three nights afterwards which is standard here in Germany. So, the total for the delivery and the all the care I received amount to €3,39510.

[00:21:53]And they broke it down. It's an itemized bill and it is pretty standard. It's like the delivery itself was around €2,200. And then they charge me for like the room, the meals, and everything like that. But that just seems so affordable compared to healthcare in the United States. My health insurance will be reimbursing me this amount in full, but I will initially have to pay it out of pocket. Sure, people will have some questions about this, so drop them in the comments and I'll answer.

[00:22:20]>> Huh. Did you get reimbured? So, basically, it's zero now. I don't remember. We It's been some years since we My youngest son is 27.

[00:22:33]So I don't know what the cost to give birth is in the US. But if she's saying it must if she's saying that like she's shocked then I'm guessing it's better than what it costs in the US. I don't know.

[00:22:46]>> So I'm currently crossing in between two countries. On this side of the river it's Luxembourg. On that side of the river Germany. And all I have to do to go from one country to the other is just walk across this bridge. Low key, my American mind is kind of like >> my American mind like can't quite compute. And I've realized that the way Americans think of borders is crazy.

[00:23:11]Like here the border is just a walk along a bridge and boom, I'm in another country. I can go get coffee in that country and then go back to that one.

[00:23:19]But as an American, I've been conditioned to think that a border means barbed wire and fences and gates.

[00:23:25]>> And that's just so not natural. And I don't think Americans, we don't even realize how unnatural it is to be treating our border like a war zone.

[00:23:35]Because at the end of the day, if people want to come in, they're going to come in. You're just costing human lives by militarizing the area. Borders can look like this. Don't forget that.

[00:23:49]That's interesting. I mean, borders can look like that. Yes.

[00:23:53]But I mean, I don't know. I don't know.

[00:23:57]That's probably something we really shouldn't get into too much, I guess.

[00:24:00]But I just think that, you know, they have something. They have the EU, right?

[00:24:07]And isn't it a thing where if you're in a if you're in a country that's in the EU, can't you choose to live in any other country that's in the EU? I don't know if I'm you know, I'm not a a European citizen yet. So, I I don't know that fact, but I'm more than willing to have you tell me, but I think that's the case. And so it's, you know, it's a little bit different where in the United States, I mean, everybody over there thinks that, hey, it's a privilege to come into this country. So you have to go through security and if we don't have somebody, you know, go through somebody vet you to come into this country, then who knows what can happen. All those things, some of those points are valid, but that's kind of the overriding thought process, I believe, of a lot of people in in the US. So, that was that was interesting. But I do want to know about the EU citizenship. I think that's how it is. All right. Americans biggest culture shock. Why' I break it up?

[00:25:12]America's biggest culture shock in Germany. What is it? Could I get two beers? Oh, here we go.

[00:25:18]>> I get two beers.

[00:25:20]>> Uh, two.

[00:25:21]>> Two beers.

[00:25:22]>> Yeah. Do you need to see my ID?

[00:25:24]>> Oh, how many? 16. 16 years old.

[00:25:32]>> Oh wow.

[00:25:37]>> Thank you.

[00:25:37]>> Oh wow.

[00:25:38]>> Here you can you can keep a t two for you.

[00:25:41]>> No.

[00:25:42]>> Sorry about that.

[00:25:44]>> Dude, I still can't believe they didn't ID me.

[00:25:47]>> That is Germany.

[00:25:49]>> No, >> Germany's crazy.

[00:25:53]I'm an >> Well, he did have a lot of a few American things there trying to tip them first of all. Well, I know in Spain obviously that's not a thing consistently. I'm assuming it's the same in Germany based on their reaction and then just you know that's what you're you I've had I've had certain stores in the US where I go in looking like this.

[00:26:21]I mean, not not like that. What I'm saying anyway, I look my age and I go in there and they ask me for an ID because you got to be 21 and they're just going to ask everybody. So, that way this doesn't look like they're discriminating by asking somebody who looks under 21 or even, you know, saying somebody's old by saying you don't need one. So, they asked everybody. So, that's interesting.

[00:26:41]And nobody has asked, obviously, nobody here has asked me or my wife or our boys, even though they do look older, a lot older than 16. But anyway, I haven't seen it in any bar or anything. I haven't seen anybody get carded. So, yeah.

[00:26:56]>> American living in Germany. And here's a list of things that I had to get used to >> when I moved here.

[00:27:01]>> Recycling.

[00:27:02]>> Yep.

[00:27:03]>> Mhm. Yeah. Having to literally carry cash anywhere all the time. You could go somewhere fully anticipating and thinking you could use your card, but 999. Also, um having to carry around coins just to take a [ __ ] in public.

[00:27:16]Quiet days on Sundays.

[00:27:18]>> No grocery stores being open. am >> nothing really open for that matter. How Germans take their gardening very [ __ ] seriously. They are out in their yards at all hours of the day just picking at weeds, trimming hedges. Also, how much >> That's cool. I I did not know that.

[00:27:34]That's pretty cool. Any uh avid gardeners out there can vouch for that.

[00:27:39]>> Germans ride bikes and go on walks no matter the weather. Rain, shine, >> they don't care. Also, the staring.

[00:27:48]The staring. Just paying bills in general.

[00:27:51]>> What? What is she talking about? The staring.

[00:27:56]I think I do know that. Is that I think Germans Oh, yeah. What am I talking about? I do know that. Okay. They do stare, but it's not a bad thing. What I remember, and I could be wrong, but I think if they stare at you, doesn't that mean they they trust you? I know I could be wrong, but I think that was it.

[00:28:20]They're comfortable enough to stare.

[00:28:22]Feel free to correct me. Okay. What does she say after that?

[00:28:25]>> The way that you pay bills here is >> so different than what I'm used to. How geographically >> Why didn't she explain? The way you pay bills there is so different than what you're used to. How do you pay bills?

[00:28:39]that you pay bills here is so different than what I'm used to. How geographically large Germany is. Like, it's [ __ ] massive. Sausages everywhere. All the time. All the time.

[00:28:51]This is more of a Europe thing, but going to the gas station and the diesel pump handle being black and the the gas pump being green.

[00:28:59]>> Oh, >> how quickly the produce goes bad here.

[00:29:02]Like, I will buy a pack of strawberries and they're moldy in a day.

[00:29:06]>> Yep. I can vouch for that, which I think is great. It means that they don't have all that processed crap in it to make them last longer. Like we can buy, you know, in the US we'd buy a bushel of bananas. I think that's what you call it, a bushel. And I mean, we only went shopping once a week. So they were going to last all week and they typically lasted a long time. But here they might last two days, maybe three.

[00:29:36]Like stuff does not last long out here, which is great. We go to the grocery shop, go to the grocery shop, we go to the grocery store or the meadona.

[00:29:45]Every day, I'd say four, three to four times a week. We go, it's just right across the street. So that makes it a little easier because whenever we're out, we stop on the way home and pick up something.

[00:29:55]>> How buying beer is almost cheaper than buying water.

[00:29:58]>> Oh wow.

[00:29:58]>> How it's illegal to wash your car in your driveway. How it's also illegal to leave your car idling in your driveway.

[00:30:04]Like let's say it's cold outside, you want to go defrost it a little bit.

[00:30:07]That's illegal.

[00:30:08]>> What? Hold on. It's illegal to wash your car in the driveway. Okay, that's good.

[00:30:13]That's good for the environment. It's illegal to leave your car idling. Guess that's good for the environment, too.

[00:30:21]H, that's interesting. I did not know that.

[00:30:24]>> When it snows out and you're responsible for your part of the sidewalk and making sure it's safe to walk on, cigarette vending machines everywhere.

[00:30:32]>> Wait. Oh my gosh. She doesn't listen to all kinds of stuff. Hold on. What' she say? You're responsible for your part of the sidewalk. Okay. And now she's talking about cigarette vending machines.

[00:30:42]>> Where driving on the Ottabon? How it's totally acceptable to drive as fast as you [ __ ] want. Also, just how blunt and like honest, brutally honest Germans are. Like they >> Yeah, I love that.

[00:30:54]>> They definitely are.

[00:30:56]>> Tell you exactly how it is.

[00:31:00]>> Oh god.

[00:31:00]>> Hi guys. I thought it would be fun to do a video about the culture shocks that I've gotten from moving from Georgia in the United States to Germany.

[00:31:09]>> Uhoh.

[00:31:10]>> So, let's get into it.

[00:31:11]>> Let's get into it.

[00:31:12]>> First one being on Sundays, nothing is open. Everything is closed except for some gas stations. You can find some that are open, but mainly everything is closed, which is so different because on Sundays that was like your errand run, you go to the grocery store.

[00:31:28]>> Nope, not here. You stay inside and you do whatever you need to do at home.

[00:31:33]>> That's the same thing here in Texas. I know on Sundays the grocery stores are open, but you can't buy alcohol before 12, I think, because they are a Christian country, a Christian state, and everybody should be in church anyway, >> which is why I look the way I look cuz it's Sunday. Another thing is is the grocery stores it is like a race because they don't give you bags to bag your food. You bring your own bag and when they are scanning things it they are going so fast and you have to match their speed by >> putting your things in the bag.

[00:32:14]>> Okay.

[00:32:14]>> And if you're too slow they'll just sit there and stare at you and just make you feel stupid.

[00:32:19]>> We can get bags here. We can get bags here. Um although we do take when we do our big grocery shop the once uh we do it on Saturday morning. Uh we have a little I don't know what you call it like a cart that you bring yourself. We have that and one with one extra bag in there. So we just use that. But if we just make a quick little stop during the week we just get bags and they charge you.

[00:32:44]>> So I love that.

[00:32:45]>> Yeah.

[00:32:45]>> Another thing about the grocery stores is everything's pretty cheap here and everything's healthier. like they don't have anything that has red 40 or any like things that could potentially give you cancer. It is completely banned >> over here. So, no M&M's, no mang.

[00:33:04]>> Another thing that was kind of odd to me is people don't wear the like leggings or gym clothes outside of the gym.

[00:33:13]>> If you do, you will definitely get stared at and it will not be in a good way.

[00:33:17]>> Oh, there you go. That's how they know you're an American. But I didn't know that here in Spain they do. They wear those le leggings. I mean they all do and they also wear if Lisa was here. I gotta say this because I know she would. That's my wife by the way if you don't know but they wear they have the uh the butt forming ones.

[00:33:39]Yeah. Lisa told me about those because obviously I I didn't know. But apparently they have something to make it look like you have a little, you know, how should we say junk in your trunk.

[00:33:51]Yeah. I don't know.

[00:33:53]>> But people go to the gym and like work clothes and then they change into their gym clothes and then they take a shower at the gym.

[00:34:00]>> Yeah.

[00:34:00]>> And put their work clothes back on and then leave.

[00:34:03]>> Okay.

[00:34:03]>> Don't you do not wear workout clothes outside of the gym. Oh, >> I still do it because I don't care and it's comfortable. But >> the hell? That don't make no sense. How you just going to say don't do it because it makes you look bad, but I do it cuz it's comfortable. Well, guess what? You look bad.

[00:34:22]>> I do get stared at, but it's >> it's fine.

[00:34:25]>> Okay.

[00:34:26]>> I've got asked many times if the German stare is real. 100% yes, that is completely accurate. The German stare is >> real. that people here hold eye contact so well >> and >> they just stare at you.

[00:34:42]>> They I don't know what they are staring at. They're probably either judging you or they're not like >> I don't know but they love to stare.

[00:34:52]>> Very different. So >> another little small culture shock is everybody smokes cigarettes here.

[00:34:59]It is so normal for just everybody to smoke cigarettes. If you go outside to like the mall or anything, people will be outside like lined on the streets just smoking cigarettes and there's >> is that true >> just never is not somebody smoking a cigarette.

[00:35:15]>> But I mean that's just a small >> small one.

[00:35:19]>> Yeah.

[00:35:19]>> Another big thing is everything is smaller here. The roads I have not seen a road that is bigger than three to four lanes.

[00:35:29]Another thing with the roads is there is not really many trucks here. So back in Georgia, like there's, you know, these big trucks with the big wheels and everything. Not here. Because >> Because why? Cuz you don't need them.

[00:35:46]Uh this is America. Everything has to be bigger and better.

[00:35:49]>> If you had one of those trucks, you wouldn't be able to drive it because the roads on like through the towns are literally this small.

[00:35:58]and you can barely get in it with like >> a little car. So, also while driving here, there is some roads and highways and stuff that do not have a speed limit. You can go >> from 130 km to 400 or however fast your car wants to go.

[00:36:19]>> Well, yeah. Okay. I know there's some truth to that, I guess.

[00:36:26]>> Which is very different because if we had that back at home, people would definitely have used that.

[00:36:31]>> Yeah.

[00:36:32]>> Another thing that is a little like different, I've never seen it before anywhere, is you have to pay to use the bathroom at some places.

[00:36:39]>> I went to a restaurant a couple weeks ago and had to go use the best restroom and I had to pay like 50 cent. And then in like the train stations you have to pay like a euro to2 euros to use bathroom which is just so insane. But >> yeah.

[00:36:58]>> Well that's interesting. I didn't know that about the restaurants. I knew about like I know out here uh well some of the trains in my train station there are bathrooms you can use without paying but then there's some like more convenient ones that might be a little nicer where you pay €1. But I didn't know in the restaurant. I haven't heard that one before. That's interesting.

[00:37:21]>> My last like another big big culture shock is I used to take sunshine for granted. Here >> the sun never shines. And so when it does, you will see everybody outside.

[00:37:34]Like everybody is walking. Everybody is doing something outside because >> in the winter and most of the time >> the sky is dull. It is so gray >> and just not very pretty weather. So when the sun is out, you are out.

[00:37:52]>> Yeah, >> 100%. So >> yeah.

[00:37:55]>> Yep. That's all my culture shocks that I can think of right now. If y'all want more, just let me know.

[00:38:00]>> And what's with the eye black? Although it's blue.

[00:38:03]>> That's interesting.

[00:38:04]>> And I'm sure I can find some more.

[00:38:06]>> Okay.

[00:38:07]>> I'm an American living in Germany. I don't think I'm going to make it. I don't think I'm going to make it. I don't think I'm going to make it. Oh my goodness. Where is the rest of the water?

[00:38:16]>> Oh god.

[00:38:17]>> Is there like a button? I got to add some water. Like what? Not right now, please. Not right now. Oh my goodness.

[00:38:24]All right, let me um press the button on here and see if it'll fill the No, that ain't working. Okay, let's just start a logo. See what happens. See what happens. Please, please, please. Same thing. Oh my goodness. Oh.

[00:38:37]>> Oh god. This is This is bad. This is bad. I'm sweating. I'm getting hot.

[00:38:42]Getting dizzy. Let me check underneath the toilet. Maybe there's a button underneath here cuz you know they like to do things different out here in Germany. This is crazy. I don't want to touch the floor. It's nasty under there.

[00:38:52]Oh my goodness. Is button under there either.

[00:38:56]>> You know what?

[00:38:56]>> And I do know that the floors may not be as nasty because a lot of people over there sit down when they use the bathroom. Is that correct? When they go pee, urinate. What?

[00:39:09]>> This ain't even worth it. This ain't worth it. Let me get out of here. I'm going run to the gas station. Maybe they got more water in the toilet poke. This is crazy.

[00:39:18]>> I eat all of these vegetable in 3 to 4 days. And you guys are asking how. So, this is my diet for a day. For salad, I like to boil spinach in water for around 20 seconds. Dump it back into cold water. Mix it with soy sauce, sami oil, and some garlic. This is my favorite vegetable, amar.

[00:39:37]>> I don't know what this is. I think I might just fast forward past this one.

[00:39:40]>> Really hard to balance my diet so that I just don't eat green stuff all the time anymore.

[00:39:45]>> I just got >> All right, I just wanted to get past that one. She just was talking about what she like she was giving a recipe.

[00:39:52]Like we don't want to see that right now. This video is already pretty long.

[00:39:57]>> $550 worth of groceries because we're not eating out in 2026.

[00:40:02]>> Oh god.

[00:40:03]>> Except for today because I already did groceries so I can't do groceries and cook on the same day. Like that doesn't you can't do both.

[00:40:09]>> Things at the German grocery store that would send an American into a coma. Eggs are not refrigerated here. Next up, the selection of canned sausages is insane.

[00:40:18]Specifically, this Americanstyle hot dog that comes in a jar. If you want just one water bottle, all you have to do is open up a package and grab one out. The same goes for alcohol like beer as well.

[00:40:30]Next up, only one small shelf is dedicated to salad dressings. The price of toilet paper is surprisingly cheap.

[00:40:36]It's about $5 to get an eight pack of >> I'm not German. I've never >> Oh my god, this guy again.

[00:40:43]>> My opinion is solely based on what I read, listen, and watch.

[00:40:49]>> All right, I think we got a lot right there. I'm just going to stop it right there because this video is already pretty long, but I think we got a general idea. So, man, I learned some new stuff in there. A lot of it already knew. You know, my wife and I had this channel. We did a lot of German videos here on this channel. So, I did learn a lot about Germany and some of the culture things there. So, some of this wasn't a surprise to me. And, you know, a lot of it has to do with just being in Europe. But, there were some interesting things in there. Some Americans were advocates of ger advocates of Germany. So, you know, that was good. And some had some crazy uh things to say about Germany. But, I thought that was a pretty good video.

[00:41:28]Let me know what you think. Go ahead and drop in the comments anything that needs to be corrected. whether it's them or me, go ahead and put that in the comment. That will be fine. Like the video before we get out of here. That really helps a lot. My name is Greg.

[00:41:40]Thanks for joining me here today and we will catch you on the next video. Peace.