What did surprise you most when you were in Germany for the first time ?

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liebekatz2

I first came to Germany 14 years ago, and I was suprised to see the Airport Police in Frankfurt strolling around with Uzi submachine guns. This was before terror became such a big issue.

dbdoit

That 'Ausfahrt' is not the name of some big German City.

lauren s

i was surprised that in summer it doesn't get dark until after 22.00. also, how much gorgeous open farmland -- &, even at certain truckstops, the food is really seasonal gourmet, especially during mushroom or asparagus season. also, i was impressed at the public acknowlegment of the holocaust w/ ways society can do better at exhibitions in nuremberg & some other towns.

tonalc1

Their strict adherence to laws. For example, standing at an intersection with traffic lights at midnight, no cars for miles; we walked against the light and got several loud "tsk"s from people waiting for the light to change.

Or being in a traffic jam on the Autobahn. A car from Sweden decided they would use the breakdown lane on the right to pass everybody. Several semis turned into the lane to block their way.

wyogiz

That during the winter there is little sunshine! I was here 3 months before I saw the sun. Not day light, but actually saw the sun.

The rabid adherence to some laws that seem so minor like jaywalking.

That their fashion seems so stuck in the 80's but yet they say the same thing about the Americans.

Old ladies with beet red and purple hair. It is so unnatural looking...

The history... the fact that the church in my village is older than the US... just so much to learn, see and explore.

lemoncake

I was totally surprised at the kindness and warmth of all the people in the village. We were treated like royalty and asked over for food and/or drinks constantly. Everyone was so, so nice to us and though we have been back several times since then, it is the same - my first impression is unchanged. Germans do have a tendency to think that their way is better, but isn't that true of most countries once you get to really talking and knowing people? They are kind and warm and delightful.

BarbG

The first thing I noticed was how CLEAN everything was. I mean, I knew Germany was clean but, wow it's really clean! I rarely saw trash on the streets, I loved it.

The open and friendliness of people... Coming from America, I have the WW2/Nazi "strict" mindset, unfortunately, but everyone I met was SO friendly. Being Asian as well, I was pleasantly surprised...

Intelligence... No matter who I came across (adults or children), everyone seemed very smart, informed and interested. I don't know how to describe it but they just did, haha. Maybe it's because of the news on their TV stations? I find news in Germany better to watch than US news, even though I don't know German well! I actually wanted to watch it, rather than flipping the channel. Also, they seemed very worldly, as many Germans love to travel to other countries.

I guess this goes for all of Europe too, but I rarely saw any overweight people. Walking and biking are the norm there. Everyone's pretty stylish too!

German food is great and not everything is heavy. From what I had a lot was pretty light and very tasty. I mean, of course there's the sausages and schnitzel, if you want it... Everything is fresh and there are also a lot of different cultural influences. Mmm!

PS - This has nothing to do with this question but I love ALDI... Too bad we don't have it in the West Coast!

spider00pig

the fact that i got seperated from my family and taken on some german schools feild trip

how BEAUTIFUl and peaceful it is!
i mean before i went their didnt really think anything of the place but omg i was in awe!

Jim S

Sunshine.

I was under the impression that Germany was a very rainy place, but my unit was there for two weeks on an exercise, and probably ten of the days were sunny.

timefly94

My first trip to Germany was over 13 years ago.
I think I'm still in awe over so many things.
How GREEN it is...so lush and beautiful.
What impressed me the most was the sense of pride that the German people have in their surroundings. They (especially the older generation) have perfect little gardens and take time to clean the street, gutters and sidewalk in from of their house.
They take care of their cars..no matter how old they are. You will rarely see a dirty, rusty or dented one here.

Sure there are some negative things that drive you crazy if you are used to a more "carefree" lifestyle but I wouldnt leave this place in a million years.
A friend made here is a friend made for life.

your mom

Well, i did find out that you had to pay (like 50 cent euro or a euro) to go use a public bathroom.

harveymac1336

I have done a lot of traveling in Europe over the years. I put off going to Germany for many years. The image I have of Germans was shaped by 2 World Wars, Naziism and the Holocaust. And I guess the movies also. But when you go there you see that the German people are not all monsters. They don't seem much different from other people. And yet all that stuff did happen. The Third Reich was there.

Zuhal E

I am not sure because i went to germany when i was like three months old but i was really suprised seeing all the different sites and seeing my relatives there

bc12012

how they drive so aggressively.you step into a cross walk when the light is green your road kill.the roads are narrow too.cabby's drive Mercedes Benz.women are treated inferior to men and like it.its like the way the USA was back in the 50s.the people are nice, a little dry don't joke around too much,very serious most of the time.sensitive towards others.most German women are not very good looking.average height for a women is 6 foot 1 inch i'd definitely go back again.

GRUMPY

No billborads on the autobahn, McDonalds, Burger king, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Aldi's, Taco Bell, Mercedes taxicabs, and in Heidelberg they had a (haven't seen this anywhere in the States since 1960) a Woolworth five and dime with the 5 cent and 10 cent symbols!

non spinner

I was on the north sea in Summer, needed a coat. The engines were smaller and the curbs were shorter. It made walking on the street seem like another planet. (mind you this was my first time in Europe) One thing that I couldn't stand was the variations of toilet flushers. I even found one on a chain. One was a sea shell. A few were buttons. I loved finding the american handel ones. The doors were different too. Everything else was cool.

Mary

They love clean windows. They all have clean windows that they clean everyday and if you don't have clean windows then they call you a pig to your face. xD lol and also that German classes barely help. You need to learn the way they really speak.

Barney R

I've never been in Germany, but I've been to Japan, and the biggest surprise there was when I went to a MacDonald's for breakfast and and they had an English speaker take my order.
It totally blew my mind!

Chroma

How bleak and sterile the villages look.

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