GERMAN IN THE US: My 6 Culture Shocks

chingler · Jan 10, 2019

TrackerSam said: ↑

A driver's license in Germany costs $2000 and requires 25 hours of study. They're very serious about driving.
Click to expand...

yup. took them years to start putting cup holders in cars... why would you drink coffee while you’re supposed to be driving?

vman12 · Jan 10, 2019

Durandal said: ↑

This young woman was shocked by the widespread poverty and the way many of us work more than a full-time job just to be able to afford college for the children and other such "dreams." She speaks German in the video (it's a language learning video by nature), but there are subtitles in both German and English that are edited right into it (so you don't need YouTube's subtitles feature to see them).

So, yeah. Our Republican paradise of overworked working people and poor people without a safety net and private services that many simply cannot afford despite working is a little shocking to the Germans, who somehow manage to have work and money together with free higher education and affordable, quality health care, and of course an excellent standard of living all around (which I've seen first hand also).
Click to expand...

meanwhile, in Europe:

Lil Mike · Jan 10, 2019

Durandal said: ↑

I'm sure your kooky right-wing website author knows better than the people of Germany.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what your point is, that people's feelings count more than actual statistics?

Hoosier8 · Jan 10, 2019

Quantum Nerd said: ↑

I don't believe she lives in the US, she said she visited, probably as a tourist. Note that she was also quite complimentary of the American people and also critical of some Germans in the video.

I am a German who actually lives in the US since about 15 years. I can see her points. With regard to poverty, i think it would be futile to claim that there are no poor in Germany. The cities have their fair share of homeless, although not as bad as in San Francisco. However, you won't find that trailer park poverty of the US working poor like in Appalachia. People who work in Germany may not be able to afford a house (real estate is expensive), but many people are quite fond of their apartments and furnish and decorate them as their home. Apartment living and renting is not frowned upon as a signal of being poor, as it is in the US.

Overall, I would say that living quality in Germany is quite high, maybe higher than in the US. People value things other than work only, they like to go on long vacations, eat outdoors, walk, bike, but drive much less than in the US. Many people don't feel like busting their behind working just to constantly buy stuff they don't need, so they can show off to the neighbors. I think this mentality is taking hold more and more in the US as well, one just has to look at the FIRE movement.
Click to expand...

A great book about the mindset of the Appalachia or basically the Hillbilly mindset is this:

Hillbilly Elegy
A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
By: J. D. Vance

It is really a good read and resonated with some of my experience. I have experience both in marrying into a 'hillbilly' family along with living in a neighborhood that had transplants like Billy Bob who once stated he came from a holler so deep that you had to climb a ladder to see daylight.

My experience is:

They don't call the police but take care of the issue themselves.
They would give you the shirt off their backs to help you.
They have a code. You **** with them, they will **** you back otherwise they will leave you alone.

jcarlilesiu · Jan 10, 2019

Quantum Nerd said: ↑

I don't believe she lives in the US, she said she visited, probably as a tourist. Note that she was also quite complimentary of the American people and also critical of some Germans in the video.

I am a German who actually lives in the US since about 15 years. I can see her points. With regard to poverty, i think it would be futile to claim that there are no poor in Germany. The cities have their fair share of homeless, although not as bad as in San Francisco. However, you won't find that trailer park poverty of the US working poor like in Appalachia. People who work in Germany may not be able to afford a house (real estate is expensive), but many people are quite fond of their apartments and furnish and decorate them as their home. Apartment living and renting is not frowned upon as a signal of being poor, as it is in the US.

Overall, I would say that living quality in Germany is quite high, maybe higher than in the US. People value things other than work only, they like to go on long vacations, eat outdoors, walk, bike, but drive much less than in the US. Many people don't feel like busting their behind working just to constantly buy stuff they don't need, so they can show off to the neighbors. I think this mentality is taking hold more and more in the US as well, one just has to look at the FIRE movement.
Click to expand...

I'll agree with everything said here.

Log in or Sign up

GERMAN IN THE US: My 6 Culture Shocks

chingler Banned at Members Request

vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

Lil Mike Well-Known Member

Hoosier8 Well-Known Member Past Donor

jcarlilesiu Well-Known Member Past Donor

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

GERMAN IN THE US: My 6 Culture Shocks

chingler Banned at Members Request

vman12 Well-Known Member Past Donor

Lil Mike Well-Known Member

Hoosier8 Well-Known Member Past Donor

jcarlilesiu Well-Known Member Past Donor

Share This Page

Useful Searches