Germany vs America

Some German things (of course with more to come later):

• German ambulances drive so slow.  Like the same speed as everyone else.  Also, as you've probably noticed in the movies, European sirens sound different.

• Everything is smaller in Germany.  Everything.  Even the giant blue Ikea bags are smaller in Germany.

• German roads (suburban, freeway, rural, and city roads) are SO well maintained and so smooth to drive on.  I literally didn't see a pothole the entire time we were there.  

• You have to bag your own groceries in Germany.  And you better do it quick because those cashiers scan three times faster than any American cashier and the people in line behind you aren't patient.  The cashier will shove the next person's items right into yours if your items aren't all bagged yet. (The thing to do if you're buying a lot is just put all your items back in your cart as they are scanned, pay, then move to the side and bag your groceries from your cart.) 

• American cashiers are so chatty and friendly.  Germans (not just cashiers) are all about business. Most of the time I really enjoyed not having to do small talk (especially because my German never got very good).  With Americans, I feel the general mindset toward interactions with strangers is "I don't know you - we could be friends!"  While the German mindset is more of "I don't know you - why would we be friends?"  That's a pretty broad generalization and that's not to say that Germans are rude.  They are very polite and very helpful.  I can't count the number of times people offered to help me with the stroller getting on or off busses or held elevators. And of course, our first day in Munich everyone was so wonderful.  T had to go to work and we couldn't check into our hotel until the afternoon.  So I had baby in the stroller and vague directions and headed to a museum. But I had no idea how to buy a bus ticket (you buy it on the bus from a machine, not the driver).  I didn't know any German so I just asked in English and several nice people on the bus helped me get a ticket and get me and the stroller situated.  Then people offered to help me off the bus before the bus even stopped (it was pretty obvious I was struggling).  The older woman who helped me was so sweet and made sure I was okay and headed the right direction before she left us.  So Germans are very nice and helpful, just more reserved.

• Along those same reserved lines, I almost never saw German couples holding hands and I think I only saw two couples (and one couple was teenagers) kiss in public the entire time we were in Germany.  I hope T and I didn't make the Germans blush with all our typical American PDA.  

• Munich public transit is awesome.  It is my favorite system in the world (and we've seen London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Vienna, NYC, DC, LA, and SF).  There are so many busses, trams, S-bahns, and U-bahns and they run all the time and are always on time and so clean.  Every stop is labeled clearly (inside and out) and almost every stop has a board stating how long until the next tram or whatever is arriving. You can get anywhere in Munich on public transit.  It's also fabulous because all public transit is so stroller / wheelchair friendly.  Every station has elevators and escalators.  There are big dedicated places on busses and trams for strollers and wheelchairs, and there is lots of space (though not dedicated) for them on the S-bahn and U-bahn as well. 

• The German grocery stores carry food specifically marketed as "American."  Two examples (though there were many more):  "American Hot Dog Pizza" (exactly what it sounds like - pizza with hot dog slices as the topping) and "Chocolate yogurt with carmel and toffee bits" (this wasn't pudding - it was yogurt).  These aren't my translating errors, it's actually written on the product in English.

• Everyone smokes. Everywhere.  All the time. (This is not specific to Germany, it's all over Europe).  It's very common to see parents smoking as they push their infants in strollers or while watching their kids at the park.  It's considered rude to ask someone to put out their cigarette.  It's also very common to see groups of teenagers smoking.  The signs in the store say they will check id if you appear to be under 18 when trying to buy cigarettes.  Which is a joke to begin with but even more of a joke when you realize that there are cigarette vending machines on every fourth street corner.  We rarely ate outside at restaurants (well, we rarely at at restaurants anyway), even though that would be easier with Pippa, because that's where all the smokers were.  Pretty sure I inhaled more second hand smoke during our nine months in Europe than I have the rest of my life in American combined.  

And since you just read all that text, here's a photo (chosen at random) of Pippa from our time in Germany.  She's about 8 months old here and double fisting her broccoli and chicken.  Her eyes are still grey / blue here.  Now they are definitely hazel (grey / green / brown).