1. It is never okay to cross the street against the street light. Ever.
Seriously, you could be standing at a completely dead intersection with absolutely no traffic in sight and everyone will wait at the corner for the light to change. Early on in my stay here I made the mistake of entering the street against the light. There was not a car in sight and I didn't see the point of waiting however the gaggle of old German women on the other side of the street did and shot me quite a few disapproving looks along with a couple "tsk tsk"s. Needless to say, unless you want to be publicly chastised, don't enter the street until the light is decidedly green.
2. Germany has the most obedient dogs in the entire world.
There is a great love of Man's Best Friend in Germany. People treat their dogs like members of the family, take their dogs everywhere and also train their dogs very well. I often see dogs outside of stores, waiting patiently for their owners without being tied up. They will go with their owners to cafes and quietly sit under the table. (Of course, Freddie, the dog that lives in my house is a complete exception to this generalization and is completely out of control.)
3. That being said, no one picks up their dog poop off the street.
Considering how fastidious and orderly Germans are in most aspects of their life, I was completely surprised to find that they do not pick up their dogs' poop off the street. It took me stepping in several piles to truly become aware of the gravity of the situation. Now I am acutely alert when I am walking down the street to avoid all the land-mines left behind by Berlin's canine population. Seriously though, how hard is it to pick up dog poop and throw it away?!
4. There are reminders of WWII every where.
I continue to be amazed by how many physical reminders of the war are still present in Berlin. There are many buildings in which one can still see bullet holes and signs of battle. It's hard to imagine that people of my grandparents' generation actually fought bloody battles on the very streets where I now go shopping and meet friends in cafes. I snapped this picture of a street corner that had been restored but in which the bullet riddled wall was consciously left exposed.
Similarly, just last week a bomb from WWII was found at my local train station and I had to find a new way to and from work until the bomb was disposed of. When I asked my Betreuungslehrerin (mentor teacher) about it, she said that bombs are often found in the city during construction. I was really surprised at how casually she talked about it but I guess that finding seventy year old bombs in construction sites in Berlin must be commonplace by now.
5. The Berlin Wall still exists.
Yes, there are portions still standing as memorial throughout the city, but there is also a pervasive mental separation between the East and West. The Germans call this "Der Mauer im Kopf" or "the wall in the head". Many people still identify themselves as either West or East and hold prejudices or stereotypes against the other side. Reunification was a difficult process and still a very complicated topic which would take much too long to explain. While most are happy to be one unified Germany, there is still a very palpable separation.
6. Wearing a ring on your right hand means that you are married.
I wear a ring on my right ring finger and kept getting odd looks from people my age. I couldn't figure it out until all my students at school started asking me if I was married and how many children I have. At first I responded with, "Of course not! I'm only 22!". Then I realized they thought my ring meant I was married. Therefore, I've started wearing my ring on my left hand so that people don't think I'm a married with children.
7. Finally, it is acceptable, if not encouraged, to drink beer anytime, anywhere.
Coming from the US where open container laws are fairly strict, I still feel a little bit of shock when I see people walking down the street, drinking a beer. I have to remind myself that it is totally legal. You'll see people enjoying a cold beer on the subway, on a street corner, everywhere and it's completely normal. You go, Deutschland! Prost!
