October 04, 2010

Did you know that in Deutschland


picture of "leberkäse" courtesy of Whitewolfes German Kitchen
...grocery carts can only be unlocked for use after paying a euro deposit
...after a performance the audience doesn't give a standing ovation if they really liked the piece, they give a sitting, clapping ovation
...a dirndl tied on the left side means a lady is single and approachable whereas a dirndl tied on the right means she's married and one tied in the back means she's a widow
...it pays to follow the speed limit or else you just might get "geblitzt" by a camera positioned on the street or in a parked car that measures the speed cars are going and takes a picture quick as lightening if they're going too fast
...there are no baggers at the grocery stores
..."leberkäse", which translates to "liver cheese", has nothing whatsoever to do with liver or cheese, but kinda tastes like a hot dog and is divine, especially with a shot of mustard
...at a restaurant, meals are brought out once they're done and very often not at the same time, so it's not impolite to start eating before others in your party are served
...you don't get tap water with your meal
...and, last but not least, waiters get paid much better than, for example, in the States, so tips on bills under 40 euro rarely exceed three euro.

Got any more advice? Please share!


2 comments:

Expat in Germany said...

Great advice! At first I thought it was impolite to start eating when not everyone has their food, but I soon realized that it can take a while for it all to come out.

I've also learned that each unit must take turns cleaning the general stairs in their apartment building. Oops, I'm behind in this!

Juliette said...

I love the grocery cart deposit - makes for a neater parking lot!

and I also got blitzed twice in 2 days recently...after 3+yrs of a clean record =(.

How about: When you rent an apartment in Germany it may or may not come with a kitchen and will usually not come with any light fixtures? Totally annoying!