Ick sprecka ze English?

Hallo!! No, I didn't just spell "hello" wrong- that's how the Germans say it:) Ya ya!

I just got back from an amazing 6-day trip to Germany with my friend Courtney, another Auxiliar de Conversacion living in a town close to mine. We didn't technically have time off, but we found an amazing deal on tickets to Frankfurt through Ryanair, so we decided to "aprovechar" or take advantage of the situation.:)

It took just stepping off the plane to notice that Germany is worlds apart from Spain in culture, food, people, philosophy, mentality... basically everything! In fact, I saw a lot more similarity with the U.S. in Germany.

1. Everything works! While in Spain, technology is a decade or so behind on most things and social ties are far more important than efficiency; Germany is one of the world leaders in this area. Metros are clean and on time, bus drivers don't stop the bus to chat with a friend or run personal errands (cough cough Spain:)... in short, it was lovely!

2. Germans are much more quiet and private than the Spanish. When I first arrived in Boiro, I was amazed at how people of all ages are perfectly content to yell to one another in the street, talk loudly on buses and in stores... what would be considered rude in the U.S. is perfectly acceptable and encouraged in Spain! In fact, people often tell me to speak louder haha. Germany was much more comparable to the U.S. in this aspect- people spoke quietly, were quiet on public transport and perhaps from my experience in Galicia, I felt like the loud one!

3. Food. I have to say, American might be the leader in obesity, but the Germans might be next with their diet and portions. I'm not complaining, it was amazing! In Spain, people eat fairly small portions and "picar" or snack throughout the day. An altogether healthy eating style. Also, in the culture of "disfrutar", enjoying, everyone sits down to eat as it is a pleasurable social event. I have never seen anyone eating on the go, except for perhaps an apple or a kid with a sweet. In most aspects, I have liked this... it has taught me to enjoy my food and be more mindful of how much I'm eating. But sometimes, you just want to eat a sandwich or a pastry on  a park bench! Courtney and I took advantage of this social norm in Germany. Grabbing a truffle and cappucino to go, eating a sandwich outside a cafe, it was wonderful!:)

Germany part 1, more to come soon:)

Un beso,
CMC