The Germans

04-05-2012 3:03am

Have been over and back to Germany several times a year for the past 6 years, I have very fond notions of it by now. From my experience the Germans are a very friendly, hospitable people. I've stayed in more people's houses with their families and all, and just being able to witness their regular day to day activities and the way they handle and go about life was an eye opener for me. Efficiency and productivity just fits seemlessly into their makeup. Of course there's pricks and c*nts there, there are pricks and c*nts anywhere you go, but not noticably as many in the parts of Germany i've spent time in.

As well as working hard, they also know how to party. The drink over there does not leave me with the usual depression that often hits me the day after a long session, maybe because the beer is cleaner and not a rip-off. The cities are vast and varied, Munich possibly being my favourite city i've been to, and the countryside is roaming with fields of hops and deep forests. If old architecture, buildings, bridges, castles and lakes are your thing, then you don't have to go too far in any one direction to have your breath taken away. The people seem to take care of themselves better than most nationalities i've met, and the women, ahhh...hairy armpits are not an issue! I love the food, i'll eat anything apart from the sausage delicacies in the southern regions. I like my sausages fried on the pan thanks!

Anywhere I travel in the world I find it best to avoid talk of politics with the natives, and never in Germany has anyone I've had an encounter with taken a 'you poor Irish' line of conversation with me. I can't be sure that they weren't muttering it in their native tongue amongst themselves though:D

The worst of the few negative encounters i've had with strangers was with some US hick outside a hostel in Munich. I was outside smoking a cigarette and he came over and made small talk. Within a minute he was ranting about how it's a disgrace that 'n****rs' were allowed to work in the development of military aircraft, and what he'd do to Obama if he ever got his hands on his 'filthy black ass' (Maybe this guy was Tiger Woods ex caddy?). This was some hardcore racism the guy was coming out with and some of the 'regular' people standing around us probably thought I was this guy's bff, so I just put out my cigarette and said 'I've got plenty of my own shíte too, good luck to ya' and went back into the bar/hostel.

So before I go novel here, it is a great country and could offer a good experience to anyone who goes over with an open mind, even if I do think that their leader wants to lead all the nations.

haminka · 04-05-2012 5:11am

I married one and have many Germans as colleagues, counting some as my friends. One thing I found initially quite upsetting was their directness which many understand as being rude and arrogant. It's not and I learned that if you give back the same, they will respect you more. That doesn't mean you should be rude and vulgar, just say what you think and they will like it. The Irish tend to be rather indirect which Germans aren't.

sebastianlieken · 04-05-2012 9:05am

Holocost jokes are SOOOO much funnier coming from a drunken german! there's just something so deliciously dark about it!

jester77 · 04-05-2012 9:10am

Over 10 years living here and can't complain. They have their quirks, like right now it's the beginning of Spargelsaison, but overall they are a sound out. Work hard, party hard and there is always something to do. I actually prefer it here, in Ireland everything seemed to just revolve around the pub and getting hammered and people tend to boast about how much they drink and how great last night was even though they can't remember how they got home. Here, it is very different and there is much more relaxed approached to alcohol, people go out to enjoy it and the beer here tastes good. Pubs are open all night, you don't get ripped off and clubs are about music and not getting in a load of pints.

Everything just seems to work here as well, Germans wouldn't put up with the Irish attitude of "sure it will be grand". Although this can be annoying at times, overall it works out better, health system, broadband and infrastructure are all top notch.

Ellis Dee · 04-05-2012 9:35am

I learned a lot when I lived in Germany, about half way between Stuttgart and Lake Constance. The most valuable thing I learned, apart from the language, is that people are people wherever they are. Everything from the nicest possible to complete cnuts. Just like in Ireland.:):)

This is a really funny ad for a language school:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg0fmaCSDPg

And here's a German joke:

"Weiss Du den Unterschied zwischen einem Kochtopf und einem Nachttopf?"

"Nein."

"Mein Gott! Was sind das für Zustände bei Euch zuhause!!":D

Sykk · 04-05-2012 9:43am

Keno 92 wrote: »

Although I still can't really forgive them for what they did. I'm sure most people have & the country has moved on and it's a generalisation to think they all had a part in it/supported in one way or another.

What they did in Die Hard is inexcusable.

All of the people who done it are now dead or almost dead.

You're a wanker for what your great grandparents were like. Inexcusably you're a vile person. Because of your great grandparents. See where I'm going with this? Your argument is ridiculous.

BraziliaNZ · 04-05-2012 9:59am

Eve_Dublin wrote: »

All I know is in my one year travelling in South America, all the Germans in the hostels went to bed early and got up to do outdoorsy stuff. No partying whatsoever with everyone else. Each to their own but surely half the fun of travelling is mingling and getting baloobas with other nationalities?? I mean, you can do both. I did.

The one German I did meet and hung out with told me she'd be more upset to see a stranded puppy on the street than a stranded baby :eek:
Ehhhhh, says I....

That's my only experience with the Germans tbh.

Yeah they were always the ones in bed early with their ear plugs and eye masks. Which in reterospect is a good idea and I should really bring some if I go backpacking again...
One of my best friends is German but lived in Ireland for a long time so it kind of brushed off a lot of her in built sensibilities.
They are very organised people, they tend not to do things on a whim. My friend has lived in Munich for 7 years and never have they gone for a random beer after work, it will be organised a few weeks in advance with tables booked and people leaving early to get trains etc.
They like to bring tupperware containers full of food to parties. I was on the u-bahn on NYE one year in Berlin and nearly every group of people had tupperware containers.
So yes a lot of the stereotypes are true, ridiculously organised. Which I suppose is a good thing but sometimes they need to let loose a little.

Oh yeah and if you pinch or kick one they don't say "ow", they say "aua".

Borboletinha · 04-05-2012 10:01am

Beefy78 · 04-05-2012 10:02am

I pop over to Munich once a year. Great town, great country, great people, great beer, great food, amazing women. What's not to like?

BraziliaNZ · 04-05-2012 10:03am

Beefy78 wrote: »

I pop over to Munich once a year. Great town, great country, great people, great beer, great food, amazing women. What's not to like?

It's like a ghost town at night apart from the horrible Kuntzpark

Beefy78 · 04-05-2012 10:06am

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

It's like a ghost town at night apart from the horrible Kuntzpark

It is weird how quiet it suddenly gets when the sun goes down. We've never found it too difficult to find a busy bar or bier hall though.

Alun · 04-05-2012 10:08am

jester77 wrote: »

Over 10 years living here and can't complain. They have their quirks, like right now it's the beginning of Spargelsaison, but overall they are a sound out.

Sorry, but how is that a "quirk"? Love a big pile of white asparagus with lashings of butter or hollandaise sauce, nyom! You're making me hungry

BraziliaNZ · 04-05-2012 10:08am

Beefy78 wrote: »

It is weird how quiet it suddenly gets when the sun goes down. We've never found it too difficult to find a busy bar or bier hall though.

yes but during the week etc the only options you have are the shamrock and that aussie bar and the ex pat places really. I used to visit a lot but I wouldn't care if I never went back. Some nice day excursions though, check out Andechs if you ever go back.

Beefy78 · 04-05-2012 10:13am

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

yes but during the week etc the only options you have are the shamrock and that aussie bar and the ex pat places really. I used to visit a lot but I wouldn't care if I never went back. Some nice day excursions though, check out Andechs if you ever go back.

Yeah I was going to say that I only go on weekends and can imagine that it's pretty much dead in midweek. That's one thing I love about Dublin - no matter what day it is you know there are places you can head to where there will be a good atmosphere. Munich has a small-town feel and I don't think has that.

Craziest night I ever had in Munich was a couple of years ago when we went to a cycling event in the velodrom at the Olympic Park. They'd been selling beer (because it's Germany) but it was a quite a family atmosphere there. Then the second the cycling finished the place turned into a crazy party with cheap drink and go-go dancers. Utter carnage and debauchery.

Eve_Dublin · 04-05-2012 10:48am

haminka wrote: »

I married one and have many Germans as colleagues, counting some as my friends. One thing I found initially quite upsetting was their directness which many understand as being rude and arrogant. It's not and I learned that if you give back the same, they will respect you more. That doesn't mean you should be rude and vulgar, just say what you think and they will like it. The Irish tend to be rather indirect which Germans aren't.

Actually, just thought of another experience I had with one in Argentina. Met a girl having a smoke outside a hostel and got talking to her. She seemed quite serious but grand. She asked me where I was from. I told her I was from Dublin. She says to me, "But your not fat!" without a hint of sarcasm, humour or irony. I was like, "Eh...what?" and she replies, "When I was there everyone in Dublin was fat!". I was stunned into silence. In hindsight, I genuinely don't think she was trying to offend me, I think she was just making an observation. Obviously I thought she was being a cow at the time and responded, "I'd rather be from a nation of fatties than a nation of bores" and stormed off. Not one of my finest moments in fairness and I basically came out worse than her and I regret it now but there you go.

They can be very direct and I find that very hard to get my head round. In Ireland that'd be seen as extreme tactlessness and you'd suspect the person was a bit of a sociopath. But perhaps we could do with a bit more of that directness. I don't know.

Stiffler2 · 04-05-2012 11:20am

What Germany did to the rest of Europe is disgusting and I hope you all NEVER EVER forget it.

Bailing us all out like that & having the strongest economy in Europe that is :rolleyes:

jester77 · 04-05-2012 11:55am

Alun wrote: »

Sorry, but how is that a "quirk"? Love a big pile of white asparagus with lashings of butter or hollandaise sauce, nyom! You're making me hungry

Nothing wrong with the asparagus itself, but have you been here when it seasons? They go mental for it, I've never seen anything like it before. They are willing to pay mad prices, and the WCs during the month of May have a pungent stink from it.

RoryMurphyJnr · 04-05-2012 12:01pm

Henning Wehn

prinz · 04-05-2012 12:08pm

I like the Germans.... liked them so much I married one.

Nothingbetter2d · 04-05-2012 12:21pm

i have a friend who is german... she is sound... can't drink much alcohol before getting wasted though :P but she is an excellent photographer and graphic designer.

She also likes a good sausage

Alun · 04-05-2012 12:25pm

jester77 wrote: »

Nothing wrong with the asparagus itself, but have you been here when it seasons? They go mental for it, I've never seen anything like it before. They are willing to pay mad prices, and the WCs during the month of May have a pungent stink from it.

I certainly have ... lived there for 7 years, and 13 years in the Netherlands where they love the stuff too

Popped over to NL last year during the season and brought back kilos of the stuff.

nelly17 · 04-05-2012 12:45pm

Keno 92 wrote:

Although I still can't really forgive them for what they did. I'm sure most people have & the country has moved on and it's a generalisation to think they all had a part in it/supported in one way or another.

What they did in Die Hard is inexcusable.

Sykk wrote: »

All of the people who done it are now dead or almost dead.

You're a wanker for what your great grandparents were like. Inexcusably you're a vile person. Because of your great grandparents. See where I'm going with this? Your argument is ridiculous.

Eh Hello they made john McClain Blow up Nakatomi Plaza - look what happened to Osama Bin Laden

BraziliaNZ · 04-05-2012 12:51pm

I like the way you get the "zusammen oder getrent" option in restaurants. Can you imagine the fuss if 12 people asked to pay seperately in Dublin?

housetypeb · 04-05-2012 12:52pm

Lived and worked there for a 4-5 years in the early 90's,from Konstanz on the German-Swiss border to the island of Fehmarn in the very north and many points in between.
I loved the people and the country,even saw myself settling down there until a broken romance and the lure of better money in America took me away.
I will always have good time for the Germans and their beautiful country and beautiful women.

Latchy · 04-05-2012 1:06pm

They gave us Diane Kruger . Ya,das ist gut.

Welsh Megaman · 04-05-2012 1:16pm

Kommen Sie bitte, und listen to Kraftwerk

DEFTLEFTHAND · 04-05-2012 1:21pm

I love the way you never feel like a drunk in German cities, they've beer for sale everywhere, you can get it in vending machines even.:D

HalloweenJack · 04-05-2012 1:22pm

saa wrote: »

I think I have to go suss out some German comedians to see what they were expecting.

There's a guy called Oliver Pocher who has/had a pretty funny show on the telly over there and a lot of the humour was hidden-camera/public embarrassment stuff. It was really good, though.

I've lost track of how many times I've been to Germany. Two of my uncles married Germans so I've loads of cousins over there.

When I was a kid, I never liked it, don't know why really, probably 'cause I couldn't understand anything.

When I was older, I had a GF who was German and we went over a few times and I liked it more. The people there were incredibly friendly and relaxed, though they worked hard. I didn't get any of this them not-wanting-to-party lark. If anything, it was hard to stop them once they started. I also remember from my Erasmus, they were some of the biggest party animals.

I have plenty of time for them as a people and country.

dlofnep · 04-05-2012 1:25pm

I only ever knew one German - he was one my college judo squad and was sound as a pound. That's the only experience I have. So, so far - so good for Germans.

Maglight · 04-05-2012 1:31pm

BraziliaNZ wrote: »

Oh yeah and if you pinch or kick one they don't say "ow", they say "aua".

LOL, that's so true, I never noticed.

The Germans

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