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Crazy Mainland European Ways!

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    #32
    Love2love
    Registered Users Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭Love2love


    When I lived in Germany everyone kissed when greeting each other. 3 times in fact. The village I lived in though was predominantly French as there was a military barracks there. I never felt uncomfortable with the German way as I did with the French though.


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    #33
    prinz
    Registered Users Posts: 14,598 ✭✭✭✭prinz


    KTRIC wrote: »
    Takes a bit of getting used to coming from socially stunted Ireland.

    That sums it all up nicely tbh. Nail on the head.


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    #34
    ChocolateSauce
    Registered Users Posts: 2,892 ✭✭✭ChocolateSauce


    Wacken is crazy like that. Plus everyone knows mainlanders get off on strange stuff.

    I have to say I've seen stranger things in Ireland, although granted I've spent more time here.


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    #35
    Gran Hermano
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,330 ✭✭✭Gran Hermano


    BraziliaNZ wrote: »
    you can get beer in cinemas in the UK in some places. I used to get beer in St Kilda in Melbourne at cinema. Ireland just has totally ghey licensing laws.

    Not beer, but you can have a glass of wine whilst enjoying a movie in Dundrum.


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    #36
    ToTheSea:
    Closed Accounts Posts: 256 ✭✭ToTheSea:


    you can get beer in cineworld and in Movies @swords:D


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    #37
    NorDub
    Registered Users Posts: 56 ✭✭NorDub


    netwhizkid wrote: »
    Fact 2, in Germany every single person obeys the Pedestrian Crossing signs even if the road is deserted and is only like 8 foot wide. They do it to set an example for the kindern (Kids)

    Same (or even worse) in Austria. I was once told off quite a bit by three Austrian friends for just crossing the road while they waited patiently for the lights to turn green. Thing was just, the lights were on a very quiet road on the outskirts of Salzburg, at about 2 in the night...

    To me it seems, in Germany or Austria people often just follow any rule there is because it's safe and you don't have to use your own mind. They get confused if something isn't regulated by a law.


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    #38
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,436 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    netwhizkid wrote: »
    When I was in Germany; Sunday was my last day and I had planned on doing my shopping clothes and stuff and I got a pretty bad fright when I went into Munich City Centre and saw every shop closed. I did not know about Sunday closing so it was a lesson learned for me!
    Think yourself lucky. Back when I lived there (80's) the shops closed on Saturday afternoons too! They did open once a month on Saturday afternoons (called a Lange Samstag!), but in compensation for that they didn't open until midday on the following Monday instead :)


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    #39
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,007 ✭ [Deleted User]


    NorDub wrote: »
    I was once told off quite a bit by three Austrian friends for just crossing the road while they waited patiently for the lights to turn green.

    Exact opposite in France, they're mental jaywalkers ... the reason being that if a car hits a pedestrian or cyclist for WHATEVER reason, the car is 100% at fault.

    In the car one morning I crossed the path between my drive and the road and waited to move out. A few moments later a cyclist, who was cycling on the path because it was a one way street ... clearly with his head down ... crashed into the side of my stationary car. No harm done and he was very apologetic but when I told my French colleagues about it they said I was lucky he didn't press charges. :eek:


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    #40
    Euro_Kraut
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,957 ✭✭✭Euro_Kraut


    NorDub wrote: »
    To me it seems, in Germany or Austria people often just follow any rule there is because it's safe and you don't have to use your own mind. They get confused if something isn't regulated by a law.

    Thats not it really. Just look at the number way many Germans flauted the smoking ban (including an ex Bundeskanzler).

    There are just brought up to view society as a partnerhsip in a way that is alien to many Irish. They see cross a road at a red light in the way we might view Drink driving - highly irresponsible. I agree that they take it too far though somethimes. When children are around it is irresponsible to jay walk in fairness.

    A few weeks back I saw a mother give out to her child in Dublin for stoping a red light at junction. 'Keep walking ya little pri*k!' was the way she put it. In Germnay people would have the balls to chastise that mother for the example she was setting. But of course nobody (me included) either that the courage or cared enough.


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    #41
    netwhizkid
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,558 ✭✭✭netwhizkid


    Fact 3. In German cities they cycle on the footpath rather than the road and the outside of the footpath is done in red bricks or else lined to denote the cycle path, I almost got pummeled a few times and heard the bell ringing coming from behind me as it took me a bit to get used to walking on the inside of the footpath.

    Fact 4. Visit a German city in winter and around 95% of people are wearing black clothes primarily black winter jackets and they walk in almost lanes in different directions particulary in train stations. They are quite robotic and everything is done to the book and to the millisecond, if a German train is scheduled to leave at 17.57 it will leave at 17.57 wheras an Irish one may leave at 18.00 if we are lucky but usually it will be 18.05 or on a bad day 18.10.

    Some Irish bars in Germany do not even sell Guinness only Murphy's :eek:

    Fact 5. Czech Women are the hottest in Europe :D


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    #42
    Princess Consuela Bananahammock
    Registered Users Posts: 33,162 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    All German cities except Berlin...!

    The weird thing about jaywalking in Berlin is they'll all wait, but if one person walks at a red light, guarnatee at least three more will follow.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



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    #43
    bronte
    Registered Users Posts: 11,331 ✭✭✭✭bronte


    Milk is weird in Europe.


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    #44
    GAAman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,370 ✭✭✭GAAman


    djk1000 wrote: »
    beer in vending machines

    They have that here too :)


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    #45
    gerky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,407 ✭✭✭gerky


    bronte wrote: »
    Milk is weird in Europe.

    UHT milk is used more in other European countries than here, although pasteurised milk is still usually preferred by most people.


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    #46
    Ruu_Old
    Closed Accounts Posts: 36,634 ✭✭✭✭Ruu_Old


    You'd better get going, because milk gets sour. Unless it's UHT milk, but there's no demand for that. Because it's shite.


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    #47
    shane86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭shane86


    netwhizkid wrote: »
    ........... The only other places open are a few Turkish kiosks and and the likes.

    ........ like Sunday closing the rule is only flaunted by the Turks and from looks I seen them getting they are pretty much loathed by your average German.

    So wait. They hate the Turks for introducing modern civilisation to their country in the form of Sunday opening and not standing at a crossing on an empty road like a twat? FFS, at least with the Jews they had a few far fetched conspiracy theories to rile them! It isnt that long ago that Dublin was pretty much shut down on a Sunday, and good riddance to it.

    I worked with quite a few Germans in Ireland, and while most of them were alright they had a disproportionate amount of all out weirdos and oddballs (really, about 10 of maybe 60 I worked with over 2 years). Also, for some reason most of the German women who come to Ireland are shockingly rough looking. Morbidly obese, still wearing clothing that was in need of replacement when the wall came down, tight as fcuk with money and no real interest in a social life.

    For some reason Ireland gets all the ugly German women. Here in Australia alot of the backpacker ones are absoloutely knock out gorgeous. Only drawback again is that alot are tight with money- they will go out to a bar, have a free complimentary drink or two and sip the same one for 2 hours before going home at midnight without having spent more than a few euro max.


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    #48
    gerky
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,407 ✭✭✭gerky


    Ruu wrote: »
    You'd better get going, because milk gets sour. Unless it's UHT milk, but there's no demand for that. Because it's shite.

    :D Should I be proud or sad that I got that so quick?


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    #49
    shane86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,584 ✭✭✭shane86


    gerky wrote: »
    :D Should I be proud or sad that I got that so quick?

    Proud :) A lack of Ted knowledge makes an Irishman lower than the aforementioned crazy Europeans in my book.


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    #50
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    shane86 wrote: »
    Proud :) A lack of Ted knowledge makes an Irishman lower than the aforementioned crazy Europeans in my book.


    Careful now!


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    #51
    Expresso Bongo
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43 ✭Expresso Bongo


    Ikky Poo2 wrote: »
    All German cities except Berlin...!

    The weird thing about jaywalking in Berlin is they'll all wait, but if one person walks at a red light, guarnatee at least three more will follow.

    This is true. I amused myself numerous times by testing this phenomenon in Berlin. In retrospect I probably could have picked a safer and more socially acceptable hobby.


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    #52
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,224 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    Deleted User wrote: »
    France too, it's great.

    Another thing about shops is (by law) you can't have a chemist or a tobacconist in a large shopping centre ... these business can only exist in local business districts/villages.

    If you're talking about France, that's a lie. Shopping centres always have pharmacies in them (and are the only places allowed sell aspirin, paracetamol etc.). Also, the law on Sunday trading has been relaxed.


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    #53
    DamoDLK
    Registered Users Posts: 716 ✭✭✭DamoDLK


    gerky wrote: »
    :D Should I be proud or sad that I got that so quick?

    2 Thumbs up!


    The way the public transport is reliable, that kinda sucks, takes the challenge out of getting home...


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    #54
    4zn76tysfajdxp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 27,944 ✭✭✭✭4zn76tysfajdxp


    shane86 wrote: »
    ...before going home at midnight without having spent more than a few euro max.

    Easy on the casual racism there pal. They're not all called "Max" and "Fritz" and "Hans" you know.


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    #55
    Demonique
    Registered Users Posts: 2,824 ✭✭✭Demonique


    BraziliaNZ wrote: »
    you can get beer in cinemas in the UK in some places. I used to get beer in St Kilda in Melbourne at cinema. Ireland just has totally ghey licensing laws.

    Cineworld on Parnell Street has a bar
    Euro_Kraut wrote: »
    When children are around it is irresponsible to jay walk in fairness.

    Not my child, not my problem, I'll jaywalk if I please. It's up to the parents to teach their children to cross the road correctly.
    bronte wrote: »
    Milk is weird in Europe.

    It's weird in Canada too, there you can get milk in bags.


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    #56
    Coriolanus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    Demonique wrote: »
    Cineworld on Parnell Street has a bar
    They never let me bring it in though. Winter, I has overcoat and can hide it, summer, I'd just look like a flasher-in-waiting if I wore it. :(


    It's weird in Canada too, there you can get milk in bags.
    They have that in the States too. Saves on packaging, just rinse and refill the one hard plastic container again and again. Pretty good idea imo.


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    #57
    Boskowski
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭Boskowski


    shane86 wrote: »
    So wait. They hate the Turks for introducing modern civilisation to their country in the form of Sunday opening and not standing at a crossing on an empty road like a twat? FFS, at least with the Jews they had a few far fetched conspiracy theories to rile them! It isnt that long ago that Dublin was pretty much shut down on a Sunday, and good riddance to it.

    Easy Bosco. I think Ireland has as much underlying racism as Germany these days.

    On Sundays...
    Funny thing is. They ('we' actually, in my particular case) keep the shops closed on Sundays as a sign of christian respect - you know the 'and he rested on the seventh day' or so. Believe me, I was surprised to learn when I was moving to a supposedly arch-catholic country that they don't give a dam about that here. I mean pubs and restaurants and gas stations and the like are open, so you're cool for entertainment and emergencies. People don't need to do their grocery shopping at all times of the day/week. I kinda like it that we don't follow every sh1t that comes from the US.
    shane86 wrote: »
    Also, for some reason most of the German women who come to Ireland are shockingly rough looking. Morbidly obese, still wearing clothing that was in need of replacement when the wall came down, tight as fcuk with money and no real interest in a social life.

    Ye, for some strange reason a large number of Germans seem to have this romantic notion about Ireland. And this romantic notion seems disproportionally widespread amongst the left-of-center, alternative, emo, feminist types. Unfortunately that group seems to have an equally disproportionate small number of lookers...:D


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    #58
    redout
    Registered Users Posts: 11,435 ✭✭✭✭redout


    No shops open in Spain on sundays apart from the first sunday of each month.

    No smokes sold in newsagents or supermarkets in Spain.

    Off-licenses (well shops that sell alcohol as there are no off-licenses in Spain!) shut off @ 10. Yes I know we do to but they have it like that for many years.

    Show me another country that sell Batch bread ?


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    #59
    Mint Sauce
    Registered Users Posts: 29,294 ✭✭✭✭Mint Sauce


    a roy-al with cheese


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    #60
    Húrin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,045 ✭✭✭Húrin


    netwhizkid wrote: »
    Shops close in Germany on Sundays and the whole country practically comes to a standstill bar restaurants and pubs.

    Really? In secular Germany? Why is it not like that in "Catholic Ireland"?


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    #61
    Coriolanus
    Registered Users Posts: 4,879 ✭✭✭Coriolanus


    Húrin wrote: »
    Really? In secular Germany? Why is it not like that in "Catholic Ireland"?
    Because they have a long, long tradition of it and we hadn't.
    Torturing consumers with anemic opening hours has a long tradition in Germany. The first such law came into existence in 1900, but was soon strengthened. By 1919, it was illegal to open up shop on Sunday and stores on workdays could only be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Saturday afternoons later became taboo.
    Why it's still like that is largely attributed to church leaders and their associated politicians apparently, thought that's according to wiki so take it with a grain of salt.


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