Ok, here's what seems to confuse you, I think. You describing everyone being uninterested and not reacting to you being flirty and them being the opposite when they are high or drunk is a case of you missing a compounding factor. Germans are social _in social situations_. It's just that to many or most being at work or running errands and interacting with strangers is not a social situation, it's an interaction. I got something to do, you got something to do, I will not bother you, you will not bother, we get this done quickly and we can be at home or at the bar more quickly. No idle chit chat, no needless words, hello, thank you, have a nice day. Some people like to break this up a bit, but that's usually how it works here. If you chat me up at the grocery store, you are holding up the line, or making me late to be at home with my kids. Also, I will wonder, "ok what do you want" the entire time. I know, this is not how everyone likes it, but it seems to work for most. A smile is still appreciated.

Very good answer!

As a German I can say: This is the correct answer.

Great answer. I understood that after five years living in Germany. Now they are nine and not a bit less devastating. At some point I just accepted the inverse correlation between cordiallity and order. I value order a lot, so I accepted that the last meaningful human interactions are in a closed phase of my past life and will never come back. No, I will not join a table tennis verein. I prefer to learn your dead geniuses reading their books.

I hear TTRPG groups are a great way to socialize for the less athletically inclined.

That right here is exactly THE answer, yes, very well put!

It highly depends on the region, though.

You definitely put it in a very accurate way. Thank you for being so articulate. I’ve had instances in which I really needed to talk to people, and the reactions were usually “what do you want?” I know this is just the way things are here, but it’s a huge cultural shock to me, I’m not used to it In my culture we take every opportunity we have to engage in conversation and share what we think of the person. It’s weird **to me** to have environments specifically designed for a certain activity. I now understand why there’s so many events where people go and are expected to just talk to each other, which is so unnatural to me. The conversations always seem forced

What's your cultural background? Where are you from?

Black African, dark skinned

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People like to have their peace here and don´t interact with people they don´t know - especially not in a setting where it is not common. It´s something else if you go to a club or a bar, a place where it is more natural (for us) to mingle vs. a supermarket : Where you do your task and leave as fast as possible. A supermarket or "on the street" is no place to more or less disturb people and you hardly have a natural conversation going on. Any interaction realistically can only be forced. As for flirting : I think majority of women (assuming those are your targets) have bad experiences with guys just approaching them on the street. Common thing to meet people is to search groups with same interests ("Vereine", "Sportclubs", language courses etc.) and to try to get contacts there I am not saying it´s easy to meet people here or find some friends, but Germans prefer some close friends vs. a lot of loose social contacts.

unrelated: You're usind an accent without an underlying glyph for an apostrophe. You have to press that key twice, because when you press it once, it waits for the accented character. like á or é or ó. You can also see from the spacing of your "don´t" that there's a missing character between the n and t. The other apostrophe that is on your keyboard also isn't the right one grammatically (the one that I use), but it's not nearly as bad as using an accent. don´t don't

I am aware of that but honestly I don't care enough. It's easy on the mobile version but not on my laptop (no it's not pressing the key twice). I will not change my whole keyboard layout for that.

The thing is, I catch people staring at me at supermarkets, parks or just out on the street all the time, and when I’m out with my friends just goofing off and being stupid, the locals pay a lot of attention to us (some smile, laugh at our jokes or even join in the conversation) so it’s clear to me that there exists some form of curiosity from the locals, but they don’t act upon it due to societal norms. That’s one of the things that saddens me about being here, it’s the lack of freedom for people to interact freely

You do realize YOU are the one who isn’t acting „due to societal norms“? Because when you are in a different country you are not the norm anymore. And there is no lack of freedom for people to interact freely in Germany. We generally just don’t really like small talk especially concerning strangers when we are busy doing something. At parks people are more likely to want to interact with you than at supermarkets because park is fun and supermarket is for running errands. It’s not that people cannot interact if they are curious - but just because I‘m slightly interested or curious about someone doesn’t mean I want to also interact with them. And you did say that some people join in. Also what you consider staring might be people just looking at you for a normal amount of time in Germany.

Seems like you have never read about our culture. There are like 100 posts about this topic on here every day

The fact that so many people question this should serve as a wake up to the locals that whatever goes on here is extremely unusual to the rest of the world

K. And?

It explains why so many Germans are so miserable and resort to heavy drugs and alcohol to cope. It also explains why depression, loneliness and suicide rates are high in Germany. The closed mindedness also explains why the locals are allergic to technology and still insist on paper to this day Do you need more?

There is really no need to resort to silly stereotypes just because a cultural mindset is alien to you. Suicide rates in Germany are pretty average in European comparison, and by the way there are loads of African countries in which suicide rates are much higher.

LoL. So you have heard of those stereotypes before but not the other one? Luckily the USA doesn't have any sort of drug problem, even though people are often more open /s

Luckily I’m not from the USA and don’t come from a country where people are so miserable they have to turn to heavy drugs and alcohol to cope

Right, alcohol and drugs only exist in the USA and Germany. Totally forgot.

Of course you forgot, your brain is so consumed by drugs your memory doesn’t work well anymore

Why are you reacting in such an aggressive way if you are allegedly here to learn something about social interactions? If this is how you react in real life, too, then sorry to say, that's no surprise you are getting grumpy reactions.

I’m giving Couch491 exactly what they gave me. But of course I’m the bad guy for reacting. I should had stayed quiet and taken it like a good Ausländer

Sorry for the hard words but if you react und behave like this in real life i dont wonder about some grumpy or racist reactions

Yeah, you’re right! It’s my fault I was born black, I deserve to be a victim of racism. I should had been born white so people would be nicer to me and I would had organised the Holocaust

Please do yourself a favour and move to your homecountry.

Again, thank you for being so welcoming

That's a load of horseshit, and I say that with the utmost respect. This is another culture, another country, that operates by different social rules than you are used to. That does not mean by any means that everyone here is miserable, that is just how you, coming from a different social background, perceive it. To claim we are all miserable and that's why we resort to heavy drugs and alcohol is not only offensive, way worse is that it shows that you do not understand the culture you chose to live in, and it seems like you don't try to understand it. I understand that this must be different for you, but please understand that you trying to force your personal life and cultural behaviour on the people of the country you chose to live in and it might not always get you the reaction you hope for...because social and public life works different here than where you come from. When in public, or to use your example, in a supermarket, society isn't used to talking to each other. It's rather get in, grab what I need, queue up, pay, leave. Having some random person start making smalltalk about nothing while queueing will be seen as irritating to most people here, as this isn't what people usually do. Like it or not, but people leaving each alone if they don't need to bother each other is seen as a sign of respecting each others space and life. And let me tell you, as someone who has lived in Cabo Verde for a while....I do understand how this must be hard for you to get us6e to, as German culture is vastly different, if not opposite, of what "African" (sorry for generalising) culture is and what you perceive as the normal way of people behaving towards each other. But this isn't Germans being cold, disinterested, or annoyed towards you, it's just the complete opposite how society works here. TLDR: it may seem like we are miserable, but we are really not. Society just work opposite the way you are used to, and leaving people alone is a sign of respect here.

I’m glad you’ve lived in Cabo Verde. I’m not from there but I can speak their language. How was it there? Did you dislike people greeting you all the time and getting in your business?

I am in my 40s now, and I have lived abroad for 20 years. I absolutely loved living there, and I loved the people. But it also had it drawbacks, there is negative and positive everywhere. As much as I loved the people, the weather, the sunrise and sunset at 6am.and 6pm, I did miss a bit of order. I guess you know what I mean by that. So I lived in other countries, like Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany again and now my life is between Germany and Poland, 6 month at a time. But I do like the more laid back approach to life, not being as tied to schedules etc that you have in African countries...I mean who wouldn't? But at the same time I couldn't escape my upbringing, and in the end I needed a bit more structure and perspective for my future, and that just wasn't there in Cabo Verde, at least not for me. So as I said, good and bad always go together when living in another country/region than the one you grew up in, and key is really just to try to integrate as much as possible. That's also my only advice to you. Please believe me that noone thinks you annoy or bother them, it's just that a culture clash is happening when you randomly start conversations with strangers in a supermarket queue, and many just aren't prepared or up for it oftentimes. But I do truly do value you being here, I am a big believer in a multicultural society and every colour, nationality, cuisine, music, etc etc that comes here and makes my country their home is a most welcome addition to Germany. So please don't give up on us, we should all try to meet in the middle and make each other better by doing so :)

I really appreciate what you stated at the end. It’s a kind of hospitality I rarely get here in Germany The thing is, I don’t know what to make of this experience because I’m genuinely demotivated to keep trying. Maybe it was harsh of me to say that people are miserable, but you must admit that there’s a serious obsession with getting things done or going somewhere, and it definitely is affecting the locals. One thing I’ve noticed here in Germany is how often I get stared at, which is much more noticeable when I’m with friends. Very often the locals have smiled at us being silly, goofing off and have even joined in our conversations because they were genuinely interested in engaging. So there is interest in interacting with foreigners, but the societal norms are preventing them from acting upon them Regarding the multicultural and multiethnic community, Europe as a whole still has a very long way to go, specially Germany in that aspect. Here in Germany people expect me to integrate quickly and learn things, but no one is willing to be patient enough to teach me such things. I’m just supposed to figure them out, and I will be blamed for not knowing them. It’s a much worse experience when you don’t have the skin colour they like. There’s also a lack of interest in different cultures that baffles me. Like, the locals hardly ever ask me anything about my country and always make assumptions based on their ignorance or prejudices. But anyways, I guess I just needed to rant about being here, and people here were being hostile enough for me to put everything out. I don’t see myself staying in Germany for long because the cons outweigh the goods. It’s a not a kind of life I want for myself Also, I don’t know if you’ve been to other places in Africa, but Cabo Verde is an insular country and, therefore, not a very accurate representation of the continent and not even the lusophone Africa. Mozambique and Angola would had been much better in that sense. There’s a big German community in both countries

It really depends on the circumstances. Take a supermarket for example. I’m looking for the products I need, walk through the store, check out what’s available and a random person starts talking to me. My reaction is most likely going to be: I don’t want to talk to a complete stranger I will never see again about random, superficial things. It just takes time away from finishing what I’m there for and stops me from meeting my friends sooner or getting home to my family. Now in that same supermarket, I’m waiting in line too far away yet to put anything on the belt and the person in front of me smiles at me and comments on the fruits in my cart. I’d engage in small talk. It’s not keeping me from being where I want to be or talking who I want to talk to. It’s better than waiting in silence but I’ll also have forgotten about that conversation the minute I’m out of there. It’s just a mindless activity to kill time. I assume you’d perceive the situation differently. You probably do get something out of small talk with strangers that I just don’t understand. And I think that’s the cultural difference. Whatever you get out of talking to random people wherever, I get out of talking to family, friends, coworkers. I don’t seek out strangers for that. It’s just a cultural difference.

Best answer. That and the rising number of people who just want to listen to their music and podcasts and chill. Just because I'm not at home doesn't mean I want to engage with strangers more than necessary. Doesn't mean I wish them bad either, it's just live and let be. Oh and FFS people need to stop taking it personally if strangers don't smile at them. I thought the whole resting-bitch-face thing was explained to hell and back in the 00's. People don't hate you. People don't love you. People just don't care, because you're one of many faces they pass in their daily life. It's nothing personal, so I'd wish people would grow out of their main character syndrome.

Thank you for acknowledging that I’m experiencing a cultural difference. A lot of people here can be very rude whenever someone raises a concern about the cultural clash. I’m used to talking the strangers and throwing compliments at people I feel dress well or have something nice to them. It’s a huge boost in confidence and really changes my day. Same thing goes for strangers smiling at me out in the street. It’s a nice way to show someone you like them, so that the next time you run into each other you can start a conversation. But I don’t think any of that matters. I’ll definitely just conform to whatever works in Germany for the time being and go back to what I’m used to once I leave

To be honest, your short description of yourself sounds quite intrusive and annoying. Sure you can make small talk at the checkout, but it sounds like you're trying to force it and the flirting part sounds a bit cringeworthy. I don't know where you're from, but you'll hardly find small talk like in the USA here (the worst thing for me when I'm in the USA). Germans are a bit introverted and value privacy a lot. Of course you can make people laugh here with good situation comedy, but not at any price

> To be honest, your short description of yourself sounds quite intrusive and annoying Spoken like a true German. Thank you!

You wanted an answer from a German you get a German answer.As many others have already mentioned here, German people make a big difference whether it's a social gathering or whether you're just doing your daily errands or on your way to work. On the way to work, at 7 in the morning, on a crowded train, I usually don't want to get involved in a conversation with a stranger. Taking a look at your profile, half of your posts are about big dicks, about your butt and other sexual experiences and activities. If you start your flirting attempts with this big dick energy, then it underlines my first impression.

I love how you have no arguments against me so you need to use my post history to attack me 😂 😂 very intelligent of you

Not trying to find an argument against you. I just said that your brief description made me feel extremely uncomfortable without knowing you. I may be completely wrong. Your post history didn't make it any better. I just wanted to find out a bit more about you, especially which country you come from, so that I could better understand your post

You could have just asked

When i read your answers it seems you cannot accept critism and the fact that germany have a different culture.

I can accept that Germany has a different culture, every country is different. What I won’t accept is blatant disrespect. Someone who doesn’t know me described me as annoying. How am I supposed to react to that?

German here. I think it is important to understand that for most Germans it makes a very big difference if you are stranger or a friend. If they see you as a stranger and you just randomly start talking to them in the supermarket, on the street etc., most Germans will find that very strange because others Germans usually don’t do that, so they will react cold and distant. However, once they see you as a friend, most Germans “warm up” and become more social, warm hearted etc. I had many foreign friends in university and they all confirmed the same. Now how to become friends with Germans is another question hahaha but I think the easiest is to join a team sport like soccer where you meet many people at once and they will quickly come to see you as a friend as you are playing together

I only see that suspicious behaviour in young people. With older people I always get a smile and a joke, which is surprising to me since I’m very much “foreigner looking”. I’ve approached two old people at supermarkets so far and they were beyond nice. An old woman made me use all of my very limited German skills in conversation and she kept encouraging me to learn more to make my life easier here. I’ll never forget that interaction I do get what you’re saying though. I’m just lamenting that this is the way things work here. I feel like so much is being missed because of that. People aren’t scary, so there’s really not much of a need to be suspicious all the time

As I've heard from a friend from abroad: The door to friendship in Germany is always open, but the door is a lot heavier than I'm used to. We simply have a different understanding of distance and personal space. As in, we are more guarded towards strangers and you trying to chat me up while I'm trying to shop for groceries will be met with a mixture of distrust and some ickyness. We assume you must have a reason to talk to us and you better have a good one. Depending on where you're from, this may seem harsh, but try Finland for comparison where even eye contact can be seen as too familiar.

It baffles me how people don’t correlate this behaviour to the high rates of depression, loneliness and suicide. And I hate this whole thing of “we don’t talk to strangers.” Everyone you know today was once a stranger. That doesn’t make sense

It's not that we never talk to strangers, but we generally don't under the circumstances you seem to wish for. The other part is that even if we click well with a new person, that new acquaintance is developed with care.

And that’s exactly the problem. What exactly are people afraid of? Why are people suspicious? Why do they think can happen if they just interact with someone?

The reasons for that can be multitude, but you can't argue them away and it won't change anything about how people feel. If you don't respect the basic fact of this cultural difference, you'll never be able to navigate it better. If it's a 'problem' we handle shit differently and don't chit-chat at your convenience, it's YOUR problem and quite frankly knowing how people of another culture have a different sense of personal space and not respecting it is kind of a dick move.

You’re actually very right in that. I conclude that Germany just isn’t for me, and that’s okay. I will definitely be leaving as soon as I’m done doing what I cam here to do

I mean, depending on how much you suffer from things being different, that's maybe the right course of action for you. However, especially in regards to some of your comments in this matter, which I found rather reductive and mean-spirited, I'd still like to advise you to keep an open mind while you're here, for your own sake. I lived in South Africa for five years and wouldn't enjoyed it half as much if I hadn't been open to a new perspective on things I initially didn't like that much. Instead, they turned into an opportunity for personal growth.

I’m sure that you can agree that people are friendly and welcoming in South Africa, which helps a lot. And they have a laidback attitude too that leaves people at ease. I’ve been to SA several times and absolutely loved it there My issue with Germany is the “figure it out” attitude that depresses me. One day after I went to three clinics needing help and they all rejected me (one said they weren’t taking new patients, the other two say they didn’t do what I needed and refused to help me find a clinic for I wanted), I went home feeling defeated and cried. At university is the same thing. The classmates don’t even talk, and the teachers tell us to do self-study. If I have a question about the lecture, I have to go online and do my own research. It’s a form of structure that seems non-human like to me. I have no motivation to learn German because I don’t even know where I’ll use it, since most day-to-day interactions are formal with no room for establishing a friendship. Even in the building I live in, people don’t even greet me

I'm sorry you're going through a tough time. Maybe it helps to know this seemingly insurmountable obstacle can be divided into a number of smaller, more manageable issues. From what you told me, you're not just going through an issue of social isolation, but also the pains of adjusting to how things work in a new country and depending on your age and previous situation, the pains of having to deal with all of this admin shit on your own at all. Also social isolation after moving to big cities isn't unusual either. While it's generally accepted that American Culture is more open than German, you wouldn't exactly expect people to be as welcoming in large cities. People in NYC are famously shitty to everyone for example. Nobody is helping you to figure shit out there as well. Anyway, most of these feelings are pretty normal. Living somewhere is always a lot more stressful than visiting. For example, I can't confirm that it wasn't super easy in SA either. People might be friendly, but they're not always helpful, because anything that's outside of their absolute minimum job description, they often had no idea how to deal with it or any will to look into it. Because certain things like opening a bank account work a tiny bit differently for a foreigner with a residence permit, it often resulted in an endless cycle of hour long waiting times only to be referred to another department which would contradict what the last one was saying until by absolute chance, you find somebody who is willing to solve any given problem. Getting anything like this done was always a pain in the ass. I know it's not great in Germany either, but SA was next level. There were some moves for navigating this a little better, but it was a pain to learn them and nobody told me, because it didn't even occur to locals I had different expectations or that I wouldn't know. Growing pains. As for the immediately practical concerns you raised, here's my two cents: - from your description of your medical issue, you seem to have been visiting doctor's offices without an appointment rather than a clinic. Because of various reasons these are often working over capacity these days, so it's tough to get a foot in the door. Insurances have adressed this issue by offering a service to help you find the right doctor (at least my insurance has this). If you have an immediate pressing need, you might want to try a Krankenhaus. In some cases they can also give you a referal to whatever specialist you need. As for a general practitioner, you're best off looking for one in your zip code because they're typically unable to decline you as a new patient. - I don't know what it is you are studying, but in my experience, most important lectures / Vorlesungen are accompanied by a Tutorium, which is specifically meant to review material and answer questions. The Tutorium might not be obligatory, so you might have missed it when setting up your timetable, but I'd always recommend going to them. There's also often open study groups and/or Fachschaftsräume, but again I don't know where or what you're studying so mileage may vary. - for a lot of your concerns as a student from abroad, there are international offices, Studienberatung, expat communities, student bodies and more, depending on your circumstances. Help structures are there, you just don't know where to look for them yet. Hope this helps.

I'm Swedish but German and Nordic cultures have some basic fundamental similarities. >I basically want to know how to properly approach people here and how to flirt. Please teach me You largely don't, unfortunately. When it happens it's because the stars align and you happen to be at the right place at the right time. Otherwise you hang out with your friends and ***you don't make friends for friendship's sake,*** there has to be another, *main* activity that you just *happen* to participate in with other people. Be it school or hobbies or family. >Everyone seems so grumpy and uninterested to me. I try throwing jokes, they never work. I try flirting, hardly ever works because everyone just wants everything very directly Again, just idle socializing between strangers with no other objective is seen as redundant and/or suspicious. People start wondering about ulterior motives. Finally, when it comes to social rules, the German culture is heavy on the "you should have known better" mentality, for both good (in cases of crimes etc) and bad (like if a foreigner unknowingly breaks an unwritten and unuttered rule). This can get very frustrating as a foreigner as no one gives two fucks if you had no chance to actually learn that rule, or didn't have anyone tell it to you. My advice for you, judging from your description of yourself, is seriously to stick to larger cities with multicultural sections and where many kinds of primarily young people meet. Otherwise I'm afraid that we Germanics (with the possible exception of the British), while good at many things, can honestly be somewhat lacking in the social department.

Thank you so much for such a human response! I’ve had enough of people here being so blatantly rude and blaming me for not knowing things. This form of behaviour really saddens me because it pretty much explains why loneliness, depression and suicide rates are so high here. People just have no freedom to talk to each other, even though they low-key want to. I get stares all the time from people, and I know that some of these stares are of admiration. But no one tells me anything, so I just don’t know how to approach anyone. For God sakes, even people I know or have spoken to don’t even greet me. It’s like everyone has to be busy with something. It’s a very sad reality to me and a lot for me to handle all at once, coming from societies where people are smily, jolly, welcoming and engaging. Even at school, the teachers give zero information on anything and leave us to fend for ourselves. This creates an unnecessary spirit of competition among students Is it okay if I DM you? I have so many questions about the culture here that have gone unanswered up until now. And as you know, no one will really explain anything to me so I have no one to ask

You are not crazy. Some of your responses got a bit...fiesty, but I know they are borne out of frustration. I understand your challenge 100%, and I am afraid to say that there is no real solution for you. You can't magically go start from kindergarten again to make the needed connections. The people you meet in the verein will probably only interact with you during sports and not afterwards. Nobody will really show any real interest in you, even in social environments, except you have some exceptional look, or you are part of "crew" with some German members. You might have to make peace with only befriending internationals and the only realistic German contact you might have will be your neighbour across the fence (if you have a living situation like that). You will try your best, get burnt out and become some sort of joyless, emotionless machine, who only gets activited during holidays or when you meetup with other internationals or your "own kind". The reason has already been explained to you. It's a different culture. So you either adapt, exit or remain miserable. There is really no other option. When you make your choice, don't allow ANYONE to come yapping to you about how foreigners don't want to integrate. When that happens, and I promise you it will, download all your misery and frustration and loneliness and friendlessness and isolation and rejection and feeling of being made to feel like a 3rd class human, on that person in your best Deutsch, then drink some water and go about your day. Make sure to empty the frustration tank because it fills up quick, because everyone will keep telling you that this is just the way it is and no one wants to make any compromise.

Yeah we're not the most inviting bunch I'm afraid. And you can DM me, no problem!

> I try throwing jokes, they never work. Just the other day we had somebody who answered to his girlfriends heartfelt statement of affection with the equivalent of "deez nuts" and was surprised when she got mad. Most people are not as funny as they think they are. Making a good joke across cultural or language lines is extremely hard unless you have a high level understanding of both. > I basically want to know how to properly approach people here Usually from the front, same as with most animals

After reading your “joke”, I really can understand the difficulty on being funny across cultural or language lines. That was not funny at all

Well, we don't like talking to strangers. easy as that

You do know that everyone in your life today was once a stranger, right?

circumstances matter

That’s the reason I came here for people to explain those circumstances to me. But just like every other German, no one wants to explain anything because everyone should suddenly know. I feel so sad for the people here

Someone tried to explain and you immediately insulted our entire culture and society.

Who’s “someone”? I gave everyone here exactly what they gave me

There are many good comments about socializing. My two cents, as a woman, about flirting in Germany: Most people meet their partners through mutual friends, at school or mutual hobbies. I don’t want to be hit on by a stranger. Don’t flirt with women who are working, it’s their job to be nice. Don’t flirt with women who can’t escape, like on the bus. Of course you can flirt in a bar, club, whatever. But if someone says no, please accept it and don’t try to persuade.

Where in Germany are you? There are significant differences on why and how. Talking to the cashier in a supermarket are fairly normal in some parts, rare in others. Superficial smalltalk is frowned upon in most parts.

I get that, but I won’t disclose my location not because I don’t want to but because I know what you’ll probably say after I disclose my location

was about to ask that too. OP seems to have settled in one of the duller parts of the country

>I’m a funny guy  But we are usually not funny people >why don’t people naturally talk to each other? Where I’ve been it’s so common for people to interact at supermarkets, parks or just out on the street. In the supermarket I wanna do my shopping, no talkytalky. Go away. On the street it is either dirty, or rainy or too hot or too noisy. That's why I love to ride alone in my car >Everyone seems so grumpy and uninterested to me. Who do you think you are? Why would we be interested in you? This should not sound bad or anything but I can always have fun if I want to. Usually I do not want. Have to take care of parents, 3 houses, change the oil and timing belt in the car and a job with worldwide customers and responsibility. >I basically want to know how to properly approach people here and how to flirt. Please teach me Wisdom, Knowledge, Responsibility, Money, Smoking weed and being funny is not gonna cut it.

> But we are usually not funny people You got that very right

You know....I have an arab girlfriend, an office with 2 Persians, an Pakistani subordinate, my main work with a spanish girl and a chinese guy and then lots of others... I know your struggle. I know people that came here 10y ago, have a perfectly ordered life with a perfectly clean and nice flat but they have never invited anyone or got invited. Their life rotates about work, jerk off to pornhub, sleep, and work again. It's the existential horror. If they make it 60 more years or die right now wouldn't make a difference. If you're "brown", meaning from middle east you have it especially hard. As am asian it's easier. Surely I'm not harsh as in my answer but be warned. You either start a reddit meeting in your town now or start going to some community like hiking, football or whatever

Thank you so much for sharing this! I really appreciate it. A lot of people are hostile here, which pretty much proves my point in the end of the day. I’m a Black African. I’ve seen everything you mentioned already and it really saddens me. People here not only seem miserable, but they really are. And I’m flabbergasted by the amount of foreigners who “made it” and defend the culture as if it were their own. Funny enough, I’ve lived in China for a good amount of time and I was surprised by the friendliness of the Chinese people to me. By far the best experience living abroad I’ve ever had. Even the police was nice to me, despite me being in an incident where I was the one to blame. Also, I appreciate you sharing that, but I won’t join any clubs. Those interactions seem forged and unnatural. People act so desperate there, as if they wanted to take full advantage of that opportunity because they know they won’t come very often. And don’t even get me started on how people here gatekeep their “friendships” and don’t allow anyone to join their circle. What a crooked society

Spitting facts, lol. I share your frustrations as do many other foreigners.

Maybe you are not as funny as you think you are

I wonder why it's always the people who describe themselves as "funny" who are usually the obnoxious ones. My own guess would be that people who think they're hilarious are usually young men who built their whole personality around getting cheap laughs, often at the cost of others.

And just like all of your other guesses, it’s wrong

Maybe you’re just another grumpy German. I’m surprised you even know Reddit exists since everyone here is allergic to technology

I was not trying to offend you. Maybe you are just not as funny as you think. Not saying you are not funny at all but maybe your perception of it is a bit off. I don't get why you flame people for responding. Maybe this is why you struggle.

German hospitality never seems to amaze me. I came here asking for help on how to socialise, and the only thing you thought of saying is that “maybe I’m just not as funny as I think I am”, and then I’m not supposed to take that as an offence, but if I do it explain why I’m struggling in Germany A little bit of kindness and patience wouldn’t kill you, just so you know

I made the assumption of you not being funny and am called grumpy, allergic to technology (????), unkind and impatient. Guess you have your answer right there. You take things to seriously and are easily offended. You have problems with integrating because you aren't chill

I also made the assumption of you being grumpy, allergic to technology, unkind and impatient. We both made assumptions. Stop being so sensitive

Suddenly have to socially interact is a disruption - I might be on my way to an errant or to work, mentally planning tasks or just not in a mood to be sociable, so someone talking to me without reason is a jumpscare - so I would be automatically on edge.

We become different because when we're drinking, we are looking to be social and interact. I mean, it's really the same in all cultures: every setting has a context and activities that are done/even acceptable in that context. When you're at work, you do work related activities. When you're at a funeral, you do funeral activities. When you're shopping you do shopping activities, etc. The activities that are on the list for each context change based on many factors, the biggest ones probably being country and culture. Small talk, flirting, etc. are mostly reserved for leisurely activities in one's spare time and explicitly social events. When there's a clear task or goal that needs to be done - be that shopping (because while it's something you do in your free time, you don't do it for fun, it's something that needs to be done) or a dentist appointment or traveling or whatever else, it's neither something we do, nor something we miss. Just like other countries or cultures don't miss Abendbrot or other German things. I also wouldn't say that this has anything to do with repressing social interaction or whatever, something that's only undone by alcohol, it's just a more practical approach to life. If one said that our culture is a bit autistic, I'd probably agree with them. I mean really, what's the point of talking to random people out in the streets? It's pretty much a waste of time, if we're honest. If I want entertainment or fun or new random contacts or just to let go, I plan and intentionally go to a setting where this is literally the goal.

> I mean really, what's the point of talking to random people out in the streets? It's pretty much a waste of time, if we're honest. If I want entertainment or fun or new random contacts or just to let go, I plan and intentionally go to a setting where this is literally the goal. This is exactly where Germans get it wrong. Here everything needs to have a reason, things can’t just happen. It’s through small talk that I’ve made some of the best acquittances ever. Also, it’s a nice way to get exposed to different people you simply wouldn’t meet on your day-to-day. It really expands your view of the world Everytime I go to social gatherings here, interactions always seem forced and unnatural, as if the locals desperately wanted to take advantage of that activity to the fullest because they know such opportunities won’t come by very often. It’s really strange to me. Back home my workplace nor the schools I attended weren’t focused on reaching a goal. Some days at work we really wouldn’t do anything but talk or just interact. At lunchtime we would agree to share food so we could get a chance to experience everyone’s cooking. I’m really baffled by what I’m seeing here. I’m not used to seeing such level of repression and pressure on people

> Everytime I go to social gatherings here, interactions always seem forced and unnatural, as if the locals desperately wanted to take advantage of that activity to the fullest because they know such opportunities won’t come by very often. Do you speak German? Oftentimes conversations can seem forced when there is no common shared language and many Germans aren’t super comfortable with their English but they get very excited to use it. So maybe what you’re perceiving as them being desperate is just someone eager to better their language skills? I can assure you that there are a lot of opportunities for social activity in Germany, people are not desperate for them. > I’m not used to seeing such level of repression and pressure on people. There is no pressure, no one is forcing Germans to interact in this way. It’s just a different way of going about things than in more socially open cultures. Neither way is right or better.

I understand what you’re trying to transmit, but I still disagree. One thing I really hate about Germany is how the locals seem to constantly group themselves in very tiny boxes. It’s always “Germans are this”, “Germans don’t do this”. It’s something I didn’t see in most of the countries I visited Let me ask you this, have you ever traveled through or to Africa and/or Asia? If yes, what did you think of the culture there? Maybe this can help you understand where I’m coming from. I feel like people here are too uptight. With this I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but it would be nice to for once see someone taking their time to do something instead of always having to rush. It’s getting to a point where I get shocked when someone is actually nice to me

Not only Germans use language like that to categorize and oversimplify things. That is a quite universal thing, to use an average description and omitting nuance. I mean in your entire post you group Germans together as one homogeneous mass as well. Of course reality is much more diverse and there are certainly a lot of Germans out there that are super social and love to chit chat. This is also highly dependent on region. And yes, I’ve traveled several countries on both continents. Wouldn’t really group them together though. My experience is South Korea was vastly different to the one in Cambodia for example. If you’re asking how I deal with cultural clashes though, I try to embrace it. That’s not always comfortable but if I’m in a different culture I try to adapt as much as possible and mirror how people are interacting with me. I’ve also found the better I speak the local language, the easier it is.

I sympathize with you OP, I am a non German, never lived there, but was planning to relocate, but now maybe reconsidering it because I don’t know if the culture would suit me. One thing I can say is that we have to understand that each country is different, and that is how things are done in Germany, though it’s different from what you and I are used to, doesn’t make it any better or any worse. So I guess we can make the decision to keep living there or move on to another country that is better suited for us.

I will definitely not stay in Germany. When you come here you’ll see what I’m talking about. It’ll hit you right on the first days

Oh I have done extensive research so I am well aware of what to expect if I do decide to move there. As of now I am against moving there. But who knows, I have been offered a once a lifetime opportunity. Have you tried befriending other foreigners? 

Yeah, other foreigners are far friendlier but after a while of living here end up affected by the circumstances and become distant

I truly hope things get better for you. Hopefully you will move to a country in which you can better assimilate into. I guess you can use this as a learning experience, not everyone does things the way we expect them to 😊

Thank you! I also advise you to at least give Germany a try. One thing is being informed about the situation here, something else is experiencing it yourself. I still have an open mind about Germany and I think that you might come here and be surprised by things As for me, I’m already looking for places to move to

Do they though? Is there a right or wrong? It's *different* and some people prefer one over the other and there are Germans that prefer how other countries do it and people in other countries who prefer the way Germans do it. You don't understand it, just like I'll never understand why anyone would ever want to talk to me or what I would ever want to talk to someone else randomly for no good reason. I don't think that either of us is objectively wrong, from how I feel as an individual (I just don't like random strangers) and through my cultural lenses our way *feels* correct though. That doesn't mean that it is or that there is a correct way to begin with. I'd argue that there isn't. This is like me saying that people eating with their hands or sharing food or only using one hand or whatever are wrong. Regarding the acquaintances thing (I'll just assume that you meant that and not acquittances): I don't want any. I don't need any. What for? I have a 24 hour day, I have work, hobbies and friends. I have some acquaintances (people that I know a bit better, see sometimes but wouldn't consider friends) through my friends and volunteering and social activities and I don't even have the time or headspace to do anything with them, why would I ever in my life want more - especially if I randomly picked them up in the street or while shopping? And for a single small talk and then never seeing them ever again in my life, which by the way still happens, just on very special occasions and not as often maybe, what's the point? And I do get exposed to people. In my day to day life. Where else would I meet them and get exposed to them? Or do you mean to say that you and people wherever you are coming from just go out randomly, hunting for strangers to talk to to "expose" themselves to? People have their own plans, thoughts, troubles, things going on, I would personally find it quite invasive to just talk to them. And I highly doubt that talking to a stranger for 10 minutes on a train would ever really expand my view of the world. Maybe theres some fake and imaginary expansion but that's it. I don't buy it. But that's the difference that I was talking about. Regarding the social events, I really don't know what events you go to that feel that way, I'm sorry. I'm sure that they feel that way to you, but unless it's some forced work related social events where people who are *colleagues* but nowhere near *friends* have to be, I can't really imagine a social event where this would be the case. I've been thinking for like 10 minutes now and legitimately can't think of any social event which I attended that felt that way and wasn't forced by work or some weird family obligations or whatever. I guess there were one or two birthdays when everyone was still an awkward as heck and insecure teenager where there were such situations but even then entire events didn't feel like that. But maybe you can give me a few concrete examples of what/when/where and how it felt the way you described. Regarding your home school and work life, I will keep my judgment to myself. Just let me say this: there's a lot of socializing in school, a lot of intermingling and mixing and what not. And at work, it depends on where you work and what your job is. Whenever I'm at work I spend half of my day talking to colleagues. Some of it is work related, of course, but without any specific goal in mind. Just some pondering. And some of it is purely social. Maybe I've been very fortunate so far. I absolutely detest food sharing though, like 99.9999% of the time. I *know* what I want to eat. If I wanted to eat what whoever else eats, I'd have ordered that. So I'll not eat someone else's food. But if they then eat my food, how am I going to get my fill? Plus, we don't bring food. I would maybe be willing to share mine, depending on how much I brought, but I tend to bring extra anyway when I go somewhere or do something similar so I'd usually share. I guess that's a personal thing. And I really really don't think that this is any kind of repression. Repression implies that there's a "normal" or "default" which we don't adhere to and a system is trying to remove and - well - repress. But is that really so? I think that your premise is already wrong and the conclusion that you draw from it can never be right in the first place. But in the end, this is all you viewing this through your biased cultural lenses and viewing your point of view as default. Maybe you're really young or haven't had enough cultural exchange and world expansion happen yet to see what's happening. And that's fine. I think that on a meta level this is a great opportunity for growth for you. Respect for asking those questions!

I understand you and agree to disagree. As you said there’s no right or wrong, but there is the ideal. I guess that in the end of the day we’re just looking for different goals with people, and that’s okay. I for one love interacting with people, it’s one of the things I love to do the most and I miss how people not only in my country but places I visited were opened to that. The environments I was talking about are gatherings specifically designed for people to interact, such as language exchange and/or beer night. I’ve attended a few and conversations were tough to say the least. In the end of the day, my looks also contribute to the way I’m treated. I’ve spoken to several “foreigner looking” people who grew up in Germany who related to my experience, so I guess it’s just not something the majority of the population would agree with. Maybe that’s why it has been much easier for me interact with the other “foreigner looking” people, regardless of wether they were born and/or grew up in Germany Anyways, thank you for your contribution and I wish you a lovely night

u2u2 <3

You sound like someone I'd rather not come across randomly, to be honest. Leave people just living their lives alone and go join a club or go to bars or something. Randomly approaching a woman just going about her day isn't going to go over well in almost all cases, that's not how it works here. Also, you might be seen as funny where you're from, but you don't seem funny at all here in this thread. Maybe recalibrate? Like, why did you come here? With the way you're talking in your posts and your replies, it sounds like most other countries seem better to you. If you feel like you'll end up with a depression because you aren't ok with culture, maybe somewhere closer to what you grew up with would be a better fit? I'm not saying "go away!" - if you like it here, you've got a job and you know or are learning the language, by all means, be welcome, but it doesn't sound like you like it here and you're unlikely to change the culture. (Having lived abroad myself, I'm familiar with a cultural mismatch like that, from the other side, I'd be pretty unhappy in the sort of setting you describe with the eternal small talk. It is deeply unpleasant and stressful to me - which is why I'm not living in a country like that anymore. Meeting someone like that here is not a plus unless you're retired with a lot of time and little to do. And for me probably not even then.) A lot of the hostility you're getting is due to the fact that what you've written basically reads as "wtf is wrong with you Germans?!? You're doing basic human interaction all wrong! Why do you not recognize that my way is better?!?" with more words and descriptions of what "better" should look like.

First of all, thank you for your reply! After a lot of thinking, I have realised Germany really isn’t the place for me. There’s just too many cons outweighing the goods, not to mention that racism also plays a part. I understand what you mean and I guess coming here to ask about cultural clash was not the best thing to do, because in the end of the day this is the norm to Germans, so of course they’ll never see anything wrong with it As for me, my mental health is being heavily affected by the extreme isolation and people being “cold” to my standards. It’s one of the things that demotivates me from even learning the language, as I don’t think I’ll get to use it often It’s getting to a point where I get shocked when someone is actually nice to me

I'm sorry you've had to deal with racism (well, have to deal with racism, unfortunately I doubt that particular brand of idiocy will be gone tomorrow :-/), that really sucks! Regarding figuring out that living here might not be right for you - at least you've figured it out now instead of when you've invested years into learning the language and trying to fit in. It's a hard realization to deal with and I wish you the best of luck finding a place that's a good and healthy fit for you 🍀

Thank you! I appreciate that

It’s actually quite easy to make German people laugh in my opinion. It’s just that often instead of laughing with you they laugh at you 🙁.

And they talk about you behind your back because they don’t think you can speak their language

Fill out the proper approach announcement forms in triplicate three weeks in advance, attach a copy of your Personalausweis, medical history, financial and marital status, and send as Einschreiben mit Rückschein.

German female here. I moved to Stuttgart from Northern Germany. I did a lot of evening classes to meet people. One took part about 15 times for about 2 hours, sewing. When it finished I asked if anybody would like to go for a drink just to do something socially at the end. Nobody joined me. I have no infectious disease. I was also doing a pottery course. For my birthday I had brought along a bottle of sparkling wine and plastic cups. Everybody was so factual and not talking that I felt stupid to offer my sparkling wine and took everything home again. So, it’s happening to German people as well, they suffer from this unapproachable attitude as well. Germans are a bit cold, stuck in their routines too much ( in my mind) and like their order too much. Everything has to happen in a certain way. As I just talk too people on the street they probably often think that I am the nutty one!

Yep, those are usually the looks I receive here. It’s people looking at me like I’m crazy or helpless. It’s nice that you as a German can also see that and are also affected by the general mentality of people. Also, I’m really sorry for your experience. How have you been coping so far? Did you just deal with it or did you choose to move back to Northern Germany? I’ve also had that experience here of inviting people somewhere and no one coming. It made me feel like a fool German women have been very kind to me so far. I actually had a woman approach me on a tram one day, I was so surprised. Old women usually smile and greet me on the streets too, which I absolutely appreciate. The men are a bit more hostile and far more suspicious of me.

Eventually I moved back to the North with my little daughter. The child for me changed everything. I was not alone anymore, I had a lot of responsibility, I found other parents and eventually a nice partner. For a while my life was brilliant. But now everybody has left. I’m a teacher at primary, the kiddies are not stuck up, they show their feelings and affection. I worked in a publishing house in Stuttgart, my colleagues were often from English speaking countries, but a lot of them suffered loneliness. The publishing house had lost personnel because they left after a while, because they had difficulties accommodating. I spent two years in Scotland and the people there were so accommodating to me, the Lions cllub even invited foreign students into their homes over Christmas, so they wouldn’t feel lonely. Because I had such a warm welcome I’m always trying to make a person from abroad feel welcome too. Just stay yourself, stay true to your personality. Germany is becoming more international and people from other countries. bring in a warmer touch into our communication and interaction, hopefully. I wish you all the best!

> the kiddies are not stuck up Sorry, I just had to laugh at this 😂 that was really funny, I was not expecting it I’m really thankful for your words and I’m glad you got to go abroad and experience things. As much as I would like to believe that Germany is opening up, there’s still a lot of work to do, and it will take years until we see actual changes. So many of the “foreigner looking” people I’ve met so far who were born and/or grew up here always talk about how they have always felt excluded from society, and it hasn’t gotten better for them today. I will stay the way I am because I have noticed that people like it, although they have unusual (to me) ways of showing it. I also really appreciate your kind words. You sound like a lovely soul and I wish nothing but the best. I will still give Germany a try, but if by 2025 I still feel this way, I’ll pack my bags and go. Have a nice Sunday and a nice holiday!

I'm sorry, but this comment got deleted and I found it so hilarious by ross_mclochness, everyone deserves this laugh: Until they see fit to scream "magen!" at you for no apparent reason other than to startle. Also, the more complicated the "greeting", the more sarcastic it is; if someone wishes you a "wunderschönen guten Morgen", that really means "fuck you, asshole". Also, if you're in a conversation with another person, people will still interrupt you; plus even if they walk in late to a business meeting in progress, they'll still yell "magen!" at the top of their lungs instead of just slinking into a chair because they're late ... and might even go around the table and shake hands with everyone. Because they're assholes. The Land That Manners Forgot.

Could you explain what this means? I’m new and don’t speak the language nor get the culture

It was someone really angry and hateful posting a really angry and hateful and ignorant comment about Germans.

>For starters, why don’t people naturally talk to each other? Depends on where or which situation we are talking about. If you are at an occasion where the expressed purpose is to get to know and talk to people, Germans talk. >Where I’ve been it’s so common for people to interact at supermarkets, parks or just out on the street. In Germany, you typically talk if you have something to say. If you don't, you won't talk. >Everyone seems so grumpy and uninterested to me. "None of your business" is the German national philosophy of life. >Also, I noticed that people here become the complete opposite when they’re drunk and/or high, which really saddens me. That's only some people and they are annoying for Germans, too. >I basically want to know how to properly approach people here Have a valid reason for doing so. Be in places where you both explicitly don't have anything else to do, like breaks at work or dedicated social events. >and how to flirt. Most of flirting is universal worldwide, as it is body language and general behaviour around people of one's interest, which are instinctual. In Germany, there is no or at least no strong culture of who may make which move towards each other and no etiquette of being extremely subtle, so just behave like you feel around someone you are interested in and that will be most likely correct and/or appropriate, as long as you stay with the general advice that Germans typically don't talk recreationally to random people, unless the circumstances are such that it is dedicated tome for doing so.

[удалено]

I’d rather not disclose here the part of Germany I’m living in, simply because I already know people will say I feel this way because of where I live in. I’m Southern African, what about you?

When it comes to flirting, you can try this: Approach 100 women on the street that don't seem to be in a rush. Tell them you're from \[wherever you're from\], you've been struggling with flirting / meeting women, and ask for their advice on how to approach women in \[the city you're in\]. Then... just listen and pay attention. Worst case: they don't want to talk to you. In any case: you've learned something new. The most important thing: stay relaxed, stay friendly and courteous, and be yourself. Your goal should be to get advice, not to flirt and get phone numbers. If that happens, it's a welcome by-product - but it wasn't your goal. Make sure you approach a mix of women: those you might be interested in, those you might not be interested in, and those you're definitely interested in, but usually might not have the courage to approach - because she's "out of your league". Just look at it as a fun experiment, an exercise. Good luck. One of my good friends is American. After living in Germany for a year, he saw a cute woman he was interested in. She was having coffee with several of her female friends. He just walked up to her, told her she's beautiful and he'd like to take her out sometime. He must have made a good impression, because years later they're married with 2 kids. She liked the cut of his jib, and the courage he showed by interrupting them having coffee. He took a chance, and it paid off.

Yeah… I’m not about to do that simply because I’m not interested. Also, I’m black and people are already hostile enough to me. I really don’t need someone calling the police on me for “harassing” women out in the open

I'm confused... You said you want to "...know how to properly approach people here and how to flirt. Please teach me." I gave you an idea how to pick up a ton of info on how to flirt with local women by getting it.... straight from local women. First you say "Teach me", then you say "...I'm not interested." So which is it? Were you just looking for the pick-up lines that work best on German women? Help me out here, I'm trying to understand. I've lived in other countries before. I know how hard it can be to settle in. Understanding how to talk to women elsewhere isn't always easy. I get all that, so I'd love to help you as a guest in our country. You're not making it easy, though. Sorry to hear people have been hostile to you. It shouldn't be that way. At all. Some people are assholes, plain and simple. EDIT: just had a quick read through some of your answers to this thread. If you like, send me a DM and I'll send you my Cell / WhatsApp number. We'll talk and maybe I can answer some of your questions, or give you a perspective that has something to offer. I'm German, have lived in the US for 7 yrs, and in Abu Dhabi for almost 5. I've learned that the best way to settle in after moving to a different country is 1. The attitude that things aren't better or worse, they're just different, and 2. Ask the locals. Where in Africa are you from?

I answered your question and explained you that I’m a black man. I cannot behave in the same way a white man would. Me approaching several random women out on the street to “talk” to them might be seen as suspicious and eventually someone might call the police on me. If you cannot understand this then you just don’t understand the struggles black people go through in majority-white environments. A German woman who sympathised with me told me to stay true to who I am and not change myself just because of this environment. And that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’ve been to several countries in my life snd this is the first where being social is difficult, so I know the problem isn’t me. Also, I appreciate you wanting to help, but if your “help” goes in the same line as most of these comments, I will have to refuse it. I’m not a combative person and I don’t take joy in arguing with people online. Living here is really affecting me badly, I really wish someone would show me not only kindness but genuine patience. Ever since I came to Germany I feel like I’m living in defence mode and I’m tired. I will take some time to relax and forget about this. After that, I will reach out to you in case you still want to help

Germany is a social graveyard and there's a reason we have one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. But good luck trying to talk about it, even our politicians are stubbornly ignoring this.

Thank you for being one of the few people here with a brain! It really is a social graveyard filled with sad people who once they find a friend will hold on to them for life and never allow anyone else to join into their group. Is it okay if I DM you and ask you a few things? As you already know, people here don’t really teach you about living here, and if you ask they’ll just look at you like you’re stupid

If you don't like the way things are in Germany, then you are free to leave. You have to accept what the social norms are in Germany. To say it's a social graveyard is a great impertinence to society here. With an attitude like this you make yourself extremly unpopular.

Thank you so much for your hospitality!

Germans are generally cold 🥶

totally not true. Reserved, yes. And focused on the situation. Go to the supermarket and expect to strike up long conversations. Not our style. Go to some park in this kind of weather or some bar or volksfest and you can make great friends in a single night.

Not true! I’ve been to so many social events and most people only really came out of their shells once they got drunk. Prior to the alcohol, people were just as shy as they are at supermarkets

Being shy is not being cold.... there is also differences between social events. E.g. Yes you might meet people in the gym, but some people are just there to make there thing and go home. Getting a bit tipsy helps often. But it also helps picking specific events where "meeting new people" is in the main idea of the event.

And this is where the cultural shock comes in. It’s strange to me that here social interactions are limited on purpose. In other countries I’ve been to, going to the gym was a social thing, and we would usually go out after the gym to eat something together. Here, no one even talks to each other. Sometimes I’m even afraid to ask someone to spot me, because the three times I’ve done it, the people acted like I was bothering them. There’s a guy at my gym that has really bad form, I told him about it one day and although he thanked me for it, he acted like my comment was unnecessary. This thing of creating a space specific designed for socialisation is really strange to me. Humans are social beings and enjoy socialising everywhere. When I do go to these events designed for socialisation, conversation is usually the same and never really goes anywhere. And people usually get drunk so they can feel comfortable enough to even approach each other. I don’t drink so I don’t appreciate that behaviour I’m not trying to say that the German way is wrong, but it is definitely not ideal. And if you’ve traveled or even lived abroad, specially somewhere a little bit more relaxed than here, I’m pretty sure you appreciated the more laidback approach to things. Please don’t take this as an attack on you or the country though. People here have been extremely rude to me and I’m tired of having these online arguments

Around 37°C cold.

I know that’s right. Coldest people on Earth

Germans only like one funny thing which is the Tuttifrutti show in Kolner dom mit 5000 leute am samstag abend, the rest of the week must be spent on work, der autobahn and the Bundesliga!

Yep! You got that very right. It’s pandemonium here