Do you know those wonderful places on earth where you just feel like being in paradise? One of those places is Arvidsjaur in Swedish Lapland – to be more precise: Burning Snow – mushing & more. Heike and Michi’s husky camp at this beautiful lake just outside of Arvidsjaur.

I have known the two for many years and I remember that Heike spent a few winter seasons in Lapland before they decided to look for the perfect spot to open up a husky camp. They have found this spot and call it now home. Here they live with their dogs Bente, Helen Fischer, Pogo, Campino and some more wonderful huskies. They love music – in case you wonder about the choices for their dog’s names….

It has already been 7 years that they left Germany after an unforgettable farewell party and started their lives as mushers and owners of a guest hut where they create truly memorable husky experiences. Even people like me, who have had traumatizing events with dogs, cannot not fall in love with those beautiful family members.

So – read about their perspective on Germany.

How would you start your greetings to Germany?

Dear Germany,

Don’t be sad that we left you 7 years ago. We really liked to live in Germany, but here in Sweden, we have found a place where we can fulfill our “sledgedog-dreams”.

What comes to your mind when you think about Germany?

- Family

- Swabian Alb

- Trainrides / commute

- The morning show

- Beer

- Wiesnfest (Hey there world’s remark: A party they celebrate once a year in their hometown)

In what way has your perception of Germany and the Germans changed due to your experience?

The perspective changes automatically when you become part of a new culture and are not in the middle of your own culture anymore.

What are the most important lessons you have learned about the German culture?

Germans have most of the time planned everything long term, e.g. their career our buying a house. The Swedes are more relaxed and take things as they come. For them it is much easier to sell a house when their life situation changes.

From the Swedes we can learn to not take life so serious and to put more value into sparetime and hobbies. The elk hunting is a good example: In the beginning of September you just take holidays for it – no matter what happens at work at the time.

What do you think Germans should be aware of?

Germans abroad should watch out, that – with their brisk appearance – they do not get perceived as arrogant or besserwisser – smart asses.

Which stereotype can you totally relate to?

Being precise and reliable.

What is the best kept German secret?

That we brew the best beer in the world!

Your favorite German word?

Wirtshaus! – Brewhouse

Which sentence will give others access to German´s hearts?

“Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit” – it can be translated to cheers on cosyness… sort of…

Most embarrassing moment of being German?

We have never had an embarassing moment of being German so far.

What would you appreciate not to hear about Germany or the Germans?

That all Germans have a lot of money and can afford everything.

Best things you have learned about yourself when being outside of your cultural comfort zone?

If you leave your comfortzone you have to get active and put effort into establishing a social network. You have to step back from your own cultural expectations and adjust to the cultural conditions of your host country.

Here in Sweden this means to be a bit more quiet and layed back as a German.

Greetings to Germany – your last words:

We enjoy coming back for a visit, but we cannot imagine to live and work in Germany anymore.

Thanks Heike and Michi for sharing your perspective.

I have so far only had the pleasure to visit you in summer – which was amazing… but I definitely will come at one point to experience a typical winter in Lapland with your lovely dogs.

So you guys out there…. if you are curious to learn more about Burning Snow then have a look here.

If you like to read some more perspectives on Germany, meet Birgit and Kathrin.

The post Burning Snow sends greetings to home: Germany appeared first on Hey there world.

Birgit and I met in August 1999 in a bar. Her back-then boyfriend and my to-be roommate and I were about to start our trip to spend an exchange semester in Spain. Her first sentence was: “Hello, I am Birgit. He is MY boyfriend.” The boyfriend and roommate is long gone (still in our heart though) but our friendship has survived several continents and cities, quite a number of holidays spent together, and many years without seeing each other.

Birgit’s international career has started already on the day she was born. Her birthplace is Tralee, Ireland, where her parents spent several years with their kids on a work assignment. Birgit has since also lived in Havana and Shanghai, and has now found her new home in Bilbao, Spain – for the time being at least.

She is heading the kindergarten in the German school. Throughout her career she has not only traveled extensively herself, but has also always worked with kids from different backgrounds and cultures.

So … Here comes Birgit’s perspective on Germany:

How would you start your greetings to Germany?

         Dear Germany, I haven’t lived with you for a while….

What comes to your mind when you think about Germany?

G – good isn`t good enough

E – east and west

R – reunited, realistic

M – Made in Germany

A – all of me loves all of you

N – Nürnberg – my hometown

Y – yummy food

In what way has your perception of Germany and the Germans changed due to your experience abroad?

Well, difficult to say. After living many years abroad and in different countries I must say, I started appreciating Germany and the Germans. More than I ever could imagine.

I never felt like the “German stereotype”. Not in my behavior, not in my way of thinking. People don´t think I look very German. I often get asked – where are you from? – Italy? France? Spain?

My name is difficult to pronounce for a lot of foreigners. I got used to being called Igbert, Brigi, Virchi, Berget, Isabella, Silke, Pirpit just to mention a few. I gave up pronouncing it and spelling it a hundred times. Since I live in Spain now, my second name became very important. They don´t get that we only do have one last name. So their way of thinking is, better using two names instead of only one last name.

I enjoyed being abroad learning languages, different cultures, adventures, managing difficult situations without any help, etc.

And after all I learned that I am more German than I ever thought.

I am on time, I am very structured, I am straightforward, I love reliability and I started celebrating German cultural events like the Oktoberfest with my original Dirndl, of course, and Carnival in Shanghai. Those events became the two most important ones – an option of being 100% German for two nights per year. I loved it, I enjoyed it and I wouldn´t have missed it.

And yes, my perception of Germany and the Germans changed. I started loving the typical German way of thinking. Germans are reliable. Talking my language with my friends, eating at Paulaner some German food and coming back to Germany felt like coming back home. It took me many years to find that out. I am still living abroad, but we are getting closer…

What are the most important lessons you have learned about the German culture?

I am proud (and believe me it took me a long time) to be a part of Germany. Our food and drinks are good (I took suitcases full of Schnaps, Bratwurst, Leberwurst, Lebkuchen to Shanghai) and now I am very grateful to buy all the daily necessities I need at the drugstore DM, Müller or Rossman and bring it to Spain. Our sense of humor is great, we are successful in sports, German products are well known and appreciated, friendship is something important, the education system is for free and quite good, and last but not least we became an open minded nation.

What do you think Germans should be aware of?

Germans shouldn´t be too German when they are not in their country. They shouldn´t complain all the time, they shouldn´t scream and shout, they should be more patient and they should try to learn some basics of other languages. Germans should be more open minded.

Which stereotype can you totally relate to?

I would say I am on time and I am straightforward. I prefer getting directly or at least after a short time to the point.

What is the best kept German secret?

We do like to celebrate more occasions than the Oktoberfest. There is a lot more than that. Ahhhh and we don´t wear Dirndl and Lederhosen all day long.

And – We are warm and welcoming.

Your favorite German word?

Grandios, which means sublime, superb, terrific

The most embarrassing moment of being German?

Being on a 4 day boat trip in Indonesia with my friend and another 18 people. Both of us were the only Germans. Before going aboard we had to order drinks (like coke, beer, etc.) for the trip. My friend convinced me to order 15 bottles of beer. Apart from non-alcoholic drinks of course. I thought it might be a bit too much but she said we definitely need this for the 4 days and two of us. We wanted to be on the save side.

It turned out that the guide shouted our names through that bus and we had to raise our hand confirming our orders. When it came to the point that I heard my name in the connection with 15 bottles of beer I really felt ashamed and so “stereotype German”. We were the only ones who ordered 15 bottles. All the others ordered around 4 or 5.

What would you appreciate not to hear about Germany or the Germans?

Second world war and Adolf Hitler of course. Worldwide topic No 1.

Not all the Germans are tall and blond with blue eyes.

Best things you have learned about yourself when being outside of your cultural comfort zone?

Stay calm and cool and don´t forget to smile. Always look on the bright side of life.

Greetings to Germany – your last sentence:

Country roads, take me home….let´s wait and see … to be continued

Thanks Birgit for sharing your perspective on your country.

We have talked about it for a long time, and I hope we will spend at one point many years together as agile, purple haired old ladies, drinking Scotch and smoking cigarillos while playing Bridge and chatting about the good old times. That’s at least the plan.

You like to get some more greetings to home? Have a look here.

The post Birgit sends greetings to home: Germany appeared first on Hey there world.

The way we grew up though differs tremendously. Talking about our childhood and experiences with the DDR I have to admit – I feel excluded. I have not watched Pitiplatsch on East German TV when I was a child, I did not line up to buy bananas, and when I wanted to eat melon I just asked my mum if she could bring one from the supermarket. Chocolate or vanilla milk we got in the school breaks, and I have never demonstrated for my right of freedom.

Some of my friends have. Christian´s mum took him to the famous Monday demonstrations in his home town. For him it was a cool lantern procession and it was great fun. He did not understand the impact it had on his country´s future. He was 11.

Shortly after – exactly today 25 years ago – the wall was gone. People could go where they wanted. None of their families immediately took their kids and visited the unknown West. All three of them agree. “You didn´t know if they would close the border again. It was too risky. We waited to see what would happen.”

After a while they went to the West to experience how it looks like on the other side.Every DDR citizen received 100 German mark (around 50 Euros)– the so called Begrüssungseld. Caroline still has what she was allowed to buy from her money. She decided to go for a blue Mickey mouse. She took it with her when she moved to Denmark.

Christian remembers that on the way to the West you still had to get your passport stamped. As a DDR citizen you were used to lining up. So they lined up at the one border control booth where everybody was standing and waiting. It took a while until they realized that there were more border control houses accessible.

Lining up was a natural thing in the DDR. A lack of resources led to people buying tons of shampoo when it was available. You never knew when you would have a chance to get it again. You might have even changed clothes and lined up again to receive another ration. Suddenly lining up was not necessary anymore. Easy to get used to when you are 10 years old – but what a difference for those who grew up in the DDR and suddenly had to integrate into a system that worked quite differently.

All the things you believed in being right for 40 years – or at least the way you did things – was now suddenly wrong. Political education in the DDR school was quite different than in West Germany. Additionally, the teachers who had told about the advantages of socialism and West Germany being the enemy were from one day to the other supposed to teach the great advantages of capitalism. Russian lessons were replaced by English lessons. Everything was different.

The first euphoria of a reunited Germany turned very fast into the West taking over the East. “Robber-knights” from the West went to buy pretty much every property available in East Germany for almost nothing. Still nowadays people suffer from this “take over”.

People you had been friends with turned sometimes out to have worked for the Stasi – spying on you. Do people want to know? What does it do to your level of trust when you suddenly find out that your best friend told all your secrets to the Stasi. Many decided not to take a look into their Stasi file.

A university career, family in the West, being active in the church. All reasons for being a suspect – and therefore people were spied on.

Caroline remembers times where the kids were sent out of the room because secret things were discussed. You always had to be careful what to share – even your husband or wife could have been working for the Stasi or your kids could have accidentally revealed something in school.

Were all Stasi employees bad people? Probably not. Some of them just wanted to work in a profession they were truly interested in – and the price was to work for the Stasi. Did they report everything or did they just report harmless things? Who knows. And nobody really wants to talk about it anymore.

“Life goes on and you just have to make the best out of it.” “Be happy for what you have.” Sentences we have probably all heard from our grandparents. It has a different meaning though for those who lived under restrictions and those who remember the times when your career path was dependent on your parents’ willingness to join the party.

Still today people are very suspicious and careful what to share with others. A result from many years living in this system?

What would my 3 friends have done, if the wall would not have come down?

Christian might not have become a dentist – he would have had to join the party to do so. Martina who chose a career in research says that she might have become a silent follower to be able to do what she wanted to do and Caroline was too young to even consider what she might have done.

Caroline, Martina, and Christian are grateful and happy for what has happened to their lives due to this historic event.

And although I grew up in the West with the options to travel everywhere, do what I wanted to do and say what I wanted to say without fearing the consequences, I am grateful.

We can all go anywhere we want to in the world and all four of us could take the decision to move to Denmark. 3 of us at this table could not have done that 25 years ago.

Thanks guys for sharing your stories!

Did you know about all of this? What are your stories you remember from the DDR or East and West?

If you are interested in more stories about the German reunification, have a look at Doreen’s and Katja’s stories.

The post 3 Ossis and 1 Wessi appeared first on Hey there world.

Katja was born and raised in the outskirts of East Berlin. In November 1989 she was 15. Living in Berlin had certain advantages. One was that you had access to West German TV. It also had one big disadvantage. You were – on a daily basis – confronted with the wall.

For Katja and her sister the 9th of November 1989 was not very spectacular. It was a Thursday. As usual they watched the forbidden West German TV news with their parents. Nothing extraordinary. The announcement that the border’s had been opened was shocking. Surprising. Who would have thought that this would ever happen. They just could´t believe it. So they did nothing and finished dinner.

On 11th of November it became really evident to her that something was different. In the DDR the kids also had to go to school on Saturdays. Apart from Katja, only two or three kids showed up that Saturday. All others had been to West Berlin with their families. Just to have a look.

Her parents – like many others – were not sure what would happen and were also worried. What if the borders would be closed again? So they decided to wait around 2 weeks before they went to West Germany for the first time.

The first thing Katja and her sister noticed was the smell. The DDR smelled “neutral” – apart from the Trabi exhaust fumes. To her, West Berlin smelled like Maoam – a West German chewing gum. Katja always wanted to try a Milchschnitte. A chocolate/milk bar she had seen on West TV. And that was the first thing she got.

Since 1961 the DDR border separated many German families and made it impossible to meet. Sometimes for decades. As children – no  matter if in East or West – we probably all grew up with the sentence “Well, we cannot change it. That´s just the way it is.”

Katja’s aunt could not live with the situation and had left the DDR a few years earlier to start a new life in West Berlin. Only 20 km away from her sister. Being separated by this wall made it impossible to meet for years. What an emotional moment – specially for Bärbel, Katja’s mum – when they finally could meet.  So the first visit to West Berlin lead Katja and her family to her uncle´s sausage stand in West Berlin where she had her first Curry sausage and french fries ever.

They spent New Year’s Eve 1989/90 together in their aunt’s apartment in a skyscraper in West Berlin. Katja and her sister had never seen fireworks before. Something so fancy just didn’t exist in her world.

Katja and I both agree that we are the lucky generation. Having experienced coming from a separated country helps taking things not for granted. It was so normal that a distance of 20 km was insuperable. It was just not possible to see people from the other side of the wall. That was a given thing we all knew.

Katja had a happy childhood and she says that she did not suffer in any way from the DDR system – she was too young to experience the feeling of being un-free. But she also knows that it would have started to become a problem.

She probably would not have had the chance to study what she wanted. She would have never had the chance to travel or work abroad. We therefore would have never met in this wonderful bar in Auckland, New Zealand. She would have never met her West German husband Björn and therefore their daughter Greta would not be part of their life.

For her parent’s generation it was different though. They had to change careers, jobs were lost, and a whole believe system of many was suddenly declared wrong. Her dad had to fight many years for his DDR working year´s being included in his pension. It was and still is not easy for the older generation.

Katja went to Cologne to study and later on back to Berlin, where she met her husband. Together they moved to a very remote area in Eastern Germany and it was probably more difficult for her to adjust than for him.

When she moved to Cologne she was the exotic Eastern German girl who had grown up without telephone or car. When she moved to Eastern Germany she was the one who had left and who in people’s eyes had become the “Besser-Wessi” – one of those Westerners who know everything.

Today she lives with her family in Berlin. West Berlin. In the last few weeks the preparations for the festivities around the 25th anniversary celebration have occupied Berlin and with the light installation you feel the existence of the wall again. She says she thinks about it more these days. And Greta asks more – but it is just so difficult to explain what it all meant.

Nowadays she travels from West to East and from East to West on her way to work. Every day. And that’s just the way it is now.

The light installation shows you how the Berlin wall separated these 2 countries. Today, just after 7 pm the balloons will go up in the air and Berlin will be one city again – in one reunited country.

Do you remember what you did on 9th of November 1989? Share your story with us.

Like to read more East/West stories? Have a look at Doreen’s story. She fled with her family the day before the wall came down.

And meet Caroline, Martina and Christian – who share similar experiences from growing up in the East.

The post That´s just the way it is appeared first on Hey there world.

I have just found a long lost friend again. Doreen.

Doreen and her parents left their home in Ilmenau – deep, deep East Germany – on the 8^th of November 1989. They packed one suitcase, jumped in the car, drove to the Czech / West German border and escaped.

Doreen was 14 in spring 1989 when her parents decided to hand in an application for an Ausreiseantrag – the document you needed in order to leave the DDR. Ausreiseantrag meant restrictions, exclusion and fear. What if it would not be granted and if you would have to stay in a state that now knows, that you do not want to stay there anymore.

Doreen´s family´s Ausreiseantrag was not approved – and from one day to the other the former good student got bad grades, was excluded in school lectures, and old friends were not allowed to talk to her anymore. The Stasi had made sure that everybody knew about their decision to break out. Everybody should see through their example that asking for permission to leave was wrong.

Summer 1989 changed everything in the DDR and many people fled via Hungary and the embassy in Prague. Doreen´s parents were not willing to do that – what if they would be stopped and sent back or even worse be sent to one of the DDR prisons. The situation was too risky.

Why did they leave just 24 hours before the wall came down? Well – nobody knew that the wall would come down. Nobody knew what would happen. But what if they would close the borders between the Czech Republic and Germany again? Her parents were worried. Maybe the last and only chance to get into freedom. They decided to take the chance.

So on November 8^th 1989 Doreen had to decide which of her things she wanted to pack. Her parents were clear that she needed to choose wisely since she would never see the things again.

The whole family put their lives in one suitcase only – they officially were going “on vacation”. Her mum packed the family documents under her sweater, they wrote good-bye letters to the family members who were truly taken by surprise – and they left.

Like many others they arrived in an Aufnahmelager in Hammelburg. Basically an old army base turned into a refugee camp. An adventure for Doreen, an amazing and brave decision for her parents.

The next day they were sitting together with a lot of other families watching the news when they heard about the borders being open and the unlimited Grenzverkehr – the opportunity to travel between East and West Germany. They were shocked. Positively for the opportunities. Negatively because their things were gone for good.

Did they immediately go back? No – they didn´t. What if the borders would be closed again?! They were worried to be stuck in the DDR again, if they would go back for a visit and the borders would be closed again. It took some time until they finally went for a visit to their old home and met their family again.

In Hammelburg Doreen got her first Barbie doll. She got it from one of the warehouses were German families and shops had donated clothes and toys for those escaping from the DDR. She still has it today.

Back then the happiness in East and West was evident. People were excited. What a miracle – who would have thought that this would ever happen! West Germans wanted to share with those who had given up everything. Doreen remembered that her mum got a brand new coat from a woman handed out of a car. “It was an honest happiness and generosity you could feel everywhere.”

Just a week later Doreen and her parents moved from Hammelburg to Nürnberg where they had some “West-Verwandtschaft” – family that had moved to the West years before and under different, and even more difficult circumstances.

They helped them find a new home. Being in this empty apartment was the first time for Doreen to realize that this was not an adventure, but reality. And the first time she cried.

The first thing Doreen remembers about the West? Like so many others it was and still is the smell. “It smelled like West-packages”, she said. ”The coffee, the Haribo, Capri Sonne – all the stuff you could only get when you had family in the West sending you a parcel once in a while. What a feast!”

I remember my mum sending parcels from the West to the East – I could never understand why my parents would pack chocolate, coffee, old Levi´s jeans, and magazines. Who would want that? I understand now that those parcels meant so much for those who couldn´t just go buy coffee and that the smell of it still is in people´s memories.

Eating a chocolate bar in 1 minute in West-Germany meant eating it in 4 days in East Germany. One bite per day – “it was such a unique moment that you wanted to keep it alive as long as possible”.

Being for the first time in a West supermarket – so much opulence and variety. It was almost a shock. Suddenly everything was available on your doorsteps. How overwhelming!

After a while Doreen and her parents went back to visit family and friends. In some of their friend´s minds they had turned into “Wessis”. People from the West in the perception of those staying behind had everything. She stopped being part of East German society. She suddenly was not one of them anymore.

But it was also difficult to be an Ossi in the West. I remember the day Doreen joined school. Probably almost as exciting for us as it was for her. The importance of that day was much different for me though.

My life continued. I just got a new friend. An exotic one for a while – not so exotic anymore after a few weeks. I never perceived her as different or even odd. But she told me today that she had this feeling of not-belonging and that there were people showing her during our school time that she was different – and sometimes not wanted. Today Doreen still feels that she is neither Wessi nor Ossi. “In East Germany I am a Wessi – in the West I am still an Ossi”.

I guess this is a general mindset we still have in Germany. We still have not fully grown together. We don´t share the same point of departure. We grew up in different countries. In some ways we are still foreigners to each other.

What if they would have known that the wall would fall for good and that the system would go down … would they have left everything behind? “Probably not”, Doreen said. “But who knows. For my life it was the best that could happen.”

For her parents it was a bit different. They separated a few years later. Her mum became restless and has made many moves in her life. She is happy now, living in Nürnberg and has also arrived in a way. What if they would not have left their home – their comfort zone? Would they still be together and what would have happened with their lives?

25 years later:

Doreen has been married for many years now, she has a beautiful apartment, she travels, and she has a job she likes. Together with her husband she has a business on the side where she consults on internal and external health. They even considered for a while to move to Norway or Dubai – but they have now decided to stay. It seems that she has arrived in her life and that she has found new roots.

Doreen said that she still finds it difficult to trust and get close to people. So many times she was disappointed and had to start all over. Therfore I am even more grateful that she shared her thoughts about her past after such a long time of not being in each other´s lives.

So what if I would not have started this blog. Would I have found her again? I don´t know – but I am happy for this interesting woman playing a role in my life and I know, that I will see her – after at least 15 years – again this christmas. And I truly look forward to our little reunification.

Happy 25th anniversary of being a re-united German citizen, dear Doreen.

For those of you who have not seen it before or cannot remember. Here is the video of the press conference where the opening of the border was announced. It still gives me goosebumps.

If you think this was an interesting story you might also like Katja’s story. Have a look here.

And meet my friends Caroline, Martina, and Christian and hear about their experiences in East Germany.

The post What if … appeared first on Hey there world.

But it also gives you a great insight into your own culture and into yourself – Why do you do the things you do in the way you do them.

Is it because you were raised by the people you were raised by or does the cultural context maybe also play a role?

Every week on Sunday I would like to introduce people to you who are or have gone through this experience and therefore maybe have a changed perspective on their own culture.

Greetings to home tries to inspire you to think about your own culture……

This week Kathrin from Hey there world would like to send some greetings to home.

Yep – it is me. I thought this was a great opportunity to share my point of view and for you to get to know me a bit better. At the end of the day, I am your host on Hey there world and I think it will improve our relationship if I tell you more about my frame of mind.

As you could already find out in the About section I am German, I am from Nuremberg to be precise but I have lived in different cities within Germany and several other countries during the last decade or so. I have also visited over 40 countries and on these journeys I have definitely not only learned a lot about different cultures but also my perception of myself as well as my perception of Germany has changed.

Working for many years with colleagues from around the world taught me a lot about how I as an individual am automatically put into the “German box” and that I actually do the same. Isn´t life much easier that way? It gives you a great point of reference. Unfortunately we forget that way that even if somebody comes from Brazil, the culture differs a lot from north to south – just like in Germany and everywhere else.

So here comes my perspective on Germany:

How would you start your greetings to Germany?

Dear Germany,

We have been having a love hate relationship for very many years. …..

What comes to your mind when you think about Germany?

G – generosity (not so obviously – but behind the scenes)

E – eagerness

R – realism and reunited country

M – mindful

A – (German) angst

N – “no” head on – finding the mistakes (sometimes just out of the principle)

Y – yes we can spirit

In what way has your perception of Germany and the Germans changed due to your experience?

My perception of Germany and us Germans has changed a lot over the years also due to different experiences in very different cultures.

When I moved to Canada I had just turned 20 and all my life was ahead of me – freedom and excitement. Back then I really felt that Germans were rude, closed-minded and just so not open to things that are not done “the German way”.

I hated having to go back home after a year. I loved everything about Canada and the people seemed to me just so open-minded, in peace with themselves and the space you have in Canada just gave me the mental space I needed and was looking for.

I guess you can imagine the dramas when I got back. Some of my friends probably still remember me after my return: approaching random people in bars just for a chat. Nothing more, nothing less. Very strange for Germans in the 90s – at least in Frankonia – the part of Germany where I come from.

I then moved to Spain and I suddenly felt annoyed about the manana mentality – this laid-back-ness that I had previously loved about Canada. Everything took forever – even buying stamps might take several hours including listening half an hour to the chat between the sales person and the customer in front of me. I strangely enough appreciated German efficiency for the first time.

New Zealand, my next “home for a while”, made me become aware of the fact that it is quite difficult to get into the heart and life of Germans – but when you are in, you are in. I love easily chatting to and meeting random people, the New Zealand way. But most of those relationships remained on the surface and I missed extending them … making “real” friends.

And now I live in Denmark with THE Danish boyfriend and I feel that I underestimated the German level of socializing – in comparison to the local standards, I perceive us Germans more polite, inviting, curious and service minded than I ever thought we are. I always thought it cannot be more difficult to get into people´s hearts than in southern Germany – but I would now after four years in Denmark say, that more difficult is possible.

So how has my perception of Germany and the Germans changed? – I guess I realized that we are not as un-open and boring as I thought we were and I’ve come to appreciate several aspects of German-ness because I really missed them in other cultures/countries.

What are the most important lessons you have learned about the German culture?

We are not easy to conquer because we are fairly suspicious of too much friendliness, easygoing and open-mindedness. If you have conquered us, however, we are your life-long friends and stick to our word. Reliability is really important for Germans.

We are efficient. And in work relations we like our partners also to be efficient and not to destroy or manipulate our plans.

We like to hear your opinion – expressed as directly as possible. No chichi. No understatement. Straightforward is good for us. We would like to come to a common agreement, but at the end of the day the one who is responsible takes the final decision, if an agreement is not possible.

Don´t babble – say what the problem is and then we can fix it together. No worries – we won´t immediately perceive an argument as a conflict. We just exchange different opinions.

We love soccer and it is quite obvious who is the best team in the world – right?!

We also like to be right – a  lot.

And we like to celebrate – there is always a reason for a good party. And if there is not an obvious one don´t worry, we´ll find one.

Politeness brings you further. Some cultures might think that we follow orders. I think we just don´t have a problem doing something for somebody if we are approached in a polite way.

And last but not least – we like looking at each other in public. Some call it flirting. I call it eye-interaction without a purpose.

What do you think Germans should be aware of?

It could be helpful, if Germans would be more aware of the fact that they sometimes come across as harsh, rude and too straightforward – some cultures might even feel slightly intimidated by us.

When doing business with other cultures I think it is helpful to find a common new way instead of insisting on familiar methods. Quite often there is also a successful way of doing things that might differ from “The German way”.

Which stereotype can you totally relate to?

Straightforwardness. I really think Germans are straightforward, outspoken, blunt – up to the point where it sometimes even hurts … and in case you wonder if we intend to be rude – we don’t. We just don´t notice that anybody might have a problem with it.

What is the best kept German secret?

That we actually do have a good sense of humor.

Your favorite German word?

I have so many. But for now I would pick Wahnsinn.

It can mean a lot of things. Ranging from expressing positive excitement like “Wahnsinn that I meet you here”. To showing your annoyance about something. “It is Wahnsinn, that the Deutsche Bahn is on strike again.” (I wonder why this is the first thing that comes to my mind….?!)

Basically it means unbelievable. It also means insanity and madness.

Which sentence will give others access to Germans´ hearts?

Darf ich Dich auf ein Bier einladen? – May I invite you for a beer? We like to socialize, we are just not so good in initiating it with people we don´t know.

Or tell them that you really like their house, garden, dress … whatever it is you really like.

Most embarrassing moment of being German?

Going on vacation and overhearing German tourists with high pitched voices ordering Schnitzel or asking for German food.

Oh wait, I have another one. Germans (again mainly tourists) – believing that nobody understands German – complaining about EVERYTHING, be it food or service, the weather or the (un-)tidiness of the holiday destination (again, we like to find the things that are not working …. but you can be assured that we would have a solution ready. In case you would like to hear it, just speak up!).

What would you appreciate not to hear about Germany or the Germans?

I have a few things here – So:

1. That Germans follow orders without thinking. (Have not met more of those people in Germany than anywhere else.)

2. That we all walk around in Dirndl and Lederhosn.

3. That Hansi Hinterseer is German … he is AUSTRIAN!

Well and then this one: People telling me about the horrible things happening in Hitler Germany. Don´t get me wrong – I totally agree that it was horrible. I truly believe though that Germany really is dealing with its past and has been doing so for decades. It was horrible, atrocious and unbelievably cruel – but it was a long time ago and things have changed a lot in Germany. Hitler Germany does not exist anymore. The eye-witness generation is dying out. Even my parents are too young to be born during Hitler Germany but my whole generation is still feeling guilty for what happened and is trying to make up for our past. It’s exhausting and still has an impact on us and our self-conception of being German.

You can’t change the past, unfortunately. Sharing what we all can do so that things like this never happen again would be wonderful – so let´s talk about this instead.

Best things you have learned about yourself when being outside of your cultural comfort zone?

I have learned that a network is really important for me and my personal comfort zone, and that I have a strong need to “become part” of the culture I live in.

I don´t like to be perceived as a foreigner and I don´t like to constantly be obviously sticking out – not blending in with the crowd can be quite tiring … and sometimes it is nice to just blend in and chill.

I like to create my own home in different places but in order to do so I need to feel that the culture I live in is welcoming me to do that.

I have learned that being curious and interested in most cases opens doors to people´s hearts and homes and I am still surprised about all the good things and all the support from random people I have experienced in different situations all around the world. And I really am grateful for that.

Greetings to Germany – your last words:

…..

Thanks Germany! .. For allowing me to be me, for being there for me when I needed you, and for always giving me
comfort.

After all, you are not so bad!

Love, Kathrin

Thanks to myself for sharing my perspective of the German culture and my experience.

Can you relate to what I am writing? Let me know, what you think.

Next week the interview will be connected to the fall of the wall. It is its 25th anniversary – time to look back.

The post Kathrin sends Greetings to home appeared first on Hey there world.