Germans
Germans
Upto this weekend my only experience of Germans was on holiday and found them to be very abrupt. In fact the stereotype seemed to be very apt.
Me & Mrs S have just had a long weekend in Berlin and my view has changed totally.
We couldn't fault their politeness and helpfulness and even commented that we wouldn't get the same service back here in blighty.
Were we just lucky to meet the few nice/polite Germans?
Are we right to think the stereotype is way off?
PS
we did come across 1 jobsworth though, at the airport on the way back this 1 guy made us walk through the zigzag thing to the checkin desk
rather than walk down the side of it, no-one else around, just me & Mrs S, oh how we chuckled
Me & Mrs S have just had a long weekend in Berlin and my view has changed totally.
We couldn't fault their politeness and helpfulness and even commented that we wouldn't get the same service back here in blighty.
Were we just lucky to meet the few nice/polite Germans?
Are we right to think the stereotype is way off?
PS
we did come across 1 jobsworth though, at the airport on the way back this 1 guy made us walk through the zigzag thing to the checkin desk
rather than walk down the side of it, no-one else around, just me & Mrs S, oh how we chuckled
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UBT - AJS wrote:nope but I did mention that England are going to win the World Cup
Ah, well, you see - that's the issue.
The Germans know that home field advantage is going to be awesome - just like the Aussies in Melbourne right now with the CW Games.
So, they "KNOW" that they are going to win and anyone who says otherwise doesn't know their sport.
Otherwise:
I've been lucky to meet many nationalities in my work and with very few exceptions MOST people (of any nationality) have been very charming and polite and good natured.
What have I got going for me:
Well, I tower over most people - being 6' 4" and not exactly slim (anymore). So, maybe people are nice to me instead of being nasty as they don't want to incur my wrath ...!
What have I got going against me:
I'm English/British - scourge of the world - war mongers - brutal colonists of everywhere - impinging their language everywhere - bit like the Yanks now I 'spose - but we did it better for 3 centuries.......oops, sorry getting carried away.
So, I'm prepared for other nationalities to hate me for being English/British.....! But they don't....!
In conclusion: The strerotypes of many nations is very much a "shortcut" to understanding what "people" are like.
But the reality is very different. And with the world getting smaller all the time, eventually, once we can lose the fanatical elements, we might just have a civilisation worth saving rather than one we seem intent on destroying....!
Glad your trip was an "eye-opener".
regards,
Tim
I know 3 Germans, all nice and very polite people , though all three happen to be boring Could just be coincidence
Oh and from experience, I'd agree with the 'no sense of humour' stereotype. They don't find funny things funny, yet they laugh like hell at really unfunny things, like someone speaking in a high pitched voice :scratch:
Oh and from experience, I'd agree with the 'no sense of humour' stereotype. They don't find funny things funny, yet they laugh like hell at really unfunny things, like someone speaking in a high pitched voice :scratch:
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