Germany Is A Whole Different World, And These 50 Photos Are Here To Prove It

To learn more about this fascinating land, we reached out to Sindy, the creator of My Life In Germany — a blog that provides information to ex-pats about studying, working, and living in this country. Sindy is originally from Hong Kong, but she decided to enroll in a master's program at a German university twelve years ago, and never looked back.

Sindy told Bored Panda some of the most interesting things she found while living there. "Germany is a very environmentally friendly country," she said. "Recycling is a big thing here. Streets are clean, people separate their garbage, and do not use plastic bags or straws."

Another intriguing thing she pointed out is that "many German highways have no speed limit. Driving over 200 kilometers per hour is a thrilling experience." Also, lots of people there "consider it a 'sin' to work on Sundays. You are supposed to do nothing on Sundays but rest," she explained and added that work also includes doing laundry or mowing your lawn.

"When I came to Germany, I fell in love with its beautiful landscape. We can easily find nice hiking trails for the weekend, or simply do a picnic next to a beautiful lake," Sindy noted the things she loves most about this country. "Besides, Germany is located in Central Europe. It is very convenient to do road trips to other European countries nearby."

Needless to say, Germany seems like a great country to be in. It "has a very good standard of living. Health insurance is mandatory in Germany, [so] poor people do not have to worry about medical costs," the blogger pointed out some of the benefits.

It turns out there are strong labor laws and high job security in Germany, so people can actually have a good work-life balance. Plus, "German people tend to respect other people's privacy. They do not normally work on the weekend or during non-office hours."

"Parents can also get a few hundred Euros monthly allowances from the German government per kid," she continued. "Public schools and also universities are free. That means students are not left with a huge amount of debt after graduation."

However, even if moving abroad is a thrilling experience full of new adventures, different cultures, and unfamiliar cities, no one is immune to culture shock. Sindy told Bored Panda that for her it was quite hard to get accustomed to the German way of life.

"The most challenging thing for me at the beginning was the German language. In my opinion, [it] is not easy to learn. Even though many German people can speak English, most official documents from the banks, insurance companies, or authorities are in German only," she said and revealed she often needed help from her friends, especially when dealing with the authorities.

People often have this stereotype that the citizens of this nation prioritize order and have a deep affection for rules, and Sindy believes it’s true. "German people are efficient workers. They do not like to do small talk as much," she added. "Instead, they like to get straight to business. Germans tend to have a strict separation of business and private life [and] they need to be very efficient so that they can get all the work done during their office hours."

Sindy also mentioned that Germans love rules. "For example, jaywalking is very frowned upon in Germany. People tend to stick to the rule and do not like to make exceptions. While it is a good thing, it can become quite bureaucratic and inflexible."

Another quite common stereotype that apparently is true is that people there are very direct. "I was not used to it at the beginning. But now, I think that it is a good thing because it is better to know what people truly think." Also, it seems that Germans have a thing for planning. "Instead of throwing a party spontaneously, they like to plan it. This also applies to many other life aspects such as visiting a doctor, a hairdresser, or any government body. You should make an appointment instead of going there directly."

After scrolling through this list, if you found having a deep urge to visit this beautiful country or even consider living there, Sindy has some advice for you. "If you plan to move to Germany, you should try to learn German as much as you can. Try to make local friends and grab any opportunities to speak German. You will feel much more integrated once you are familiar with the language."