As I was writing my last blog post, there were a lot of random similarities/differences that I wanted to talk about, but I felt weren't "broad" enough to really post in a reflection of culture. So, to continue my list of day to day observations of living and teaching in Germany:
1. Restaurant etiquette is very different. You seat yourselves when you go in, water is not free, and it is not common to tip as much as you do in America.
2. Beer is cheaper than water, juice, and soda.
3. The McDonalds here has a different menu, which includes doughnuts.
4. I have encountered more smokers here than in the US, but this is typical of all other parts of the world.
5. In school students learn British English. I have not quite gotten used to seeing “colour” and other such words, but I love the way that my name is pronounced "Taylah" and "Miss Mahre."
6. I have started saying “quite” and “lovely” a lot in conversation. I also see myself talking with my hands a lot more and forgetting how to formulate normal English sentences.
7. I also will accidentally randomly start talking in an awful British accent to my students sometimes.
8. Teachers dress much more casually here. I am loving wearing jeans to work everyday.
9. “You’re invited” is a German phrase that means the other person is offering to pay. I think is a wonderful because there is never any question or awkwardness about who is paying.
10. Germans are very affectionate, and PDA is more common than in America. I have seen many couples kissing in the train stations or on the train, and my students tend to be very touchy-feely with one another.
11. Every classroom I have observed so far has a Smart Board. However, technology is not used nearly as much in the classroom here as in the US.
12. It is so important to be flexible and open to new ideas. A lot of the teaching styles and behavior management is different than what I have been working with for the past few months, but I think that it is so important to be willing to try new things. This experience is not only showing me new perspectives and ideas, but it also is helping me to realize certain things that I really appreciated in my classroom in NC!
13. German ice cream (Eiscreme) is to die for.
14. The locks to doors here are kind of complicated. I have to turn mine a few full circles before it actually unlocks.
15. In America I feel like I am always trying to get from place to place as fast as possible. Sometimes here though, I just stop in the middle of walking somewhere and look around. The architecture here is unreal, and this city is beyond beautiful.
1. Restaurant etiquette is very different. You seat yourselves when you go in, water is not free, and it is not common to tip as much as you do in America.
2. Beer is cheaper than water, juice, and soda.
3. The McDonalds here has a different menu, which includes doughnuts.
4. I have encountered more smokers here than in the US, but this is typical of all other parts of the world.
5. In school students learn British English. I have not quite gotten used to seeing “colour” and other such words, but I love the way that my name is pronounced "Taylah" and "Miss Mahre."
6. I have started saying “quite” and “lovely” a lot in conversation. I also see myself talking with my hands a lot more and forgetting how to formulate normal English sentences.
7. I also will accidentally randomly start talking in an awful British accent to my students sometimes.
8. Teachers dress much more casually here. I am loving wearing jeans to work everyday.
9. “You’re invited” is a German phrase that means the other person is offering to pay. I think is a wonderful because there is never any question or awkwardness about who is paying.
10. Germans are very affectionate, and PDA is more common than in America. I have seen many couples kissing in the train stations or on the train, and my students tend to be very touchy-feely with one another.
11. Every classroom I have observed so far has a Smart Board. However, technology is not used nearly as much in the classroom here as in the US.
12. It is so important to be flexible and open to new ideas. A lot of the teaching styles and behavior management is different than what I have been working with for the past few months, but I think that it is so important to be willing to try new things. This experience is not only showing me new perspectives and ideas, but it also is helping me to realize certain things that I really appreciated in my classroom in NC!
13. German ice cream (Eiscreme) is to die for.
14. The locks to doors here are kind of complicated. I have to turn mine a few full circles before it actually unlocks.
15. In America I feel like I am always trying to get from place to place as fast as possible. Sometimes here though, I just stop in the middle of walking somewhere and look around. The architecture here is unreal, and this city is beyond beautiful.