You mentioned US tie stripes vs European tie stripes. What about the sitting position of you two (who's left, who's right) - was there a special change after having been living in Germany for several months? Because, in comparison to your older vids, you switched positions. ;-)
ich denke daher kommt das auch... irgendwann im Mittelalter hat man sich entschieden das die Hände immer sichtbar sein müssen um dem Gegenüber zu zeigen das man nicht böses im Schilde führt, jemand mit Händen unterm Tisch könnte eventuell Gift oder ein Messer parat halten... würde zumindest Sinn ergeben...
@@sejtam muss dich enttäuschen.. mir wurde eingebläut die Hände auf dem Tisch zu haben... (und ja ich komme noch aus einer Zeit in der man eine auf den Hinterkopf bekommen hat wenn man sich nicht benommen hat)
@@Stivo__ Ja eben. Das wurde einem dann vorgeworfen wenn man sie nicht auf dem Tisch hatte (Was die Implikation[en] waren kann man sich je nach Familie vorstellen, von spielen, den Hund füttern/streicheln bis Mast...)
When I pee, it's very simple: if there's a urinal, I use it. If not, I sit down. Anything else would be unclean and make unnecessary work for the person cleaning the toilet. In my home, *I am* that person, that's reason enough for me :)
Exactly. Except you love cleaning other mens urin from your floor or carpet or you like the smell ;-) In a public loo there is usually a urinal and there is no need to sit down. Same reason. You do not splash your urine everywhere.
Ich sehe das genau so, mit dem Unterschied, ich bin es nicht der reinige. Unnötig jemandem Anderen das Leben zu erschweren. Kann man machen, muss man aber nicht
@@Gebuesch69 Who does not like it to go in the bathroom on socks and then notice, that you stand in men´s pee, thats all around the toilet. Not to mention, that every man in the family later states, that it is not his pee....
My girlfriend is from America and during her last visit to Germany she constantly complained about "getting stared at". I was so confused... I never noticed anyone staring at us :')
Ich habe gelernt das wenn ich angestarrt werde es zu ignorieren. Ich werde auch nicht so oft angestarrt wenn ich z.B arbeiten oder einkaufen gehe. I mind my own business 😅
Well, I am a white guy and have been to India plenty of times. Walk on a beach (no, I am not talking about a tourist place like Goa) with an Indian lady approx. 10 years younger than you are. Then you'll know what staring is ;)
If I notice getting stared at, I greet the people ;) Sometimes they seem to be embarrassed, sometimes they greet back and sometimes they really start staring in confusion ;)
as a German who partly grew up in the US I always have to laugh at the 'staring' stereotype. The fact is, the definition of 'staring' is different. Simply looking at someone and meeting their eyes is not viewed as 'staring' here - in fact that is viewed as common courtesy, acknowledging them, maybe nodding with a slight smile or even a short greeting, according to the circumstances. On the contrary, frantically looking away and 'ignoring' them would be rude. OTOH, looking at someone for a longer time, without blinking or an acknowledgement, would be 'staring' for a German, and yes, that is regarded as rude here as well.
Omg thanks for the clarification😂 I always wondered why I've never seen someone staring at me like that in Germany but everybody seems to talk about it.
Regarding the keeping the hands under the table topic: yes, we Germans do keep our wrists on the table, but it is called to be impolite to place your whole forearm on the table :D very specific!
And there is a reason why you aren't supposed to keep your hands in your lap. 😂 Good to know that it's American Etikette. - I wonder why it's so... I had no idea. The reason we teach our kids to have the hands for all openly to be seen on the table is because especially little boys sometimes play with their private underneath the table out of boredom. BTW... Men, who casually have their hands or one hand in their pants pocket of their suit, is against German Etikette. It has to do with secretly "playing" with their_____, or at least touch their private secretly that way, which is a total no no over here. You only reach into your pockets to get a tissue for blowing your nose. It's considered as rude to especially talk to a woman, while having a hand in their pants, because of that reason. - The woman doesn't know what the guy might do in his pants while talking to her. Maybe American men don't even consider this, but here I saw this thing happen, when a guy had his hand in his pants pocket, that's why hands aren't supposed to be in pants pockets.
Worst would be in Germany elbows on the table and head resting on your hand to prevent it from falling onto the plate. There is a rule: when you eat hands on the table, when you play chess hands under the table
@@dannyr.7753 I play chess, but the rule "hands under the table" would be new to me. When it's my turn, I use my hands as I wish, as long as I neither touch figures nor clock nor board.
In Romania, also the good etiquette at the table says that you have to keep your hands on the table while eating, but only the wrists, it is considered rude to support your whole arm on the table. (but, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's the same all over Europe). The saying for number 1 would translate into English as "the small thing" and for number 2 it would be "the big thing" :) And I definitely prefer full fat milk - I grew up with buffalo milk (7-8% fat), so even the one with 3.5% is a bit "watery" for me :).
Oh wow! 7-8% buffalo milk?? We would love to give that a try! For sure full-fat fresh milk is the best, but we can't drink that much fat all the time 😂 Thanks for the insight into Romania! Romania is at the top of our travel list when we are able to go again so we will keep the arms on the table in mind for when we get to go 😊
"Klein" and "Groß" ... so simple ... all the codes that popped into my head where ... a little more lackadaisical. (I really just wanted to use the word lackadaisical at least once in my life)
@@PassportTwo the expression "kleines" or "großes" Geschäft does not apply to the "size" of the "business"."Kleines Geschäft" means peeing and "großes Geschäft" means to sh**
The sitting down while peeing thing is simply a hygiene thing. You sprinkle invisible tiny bits of pee everywhere whilst peeing standing up straight (toilet seat, toilet paper stand, walls, floor...) and that’s, frankly, disgusting for everyone who has to use the same toilet. Edit: also oat milk, 1,5 and 3% :)
I like to say something about that 'sitting in the forest and staring at people'-bit of the clip: I think, looking at people and owning up to it isn't a rude thing at all. It's more like a 'I've noticed that you're here and don't ignore you'-thing, I guess. BTW: the polite thing is to greet someone you meet in the woods, at least by nodding your head. :o)
Well, the woods definitely wasn't meant as a specific location this happens but just happened to be where we could film without lots of people around 😂 But I do agree, greeting people and acknowledging them is nice to do 😊
When I pass someone I try to make eye contact and not to them or say Hallo. When someone deliberately looks away they just seem so rude to me 😅 like they're too good to even look at me or something 🙈
I was taught in Germany that POINTING & LAUGHING at foreign people is rude. Staring at people MIGHT be interpreted as rude in Germany.. but sometimes I HAVE to take a longer look, to find out, if I did know this person from my past. Always while walking in the woods where few people are around : If you look at people and they look back: greet them nicely, thus showing them you are a nice person and no thread.
@@tvsturm Daraus schlossen wir immer, dass man mit einem Handschuh durchaus auf Nackte zeigen darf. Allerdings hat sich die Situation selten ergeben.....
Maybe that "staring" is also related to the "greeting strangers" thing, at least originally that might where it comes from. So instead of pretending to not have stared, and quickly looking away (which is a form of shyness and not admitting to your actions) you take responability for the staring, and translate the situation to something respectful, where you transform from a "stalker" to a "peer" by greeting the person with a "Hello" or "Good day to you", when the eye contact happens. And then trough the ages, people stopped the greetings as village and density grew to towns and cities, which also increased the anonymity level of people, so that the amount of greeting would become silly. However, we kept the staring, as a general right to be the owner of your eyes, and public space being a place where you willingly expose yourself to being looked at. Just a theory here, but I think it makes some sense.
If you ever clean your toilet, sitting down should be a concern for you. Especially when you have a small bathroom and e.g. furniture next to the toilet. I got scolded as a teenager for still peeing standing up and was shown the evidence of lots of little yellow dots littering the white cupboard we kept our toilet paper in. You can also do a little experiment and pee standig up while having no pants on. You will feel little droplets hit your legs and knees. So out of respect for the person who cleans your bathroom, or who uses it after you, you should sit down. Why do you have to be "manly" in your own bathroom anyway, where no one sees you manlily peeing in the general direction of the bowl? However there is one big disadvantage of sitting down: Your dangly bits touching the inside of the bowl. Which is btw another advantage of "Flachspüler": They prevent splashup, they are deeper in the front, they are superior in any conceivable way ;-)
@@johnbitrum8234 well physical impairment is obviously a different story. But it's also not exclusive to men. The above rant is about people who stand up despite being able to sit down. Some men might not even be able to stand up, they have to go while lying down, or they might not even be able to control their muscles, but we don't give healthy people a catheter just because some people need one. And so we can still expect most people to be respectful and not cover the general area around the bowl with little droplets. And even if you have a physical impairment that might affect your ability to use the toilet it might be courteous to inform the owner of said toilet beforehand so that help may be provided.
I think you are really onto something with your theory on staring. I always wondered why people perceive it as staring, because, in my opinion "staring" is somthing different, it implies an effort and an intention that is not present in the way many Germans look at things. I think you are totally right that this "stare" should rather be viewed as a refusal to look away. The hands under the table thing actually annoys me a bit about Americans, not because I want to see their hands, but leaving the arms under the table often leads to a very sunken posture that appears to me like people are almost falling off the chair. To lean into another totally unfair sterotype: By making the American keep his/her hands visible on the table you can lower the risk of getting shot at the dinner table, :-D Sitting down to pee is usually not done to keep the tiles safe, but to minimize dirt. No matter how careful you are, you can never undo what Michael Mittermeier calls the "splash and scatter"-factor of urine. It is simple done out of respect for the person who has to clean the toilet. The fastest way of turning a guy into a "Sitzpinkler" is to make him clean his own bathroom. As others have said, "Ich muss mal klein" und "Ich muss mal groß" are probably the most common euphamisms when it comes to describing what kind of business you are trying to perform. The other examples people mention are mostly just funny or vulgar Euphamisms for going to the toilet in general. I love grossing out my boyfriend with finding new ways of describing that I am going to the toilet. "I have to go to the throne and pass a few laws", "I have to make a sacrafice to the God of porcelain", are some of the nicer ones. However, I recently came up with one that he as a fan of "The Neverending Story" really likes... "I have to consult the Southern Oracle"
I guess that's the explanation of a lot of cultural clashes: Americans simply love hypocrisy, Germans hate it and would rather be rude than insincere. The English got the best of two worlds: they will speak their mind clearly, but in such an ironic way that it is funny and cannot be considered outright rude.
Die meisten Sachen sind mir in meinem Auslandsjahr auch aufgefallen. Ich komme aus einer ländlichen Gegend und hier heißt es übrigens "sehen und gesehen werden". Egal was man draußen macht, man sieht sich die Leute genau an und grüßt sofort alle Leute (die man kennt im Besonderen) . Hier würden das wohl die wenigsten Leute wirklich als unangemessen bezeichnen. Eher sind die Leute sauer, wenn man nicht grüßt. Wird an Sommertagen teilweise etwas anstrengend, man bekommt so aber auch immer die neusten Infos 😂
Wer kennt es nicht, aufm Dorf bekommt man von muttern Ärger weil man die Nachbarin aus 800m Entfernung nicht erkannt hat und deswegen nicht gegrüßt hat :D
That is the same way where I live . . . rural area in Kentucky. Everyone speaks to everyone when passing by. You would be considered very "cold" if you keep your head down and don't say anything.
Don't quote me on this, but I've heard that the original reason why europeans show their hands on the table is to make sure that others feel safe - or in other words, that they're not hiding a knife under the table. Now, I'm not immediately scared when someone has their hands under the table, but... I still might think "wth are you doing down there?" :D Anyway, it does sound plausible to me, given how dangerous medieval times were - and holding a knife up too high still feels agressive to me, even if it's not a very sharp one. I wonder if that is the same origin (assuming it's true) as for why east asian cultures don't use knives on the table at all.
In my generation (I'm roughly your age) I think guys learned to pee while sitting. At least the vast majority of my male friends are doing it and consider standing old-fashioned, unseemly and a bit low class. I don't drink milk, but my husband drinks whole milk.
When I lived in a Studentenwohnheim in Munich I learnt that is about good manners to pee while sitting. In the Restroom there was a sign "Im Sitzen bitte", and since that I pee this way even when I'm in another country or in my Heimat 😎✌️
For a lot of people I know it’s kind of embarrassing to not admit their own “mistakes”.If you stare at someone an you look away when they see you It is kind of obvious that you stared at them and looking away is a very weird way to not admit that you stared.
A phrase my grandpa likes to use when he excuses himself to go to the bathroom is: “Ich muss mal kurz dahin wo der Kaiser zu Fuß hingeht.” (I have to go where the emperor goes on foot) and I low-key love it 😂
I've lived in Germany for over 40 years now and I've never noticed people staring. I'm British and elbows on the table is not polite either there or here in Germany. Hands on the table however, is just a German thing. Full fat milk tastes better but I use both.
Maybe they stare to those who doesn't look typical. In Múnich I've noticed some locals stare at me, the old ones (I guess Rentner) are weird when they stare for long time, and the younger ones stare less at my reflection in the U-Bahn's window but they are shy when I caught them. However I just don't care and ignore them, I'm too busy on my own business
I taught my Chinese husband to sit on the toilet about 17 years ago.. He totally got my point: if there is a pissoir (urinal) you can stand, if there is only a regular toilet SIT!! Your pee is splashing all over the room and you even probably don't see it!! just disgusting!
After living in America for 11 years I can honestly say I’ve never noticed the ‘hands under the table’ thing. Elbows on the table, chewing with the mouth open I see an awful lot.
Wir sind hier im Land der Dichter und Denker tritt so wie ich in die Fußstapfen von Lessing, Schiller und Brecht und sag "Ich geh mir ein Snickers aus dem Rücken drücken." :D
Omg the thing with the hands under the table😂 I remember my mum teaching me that I should never do that because like that people could not see what I am doing with my hands. She said it's impolite because you could scratch your downstairs area and do other stuff like nail cleaning that you should not do at a dining table. That's why I also feel uncomfortable when someone I don't know well has their hands under the table 😂😂😂 It's weird but so funny that I never thought about it
If your masculinity depends on standing while peeing you have very serious issues indeed. 😉 Also we call it "klein" and "groß" instead of no1 and no2. I guess you can figure out which is which... 😅
@@Hoschie-ww7io I think women who pee squatting and spread their small business over the whole stall instead of just sitting down have serious issues. It's really an issue in public restrooms. 🤢
Scene at summer camp X of American etiquette training in childhood: Half of a dining hall erupts in chanting the ditty, "Mable, mable, strong and able,/ get your elbows off the table!", aimed at some poor tired kid leaning too obviously on the table. The training sits quite deeply after experiencing that.
@@PassportTwo but to be honest, having your ELLBOWS on the table while eating is considered rude and inappropriate in GErmany and Austria as well. Your hands, yes, because you need them. But your ellbows? No, definitely not. Once dinner is over and you're just sitting at the table, talking to each other, you can of course rest your whole arm on the table. But not while you're eating.
It's so cool to see, what you guys do here. We are a german family that moved to the US - and we're learning about american culture so much! Nice to see your perspective! Greetings from Virginia, Tamara and Rick
Regarding the staring thing - I was taught to greet people if we happen to catch eyes. I don't know when this stopped to be common sense but I continue to do it and get the best reactions out of it :D from normal greetings to complete irritation and most of the time u can clearly see them thinking "do I know what guy??? “
For #1, I personally love the expressions "putting a stick of water in the corner" (eine Stange Wasser in die Ecke stellen), "checking if the lilac blossoms" (when you go outdoors), and "returning the beer" (when you're in a bar or restaurant). They're kinda cute.
I am definetly a "Sitzpinkler" - though it has never occured to me that it is "unmanly". But I live on my own, which means that I am the one cleaning the toilette so I find it much nicer if I do not have to clean away those disgusting droplets up to 1/2 m around the toilette. I´ve got so accustomed to it, that I usually sit down to pee, if I visit friends also as a sign of respect towards whoever might be the one doing the cleaning there.
Regarding bicycles, there are apparently huge regional differences here in the US. All along the west coast, from San Diego to Seattle, bikes are way more than children's toys. Here in Oregon in a mid-sized inland city we commute on well-laid out bike paths, even in the rain, and cyclists have rules of the road just like cars.
7:26 „Hands on the tablecloth“ well better „CLEAR wrist on the white tablecloth“, showing you do not have a knife (or poison) under the table or doing impropriet stuff in your lap. Hide you hands shows, that you have something to hide. Clinking glasses came from Middle Ages: where drinking jars were out of wood, Metall. Goal was to spill over some of your drink to the other people jars, so if someone poisoned your drink, he had some poison is his drink as well. If those persons refuse to clink glasses with you, they can not be trusted. (works only for complete filled jars) Also making loud noices should make bad ghosts go away. Also: if someone can not look you in the eye while clinking, because he poisoned your drink or is with his thoughts elsewhere (e.g. look on his smartphone), that’s not a good sign. Those persons drink NEAR you, but not WITH you.
Don't ask where the bathroom is, ask where the toilet is. Probably you don't want to take a shower or a bath anyway ;-) I'm still not quite sure about that "Americans tend to avoid conflicts" thing...
@Passport Two: another difference I have heard about (but have not experienced myself yet), is that in the US bycicle bells are just for children, and adults will just yell when they want to pass someone. Here the only people who often don't have bells are those with "Rennräder" who would actually need it the most to be honest. Otherwise I would say bells are a staple here.
i think the reason why you keep your hands on the table comes from the times way back to show that you go unarmed to the dining table. same reasom why in east asia they use chopsticks for eating.
The hands on the table brought back a childhood memory of my mother saying, "Roy Roy strong and able keep your elbows off the table." My mother was born in Gateshead England in 1912 and immigrated to Canada when she was eleven so I don't know if that saying had its' origins in the UK or was picked up in Canada but no elbows on the table has been around North America for quite a while.
elbows is a no go in germany as well.. it is just hand and wrists and maybe a tiny bit of your arm. putting your hands on the table goes hand in hand with posture.. meaning: with your hands on the table you automatically sit more straight on the table instead of hunched
@@crappiefisher1331 Guess I'll have to find a psychic to let my dead Mum know you think her little table manners rhyme is likely to lead to an inaccurate impression of German table manners. (sar·casm , noun, the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.)
3 роки тому
The issue with hand on the table while dining is interesting. I had this experience when traveling to the US for a business meeting a while ago. I was just a student then and tagging along with my boss. We went to this french restaurant for the meeting, and there I was made aware by an American it was improper to keep my hands on the table. Kind of unsettled me, because it opposed my childhood training a d the custom social norm. Kept aware of this ever since when dealing with Americans but never resolved the 'proper' way. Kind of brings light to this matter, thank you.
Many European Etiquette seems to be derived from showing/proving you would not harm your dinner guest. Hiding your hands below table might be viewed as hiding something. The cheering and clinking of glasses was done in very early days so fervently that some drops of the other's (wooden) cup would spill into the own to show no reservation against drinking from the other cup. Meanwhile sevants that serve beverage are required to always place a hand behind their back, but that is said to derive from a custom where their hand was tied to their back because spilling whine only requires one hand, but with the other they would have every oppertunity to slip a drop of nightshade into one cup or hide a dagger. Why they stopped tying the hands to the back and still keeping this custom posture, thus giving the servants every opportunity to hide something is beyond me though, lol
Hi Aubrey, hi Donnie, I love your videos (I am a subscriber) and those of other Americans in Germany because it is like a look from outside to us and our behavior. (Videos from Germans in the US are also interesting by similar reasons). I would tell You a special expression in german descibing to go to the restroom, becaus you could possibly step into a linguistic trap when misunderstanding. When a german person says "Ich muß mal ein kleines Geschäft machen" ( literally: I have to do a small business) he doesn´t mean an economic procedure but simply he has to pee. Corresponding "Ein großes Geschäft" (big business) is the bigger sitting with more than pee. Other terms are "dropping a bomb or an egg" and more. Of course these phrases are not used among strange persons, business partners and so on. Here is said "Entschuldigung für einen Moment" (Sorry for a moment). It´s obvious that it is more polite and respectful than ""Ich muß mal kacken" (Sorry I have to shit). Living here since some years you shurely speak enough german for conversation. Did you consider to make videos in german also? German friends will help you on demand. Stay healthy and greetings Joachim
Yes there are some code words for the matter of using the toilet. For example you can say "das kleine Geschäft" for the #1 and "das große Geschäft" for #2 or you can use "Wasserlassen" for #1 and "etwas ablegen" for #2. This are only 2 examples for code words on this specific matter. I think that in every Region there are many different codes for this.
This one may or may not be widespread in Germany: When my mother and I visit a concert, stage play, ect, and one has to use the restroom, we tell each other "Ich geh kurz wohin." (I go "where to" for a short while)
I think amongst closer friends it might not be very uncommon to say: Muss mal kacken, komme gleich wieder or something along these lines. But I think most just say: Bin mal eben aufm Klo.
interesting is the reason behind the hands on the table/ off the table rule. It comes from the past, the hands on the table rule in europe was meant to make sure that no one had a bad intent in any kind. Hands on a weapon, poison, whatever. The clincking glasses also comes from that time. It was toasted with such force that it spilled over into the other glasses. So poisoning wasn't possible, either. It is said over here that the hands under the table rule in the US comes from the wild west times. Where it was so dangerous, that people even had a hand on the colt while they eat.
The right way is to put the arm and hand on the table so everybody sees if someone wants to poisen you or everyone else. Its an old tradition like the glass thing where you bump them together to mix the beverages to poisen both of them if someone had somthing in it
Biked in the US, but I lived in a college town. Sweden 1. There are far more adults on bikes than kids, most people bike at least 7 months a year. 2. People only stare if the other person is doing something wrong, but they will look away when caught. 3. Hands above the table, but they keep their knife in their hand 80% of the time, unless they are drinking. 4. In public, Swedes stand up to pee , but are more likely to sit down at home. In the US, my ethnically German mother-in-law was proud that her husband sat to urinate.
Regarding sitting down while peeing: in my mother's house, her washing maschine is directly next to the toilet. When I was a kid and was standing while peeing, the washing maschine's metal rusted in several spots due to urine splashing out of the bowl an against it. I have since refrained from peeing while standing, unless there is a urinal available.
In the US, table manners, ie, sitting up straight, using utensils properly, chewing small bites with your mouth closed, keeping elbows off the table, etc. is being viewed as being respectful of those around you or your hosts, whether it’s in a restaurant or someone’s home. Elbows on the table is seen as a form of relaxing (or slouching) or being too familiar, which is viewed as disrespectful. Another great video! Milk: low-fat for me, dad, whole milk.
Hands on the table: Yes, indeed, that's are very old and common rule. But it is related to your hands, not to your elbows. Hands should be visible, but elbows should not be on the table. The rule for the hands goes back to at least Middle Age, when it was common, to wear weapons. Today, shaking right hands goes back to the tradition, that the sword was carried on the right hand side, and therefore, shaking right hands was an indication of trust and peace, that one would not use the sword to kill the other man. Similarly for the "hands on the tables" rule. Hands should be visible, such that everybody on the table could see everybody else's hands and therefore trust, that they wouldn't suddenly take up their weapons to hurt or kill other guests. So, one can eat in a relaxed way and in peace. Ellbows should not be on the table in order to avoid "lümmeln", which means something like "to slouch" or "to loll". A posture, where you put your elbow(s) on the table, hold your forearm(s) up and support your head with your hand. That's considered rude. To sum up: Hands yes, visible, elbows no, not on the table. Keep your elbows rather near your body.
Regarding biking: IMHO it also depends on the region. I live in a quite hilly area, so biking really wasn‘t that common (at least until electric bikes appeared). If you were able to use motorized transportation (legal age) you just would do, as biking uphill just isn‘t a lot of fun. Totally different in areas that are quite flat. Using bikes there is definitely much more fun and more common as well.
But keep in mind we don't say which kind of thing we need to do on the toilett like 1 or 2 (klein oder groß) to every person :D only friends and family. Don't start to tell your Boss or any formal person you dont really close to what you do in the bathroom exactly :D that would be "too much information", even for a german
10:53 #1 „Ich mal KURZ aufs WC“ (going short to WC) as for men it normally took less time. vs. #2„Ich muss auf‘s WC“ (have to go to WC) #2 „Ich geh mal einen abseilen“ (I going to rope one down) #2 „Ich habe eine dringende Sitzung“ (I have an urgent sitting) German Sitzung means a Meeting where you sit, google translate seems to allow to use sitting also as meeting. Some first European Toilets where chairs with a hole and a pot below. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilettenstuhl
To the topic "Hands in plain view". If you rest your elbow on the table it is also considered bad table etiquette. You're only allowed to rest your wrists or the forearm on the table for it to be considered good table etiquette (and I'd say also only the first half of your forearm. But I'm not 100% sure about that. That's just what I've been taught.). Plus the fact why we have our hands on the table comes from old times. There it was a gesture to show the other side that your not hiding any weapons in your hands and are ready to attack your opponent. So it was a sign of peace, kind of. Like this your eating partner knew that you aren't hiding any weapons or you could be using your weapon at any second. Because obviously, if your hands are laid on the table it takes much more time to get your weapon and attack the other. And in the time you need to get your weapon the other part also has time to get theirs. And sorry if I made any grammar/spelling mistakes. Please correct me if you find any 😅 But english isn't my first language. I'm a washreal german (yeah I know that sentence doesn't make sense for the english speaker. But my german fellows will understand 🤣)
I'm worried about the number of road deaths in the United States. One should always keep in mind that the USA has about 4 times as many inhabitants as Germany, but they are spread much further across the country. Number of accidental deaths in the USA in 2019: 38,800 Number of accidental deaths in Germany in 2019: 3,059
In some regions in Germany, for example my Home region, people will alsways look at you. If you look back, 90% of them will greet you with a simple "moin". Vocationeers often are bewildered by that at the beginning, but start to love it after some time.
There is just one iron rule in my single household: Who pees standing up, cleans my toilet. Main reason for me to pee while sitting is just that its a lot less of a mess. As most men should know even using a urinal is not really a clean experience much less so with a standart toilet with its lower elevation.
During his whole professional career, my father always cycled to work (except in Winter with enough snow, when he actually was skiing). And because I was also mainly cycling, I got my drivers license only at the age of 27, because I actually didn't need one. As I was working for many years as a Field Service technician, I had to use the car. But I am still doing most of my grocery shopping with the bicycle, and I even have a recumbent tricycle fitted with a large transport case I am using.
Numerous European countries have a severe shortage of bikes, it's very hard to get a new one especially for children since the number one lockdown activity you can do outside is to ride your bicycle on your own or with your family. You're keeping a safe distance anyway, not getting too close to anyone else, you get to move your body and see nice places, so it has nothing but advantages. Describing what you do on the toilet: I have heard "ich muss klein/groß" if someone doesn't want to be more explicit. (Ich habe ein fluiddynamisches Bedürfnis?)
Concerning adults owning bikes: I have been to Davis, California. Most people there will use a bike to commute (or the bus). The city is quite bike friendly. There’s even the Davis Bike Loop which will lead through quieter streets, so that even kids can use their bikes around town. That’s one exception in the US.
If you think someone stares, just look back at them and if you are near them try to say hello. They will either greet you back or look away. If they dont do on of this two options, walk away. Fast.
Milk/Milch: in the USA, I use 2%, also called reduced fat milk. In Germany stores do not offer 2%, so I buy 3.5%, also called Vollmilch. I do not drink milk by itself. I use milk in my morning coffee and when cooking cream sauces or baking.
German toilet talk: "Warst du groß?" "Nein ich war nur klein, du kannst das Klo benutzen ;)" This is a a abbreviation of the phrase "ein großes/kleines Geschäft machen" (to make a big/small deal). The saying dates back to roman times when men met at public toilets to negotiate business doing "their biological business". Yeah so...i guess you can figure out by yourself what "big or small deal/business" refer to ;) There is a very good documentary about hygiene in europe (with some focus on germany) its very entertaining. Its in german though. here is the link: ua-cam.com/video/kHZWPH6OV-E/v-deo.html
Hi Guys, the German staring is actually a very interesting thing. I didn't even notice it until now, after hearing about it again and again in the relevant youtube videos. Maybe it's that you expected by older people to be greeted. Usually the younger greets the older first and maybe the older is waiting for a friendly "hello" or "good day". Also it is expected that you look into each other eyes when greeting a person and don't look past each other. Honestly, I find it very strange when I am greeted or someone says "cheers" and looks into another direction. Don't you find that strange as well? But back to the staring. If I look someone in the eye and he just looks away, why should I send a friendly "good day" here? Long story short: when you talk to someone or greet someone, you look at each other and don't look in another direction. That is rude according to my upbringing.
I agree with you. I'm German and if someone looks at me while I'm passing I feel the need or ag least the obligation to greet them. Might also have to do with age differences.
So, I was kind of waiting for the FKK thing or is this not a thing in Ramstein? Are there any lakes where you can go ,or parks? In Germany some people like to sunbathe or go for a swim topless (well, the women obvioulsy) or even complete naked. It seems as it is more common in the former DDR countries (the "Neue Bundesländer, though I hat that term after 30 years of German reunion, but you get the Idea). I was born and raised in saxony, moved away at the age of 18 to lower saxony and later north rhine westphalia. FKK (Frei Körper Kultur) is nothing I do on a regular basis but when I talk about it with people who are not that familiar with it (mostly those from the "alte Bundesländer") they often look at me with desbelief. But I think in major German cities no matter if east or west - it's kind of a thing.
In Germany, 1.5% or 3% fat content of milk is common, but other European countries also have different fat contents in their milk, e.g. 1.7% or 1.3% or 3.3% etc.
Well, typically it is 1,5% fat or 3,5% fat. 3% is very, very uncommon. It is more likely to find 3,8% before you get 3%. The two most found are 1,5% and 3,5%.
@@nettcologne9186 Yes, quite so. ;) Just look at the "Vollmilch" next time you are at the supermarket. Typical is 1,5% and 3,5%, some have 3,8% and 3% is very, very rare.
Staring: I feel like not to make eye contact with a person passing by as rude. But then I was brought up in a little village where everybody knew each other.
About bycicles: The distances are just way shorter and there are good bike paths. I live in a village right at the beginning of a forest but it's a 20 min bycicle ride to the center of a city with a 300k population. It's good physical activity and faster than with a car (depending on traffic and parking) :)
I don't think, that it is a general way of differentiating #1 and #2, but I usually say "Ich muss mal (wohin)." and add "Könnte länger dauern." to indicate that it might take a while for any reason, like maybe #2 or maybe it is that time of the month or maybe I just know that I will be slow, for example when I am wearing my motorcycle protection gear it just takes a while to get in and out of that. One commonly known way, that was already mentioned in the comments, is to say "Ich muss mal groß." to let people know that it's #2. Men can specify that they need to go #2 by saying "Ich muss mal austreten." I am not sure, but I think that comes from the military, where you can just quickly leave the line/group/formation to go #1 behind a tree or something like that, because "austreten" in that context means "leave a group".
Not specific for #1 and #2, but if you have to go some would say "auf die 17 gehen". Which originates from supermarkets apparently, since you don't want to announce via speakers that you have to go, for everybody to hear if you want a colleague to cover your shift at the register. So you would just call out, that you had to go to "Nummer 17". I haven't heard it myself ever in the market though. By the way: Oatmilk!
That's a clever way of saying you have to go! 😃 We haven't heard that either, but then again, maybe we had but we didn't understand what was actually being said 😅 Oat milk definitely a favorite of Aubrey's family! 😊
#2 is usually announced with "Der Porzellan Thron wartet (auf mich)" - "The porcelain throne awaits (me)" in my Family, usually if you have to excuse yourself from a social situation. The table etiquette thing really baffled me when I went to the US when I was 10, but both kind of made sense depending on how you look at it. I'm 20 and ride my bike whenever the weather allows it, despite living in rural southern NRW, where the next thing to bike to is 5+ miles away. I do 'stare' at people that very obviously aren't from around my county(Gemeinde), but if they notice I smile and nod and look away. It's just to judge what they're up to and if they might need help with something. if they look lost I walk up and ask if they need help, most Germans are really upfront with stuff like that. I love 3,5% H-Milk from Lidl, and the 3;8% H-Milk from Weihenstephan, both are tasty :D
I simply do not like to pee while standing if there is no urinal. It's exhausting to focus on not peeing all over the toilet bowl compared to simply sitting down and relaxing.
Peeing while standing in ones other place is so disrespectful tbh imo... What u do in ur own house is up to you^^ But when I knew my friend would piss standing at their home I would feel very uncomfortable going to toilet there..
Let's be clear, it's not the peeing while standing that is the issue...it is the mess potentially made, right? 😉😅 I don't care what position someone takes in our bathroom as long as it is clean when they leave 😂
@@PassportTwo Yes^^ You could pee while doing a handstand if you are the only one using it^^ Thats not my Business and who am I to judge someone for doing something that has no effect on others
@@PassportTwo you wont see the tiny droplets, but they are there if you pee standing up. you simply can't pee standing up without "splashback" ua-cam.com/video/ejl7vrDUIcs/v-deo.html.... so unless everyone who peed standing up wiped the bowl and floor clean after peeing you will have those droplets.. does not matter if it looks clean or not...
@@PassportTwo By now you should know that German toilets are different than American ones. American toilets are usually filled with water. German toilets just have a small hole, with a little water. So if you pee standing up, it splashes all over.
I have aleays the Problem, that I don't know, where to Look when I'm waiting for the bus in Germany. Then I Look around me and often forget to Look away, when my eye catch another. I don't feel comftabel about this staring, but I simple dont know what to do🤷🏻♀️
I'm American & a woman so obviously take this with a grain of salt but I MUCH prefer men who sit to pee for two reasons: 1) less mess, 2) they never leave the toilet seat up because they don't lift it in the first place! :P
Re: table manners. I grew up in an 'upper class' environment where impeccable manners incl table etiquette was very important and made a point by my parents to teach and enforce from an early age on. "(Nimm die) Ellbogen vom Tisch!!", (Take the) elbows off the table!!, was one of the most important rules in that respect, that I heard my mom whisper to me in expensive restaurants a lot 😅 I would say elbows on the table are definitely 'worse ' than hands under the table in German culture, but the latter is also bad manners. just more of a 'minor infraction', whereas elbows on the table is already more or less 'lowbrow' behavior. Re: German equivalent to #1 and #2: "Groß" and "Klein". but you would only use that when you're talking to children, not as an adult to another adult, edge cases aside. Like a little child would say to their mom "Mama, ich muss mal!", mom, I have to go! (to the bathroom), and the mother could ask "Musst du groß oder klein?", Do you have to do 'big' or 'small'? - I guess I don't have to explain which one is which, haha. Interestingly the order is opposite though. In English you'd rather say No1 or No2 (I believe?) and not the other way around, In German you'd rather say Groß oder klein, not Klein oder groß.
Ellenbogen, Ellenbogen Sei doch nicht so ungezogen Auf den Tisch darfst du nicht sein Alle Kinder essen fein! Guten Appetit I learned that one in the Kindergarten
There are many customs which are rather arbitrary in nature and from that you cannot say that the one or the other is "right" or "wrong". But there is one thing where I think there cannot be any doubt, and that is that "sitzpinkeln" is clearly the one and only right way of peeing (unless there is an urinal, of course). It is absolutely disgusting if there are splashes of urin from the previous user of the toilet. And when I'm a guest somewhere it is a matter of respect that I spare my host any unwelcome "leftovers" after having used their toilet.
1. I ride bicycle like 2-3 times/week. If I for instance have to go to the grocery store, to buy few things, I often do a bicycle trip before it, then on my way home get to the grocery store and then ride home. Or if I want a Kebab, I could use my car to get 5km to the place and back, but tbh with a bicycle it's mostly even faster, due to traffic avoidance and shortcuts. Kinda sad, that americans don't use 'em, it def. would help them. 2. The starring thing, is not only when a person is "out of the norm", but yeah many of us do, since we all want a social good life, and if something is wrong, we try to figure out what it might be and if it can endager other ppl around us, or do de-escelate things, before they get too heaty. Also to empethisize with other ppl, like trying to get eye contact, then smile, if the other person smiles back you could start a conversation. (this is just an example, but that happend to me, on a busride this girl starred at me, then i starred at her, we smiled, I went to her to say hi, long story short, we dated few times) 3. This has actually psychological roots. Like you said, germans are more direct and involved. From a prespective of bodylanguage, Hand on Table = dominance, in terms, you are confident enough to show your hands. The more bodyparts (elbows etc) are on the table, the more dominance you showing. Thus why a little bit is good, but too much might be bad sometimes. 4. Afaik Almost ALL my Friends and ppl that I know, pee while they sit. I mean I live alone and you have to clean SO MUCH less when you pee while sitting, I think for american man to change their though of "dignity" is just to take over the toilet cleaning in their household. Problem solved. Yes if you want "small" and "big" it indicates, you want to pee or poop.
So how "American" or "German" are you based on these things?? 😂
I think I am what I am, which is German. ;)
Well "German" but I feel most of them are just how we do it in not the US. (Perhaps with the exception of the sitting down on the toilet sadly)
You mentioned US tie stripes vs European tie stripes. What about the sitting position of you two (who's left, who's right) - was there a special change after having been living in Germany for several months? Because, in comparison to your older vids, you switched positions. ;-)
Germany is yust not like England we find somethings more inportnent then oders and now i wish you " Noch nen schönen Tag "
Do american men also standup while #2ing
Im german and my father always asked me:“Are we dining in the wild west?“ (revolver under the table) when I had my hands under the table while eating.
ich denke daher kommt das auch... irgendwann im Mittelalter hat man sich entschieden das die Hände immer sichtbar sein müssen um dem Gegenüber zu zeigen das man nicht böses im Schilde führt, jemand mit Händen unterm Tisch könnte eventuell Gift oder ein Messer parat halten... würde zumindest Sinn ergeben...
@@Stivo__ "wer weiss was Du mit der Hand da unten machst" ...
@@sejtam muss dich enttäuschen.. mir wurde eingebläut die Hände auf dem Tisch zu haben... (und ja ich komme noch aus einer Zeit in der man eine auf den Hinterkopf bekommen hat wenn man sich nicht benommen hat)
@@Stivo__ Ja eben. Das wurde einem dann vorgeworfen wenn man sie nicht auf dem Tisch hatte (Was die Implikation[en] waren kann man sich je nach Familie vorstellen, von spielen, den Hund füttern/streicheln bis Mast...)
@@sejtam true :D schlimme zeiten waren das damals.. heute wäre es egal.. aber man ist so daran gewöhnt... :D
As a german adult, I always urinate while sitting on my bike with my hands visible - and getting stared at.
Wie sonst?
Der ist gut, ich schmeiß mich weg LOL
Heftiges Kopfkino
I believe all of that... well, maybe except the adult part :=))
Der ist geil! Danke. Herzlich gelacht.
When I pee, it's very simple: if there's a urinal, I use it. If not, I sit down. Anything else would be unclean and make unnecessary work for the person cleaning the toilet. In my home, *I am* that person, that's reason enough for me :)
Exactly. Except you love cleaning other mens urin from your floor or carpet or you like the smell ;-)
In a public loo there is usually a urinal and there is no need to sit down. Same reason. You do not splash your urine everywhere.
Same
Ich sehe das genau so, mit dem Unterschied, ich bin es nicht der reinige. Unnötig jemandem Anderen das Leben zu erschweren. Kann man machen, muss man aber nicht
Most of the germans still pee by standing up in public toilets because we don't trust them being clean
@@Gebuesch69 Who does not like it to go in the bathroom on socks and then notice, that you stand in men´s pee, thats all around the toilet. Not to mention, that every man in the family later states, that it is not his pee....
My girlfriend is from America and during her last visit to Germany she constantly complained about "getting stared at". I was so confused... I never noticed anyone staring at us :')
Ich verstehe es auch nicht. Vielleicht bin ich zu deutsch dafür ;)
Seitdem ich von "German Staring" mitbekommen habe, merke ich viel öfter das Starren der Leute, was vorher bei mir nicht der Fall gewesen ist
Ich habe gelernt das wenn ich angestarrt werde es zu ignorieren. Ich werde auch nicht so oft angestarrt wenn ich z.B arbeiten oder einkaufen gehe. I mind my own business 😅
Well, I am a white guy and have been to India plenty of times. Walk on a beach (no, I am not talking about a tourist place like Goa) with an Indian lady approx. 10 years younger than you are. Then you'll know what staring is ;)
If I notice getting stared at, I greet the people ;)
Sometimes they seem to be embarrassed, sometimes they greet back and sometimes they really start staring in confusion ;)
as a German who partly grew up in the US I always have to laugh at the 'staring' stereotype. The fact is, the definition of 'staring' is different. Simply looking at someone and meeting their eyes is not viewed as 'staring' here - in fact that is viewed as common courtesy, acknowledging them, maybe nodding with a slight smile or even a short greeting, according to the circumstances. On the contrary, frantically looking away and 'ignoring' them would be rude. OTOH, looking at someone for a longer time, without blinking or an acknowledgement, would be 'staring' for a German, and yes, that is regarded as rude here as well.
Omg thanks for the clarification😂 I always wondered why I've never seen someone staring at me like that in Germany but everybody seems to talk about it.
I really don't care if a man pees standing up or sitting or liftig up one leg, but when he exits the bathroom better be f***ing spotless! 🤣
German boy: Stehpinkler.
German alpha mom: Freundchen, ich zieh dir die Löffel lang!
My mom got 5 sons including me...
... she made us clean our bathrooms so we started pressure ourselves to sit while pissing xD
@@MiguelStinson88 smart mom ;)
Regarding the keeping the hands under the table topic: yes, we Germans do keep our wrists on the table, but it is called to be impolite to place your whole forearm on the table :D very specific!
Very specific but very good to know! Thanks for pointing that out 😊
And there is a reason why you aren't supposed to keep your hands in your lap. 😂
Good to know that it's American Etikette. - I wonder why it's so... I had no idea. The reason we teach our kids to have the hands for all openly to be seen on the table is because especially little boys sometimes play with their private underneath the table out of boredom.
BTW... Men, who casually have their hands or one hand in their pants pocket of their suit, is against German Etikette.
It has to do with secretly "playing" with their_____, or at least touch their private secretly that way, which is a total no no over here. You only reach into your pockets to get a tissue for blowing your nose.
It's considered as rude to especially talk to a woman, while having a hand in their pants, because of that reason. - The woman doesn't know what the guy might do in his pants while talking to her.
Maybe American men don't even consider this, but here I saw this thing happen, when a guy had his hand in his pants pocket, that's why hands aren't supposed to be in pants pockets.
half of the forearm on the table, the other half off the table. That is how i have learned it.
Worst would be in Germany elbows on the table and head resting on your hand to prevent it from falling onto the plate. There is a rule: when you eat hands on the table, when you play chess hands under the table
@@dannyr.7753 I play chess, but the rule "hands under the table" would be new to me. When it's my turn, I use my hands as I wish, as long as I neither touch figures nor clock nor board.
In Romania, also the good etiquette at the table says that you have to keep your hands on the table while eating, but only the wrists, it is considered rude to support your whole arm on the table. (but, if I'm not mistaken, I think it's the same all over Europe).
The saying for number 1 would translate into English as "the small thing" and for number 2 it would be "the big thing" :)
And I definitely prefer full fat milk - I grew up with buffalo milk (7-8% fat), so even the one with 3.5% is a bit "watery" for me :).
Oh wow! 7-8% buffalo milk?? We would love to give that a try! For sure full-fat fresh milk is the best, but we can't drink that much fat all the time 😂
Thanks for the insight into Romania! Romania is at the top of our travel list when we are able to go again so we will keep the arms on the table in mind for when we get to go 😊
@@PassportTwo I'm positive that you sometimes drink beer or wine -- both have no fat at all :-) full fat milk jaut tastes better.
If someone catches me starring at them I will hold eye contact and start smiling. 99% will smile back. 😄
Edit: #1 is "klein" #2 ist "groß"
:D Ich auch, ich nicke auch gern und sagt freundlich "Hallo :)"
"Klein" and "Groß" ... so simple ... all the codes that popped into my head where ... a little more lackadaisical. (I really just wanted to use the word lackadaisical at least once in my life)
#1 „für kleine Mädchen/Jungs“ or the more gender neutral „für kleine Königstiger“. #2 is of nobody’s business
#1 Ich muss pipi, #2 ich muss hard scheißen
USA: "A bicycle is not viewed as a legitimate mode of transportation..."
* the Netherlands have entered the chat *
I like your name and traveling to Amsterdam would probably blow their minds
@@MarieJohanna760 Aw, thank you! And yes, you're very likely right XD
...Netherlands enters the chat and screams: granny, we've found your bicycle!
doing "small or big business" is a common german code for #1/#2
I don't think we specify the size of the business in the US, but we definitely also have the "doing business" euphemism 😅
@@PassportTwo my favorite way is to say: "Ich muss mal für kleine Königstieger" (more commonly used for #1)
@@PassportTwo the expression "kleines" or "großes" Geschäft does not apply to the "size" of the "business"."Kleines Geschäft" means peeing and "großes Geschäft" means to sh**
@@hamdepaf6686 Tiger! *spelling nazi indahouse *
I would tell that I have to go there but would keep reason blank and make it as fast I could.
Donnie should clean the bathroom regularly and he will learn to sit :D
That is how I learned to sit, having my own apartment and having to clean it.
I (Donnie) have always been the one that cleans the bathroom ever since we got married 😊 Even split of chores and I chose that one!
@@PassportTwo okay, then you surely appreciate the advantages of sitting pee? ;)
Simply use a toilet rug (WC-Teppich), then the floor doesn't get dirty visibly, and you can wash the toilet rug occasionally.
@@volldillo Eww, what are you, English?
The sitting down while peeing thing is simply a hygiene thing. You sprinkle invisible tiny bits of pee everywhere whilst peeing standing up straight (toilet seat, toilet paper stand, walls, floor...) and that’s, frankly, disgusting for everyone who has to use the same toilet.
Edit: also oat milk, 1,5 and 3% :)
In my home it were not tiny bits of pee, but seas of pee soaking my socks....disgusting.
„Guck mich an, wenn ich mit dir rede!“ that‘s what german mums tell their childeren.
I like to say something about that 'sitting in the forest and staring at people'-bit of the clip: I think, looking at people and owning up to it isn't a rude thing at all. It's more like a 'I've noticed that you're here and don't ignore you'-thing, I guess. BTW: the polite thing is to greet someone you meet in the woods, at least by nodding your head. :o)
Well, the woods definitely wasn't meant as a specific location this happens but just happened to be where we could film without lots of people around 😂 But I do agree, greeting people and acknowledging them is nice to do 😊
@@PassportTwo Yay, that's what I thought @location :oD It was more like a train of thought on my part :o)
When I pass someone I try to make eye contact and not to them or say Hallo. When someone deliberately looks away they just seem so rude to me 😅 like they're too good to even look at me or something 🙈
and we dont want a conflict, we just don´t need to worry about a conflict by looking to someone^^
I was taught in Germany that POINTING & LAUGHING at foreign people is rude.
Staring at people MIGHT be interpreted as rude in Germany.. but sometimes I HAVE to take a longer look, to find out, if I did know this person from my past.
Always while walking in the woods where few people are around : If you look at people and they look back: greet them nicely, thus showing them you are a nice person and no thread.
Yeah learned it that way too. (Kleiner tipp, die Vergangenheitsform ist "taught"
@@Eternal_Tank danke 🙏 -> teached durch taught ersetzt.
Nicht mit dem nackten Finger auf angezogene Leute zeigen.
I always try to avoid to stare at people or try to hide my staring. But the urge to do it is in me :)
@@tvsturm Daraus schlossen wir immer, dass man mit einem Handschuh durchaus auf Nackte zeigen darf. Allerdings hat sich die Situation selten ergeben.....
Maybe that "staring" is also related to the "greeting strangers" thing, at least originally that might where it comes from. So instead of pretending to not have stared, and quickly looking away (which is a form of shyness and not admitting to your actions) you take responability for the staring, and translate the situation to something respectful, where you transform from a "stalker" to a "peer" by greeting the person with a "Hello" or "Good day to you", when the eye contact happens. And then trough the ages, people stopped the greetings as village and density grew to towns and cities, which also increased the anonymity level of people, so that the amount of greeting would become silly. However, we kept the staring, as a general right to be the owner of your eyes, and public space being a place where you willingly expose yourself to being looked at. Just a theory here, but I think it makes some sense.
If you ever clean your toilet, sitting down should be a concern for you. Especially when you have a small bathroom and e.g. furniture next to the toilet. I got scolded as a teenager for still peeing standing up and was shown the evidence of lots of little yellow dots littering the white cupboard we kept our toilet paper in.
You can also do a little experiment and pee standig up while having no pants on. You will feel little droplets hit your legs and knees.
So out of respect for the person who cleans your bathroom, or who uses it after you, you should sit down. Why do you have to be "manly" in your own bathroom anyway, where no one sees you manlily peeing in the general direction of the bowl?
However there is one big disadvantage of sitting down: Your dangly bits touching the inside of the bowl.
Which is btw another advantage of "Flachspüler": They prevent splashup, they are deeper in the front, they are superior in any conceivable way ;-)
pretty nice summarized, only wanted to add: how unsure are you of your manliness that it can get damaged by sitting down?
For some men it is very hard or even impossible to pee sitting down (me).
@@johnbitrum8234 well physical impairment is obviously a different story. But it's also not exclusive to men. The above rant is about people who stand up despite being able to sit down. Some men might not even be able to stand up, they have to go while lying down, or they might not even be able to control their muscles, but we don't give healthy people a catheter just because some people need one. And so we can still expect most people to be respectful and not cover the general area around the bowl with little droplets. And even if you have a physical impairment that might affect your ability to use the toilet it might be courteous to inform the owner of said toilet beforehand so that help may be provided.
I think you are really onto something with your theory on staring. I always wondered why people perceive it as staring, because, in my opinion "staring" is somthing different, it implies an effort and an intention that is not present in the way many Germans look at things. I think you are totally right that this "stare" should rather be viewed as a refusal to look away.
The hands under the table thing actually annoys me a bit about Americans, not because I want to see their hands, but leaving the arms under the table often leads to a very sunken posture that appears to me like people are almost falling off the chair. To lean into another totally unfair sterotype: By making the American keep his/her hands visible on the table you can lower the risk of getting shot at the dinner table, :-D
Sitting down to pee is usually not done to keep the tiles safe, but to minimize dirt. No matter how careful you are, you can never undo what Michael Mittermeier calls the "splash and scatter"-factor of urine. It is simple done out of respect for the person who has to clean the toilet. The fastest way of turning a guy into a "Sitzpinkler" is to make him clean his own bathroom.
As others have said, "Ich muss mal klein" und "Ich muss mal groß" are probably the most common euphamisms when it comes to describing what kind of business you are trying to perform. The other examples people mention are mostly just funny or vulgar Euphamisms for going to the toilet in general. I love grossing out my boyfriend with finding new ways of describing that I am going to the toilet. "I have to go to the throne and pass a few laws", "I have to make a sacrafice to the God of porcelain", are some of the nicer ones. However, I recently came up with one that he as a fan of "The Neverending Story" really likes... "I have to consult the Southern Oracle"
Einen abseilen :)
I guess that's the explanation of a lot of cultural clashes: Americans simply love hypocrisy, Germans hate it and would rather be rude than insincere. The English got the best of two worlds: they will speak their mind clearly, but in such an ironic way that it is funny and cannot be considered outright rude.
Die meisten Sachen sind mir in meinem Auslandsjahr auch aufgefallen.
Ich komme aus einer ländlichen Gegend und hier heißt es übrigens "sehen und gesehen werden". Egal was man draußen macht, man sieht sich die Leute genau an und grüßt sofort alle Leute (die man kennt im Besonderen) . Hier würden das wohl die wenigsten Leute wirklich als unangemessen bezeichnen. Eher sind die Leute sauer, wenn man nicht grüßt. Wird an Sommertagen teilweise etwas anstrengend, man bekommt so aber auch immer die neusten Infos 😂
Wer kennt es nicht, aufm Dorf bekommt man von muttern Ärger weil man die Nachbarin aus 800m Entfernung nicht erkannt hat und deswegen nicht gegrüßt hat :D
That is the same way where I live . . . rural area in Kentucky. Everyone speaks to everyone when passing by. You would be considered very "cold" if you keep your head down and don't say anything.
Don't quote me on this, but I've heard that the original reason why europeans show their hands on the table is to make sure that others feel safe - or in other words, that they're not hiding a knife under the table.
Now, I'm not immediately scared when someone has their hands under the table, but... I still might think "wth are you doing down there?" :D
Anyway, it does sound plausible to me, given how dangerous medieval times were - and holding a knife up too high still feels agressive to me, even if it's not a very sharp one.
I wonder if that is the same origin (assuming it's true) as for why east asian cultures don't use knives on the table at all.
In my generation (I'm roughly your age) I think guys learned to pee while sitting. At least the vast majority of my male friends are doing it and consider standing old-fashioned, unseemly and a bit low class.
I don't drink milk, but my husband drinks whole milk.
When I lived in a Studentenwohnheim in Munich I learnt that is about good manners to pee while sitting. In the Restroom there was a sign "Im Sitzen bitte", and since that I pee this way even when I'm in another country or in my Heimat 😎✌️
For a lot of people I know it’s kind of embarrassing to not admit their own “mistakes”.If you stare at someone an you look away when they see you It is kind of obvious that you stared at them and looking away is a very weird way to not admit that you stared.
A phrase my grandpa likes to use when he excuses himself to go to the bathroom is: “Ich muss mal kurz dahin wo der Kaiser zu Fuß hingeht.” (I have to go where the emperor goes on foot) and I low-key love it 😂
Meine Grossmutter hat das auch immer gesagt!
I'm only a sitzpinkler in the morning when I'm still too sleepy to open my eyes up all of the way.
Haha, that is a great system 😂
Yes, when 3/4 drunk, or having to pee in the middle of the night and not wanting to turn on all the lights.
I've lived in Germany for over 40 years now and I've never noticed people staring.
I'm British and elbows on the table is not polite either there or here in Germany. Hands on the table however, is just a German thing.
Full fat milk tastes better but I use both.
Maybe they stare to those who doesn't look typical. In Múnich I've noticed some locals stare at me, the old ones (I guess Rentner) are weird when they stare for long time, and the younger ones stare less at my reflection in the U-Bahn's window but they are shy when I caught them. However I just don't care and ignore them, I'm too busy on my own business
@@freds.8775 Yes, the urge to stare is there, but people get better in hiding it.
I taught my Chinese husband to sit on the toilet about 17 years ago.. He totally got my point: if there is a pissoir (urinal) you can stand, if there is only a regular toilet SIT!! Your pee is splashing all over the room and you even probably don't see it!! just disgusting!
The German „staring“ Part was amazing!
Thank you for the video!
Haha, glad you enjoyed 😃
After living in America for 11 years I can honestly say I’ve never noticed the ‘hands under the table’ thing. Elbows on the table, chewing with the mouth open I see an awful lot.
those who don't sit down probably never had to clean the toilet
Actually, most of the men I know are the ones who have to clean the toilet for that very reason 😂😂
@@PassportTwo well to me it's an annoyance. by sitting down, I can extend my cleaning intervals considerably.
Or they just hit the target
Or they just sit down...😏
Ps: full fat milk
Klar ich sag einfach ganz bescheiden durch die Blume: "Alter ich muss kacken, ich glaube mein Arsch platzt!"
Wir sind hier im Land der Dichter und Denker tritt so wie ich in die Fußstapfen von Lessing, Schiller und Brecht und sag "Ich geh mir ein Snickers aus dem Rücken drücken." :D
Ein Mars durch die Brille boxen.
Omg the thing with the hands under the table😂 I remember my mum teaching me that I should never do that because like that people could not see what I am doing with my hands. She said it's impolite because you could scratch your downstairs area and do other stuff like nail cleaning that you should not do at a dining table. That's why I also feel uncomfortable when someone I don't know well has their hands under the table 😂😂😂 It's weird but so funny that I never thought about it
If your masculinity depends on standing while peeing you have very serious issues indeed. 😉
Also we call it "klein" and "groß" instead of no1 and no2. I guess you can figure out which is which... 😅
So if your femininity depends on sitting while peeing you have very serious issues too?
@@Hoschie-ww7io uhm ... yeah! 🤷♂️
@@Hoschie-ww7io yes
@@Hoschie-ww7io I think women who pee squatting and spread their small business over the whole stall instead of just sitting down have serious issues. It's really an issue in public restrooms. 🤢
Hands must be on dining table but NEVER ELBOWS. Only when you are writing then elbows must be on table, never on diner table.
I‘m german and i never really see people staring at others. Maybe in school by bullies but other than that, i rarely ever see it.🤷🏼♀️
Scene at summer camp X of American etiquette training in childhood: Half of a dining hall erupts in chanting the ditty, "Mable, mable, strong and able,/ get your elbows off the table!", aimed at some poor tired kid leaning too obviously on the table. The training sits quite deeply after experiencing that.
Haha, haven't heard that ditty! Definitely would learn quick after that! 😂
@@PassportTwo but to be honest, having your ELLBOWS on the table while eating is considered rude and inappropriate in GErmany and Austria as well. Your hands, yes, because you need them. But your ellbows? No, definitely not.
Once dinner is over and you're just sitting at the table, talking to each other, you can of course rest your whole arm on the table. But not while you're eating.
I think sitting down is very polite because someone has to clean up the toilet and as far as i understand doplets of pee can come out of the toilet.
It's so cool to see, what you guys do here. We are a german family that moved to the US - and we're learning about american culture so much! Nice to see your perspective!
Greetings from Virginia, Tamara and Rick
Hey! That's awesome you are having the "reverse experience" 😃 Glad you enjoyed!
@@PassportTwo yes, exactly 😂 that's the word I was looking for!!!
Regarding the staring thing - I was taught to greet people if we happen to catch eyes. I don't know when this stopped to be common sense but I continue to do it and get the best reactions out of it :D from normal greetings to complete irritation and most of the time u can clearly see them thinking "do I know what guy??? “
to keep the hands on the table is probably the same cause why we shake hands, to see that the person in front is unarmed.
Some youtuber pointed out an old man in germany riding a bicycle - smoking. My point being: Riding a bike not as a sporting activity.
For #1, I personally love the expressions "putting a stick of water in the corner" (eine Stange Wasser in die Ecke stellen), "checking if the lilac blossoms" (when you go outdoors), and "returning the beer" (when you're in a bar or restaurant).
They're kinda cute.
I am definetly a "Sitzpinkler" - though it has never occured to me that it is "unmanly". But I live on my own, which means that I am the one cleaning the toilette so I find it much nicer if I do not have to clean away those disgusting droplets up to 1/2 m around the toilette. I´ve got so accustomed to it, that I usually sit down to pee, if I visit friends also as a sign of respect towards whoever might be the one doing the cleaning there.
Regarding bicycles, there are apparently huge regional differences here in the US. All along the west coast, from San Diego to Seattle, bikes are way more than children's toys. Here in Oregon in a mid-sized inland city we commute on well-laid out bike paths, even in the rain, and cyclists have rules of the road just like cars.
7:26 „Hands on the tablecloth“ well better „CLEAR wrist on the white tablecloth“, showing you do not have a knife (or poison) under the table or doing impropriet stuff in your lap.
Hide you hands shows, that you have something to hide.
Clinking glasses came from Middle Ages: where drinking jars were out of wood, Metall. Goal was to spill over some of your drink to the other people jars, so if someone poisoned your drink, he had some poison is his drink as well. If those persons refuse to clink glasses with you, they can not be trusted. (works only for complete filled jars)
Also making loud noices should make bad ghosts go away.
Also: if someone can not look you in the eye while clinking, because he poisoned your drink or is with his thoughts elsewhere (e.g. look on his smartphone), that’s not a good sign. Those persons drink NEAR you, but not WITH you.
Don't ask where the bathroom is, ask where the toilet is. Probably you don't want to take a shower or a bath anyway ;-)
I'm still not quite sure about that "Americans tend to avoid conflicts" thing...
@Passport Two: another difference I have heard about (but have not experienced myself yet), is that in the US bycicle bells are just for children, and adults will just yell when they want to pass someone. Here the only people who often don't have bells are those with "Rennräder" who would actually need it the most to be honest. Otherwise I would say bells are a staple here.
i think the reason why you keep your hands on the table comes from the times way back to show that you go unarmed to the dining table. same reasom why in east asia they use chopsticks for eating.
We didn't look up the reason but that seems to make sense! 😊
After watching Asian fighting films, I know one thing for sure: you can also use chopsticks as a weapon.
Nice video, I enjoyed the editing :)
Thank you so much. Is is always fun to watch your videos!!
THANK YOU FOR POSTING.... :) Cheers from Oregon. USA.
You are not supposed to have your arms or elbows on the table while eating in Germany as well. Only your hands and maybe about ⅓ of your forearm.
The hands on the table brought back a childhood memory of my mother saying, "Roy Roy strong and able keep your elbows off the table." My mother was born in Gateshead England in 1912 and immigrated to Canada when she was eleven so I don't know if that saying had its' origins in the UK or was picked up in Canada but no elbows on the table has been around North America for quite a while.
elbows is a no go in germany as well.. it is just hand and wrists and maybe a tiny bit of your arm.
putting your hands on the table goes hand in hand with posture.. meaning: with your hands on the table you automatically sit more straight on the table instead of hunched
@@crappiefisher1331 Guess I'll have to find a psychic to let my dead Mum know you think her little table manners rhyme is likely to lead to an inaccurate impression of German table manners. (sar·casm
, noun, the use of irony to mock or convey contempt.)
The issue with hand on the table while dining is interesting. I had this experience when traveling to the US for a business meeting a while ago. I was just a student then and tagging along with my boss. We went to this french restaurant for the meeting, and there I was made aware by an American it was improper to keep my hands on the table. Kind of unsettled me, because it opposed my childhood training a d the custom social norm. Kept aware of this ever since when dealing with Americans but never resolved the 'proper' way. Kind of brings light to this matter, thank you.
Many European Etiquette seems to be derived from showing/proving you would not harm your dinner guest. Hiding your hands below table might be viewed as hiding something. The cheering and clinking of glasses was done in very early days so fervently that some drops of the other's (wooden) cup would spill into the own to show no reservation against drinking from the other cup.
Meanwhile sevants that serve beverage are required to always place a hand behind their back, but that is said to derive from a custom where their hand was tied to their back because spilling whine only requires one hand, but with the other they would have every oppertunity to slip a drop of nightshade into one cup or hide a dagger.
Why they stopped tying the hands to the back and still keeping this custom posture, thus giving the servants every opportunity to hide something is beyond me though, lol
Interesting.
Hi Aubrey, hi Donnie, I love your videos (I am a subscriber) and those of other Americans in Germany because it is like a look from outside to us and our behavior. (Videos from Germans in the US are also interesting by similar reasons).
I would tell You a special expression in german descibing to go to the restroom, becaus you could possibly step into a linguistic trap when misunderstanding. When a german person says "Ich muß mal ein kleines Geschäft machen" ( literally: I have to do a small business) he doesn´t mean an economic procedure but simply he has to pee. Corresponding "Ein großes Geschäft" (big business) is the bigger sitting with more than pee. Other terms are "dropping a bomb or an egg" and more. Of course these phrases are not used among strange persons, business partners and so on. Here is said "Entschuldigung für einen Moment" (Sorry for a moment). It´s obvious that it is more polite and respectful than ""Ich muß mal kacken" (Sorry I have to shit).
Living here since some years you shurely speak enough german for conversation. Did you consider to make videos in german also? German friends will help you on demand.
Stay healthy and greetings Joachim
Yes there are some code words for the matter of using the toilet. For example you can say "das kleine Geschäft" for the #1 and "das große Geschäft" for #2 or you can use "Wasserlassen" for #1 and "etwas ablegen" for #2. This are only 2 examples for code words on this specific matter. I think that in every Region there are many different codes for this.
This one may or may not be widespread in Germany:
When my mother and I visit a concert, stage play, ect, and one has to use the restroom, we tell each other
"Ich geh kurz wohin." (I go "where to" for a short while)
I think amongst closer friends it might not be very uncommon to say: Muss mal kacken, komme gleich wieder or something along these lines. But I think most just say: Bin mal eben aufm Klo.
Ich geh mir Mal die Nase pudern
interesting is the reason behind the hands on the table/ off the table rule.
It comes from the past, the hands on the table rule in europe was meant to make sure that no one had a bad intent in any kind. Hands on a weapon, poison, whatever. The clincking glasses also comes from that time. It was toasted with such force that it spilled over into the other glasses. So poisoning wasn't possible, either.
It is said over here that the hands under the table rule in the US comes from the wild west times. Where it was so dangerous, that people even had a hand on the colt while they eat.
The right way is to put the arm and hand on the table so everybody sees if someone wants to poisen you or everyone else. Its an old tradition like the glass thing where you bump them together to mix the beverages to poisen both of them if someone had somthing in it
Biked in the US, but I lived in a college town.
Sweden
1. There are far more adults on bikes than kids, most people bike at least 7 months a year.
2. People only stare if the other person is doing something wrong, but they will look away when caught.
3. Hands above the table, but they keep their knife in their hand 80% of the time, unless they are drinking.
4. In public, Swedes stand up to pee , but are more likely to sit down at home. In the US, my ethnically German mother-in-law was proud that her husband sat to urinate.
Regarding sitting down while peeing: in my mother's house, her washing maschine is directly next to the toilet. When I was a kid and was standing while peeing, the washing maschine's metal rusted in several spots due to urine splashing out of the bowl an against it. I have since refrained from peeing while standing, unless there is a urinal available.
In the US, table manners, ie, sitting up straight, using utensils properly, chewing small bites with your mouth closed, keeping elbows off the table, etc. is being viewed as being respectful of those around you or your hosts, whether it’s in a restaurant or someone’s home. Elbows on the table is seen as a form of relaxing (or slouching) or being too familiar, which is viewed as disrespectful.
Another great video!
Milk: low-fat for me, dad, whole milk.
Hands on the table: Yes, indeed, that's are very old and common rule. But it is related to your hands, not to your elbows. Hands should be visible, but elbows should not be on the table.
The rule for the hands goes back to at least Middle Age, when it was common, to wear weapons. Today, shaking right hands goes back to the tradition, that the sword was carried on the right hand side, and therefore, shaking right hands was an indication of trust and peace, that one would not use the sword to kill the other man.
Similarly for the "hands on the tables" rule. Hands should be visible, such that everybody on the table could see everybody else's hands and therefore trust, that they wouldn't suddenly take up their weapons to hurt or kill other guests. So, one can eat in a relaxed way and in peace.
Ellbows should not be on the table in order to avoid "lümmeln", which means something like "to slouch" or "to loll". A posture, where you put your elbow(s) on the table, hold your forearm(s) up and support your head with your hand. That's considered rude.
To sum up: Hands yes, visible, elbows no, not on the table. Keep your elbows rather near your body.
Regarding biking: IMHO it also depends on the region. I live in a quite hilly area, so biking really wasn‘t that common (at least until electric bikes appeared). If you were able to use motorized transportation (legal age) you just would do, as biking uphill just isn‘t a lot of fun. Totally different in areas that are quite flat. Using bikes there is definitely much more fun and more common as well.
But keep in mind we don't say which kind of thing we need to do on the toilett like 1 or 2 (klein oder groß) to every person :D only friends and family. Don't start to tell your Boss or any formal person you dont really close to what you do in the bathroom exactly :D that would be "too much information", even for a german
10:53 #1 „Ich mal KURZ aufs WC“ (going short to WC) as for men it normally took less time. vs. #2„Ich muss auf‘s WC“ (have to go to WC)
#2 „Ich geh mal einen abseilen“ (I going to rope one down)
#2 „Ich habe eine dringende Sitzung“ (I have an urgent sitting) German Sitzung means a Meeting where you sit, google translate seems to allow to use sitting also as meeting.
Some first European Toilets where chairs with a hole and a pot below. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilettenstuhl
To the topic "Hands in plain view". If you rest your elbow on the table it is also considered bad table etiquette. You're only allowed to rest your wrists or the forearm on the table for it to be considered good table etiquette (and I'd say also only the first half of your forearm. But I'm not 100% sure about that. That's just what I've been taught.). Plus the fact why we have our hands on the table comes from old times. There it was a gesture to show the other side that your not hiding any weapons in your hands and are ready to attack your opponent. So it was a sign of peace, kind of. Like this your eating partner knew that you aren't hiding any weapons or you could be using your weapon at any second. Because obviously, if your hands are laid on the table it takes much more time to get your weapon and attack the other. And in the time you need to get your weapon the other part also has time to get theirs.
And sorry if I made any grammar/spelling mistakes. Please correct me if you find any 😅 But english isn't my first language. I'm a washreal german (yeah I know that sentence doesn't make sense for the english speaker. But my german fellows will understand 🤣)
Oh and just to add it. Reduced fat milk 😉 Normally 1.5% 😊
I've never felt it necessary to inform anybody if I'm going to do a #1 or a #2. Nor have I ever been concerned which one someone else has done.
I'm worried about the number of road deaths in the United States.
One should always keep in mind that the USA has about 4 times as many inhabitants as Germany, but they are spread much further across the country.
Number of accidental deaths in the USA in 2019: 38,800
Number of accidental deaths in Germany in 2019: 3,059
In some regions in Germany, for example my Home region, people will alsways look at you. If you look back, 90% of them will greet you with a simple "moin". Vocationeers often are bewildered by that at the beginning, but start to love it after some time.
There is just one iron rule in my single household: Who pees standing up, cleans my toilet. Main reason for me to pee while sitting is just that its a lot less of a mess. As most men should know even using a urinal is not really a clean experience much less so with a standart toilet with its lower elevation.
During his whole professional career, my father always cycled to work (except in Winter with enough snow, when he actually was skiing). And because I was also mainly cycling, I got my drivers license only at the age of 27, because I actually didn't need one. As I was working for many years as a Field Service technician, I had to use the car. But I am still doing most of my grocery shopping with the bicycle, and I even have a recumbent tricycle fitted with a large transport case I am using.
Numerous European countries have a severe shortage of bikes, it's very hard to get a new one especially for children since the number one lockdown activity you can do outside is to ride your bicycle on your own or with your family. You're keeping a safe distance anyway, not getting too close to anyone else, you get to move your body and see nice places, so it has nothing but advantages.
Describing what you do on the toilet: I have heard "ich muss klein/groß" if someone doesn't want to be more explicit. (Ich habe ein fluiddynamisches Bedürfnis?)
The bigger one on the toilet is often called "I may have to accomplish a bigger task" to translate it the best I can 😂 or : "I have to go somewhere"
I prefer low fat (1.5%) Ultra High Temperature (UHT; pasteurized) milk (it's the non-refrigerated milk in the supermarkets).
Concerning adults owning bikes: I have been to Davis, California. Most people there will use a bike to commute (or the bus). The city is quite bike friendly. There’s even the Davis Bike Loop which will lead through quieter streets, so that even kids can use their bikes around town. That’s one exception in the US.
If you think someone stares, just look back at them and if you are near them try to say hello. They will either greet you back or look away. If they dont do on of this two options, walk away. Fast.
Milk/Milch: in the USA, I use 2%, also called reduced fat milk.
In Germany stores do not offer 2%, so I buy 3.5%, also called Vollmilch. I do not drink milk by itself. I use milk in my morning coffee and when cooking cream sauces or baking.
German toilet talk: "Warst du groß?" "Nein ich war nur klein, du kannst das Klo benutzen ;)"
This is a a abbreviation of the phrase "ein großes/kleines Geschäft machen" (to make a big/small deal). The saying dates back to roman times when men met at public toilets to negotiate business doing "their biological business". Yeah so...i guess you can figure out by yourself what "big or small deal/business" refer to ;)
There is a very good documentary about hygiene in europe (with some focus on germany) its very entertaining. Its in german though. here is the link:
ua-cam.com/video/kHZWPH6OV-E/v-deo.html
Hi Guys, the German staring is actually a very interesting thing. I didn't even notice it until now, after hearing about it again and again in the relevant youtube videos.
Maybe it's that you expected by older people to be greeted. Usually the younger greets the older first and maybe the older is waiting for a friendly "hello" or "good day". Also it is expected that you look into each other eyes when greeting a person and don't look past each other. Honestly, I find it very strange when I am greeted or someone says "cheers" and looks into another direction. Don't you find that strange as well?
But back to the staring. If I look someone in the eye and he just looks away, why should I send a friendly "good day" here? Long story short: when you talk to someone or greet someone, you look at each other and don't look in another direction. That is rude according to my upbringing.
I agree with you. I'm German and if someone looks at me while I'm passing I feel the need or ag least the obligation to greet them. Might also have to do with age differences.
So, I was kind of waiting for the FKK thing or is this not a thing in Ramstein? Are there any lakes where you can go ,or parks? In Germany some people like to sunbathe or go for a swim topless (well, the women obvioulsy) or even complete naked. It seems as it is more common in the former DDR countries (the "Neue Bundesländer, though I hat that term after 30 years of German reunion, but you get the Idea). I was born and raised in saxony, moved away at the age of 18 to lower saxony and later north rhine westphalia. FKK (Frei Körper Kultur) is nothing I do on a regular basis but when I talk about it with people who are not that familiar with it (mostly those from the "alte Bundesländer") they often look at me with desbelief. But I think in major German cities no matter if east or west - it's kind of a thing.
dont play with my staring. i stare you to ground xD. But you have no chance against German Grandmother Staring
In Germany, 1.5% or 3% fat content of milk is common, but other European countries also have different fat contents in their milk, e.g. 1.7% or 1.3% or 3.3% etc.
And in the US it is normally just 1% or 2%, no need for decimals 😅
Well, typically it is 1,5% fat or 3,5% fat. 3% is very, very uncommon. It is more likely to find 3,8% before you get 3%. The two most found are 1,5% and 3,5%.
@@larsschmitt3826 really ?
I have to laugh myself now, I only buy 1.5% and I forgot that the other is 3.5% :-))
@@nettcologne9186 Yes, quite so. ;) Just look at the "Vollmilch" next time you are at the supermarket. Typical is 1,5% and 3,5%, some have 3,8% and 3% is very, very rare.
@@larsschmitt3826 3.8% is not that rare. And some even have below 1%.^^
Staring: I feel like not to make eye contact with a person passing by as rude. But then I was brought up in a little village where everybody knew each other.
About bycicles: The distances are just way shorter and there are good bike paths. I live in a village right at the beginning of a forest but it's a 20 min bycicle ride to the center of a city with a 300k population. It's good physical activity and faster than with a car (depending on traffic and parking) :)
I don't think, that it is a general way of differentiating #1 and #2, but I usually say "Ich muss mal (wohin)." and add "Könnte länger dauern." to indicate that it might take a while for any reason, like maybe #2 or maybe it is that time of the month or maybe I just know that I will be slow, for example when I am wearing my motorcycle protection gear it just takes a while to get in and out of that.
One commonly known way, that was already mentioned in the comments, is to say "Ich muss mal groß." to let people know that it's #2.
Men can specify that they need to go #2 by saying "Ich muss mal austreten." I am not sure, but I think that comes from the military, where you can just quickly leave the line/group/formation to go #1 behind a tree or something like that, because "austreten" in that context means "leave a group".
Not specific for #1 and #2, but if you have to go some would say "auf die 17 gehen". Which originates from supermarkets apparently, since you don't want to announce via speakers that you have to go, for everybody to hear if you want a colleague to cover your shift at the register. So you would just call out, that you had to go to "Nummer 17". I haven't heard it myself ever in the market though.
By the way: Oatmilk!
That's a clever way of saying you have to go! 😃 We haven't heard that either, but then again, maybe we had but we didn't understand what was actually being said 😅
Oat milk definitely a favorite of Aubrey's family! 😊
#2 is usually announced with "Der Porzellan Thron wartet (auf mich)" - "The porcelain throne awaits (me)" in my Family, usually if you have to excuse yourself from a social situation.
The table etiquette thing really baffled me when I went to the US when I was 10, but both kind of made sense depending on how you look at it.
I'm 20 and ride my bike whenever the weather allows it, despite living in rural southern NRW, where the next thing to bike to is 5+ miles away.
I do 'stare' at people that very obviously aren't from around my county(Gemeinde), but if they notice I smile and nod and look away. It's just to judge what they're up to and if they might need help with something. if they look lost I walk up and ask if they need help, most Germans are really upfront with stuff like that.
I love 3,5% H-Milk from Lidl, and the 3;8% H-Milk from Weihenstephan, both are tasty :D
I simply do not like to pee while standing if there is no urinal. It's exhausting to focus on not peeing all over the toilet bowl compared to simply sitting down and relaxing.
Peeing while standing in ones other place is so disrespectful tbh imo... What u do in ur own house is up to you^^ But when I knew my friend would piss standing at their home I would feel very uncomfortable going to toilet there..
Let's be clear, it's not the peeing while standing that is the issue...it is the mess potentially made, right? 😉😅 I don't care what position someone takes in our bathroom as long as it is clean when they leave 😂
@@PassportTwo Yes^^ You could pee while doing a handstand if you are the only one using it^^ Thats not my Business and who am I to judge someone for doing something that has no effect on others
@@PassportTwo you wont see the tiny droplets, but they are there if you pee standing up. you simply can't pee standing up without "splashback"
ua-cam.com/video/ejl7vrDUIcs/v-deo.html....
so unless everyone who peed standing up wiped the bowl and floor clean after peeing you will have those droplets.. does not matter if it looks clean or not...
@@PassportTwo By now you should know that German toilets are different than American ones. American toilets are usually filled with water. German toilets just have a small hole, with a little water. So if you pee standing up, it splashes all over.
I have aleays the Problem, that I don't know, where to Look when I'm waiting for the bus in Germany. Then I Look around me and often forget to Look away, when my eye catch another. I don't feel comftabel about this staring, but I simple dont know what to do🤷🏻♀️
I'm American & a woman so obviously take this with a grain of salt but I MUCH prefer men who sit to pee for two reasons: 1) less mess, 2) they never leave the toilet seat up because they don't lift it in the first place! :P
number 1 and 2 are simply small&big or to say it in german " ich muss mal klein/groß "
some even say " i have to go for little tigers "
Re: table manners. I grew up in an 'upper class' environment where impeccable manners incl table etiquette was very important and made a point by my parents to teach and enforce from an early age on. "(Nimm die) Ellbogen vom Tisch!!", (Take the) elbows off the table!!, was one of the most important rules in that respect, that I heard my mom whisper to me in expensive restaurants a lot 😅 I would say elbows on the table are definitely 'worse ' than hands under the table in German culture, but the latter is also bad manners. just more of a 'minor infraction', whereas elbows on the table is already more or less 'lowbrow' behavior.
Re: German equivalent to #1 and #2: "Groß" and "Klein". but you would only use that when you're talking to children, not as an adult to another adult, edge cases aside. Like a little child would say to their mom "Mama, ich muss mal!", mom, I have to go! (to the bathroom), and the mother could ask "Musst du groß oder klein?", Do you have to do 'big' or 'small'? - I guess I don't have to explain which one is which, haha. Interestingly the order is opposite though. In English you'd rather say No1 or No2 (I believe?) and not the other way around, In German you'd rather say Groß oder klein, not Klein oder groß.
Ellenbogen, Ellenbogen
Sei doch nicht so ungezogen
Auf den Tisch darfst du nicht sein
Alle Kinder essen fein!
Guten Appetit
I learned that one in the Kindergarten
There are many customs which are rather arbitrary in nature and from that you cannot say that the one or the other is "right" or "wrong". But there is one thing where I think there cannot be any doubt, and that is that "sitzpinkeln" is clearly the one and only right way of peeing (unless there is an urinal, of course). It is absolutely disgusting if there are splashes of urin from the previous user of the toilet. And when I'm a guest somewhere it is a matter of respect that I spare my host any unwelcome "leftovers" after having used their toilet.
1. I ride bicycle like 2-3 times/week. If I for instance have to go to the grocery store, to buy few things, I often do a bicycle trip before it, then on my way home get to the grocery store and then ride home. Or if I want a Kebab, I could use my car to get 5km to the place and back, but tbh with a bicycle it's mostly even faster, due to traffic avoidance and shortcuts. Kinda sad, that americans don't use 'em, it def. would help them.
2. The starring thing, is not only when a person is "out of the norm", but yeah many of us do, since we all want a social good life, and if something is wrong, we try to figure out what it might be and if it can endager other ppl around us, or do de-escelate things, before they get too heaty. Also to empethisize with other ppl, like trying to get eye contact, then smile, if the other person smiles back you could start a conversation. (this is just an example, but that happend to me, on a busride this girl starred at me, then i starred at her, we smiled, I went to her to say hi, long story short, we dated few times)
3. This has actually psychological roots. Like you said, germans are more direct and involved. From a prespective of bodylanguage, Hand on Table = dominance, in terms, you are confident enough to show your hands. The more bodyparts (elbows etc) are on the table, the more dominance you showing. Thus why a little bit is good, but too much might be bad sometimes.
4. Afaik Almost ALL my Friends and ppl that I know, pee while they sit. I mean I live alone and you have to clean SO MUCH less when you pee while sitting, I think for american man to change their though of "dignity" is just to take over the toilet cleaning in their household. Problem solved.
Yes if you want "small" and "big" it indicates, you want to pee or poop.