" it seems strange to me that the Americans, having hundreds of native languages, chose the language of their former colonial masters." Otto von Bismarck
@@chubbymoth5810 No all true. There wasn't a vote on it, but there was a vote in what language to write the constitution and because the majority of the people spoke English it was decided to write it only in English. There was a movement to write it in German too, but that was dismissed by 1 vote and is the cause for the Muhlenberg legend that they vote about the national language of the USA what never happened. That means they voted indirectly about the language in deciding what language to use for the constitution. You normally write the constitution in the countries language. And in my opinion US-Americans speak American - not English. The only English speaking country is England. It's similar to German and Switzerland and Austria. The Swiss name their language schweizerisch/schwietzerdütsch (Swiss) and the Austrian name it österreichisch (Austrian) and not Deutsch (German) even if a big chunk of the languages are nearly the same.
@@seanthiar that’s Nonsens, there is no Austrian language but an Austrian dialect. The official language in Austria is German (article 8 Austrian constitution)
Proud driver of a station wagon here. 2020 Volvo V60. I think they don't even sell them in the US. Kombis are just a perfect blend of large inner volume in a still reasonably small car, which is an advantage in european cities. Meanwhile in Germany we make fun of pick up trucks. If you drive one of them over here, you definitely do it to compensate for something... 😅 When it comes to taxes it boils down to a very simple question: What do you want your government to be responsible for, to cover? The US tends to prefer a "small state" individualist everyone for themselves approach. Germany takes a the state provides for its citizens approach. Where exactly you want to be on that scale is up to the the people of a country.
they're awesome! saw my dreamcar at a car dealership in fl and it was a huuuuuuge nissan, like bigger than a dodge ram. even with wider roads you'd still have trouble parking at strip malls. generally, they're only used by people with professions like gardener or craftsmen.
You're right. It depends which person, character you are. Pretty much Germans move to the States because they love the autonomy there, the individualism that is possible, the freedom, the personal responsibility within. I can understand that. But if you fail, you are screwed.🤷♀️ No, that's rubbish, because you can come back to Germany, the nest is made, thank God.😂
Volvo is not the most common car brand here in Australia but it does have high perception value of Safety , Practicality (here in Australia, a bit more expensive due to importing etc)
A "small state" that has way more burocracy then even we germans have and that pays even more per person for their social health insurance... Our system, even if the medical care for people who can affort it in the US is better, is just way more cost effective. On the other hand a nurse in the US earns basically as much as a normal doctor in germany... there are pro's anc cons to both systems.
The deepdive took them two long videos, but they are absolutly worth watching them. One of the rare examples about that topic without an agenda, but with lots of facts. 1. video: ""McJob" USA vs. GERMANY: Hourly Wages, Taxes, Contributions & More of Minimum Wage Workers" 2. video: "LIFE AT MINIMUM WAGE: USA vs. Germany | Housing, Utilities, Food & More!"
As an American living in Germany, one thing I would like to touch on is the health care system here. I've had 2 surgeries here, a multi-level disc replacement surgery in my neck and a hip replacement surgery where there was a complication and a 4 day stay turned into almost a month in a hospital. Both surgeries and aftercare would have cost hundreds of thousands in the US, but in Germany I paid absolutely nothing. Additionally, a vast majority of surgeries require physical therapy/rehab. My neck surgery required almost 8 weeks of intensive rehab. In Germany, patients that require rehab or just PT go to facilities (called Reha) where they stay and have multiple PT sessions, multiple types of massage therapy, water therapy, and even meditation everyday (~5-7 hrs/day). Due to the complication of my hip surgery, a 3 week stay at Reha was extended to over 8 weeks. Again, I didn't pay for any of the treatments or the medications. Germany can do this because the taxes are higher but not exorbitantly higher than the US. More importantly, medical services are not outrageously expensive like they are in the US. In my opinion, they are priced lower than they should be but the prices are controlled in order to allow proper treatment for everyone with insurance. The downside to this is that a majority of healthcare workers, including MDs are grossly underpaid. A quick note, it is mandatory for employees to be provided health insurance, even people who work a certain number of hours and this includes many part-timers. From what I have seen, Germany places a priority on preventative medicine. They try to prevent serious diseases and if your sick, they provide REAL medical support so people can return to work, be productive members of society and ultimately contribute to the health of their economy. I've only lived in Germany twice, for a couple of years each time so there is a lot I still don't know so I'm not claiming to be an expert. I'm only sharing my experience if medical treatment which is vastly different than what I've had in the US.
It is in the interest of the german (and many other socialized) healtcare systems to decrease the costs. Becasue it is "tax" paid (in germany not really it is a mandatory insurance that is taken away directly from your gross income) it is in the interest of the people (who all spend money to the system) that the costs are low. Because treating illnesses early is cheaper than waiting until it is to late they are interested in early treatment, precaution (including help to change your lifestyle to be healthier) and early checks (free cancer checks). The US System (oversimplified): Why should a Hospital, Pharma Company be interested in early treatment? - A flu treatment means 2 Doctor visits, some Medicine but a untreated flu that becomes a heavy lung pneumonia means Weeks in Hospital, a lot of Medicine, best with permanent damage what means lifetime making $$$ with needed medicine.
@@DSP16569 My friend who is a surgeon said that insurance companies will always charge the highest amount that they have received from any patient's insurance. For example, if a surgery costs $10,000, the insurance co will upcharge to $20,000 to all patients. If one patient's insurance pays that amount, then that becomes the standard price. You can see over the years how the price can quickly become out of control. My friend removed some hemorrhoids which took 15 mins and was paid $20,000! This is only one real example.
@@DSP16569 Not necessarily - it would also help to make all people contribute equally or at least more equal. Example: A Single Man/Woman contributes the exact same amount that does a married man/woman with children whose spouse is not working. Nonetheless in the latter case both spouse and children are covered under this same amount.
I wouldn’t say underpayed. Considering that most md‘s in germany don’t start their career with debt its not necessary for them to become millionaires on the taxpayers dime.
A friend of mine had the best explanation for living in US vs Germany: Living in the US is like a roller coaster: If you like an eventfull life with big up and down the US is the place for you, but dont get sick on the ride! Living in Germany is like a walk in a park: Its calm, much slower and if you need to sit down there are enough places to rest for a while. I think both is needed and its up to the people what they want! Greetings from Germany :)
Many people in US argue about their need for a big pickup trucks with the supposedly increased safety for their OWN kids INSIDE those. Same with guns... -> It seems to me a big part of the population doesn't like that everyday rollercoaster adrenaline. There is a reason why rollercoasters exist as well as rock climbing schools or paragliding etc. for all those in these needs! After all, it is "DEFINITELY NOT NEEDED" to have a quite populated country on this' earth's surface, where 'half' of the population is destroying the planet with unnessecary trucks and plastic bags without thinking (or maybe even denying proven science about ecology/ climate change)... while simultaneously slapping all other humans directly into the face with that "I don't care" attitude/ideology!
If you lived in Northern Germany, that might be true. Living in Rhein Main, Stuttgart or München is different. I tell you. I live in stressy Rhein Main as coming from calm northern Germany....
I have been to the States several times, and what I have always found weird is that people in the states don't identify as US citizens. They say that they are Irish or Italian or Afro American.
And often times the same people who say they are Irish and things like that then suddenly turn into the "100% pure red blooded American" patriote for a reason or another.
Yes, they kinda are obsessed with their cultural heritage, but if you say something, that goes against their "patriotic view", they suddenly turn into an US citizen
but thats the same here alot of imigrant people still consider themselve turkish or russian and well a lot of germans think of them self as bavarians or palatinians or saxons whatever
@@gehtdichnixan3200 imho it's a difference when saying you're a Bavarian, Saxon, North-Rhine-Westfalian, etc. bc. these are German states. It's like saying I'm a Texan, Missourian, Floridian, ... in comparison to saying I'm Irish, Turkish, Korean, Russian, etc. when you are in fact a descendant but living in another country and having the citizenship of that country you're living in.
Just to get the figures straight: In Germany, income tax starts at 14% (and NO tax below an annual income of € 10,908) up to a maximum of 45% (starting at € 277,826 per year). FYI, €€ figures are roughly 1:1 with $$ figures. I really love watching your videos. If I didn't get it wrong, I understand you will be coming to Germany this summer. So, I wish you a great time over here. Looking forward to your reflections afterwards. All Best from Germany
Yes Jps has booked his flight to visit Germany in about a month or so. He is still locking down other details of which cities , accommodation , places to visit etc
You forget the 20+% is social security taxes... they are capped at different income numbers, but for example if you earn around 60k you will pay over 50% of your income in taxes... as strange as it sounds, it gets lower the more you earn. Someone who earns 400k might pay 40% in taxes overall, but not even 5% in social security (if one is stupid enough to not have private health insurance at that income rate). So this persons overall tax rate is lower then if someone earns 60k.
@@Smido83 you are right... but I guess someone who earns 400k per year lives a good life, even if he has to pay 50% in income taxes. Someone who earns only 60k might have to make ends meet at the end of the story. This is where the social system creates equality for things like Healthcare..... everybody should be able to get treated, no matter how much he earns. There are many pros and cons everywhere, but I think that all people are better off in states like Germany and Austria etc. My husband for example has a chronic desease. He was basically born with it and he will need different medication all his life. Currently he is treated with Rinvoq - a medication he has to take every single day. 1 package contains 28 pills and lasts 4 weeks. The private cost in Austria would be 1065 Euros per Box. - absolutely unaffordable. This is only one of many different medication he needs.... we both work full time in good jobs that are well paid... but the expenses for health care would be just too high. If not treated, he might not be able to work any longer and our life would be miserable....and he would not be part of the work force to pay into our system as well. So social security in a state also creates more social equality by not punishing people for things like being born with health issues and other things they didn't cause themselves. ❤
Consider this when talking about race: There is biologically only one race, the human race. And that is not just an idea, that is proven, scientific! All those white, brown, black or yellow skins are just phenotypes. Not more, not less.
Human species , all same type of animal. Dominated the planet. Yet fixated on social, political, physical differences When the human condition essentially wants Safety/ Security, Basic needs met- Food, Shelter, Comfort, Love/ Connection, Happiness, Generational wellbeing
I, Brittas boyfriend, come from farmers Background. In case of cattle, hens , doves, cats or dogs are not looking all the same. A cow of Süddeursches Fleckvieh looks different to a cow of Braunes Höhenvieh. A Rottweiler dog looks different to a Deutscher Schäferhund,etc. Those different looking animals are in breeders circles called Rasse. So in animals context, a Rasse is simply a reguarly breeded variation of the same annimal. So in my oppinion, also in case of humans, Rassen exist. What i in my late 50s find strange, is that thirty to forty years ago, political left people claimed, human Rassen/ races don' t exist. But in Last thirty years , the political left people see everywhere racism. How is racism possible, when according to left speakers fourty years ago, no races exist?
I had that argument with an English speaker so I searched it up and turns out that you can't really literally translate "race" into "Rasse". In German this term is just based on biology so there aren't actually different "Menschenrassen" but the English term "race" can also be defined by: "each of the major groupings into which humankind is considered (in various theories or contexts) to be divided on the basis of physical characteristics or shared ancestry. "people of all races, colours, and creeds""
@@irgendeinname9256 : Nach meinem Verständnis ist eine Rasse eine etwas anders aussehende Variante einer Tierart. So gibt es z. B. unterschiedliche Hunde- oder Rinderrassen, aber alles sind Hunde, bzw. Rinder. Meiner Meinung nach , ich bin kein Wissenschaftler, gibt es verschiedene Menschenrassen, die aber alle zur gleichen Menschenart gehören. Für mich ist das Wort Rasse etwas Vergleichendes, nicht aber etwas Bewertenden, dies wäre unsinnig, daß bei einer Tierart, bzw. bei uns Menschen, eine Rasse besser sei als die Anderen. Anmerkung: Aufgrund meiner Aspergererktsnkung komme ich des Öfteren zu Fehlschlüssen, und bemerke Scherze oder Ironie nicht.
the US is in love with pickups, in Germany it's the station wagon. A large trunk where everything fits in. And station wagons are protected from the rain, pickups are not.
I love the American pick-ups (not very practical here in rainy Germany, I have to admit) !!! They are pretty cool, easygoing and remind me of many American movies. Btw American movies are the best in the world in my opinion. Guys, you do so well when it comes to movies!!!
@@Winona493 I personally don't like most American movies very much: To me they are often foreseeable, simplified for a greater audiance (character, personalities etc.), with full attention on huge effects and/or on some jokes that I might not understand or the jokes feel put into the wrong place or they are just copy pasted. Those big effects were once kind of cool and maybe even overwhelming (when all the computer technique developed) but after a while I got used to it; like I got used to that kind of humor. It washes out...
I like your honest reactions to the videos you comment on. You seem genuinely interested in not looking at everything through the American lens, but in getting a better idea of what else this planet has to offer! I hope you find your own (best) way!
What I really love about your channel ist that you‘re so open minded to new views and ideas of other countries. I‘m German and based on your videos, I see my country from a new perspective - as it happens if you see something for a long time, you sometimes forget about the good things. Looking forward to new videos 😊 cheers from Germany
same here! I think about his videos whenever I am in a situation I saw him being completely flabbergasted by which until recently was totally normal for me like the corridor for the ambulance on the highway
As a a German, I have to say, Hayley Alexis has an incredible grasp on Germany and understanding German society. Her videos are always on point! Another channel I can whole-heartedly recommend is the Black Forrest family. Their "deep dive" videos are next level!
You will definitely see station wagons or hatchbacks every minute of every day on the road here in Germnay. They're the most popular type of vehicles in Germany.
They are very useful. They are a mix of space and drivability. And we don’t want to switch the car just because we get children or have multiple cars. Most Germans just have one car and families will habe two cars when it’s necessary but not just to have it 😅
The biggest advantage for not paying taxes for a community based system but instead paying premiums for privatized services: The private providers can make billions of $$$ out of your basic needs. Oh... that advantage is, of course, not for you. Only for the shareholders of that companies. Did I forget to mention that before?
She is the best way to get information about Germany for an American. Watch more videos from her and you won't regret it. Since the start of your channel you have really grown. There is so much out there. 😅 American living in Germany since 1969. Was born in Oklahoma.
Honestly: I hope your visit to Germany in the summer becomes a permanent one. I would love to have you as a legend living in Germany. When you went on that rant over how americans are "grown ups" with "jobs" I immediately went back to how both countries have a bit of a problem with what I will call "Preparing for the future worklive". I would love schools to have a few manditory courses like: - How to label and sign letters so they reach the right place (was never taught at my school, but I think it is a important topic). - How do taxes work, and how to know where the money is going - If something happens and you can't work anymore: Where to get help Technically you get some of these answers in education during an apprenticeship, or from the Agentur für Arbeit, but I think that is a bit too late. You could probably add many, many more. Germany was also - besides sporty estates - once a market for sporty vans and minivans. Look at the absolute beast that is the Mercedes R63 AMG. It is a 2.5 ton minivan with the same N/A 6.2 V8 you could get in the E63, S63, ML63 and CL63, putting out an impressive 510 HP. The ML63 and R63 are the only AMG cars with that engine that have AWD. It will go from 0-60 is 5 seconds and has a top speed of 170 mph (delimited from factory), and it can hold up with several older sports cars for a while, like the C4 Corvette. Try saying "Porsche Panamera Sports Turismo 4S Hybrid 10 Years Edition" in one breath. BTW, another fellow American reactor by the name IWrocker now has a Volvo 850 estate on his dream car list. There is a very funny video showcasing its toughness. It is well worth a watch: ua-cam.com/video/KWWvjRt-A6s/v-deo.html
I own a Skoda Fabia Combi, which is a pretty small station waggon, but I can definitely fit a lot of stuff in it. They're still quite popular here in Denmark. It's sad to see that they're declining in popularity in most countries though. I would choose one over an SUV any day of the week.
I haven't seen this video by Haley so far, but I have to agree to whatever she said. She has a very big talent in catching things like they really are. I'm German, and of course I am familiar with my homeland, my fellow citizens, and all the habits. But Haley knows how to transfer them into words!
Hi Joel, this video really pressed your buttons I think! A great reaction again. I like the sound of a collaboration between the two of you, especially after your German trip when you'll have real time experience to draw on.
As a young woman, I used to joke about people who own station wagons. I found this to be an old people's car and family car. Then I realized that young men from my acquaintances and circle of friends buy such cars. They explained to me that their hobbies require them to transport a lot of stuff and that's why the station wagon would be the dream they had saved up for. Then I noticed that more and more women are buying such station wagons. They also had hobbies and they thought it was great that you can throw mattresses in the back and drive anywhere and as a woman you feel a bit safer in the car than in a tent. I feel safe in a tent on campsites, but yes. Families in their everyday lives have a lot to transport, even if they go to visit families to visit their grandparents. That happens more often here than in the States, I think, and also going on vacation. Here you can go everywhere by car. You'll be in a completely different country within a few hours, so car travel is common and common. But if you travel by car, then you will take your stuff with you and not buy so much there. With a station wagon you can take it all with you. I live in a medieval town, built in 1200. The streets are small, your car pattern will fit through where an ox cart used to drive. Such a station wagon can also get through every narrow alley. What shall I say? A station wagon is the dream of many people in germany and they now look very cool and they are expensive. It is also a status symbol.
Kombi-> yes, it has many advantages, including the fact that you can easily load and unload your normal purchases and don't have to lift everything over the edge of a trunk.;) Audi-> it was a good time when my partner still drove this Audi as a company car , but unfortunately the purchase or rental costs do not correspond to our income. (Which standard employee* can already finance a new car that costs almost €100,000?) *according to statistical average income
Duuuude, I have these experiences as well. I am from mexico and naturally i've met many americans. MANY, MANY of them couldn't believe Mexico was a nice country and thought it all looked like the border. They even went as far as saying they thought all mexican women were ugly and stuff like that. I didn't think it was offensive because, honestly I was just shocked. Also, I was an exchange student and wanted to study in the Netherlands and i chose an american university there. While doing all the paperwork I was kind of angry, confused and also very surprised that I had to fill in papers stating my RACE!!! Cause i don't know if you know but in Mexico (I know other countries too but imma talk about mine) there is no race cause we are all very aware that we are mixed, soooooooo mixed we can't even tell what because the mixing started with colonization. Also in the paperwork "latino" is a race? i just found the ignorance and audacity offensive tbh. Even if races were super defined, why do you care? is it going to make a difference? I think it would be more understandably to ask about religion and even that is going too far. I was shocked. I guess in general I am always shocked about the perception americans have of the world. I am not saying in Mexico all people know about everything, no, our education system is horrible and unfortunately, few people have a chance for good education BUT if you speak with the average mexican about a popular country they will be like "oh i have heard this" "is this the country where bla" because we are very much aware of all that needs to be improved in the country and we look up to other places A LOT. So yeah, people will know about certain german stuff, french, so on and so forth (they also learn a lot from tourists and like to talk about what they learnt).
"Even if races were super defined, why do you care? is it going to make a difference?" Diversity, Diversity, Diversity. If you want to be a "diverse" company, university or whatever of course you have to ask these kinds of questions. What's your race? What's your sexuality? Are you trans? How else could they know if they are diverse enough?
@@hansmeiser32 I am sorry but you shouldn’t look at that anyway. We are all equal and most people in the world don’t identify as having a race? Why is there an obsession with this? It shouldn’t matter cause we are all equals in the end. It is the wrong way to go about things imo
@@pippinnai9443 I don't like it neither. But unfortunately the concept of "colorblindness" (treating people based on character and not skin color) is now considered racist by many.
@@hansmeiser32 Because so-called "color-blindness" chooses to completely ignore one subset of common history, heritage, and experience. Usually by way of minimizing the inequality, oppression, etc., one group is/was subjected to by another. Color-blindness is nothing more than a thinly-veiled "Get Out Of Jail Free" card in the iron grip of folks, who don't want to acknowledge - much less rectify - a system that has historically favored them.
I’ve never had to answer to what race I am. (But ok, I’m Danish with a very Danish name and look very much like my Viking ancestors 😂) I don’t even think it’s legal to ask that here in Denmark. Just as it’s not legal to ask about people’s sexuality, religion and political beliefs. If an employer ask you at a job interview if you’re pregnant or planning to be - and you don’t get the job - they have to pay you a compensation!
As a German I get really uncomfortable when Americans talk about race. In German it's a term that was used in Nazi ideology and therefor is a total no go. Can't we just talk about nationalitys and not someones skincolor? It's so dumb. But then again I have to remember that it wasn't long ago that people were judging people by their looks here as well (and still happens in some communitys in Germany). My uncle once told me a story where he and my aunt tried to rent a flat and were denied because he looked "Arabien". Bro, my family has been German for so many years, we can't even trace our roots out of Germany. Even our last name is a middle high German word.
Erst wenn wir Menschen ohne Hautfarbe beschreiben, dann gibt's keinen Rassismus mehr. Wenn ich an eine Person denke, dann immer in Form eines Namens und nicht seiner Haut. Man kann sagen mit einer dunklen Haut oder hellen Haut, aber ich finde es immer blöd, wenn man weiß oder schwarz sagt. Denn Menschen mit sehr hellem Braunton werden auch oft als schwarze bezeichnet, was ich immer etwas merkwürdig finde. Hautfarben einer Nationalität zuzuordnen ist meiner Meinung nach in Ordnung, sofern es um die ursprüngliche Herkunft geht. Denn diese ist ja nun mal Fakt. Helle Haut stammt nun mal mehr aus dem Norden. Und dunkle aus dem Süden. Es ist doch auch schön , dass wir so ein buntes Bild unserer Wurzeln haben. Ich mag es nur nicht, wenn bewusst nur dunkle Haut in die Schiene von Rassismus gezählt wird. Denn oft ist es so, dass es einseitig dargestellt wird. Wir müssen nur aufpassen, dass wir nicht people of colour plötzlich so in Szene in Filmen setzten, dass eine neue Form von Rassismus entsteht. Manchmal wird das in Filmen nämlich meiner Meinung nach etwas extrem eingesetzt. Da ist dann nur noch die hautfarbe Thema. Wie beim gendern oder der Frauenquote. Anstatt es authentisch darzustellen, ist es plötzlich nur noch wichtig, welche hautfarbe oder welches Geschlecht genommen wird.
Da stimme ich dir zu Julia! Mir ist es völlig egal, welche Hautfarbe oder auch Nationalität jemand hat. Ich arbeite jeden Tag mit vielen Menschen überall in Europa zusammen. Unterschiedliche Nationalitäten, Hautfarben, Religionen. Aber ich mag alle meine Kolleg:Innen und denke dann nicht, ah Kollege aus xyz mit Hautfarbe 123, sondern an ihren/seinen Namen, weil die Person ist ja eine Person und nicht das Aussehen. Was ich besonders schätze sind die persönlichen Gespräche, in denen man so viel über den Alltag und die Kulturen lernt und vor allem, was uns alle vereint. Da haben wir nicht über die Hintergründe des Ramadans gesprochen, sondern wie sich alle auf ihre Familien freuen welche lustigen Sachen wieder alle verzapfen und wer endlich mal wieder zu Besuch kommt mit dem beliebtesten Familienessen usw. Und das ist alles überhaupt nicht verschieden egal wo wir herkommen, wie wir aussehen, welche Sprache wir sprechen oder woran wir glauben.
@@Average_Bruh excluding someone from any kind of discussion because they don't get in direct contact with the topic is dangerous. Its allways better to educate them and have a serious discussion. Further an outsider often presents a completly different point of view that might even solve Problems.
@@faillordxd0 what can a man tell a mother about child birth? Not sharing the same experience means that they have no idea what it feels like. So they can't tell us how to behave about.
Hi! I jjust found your channel on UA-cam, it is really cool ! I am watching it from Brazil. I have been many times in the USA and also in Germany and it is very interesting to see both countries thru the eyes of an American. You’re very wise for a young man, this brings me hope for a better world. Great job!
Our salary deductions are high here in Germany or now for me in the Netherlands (approx 50%), but those cover everything you'd ever need, health insurance, pension, different disability covers, free education, free childcare etc and safety! I'll pay for that anytime ❤❤❤
Such an interesting channel Joel . It’s taught me so much about Germany it seems such a nice place to live, it’s made me want to visit too. You are so refreshing to watch being genuinely interested in other countries and their cultures. Because I follow you I’ve been recommended other similar channels but had to stop watching them. They are older than you and I don’t feel they are learning anything as they make the same comments about “I didn’t know that” when I see they’d said the same thing previously. Keep up the good work. Enjoy your visit
A Kombi is just great design. it does not always look the best but I only owned Kombis (well the first one was my moms old one). Today it's perfect for my family with 3 kids. In my 20s it was perfect to squeeze 5 (even 6) people in it, A few grates of beer and everything for a nice bbq and drive to a nearby lake. Heck I even remember as a kid my grandparents took me once a year to a restaurant in the middle of a forest, real fancy but very remote. We had a family and friends get together there. Most people with kids left early but my grandfather just slapped a mattress in the back of his Kombi and that was the bed for me and the daughter of some friends of grandparents so they could stay late. A few years later we did some more than just sleep in there :) And all that with decent fuel consumption and in a format that fits European streets and parking spots.
Love your videos! Keep making awesome content like this! An interesting suggestion for a next video might be this one, about freedom in The Netherlands (after WW2 remembrance day and our liberation day on may 4th and 5th). It is about how we experience freedom, mixed with a bit of history: ua-cam.com/video/OJLfuxP0y0A/v-deo.html The follow-up video to this one on liberation day also includes a small interview with our king, and shows a very different side, just 1 day later
Haley is right, we love our station wagons 😊 so watch out if you’re on the autobahn! Within the first five minutes driving in Germany, you will have a minimum of three station wagons passing you on the left lane going at least 200 km/h! And I might be one of them😂
I am Dutch and the Dutch love a good stationwagon (actually called that too in The Netherlands). I always had a stationwagon and now I have a hatchback and I miss the extra space. If you put the back seat down you can actually transport a lot. If you go on vacation as a family of 4 in a regular average European car, it will be very hard to fit all luggage and a station wagon just gives that little bit of extra space.
Joel, I think Heyley is living near Munich. Maybe you should contact her before coming to Germany - she might be a super tour-guide to show you some Munich sights and restaurants e. g. !
Germans will always assume that you mean exactly what you say. So if you say, how are you?, they will assume you genuinely want to know how they feel and will answer the question as honestly as they can.
@@adrianhempfing2042 Well, it does not annoy me if they ask it. But it feels weird to say "fine" or "I'm good" if you feeling really bad and your life just breaks apart.. Then this question would bother me a lot.
I don't know, where I live/grew up it is common to assume that the person just wants to be polite and doesn't necessarily wants to hear your story, so you usually say "fine (thank you)" or at least some other quick probably "typical" german answer ("Geht!", "Joa, alles soweit gut", "Muss ja, ne?", etc.). Sure, some people actually do want to know and some people do want to give an honest answer, which I think is fine as well (though on the other hand I personally perhaps don't want to tell everyone who is asking how I really feel in that moment, so even if someone genuinely wants to know, chances are I'll give a (very) quick answer).
Kombis or Stationwagons as you know them are often the go-to cars used by bigger companies for their workers because they fit a lot with a decent size and are usually efficient when you take a Diesel or Hybrid nowadays so it established a positive viewpoint for such cars which is why they are so popular here, usually you see them Skoda, BMW, Mercedes, Audi or VW Cars
If you want a slightly deeper dive into the whole taxes and "Who has more Money" thing, the Black Forest Family has a couple of really well done videos on that as well.
Station wagons are big all over EUROPE ,,in the UK we refer to this type of car as an Estate car . They are usually top quality and made by top manufacturers,,, even Rolls Royce make one . In the US back in the Fifties,,,this type of car was referred to as a Shooting Brake . Weary useful,,, no longer a utilitarian vehicle,,, but up there with Luxury, Comfort,,,ability to be great if you have Dogs,,, or Shopping in the City,
Learning English we usually get told that "how do you do" is actually only a typical phrase for greeting. However literally it's a question which we use to ask someone seriously about his situation and it's quite hard for us to get it out of our head when meeting people from English speaking countries.
I personally think that it's very possible to learn these things. And I also think that the only actual difference is that "how are you" is just not a synonym for "hello" in german speaking countries, but for me that doesn't mean that people always are serious when asking and want an honest in-depth answer, or that people who are asked that question are always willing to give said honest answer. It appears to me that "'how are you' actually means 'how are you' in german" seems to easily lead to some kind of misunderstanding: that Germans actually do expect to get an honest answer and will give an honest answer when asked, which, I think, just isn't true or at least can't be generalized. Germans too say things mainly to be polite or to keep a chat going.
Fun fact about that: Station wagons were called that because the took people FROM the STATION to whereever they needed to go. Estate cars are called that because they took people TO their ESTATE. So the same thing, just seen from a different standpoint.
0:40 maybe it depends on the region, but where I live in Germany (born and raised here), many people do engage in small talk without the need to dig deeper and tell each other about actual problems and such (some might do that, though, it really depends). Here it is totally common to ask "how are you" ("wie geht's?") and to NOT expect a very deep or even honest answer, but a simple "I am fine" (still, some people might start telling you about their recent medical or other issues, again, it totally depends on who you meet). What might be different that in Germany people may act less superficial than it may or may not be the case in some other countries. Plus, here "how are you" isn't (almost) equal to "Hi", but actually does mean "how is it going?"/"how have you been?" - but that doesn't mean that an honest answer is always required or expected. In addition, some other things seem to be a bit different from other parts of Germany, as well, for instance, here it has been pretty common for years to pay by card and to never or very rarely use cash, even years before Corona was a problem. I think there are often too many generalizations thrown out there which I find problematic. I feel that you worry a lot about behaving correctly, not offending anyone/German culture or to stand out as "the ignorant American" (maybe I am wrong and you're just being curious or something, it's just that I myself worry a lot, too and know how that can hold me back way too often). Just come to Germany, see and experience the people and culture yourself, get your own impressions and stories to tell to others who never have been to that country.🙂 Don't worry too much. People in Germany may be different from the ones in the US when it comes to certain things, but they/we are also different from each other - and many will probably understand that you come from a culture that may differ a little from our own.
Hey man, I've been watching your videos for about 2 weeks now and I love how obvious the process is that is happening in your mind. It feels like you are having epiphany after epiphany and it kind of makes me emotional :D You definitely seem too aware and too clear sighted to live in the US. Come to Germany, I'm sure you will love it here
Station Wagan or Combi they are realy cool cars, this cars you will see special in the European Alps. Also in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy. All Car Brands from Germany has great Station Cars. For exemple the Audi Avant RS6 on the video looks cool and has 600 Horse Power thats more then enough for driving on the Highway or in the Mountains. Thats more then only a family car, its also a fun car. You have many option to buy Station Wagen form 100 Horse Power up the over 600 Horse Power you find of sure also one for you and your budget.
Oh yeah, I'm from the Swiss Alps and there's tons of them you are 100% right. There's also more and more SUVs taking their place which I absolutely hate.
I fell in love with station wagons when I saw some huge Fords and Chevrolets, etc. in Switzerland in the 1970ies. Also Citroen offered the DS as a station wagon optionally with 3 rows of seats. However my father preferred sedan cars. Hence we had a VW K70 and an Audi 100 in that time. My own second car was a VW Golf III Variant station car. Extremely practical for my purposes. A really great family car. A couple of years ago I was very surprised to see a vintage Cadillac Fleetwood station wagon of the kind with the large tail fins - such a beautiful monster!
Combis as you call it were a step further in developing cars. Ideal in those years for families going out to the beach or on holiday. During the week daddy could easily put all his tools in there to work. And when you went out with the dogs. Just perfect
They pay roughly the same amount in taxes, in Germany, but they have things like free or very affordable health care and education, nice roads without potholes, good public transportation, paid leave, sick leave as long as they need (nobody has to give their colleagues their own days of allowed sick leave because when you're sick, you stay at home until you're fine), etc.... When you say "hello", don't ask "wie geht's" (how are you) because people will likely tell you how they are. You can say "alles klar?" (is everything fine?); people will say "yes" and move on. For the cars, they're supposed to get you from A to B or to get you to the grocery store and back with the trunk full of groceries, for instance. You will see that many people who live in large cities don't have a car, don't want nor need one because there is so much public transportation to get you anywhere you like; the cost of car maintenance, gas, parking spots etc. is very high. You can buy a "Monatskarte" (ticket you can use a month) that will allow you to take all means of public transportation (bus, tram, train) as much as you want during a month for something like 30 Euro; they also have "Tageskarten" (8 Euro) where you can take everything and criss cross through the land a whole day (24 hours). It's cheaper than one simple ticket to town and back.
Awesome why you launched your channel. Big personalities come from big thoughts and your thought was quite big. You're also a starter and somebody who goes his way, hope what you do has an impact. And if you come here I would love to tell and show you stuff :) and this comes from somebody who is so "americanized" cause all of my cultural interest originate in america, music...graffiti culture and surely films and series. so much...maybe be have a much older history, but the recent culture was so influenced or maintained by america..and not only in germany, in the world.) I totally absorbed it in 92 while being in berlin for a basketball tournament. Today it's known how a lot of americans think (through Trump election too), which is not that nice, but even when it's better to live in germany today, I always adored people in america simply for living there :) but today I also think it's so much fucked up there...A picture was going around on FB while the elections went back then, which said: "America, this is your IQ Test, and it doesn't look good." I wonder if any american has even seen this :P this pretty much nailed it
the how are you thing, in german: "wie gehts"(short for "wie geht es dir") can be really shocking. if you meet someone for the first time and ask wie gehts, he/she will most likely tell you "Thanks i am fine" This is the conversation starter, if you walk away it will be seen as rude. you can talk about the weather, your trip thru germany, the quality of the food and so on but dont walk away. Oh, and please avoid politics at the beginning. I am saying this because, when i was in the states, many americans greeted me with the famous nazi salut and the famous nazi words and it really threw me of. I still dont know if they were trying to mock me or if they thought WW2 would be a good smalltalk topic.
really? where have you been to? my husbands fam is from florida, a super red state and yet nobody did that to me. stupid questions from white people, yes but general acceptance and genuine curiosity from minorities. i think you met the stereotypically stupid white americans who think that a common ancestry makes us the same. * rolls eyes*
Regarding the Kombi, there is an old video on UA-cam of an Audi RS4 Kombi totally destroying a Porsche 911. It's hilarious: ua-cam.com/video/MiuLvLobAs4/v-deo.html
German here, i also have a Station Wagon (Mazda 6), The reason why i chose a "Kombi" was my Hobby. I play Icehockey as a Goali, and my Bag is very Big. I hated to put Down the rear Seats in my former Cars to get the Bag in. Now it Fits perfect and i can move one or two People (with me) in the Car. My Wife has a Audi A4 Station Wagon, the Women next to our House also has a Station Wagon. You can move alot in there, especially when you own a House, and i would never buy a smaller Car.
The car I set my personal speed record on the Autobahn was a good old Volvo V70... with 240 something HP.... and it went that fast in km/h. (so about 150 mph).
Hi, I have been following your video’s for a while now (mostly the ones about Germany) and I am happy to see an American willing to understand the cultural and other differences between the United States and Europe. I am Belgian and mayby you could consider visiting Belgium (I live in Ghent) when you travel to Germany. Check out the Woltersworld video’s about Belgium.
Hey Man! I really hope you are going to read this, since I see no other way to contact you. To start, I love your videos, especially about Germany. In fact, I'm from Germany myself. I've been in the US once. I'm 28 years old and could tell you a lot about Germany and our culture. I really enjoy meeting new people, especially if they are from USA! I would really like to have a talk with you and learn new things about your beautiful country. Of course you can use everything for a video, if you like to. We can talk over Discord or something else as well. Would be nice to hear back from you. Greetings from Germany
I'm a Brit living in Germany, she's pretty much on the ball about just about everything she said, I never really picked up on the Kombi/Stationwagen thing (we call them Estate cars in UK), because they are popular in UK as well. I'm sat now in my living room, of the roundabout 20 cars I can see on the street outside there are 4 Kombis and just as many "people movers" i.e. VW Touran, Sportsvan, Dacia Jogger, Ford Grand C-Max etc.
I'm German and I always enjoy watching videos pointing out differences, prejudices, misconceptions etc. And she does a beautiful job. While she is correct about tax rates and that you can't really compare one country to another, she kind of threw a few things together. Daycare (children 3-6years) is 'free' (as in paid from taxes) in most areas but only in the morning (usually until 12pm and only up to the amount a public daycare facility would cost). Costs for afternoon care as well as any descepancy for morning care if the child is enrolled in private daycare (those facilities usually charge more) are paid by the parents. In other words, daycare is at the very least subsidized by the state. Public schools are also paid in full through tax money (private schools exist, but aren't really a big thing here). Health care insurance is mainly paid in full by the insured (if employed the costs are split 50:50 between employer and employee). However, children are covered for free in the family healthcare insurance. Those costs are covered by the state using tax money. Same applies to certain costs in relation to pregnancy and maternity. I'm sure there might be a few other things, but those are the big ones. If course, it might be more convenient to only use part of the truth, but but let's face it, those people can be found anywhere. However, people in public positions, especially when their wages are paid through tax money, should face consequences for speaking half truths (imo). I mean, I would love to pay the very low taxes in Switzerland, but all other costs of living not so much 😂 Great video and I'm really glad the UA-cam algorithm suggested your videos!
Oh I love wagons! In the early 1990s, when those Kombis just started to get popular as private cars (before that, they were mainly workmen's cars only), I thought what a brilliant idea - more trunk without needing a longer, wider or higher car. Plus a low trunk sill, and - if designed well - beautiful as well. Whenever I had the chance, I got a Kombis and I still have a Golf 7 Kombi. Love it. The suddenly popular SUV shape has never grown on me to this day, especially because I would have to pay easily 1/3 more money for it without having any more space inside, but just more weight and a worse maneuverability due to the greater widh. And tell me any other car under 20k € (new at that time) that can bring my whole family to holidays at 4.3 litres/100 km including all luggage in a very comfortable ride - while still looking good (in my eyes) ;-)
the thing about the taxes and the refugee i can't really speak for from an american perspective. but the last one, yea absolutely agree. i also think you and her have a fun vibe together even though you're just watching her video... it's so weird xD would definitely watch a collab! you should tag her in your description, though ;)
I'm owning a station wagon (Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Variant) too. People were asking me why I got such a "huge" (for German/ European scales) car, but now as my fiance and I are becoming parents it obviously makes sense. Also, we drive A LOT for German standards (like 40-50k kilometers per year) and also transport a lot on the way. For example we transported the entire children's room for our daughter (like 7-8 cupboards and shelves) with this car with justy two drives (without a trailer because my car doesn't feature a trailer hitch). And yes, one of the cupboards was mounted on the roof. But what I see from Instagram is that there are more and more Americans getting themselves German cars, and yes, also wagons. German car meetings taking place in the US with everything from VW Bugs, Transporters up to VW Tiguan, Golfs/ Jettas, Audis, BMWs and so on. Which is a great development in my opinion.
After that video Joel, I am thinking that you would fit much more better to Germany than the US... :-) I really like how open minded you are and that you are looking on your own country with a funny sense of humor and criticism. And I do agree, you both should do a vid together after you have visit Germany :-)
a professor once said something like this regarding taxes: "it's the money i pay to feel safe on the streets". now that is obviously oversimplified but i think it also makes a great point - taxes that are generally used to make a more just and equal society are something everyone benefits from. because overall, the more inequality there is, the more people resort to crime. unfortunately for the last decades in germany we also strayed more and more away from the "social" in "social democracy" and the gap between the poor and the rich widens and widens. ps: plus it is obviously very frustrating when you see your taxes are wasted (buzzword german bureaucracy, it never shows up in the videos you react to but the bureaucracy in germany is insane, on a whole different leven than in our neighbouring countries, it's a big problem)
Majority of small to medium size SUV vehicles are a modern station wagon replacement. A rear hatch door, large open floor area to pack with things, overall a 3 door or 5 door vehicle, distinctly different and not a standard sedan with 2 or 4 door seating space and a trunk (boot for our non US terminology) with limited volume space. Still not the over sized TRUCK vehicles that seem a US only main type of vehicle. Even these big trucks, divide between rear tray and enclosed big volume storage, that really is a modern replacement of the old times station wagon, now just referred to as SUV style.
Ich habe selber mir nen Porsche, Jaguar S Type, diverse Merzedes wie auch BMW 635 und 528 gegönnt....aber richtig glücklich war ich tatsächlich sowohl mit meinem Turbolader Kombi von Opel (Omega) wie auch mit meinem Grand Vitera nebst Bullenfänger. ☺️
Station cars do exists today too. They are camouflaged as suvs, like the english Land Rover, or japanese cars in the same segment, like a Pajero, or a Ford Bronco, as an example.
German is a very creative language. It's like lego. And you can say things in so many different ways and nuances. Or change the meaning of the same sentence depending which word you emphasize. I love german. But it is ok that americans make fun about germany and practically all other countries as well. The world makes fun of the USA all the time. So its just fair :P
17:50 "Audi RS6" I don't know the exact numbers but just to give you a hint: price: 150,000+ EUR 0-100 km/h (0-60 mp/h): 3,4 s max speed: 300 km/h (190 mph) hp: >600 PS (460 kw) Yes, it's a dream car for me.
in Germany many people have kombis because you can combine a lot with them. family, vacation, crafts. a big trunk is beneficial for so much. in Germany, many try to design their own homes. build your own furniture. so if you drive a lot to the hardware store, you need a lot of space. In addition, many in the country invest a lot of time in the garden. you also need a lot of space in the car if you buy plants. If you have children and then a dog, a station wagon is perfect. the hubd has enough space in the trunk. especially for day trips.
From my personal perspective as a 35 year old italian, the sedan is the car for old people, the hatchback is a typical first car for new drivers or a second smaller city car and the station wagon just makes the most sense overall. With SUVs and sport cars being just luxury toys.
16:16 Exactly! That's why I love my Mazda 6 station wagon, because I can put my bicycle right in there without a need of changing anything before. And when you call SUV a "sports utility vehicle", this a completely wrong. A station wagon is the REAL vehicle to transport things like bicycles, surfboards, snowboards.
I am a Coupe Guy myself. I also don't Like the Looks of Wagons. And all my Friends are also into Coupés. So Wagons are definitly a Thing Here but to say everyone Here wants a Station Wagon is Just a lie. I also Wanted to mention the Audi RS6 when she Said Wagons are ugly. The Most driven car Here i have Seen would be probably an Audi A4 or a Skoda Octavia (both 'Kombis' obviously). I Like Haleys Videos. She doesnt hesitate to rant all over Germany or America. Like she does Not Care about her Reputation to her German or American audience. She Just Talks the truth and her perspectives. She stopped sugercoating everything and Just describe Things as they really are. And that is what i appreciate the Most about her. Pure honesty.
I am from Spakenburg, the Netherlands. And I also had an Opel Vectra 2.5 V6 aut Combi for 8 years. Other chips. And from 170 Hp to 225 approximately. And also had a towbar, to take my boat. Or a tandem axle with more than 3 tons in it.
Haha, the Kombi thing is so on point 😂. Volvo V60 Stationcar here! I like how you speak about Germany and how much you learn... 15 years ago, I left Germany and moved to 🇩🇰 Denmark. Best decision I have made in my life because Germany is great compared to the US, but not just great... Denmark is for me and my family the best choice and I would recommend a trip over the border for you!
" it seems strange to me that the Americans, having hundreds of native languages, chose the language of their former colonial masters." Otto von Bismarck
Not only : ! Even their mid-eval measuring-systems !
They didn't choose any language officially. They just use an English dialect with quirky spelling..
@@chubbymoth5810 No all true. There wasn't a vote on it, but there was a vote in what language to write the constitution and because the majority of the people spoke English it was decided to write it only in English. There was a movement to write it in German too, but that was dismissed by 1 vote and is the cause for the Muhlenberg legend that they vote about the national language of the USA what never happened.
That means they voted indirectly about the language in deciding what language to use for the constitution. You normally write the constitution in the countries language.
And in my opinion US-Americans speak American - not English. The only English speaking country is England. It's similar to German and Switzerland and Austria. The Swiss name their language schweizerisch/schwietzerdütsch (Swiss) and the Austrian name it österreichisch (Austrian) and not Deutsch (German) even if a big chunk of the languages are nearly the same.
they actually dont have an official language. Not one nationwide recognized official language
@@seanthiar that’s Nonsens, there is no Austrian language but an Austrian dialect. The official language in Austria is German (article 8 Austrian constitution)
Proud driver of a station wagon here. 2020 Volvo V60. I think they don't even sell them in the US. Kombis are just a perfect blend of large inner volume in a still reasonably small car, which is an advantage in european cities.
Meanwhile in Germany we make fun of pick up trucks. If you drive one of them over here, you definitely do it to compensate for something... 😅
When it comes to taxes it boils down to a very simple question: What do you want your government to be responsible for, to cover? The US tends to prefer a "small state" individualist everyone for themselves approach. Germany takes a the state provides for its citizens approach. Where exactly you want to be on that scale is up to the the people of a country.
they're awesome!
saw my dreamcar at a car dealership in fl and it was a huuuuuuge nissan, like bigger than a dodge ram.
even with wider roads you'd still have trouble parking at strip malls.
generally, they're only used by people with professions like gardener or craftsmen.
You're right. It depends which person, character you are. Pretty much Germans move to the States because they love the autonomy there, the individualism that is possible, the freedom, the personal responsibility within. I can understand that. But if you fail, you are screwed.🤷♀️ No, that's rubbish, because you can come back to Germany, the nest is made, thank God.😂
As an Australian, we're not overly happy to pay significant taxes , but we appreciate the basically free healthcare for all , affordable education etc
Volvo is not the most common car brand here in Australia but it does have high perception value of Safety , Practicality
(here in Australia, a bit more expensive due to importing etc)
A "small state" that has way more burocracy then even we germans have and that pays even more per person for their social health insurance... Our system, even if the medical care for people who can affort it in the US is better, is just way more cost effective. On the other hand a nurse in the US earns basically as much as a normal doctor in germany... there are pro's anc cons to both systems.
About taxes in Germany vs. the US, The Blackforest Family UA-cam channel has made a very detailed comparison a few months ago. Worth seeing.
The deepdive took them two long videos, but they are absolutly worth watching them. One of the rare examples about that topic without an agenda, but with lots of facts.
1. video: ""McJob" USA vs. GERMANY: Hourly Wages, Taxes, Contributions & More of Minimum Wage Workers"
2. video: "LIFE AT MINIMUM WAGE: USA vs. Germany | Housing, Utilities, Food & More!"
@@pixelbartus Their videos in general are well researched with lots of data and facts.
But im happy to see someone else recommend it as well.
I second this. Those videos are absolutely amazing.
Third.
I watch some of their videos and this was excellent. I feel I have a real understanding of the differences in taxes, ….
As an American living in Germany, one thing I would like to touch on is the health care system here. I've had 2 surgeries here, a multi-level disc replacement surgery in my neck and a hip replacement surgery where there was a complication and a 4 day stay turned into almost a month in a hospital. Both surgeries and aftercare would have cost hundreds of thousands in the US, but in Germany I paid absolutely nothing. Additionally, a vast majority of surgeries require physical therapy/rehab. My neck surgery required almost 8 weeks of intensive rehab. In Germany, patients that require rehab or just PT go to facilities (called Reha) where they stay and have multiple PT sessions, multiple types of massage therapy, water therapy, and even meditation everyday (~5-7 hrs/day). Due to the complication of my hip surgery, a 3 week stay at Reha was extended to over 8 weeks. Again, I didn't pay for any of the treatments or the medications. Germany can do this because the taxes are higher but not exorbitantly higher than the US. More importantly, medical services are not outrageously expensive like they are in the US. In my opinion, they are priced lower than they should be but the prices are controlled in order to allow proper treatment for everyone with insurance. The downside to this is that a majority of healthcare workers, including MDs are grossly underpaid. A quick note, it is mandatory for employees to be provided health insurance, even people who work a certain number of hours and this includes many part-timers. From what I have seen, Germany places a priority on preventative medicine. They try to prevent serious diseases and if your sick, they provide REAL medical support so people can return to work, be productive members of society and ultimately contribute to the health of their economy. I've only lived in Germany twice, for a couple of years each time so there is a lot I still don't know so I'm not claiming to be an expert. I'm only sharing my experience if medical treatment which is vastly different than what I've had in the US.
It is in the interest of the german (and many other socialized) healtcare systems to decrease the costs.
Becasue it is "tax" paid (in germany not really it is a mandatory insurance that is taken away directly from your gross income) it is in the interest of the people (who all spend money to the system) that the costs are low.
Because treating illnesses early is cheaper than waiting until it is to late they are interested in early treatment, precaution (including help to change your lifestyle to be healthier) and early checks (free cancer checks).
The US System (oversimplified): Why should a Hospital, Pharma Company be interested in early treatment? - A flu treatment means 2 Doctor visits, some Medicine but a untreated flu that becomes a heavy lung pneumonia means Weeks in Hospital, a lot of Medicine, best with permanent damage what means lifetime making $$$ with needed medicine.
@@DSP16569 My friend who is a surgeon said that insurance companies will always charge the highest amount that they have received from any patient's insurance. For example, if a surgery costs $10,000, the insurance co will upcharge to $20,000 to all patients. If one patient's insurance pays that amount, then that becomes the standard price. You can see over the years how the price can quickly become out of control. My friend removed some hemorrhoids which took 15 mins and was paid $20,000! This is only one real example.
@@DSP16569 Not necessarily - it would also help to make all people contribute equally or at least more equal. Example: A Single Man/Woman contributes the exact same amount that does a married man/woman with children whose spouse is not working. Nonetheless in the latter case both spouse and children are covered under this same amount.
St least you had to pay the stay in hospital, 10€ a day..
I wouldn’t say underpayed. Considering that most md‘s in germany don’t start their career with debt its not necessary for them to become millionaires on the taxpayers dime.
A friend of mine had the best explanation for living in US vs Germany:
Living in the US is like a roller coaster: If you like an eventfull life with big up and down the US is the place for you, but dont get sick on the ride!
Living in Germany is like a walk in a park: Its calm, much slower and if you need to sit down there are enough places to rest for a while.
I think both is needed and its up to the people what they want!
Greetings from Germany :)
geil umschrieben
Many people in US argue about their need for a big pickup trucks with the supposedly increased safety for their OWN kids INSIDE those. Same with guns... -> It seems to me a big part of the population doesn't like that everyday rollercoaster adrenaline.
There is a reason why rollercoasters exist as well as rock climbing schools or paragliding etc. for all those in these needs!
After all, it is "DEFINITELY NOT NEEDED" to have a quite populated country on this' earth's surface, where 'half' of the population is destroying the planet with unnessecary trucks and plastic bags without thinking (or maybe even denying proven science about ecology/ climate change)...
while simultaneously slapping all other humans directly into the face with that "I don't care" attitude/ideology!
Well, most rollercoasters in the world have been designed in Germany....
If you lived in Northern Germany, that might be true. Living in Rhein Main, Stuttgart or München is different. I tell you. I live in stressy Rhein Main as coming from calm northern Germany....
I have been to the States several times, and what I have always found weird is that people in the states don't identify as US citizens. They say that they are Irish or Italian or Afro American.
And often times the same people who say they are Irish and things like that then suddenly turn into the "100% pure red blooded American" patriote for a reason or another.
Yes, they kinda are obsessed with their cultural heritage, but if you say something, that goes against their "patriotic view", they suddenly turn into an US citizen
@@bastiwen Most of the time they also know little to nothing about the countries their families came from
but thats the same here alot of imigrant people still consider themselve turkish or russian and well a lot of germans think of them self as bavarians or palatinians or saxons whatever
@@gehtdichnixan3200 imho it's a difference when saying you're a Bavarian, Saxon, North-Rhine-Westfalian, etc. bc. these are German states. It's like saying I'm a Texan, Missourian, Floridian, ... in comparison to saying I'm Irish, Turkish, Korean, Russian, etc. when you are in fact a descendant but living in another country and having the citizenship of that country you're living in.
Just to get the figures straight: In Germany, income tax starts at 14% (and NO tax below an annual income of € 10,908) up to a maximum of 45% (starting at € 277,826 per year). FYI, €€ figures are roughly 1:1 with $$ figures.
I really love watching your videos. If I didn't get it wrong, I understand you will be coming to Germany this summer. So, I wish you a great time over here. Looking forward to your reflections afterwards.
All Best from Germany
Yes Jps has booked his flight to visit Germany in about a month or so.
He is still locking down other details of which cities , accommodation , places to visit etc
Let this be the foundation of Jps immigration to EU or Germany. RUN Jps, RUN before its to late..
You forget the 20+% is social security taxes... they are capped at different income numbers, but for example if you earn around 60k you will pay over 50% of your income in taxes... as strange as it sounds, it gets lower the more you earn. Someone who earns 400k might pay 40% in taxes overall, but not even 5% in social security (if one is stupid enough to not have private health insurance at that income rate). So this persons overall tax rate is lower then if someone earns 60k.
@@adrianhempfing2042 if your in the southwest and need some kind of local guide tell me ;)
@@Smido83 you are right... but I guess someone who earns 400k per year lives a good life, even if he has to pay 50% in income taxes. Someone who earns only 60k might have to make ends meet at the end of the story. This is where the social system creates equality for things like Healthcare..... everybody should be able to get treated, no matter how much he earns.
There are many pros and cons everywhere, but I think that all people are better off in states like Germany and Austria etc. My husband for example has a chronic desease. He was basically born with it and he will need different medication all his life.
Currently he is treated with Rinvoq - a medication he has to take every single day. 1 package contains 28 pills and lasts 4 weeks. The private cost in Austria would be 1065 Euros per Box. - absolutely unaffordable. This is only one of many different medication he needs.... we both work full time in good jobs that are well paid... but the expenses for health care would be just too high. If not treated, he might not be able to work any longer and our life would be miserable....and he would not be part of the work force to pay into our system as well.
So social security in a state also creates more social equality by not punishing people for things like being born with health issues and other things they didn't cause themselves. ❤
Consider this when talking about race: There is biologically only one race, the human race. And that is not just an idea, that is proven, scientific! All those white, brown, black or yellow skins are just phenotypes. Not more, not less.
THANK YOU, I feel like many are so oddly fixated on differences
Human species , all same type of animal. Dominated the planet.
Yet fixated on social, political, physical differences
When the human condition essentially wants
Safety/ Security,
Basic needs met- Food, Shelter, Comfort,
Love/ Connection,
Happiness,
Generational wellbeing
I, Brittas boyfriend, come from farmers Background. In case of cattle, hens , doves, cats or dogs are not looking all the same. A cow of Süddeursches Fleckvieh looks different to a cow of Braunes Höhenvieh. A Rottweiler dog looks different to a Deutscher Schäferhund,etc. Those different looking animals are in breeders circles called Rasse. So in animals context, a Rasse is simply a reguarly breeded variation of the same annimal. So in my oppinion, also in case of humans, Rassen exist.
What i in my late 50s find strange, is that thirty to forty years ago, political left people claimed, human Rassen/ races don' t exist. But in Last thirty years , the political left people see everywhere racism. How is racism possible, when according to left speakers fourty years ago, no races exist?
I had that argument with an English speaker so I searched it up and turns out that you can't really literally translate "race" into "Rasse". In German this term is just based on biology so there aren't actually different "Menschenrassen" but the English term "race" can also be defined by:
"each of the major groupings into which humankind is considered (in various theories or contexts) to be divided on the basis of physical characteristics or shared ancestry.
"people of all races, colours, and creeds""
@@irgendeinname9256 : Nach meinem Verständnis ist eine Rasse eine etwas anders aussehende Variante einer Tierart. So gibt es z. B. unterschiedliche Hunde- oder Rinderrassen, aber alles sind Hunde, bzw. Rinder. Meiner Meinung nach , ich bin kein Wissenschaftler, gibt es verschiedene Menschenrassen, die aber alle zur gleichen Menschenart gehören. Für mich ist das Wort Rasse etwas Vergleichendes, nicht aber etwas Bewertenden, dies wäre unsinnig, daß bei einer Tierart, bzw. bei uns Menschen, eine Rasse besser sei als die Anderen. Anmerkung: Aufgrund meiner Aspergererktsnkung komme ich des Öfteren zu Fehlschlüssen, und bemerke Scherze oder Ironie nicht.
the US is in love with pickups, in Germany it's the station wagon.
A large trunk where everything fits in.
And station wagons are protected from the rain, pickups are not.
German woman and I have to say I love our station wagon (just like our Mini). 😉
I love the American pick-ups (not very practical here in rainy Germany, I have to admit) !!! They are pretty cool, easygoing and remind me of many American movies. Btw American movies are the best in the world in my opinion. Guys, you do so well when it comes to movies!!!
Australia had a love affair with Station wagons But it has been replaced by larger SUVs unfortunately.
We still have Sedans and Hatch backs
@@Winona493 I personally don't like most American movies very much:
To me they are often foreseeable, simplified for a greater audiance (character, personalities etc.), with full attention on huge effects and/or on some jokes that I might not understand or the jokes feel put into the wrong place or they are just copy pasted. Those big effects were once kind of cool and maybe even overwhelming (when all the computer technique developed) but after a while I got used to it; like I got used to that kind of humor. It washes out...
@@Winona493 American movies suck!
I like your honest reactions to the videos you comment on. You seem genuinely interested in not looking at everything through the American lens, but in getting a better idea of what else this planet has to offer! I hope you find your own (best) way!
What I really love about your channel ist that you‘re so open minded to new views and ideas of other countries. I‘m German and based on your videos, I see my country from a new perspective - as it happens if you see something for a long time, you sometimes forget about the good things. Looking forward to new videos 😊 cheers from Germany
same here! I think about his videos whenever I am in a situation I saw him being completely flabbergasted by which until recently was totally normal for me like the corridor for the ambulance on the highway
As a a German, I have to say, Hayley Alexis has an incredible grasp on Germany and understanding German society. Her videos are always on point! Another channel I can whole-heartedly recommend is the Black Forrest family. Their "deep dive" videos are next level!
As a Dane, I agree!
I'm learning a lot from them!
Her German is impressive. Almost perfect.
I'd love to see a video of you two together, sharing your thoughts, maybe before and after you've visited Germany!
You will definitely see station wagons or hatchbacks every minute of every day on the road here in Germnay. They're the most popular type of vehicles in Germany.
They are very useful. They are a mix of space and drivability. And we don’t want to switch the car just because we get children or have multiple cars. Most Germans just have one car and families will habe two cars when it’s necessary but not just to have it 😅
The biggest advantage for not paying taxes for a community based system but instead paying premiums for privatized services: The private providers can make billions of $$$ out of your basic needs.
Oh... that advantage is, of course, not for you. Only for the shareholders of that companies. Did I forget to mention that before?
Thank you, Joel, for introducing us to Miss Alexis. I really loved the last video.
She is the best way to get information about Germany for an American. Watch more videos from her and you won't regret it. Since the start of your channel you have really grown. There is so much out there. 😅 American living in Germany since 1969. Was born in Oklahoma.
Better than Black Forest Family to get information? Not really.
Hayley and Joel should Collab on a video in Germany.
Loved my Kombi. A lot of dog owners have them.
Honestly: I hope your visit to Germany in the summer becomes a permanent one. I would love to have you as a legend living in Germany.
When you went on that rant over how americans are "grown ups" with "jobs" I immediately went back to how both countries have a bit of a problem with what I will call "Preparing for the future worklive".
I would love schools to have a few manditory courses like:
- How to label and sign letters so they reach the right place (was never taught at my school, but I think it is a important topic).
- How do taxes work, and how to know where the money is going
- If something happens and you can't work anymore: Where to get help
Technically you get some of these answers in education during an apprenticeship, or from the Agentur für Arbeit, but I think that is a bit too late.
You could probably add many, many more.
Germany was also - besides sporty estates - once a market for sporty vans and minivans.
Look at the absolute beast that is the Mercedes R63 AMG. It is a 2.5 ton minivan with the same N/A 6.2 V8 you could get in the E63, S63, ML63 and CL63, putting out an impressive 510 HP.
The ML63 and R63 are the only AMG cars with that engine that have AWD.
It will go from 0-60 is 5 seconds and has a top speed of 170 mph (delimited from factory), and it can hold up with several older sports cars for a while, like the C4 Corvette.
Try saying "Porsche Panamera Sports Turismo 4S Hybrid 10 Years Edition" in one breath.
BTW, another fellow American reactor by the name IWrocker now has a Volvo 850 estate on his dream car list. There is a very funny video showcasing its toughness.
It is well worth a watch: ua-cam.com/video/KWWvjRt-A6s/v-deo.html
Iam a 20 years old german guy. My car is a Mercedes Benz E-Class with a nice 6 cylinder. Well this was my first car and i love it over all.
I own a Skoda Fabia Combi, which is a pretty small station waggon, but I can definitely fit a lot of stuff in it. They're still quite popular here in Denmark. It's sad to see that they're declining in popularity in most countries though. I would choose one over an SUV any day of the week.
probably one of the most affordable Kombis as well. Maybe Skoda makes a Kombi version of the ID.3 MkII in a few years. that would be interesting.
I haven't seen this video by Haley so far, but I have to agree to whatever she said. She has a very big talent in catching things like they really are. I'm German, and of course I am familiar with my homeland, my fellow citizens, and all the habits. But Haley knows how to transfer them into words!
Hi Joel, this video really pressed your buttons I think! A great reaction again. I like the sound of a collaboration between the two of you, especially after your German trip when you'll have real time experience to draw on.
I am looking so much forward to it!!!! 😂
Two topics bound to get Jps' blood boiling - Racism Or Deliberate Ignorance
Sweden has station wagons, too. Great cars to have!
As a young woman, I used to joke about people who own station wagons. I found this to be an old people's car and family car.
Then I realized that young men from my acquaintances and circle of friends buy such cars.
They explained to me that their hobbies require them to transport a lot of stuff and that's why the station wagon would be the dream they had saved up for.
Then I noticed that more and more women are buying such station wagons. They also had hobbies and they thought it was great that you can throw mattresses in the back and drive anywhere and as a woman you feel a bit safer in the car than in a tent. I feel safe in a tent on campsites, but yes.
Families in their everyday lives have a lot to transport, even if they go to visit families to visit their grandparents. That happens more often here than in the States, I think, and also going on vacation. Here you can go everywhere by car. You'll be in a completely different country within a few hours, so car travel is common and common. But if you travel by car, then you will take your stuff with you and not buy so much there. With a station wagon you can take it all with you.
I live in a medieval town, built in 1200. The streets are small, your car pattern will fit through where an ox cart used to drive. Such a station wagon can also get through every narrow alley.
What shall I say? A station wagon is the dream of many people in germany and they now look very cool and they are expensive. It is also a status symbol.
Kombi-> yes, it has many advantages, including the fact that you can easily load and unload your normal purchases and don't have to lift everything over the edge of a trunk.;) Audi-> it was a good time when my partner still drove this Audi as a company car , but unfortunately the purchase or rental costs do not correspond to our income. (Which standard employee* can already finance a new car that costs almost €100,000?) *according to statistical average income
I cannot image life without our family full size kombi. Mercedes Viano,makes our life easyer.That Mercedes is not sold in Usa
Duuuude, I have these experiences as well. I am from mexico and naturally i've met many americans. MANY, MANY of them couldn't believe Mexico was a nice country and thought it all looked like the border. They even went as far as saying they thought all mexican women were ugly and stuff like that. I didn't think it was offensive because, honestly I was just shocked.
Also, I was an exchange student and wanted to study in the Netherlands and i chose an american university there. While doing all the paperwork I was kind of angry, confused and also very surprised that I had to fill in papers stating my RACE!!! Cause i don't know if you know but in Mexico (I know other countries too but imma talk about mine) there is no race cause we are all very aware that we are mixed, soooooooo mixed we can't even tell what because the mixing started with colonization. Also in the paperwork "latino" is a race? i just found the ignorance and audacity offensive tbh. Even if races were super defined, why do you care? is it going to make a difference? I think it would be more understandably to ask about religion and even that is going too far. I was shocked.
I guess in general I am always shocked about the perception americans have of the world. I am not saying in Mexico all people know about everything, no, our education system is horrible and unfortunately, few people have a chance for good education BUT if you speak with the average mexican about a popular country they will be like "oh i have heard this" "is this the country where bla" because we are very much aware of all that needs to be improved in the country and we look up to other places A LOT. So yeah, people will know about certain german stuff, french, so on and so forth (they also learn a lot from tourists and like to talk about what they learnt).
"Even if races were super defined, why do you care? is it going to make a difference?"
Diversity, Diversity, Diversity.
If you want to be a "diverse" company, university or whatever of course you have to ask these kinds of questions. What's your race? What's your sexuality? Are you trans?
How else could they know if they are diverse enough?
@@hansmeiser32 I am sorry but you shouldn’t look at that anyway. We are all equal and most people in the world don’t identify as having a race? Why is there an obsession with this? It shouldn’t matter cause we are all equals in the end. It is the wrong way to go about things imo
@@pippinnai9443 I don't like it neither. But unfortunately the concept of "colorblindness" (treating people based on character and not skin color) is now considered racist by many.
@@hansmeiser32 Because so-called "color-blindness" chooses to completely ignore one subset of common history, heritage, and experience. Usually by way of minimizing the inequality, oppression, etc., one group is/was subjected to by another.
Color-blindness is nothing more than a thinly-veiled "Get Out Of Jail Free" card in the iron grip of folks, who don't want to acknowledge - much less rectify - a system that has historically favored them.
I’ve never had to answer to what race I am. (But ok, I’m Danish with a very Danish name and look very much like my Viking ancestors 😂) I don’t even think it’s legal to ask that here in Denmark. Just as it’s not legal to ask about people’s sexuality, religion and political beliefs. If an employer ask you at a job interview if you’re pregnant or planning to be - and you don’t get the job - they have to pay you a compensation!
As a German I get really uncomfortable when Americans talk about race. In German it's a term that was used in Nazi ideology and therefor is a total no go. Can't we just talk about nationalitys and not someones skincolor? It's so dumb. But then again I have to remember that it wasn't long ago that people were judging people by their looks here as well (and still happens in some communitys in Germany). My uncle once told me a story where he and my aunt tried to rent a flat and were denied because he looked "Arabien". Bro, my family has been German for so many years, we can't even trace our roots out of Germany. Even our last name is a middle high German word.
No, because racism is still present, along with colourism. And I don't think that folks who will never face racism, should have any say about it.
Erst wenn wir Menschen ohne Hautfarbe beschreiben, dann gibt's keinen Rassismus mehr. Wenn ich an eine Person denke, dann immer in Form eines Namens und nicht seiner Haut. Man kann sagen mit einer dunklen Haut oder hellen Haut, aber ich finde es immer blöd, wenn man weiß oder schwarz sagt. Denn Menschen mit sehr hellem Braunton werden auch oft als schwarze bezeichnet, was ich immer etwas merkwürdig finde. Hautfarben einer Nationalität zuzuordnen ist meiner Meinung nach in Ordnung, sofern es um die ursprüngliche Herkunft geht. Denn diese ist ja nun mal Fakt. Helle Haut stammt nun mal mehr aus dem Norden. Und dunkle aus dem Süden. Es ist doch auch schön , dass wir so ein buntes Bild unserer Wurzeln haben. Ich mag es nur nicht, wenn bewusst nur dunkle Haut in die Schiene von Rassismus gezählt wird. Denn oft ist es so, dass es einseitig dargestellt wird. Wir müssen nur aufpassen, dass wir nicht people of colour plötzlich so in Szene in Filmen setzten, dass eine neue Form von Rassismus entsteht. Manchmal wird das in Filmen nämlich meiner Meinung nach etwas extrem eingesetzt. Da ist dann nur noch die hautfarbe Thema. Wie beim gendern oder der Frauenquote. Anstatt es authentisch darzustellen, ist es plötzlich nur noch wichtig, welche hautfarbe oder welches Geschlecht genommen wird.
Da stimme ich dir zu Julia! Mir ist es völlig egal, welche Hautfarbe oder auch Nationalität jemand hat. Ich arbeite jeden Tag mit vielen Menschen überall in Europa zusammen. Unterschiedliche Nationalitäten, Hautfarben, Religionen. Aber ich mag alle meine Kolleg:Innen und denke dann nicht, ah Kollege aus xyz mit Hautfarbe 123, sondern an ihren/seinen Namen, weil die Person ist ja eine Person und nicht das Aussehen. Was ich besonders schätze sind die persönlichen Gespräche, in denen man so viel über den Alltag und die Kulturen lernt und vor allem, was uns alle vereint. Da haben wir nicht über die Hintergründe des Ramadans gesprochen, sondern wie sich alle auf ihre Familien freuen welche lustigen Sachen wieder alle verzapfen und wer endlich mal wieder zu Besuch kommt mit dem beliebtesten Familienessen usw. Und das ist alles überhaupt nicht verschieden egal wo wir herkommen, wie wir aussehen, welche Sprache wir sprechen oder woran wir glauben.
@@Average_Bruh excluding someone from any kind of discussion because they don't get in direct contact with the topic is dangerous. Its allways better to educate them and have a serious discussion. Further an outsider often presents a completly different point of view that might even solve Problems.
@@faillordxd0 what can a man tell a mother about child birth? Not sharing the same experience means that they have no idea what it feels like. So they can't tell us how to behave about.
Hi!
I jjust found your channel on UA-cam, it is really cool ! I am watching it from Brazil. I have been many times in the USA and also in Germany and it is very interesting to see both countries thru the eyes of an American. You’re very wise for a young man, this brings me hope for a better world. Great job!
Our salary deductions are high here in Germany or now for me in the Netherlands (approx 50%), but those cover everything you'd ever need, health insurance, pension, different disability covers, free education, free childcare etc and safety! I'll pay for that anytime ❤❤❤
Haven’t you see the Volkswagen (Passat) before 😮 it’s one of the most popular cars even in Denmark 🇩🇰
Such an interesting channel Joel . It’s taught me so much about Germany it seems such a nice place to live, it’s made me want to visit too. You are so refreshing to watch being genuinely interested in other countries and their cultures. Because I follow you I’ve been recommended other similar channels but had to stop watching them. They are older than you and I don’t feel they are learning anything as they make the same comments about “I didn’t know that” when I see they’d said the same thing previously. Keep up the good work. Enjoy your visit
@@Michael_from_EU_Germany 😂
A collaboration would be so awesome!!!
A Kombi is just great design. it does not always look the best but I only owned Kombis (well the first one was my moms old one). Today it's perfect for my family with 3 kids. In my 20s it was perfect to squeeze 5 (even 6) people in it, A few grates of beer and everything for a nice bbq and drive to a nearby lake.
Heck I even remember as a kid my grandparents took me once a year to a restaurant in the middle of a forest, real fancy but very remote. We had a family and friends get together there. Most people with kids left early but my grandfather just slapped a mattress in the back of his Kombi and that was the bed for me and the daughter of some friends of grandparents so they could stay late. A few years later we did some more than just sleep in there :)
And all that with decent fuel consumption and in a format that fits European streets and parking spots.
Americans get a lot of things wrong about most countries lol Jk
„Just kidding“ ……
…. But actually nawwwwww!
Dont apoligize its true
You ruined it by saying “jk”
Love your videos! Keep making awesome content like this!
An interesting suggestion for a next video might be this one, about freedom in The Netherlands (after WW2 remembrance day and our liberation day on may 4th and 5th). It is about how we experience freedom, mixed with a bit of history: ua-cam.com/video/OJLfuxP0y0A/v-deo.html
The follow-up video to this one on liberation day also includes a small interview with our king, and shows a very different side, just 1 day later
she forgot to mention health care, generally they are covered by the taxes.
Haley is right, we love our station wagons 😊 so watch out if you’re on the autobahn! Within the first five minutes driving in Germany, you will have a minimum of three station wagons passing you on the left lane going at least 200 km/h! And I might be one of them😂
I am Dutch and the Dutch love a good stationwagon (actually called that too in The Netherlands). I always had a stationwagon and now I have a hatchback and I miss the extra space. If you put the back seat down you can actually transport a lot. If you go on vacation as a family of 4 in a regular average European car, it will be very hard to fit all luggage and a station wagon just gives that little bit of extra space.
Spot on with these 4 concepts and I can think of a few more that evolved over the years.
I like your videos only because you are humble and willing to learn about the rest of the world. You are one of very few Americans❤
Joel, I think Heyley is living near Munich. Maybe you should contact her before coming to Germany - she might be a super tour-guide to show you some Munich sights and restaurants e. g. !
Go let Hailey guide you through München or something ...
Germans will always assume that you mean exactly what you say. So if you say, how are you?, they will assume you genuinely want to know how they feel and will answer the question as honestly as they can.
Which I think is fair enough. It annoys me when people say - Hi How are you?
But they don't want to know. Then don't ask
@@adrianhempfing2042 Well, it does not annoy me if they ask it. But it feels weird to say "fine" or "I'm good" if you feeling really bad and your life just breaks apart.. Then this question would bother me a lot.
I don't know, where I live/grew up it is common to assume that the person just wants to be polite and doesn't necessarily wants to hear your story, so you usually say "fine (thank you)" or at least some other quick probably "typical" german answer ("Geht!", "Joa, alles soweit gut", "Muss ja, ne?", etc.). Sure, some people actually do want to know and some people do want to give an honest answer, which I think is fine as well (though on the other hand I personally perhaps don't want to tell everyone who is asking how I really feel in that moment, so even if someone genuinely wants to know, chances are I'll give a (very) quick answer).
Kombis or Stationwagons as you know them are often the go-to cars used by bigger companies for their workers because they fit a lot with a decent size and are usually efficient when you take a Diesel or Hybrid nowadays so it established a positive viewpoint for such cars which is why they are so popular here, usually you see them Skoda, BMW, Mercedes, Audi or VW Cars
If you want a slightly deeper dive into the whole taxes and "Who has more Money" thing, the Black Forest Family has a couple of really well done videos on that as well.
Station wagons are big all over EUROPE ,,in the UK we refer to this type of car as an Estate car .
They are usually top quality and made by top manufacturers,,, even Rolls Royce make one .
In the US back in the Fifties,,,this type of car was referred to as a Shooting Brake .
Weary useful,,, no longer a utilitarian vehicle,,, but up there with Luxury, Comfort,,,ability to be great if you have Dogs,,, or Shopping in the City,
Learning English we usually get told that "how do you do" is actually only a typical phrase for greeting. However literally it's a question which we use to ask someone seriously about his situation and it's quite hard for us to get it out of our head when meeting people from English speaking countries.
I personally think that it's very possible to learn these things. And I also think that the only actual difference is that "how are you" is just not a synonym for "hello" in german speaking countries, but for me that doesn't mean that people always are serious when asking and want an honest in-depth answer, or that people who are asked that question are always willing to give said honest answer. It appears to me that "'how are you' actually means 'how are you' in german" seems to easily lead to some kind of misunderstanding: that Germans actually do expect to get an honest answer and will give an honest answer when asked, which, I think, just isn't true or at least can't be generalized. Germans too say things mainly to be polite or to keep a chat going.
Nowadays "What's going on".
In the UK we call " station wagons" ESTATE CARS. Usually used by sales people who are " on the road" a lot.
Fun fact about that: Station wagons were called that because the took people FROM the STATION to whereever they needed to go. Estate cars are called that because they took people TO their ESTATE. So the same thing, just seen from a different standpoint.
0:40 maybe it depends on the region, but where I live in Germany (born and raised here), many people do engage in small talk without the need to dig deeper and tell each other about actual problems and such (some might do that, though, it really depends). Here it is totally common to ask "how are you" ("wie geht's?") and to NOT expect a very deep or even honest answer, but a simple "I am fine" (still, some people might start telling you about their recent medical or other issues, again, it totally depends on who you meet). What might be different that in Germany people may act less superficial than it may or may not be the case in some other countries. Plus, here "how are you" isn't (almost) equal to "Hi", but actually does mean "how is it going?"/"how have you been?" - but that doesn't mean that an honest answer is always required or expected.
In addition, some other things seem to be a bit different from other parts of Germany, as well, for instance, here it has been pretty common for years to pay by card and to never or very rarely use cash, even years before Corona was a problem.
I think there are often too many generalizations thrown out there which I find problematic.
I feel that you worry a lot about behaving correctly, not offending anyone/German culture or to stand out as "the ignorant American" (maybe I am wrong and you're just being curious or something, it's just that I myself worry a lot, too and know how that can hold me back way too often). Just come to Germany, see and experience the people and culture yourself, get your own impressions and stories to tell to others who never have been to that country.🙂 Don't worry too much. People in Germany may be different from the ones in the US when it comes to certain things, but they/we are also different from each other - and many will probably understand that you come from a culture that may differ a little from our own.
Yeah, a collaboration with Hayley would be epic! She is very approachable, just mail her. I'm sure she is on board.
Hey man, I've been watching your videos for about 2 weeks now and I love how obvious the process is that is happening in your mind. It feels like you are having epiphany after epiphany and it kind of makes me emotional :D You definitely seem too aware and too clear sighted to live in the US. Come to Germany, I'm sure you will love it here
Station Wagan or Combi they are realy cool cars, this cars you will see special in the European Alps. Also in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy. All Car Brands from Germany has great Station Cars. For exemple the Audi Avant RS6 on the video looks cool and has 600 Horse Power thats more then enough for driving on the Highway or in the Mountains. Thats more then only a family car, its also a fun car. You have many option to buy Station Wagen form 100 Horse Power up the over 600 Horse Power you find of sure also one for you and your budget.
Oh yeah, I'm from the Swiss Alps and there's tons of them you are 100% right. There's also more and more SUVs taking their place which I absolutely hate.
The best answer for a Station Wagon is this Video 😂 ua-cam.com/video/yrb-08v_IDw/v-deo.html
I fell in love with station wagons when I saw some huge Fords and Chevrolets, etc. in Switzerland in the 1970ies. Also Citroen offered the DS as a station wagon optionally with 3 rows of seats.
However my father preferred sedan cars. Hence we had a VW K70 and an Audi 100 in that time.
My own second car was a VW Golf III Variant station car. Extremely practical for my purposes. A really great family car.
A couple of years ago I was very surprised to see a vintage Cadillac Fleetwood station wagon of the kind with the large tail fins - such a beautiful monster!
I bet there is a good video about all the different new kombis/station wagons
Combis as you call it were a step further in developing cars. Ideal in those years for families going out to the beach or on holiday. During the week daddy could easily put all his tools in there to work. And when you went out with the dogs. Just perfect
They pay roughly the same amount in taxes, in Germany, but they have things like free or very affordable health care and education, nice roads without potholes, good public transportation, paid leave, sick leave as long as they need (nobody has to give their colleagues their own days of allowed sick leave because when you're sick, you stay at home until you're fine), etc....
When you say "hello", don't ask "wie geht's" (how are you) because people will likely tell you how they are. You can say "alles klar?" (is everything fine?); people will say "yes" and move on.
For the cars, they're supposed to get you from A to B or to get you to the grocery store and back with the trunk full of groceries, for instance. You will see that many people who live in large cities don't have a car, don't want nor need one because there is so much public transportation to get you anywhere you like; the cost of car maintenance, gas, parking spots etc. is very high. You can buy a "Monatskarte" (ticket you can use a month) that will allow you to take all means of public transportation (bus, tram, train) as much as you want during a month for something like 30 Euro; they also have "Tageskarten" (8 Euro) where you can take everything and criss cross through the land a whole day (24 hours). It's cheaper than one simple ticket to town and back.
Awesome why you launched your channel. Big personalities come from big thoughts and your thought was quite big. You're also a starter and somebody who goes his way, hope what you do has an impact. And if you come here I would love to tell and show you stuff :) and this comes from somebody who is so "americanized" cause all of my cultural interest originate in america, music...graffiti culture and surely films and series. so much...maybe be have a much older history, but the recent culture was so influenced or maintained by america..and not only in germany, in the world.) I totally absorbed it in 92 while being in berlin for a basketball tournament. Today it's known how a lot of americans think (through Trump election too), which is not that nice, but even when it's better to live in germany today, I always adored people in america simply for living there :) but today I also think it's so much fucked up there...A picture was going around on FB while the elections went back then, which said: "America, this is your IQ Test, and it doesn't look good." I wonder if any american has even seen this :P this pretty much nailed it
the how are you thing, in german: "wie gehts"(short for "wie geht es dir") can be really shocking. if you meet someone for the first time and ask wie gehts, he/she will most likely tell you "Thanks i am fine" This is the conversation starter, if you walk away it will be seen as rude. you can talk about the weather, your trip thru germany, the quality of the food and so on but dont walk away. Oh, and please avoid politics at the beginning. I am saying this because, when i was in the states, many americans greeted me with the famous nazi salut and the famous nazi words and it really threw me of. I still dont know if they were trying to mock me or if they thought WW2 would be a good smalltalk topic.
really? where have you been to?
my husbands fam is from florida, a super red state and yet nobody did that to me.
stupid questions from white people, yes but general acceptance and genuine curiosity from minorities.
i think you met the stereotypically stupid white americans who think that a common ancestry makes us the same. * rolls eyes*
CONGRATULATIONS on 30K subs Jps.
Regarding the Kombi, there is an old video on UA-cam of an Audi RS4 Kombi totally destroying a Porsche 911. It's hilarious: ua-cam.com/video/MiuLvLobAs4/v-deo.html
I don't know if anyone has made this comment before (?), but in the UK we call a station wagon an estate car... And they are popular here too!
German here, i also have a Station Wagon (Mazda 6), The reason why i chose a "Kombi" was my Hobby. I play Icehockey as a Goali, and my Bag is very Big. I hated to put Down the rear Seats in my former Cars to get the Bag in. Now it Fits perfect and i can move one or two People (with me) in the Car. My Wife has a Audi A4 Station Wagon, the Women next to our House also has a Station Wagon. You can move alot in there, especially when you own a House, and i would never buy a smaller Car.
The car I set my personal speed record on the Autobahn was a good old Volvo V70... with 240 something HP.... and it went that fast in km/h. (so about 150 mph).
Hi, I have been following your video’s for a while now (mostly the ones about Germany) and I am happy to see an American willing to understand the cultural and other differences between the United States and Europe. I am Belgian and mayby you could consider visiting Belgium (I live in Ghent) when you travel to Germany. Check out the Woltersworld video’s about Belgium.
Hey Man! I really hope you are going to read this, since I see no other way to contact you. To start, I love your videos, especially about Germany. In fact, I'm from Germany myself. I've been in the US once. I'm 28 years old and could tell you a lot about Germany and our culture. I really enjoy meeting new people, especially if they are from USA! I would really like to have a talk with you and learn new things about your beautiful country. Of course you can use everything for a video, if you like to. We can talk over Discord or something else as well. Would be nice to hear back from you.
Greetings from Germany
Yea!! Do a combination video with her!!! I am thrilled to see!!
15:35 In my family we say "The last car is always a station wagon. Why buy one now?" (a hearse is meant).
I'm a Brit living in Germany, she's pretty much on the ball about just about everything she said, I never really picked up on the Kombi/Stationwagen thing (we call them Estate cars in UK), because they are popular in UK as well. I'm sat now in my living room, of the roundabout 20 cars I can see on the street outside there are 4 Kombis and just as many "people movers" i.e. VW Touran, Sportsvan, Dacia Jogger, Ford Grand C-Max etc.
I'm German and I always enjoy watching videos pointing out differences, prejudices, misconceptions etc. And she does a beautiful job. While she is correct about tax rates and that you can't really compare one country to another, she kind of threw a few things together.
Daycare (children 3-6years) is 'free' (as in paid from taxes) in most areas but only in the morning (usually until 12pm and only up to the amount a public daycare facility would cost). Costs for afternoon care as well as any descepancy for morning care if the child is enrolled in private daycare (those facilities usually charge more) are paid by the parents. In other words, daycare is at the very least subsidized by the state. Public schools are also paid in full through tax money (private schools exist, but aren't really a big thing here).
Health care insurance is mainly paid in full by the insured (if employed the costs are split 50:50 between employer and employee). However, children are covered for free in the family healthcare insurance. Those costs are covered by the state using tax money. Same applies to certain costs in relation to pregnancy and maternity. I'm sure there might be a few other things, but those are the big ones.
If course, it might be more convenient to only use part of the truth, but but let's face it, those people can be found anywhere. However, people in public positions, especially when their wages are paid through tax money, should face consequences for speaking half truths (imo).
I mean, I would love to pay the very low taxes in Switzerland, but all other costs of living not so much 😂
Great video and I'm really glad the UA-cam algorithm suggested your videos!
Oh I love wagons! In the early 1990s, when those Kombis just started to get popular as private cars (before that, they were mainly workmen's cars only), I thought what a brilliant idea - more trunk without needing a longer, wider or higher car. Plus a low trunk sill, and - if designed well - beautiful as well. Whenever I had the chance, I got a Kombis and I still have a Golf 7 Kombi. Love it. The suddenly popular SUV shape has never grown on me to this day, especially because I would have to pay easily 1/3 more money for it without having any more space inside, but just more weight and a worse maneuverability due to the greater widh. And tell me any other car under 20k € (new at that time) that can bring my whole family to holidays at 4.3 litres/100 km including all luggage in a very comfortable ride - while still looking good (in my eyes) ;-)
Seriously. Awesome video and reaction on your part.
the thing about the taxes and the refugee i can't really speak for from an american perspective. but the last one, yea absolutely agree. i also think you and her have a fun vibe together even though you're just watching her video... it's so weird xD would definitely watch a collab! you should tag her in your description, though ;)
We dont like the trucks, we wants stationwagons and its so in hole Europe 😅 I live in Sweden and here it sells much more kombis than sedans
Not Just Bikes made an interesting video about station wagons, pick ups and SUV's.
@MoreJps
Love your channel !❤
Im from Hamburg, if you visit Hamburg again let me know. I will show you the city .
I love my opel Astra Kombi. Her name is Astrid. Everything fits in there.
Speaking of stationwagons (Kombis) ua-cam.com/video/d6m08InT8Oo/v-deo.html
I don‘t know how real that video is but it is super funny ^^
Immer wieder lustig den zu sehen! Für mich ist das ein Klassiker!
Hello Joel. "Boxy" cars remind me of a film with Dudley Moore that you might look up. They are called estates in UK.
The YT Channel of Black Forest Family had made two or three videos in depth about comparing income, taxes and other expences
Their channel is really entertaining too 😊
Maybe you can meet Hayley in Munich? She has met other UA-camrs before!
I'm owning a station wagon (Volkswagen Golf Mk7 Variant) too. People were asking me why I got such a "huge" (for German/ European scales) car, but now as my fiance and I are becoming parents it obviously makes sense. Also, we drive A LOT for German standards (like 40-50k kilometers per year) and also transport a lot on the way. For example we transported the entire children's room for our daughter (like 7-8 cupboards and shelves) with this car with justy two drives (without a trailer because my car doesn't feature a trailer hitch). And yes, one of the cupboards was mounted on the roof.
But what I see from Instagram is that there are more and more Americans getting themselves German cars, and yes, also wagons. German car meetings taking place in the US with everything from VW Bugs, Transporters up to VW Tiguan, Golfs/ Jettas, Audis, BMWs and so on. Which is a great development in my opinion.
After that video Joel, I am thinking that you would fit much more better to Germany than the US... :-)
I really like how open minded you are and that you are looking on your own country with a funny sense of humor and criticism.
And I do agree, you both should do a vid together after you have visit Germany :-)
Hi Joel, that car you thought was sexy is the one I drive here in the UK. I often go over to Germany and you are going to really love it.
a professor once said something like this regarding taxes: "it's the money i pay to feel safe on the streets". now that is obviously oversimplified but i think it also makes a great point - taxes that are generally used to make a more just and equal society are something everyone benefits from. because overall, the more inequality there is, the more people resort to crime. unfortunately for the last decades in germany we also strayed more and more away from the "social" in "social democracy" and the gap between the poor and the rich widens and widens.
ps: plus it is obviously very frustrating when you see your taxes are wasted (buzzword german bureaucracy, it never shows up in the videos you react to but the bureaucracy in germany is insane, on a whole different leven than in our neighbouring countries, it's a big problem)
Majority of small to medium size SUV vehicles are a modern station wagon replacement. A rear hatch door, large open floor area to pack with things, overall a 3 door or 5 door vehicle, distinctly different and not a standard sedan with 2 or 4 door seating space and a trunk (boot for our non US terminology) with limited volume space. Still not the over sized TRUCK vehicles that seem a US only main type of vehicle. Even these big trucks, divide between rear tray and enclosed big volume storage, that really is a modern replacement of the old times station wagon, now just referred to as SUV style.
Ich habe selber mir nen Porsche, Jaguar S Type, diverse Merzedes wie auch BMW 635 und 528 gegönnt....aber richtig glücklich war ich tatsächlich sowohl mit meinem Turbolader Kombi von Opel (Omega) wie auch mit meinem Grand Vitera nebst Bullenfänger. ☺️
Station cars do exists today too. They are camouflaged as suvs, like the english Land Rover, or japanese cars in the same segment, like a Pajero, or a Ford Bronco, as an example.
German is a very creative language. It's like lego. And you can say things in so many different ways and nuances. Or change the meaning of the same sentence depending which word you emphasize. I love german. But it is ok that americans make fun about germany and practically all other countries as well. The world makes fun of the USA all the time. So its just fair :P
0:40 never noticed that....but that is pretty accurate
17:50 "Audi RS6"
I don't know the exact numbers but just to give you a hint:
price: 150,000+ EUR
0-100 km/h (0-60 mp/h): 3,4 s
max speed: 300 km/h (190 mph)
hp: >600 PS (460 kw)
Yes, it's a dream car for me.
15:40 you need space to bring all the beer home from the grocery 🍻😉
in Germany many people have kombis because you can combine a lot with them. family, vacation, crafts. a big trunk is beneficial for so much. in Germany, many try to design their own homes. build your own furniture. so if you drive a lot to the hardware store, you need a lot of space. In addition, many in the country invest a lot of time in the garden. you also need a lot of space in the car if you buy plants. If you have children and then a dog, a station wagon is perfect. the hubd has enough space in the trunk. especially for day trips.
From my personal perspective as a 35 year old italian, the sedan is the car for old people, the hatchback is a typical first car for new drivers or a second smaller city car and the station wagon just makes the most sense overall.
With SUVs and sport cars being just luxury toys.
16:16 Exactly! That's why I love my Mazda 6 station wagon, because I can put my bicycle right in there without a need of changing anything before. And when you call SUV a "sports utility vehicle", this a completely wrong. A station wagon is the REAL vehicle to transport things like bicycles, surfboards, snowboards.
I am a Coupe Guy myself. I also don't Like the Looks of Wagons. And all my Friends are also into Coupés. So Wagons are definitly a Thing Here but to say everyone Here wants a Station Wagon is Just a lie. I also Wanted to mention the Audi RS6 when she Said Wagons are ugly. The Most driven car Here i have Seen would be probably an Audi A4 or a Skoda Octavia (both 'Kombis' obviously).
I Like Haleys Videos. She doesnt hesitate to rant all over Germany or America. Like she does Not Care about her Reputation to her German or American audience. She Just Talks the truth and her perspectives. She stopped sugercoating everything and Just describe Things as they really are. And that is what i appreciate the Most about her. Pure honesty.
About cars, come to the Autostadt in Wolfsburg.
@@Michael_from_EU_Germany yes there are. Every VW Brand has a showcase Pavilion for there Models
I am from Spakenburg, the Netherlands. And I also had an Opel Vectra 2.5 V6 aut Combi for 8 years. Other chips. And from 170 Hp to 225 approximately. And also had a towbar, to take my boat. Or a tandem axle with more than 3 tons in it.
Haha, the Kombi thing is so on point 😂. Volvo V60 Stationcar here! I like how you speak about Germany and how much you learn... 15 years ago, I left Germany and moved to 🇩🇰 Denmark. Best decision I have made in my life because Germany is great compared to the US, but not just great... Denmark is for me and my family the best choice and I would recommend a trip over the border for you!