DEUTSCHLAND!
Amazing place! I love it here!
Land of countless types of bread, amazing beer (you think you’ve had beer, ’till you’ve had it here!), and great looking football players. Some of my picks being: Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels, can I get an amen? Oh yeah, and that’s soccer to you America!
I am currently living in Bonn, a city laying prettily on the banks of the river Rhein. I have had the chance to travel to many other cities in Germany, and I’m happy to say, I am always pleasantly surprised!
Here are some tips for successfully traveling here!
1. Be Open & Try New Things At Least Once
A lot of people travel to different countries and go with a, ‘we-don’t-do-this-where-I’m-from’ attitude. Unless it is bordering on you sinning against the Lord and committing a crime, you should try the different things each place has to offer. Like some of the local foods, drinks, and activities — all at least once! Also be open to the people, how they interact, and how they do things. Accept that they have their own language and may not know English. Embrace their traditions and be aware that even the small things – like their opening hours might be slightly different. Example here: Mo-Sat 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sun closed. Yes, SUNDAY almost everything is CLOSED!
2. Drink And Eat
Don’t like beer? Try a Radler, a mixed drink consisting of a mixture of beer and pop, also known as a “Shandy” in other parts of the world. Also try some type of Kartoffelpuffer, a popular dish here – a potato pancake. There’s also lots of Schnitzel to go around – a thin boneless meat coated with flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs that is deep fried. And be brave enough to try Schweinshaxe, which is “porkknuckle”. Don’t act like you are not eating suspicious animal parts at your house girl! Food and drinks are cheap in Germany, so be sure to eat from local vendors!
3. Get Immersed In The Culture!
Germany is the land of the poets and thinkers. Goethe was German, as were Bach and Beethoven! Visit the amazing castles that still stand, I promise that they put the Disney castle to shame! Oh and did you know that Disney castles are actually inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria Germany? But don’t get immersed only in the historical, but also try to appreciate the current state of the culture. I love German rap music, the graffiti in Berlin is amazing, so many underground scenes and clubs to visit! Looking for something more ‘afro’? Not to worry, there’s a lot of that too! Electronic Dance Music, dubstep, trance, house, drum n’ bass, its all here baby!
Germany is well connected in terms of railways and buses, its also one of the few places in the world where you can still ‘hitchhike’ Mitfahrgelegenheit in a popular German ride-sharing, or car pool, service. If you like to save money, meet new people, or like to be more environmentally friendly this is the way to go.
5. Learn A Few Key Phrases
You will probably hear them all of the time but luckily majority of the people in Germany speak English so you will be fine without knowing any of their sayings. But showing the people that you have taken the time to learn a few phrases can be seen as polite to their culture. Get your Guten Tag, Bitte and Danke together. You’ll be happier for it!
6. Just Enjoy It!
What keeps most people of colour from visiting Germany (or visiting it with an unbiased view) is some of Germany’s unfortunate history. Don’t let that stop you. If you do, you will never go to most parts of the world! Pack your bags, see life aus der deutschen. Sichtweise!
June 7, 2014
I lived in Germany off an on for about 8 years and loved every minute of it. I grew the most when I was living there as a teenager. I would love to go back. Super jealous of you right now.
Porsche
June 9, 2014
This post was written for me. I’m convinced. Lol. I am currently studying abroad in Germany in Frankfurt(Oder) and my first two weeks here were definitely tough with getting past the culture shock. But, I plan to live it up my last few weeks here. Thanks for this!
Kiara