AIBU to wonder what life in Germany is like?

[prepared101]

lighthearted and somewhat stereotypical

I'm on holiday at in popular European summer holiday destination. The resort is made up of mostly German and English tourists.

The Germans are almost universally in excellent shape- not thin but lean and 'strong' looking. Their hair is in good condition- mostly natural looking. Their skin is great and their tans are superb.

So. as I sit on my sun lounger with dodgy tan (if you can call it that) lines, a bit of extra podge on my belly and hair that breaks at the sight of chlorine I ask... how do I live like a German?!

This. British people have been socialized to believe that they are responsible for their own quality of life- Hence

Big house with garden for child's entertainment instead of playgrounds/public park/lakes
Private Gym with pool- David Lloyds/Nuffield instead of a nice public pool and Sauna
Car instead of public transport/cycle lanes

And they prefer the option that they pay for with their own money because it feels more exclusive. Certainly the public pool I used to go to in Berlin was not as nice as my local David Lloyd but it was way more affordable than even a council run leisure centre in the UK and much nicer.

What happens in a country with mass inequality is that for many people, the reality is -
paddling pool in a tiny garden of a terraced house/many families can't afford to go to beauty spots due to cost of accommodation during uk holiday season ;
grimy council pool or no pool because its £10 for entry
living 2 hours from work in order to afford said house and sitting in traffic jams for that amount of time due to the sheer number of people commuting all at the same time.

The exception is NHS; but then there isn't any middle ground either; its nhs or private healthcare.

Years ago we ended up going to a resort in the Canaries where there was a team of English reps and a team of German reps. Most of them were probably early 20s. They got to eat their lunch at least in the main buffet restaurant in the hotel and we were often in there at the same time as them. The English reps all had plates piled high with stodgy and chips; the Germans had salad and meats with a bread roll. We used to speculate what the weight gain of the English reps would be at the end of the season.

What strikes me as very different is the actual taste of food - British fresh food can often be very bland. Compare that to the taste of fresh cucumbers, apples, tomatoes etc. in Germany and you'll be astonished at the difference.

I disagree. I visit Germany a lot and notice no difference in the taste of fresh produce although the varieties differ.

Lifestyle is a big factor as is genetics - height and build

However the biggest factor is their sense of personal responsibility around health, environment, homes etc

What strikes me as very different is the actual taste of food - British fresh food can often be very bland. Compare that to the taste of fresh cucumbers, apples, tomatoes etc. in Germany and you'll be astonished at the difference.

Weirdly, I also noticed this about the cucumbers when coming back to the UK. Cucumbers you buy in the UK are also a lot thinner. Can’t describe the difference in taste as such, but it was noticeable. No idea why this is, obviously the cucumbers don’t tend to actually be British, I think they come from Spain or the Netherlands. Never thought to check where the German cucumbers came from when I bought them - but they are thicker and somehow tastier.

Crisps. Small bags of crisps don’t exist. Crisps are party food basically only, you wouldn’t ever give children a bag of crisps for lunch like in the uk.

outdoors for daily life. We live nearby and hiking, swimming in lakes in summer, skiing in winter are all daily activities. Children ski where we are for €1 for the whole season if a resident.

Schools finish by lunchtime, so children eat lunch at home not packed in box and have every afternoon free for outdoor activities.

@Ammonites I'm a Brit finishing up my master degree at a German university, any questions, feel free to pm me 😀

Unless it's for an exchange year only and with guaranteed university accommodation I would have a good hard look at alternative, smaller locations. The Munich housing market has always been extremely challenging and in the past few years has turned into the seventh circle of hell. Also, because of this, many students commute so socializing may be a lot harder than at smaller campuses. Many students actually do considerably better in smaller college towns including East German ones that tend to be undersubscribed in comparison and often have better tutoring.

I live in Bavaria. People are not all lean but most people have a bit of a summer tan, the summers are warm here and the lifestyle for most is very outdoorsy.

Lots of beer drinking, especially once the beer gardens get going, and you will see so many beer bellies that we have a special word for it: Wampe. Plus lots of smokers.

I do find the food overall healthier, more whole meal bread, cheese, cold meats and salads. Generally I think people eat better. We definitely have better medical care and I rarely have to wait long to see a doctor. Preventative care is very good. Reha is standard after a major operation or serious illness. Seniors are encouraged to stay active, they don’t have to wait years for knee or hip operations.

When I’m back in the UK it’s sometimes a shock how unhealthy people look in comparison. But I live in a very affluent part of Germany, there are parts where people are not doing so well. Wherever there is long term unemployment, poverty and poor housing, illness is never far away.

Work life balance is generally much better and there is no culture of presenteeism. If you’re sick, you stay home - nobody wants to catch your bugs!

I have a sneaking feeling my neighbours consipired a little bit to get me more polished up and active: hairdresser recommendations, invitations to the gym…! You don’t see really OTT nails, makeup and eyelashes except on quite young women. Generally the accepted style is quite relaxed and natural, actually I find it a bit boring when everyone is swanning around in tasteful neutrals. I will never be parted from my lipstick and bright frocks.

I live in Bavaria.

That's not Germany though, I got told off for referring to the locals as Germans, 'we're Bavarians'. Fortunately OH is Scottish so we got the difference. Germany as a country is a mish-mash of different groups.

Bavaria is lovely.

Bavaria is next to Germany 😀

I grew up in Germany and agree with all previous posters about how it was much more outdoorsy. I used to cycle everywhere, and even did the shopping for my mum from my bike when my sister was born (I was 8 so had a lot of freedom really). We also took part in Wandertag - which is a day of hiking - regularly and I was easily walking 5-10 km with my dad aged about 8. We also spent most of the (seemingly!) long hot summers swimming, playing tennis or cycling. I didn't go to the cinema for the first time, or eat MacDonalds until I was well into my teens! In the winter we'd ski, and walk in the mountains when we lived in Southern Germany. As a kid I adored growing up there!

I’m a Scot too so I get it! 😃 Actually, I think Bavaria is Scotland upside down. Blue & white flag (Weiss-Blau for Bavaria), distinctive customs and speech, Scotland has the mountains in the north and Bavaria has them in the South.

That's not Germany though, I got told off for referring to the locals as Germans, 'we're Bavarians'. Fortunately OH is Scottish so we got the difference. Germany as a country is a mish-mash of different groups.

What? Of course Bavaria is part of Germany. It’s not ‘next to Germany’ - it’s not a separate country. Germany is not a ‘mish mash’ of groups, it’s a united group of adjoining states, a bit like the US, that all equally make up the country - Bavaria equally included. It’s like going to Texas and them telling you you ‘we’re Texans, we’re not Americans…’
In Bavaria, which is a pretty affluent and conservative part of Germany - as you say it’s very ‘lovely’, it’s got a very friendly aesthetic - there’s most likely a mixture of pride and snobbery (and yes I’d go so far as being wary of a racist or xenophobic agenda below the surface) going on there and you just nod politely but you don’t take it as geographical fact.
What difference did your OH think he ‘got’ by fortunately being Scottish? @Hoppinggreen

Europe as a whole is getting fatter. Portugal is pretty high up the list with 56% of adults obese. Germany and Spain 54%. UK stats are missing as this is an EU doc.

ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/ddn-20210721-2

After my lumpectomy I was in patient for a week, was signed off work with full pay for 5 months and yes that included 3 weeks in a rehab clinic plus physio.
We do pay more, but we also get a lot more.

Just wait until folk find out about the legal enforcement of child maintenance payments...

Lived in Bavaria (not Germany/Next to etc) in the 90's - lots of free/cheap stuff to do and very outdoorsy

Spring/summer/autumn - walking, hiking swimming in lakes, cycling, Winter - skiing - but lots of smoking then and not everyone slim and healthy (big drinking culture)

Eurocamping I always notice the Dutch families, very outdoor, wild kids, all tanned and beautiful - nearly all adults smoking

and yes I am generalising madly

and yes - fabulous health care - specialist Dr's for everything - I injured my eye and was seen that afternoon by a specialist eye Dr in the near by village

Bavaria may be legally in Germany but it has such a strong independent identity as well, I think that's all people are saying.
If you ask my MIL where she is from she will say she's Bavarian, not that she's German. The Bavarian dialect is so different it's almost another language.

And yes, if you go to Texas you will indeed find people who consider Texas its own nation and want to secede!

Yes to the Bavarian identity being quite distinct. The same, to a lesser degree, goes for other parts of Germany. It's a federation and very conscious of it. It can sometimes even be tricky transferring from the public sector of one federal state to another (e.g. as a teacher - education is the responsibility of the states and they each have their own school systems, curricula etc).

As well as the 'Reha' stays after a major operation/illness, you can go as a parent and child (or by yourself as a parent) for exhaustion/burnout - there are special mother and child (and some father and child) clinics.

Doubleraspberry

That percentage you gave is for overweight and obese, not just obese.

Apologies, was looking up a useful LGW during a meeting! Doesn’t really change the thrust which is that not all European countries are full of slim and healthy people, whatever you might see on holiday. Seeing Portugal held up as a country full of waifs was rather funny.

Thanks @GrumpyPanda for the info and @MeenzAmRhoi I will pm you tomorrow, danke!

@Ammonites also I don't know how old your daughter is but if she hasn't chosen her A Levels yet she needs to do her research, for any German university except a private one she'll need specific ones including maths, a science, a language and another AS or A Level in her chosen area. Some private unis follow this requirement as well!

I was joking (sort of).
DH is German (Bavarian) and it IS mentioned when we are here. We have also had plenty of people in shops and restaurants tell the DC they are Bavarian, despite being born in England.
I went to an online Business event involving the German equivalent of the DTI. There were various presentations and one was regarding doing business in Bavaria - they did joke that Bavaria was next to Germany
Its a very strong identity