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?!

As I said previously I am in Bavaria at the moment
I just walked to my closest supermarket, where I put all my plastic bottles and cans in a machine and got 5E store credit. The snack aisle was minimal and while there were some ready meals I didn’t see anyone buying them
The cycle rack outside the supermarket was completely full.
We plan to swim in a clean, safe lake later which will be free
In Munich centre and in some other places we have been there are public drinking water fountains you can refill a bottle from
It’s just a healthier lifestyle in general
Cant wait until we get the DC settled at uni or wherever so we can be here permanently

What is a poo display shelf? I don’t want to google.

My dad is German/Polish and my grandmother was German, so this thread is bringing back all sorts of nice memories. I’m going to Berlin next week and I’m now worried that everyone is going to look perfect (can’t say I remember this from previous trips).

@justcannot thank you, she is going into yr11 and next year will do IB rather than a levels.

What is a poo display shelf? I don’t want to google

it's just the shape of some of the older loos, there is a a shelf for your "waste" to land on, so you can inspect it. Rather than more modern (and most UK) loos where it drops into the water at the bottom so is harder to look at in detail!

A ‘poo shelf’ loo is very old fashioned now. They haven’t been installed for years.

We still have one in the tiny loo we haven’t renovated yet, it’s been there since the 1960s. And no one really uses that loo if possible

And they prefer the option that they pay for with their own money because it feels more exclusive

totally agree with this. I always laugh about our local Facebook group when people ask about local swimming lessons. We have a local council run pool where the teachers are generally very good. Until fairly recently it actually was run by the council but is now run by one of the big private companies and has become more expensive, but the teachers are still generally the same.

But people are so funny, they really don't want to admit that they use the COUNCIL pool and recommend every other option around. Even though you'd have to drive, so using petrol etc and it's just a pain having to drive somewhere on a dark winter's afternoon when you could walk!

Whereas in Germany nobody would care, they'd just recommend whatever was best and most convenient.

Thank you!

@gatehouseoffleet that's because a great many Brits are tuppence hapenny snobs-

I must admit I found the poo shelves very off putting- you get them in some older hotels in Germany, Austria etc. they are actually quite sensible to be honest- it's just very off putting being able to look at your shit in detail!

My sister lives in Berlin, my BIL is German. I used to work in Germany. Life is different to the one you know from the UK. Lots of paperwork, different buildings, good healthcare, awful food- if you want to eat decent sausage, you should visit Poland (only sweets and beer is good in Germany). Lots of different bins for different stuff. Good roads (although motorways are much better in the UK, imo). Weather- depends which part of the country. Germans love outdoor activities. They aren't as dependent on cars as people in the UK are.

I grew up in Germany, now live in England. Automatically glance at what comes out of me, to check whether I'm doing ok food wise or need to eat more veg.

England born and bred DH chooses to ignore what he considers an eccentricity.

Imagine his surprise, at breakfast with a friend visiting from DE, offering the friend more coffee, my friend replies yes, please, I haven't opened my bowels yet this morning so more coffee would be good.

Makes absolute sense to me.

I live in Berlin and have for a good few years after living in the UK for 20 years. I recently went back to the UK for the first time since December 2019 and was frankly shocked at how much and how far the UK has declined. It's much worse than the mid nineties. It's turning into a third world country quickly. Germany is quite bureaucratic and it's not necessarily the most efficient place but the country works, the health system is amazing (much better than the NHS), world class cheap transportation systems, amazing parks lakes and forests. I am currently sat in hospital after shoulder surgery which they told me I needed one week ago. I will be discharged tomorrow and start daily physio straight away for the next six weeks. When I left the UK in 2013, appointments for my GP then were a minimum wait of 4-6 weeks. Here all doctors have to offer open surgery so you want an appointment with a gyno, an ENT, an ortho - you don't need an appointment, you just go straight to their open surgery, sit and wait and you will be seen.

I'll never move back to England after living here. The nosedive is my standard of living isn't worth it.

We are returning from a holiday in Munich and Austria today . I’m currently on the bus to Salzburg.

We absolutely adored Munich. We stayed in the Hotel Deutsche Eiche, a 10 minute walk from the main square. Fabulous, reasonably priced hotel with a little balcony, rooftop terrace and a free minibar. The staff were so welcoming and it’s easy walking distance to a tram stop.
We then went to Salzburg for a few days and I don’t think I saw an overweight person there. Unbelievably wealthy city. Or it gives that impression. We spent the remainder of the holiday in St Wolfgang and again everyone was slim, tanned and healthy looking. So not German but very similar I would imagine in attitudes to food and lifestyle.

A 9 euro travel ticket gives unlimited travel within Germany ( I think express trains are the only exception ) for an entire month too. The public transport is excellent but we did find the train from Munich to Salzburg overcrowded and didn’t get a seat until the last half hour.

My DB has lived there for the last 25 years and loves Germany for many of the reasons mentioned by PP. But he is always thrilled when he comes back to London and hears the driver on the tube making some deadpan, sarcastic announcement to get everyone to stand clear of the doors. The British sense of humour is something he hasn't found in Germany.

Not sure about 'mild' hypochondria! We were living in Germany during the Chernobyl crisis so we were much closer to it, the media were advising people to take, I think, iodine supplement, which led to many people in hospital, with iodine poisoning!
There is, or was, a greater sense of personal responsibility than in the UK for health, not having a national health service and we certainly did far more out-doors stuff than we did on our return.

I have a close friend who is German and have known a couple of others. They don't tend to give a shit about looking tarted up and dress very simply, little make up. Buying clothes and interiors to make thing look nice just wasn't a thing for them. They were gifted with natural beauty though and really lovely, social people, so didn't really need to make the effort.

They also smoked and drank a lot though. Maybe that's why they were thin!

@ConsuelaHammock
I’ve just browsed this hotel thanks. It looks great, thinking of a Christmas market trip.

Thanks for all your responses- I think we might try Germany for a holiday next year!

Btw to the PP who told me off for assuming all Germans were blonde, thin and tanned - I didn't say that at all. I said their hair (all different shades!) was in good condition and they looked strong. Even those with extra weight look as though it's mostly muscle (not like my definite flab!)

Unfortunately the 9€ ticket is ending this month, it was a three month deal regarding cost of living crisis.

🤞a similar offer comes up for September.

We live just outside Essen - in the 'black country' of Germany.

We love it here - suits us as a family and IMO is much better for the kids with the freedoms and lifestyle they have.