Things that one doesn't see in the Nippon ...
... but can see a lot of in London:
(1) people shouting / arguing / gesticulating madly / cursing / complaining loudly in public;
(2) open demonstrations of road rage, such as a driver slamming their brakes on their automobile, clambering out of said automobile as if it were on fire, running to the car behind them, doing a little dance of fury before the driver of the latter car and shaking one's fist at said driver, screaming in a high pitch at said driver and using multiple swear-words before dashing back to one's automobile and screeching off at high speed;
(3) kissing in public (with lots of tongue);
(4) footpaths besmirched with mounds of dog poo, so that clouds of flies arise from them in passing as one walks by, evoking disturbing images of Biblical pestilence;
(5) run-ins with mad people in front of the supermarket;
(6) supermarket staff at the register tossing food items in one's general direction;
(7) a complete and utter lack of customer service;
(8) lattes the size of a small baby's bath;
(9) men and women spitting great globs in public, of similar proportions to (8);
(10) men and women wearing heavy amounts of fragrance, perhaps aiming to mask the stench of (4).
(1) people shouting / arguing / gesticulating madly / cursing / complaining loudly in public;
(2) open demonstrations of road rage, such as a driver slamming their brakes on their automobile, clambering out of said automobile as if it were on fire, running to the car behind them, doing a little dance of fury before the driver of the latter car and shaking one's fist at said driver, screaming in a high pitch at said driver and using multiple swear-words before dashing back to one's automobile and screeching off at high speed;
(3) kissing in public (with lots of tongue);
(4) footpaths besmirched with mounds of dog poo, so that clouds of flies arise from them in passing as one walks by, evoking disturbing images of Biblical pestilence;
(5) run-ins with mad people in front of the supermarket;
(6) supermarket staff at the register tossing food items in one's general direction;
(7) a complete and utter lack of customer service;
(8) lattes the size of a small baby's bath;
(9) men and women spitting great globs in public, of similar proportions to (8);
(10) men and women wearing heavy amounts of fragrance, perhaps aiming to mask the stench of (4).
posted by Miss Ember at 7:37 am
3 Comments:
In the Fatherland one often sees:
1) People drinking responsibly in the most unlikely places, in the subway, for instance;
2) Far fewer louts and (vociferous) buffoons than one sees on the streets in Aus - public buffoonery is largely caused by tourists (even if Germans are all drinking together);
3) Brusque, yet, of course(!), highly-efficient service in most areas of public life (but it is never fawning, which confuses the neophyte - who thinks that Jerry's clipped questions and refusal to ask how one is "doing" - and flabbergasted silence when one makes the faux pas of saying "wie geht's?" to someone in a service role - signifies a lack of service. This is false. The service here is, generally, great);
4) Mountains of dog turd on the footpaths, which cause one to dance the 'Berlin Waltz' - sidestepping said mounds, dodging fellow pedestrians dancing their own Waltz, and trying to stay more or less on the right heading without pirouetting onto the street or into a tree (neither of which I've ever done, or seen happen, but I am always on the lookout, and cautious that my own steps are judged well); and
5) A clear divide between friends and the general public, which, per (3), often leave the uninitiated cold, but which, I think, preserves the idea of Friendship as an idea, and affords it it's due value above mere acquaintanceship. This is something that I think is lacking in a society where everyone's "yer mate" based on five minutes' alcoholic acquaintance. This is not to say that Germans are not impolite to strangers, this is patently not the case, and will often nod and say hello when, say, entering a small cafe with only a few tables, or some other confined area, but the idea of friendship here is that it's something that's earned and not just given out to the first applicant.
Anyway, I've written lots about all this already, and its quite long-winded for a (supposedly) brief comment on your post. I hope the (reverse?) culture shock is treating you kindly!
wow! The Fatherland sounds rather a lot more pleasant than the UK, particularly if one is a dog poo officianado (as I am rapidly becoming, by force)!
I second all Miss Ember's observations on London. And after the Notting Hill carnival, can only add:
- enormous wiggling, grinding bottoms!
Interesting observations on German attitudes to friendship, D. So far the Brits are quite reserved compared to Antipodeans; am looking forward to finding employment so that I can watch the Brits more closely under my microscope *vigorously polishes lens*
Aye, tales of Berliner business, of the canine variety, have reached my ears here. Apparently it's worse than London!
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