After France, Italy and Belgium, let's tackle Germany.
So you know that you've been in Germany far too long when :
So you know that you've been in Germany far too long when :
- You start removing the label and staple on your tea bag because they have to respectively go into the paper and metal recycling bin.
- You get irrationally annoyed when the bus or train is over five minutes late.
- You have actually memorised the timetable for your local station or stop.
- You know fifteen different kinds of potatoes and know how each is eaten.
- You eat meat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- You have no problem with public nudity and actually contemplate to go to a nudist beach this summer.
- You are not surprised to find porn magazines in supermarkets and petrol stations... next to children items.
- You state your family name when answering your phone.
- You have come to regard crossing the street when the little man is red as a serious offence.
- You check for signs in a public park to make sure it not prohibited to tread on the lawn.
- You don't mind sharing a table with strangers at a restaurant.
- You have a döner kebap in mind when you think of having a snack.
- You feel the need to underline everything with a ruler.
- You don‘t change the radio station when techno comes on, because you know it's on all the other stations too.
- You verify regularly that your watch and all the clocks in your house are on time (that is those that aren't radio controlled).
- You start referring to your friends or relatives with the word "the" in front of their name (e.g. Der Klaus, Die Laura).
- You shovel snow in front of your pavement at 5 am.
- You think it is normal behaviour to remind your neighbours to remove the weeds in their garden or to warn them that their children are not dressed warmly enough.
- You keep quiet at home between 9 pm and 8 am to avoid disturbing the neighbours.
- You have taught your dog to keep quiet during the rest hours to avoid getting fined.
- You can't imagine washing your car or mowing your lawn on Sundays.
- You wouldn't dream of asking your co-workers about their private lives. (How are your kids doing ? Where did you go on holiday ?)
- You buy a French or a Japanese car to stand out from everybody else (who drive German cars).
- You try to guess what city other cars come from based on their license plate. (HH ? Hansestadt Hamburg, of course !)
- You drink beer at the cinema.
- You don't cringe at having to eat a piece of meat with a thick layer of fat on it.