Germany and 'Culture Shock'

This is an observational essay....mostly over what I've noticed since 1978 to now, with Americans, myself, migrants, immigrants, and non-Germans....in Germany.

First, I tend (for myself) to be on one great adventure, and tend to feel like Mark Twain when visiting in Heidelberg, and trying to absorb things and put them into prospective.  Most visitors or new people don't think that way or function in that method.

I've spent hours and hours surveying railway travel, the networks, the operational methods, the year-by-year improvements, and the frustrations of passengers.  I've surveyed a fair number of culinary delights, and enjoyed a number of German beverages (not just beer or wine).  For me, it's been like a long-term vacation or trip.

Second, for a lot of people, and especially those over the age of forty from Iraq or Syria....this adjustment into Germany hasn't been this super positive thing.  I think shock has settled in and about half of them....if peace comes to the region, will return back to the Middle East.  With those under the age of thirty.....I would suggest they tend to see the positives in Germany, and have zero desire to return.

Third, part of the shock involves 'rules'....which go into the thousands, and it complicates everyday life.  Driving rules, recycling rules, Sunday rules, winter rules, avoiding disturbing your German neighbor rules, open-mindedness rules, and so on.

Just on driving rules, there are probably 300 'rules' that you really need to memorize and grasp....reacting precisely at the moment required, and performing the required action.  Traffic circles are a great example...but handling traffic staus and reserving your patience is another.

It's around the third to fourth year that you have memorized all of these rules and tend automatically react without thinking much about it.

Fourth, some people get hyped up and enjoy culture shock.  They come into Germany for three years, and consume just about every single chaotic moment with passion.  They live an entire lifetime in three short years and spend a good portion of their remaining life talking that great period of shock and what they got out of Germany.  It's not a large number, but it's enough that it's noticeable.

Fifth, somewhere in the mix....at least for Americans....is the metric 'shock', because you have to memorize numbers to some degree.  You do get used to it, and eventually start to think Metric first and then the mile/gallon thing.

Sixth, to say German culture shock is unique....well, then you have Italian culture shock....Dutch culture shock....Swiss culture shock, and so on.  You can go for two brief weeks into the Highlands of the UK, and admit culture shock by the 7th day.

Seventh, I spent ten minutes once talking to a Syrian (probably in country for about eight months), who got onto the topic of culture shock and the immodest dress/appearance of Germans (in mid-summer).  For him, this was a daily thing....to eyeball and understand the marginal amount of clothing and what parts were amply displayed.  Days later....we engaged onto the topic of Fu**y-Fu** songs on TV and radio.....which Germans had no problem with vulgar words in songs. He laid out this problem in which....it might have been better to go through this in stages....say over a year or two.  That this was like coming out of the house and getting into a sports car for a 200 kph ride, but never having faster than 70 kph in the home-country.

Eighth, there's obvious some elements of culture shock which aren't negative, and probably engage one to ask questions....a lot of questions.  But Germans aren't necessarily experts on how elements of society came to exist this way, and often just say 'accept it'.  The 'how' and 'why' parts of this would be simpler to cushion culture shock.

Ninth and final.....those that reach some maximum capacity of culture shock....will just admit defeat and leave.  It may be a unpleasant thing to admit for some, but it requires a lot of patience to counter culture shock.