I have never been great at etiquette to begin with, whether it is social gatherings, dress code or celebratory events. The excruciating sea of unwritten norms and protocols becomes even more confusing when you have to factor in culture-specific practices.
The secret to blending in perfectly in the German workplace is addressing people in an utterly polite, highly apologetic, purely factual, emotionless manner. Too much trouble, you say? I agree. You can always opt for being your-expat-self ;D
A new fun word I learnt this week! The Weißwurstäquator refers to the supposed cultural divide separating Southern Germany from the rest of the country. I believe it’s named after the white sausage, which is traditional in Bavaria, along with its lovely castles, medieval towns and tasty food. Road trip time, gell?
This week I spotted tzatziki pistachio ice cream in the neighborhood. But don’t panic just yet. If the ice cream fusion blowout is too much for your taste buds to handle, you can always wash it down one of Germany’s favorite sodas: the curry wurst coke. In the meantime, I’ll continue my quest for coconut yogurt – my favorite -, yet devoid of bananas, pineapple, artichokes or Kartoffelsalat.
