*Water Boilers*

Every real German household has one of these:


That's a water boiler. Maybe Americans do too. I wouldn't know because they are mainly used for making tea and Mormons don't usually make tea (unless it's herbal). I find it very useful. Instead of having to wait forever for water to boil, this thing does the job within 1-3 minutes, depending on the boiler.

*Fingernails*

Many men in Germany let their fingernails grow longer than men in America do. I think it's considered too feminine in America. In any case, I don't like it. Yuck.

*Graffiti*

Germany is covered in graffiti, which may seem shockingly disrespectful to newly-arrived Americans who are still marveling at buildings that have been around longer than the Declaration of Independence.







I still don't understand why no one tries to get rid of it or at least cover it up (this, along with litter, especially seems to be a problem in East Germany--which is obviously not an official place anymore), but graffiti has slowly faded into the background so I hardly notice it anymore.

*Spicy Food*

Even when Germans here claim to like spicy food, I (and others, such as my Kiwi coworker) just have to laugh at their tolerance level. The sauce I made for Mike's birthday party was "pretty spicy" according to the guests. Today, our boss ordered Indian food for the four of us. The two Germans ordered spinach rice and something red with duck meat. I and the Kiwi guy ordered mango chicken and were enormously enjoying it as the Germans started to fan their faces, schluck their drinks, and use bread to neutralize their supposedly spicy food. The thing is, we tried their food, and it wasn't spicy. At all. Maybe salty, but not spicy.

I'm sure some cultures would laugh at my comparatively low tolerance level for hot foods, but today I got to be in that spot.

*Kids' Backpacks*

Kids' backpacks in Germany are chunky, boxy affairs. After seeing an ergonomic bag-carrying display at the Hygiene Museum in Dresden, I can understand why. They keep the weight at the top of the shoulders. This is what they look like (with variations of colors and patterns for the enjoyment of the child).

(Thanks to my friend Denise for posing.)