Hey everyone! After our delay in Greece, we did finally make it back safe and sound in our hotel room at 11:30pm! It was a little disappointing going from 95 degrees and full sun to 59 degrees and rain, but the weather here in Berlin did turn around for the better (definitely not the same as Greece though).
While having to wake up at 7:45am on Tuesday morning was hard, the rest of the week went by very quickly. I had a meeting with my boss’s dad and was finally able to find a time to have a meeting about missing payments and the work I have been doing. We went over everything on Saturday, and now have piles of invoices that need to be sent out before I leave. Honestly, I am looking forward to it because I enjoy being busy at work rather than having a slow day at work. Because of our meeting on Saturday, I was able to take Friday off. I met my friend during her lunch break, and we got to do a little shopping during her free time.
On Friday, it was a big game for Team Germany. Germany vs Spain. Because my jersey was wrinkly, I thought ironing it would be the next best option. Wow was I wrong. One second on it, and the iron melted right through it. Luckily, my friend was able to lend me a jersey, but will now have to face the consequences of never being able to wear my jersey again. Now, the hole isn’t terrible but bad enough where I cannot wear it again. Very disappointing. The fan zone was full of energy, but Team Germany ultimately lost. After the loss, it was time to celebrate our friend’s birthday and we danced the night away!
The U-Bahn was packed with fans, but little did we know that shoving onto the next train meant losing half the group. The doors closed and my friend and I realized that only half of us made it on. A little communication would have been nice after we looked through the train doors at each other. Although this does not have any relation to communication in Germany, I have realized how important being aware of and communicating with each other in a foreign country is. Overall, communication is a lot less popular between strangers here in Germany. No one chooses to engage in conversation with strangers, especially at the grocery stores. It is more about efficiency. I have grown quite fond of this as you do get through the lines so much quicker. All they ask is cash or a card and you are on your way. It is a very direct and straight forward anywhere you go. After a realization of this, I noticed how different it is compared to the USA. At restaurants, the waiters always make small talk and engage in conversation. In Germany, they ask for drinks, food, and go back to tending their other responsibilities.
On the other hand, in the work environment I feel like this is very opposite. They expect very detailed responses and explanations. I believe that in the USA, we typically want to be very straight to the point in a business context. Depending on the situation, this is not always the case, the from my previous jobs they have always expected quick and precise conversations. For example, my meeting on Saturday was almost 4 hours long, which I do not think would ever occur in the USA. Although the meeting was very detailed, I do feel that communication via phone is very poor. Sometimes my boss is late, and he won’t tell me until I arrive. This has been happening more often, but I just learned to go to the front to get the keys now. Communication is important, but there is always an easy solution.
I do not think that there really has been much miscommunication because they are very precise. Germans are very big on rules, and they will call you our if you are not following them. Luckily, this has not happened to me, but a big mistake some have coming to Germany is walking in the bike lanes. Bikes are a very popular form of transportation, and it is very important to steer clear of their way. Besides my boss coming late, I do not think I have encountered any huge challenges with communicating while being here.
That is all for now, see you next week!