Are there any habits or things you have picked up from other cultures or from things you have seen in other countries that you may never have done otherwise? 🤔

As a German, it's funny to see how different other cultures stare. More than 15 years ago in rural Japan, I noticed that many Japanese stared at me, a gaijin, in secred. Thinking I would not notice their stare. Especially in a train or a bus. When I stared back at them something strange happened, instead of just watching in an other direction, they pretend to start sleeping and close their eyes. This happened so often, I was able to send dozends of Japanese to sleep with my German stare...

I worked and lived in Germany 12 years. Never had any staring issue. Maybe it's because you're american. Are you guys not used to look at other people and where's the boundary between looking and staring? In Belgium (close to germany) we simply look where we want, maybe you spot someone you know. And when you cross eyes with a stranger, we mostly both smile and nodd. There's nothing more than that about it. Keep up the great vids!

We don’t really stare we just like to look around. Usually if you see somebody is looking at you you just smile and they will smile back🤷‍♀️

Do not just stare back. You can easily end the stare with a tiny nod of the head to greet them 😄

Since I am German myself I think I never really felt that German stare but if I find someone is looking at me and our eyes meet I just give them a little smile and usually the other person smiles back :) On the subject of mowing on sundays or the weekend I think it depends on where you live. I also live in Rheinland-Palatinate in the countryside and yes there are rules to be quiet but actually nobody bats an eye. Especially when the time comes around where people start to prepare their firewood in their backyards. If you make noise for an hour or two, thats totally fine just maybe not in a city or if the neighbours are annoyed at someone in the first place. Also everyone have a great day :)

I don't know how it is for other people. But as I figured it out by myself, their can be another reason for the staring situation. If I'm daydreaming or have a short space out (from relaxing or thinking about something), then my body goes into an auto-observation state (for self protection?). That means if someone moves nearby then my eyes automaticly watch/observe it, so my body/brain can wake me up if something happens. And while nothing happens, I just daydream without interuption while my eyes observing the surroundings.

If you get starred at, you greet, we greet people here! Its common decency

The German stare: Try nodding while also "staring back". And smile afterwards. That's perceived as a kind of greeting, similar to the greeting when entering the waiting room of a doctor's office.

This staring thing has be stumped. I've spent a lot of time in Germany and never noticed it. But every American KZfaqr comments on it at length. Is it only Americans that notice it? Do Brits and Australians stare as much as Germans and we just don't know it?

I am Dutch, live close to the German border and are often in Germany. I never ever noticed the so called German Stare. Didn't even know it existed. Perhaps it is just the way countries with very direct communication look at other people.

I think the biggest problem with social media in general is that you get more and more into bubbles with like-minded people if you don't look left and right. When people are reinforced in their opinions from all sides, no matter how strange they are, because any critics have been filtered out of the bubble in advance, groups are created that can become a real danger to the general public when they grow. And they still believe they are in the right, because all in their bubble taught so.

I think we don't stare, we love to look around. Germans are kinda curious. And i allways look the people straight in the eye. The eyes are the windows to the soul. 😊 Its strange when people try to avoid eye contact. But i respect introverts and stop looking immidiatly.

There's no such thing as Germans staring. There very much is such a thing as Anglos interpreting any kind of eye contact as aggressive, though. You looking at me? Eh? Eh?

Been in Stuttgart over 2 years, never caught anyone staring at me. I'm 6'5" and got stared at more back in the States than here.

Native English speaker, have spoken French for ages, when I started learning German, I found myself in French saving verbs for the end of the sentence when I had more than one. Definitely think other languages change your brain, sometimes in silly ways.

"Ne" is more common in northern Germany, while "gell" is more a southern habit.

Different reasons for „staring“ (=looking at somebody or something for a while): - you found something unusual or interesting. Somebody looks noticeable, not necessarily in a bad way (maybe they are beautiful/stylish/inspirational?), and you look at them because your gaze will just naturally always rest longer on more interesting things. Or they don’t look noticeable but you just have nothing better to do than people watching, but there is no intention behind the look other than just the slight entertainment. - you want to ensure civility. You stay alert and low key scan people to assess whether they are friendly, then when your eyes meet both of you ever so slightly nod or smile (depending on mood/context) to signal „I see you, you see me and we mutually acknowledge that we will respect each other and value living in a peaceful society together“. Or, if somebody seems slightly threatening, you look them into the eye calmly but assertively to signal them that you won’t tolerate any funny business. As a woman this can sometimes help to signal „I am not intimidated and you will respect me!“, but then again, if you are a man, be careful with your gaze towards insecure, but physically strong young men. - you are concerned for somebody. I once had a woman, a fellow passenger at a train station, offer me an aspirin because she observed me rubbing my temples. I indeed had a headache. We just look out for each other, even among strangers. - you want to make contact for any reason, be it selling something, flirting, finding company in any form (for example at a conference where you don’t yet know anybody), asking for help, pointing out something you see, like a weird situation or a beautiful sunset… sure, there might occasionally be nefarious intentions behind a stare, but usually you don’t need to feel threatened by somebody just looking at you. - you are just daydreaming or in your thoughts and don’t really notice what you are looking at. Probably the most common reason for people looking at you - and they don’t even really see you anyway. - lastly, there is the actual judgmental stare, where you want to communicate disapproval. But I seriously say this is rare, and just because somebody is looking at you without a smile doesn’t mean they disapprove of you in any way. Just keep in mind that Germans don’t smile as much and that some people just have resting bitch face or they are having a bad day. It usually isn’t about you. In any way, the adult, self-confident thing to do if somebody looks at you and your eyes meet is to just calmly give the hint of a smile or a nod. As I list these possible reasons for staring, I come to the assumption that all these forms of looking at people probably exist in every society to some degree, but maybe it is just about for how long you are allowed to look that could be culturally different.

On the German Stare (being a German)- I have learned that it is polite to listen to the person speaking to you. That's why I look into the other person's eyes, whether I am talking or listening. Most people here are interested into the other persons info. Not looking into the other ones eyes could mean disinterest or- even worse- fear

1. I have experienced the stare and realize that I do it. 2. I do my best to observe the quiet days. I enjoy them. I enjoy the quiet. 3. I don’t do that nor have I noticed it. 4. I separate. Thankfully our town isn’t too intense, yellow bags 2x a month, trash 2x a month, and paper 1x a month. I only dig if I see pfand bottles in the trash. That’s money!!! All social media is the worst.

As far as staring is concerned, I guess that's what we've been taught to look into the eyes of the person you're talking to. If you don't look at them talking, it's seen as disinterested and rude. If you "stare" at someone who is just walking by, it's more like looking around, you're just looking at people. Mowing the lawn and other loud noises on Sundays is respected by fewer and fewer people over the years. I think TIKTOK is terrible.

I am (mostly) German, and I think I never stare - so I probably do. BUT: never consciously. I never think: Now this person is the perfect target to stare at. I guess it simply happens when I think about something else. Digging through trash (outside) to remove objects that belong in a different bin, I always think: I hope nobody sees me...

The worst is when you don't remember the word in your first language or second language (that the other person might also understand) but only the word in the third language that nobody else in the room speaks.

I think, the us of the term "staring" is a kind of framing the issue, as it is choosen to implicate, that looking into other peoples faces ist something bad. Maybe it is not a bad thing to look into someones eyes and show them, thatt you recognised them. When I see somebody watching me, I greet them with a nod or verbally. And they greet back. Maybe foreigners should to this and would be surprised, how many Germans just greet back and leave them alone. Maybe it is rude to openly ignore people, when you obviously recognised them? And looking into somebody's eyes is a two-way-street - how can you see, that somebody ist "staring" at you, if you yourself weren't looking at them?

The "ja?" at the end of sentences is a very smart move, because the common word very much depends on the local dialect and is usually very hated in all other regions. Your solution allows you to remain neutral a to travel without annoying people. About the stares: We are world champions in two fields: Complaining and staring. So if we don't complain about the staring, no one should.

The German Stare, often times is simply an act of aknowledging your presence and waiting to see if you want to make contact. Try a smile and a litte casual wave. You'll find most of the time they will smile and wave back, and then move on as you clearly didn't want or need anything.

Yes, when you start becoming more fluent in another language (even more so when you live in that country) things blend more and more together. Don't know if that is frightening or one should celebrate that. Sometimes I want to express something in a specific way and I think of the English words, forgetting how to say the same thing in German, my native language. Or you can't rely it that way in German. Don't like Tiktok at all. Or snapchat.

I think that the german stare is very misunderstood. americans call it staring. people from the arabian culture say that we present ourselves proudly and don't adopt a victim attitude. i personally think it is also due to our culture of solidarity, because we take better care of each other by looking at each other. it is very irritating for me when i travel abroad and i see people with their bags open and no one tells them the fact that they could easily be robbed. its saver when everyone is looking for everyone.

When someone stares at you in the woods, you should just greet friendly! You will be greeted back. - There is an older german convention, that it is on the newcomer to greet. I believe, this is a spinoff. ... The "..., nä?" (etc.) you stumbled over is linguisticly called a (dt.) "Rückversicherungspartikel" (or more generell "Rekursivpartikel"/"recursive particle"?)

eye-contact is a way to say: -hello -you could trust me -I have nothing to hide ... it depends how you do it

That's what my cello teacher from Ukraine says too 😅 She feels really uncomfortable when people stare at her here in Germany. I never felt that way, but I'm German and kind of immune? When someone stares/looks at me I ignore it or I look back.

Never specifically noticed the German Stare to be bothering me, having grown up here, but it could be something with just securing surroundings..

I never noticed that I staring to be honest. I just look at people in my surroundings. And why not? It mostly is interesting.

You have to look somewhere. And when you're alone in the forest and someone walks by, that's the most interesting thing at that moment. I seperate only cardboard and bring it to the container. The Bottles goes back to the supermarket. But green dot (yellow bin), organic waste, etc. can be separated, but it is sometimes difficult to get rid of. Don't have tons for it here.

* German staring * * American staring back * German thinking: "Was glotzt der denn so?"

1st: There is not bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. 2nd: Being an 50+ native german citizen... i never heard of german stare. 3rd: Ja, gell, wa or oder... All this is comes with some logic behind it. But there is one folk in germany saying nöh which litteraly means no but in this case yes means.

I've lived in Germany for nearly 40 years now and have never had the feeling I'm being stared at. I'm probably just not that interesting.

In German I really do use the "Nh?!" In English somehow I use "like yeah" a lot And in Dutch I don't use it as far as I know

In my experience, when someone IS staring at you, it's usually because you're doing something the disapprove of or find annoying and they basically stare at you to make you stop. That kind of stare most definitely would look disapproving, though.

for mowing the lawn on Sunday, get an "Einhell Hand-Rasenmäher GC-HM 300" or identical, don't have a motor and can therefore also be used on sundays and public holidays, and they also do something for your fitness :)

Next time you encounter the german stare, look at them kindly and nod. You might get surprised 😊

Habit 3: A common ending for sentences instead of "ne" or "gell" is "oder", which leads to Germans sometimes saying something like "Donald Trump is kinda crazy, or?" which doesn't make a lot of sense in English. I find it interesting, that Brits say "innit", Canadians say "eh" Americans say "right", Germans have multiple such endings and even the Japanese have "ですね(desune)". There really seems to be a need for something like that. The worst social media is.... I don't know, I basically only use KZfaq, but since it mainly targets children and isn't particularly good for them, in regards to attention span, misinformation and so on, I would wager TikTok might be the worst, although Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and KZfaq all have their own and often different problems.

Heyo Donnie! I spent a week in Germany "solo" last week, 3 nights in Munich and then I was with friends for a few days at Ramstein (K-town) and Frankfurt. The German "things" I do when in-country is leaving the occasional pfand bottle balanced on the public trash bin so someone who needs it can get the 25 cents. Also, I am the MASTER of the German stare, LOL. And I always smile once eye contact is confirmed. I picked that habit up pretty quickly. I also mastered the use of "genau." Such a great word to use if you want to blend in! But the biggest accomplishment of my most recent trip was only needing to pay for the bathroom TWICE the entire week! LOL!

Maybe its because im German, but i don’t think the German stare is a thing 😂

One recommendation concerning the gell thing: check out the short (very short) story about the Gell-Pest by Karl Valentin. (Üble Angewohnheiten).

Try to change the word - stare - with - study . As in study a painting or a interesting building 😉😅

I only "stare" in one of two situations: 1. There is a very nice looking girl. 2. There is writing on the t-shirt and I want to read it. I get mildly annoyed, when somebody hammers (renovates) on sundays, but I'm very calm in this regard. The thing, what bleeds over from english to german is, that sometimes I know more the english word for it rather than the german word. Sometimes I correct some things, which are seperated wrongly. But I have the "opportunity" very rarely. The worst social media? TikTok. With the amount of garbage clips on there, the choice is rather easy.

I never heard of this staring issue before I used to watch videos about foreigners/expats commenting German related stuff. I bet I do not stare and actually I don't like eye contact at all. I am only aware of that staring issue in very small towns where the people knows everyone and are curious about the unknown guy walking down the streets. And yes, this is an awkward feeling. That's the most mysterious thing to me that foreigners observing staring in Germany.

I'm German, but I'm also an utter introvert with a fair bit of social anxiety and being stared at would literally break me out in sweats. When I'm in a bus or even in a subway train, I'll zone out looking out of the window (yes, even in the subway, where there's really nothing to be seen), or I'll zone out glancing at my bag or hands. I hate random eye contact that much. When I'm walking I usually pretend there's something to be seen slightly diagonally off my path, just as to not having to lock eyes with people coming towards me. Now, IF I happen to let my glance wander and I figure someone is staring at me it's an instant rush of stress flooding my brain and I can't help but keep checking if they are still staring and it would get me so uncomfortable, but I also wouldn't be able to zone out and avoid the stare anymore once I knew it was there. So then I started to apply a tactic a doctor told me (who I had confided in with that problem) and it really helped me. When I catch people staring at me, I will also stare back, but not into their eyes but on a spot somewhere in the center of their forehead. To them it looks like you're staring back at them, but in a very deadpan way, so it's a bit unsettling too I guess, and 9 out of 10 cases it barely takes 10 secs for them to then avert there gaze after which I can finally relax again. Meanwhile, I don't feel the discomfort of actually having to lock eyes with them and I get rid of the uncomfortable stare as well.

You did it! After all those years of hearing about this topic in so many videos on KZfaq I finally write a comment about it. This staring this is quite a mystery indeed. But not so much the mystery of why do Germans do such a terrible thing, but the question why it is not a terrible thing for Germans at all. I mean, it always takes two people for a "staring" to happen: One, who intensively looks at someone else over a long period of time, expecting that the other person feels uncomfortable with beeing looked at (that is the best definition of staring, that I can give) and one, who is the "victim" of that agressive act of human visual tracking and feels offended by it. The fact that you almost never hear Germans complain about other Germans staring at them (not that it never happens, but it's not "a thing" here), but very many Americans do, makes me wonder, if the problem of staring is not so much on the "active" side, but on the "passive" side. In other words: What problem do you Americans have with being looked at? It's obviously a cultural difference, that looking straight at someone else is a sign of noticing the other person rather than ignoring them here in Germany, while in the US it makes people feel uncomfortable. It's the same with smalltalk, just the other way round: While it is totally normal in the US and perceived as a sign of openness and friendlyness that people start talking to complete strangers without any reason, a lot of Germans my feel you want to force them into a conversation, which they don't want to have. "Jemanden ein Gespräch aufzwingen" is the German expression for that. Now do I complain about smalltalk? No, I don't, it is just another example of a habbit, that is not equally common everywhere. The average German doesn't stare at you intentionally when he knows you don't like it. The average American doesn't want to force me into a conversation intentionally, knowing I don't like it. We should accept that there are these cultural differences. We should not see them as "bad habbits". And in regards of mowing your lawn on Sundays: Have a look at Reinhard Mey's "Irgendein Depp mäht irgendwo immer"!

Idk why Americans think that every eye contact is staring

My friends and I talk in english a lot to each other and we are basically fluent, so sometimes when we can't think of a word in german while talking german we will just say it in english. Also we have "denglisch" which is german and english mixed together where we talk german and english at the same time for fun because it sounds so funny

On a Sunday I just want to enjoy the boredom and the agony of Monday approaching. Can't really have that when there's too much noise outside.

😂😂I am also doing the staredown battle, since their staring is just very unpolite to me😂😂

I think that Germans just love to have there visual area in control. It is really difficult to keep your eyes straight so you start to move them around. Movement generally causes people to look at something. The monday was May First, also known as Tag der Arbeit xD On the topic of length - I recently went to a hairdresser to have my hair cut. It was so long it jammed the hair cutter xD I do the "gell" if I need confirmation. Recycling bottles is just the right thing to do, keep up the great work. Worst social media is easily TikTok.

At first: Mowing with a motor driven mower on sundays in residential areas in Germany is forbidden by law (§7,1,1 Geräte- und Maschinenlärmschutzverordnung (32. BImSchV)). Fine depending on state: 50-2500 EUR. "Staring": It is also part of education - whoever can look the other in the eye (especially when greeting) is considered honest. I was taught this as a child. Anyone who looks away, on the other hand, is dishonest to the other person or has something to hide. There are actually people who can't look you in the eye when greeting you. I notice something like that! By the way, this custom is said to originate from the Middle Ages: He who looks you in the eye cannot look down at his sword and draw it. This is also said to be the reason for the "handshake" in greeting. That's why you always shake hands with your right hand - that was the so-called "sword hand". BTW: You Yanks will also learn to separate your waste. That will come sooner or later, guaranteed.

I don't really get the fuss about Germans staring. We do not stare. We look at people, we acknowledge people, we consider it impolite to look away as if the other person does not exist. We see others, we acknowledge they are part of the world. And when gazes meet, we smile. That's all there is to it.

Once, as a young woman, I was a tourist in London and took a rest in a pub. There was a couple talking to each other and I looked at them and thought things like: she has wonderful blond hair. I enjoyed that and the the they angry turned at me what I was thinking I would do and I should care about my own business. I was very surprised. Why do people think that it is a bad thing if somebody „stares“ at them? Greetings from germanys neighbor country Switzerland.

Well for me it’s more like looking closer at someone in my neighborhood to identify them later if we actually talk. Like well we have seen each other on this or that playground or in this or or that situation or on this and that bus before. Or sometimes I think I know someone from somewhere and don’t remember it and start wondering. Staring at ppl can have so many reasons, but most of them for me result future communication.

We are probably thinking about something and just stare anywhere without focus

I´m from the north of germany. We say "ne" or "wa" and not "gä" or "gell" or "gelle". And now i´m living in Hessen, where people don´t use "ne" but "gä" or "gell". And i found out, that i use "ne" extremly often and people here say "gell" in almost every sentence. It´s very strange since i never recognized it before^^ About trash: When moving to my new home the first thing i saw was a sign telling residents, that some people still fail to sort the garbage. Reading this i was like "c´mon!"

Looking isn't staring. Besides, it's not only a german stare, if you want to call it that way. Most Europeans do it. If you'd 'stare' back at my, my reaction to it might be a smile and a friendly greeting. About mowing the lawn on a sunday, it may also depend on the amount of noise it creates. Having a mechanical mower as a backup might come in handy for such situations. Or you could simply ask your neighbours if an exception for a certain day would be tolerable. Facebook is the worst form of social media because of its outrage marketing strategies.

In Canada, we separate our trash. In Germany, I find myself washing the recyclables.

It is true, that many Germans use words like "Gel" or "Wat", which is very regional oriented and not used in "high German". I find the American "you know" far worse and many Americans use "you know" in every sentence. This is especially evident, when you read their talk on KZfaq subtitles.

I do not feel uncomfortable when stared at. I feel noticed. This is must nicer than being ignored.

Trash separation: we have it in the PNW. But my mom still dumped her coffee grounds into our Gelbe Sack. !!! Future tip to myself, put literal paper signs on all the various trash containers. Then again, do coffee addcits read signs before they actually have their first cup? Now as I finished your video i see that even clearly marked containers may not be sufficient, due to the pfand labelling. Wow. good we don't get guests but every few years.

yeah the american recycling system is so much easier . you simply throw it either in the ocean or outside on the streets that solves iit in america.

I’ve started saying "Ich bin gut" (I’m good) when asked if I want more food. Which is more like saying "I’m nice" 🙈

Haha, Donnie, the second sign of becoming more Germanized: the Denglisch creeping into everyday colloquialisms. Such as a "ja" or "ne" at the end. Wait for the second stage of Denglisch: the use of certain words from German that are either shorter or convey the meaning just slightly better, or it rolls off the tongue easier. The third stage, conjugating a verb of one language in the form of the other. The last currently known stage of Denglisch is achieved once you start to use Hilfsverben to assist in the other language while creating complex conjugation forms of verbs as well as nouns in English which suddenly have genders. Get ready for that. 😂😂😂 Random question: just because it was created by Trump: TruthSocial. Never visited, I totally agree I am completely utterly biased and prejudiced against him 😂

thats interresting to see because i live in the center of hamburg germany. here nobody cares about quiet times during the day or sundays and most people will keep eye contact/staring to a minimum. in public most people put their disposit bottels next to trashcans so the can be easy collected by people in need. and we dont realy use "gell" or something at the end of a sentence, maybe a ja, only if we realy want a reaction, answere or opinion( like a verbal "?"). otherwise its more used as a "over" like when you use a comunication radio. but in other regions for some its just a habit. thanks for the video!

Being sort of bi/(tri?)-lingual ((Swiss-)German and English - or at least what I consider to be english and some very, veeery basic french) I had moments when I couldn't remember a word or expression in my mother-tongue but could remember the same word/expression in, sometimes multiple, foreign-languages... Also a thing I discovered being multilingual: When you're set/submerged in a certain language it takes some time (and skill/knowledge) to adjust and to stop translating in your mind and instead just switch to thinking in whatever language, basically skipping the tranlation-part entirely.

What is said as an affirmation at the end of a sentence depends on the area you come from. Aachen: "wa" (drawn out, chanting) Cologne: "ne" (short, the e as a mixture of e and ö. Caution, "nö" means no) Dortmund: "woll" (with an English rolling l) Saxony: "newahr" (the a as a mixture of a and o) Bavaria: "Jo meih" (usually at the beginning of the sentence, because Bavarians do everything differently) and so on

That’s correct, we have multiple sounds or words to end a sentence. They are used additionally as a synonym for either "ok", "right?“ or can’t be translated. "He/hä?" can be meant reproachful but also questioning. Kannst du bitte noch den Müll rausbringen, ja? Schönes Wetter, gell? Das ist aber eine Überraschung, wa? Warum hast du das gemacht, he? Love it! 😂

If you want to hear People saying Ja at the End of a Sentence, you should listen to the Song "Tutenchamun" from "Hgicht". It is a Dadaist Techno Song about Driving on Acid, there every single Sentence ends with Ja. The Cop responds with Ja. Example: Goa, Goa, Goa, Goa, Goa MPU, ja ? Ja . Uh,Uh,Uh,Uh, Goua Zwerg, ja ? Ja.

Relaxing in silence is much more important than the lawn.

The staring, I have never even noticed anyone staring at me. And I have never consciously stared at anyone. So I guess we don't even notice it because it's so normal. No idea really, the staring seems a non issue as someone who has grown up, in my case, in Munich,

You have a Geigenfeige in the background of your videos, so that means you would have been eligible for German citizenship 30 years ago already. If a German "stares" at you, just smile at them, they are likely just trying to figure where they have met you before. If you accidentally treat us like friends, we will likely treat you the same, accident or not 😁 For your incessant efforts at honoring our pfand system, I officially grant you the title of Ehrenkartoffel! Welcome to Germany! Your distinctiveness will add to and amplify our own! 🖖

11:18 "not even 25c" - dude, 4 bottles are a euro, that's already a loaf of bread!

I'm a Belgian living in Germany for 15y now, my mother tongue is dutch/flemish but since i speak more German then i do flemish, my flemish is very germanized now. Entire words that don't exist spoken in a way that sound more flemish or especially my sentence building is very German, so yeah... I don't think I stare, but i don't really notice people staring either 🤔 And i will pick a bottle out of the trash as well, 25ct is 25ct! Worst social media? Uhm... I guess it's all garbage 🤷‍♂️

I never see someone staring but it's probably just that I don't mind it 😅 It's still uncomfortable to cross eyes, the best reaction then is to smile or say hello or to pretend it was just a careless look. And since you mentioned it, I realised how often I say "ne" and sometimes even at the end of someone else's sentence 😂😂😂

As a German sometimes I use English words when speaking german, when I don't remember the German one at this time and it's not the typical use of english words cause they "sound better or more professional" and I feel bad by doing it, cause I know there is a german word for it that I want to use, but just can't remember.

Staring: I’ve noticed it in Germany, but I’ve also noticed it among seniors in the US. Worst form of Social Media? I think they all can be bad, but I’ve heard Tik Tok is bad…. Another great video, btw! 😊

it's shocking that americans mostly do not seperate their trash or have PFAND - holy pfand

Staring: you misunderstand something. Watching people is not staring in this country and it is not meant to make people feel uncomfortable. Instead of trying a staring battle just smile back. Real staring is different. If I would really stare at you, you would realize my look of steel and be sure: you are behaving terrible in the public transport or something. That is completely different from watching people, because of interest or being bored. Or because one has to look somewhere. A lot of people are only in their own thoughts and don’t realize they look at you. And if you are in my part of Germany watching each other in the tram and a smile and maybe a remark (the weather or whatever) at times Leads to a nice conversation.

You could get a mechanical lawnmower. They're much quieter and in most cities they are expressly allowed on Sundays and holidays. Bit more effort to push one of them across the lawn though, as the rotation of its wheels drives the spinning blades. But my grandma had one for decades and never complained.

Very funny to hear how you use (ja) also in english 😂 Some germans also use (Diggah,alter) on end of sentences 😅

I actually cannot tell if I stare or not. I just look somewhere, sorry if you're in the way and I consider it quite awkward to rapidly look somewhere else just because a stranger walked by. Also (I don't know what it's like today) I was taught to not look into the sky or on the ground when walking around, so I won't accidentally bump into someone. So where should I look to instead? And it gets really interesting for blind people who literally don't know if they stare at someone or not.

I watched Bonanza, the title cards claims, that the actors are staring, but they have pretty relaxed faces.

I’m 52 now. When I was 16/17 I was an exchange student in Schleswig-Holstein. When I’m “in German mode” and switch back to English, I have the hardest time not adding “ge-“ to past participles. Example: “I have ge-swum in that pool.” It’s terrible. It also makes me want to move it to the end of the sentence and that just makes no sense to anyone I’m speaking with. 😂 I also have a really hard time changing my mouth/throat/tongue posture instantly and will often speak English with a slight German accent for a few minutes after speaking German. Things take time to relax and “slide back into place” so I can speak with my normal Southern California accent.

May i ask you where do you live in germany? We have many rules in germany, it is not allowed to make noise on sunday, especially if you mow the lawn. It is also not allowed to drill a hole etc. Before the deposit for the bottles started many cans were thrown away so the idea was that people bring back the bottles and cans.

to habit 3: i am a German and sometimes only the English or French term/word comes to my mind. I guess that is a good sign that i am really familiar with those languages. Or in my mind i have the feeling, that the English word "hits" what i want to say much better than any German word would. Weird^^

I am a German living in the USA and I had never heard about the "German Stare" until my daughters who were born in the USA pointed it out to me during visits to Germany. And then I still did not get it. To me, people were just looking around. But now I am asking myself have I been staring all this time?

You can moe your Garden in sundays If you ASK your neighbours politly and explain your Situation. Just hurry Up when you they say ITS okay and Bring some bottles of Beer or chocolate Afterwards. You will See they will BE all understanding and Happy.

It's not staring. It's giving respect. I see you. You see me. I look into you eyes when I am talking to you. Maybe it's why we Germans look into each others eyes.

A year ago I wrote a term paper in German again (the first one in a while due to a variety of factors) and I asked my sister to proof-read it. She said that it read like it was written by an English native speaker who has achieved fluency in German, rather than a paper written by a native German speaker. So there must be some bleedthrough, but I'm too self-conscious to do an analysis of it xD

I use four of the languages I know every day. When I am concentrating in one of these languages I don't automatically switch to another when someone speaks to me in the other one.

If I don't like a social media site, I will stop using it. So I don't have a conclusive answer on the worst one. Languages bleeding into each other definitely happens, especially if you had been living in a foreign country. My mother teaches English and Spanish, she also speaks Russian. Hence, English has always been my best subject and I had been living in Russia for three years. Sometimes, you get into situations when you remember one language's words more quickly than the other one's so mix-ups happen, e.g. when I took a Spanish test and accidentally translated "Tomaten" as "pomidores" (Russian with the Spanish suffix) instead of "tomates".

I feel there are 7 days in a week and people need to find the time out of the week to mow their grass. I know that Sunday is a day of rest and should be quiet. But what about Saturday? I am an American but so happy for the quiet hours. I think if I was sick or needed sleep, I would be happy because of the laws. As far as people staring at you, I had that feeling too, at first, when I first arrived here. But I only felt that because I was new here. Living here longer now, I lost that feeling. If people stare, let them. I don't care

Wait. You have a yard!?! I have to say, last Monday I was thrilled that my neighbors were out mowing, because apparently Labor Day is not a religious holiday. I was like, "Woohoo, everything goes! (except buying water) I can mow my freaking long grass!" I must admit, if my neighbors started mowing on Sundays, I would rejoice to have this new freedom. Cuz like you said, often it's raining all week, and your only chance is a Sunday. And then we travel a lot and have no gardener. And I only mow for up to an hour. My neighbor's Spotify broadcast into both our backyards is so much worse. Cuz I have to listen to songs played so loud I can hear every word. Cuz they're in English, my language. I cannot block the lyrics out.

Well, maybe this will help you for the stare situation: Stare back 'til one of you breaks the stare, isn't the best tactic actually. Try something else: If someone stares at you, just smile and nod. Often you get a smile back and the stare turns into a non verbal greeting ;) This is much more comfortable and this is how I do it all the time. And in most cases I get a smile back and a lot of people even nod back. =)