1. petrol nowadays average about 1.50 euros per liter. and as you may already know, 1 gallon equals 3.8 liters, which basically means that in germany, you are paying close to 6 euros per gallon. furthermore, if you take the current dollar/euro conversion rate of 1 euro to 1.5 dollars, germans are paying about $9 per gallon.
2. when getting an apartment in germany, you need lots of cash:
- 2 months rent goes to the "agent", which is basically someone who opens the door for you, even though it was YOU who found the apartment online. this is called "provision". and this money you will never get back.
- 2 months rent goes to your deposit, or in deutsch, is called "kaution". this you get back if the apartment is in good condition when you leave.
- 1 month rent goes to your first month.
- about $4k goes to buying a kitchen (i.e. there are no counters, closets, sink, dishwasher, oven, stove, nothing). all you have are walls. literally. nor is there even a light socket to put the lightbulb in. when you add it all up, you need at least 5000 euros ($7500) when you get an apartment. not a condo or a house. an apartment.
3. most germans pay with cash. or an EC card, which is basically cash in the form of a debit card. credit cards are not accepted, even at stores like a sears, best buy, nordstroms, or ikea.
4. there are no checking accounts. most of your bills are paid either through online banking or is automatically deducted from your account. even your apartment rent is automatic.
5. maybe this is already common sense, but most dryers in europe are "condenser dryers." basically, there is no hose to the outside, so the moisture is actually collected through a pan. and this pan you have to manually empty out after each dryer session, just like when you remove the lint from that container. i actually had to google this one because our new dryer wasn't drying after the third time.
6. when coming from the US, you can get a german driver's license pretty easily unless you are from a state like TX. basically, germany recognizes that some US states have "similar" or "comparable" driving regulations. so if you have a driver's license from washington state, then you just need to fill out some forms. but if your license is from texas, then you have to take written and driving tests. good luck with that one. probably better to get a license from a different US state before moving to germany.
7. when there is a soccer event, you definitely know about it. almost every car has a germany flag attached from its window. people love soccer.
8. bottles are preferred over cans. you will not find many cans, if any at all. this includes beers and sodas. so if you want to stock up on drinks, you will basically carry cases of bottles of coca cola, fanta, and apfelschorle. apfelschorle is apple juice mixed with carbonated mineral water and is easily one of the most popular drinks in germany.
9. before 2006, the use of germany colors were very limited. you would be hard pressed to find anyone wearing a shirt that had the germany colors or see the flag in people's houses or cars. this of course was because of what happened during the nazi era. but in the 2006 world cup, which was held in germany, this totally changed. people started to show their colors.
10. when you watch movies in a cinema, the drinks are served in a glass. and you can bring this inside the theater.
11. it's cold in germany.
12. they do have speed limits.
13. when you first meet someone, you should call them by their last name. it is considered rude to call them by their first name unless they tell you it's ok. and even after you've known them for a while, they still need to give you that permission to call them by their first name.
14. when meeting a man and a woman together, and you're a man, you should always greet the woman first. even if the other man is your best friend or your brother, you should always greet the woman first.
15. it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
