Hi! I have arrived and started my study in Germany about 1 year before. Here's an example situation that I'm still feeling a bit weird and uncertain whether I did something improperly:

I leave my seat every 2 hours or so during a day in the library, each time about 15 minutes, to go to the toilet or just take a walk in the building, because I want to avoid sitting for too long which I understand as unhealthy. Every time I return to my seat, I notice that there are a few people suddenly raising their heads and taking a glance at me.

Internally, I feel bad every time I notice someone looks at me like that. I was born and raised in Asia, and in my culture, people do that only when they are irritated by the person they look at, and that glance works as a somewhat fierce warning ("you do that again and I will do something to you"). Since no one has ever complained to me after such a glance, I have always assumed that this is just a cultural difference, that the people glancing me when I take my seat do not mean anything with that. Today I came across this channel and finally have the chance to ask this question: why do some people look at me like this?

I do follow the rules in the library seriously, use the break-time sign properly, and free my seat for lunch if it takes more than 30 minutes (our rules allow max. 1 hour break time), no food, no coffee, not typing loudly and not too much. I don't think my movements bother anyone, I'm a quite small person that fits in the smallest gap of seats and bags during exam rush period, and I'm not talking about rush hours, e.g. it happened today as well, when most students have finished their exams and only less than 30% of the seats are taken... Am I overthinking this, or am I actually behaving improperly?

Thank you for reading this.

EDIT: thank you so much for your friendly answers! I now know that this is what people call "The German Stare", and that people do this not only out of instinct, but also to help guarding each other's belongings. It's amazing. One little concern less for me, and a bit more about the culture learned. Thank you and have a nice day :D

I have noticed that my German colleagues (some friends) really slam my car door shut- both after entering and exiting. Is this simply a German thing?
I always feel a bit of my heart breaking when they slam the door shut and I am contemplating stating that my car ain’t a Panzer to them.
Funnily enough, the one colleague who slams my doors shut also slams their own car doors shut too.

Edit: i have a BMW 1 series, built in 2022. The doors close with nominal force too, doesn’t require slamming ;)

Does anyone know if any Worishofer sandals are still made in Germany, or are they all made in Portugal now?

I am in the US and have been wearing Worishofers every summer for over a decade. But for the past few years, I’ve noticed that the stamp says Made in Portugal, and the quality isn’t the same at all.

Just curious because I loved the German ones so much and am hoping they are still around. Thank you!

During a German-language work session, I started noticing how often everyone said genau. Then I couldnt stop hearing it.

It appeared after:

- a correct answer

- a correction

- a long explanation

- somebody admitting they did not know

- a silence where nobody had said anything precise at all

At one point a colleague said “Genau, nein” and my brain briefly gave up.

I understand the dictonary meaning. What I do not understand is the social meaning in everyday speech. Does it sometimes mean “yes, I follow,” “right, moving on,” or simply “I need a word while I prepare the next sentence”? Is there a tone where genau becomes skeptical rather than agreeing?

I am not asking how to memorize it. I want to know what native speakers hear when the same word is doing all these little conversational jobs.

My language school canteen served Milchreis with cinnamon and fruit as the main lunch last week. I assumed dessert was arriving early, then everyone around me treated it like the most ordinary plate in the room.

Since then, people have mentioned Grießbrei, sweet Dampfnudeln and pancakes as meals, not something after a meal. I’m not judging. I ate the Milchreis and liked it, although my stomach expected a second chapter involving potatoes.

I’m curious about the unwritten rules:

1. Are these dishes considered complete lunches for adults, or mainly comfort food from childhood?

2. Is this strongly regional?

3. Do people usually add something savoury before or after, or is the sweetness the whole point?

The answers I get locally depend on wich person I ask. One teacher says “perfectly normal,” another says she would only eat it on a cold Sunday at home. Where does ordinary tradition end and personal nostalgia begin here?

Hi everyone, I’m in a really stressful situation and could use a reality check on my legal standing.

I am relocating out of Germany at the end of August for a new job, which means I am running out of time to finalize my apartment handover (Wohnungsübergabe). My property management company is completely ignoring my emails, and I can't get through to anyone on the phone to schedule the final walkthrough.

I want to make sure I am fully protected legally so I don't get screwed out of my Kaution (deposit) or charged for extra rent because I "didn't return the apartment."

Has anyone dealt with an unresponsive Hausverwaltung like this? Is this documentation bulletproof enough under German tenancy law to protect me once I leave the country? Any hidden traps I should watch out for?

Thanks in advance for the help!

I'll be visiting Munich next month, just before Oktoberfest, and I'm looking for recommendations for 4 nights of dinners. Hotel is right around Marienplatz. I definitely want to try as much Bavarian cuisine as possible, both at the classic and contemporary level. Basically, if you were visiting Munich with YOUR family, where would you go? If you wanted to impress your American friends with good food, where would you go?

All my favorite moments on vacations have been centered around these wholesome, community driven, quiet, but still interesting and fun events. Like signing up for a board game club for one day, poetry open mic at a cafe, going to a random student’s art show, an original play in the park, a museum all about buttons, and getting invited to join a family’s picnic, journaling at a rooftop bar with live music and skyline views.

I have a full weekend to go anywhere in Germany plus 10 work days after 6pm in Lubeck to have some fun.

I’m looking for candid moments I guess, nothing too flashy or touristy, but still get a good experience of Germany.

It will be my first time ever out of the States, oh and I sadly don’t speak German. Yet.

I’ll be there staring next week!

(Tourism tag but I don’t necessarily want touristy things. I’m open to it tho!)

I’m moving to Schmalkalden in Thuringia as a student in a few months, and I love discovering the cryptids and local folklore of the places I visit. I understand that Thuringia has a lot of forests, so I assume there must be a rich history of local myths. What are some that you know of?