I find it pretty amazing that even in our globalized, interconnected world, whenever you go to another country, you're still bound to find things you've never seen before.

This experience is obviously going to be completely different for each person.

So here's my list of seven things that made me go “Ooh!” or “What”?

when I saw them here in Germany for the very first time.

First up, an odd looking vegetable that's a staple in both Kashmiri and German cooking: the Kohlrabi.

Its name comes from the words for cabbage and turnip, but it actually belongs to the cabbage family.

So how do you eat a kohlrabi in Germany?

As a side dish with potatoes.

Steamed, with sauce.

Raw.

In a casserole?

In salad.

I definitely think it's tasty.

The first time I did this to a window in Germany.

I thought I'd broken it.

The Kippfenster or tilt window is standard here in Germany.

Turn the handle like this and it opens completely.

But turn the handle all the way and the window or door will tilt inwards.

This practical, double hinged window style seems to have originated here in Germany, and it's now spread to many other countries.

Tourists in London often get excited about a trip on a red double-decker bus, but for me, it's all about the double-decker train.

In fact, these kind of double decker trains can be found in many countries all over the world.

But I first set my eyes on one in Germany, and the novelty still hasn't worn off.

Something, or rather someone that I had never seen before I came to Germany: a gynecologist.

that's not out of the ordinary in the UK, but here in Germany, women tend to go at least once a year for a full checkup at their "Frauenarzt" or women doctor.

It took me a while to pluck up the courage.

But don't worry, it's really no big deal.

Twice a year, the Germans take their cars to the garage and change their tires from winter to summer and back again.

I'd never actually heard of the concept of winter tires before, and to be honest, it seemed a tad over the top.

I mean, yeah, sure, it can snow here, but it's not Canada.

So what exactly are the rules?

Below seven degrees Celsius, you should use winter tires.

That's why we have the ‘O rule from October to Easter (Ostern), you should strap on the winter tires.

All these grooves are important to help the tire claw into the snow.

Summer tires don't need that.

Next up, this sign.

Men urinate standing up, right?

Not necessarily.

Many men in Germany prefer to take a seat, at least in their own home.

It's such an important cultural habit that its proponents have a specific name: “Sitzpinkler” or sitting pee-er.

This method means no mess from splash back or poor aim.

And one study even suggested it can have health benefits to.

Sometimes you don't realize that something's missing in your life until it comes along.

A good example of that is ice cream that looks like spaghetti bolognese.

“Spaghetti-Eis” is a hot favorite in Germany's ice cream cafes.

It was invented in Mannheim 50 years ago by pushing vanilla ice cream through a pasta making contraption.

Then there's strawberry puree for the tomato sauce and grated white chocolate for the parmesan cheese.

So which of these things were new for you?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to get culturally integrated with a bowl of spaghetti ice cream.

♪♪♪ Ordnung muss sein.

There must be order.

Ordnung ist das halbe Leben.

Order is half of life.

Alles in Ordnung?

Everything in order?

Du bist schwer in Ordnung.

You are heavy in order.

“Ordnung,” or order, pops up a lot in the German language.

So other Germans really as orderly as their turn of phrase suggests?

For sure.

I'd say so.

In some areas of life, because without order, chaos would engulf you.

In Germany, yes.

Not always.

Yes.

Because that's how it has to be.

Nothing works without order.

Order is structure and without structure a society wouldn't work, art wouldn't work.

I think even chaos has structure.

We Germans have always been taught to be orderly.

Let's take a peek into a German home for some orderly clues.

When you think of orderly, minimalistic homes, maybe you think of Japan or Scandinavia.

But you know that popular Swedish home furnishings company, the one with all the particularly orderly storage solutions?

Well, most of its products are sold in which country?

Something that struck me when I moved here is that practically every German household seems to have a variation on this furniture item.

That way, even clutter can be orderly.

An important point of order in the home is rubbish.

Germans take trash separation very seriously.

You should separate: paper, plastic, organic waste, other household waste, garden waste, brown glass, green glass, white glass, bottles with deposits on them, electric waste oh and batteries.

Order is particularly important for people who live in a shared building, a cluttered hallway, messy laundry room, or a badly parked car are surefire ways to make enemies of your neighbors.

The buildings “house order” rules will often stipulate which part of the stairs you're responsible for cleaning, who puts the bins out, and who's responsible for sweeping the pavement outside or clearing it of snow.

The Swabians in southwest Germany even came up with the “Kehrwoche” or sweeping week, essentially a cleaning rota.

You might find that a “Kehrwoche” sign appears outside your door overnight.

Just a friendly reminder.

And then there's noise.

You've got to keep it down after about 10 p.m.

and all day on Sundays and bank holidays.

Each local government has a department dedicated to order the Ordnungsamt or Office of Public Order.

Among its diverse duties is noise control, so they're likely to be the ones who turn up.

You're breaking the noise rules, and your neighbors have had enough.

Of course, not all Germans are such big fans of order, and there are times when the Germans seem to flout their orderly reputation en masse.

Take New Years Eve, for example when the streets are full of people letting off cheap fireworks in all directions, with apparently zero regard for health and safety.

Then there's the “Polterabend” - a tradition of smashing crockery to bring luck to a soon to be married couple.

or, of course, carnival season, Ohen the supposedly straight laced Germans put on crazy costumes and make a lot of mess in the street.

But even then, they can't quite shake their deep rooted orderliness, because the last float in any carnival parade is sure to be the rubbish truck.

[Broom sweeping pavement] Learning German can be many things.

It can be annoying, frustrating, infuriating, time consuming, overwhelming, tiring, insanely difficult, and full of tongue twisters.

I mean, has anybody ever tried to say Streich...holz... Streich...holz... ...schächtel?

Schachtel?

Streichholzschachtel!

Yeah, I finally said it.

I know German can be a very stubborn language to master, but over the years I have identified a few classic patterns which, if you know how to spot, we'll get you a long way in Germany.

Here are my top three German survival tips.

Number one: master die Wörtchen.

In my experience, grasping how Germans use small words in sentences is a very useful skill.

My top picks: “Doch” is a very diverse word and knowing when to say it is key.

Here are a few examples.

The weather has turned out nicer than I thought.

You're not coming, are you?

Yes, I'm coming.

You said you were coming.

He went across the street to buy his present but then he remembered that he actually still had to go to his mother.

It is impossible to translate “doch” into just one word because it has many uses.

At best, I would say that sometimes it works as a confirmation and sometimes as a contradiction.

Nein!

- Doch!

- Nein!

- Doch!

- Nein!

- Doch!

Oder.

I was taught that oder is mainly used like the English “or” and if capitalized, it refers to the German river Oder.

But colloquially Germans use this word a bit like English question tags.

Du kommst heute, oder?

Das ist echt cool, oder?

The German word “nein” is often shortened in different ways: "ne", "nö", "nä", "na".

And na works perfectly fine as both a greeting and a response to it.

Na?

Na?

Number two: learn the pronunciation.

Convincing Germans can be easier if you can nail the pronunciation or "Aussprache".

This can be challenging because there are a few German sounds that can be quite hard to pronounce, like the German R, which is very different from the three Bengali Rs I learned as a child in India.

[Rs pronouned in Bengali] In comparison, the German R is closer to a growling sound.

Rose, Rache, Resturlaub.

Also, every time I board a bus or tram, I repeat the names of the stops in my head and try to imitate the announcer.

Nächste Haltestelle: Ürziger Straße.

This is very useful to learn how to pronounce the different syllables correctly.

Just remember to not practice this out loud.

Nächste Haltestelle: Rheinaue Hauptzugang.

You may attract some stares if you do.

Rheinaue Hauptzugang.

Number three: don't take the German grammatical gender too seriously.

In German, every noun has a gender which decides its article “Der” for masculine nouns, “die” for feminine and “das” for neutral ones.

Yep, it's truly a jungle out there.

People who learn German as a foreign language know how traumatizing memorizing all the articles can be.

In the beginning I tried learning them all, but then I soon realized that nobody was really judging me for using the wrong article.

In fact, what really mattered was that I know how to use the correct nouns, so don't beat yourself too much up about these articles.

How fluent am I today in German?

Boah, hä, ach... I would say I'm fluent in Alltagsdeutsch or everyday German and learning new tricks all the time.

See you next time.

Hey, how are you doing?

Yeah, yeah.

I'm fine, thanks.

How are the kids?

Theyre fine?

Oh, great.

Yeah, we must catch up sometime.

Call me.

Small talk.

The Germans don't even have their own word for it.

A German-English dictionary describes it as “oberflächliche Konversation” or superficial conversation.

Ouch!

Germans do get very perplexed when English speakers greet them in the street with a “How's it going?” And then walk on by without actually expecting an answer.

But that doesn't mean the Germans don't have their own version of small talk.

The key difference is that when Germans engage in chit chat, they want facts, they want numbers, they want statistics.

Say you arrive somewhere by car.

Elsewhere, people might casually ask how the journey was and not really care about the answer.

But a German won't let you get away that easily.

They'll ask how long the drive took and how many roadworks you came across.

They'll ask you which route you took and expect you to answer.

With accurate road names and even motorway exits.

If your journey was long enough, they might even whip out one of their favorite questions: How much did it cost to fill up your tank?

It's just a thing here.

When Germans return from holiday, they'll be eager to tell you about three things the beaches, the food, and the gas prices.

You should always do some basic research before entering a social situation in Germany.

Be prepared to talk about news and politics, but you should also have some numbers up your sleeve, like how many inhabitants does your home town have?

Oh, and if you get onto the topic of where you live, your German conversation partner will want measurements.

As in how big is your apartment in square meters?

For bonus points, be ready with the average price per square meter of living space in your area of the city.

They'll lap that up.

Okay, let's see how good the Germans are at German small talk.

60 square meters.

My flat... 73.6 square meters.

It's got two and a half rooms and a balcony.

160 square meters.

About 200 square meters.

Just over 70 square meters.

1 million.

Just over half a million.

12,000.

342,000 It's a little village.

Including us, 720 inhabitants.

There's another very important topic that you have to master in order to small talk in Germany.

As a Brit, I thought I had this topic down, but it turns out the Germans can give us a run for our money.

I'm talking about the weather.

Specifically complaining about the weather.

It's too hot to cold, too wet, too snowy.

It's too... weathering.

The word for susceptibility to the weather is "Wetterfühligkeit", and the Germans will blame the changing weather for all sorts of ailments.

And a final tip for German small talk: Practice your “draft chat”.

In whatever context, be it a party or in the office, Germans absolutely love to talk about drafts and the various stages of airing a room.

A classic scene: One German walks into the room and says, “Oh, es ist hier stickig” or it's sticky in here.

They decide it's time to: "kurz lüften" or give the room an airing.

Then someone else will invariably walk in and say: "Oh, es zieht!"

That means theres a draft.

They'll wrap a scarf pointedly around their neck, grumble about getting ill, and close the window.

German windows even have a special airing position.

The hinge technology must be really strong to cope with the constant opening and closing.

So you see, German Small talk is easy really.

Drop the niceties, know your numbers and have a strong opinion on air circulation.

See you next time - auf Wiedersehen!

Stop!

Police!

Do you want to stay on the right side of the law in Germany?

Well, here are a few things you probably didn't realize are banned here.

Several times a year, on so-called “silent days,” dancing in public is forbidden in Germany.

The dance ban is most strictly enforced on Good Friday, one of the most important dates in the Christian calendar.

The exact times of the ban vary between states and in some places it's also forbidden to have sporting events, move house, or show particular films.

But it's not Good Friday.

No, but it is Sunday, and every Sunday is a “quiet day.” The law states you can only do DIY if it doesn't involve any drilling, hammering or banging.

So I guess that leaves...gluing?

Other forbidden activities include playing loud music, recycling glass and skateboarding noisily in a residential area.

Don't even think about mowing your lawn.

These rules usually apply on public holidays too, as well as certain times of the afternoon and evening, depending on regional law.

Ganz einfach!!

[Simple!]

In Germany, it can really pay to hold your tongue.

Insulting somebody can land you a hefty fine or up to one year in jail.

Here are some examples from real court cases, Nutter!

The sun must have burnt your brain!

I would really like to say "a**hole" to you right now!

Screwball!

The more you earn, the more you pay.

A professional footballer recently received a 25,000 fine for insulting a pensioner in a car park.

Germans are extremely obedient when it comes to pedestrian crossings.

And no wonder: walking across the street when the light is red could land you in on the spot.

Fine of 5 to 10.

New drivers can even have their probation period extended by two years for walking over on red.

You know, sometimes I think Rachel's a bit boring.

Wouldn't it be great to be called something cool like Princess Asparagus?!

Hold it right there.

In Germany, you can only change your name if you have a really, really good reason for it.

Like, no one can pronounce it or it causes you psychological distress.

When getting married, only one partner can take a double barreled surname.

And when naming your children, there are various legal precedents too.

Like?

Well, the name must be easily recognizable as a first name.

So that's why there's not very many baby "Müllers" or "Schneiders" running around here.

No names that will be harmful to the child in any way.

Fair enough.

Up until 2008, the name also had to make it clear whether the child was male or female.

But that's not the case anymore.

Let me hear you say “21st century!” But titles like Lord or Princess are still out.

Oh, man!

Step away from the sponge.

What?

I'm not even allowed to wash my own car in front of my own home?!

No.

But with good reason.

The water containing dirt, grease, and cleaning chemicals can make its way into the groundwater and eventually into rivers and lakes.

Save yourself a possible fine of thousands of euros and head to a professional car wash.

They'll have to comply with strict rules when disposing of the water.

So what do you reckon - have the Germans gone too far or do you love a good ban?

See you next time.

And remember, stay clean!

This episode of Meet the Germans is all about passion, relationships and love in Germany.

Let's be very German about it and start off with some numbers.

Two thirds of Germans believe in love at first sight.

The average age for getting married is 33.

Gay marriage has been legal since 2017.

Most people in Germany still meet their partner through mutual acquaintances, but online dating and apps are not far behind.

Somewhat unromantically, the German word for a dating site is "Singlebörse" - the singles market.

There are various specialist markets on offer, two like ones for vegans, goths or Swabians.

But what about when they're actually on the date?

So, as I've only ever dated one German, I thought I'd bring in some DW colleagues of mine to get a more rounded picture.

I am Adonis and I come from Syria.

I'm Louisa and I'm from the US.

My name is Dana and I'm originally from Israel.

My name is Fred.

I come from Rwanda.

I'm Leah and I'm from Australia.

I think that in Germany it generally takes longer to get to know somebody.

I don't know if you can call it a trial phase or something.

Once you're there, I think you're really integrated completely in their lives.

People take actual time to even tell you “I love you.” When they say it, they really mean it.

And they don't say it nearly as often.

They're not in your face or like very aggressive, which makes me feel far more relaxed and comfortable.

To go out on a date with the German It's always like you have to find appointment and then you expect like it's going to be this week and or the week and after, maybe.

And then he's giving you appointment for next month on Wednesday at 3 p.m.. And I'm like, I don't know what I'm going to eat tomorrow.

Are the dating rules different in Germany?

Being punctual, it's like rule number one I think.

There are steps.

Don't rush.

Take it slow.

I wouldn't exactly say that chivalry is dead in Germany, but I do often have the feeling it's gone missing sometimes.

Nobody uses their real name or like Facebook, or they don't have WhatsApp because it's too open.

You have to expect that you have to split your bills in the restaurant.

The waiter will come up to you and they'll ask you: "Paying together or separately?"

And then the answer will come from the German guy, "Separately."

And I'm like, okay...!

How do you know if a German is flirting with you?

That sounds like the beginning of a joke.

I think always through the eyes if they give you a special look.

Maybe Germans are not the greatest at communicating the fact that they are into you.

They don't tend to show maybe their excitement that much.

If they're flirting, it's not clear.

Have you been on any unusual dates in Germany?

I think, like in a sauna.

So I'm standing there at this really weird kind of activity sauna date.

You have to get naked in Germany.

Awkward!

So I know Germans are, like, quite fit, and they're interested in all kind of like, outdoor activities, which is nice, but maybe I'm not into, like, bouldering on the first time we meet.

Sometimes people just tell you let's take a walk or let's meet at the park.

For us, it's not romantic to be in a forest or somewhere in the park.

Since around 2008, couples have been coming to this bridge in Cologne to leave a padlock as a lasting symbol of their love for one another.

There are well over 100,000 padlocks on the bridge, adding an estimated 50 tons of weight.

Other cities around the world have begun removing locks from their love bridges, citing health and safety concerns.

But at least for now, love has won the day in Cologne.

Seeing as were in Cologne, we should probably talk about The Rhinelands, “Maibaum” or May tree tradition.

In the night leading into the 1st of May, enamored young Germans, traditionally guys, of course, go in search of a birch tree, transport it by whatever means necessary, decorate it with colored streamers and a love heart, and tie it to a lamppost outside the beloved's home.

For the more modern Romeo, there are even May tree delivery services now.

But enough of the sweet stuff.

It's time for some sauce.

How open are the Germans when it comes to sex?

I think most people in Germany are still very reserved and shy.

My name is Regine Thoeren and I ran an erotic shop for women in Cologne for 25 years.

At first it was really tough.

No one wanted to sit next to me at choir practice.

Once they found out what my job was.

What were your best sellers?

We essentially lived off vibrator sales.

Penis shaped ones weren't all that popular.

This is more secretive.

It's all you need.

It can be really small.

And how old were your customers?

About 50 to 60 years old.

One time, a significantly older lady came in and said, my husband has been stroking his way right past the spot for 20 years.

I've had enough.

I'm buying a vibrator.

It's time for me to love you and leave you.

But before I go, here's a little love related wisdom from Germany: 'Liebe geht durch den Magen” The way to a person's heart is through the stomach.

“Herz auf der Zunge tragen:” In Germany, you don't wear your heart on your sleeve, but on your tongue.

Oh, and "Alte Liebe rostet nicht" Old love doesn't rust.

Have you ever been there?

You're on holiday and you decide to go for a hike, but you didn't really prepare for it.

And of course, who do you come across on the trail?

A German.

Wow, serious shoes.

Check out that practical beige rucksack.

The classic all weather jacket.

What's that?

Special trousers zip off at the knee.

Oh, boy.

Please don't... ah, there they are: The walking sticks.

The Germans love to walk.

Of course there's walking.

And there's walking.

“Sonntagsspaziergang,” or Sunday Stroll, has long been an established feature in the lives of many German families.

But a step up from this is “wandern” or hiking.

The difference isn't necessarily about gradient or strenuousness, It's that “wandern” involves planning.

A route, a schedule and equipment.

Hiking is the most popular outdoor activity in Germany.

Whether it's a longer journey with stopovers in hiking huts or a quick day trip at the weekend.

Young and old, in any season - They just love it!

It just makes you happy.

Hiking warms the heart.

I spend a lot of time indoors, so it's great to be out of nature.

It really helps you relax and it keeps you fit.

Germany just has the right climate for hiking.

I get my best ideas hiking.

It has so much tradition.

Germany is a hiking nation.

You can relax and get away from daily life.

You might meet other nice people.

It's great all around.

So have the Germans been roaming the hills since time immemorial?

Not quite.

Back in the day, hiking was for religious pilgrims, tradesmen, scholars and vagabonds.

The German mountains and forests were seen as uninviting - dangerous even.

It wasn't until the 1800s that German nature got itself some good publicity, courtesy of the Romantics.

Poets and painters joined forces to big up the great outdoors.

People started to realize they could walk for pleasure.

The arrival of the railway meant that even city dwellers had easy access to the countryside.

And then the Germans did what the Germans do best.

They got organized.

They formed hiking associations, marked out paths, and even set up the first ever youth hostels.

Sadly, even the wholesome pursuit of hiking couldn't escape the shadow of national socialism.

The Nazis saw hiking as an elitist, selfish hobby, and they funneled youth hiking members into the Hitler Youth.

But in the postwar years, a renewed connection to nature became part of the healing process for many Germans.

Today, hiking is more popular than ever, and it's big business.

The Germans spend billions of euros every year on hiking trips and fancy equipment.

There's certainly plenty to keep them occupied in Germany, some 300,000 km of signposted hiking routes along forest trails, alpine tracks, wine valleys and coastal paths.

But the Germans are no longer just hiking at home.

1 in 4 will indulge their hiking habit while holidaying abroad as well.

Wherever they are, there's another vital element to a German hike.

It's so important, it's got its own verb.

“Einkehren,” or stopping off for a refreshment along the way.

Maybe a schnitzel, some cake, or just a cold beer to keep your energy out for the last leg.