Someone on Quora asked the loaded question - why are Germans so unfriendly - and when I read this at the crack of dawn I could not resist the temptation to answer it with one finger typing on my tablet. So here is the text below German social behaviour is different from say, English speakers. English is a mid-subtle language. Saving face and politeness are important, being perfect is less important. German dignity comes from merit. Being perfect is important. 1. We generally avoid direct refusals English : We'll see what we can do . German. No . 2. Specific confirmation of informal social events. English: "Are you going to the pub on Friday? Probably/possibly/perhaps /maybe." (avoids No) German: " Yes + time/No ." 3. The imperative: (which is considered abrupt or rude in English even if you have authority. Imperative sentences are normal in German.) English: "Could you give me that book?" German: " Give
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The January Sales
Despite today being a Bank holiday in the UK it isn't a bank holiday here in Germany. Bank holidays which fall on a weekend are still holidays and by some curious process still count as holidays. In the UK, when Christmas falls on a weekend the country usually closes down for three weeks because of the two additional days off the working week. Not so here - if the public holiday falls on a weekend - tough. It just means all the shops are closed and since they are all closed on Sunday anyway there's no loss.
Monday the 3rd is not a holiday and the January sales sort of begin. Well not really - they don't need to because the entire nation in the South appears to turn up at either Media Markt or Ikea for the bargain of the year.
Now why anyone would consider a little air filter a bargain stumps me. What will they be filtering out of the air - no one smokes in the house here and South Germans certainly despise carpets so there doesn't seem to be a
Ever since we got a dodgy washing machine from Amazon we haven't really bought anything that big. Not that it was the fault of Amazon but their crap delivery men. But since then we tend to look at things in shops and then check them out on amazon. The best deal gets our money. In almost every case it is amazon.
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