Say it again!

It's always hard to speak a foreign language. The last 6 weeks I've heard and read a lot "Denglisch." I want to post now the cutest and funniest sentences. Don't be afraid, I won't use any names and to defend me and Nicky, we didn't say all of these wrong sentences. We know some other Germans :-)

"Lauren, there is an animal in your hair!"

"I can’t take a photo. The bliss doesn’t work!"

"There is some pub in the fridge. You can have it."

"Yes, she told me. I become a new computer."

"Where do you dream from??"

(It sounds absolutly correct for German people)

"I spend 5 bugs!"

Not only the language gave me/us a hard time sometimes. The American culture and way of life is in some ways very different to the German culture.

Nicky and I thought about the biggest differences about Germany and the USA:

Driving a car:

The first days on the American street was a real experience. It looks the same like in Germany, but it isn't the same. For example a crossover:

In Germany: Right has right-of-way; When two public roads cross at an uncontrolled intersection, then right-of-way is always given to traffic approaching from the right.

In the USA the first car is allowed to drive first. But when there are many cars you nearly have to take a number to know when you are allowed to drive. I never know in which order who is allowed to drive. But thank god there is Nicky: "Go ahead, Americans are too cautious!"

A very big problem for the very fussy Germans is that the Americans doesn't set their turning signal very often (the last time I saw the passenger waving his hand out of the window, instead of using the turning signal). They are often very impatient and when you change lanes Americans rarely let you in (except Andi, AnAn). Everybody is busy and wants to get home as fast as possible. Sometimes it ends like this or just the rule "who is first, drives first"doesn't work out.

And the cars are a big difference. You have great and big cars, but also there are so many cars in a very bad shape. In Germany we have to check our car constantly to get the permisson to drive them. If you only have a little scratch in the windshield you are not allowed to drive.

In Germany, the country with a rule for really everything, we also have special guidelines for transporting things on and in your car. So it's sometimes very funny but also very scary to see some cars like this.

At work:

The picture of our office you see on our homepage is wrong. This is our office:


and Nicky and I always feel like this:

But the AC is everywhere. The last time I went out for dinner, I was wearing my jacket and my scarf and I still felt like a snowman. I thought only the Detroit winter would be cold. But we are not the only cold ones. The AutoCom Team is complaning, too ... while they are sitting in front of their fan heater and drinking water with ice.

groceries shopping:

Everytime you buy something you get a bag for every single item, no matter how big or small it is. In Germany you have to pay for bags and you have to put your stuff into the bag, nobody will do it for you. The first time I went shopping I didn't buy much, but I had afterwards nearly 57683026485 plastic bags:

Will be continued.....

... the Germans are watching you!!! :-)

Mareike