Idiosyncrasies #2

• Automatic transmission is non-existent
• Glaze donuts are non-existent (the closest you can get is a donut with granulated powdered sugar on top). All donuts have some sort of topping.
• To enter most stores, you have to push, not pull, the door open
• When giving directions, people will tell you the distance…in meters. (Which is funny because in the States we always give distances in time—“oh, it’s about five minutes’ walk”. Distances in blocks is about as close as we’ll come. Cause I mean really, when was the last time someone told you how far you needed to go…in feet?!)
• Peperoni is not pepperoni as we know it in the States…it’s hot peppers. If you want pepperoni, it’s called peperoniwurst
• Public trash cans are few and far between. Should you be lucky to find one, its prolly hanging from a street sign post and about ¼ the size of those found on every corner in America. Those that are free-standing are split into 4 quadrants, each having a hole—2 for paper, 1 for glass, and 1 for “waste”
• Pizza and gelato are the only foods that are cheaper out here, after conversion to dollars, than at home.
• Mercedes’ are badgeless (i.e. you never know the car’s model number, just that you want one)
• Escalators have motion detectors. So late nights, when no one is using them, they stop and only start back up the next time someone goes to use them (remember that the next time yo drunk self decides to supaman down the escalator thinking its broke)
• McDonald’s are like Chipotle’s out here. The quality of the food and restaurant interiors are MUCH better than at home…also more expensive.
• No free refills
• All names of clubs are English words
• Gas is cheaper in the city than it is on along the Autobahn
• You can go to any store that sells liquid in a glass bottle, give them your empty glass bottle, and they are required to take it and give you a credit on your next bottle purchase
• In some places, the storage lockers are free…all you do is pay a 1 Euro deposit that you get back when you return the key. The same goes with the gluhwien mug at the Christmas market, only with this, the deposit is typically 3 Euro and the mugs are hardly ever returned by tourists like myself cause they make for good souvenirs.
• Finally, it isn’t pronounced “Cheers”, its “Chioos” for women and “Chuss” for men.

Cheers.