Observations in Germany

I have been in Germany for four weeks now and have noticed a few things that are interesting and different than the United States:

1. Pretty much everyone greets each other in the morning with a handshake and saying  Guten Morgen (good morning)
2. Most of the Germans do not come to work early.  I have seen people show up as late as 9, 9:30, and 10:00.
3. Most all the works take a couple breaks during the day and meet in either lounge area or a gathering place and have a snack,  a drink, and chat for 15 to 20 minutes.  From the way they are talking I don’t think its about work.
4. The Germans tend to be pushy when getting on to and off planes and trains.
5. The beer taste better over here.  Don’t know what it is but it is better. 
6. Most of the Germans do not work late.  I stay until 6:30 and there isn’t very many people in the office at that time.
7. The traffic lights go from green, yellow, then red like ours but at the end of the red light the yellow comes on at the same time to let you know its going to turn green.
8. The floors of the building start with the ground floor being 0 and one story up is the 1^st floor, and the next is the 2^nd.  This makes scene when you think of it unlike our that start with the 1^st floor and you go up one floor and your on the 2^nd floor.
9. They eat a lot of breads.  I see at breakfast many people take three and four rolls for themselves along with the rest of there breakfast food.  The bread has a hard crust on it.  Like it has bake a few minutes too long but its like this everyday.
10. The stores are only open until 8 pm Monday thru Friday and only until 1 pm on Saturday.  They are closed on Sundays.  This even goes for there malls.  The mall is open until 10pm but only on Thursday. The restaurants are open later and grocery stores are open later on Saturday but closed on Sunday.
11. In restaurants they charge for a glass of tap water.  The one place I went to was 1.45 Euro.  The McDonalds charged for ketchup for French fries.  In the coffee machines they charge extra for cream.  All of the grocery stores charge for bags and you have to bag them yourself (Not just at Aldi’s).
12. The Germans go for walks.  On Sunday I though I was in a protest march there was so many people.  Turns out the were just out for a walk on a nice sunny Sunday.
13. The beer taste better over here.
14. Things that are not old in Germany are old compared to the US.  I was in a restaurant that was built in 1552 but the town was founded in 800.  Yes over 1200 years ago.
15. The radio stations play English songs in English but the radio announcers talk in German.
16. The currency has coins for the one and two euro denomination unlike us who has the paper dollar.  Everyone has a change holder as part of there wallet.
17. The cost of gas is 1.37 euro per liter or $7.00 per gallon.  So quite complaining.
18.  Did I say the beer it better over here.   

That’s it for now but I will keep my eyes and ear open and let you know of any other differences.