German Differences

I'm wondering whether to make this post an "ongoing" one, where I can add stuff continuously throughout the year. I think this might be fun to look back on, since they are my first impressions of Germany. So here's the list I've compiled so far:

Food
They seem to like super creamy soups, and eat bread ALL the time. There are supposed to be different kinds, but apparently my family only eats the black wheat and white ones. They also use these mini cutting boards for their "bread dinner," as I like to call it. My family also doesn't eat tons of vegetables or fruits...just bread, bread, meat, meat, and more bread. Oh yeah, except potatoes count as vegetables. Raw meat (Mett) is also popular--they just spread it onto their bread and eat immediately. That took a while for me to get used to.

If I learned anything so far, it's how to use a knife. I never used knives back in the US because we always ate Chinese food, where we use chopsticks, spoons, and forks. But here, you have to cut almost everything you eat. Noodles are also eaten differently--they spin the noodles onto their fork, and then transfer that to their spoon. I find that super weird...what an extra use of energy.

Transportation
Ok, I thought the transportation would be better here, but that hasn't really been the case since I live in the countryside. However, I really like the U-Bahns here, because..well, they look like airplanes except they aren't in the air :) The buses here also drive very smoothly and quietly, but I have found that you can only get on through the front door and get off through the side door (in the US you can get off the front door as well). Usually, there are 2 lines for one bus--one is to get directly on (because you have a pass or punch card), and the other is for people who pay in cash.

It also seems to me that in Germany, bikers come first. That means that they are the most important. Whenever you hear or see a bike, you must move to the side for them to pass through. Cars will ALWAYS stop for pedestrians (unlike in the US..-cough-). I really like the fact that Germany has TONS of pedestrian crosswalks, and that barely anyone jaywalks. Yay :D

Random Habits
Germans apparently like to put down the toilet seat cover when they are done using the bathroom. Also, they love to carry around these packs of tissues, and blow their noses super loud. And whenever someone sneezes, they will always say the German equivalent to "bless you!" (Gesundheit). Oh yeah, and they love the word "Geneau," which means "exactly." 

Time
Um..how should I put this. Germans are definitely not as time conscious as I thought. Yes, I have been yelled at by my host sister for spending too long on the computer and in the bathroom, but she's just a nosy 9 year old like other 9 year olds in the world. The buses in my area are never on time...let's just leave it at that. I think this would be different in bigger cities.