I have decided to start an ongoing series of posts called 'It's different'.
During my cross-cultural training time we were encouraged to not call things in our host country 'weird', but instead to recognize that it's different, not good or bad, just different. There are several things I find w-.. er, different in Germany. ;)
There are two German culture norms that separate from each other, are not so different, but when combined, well, then they seem a little different to me.
The first is 'lüften', to air out. Even in the in winter, it is important to open up windows and air out a room for a least a few minutes each day. With central air and heat being pretty much non-existent here, it is clear why this is important. And I find it very nice to get the stale air out and the fresh air in.
The second is keeping doors closed. This shows not only the high value on public and personal spaces in Germany, but also the value of avoiding drafts. This second reason to me seems to contradict the cultural norm I mentioned above about airing things out. In our house I like to leave the glass paneled door (which offers no privacy) to the living/dining room open. In my (American) thoughts, the door is there to keep out, or in, noise from the rest of the house, but otherwise the door can stay open. My housemates see it differently. When we are not in the room, the door can stay open. However when we are there then the door needs to be closed to avoid a draft, unless we are airing out the room.
It's different.
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