Musings & observations: AKL vs. MUC -Part I

I have been in Munich for six weeks now. As soon as I exited Munich airport I could breathe in the differences. I thought I better start noting down some of the quirkier ones before I become immune to noticing them (I hope that never happens): 

• No one ever seems to be happy on the subway. Like most major cities of the world (just not Auckland), Munich has a decent public transport network, which I think I have learned to navigate quite well considering I didn't grow up doing it. Hence I am usually sitting in the subway stoked with myself about having gotten on the right sub (is that what you would call it?) that's going in the right direction, while everyone else looks as if they are heading to a funeral. I'm trying to change this as I make a little game out of smiling at as many people as possible and try to get them to crack a smile. I'm starting to win.

• It seems to be acceptable for men to relieve themselves in public. In the first two weeks of my residing here, I came across two middle-aged men answering the call of nature in the middle of the street. The first, as I was coming up from the subway. He didn't even make a point of being discreet, just stood by a rubbish bin and off he went. While everyone else was casually passing by. At first I thought maybe he was homeless, but upon closer inspection (not too close of course!), I realised he was wearing a suit and had his helmet on ready to bike off. Now I'm the first to empathise with someone desperately needing to go, and especially with older men (I have an irrational sense of empathy for them), but come on, they're not dogs, ask to use a bathroom. Or they could at least go behind a bush and spare me the visual.

• Dairy products (butter in particular) taste so different (better?), and are so cheap. On my flights between New Zealand and Germany, the butter they serve with the bread rolls is always the first signal as to which country I will be touching down in. On Air New Zealand they serve 'Anchor' and generally in NZ, the butter is salted. One would tend to buy unsalted butter for baking purposes only. In Germany however, unsalted butter is the norm. And it's sooooo creamy! Since NZ's largest industry is obviously the dairy industry, I always assumed we had such great dairy products, but the cows here certainly deserve some credit. I don't quite know which I prefer taste wise, I do enjoy the slight saltiness of NZ butter with sweet jam, but there is also something intensely satisfying about a fresh German Breze (still slightly warm) with that pale, cool, cream. Hmmmm...

• There is a certain walk that the girls do here, that I have named "Taschen Tussi" walk. Literally translated, the "Bag Bitch" walk. It's that walk where you carry the ridiculously over-sized bag (naturally by some designer, that you are advertising for) in the crotch of your arm and strut like you mean business. I am not sure whether I will ever adopt this walk. Shall keep you posted.

• Overall, I've always felt that the Germans are a lot surer of themselves. I don't know whether I've noticed this because I have sometimes been unsure of myself in certain situations, but in a sense it makes me more comfortable because I just get on with things. I don't worry so much about whether I might look ridiculous or what people might think, because they are getting on with whatever it is that they are doing and not worrying about me. I guess it's that "Urban Anonymity". I think I like it. 

On that note, I'm off for a morning wander in the sunshine, before brunch with my friend from Stockholm, since I have been cooped up working on an assignment all week. Well, most of the week...had a cracker night out on Wednesday, but more about that another time. 

Yours truly,

Fräulein SoulFood x