My friend and colleague C. over at Bei Rot Stehen (Stop at the Red Light) writes about foreigners in Germany, usually asking them for their opinions of the Germans and their strange habits. He has a cute series called 7 + 1. In it, he asks foreigners in Germany to list seven things they like about the country and to name one thing they miss about their own country. I like his approach. He deliberately avoids the trap of asking people what they dislike. That would get repetitive and therefore dull. Adding what you miss about your country gives people the opportunity to get sentimental and show pride.
Here is my list of seven things I like about Germany (translated for you):
- The proximity to France.
- The proximity to Italy.
- That chocolate is a food staple.
- The precision of the language.
- That my employer gives me a company car and that I now drive a super sexy Audi A5, triggering envious looks from men in my neighbourhood.
- Müsli and whole grain bread from our local bakery.
- That the newspapers print long essays and opinion pieces.
And one thing I miss about Canada:
- Maple syrup in five liter containers.
What do you like about Germany? And what do you miss about your home country?
