We answer your questions even before you have the question.

Questions

How to cope with the relentless gloom of German winter?

• Enjoy the moments. Don’t complain. Rather look forward to these times.
• Get appropriate warm clothes and go outside. Explore the Christmas markets, have dinner at new places, try a new cafe, go to a friend’s house or invite them over.
• Get vitamin D supplements so your guts are stronger and your infection or inflammation rate less throughout the year.
• Enjoy what comes with the winter mood: warm tea, cozy blankets, a nice book or a movie, comfort food, hugs, etc.
• Get a full-spectrum light bulb, meaning a lamp which emulates sunlight. This will help avoid depression.
• Just try to enjoy. Make videos for future memories.

Best christmas market to go in western Germany?

• Western Germany includes three states in particular:
  • North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen)
  • Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate)
  • Saarland
• Based on the metrics, the main cities in these states are:
  1. Aachen
  2. Bonn
  3. Cologne
  4. Dortmund
  5. Düsseldorf
  6. Essen
  7. Koblenz
  8. Mainz
  9. Saarbrücken
  10. Trier (Treves)
• Coming to the Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt), each city has its own way and gives out unique vibe and nothing to be compared with each other. But there are a few christmas markets that took the center stage and caught the attention even from the tourists.
  1. Cologne
  2. Dusseldorf
  3. Dortmund
  4. Aachen
  5. Mainz
So try to visit the markets closest to you and safe travels and have fun.

I want to make an international transfer from my German account but no amount was deducted and I don't see the estimated date of arrival, why?

• International transfers usually require human interaction, meaning a bank employee would have to manually authenticate and process your transaction
• So if you initiated the transaction on a Friday evening, you might have to wait till Monday.
• But if it's the first time you are transferring internationally, then the transaction can also be marked as fraud and flagged. So nothing to worry about. If it's more than 5 days already, just call the bank on a weekday and they'll help sort out.

Can I convert my driving license to international so it works in Germany?

• If you have an EU driving license (such as one from Sweden), you can drive in Germany without doing anything. If you have a license from non-EU countries, you can directly convert it into an international one through that country's official online portal.

How is Christmas celebrated in Germany?

• It's a big holiday of the year in Germany. Usually people meet their family, have a fancy dinner, some might go to Church to watch Krippenspiel (nativity play), which is a play recounting the birth of Jesus.
• Gifts are given or put below the tree on the 24 Dec night. Weihnachtsmann (Santa Claus) or Christkind (Jesus's child) brings these gifts.
• But the gifts don't have to be related to Christmas customs or tradition and instead what we know the person would like to have, similar to birthday gifts.
• The main big day is the evening of 24th December. We have a whole bunch of decorations, lights, and Christmas trees from mid-November itself.

If you feel you have COVID, and your university attendance is mandatory, what do you do?

• Order a Schnelltest (rapid test) kit through someone at home or online. Try your best to not go out yourself.
• You can do the rapid test at home.
• If it's positive, you don't need to go to your doctor as when symptoms are positive, they wouldn't want you to come unnoticed.
• So call a doctor through 116117 and ask for a krankenbescheinigung (medical certificate)
• Send it to university via email or fax and you should be fine.

• If your schnelltest report is negative, it could be because we don't push the bud too deep inside our nostrils, therefore giving inaccurate results.
• So you can visit the nearest Apotheke (pharmacy) and get a test done for free. Sometimes they might require 10 euros. But you should always carry your resident ID or student ID with you.

• If the Apotheke test is positive, you call the doctor again for a medical certificate. They'll ask you to come to the hospital or even they might come home.
• They'll give you three certificates: one for you, one for your doctor and the other for your university. The university's one won't have your sensitive details, so make sure you understand which one is for whom.
This is the same process you can use even when you have covid and you have a job.

If I change my city registration (Stadt Anmeldung) address, will I also have to change my Tax ID (Steuer ID)?

Your tax ID is permanent. No matter how many times you change the location, you'll always pay the tax from one ID.

What trash should you throw in which bin?

Generally,
  1. The black or green (dark colored) ones are used for trash to be landfilled, meaning left-over foods, dust and dirt, old clothes. Basically non-recyclable items.
  2. The yellow are for plastic and aluminum packs as well as tetra pak (milk or others) packaging. Exact rules vary according to place. Basically all the recyclable materials.
  3. The blue ones are for paper and cardboard.

Is it true that it's not polite to wear a hat inside a building in Germany?

Yes, not just in building, but also in Church. Even if your head is cold or you are wearing a hard hat for protection, if you are a man, you should remove your hat when you enter a private setting.

This standard comes from traditional times when a soldier entered another soldier's home, they took the hat off because having the hat on means they are on duty and are on war. So taking it off is a gesture that it's a friendly visit.

So it's a standard not just in Germany but all over Europe.

But but but, it's a rule "because that's how it's always been" means if you have a strong reason to keep the hat or cap on, you can and let the host know that reason.

Which means, "this rule" only applies to private spaces and not in public spaces. A train station, airport, shopping mall is a building but it's a public space where you can wear the hat.

But if you are in an elevator, it can turn into a private space. Or even a small compartment of the train can be a private space. It's a nice gesture to remove your headwear at that time.

When meeting or dining with someone in a private setting, it's expected to make eye contact and not hide your gaze or intentions. That's another reason.

Even without any reason, you'll feel that taking off the hat always feels like a gesture of showing respect and demonstrating consideration.

And when there is not a predefined reason behind a rule, people assume. Some people assume that the reason behind this standard could be that if you don't remove your hat when you visit someone, it might meant that you think the host is unable (too poor) or unwilling (too cheap) to heat the place to a comfortable temperature.

If a car is blocking your private parking space, what do you do?

Get it towed for free.

But initially if it's the first time, try to find the car's owner and politely tell him/her about it.

If they repeat, maybe try leaving a note saying: "I would have to get it towed and you'll have to bear the towing expense if I see it parked the next time too."

But please don't try to block her car with your car to make her suffer because it's illegal.

So if you later want to get it towed, you can use the app called Parknotruf. You sign in to the app and send them pictures of the car and they'll tow it at no cost for you. But they'll collect all the towing and other expenses from the owner of the car.

If someone blocks your car in a public/street parking space, what should you do?

Either a police or a regulatory officer (Ordnungsamt) will have to handle them. Look for an Ordnungsamt near you and call them.

What is the most basic German dining etiquette I should know?

It's not just in Germany but all over the EU: When you are using your cutlery to cut food, you shouldn't cut the food in small chunks all at once and then keep your knife and just use the fork. It's considered a move a child would do.

Proper cutlery usage in Germany is:
  • Fork in the left hand, knife in the right hand. But if you are left handed, it can change.
  • And you cut the food once, then have it.
  • Then you do it again.
  • If you are having mashed potatoes, use your knife in the right hand to help you push it to your fork, rather than trying to take it all just with the fork.
Of course you are free to have your lunch or dinner however you feel comfortable. But in social settings (like a wedding or business meeting) and public places (restaurants, etc), it's better to follow etiquette.

I have a sore throat. What is the best cough drop in Germany?

There are many good and all works.

You can try: Em-Eukal, Ricola, Wick, Dolo-Dobendan lozenges, Dallmann's Salbei-Bonbon, or Pullmoll drops.

Some of them contain menthol and some sage which are great for relaxing the intestinal and respiratory muscles and treat internal ailments.

You can find all of them here.

A good tablet is Neo-Angin and you can find it only in a pharmacy but it can fix your throat right up.

But always try to consult your doctor before filling yourself with any sort of medication. Because each of us are different.

ACC Akut 600 is also good.

A spray from Wick is good too.

Usually you can find all the logenzes and drops in a supermarket but tablets and medication will only be found in a pharmacy.

I see a small mold in my washroom, should I inform my landlord?

Mold forms when water remains in places and you don't notice. So the ventilator helps. But sometimes we do the ventilation wrong or it doesn't reach the corner.

But usually small molds can be cleaned with a chlorine mold remover and you can buy it online.

If it comes back, report it and pay for it to someone and get it fixed. You should report it so that there is a record of it or else in future you might face a blame even if you didn't do anything.

I need a quick anmeldung but I don't find accommodation unless I am physically present in Germany. And when I am in Germany, staying with a friend or relative won't let you do the anmeldung.

Basically having an anmeldung means having an address where you can get legal documents.

So: there are some companies like City4Loving and they offer furnished apartments as short term accommodation and anmeldung is possible as each flat has its own letter box.

But they are expensive.

Which you can try if you have no other option for now and it's urgent.

It's been forever and still I didn't receive my parcel. Why?

Parcel distribution companies are on a tight schedule, especially during the festival seasons and this means they might miss.

Sometimes they miss intentionally and sometimes not.

Usually when you live on the top floors like the seventh floor, if they have to bring your parcel to the floor, it's highly time consuming and they have countless more products to deliver within the set 10-hour timeframe.

In this case they either drop you a mail to collect it from the nearest office or packet station or in some cases the product is resend to the sender. The latter happens especially when you are not at home.

I have to tip 10% in a restaurant even if I am a student?

You don't need to tip if you don't want to.

But if you want to, you can round off the amount and say "Passt so," meaning "It's okay, you can keep the change". This way they don't even have to look for a change. So you make their life easier and better by not making them look for a change.

Example: If you get a coffee for £3.49, you can give her £5.

It's a great gesture. Wait staff (waiters and waitresses) get paid a living wage and that's enough for them. So your tip is just given as an appreciation but it's not mandatory.

"Generous tipping can get you a foot in the door with the staff which can come in quite handy if you are somewhat regular."

Yes, so the first generous tip will make you stand out. You will always be remembered the next time.

I noticed a weird symbol on my front door, what could it be?

It can be hobo or zinken code.

Burglars use this to notify other burglars of a potential target or give an overview of the home scenarios so that another burglar doesn't need to check again and they can target a date and time for an attack.

Those symbols are usually understood by the Polizei (police). So call the Polizei and they'll keep you safe.

Btw, the German word for hobo signs is Gaunerzinken.

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