Hamburg view and update of my life in Germany

Today I begin with a photo of the view of Hamburg (my favourite view of the city) and a small video I did. I was standing at the Lombardsbrücke, facing the center of Hamburg. The view was peculiar today because of the sun and becuase of the rooftop of a building was shining, and the reflection on the water was special.

I am happy because my German is getting better. I feel very comfortable now in our German class and I can now see my improvement. I still have to work a lot on the declinations and the articles of the words, and the new German gramatic we are taught each week. But I feel better. I now feel confident enough to apply to some jobs that I did not consider before.

The job seeking is still slow, I am still waiting for some responses. And yes, sometimes I get a little bit desperate. But I am sure it is going to come, sooner or later. I hope is sooner than later. Sometimes I see too much the differences of cultures (between mine and the German culture) and that makes me think whether I would be able to stay long in Germany. And some other times I just think I should adjust myself.

One small but special example: Most of the Germans, when you are walking in the street and they are behind and want to walk ahead of you, won't say anything and they would walk without saying Pardon or Excuse me (Entschuldingung). It was one of the first things I noticed on my early visits to Germany in 2000. But I could compare it on our last trip to France some weeks ago. People would say "Pardon", when they want to pass in France. Here they don't say anything.

Or even worse, if you are about to go out from a store or the train or any building, when you are at the door, there will be very few occasions when Germans will give the way to each other. Here is more like: I am first, no matter what. No matter you are pregnant, you are in a wheel chair, you have children with you. Nope. I am first and the rest of the world does not exist. At least that's how the Germans in these situations appear to me.

Should I adjust? Normally I don't. I am still polite and give way when I must. But sometimes you are like the looser in the situation. You open the door to an old lady for example, and then behind come 4, 5 or 6 persons before they let you in finally. I know, sounds stupid. But then I think: Forget it, let's just be arrogant like everybody.

Ok, these are "Kleinigkeiten" (or small details), but then you sum things up and makes you wonder. My wife meanwhile listens to me complain and then tells me: what can I do? what can I tell you? Nothing I guess.

Other than that, our new life in Germany, like everybody when arrive in a new country to live, has its ups and its downs. For example, and I would love to argue about this in another post: does our behaviour change dependent on the language you are speaking or the country where you live? Is it stupid or it actually happens? I more or less know myself when I speak on my own language and I have more or less an idea on how much my behaviour changes when I speak English, but what it is going to happen when I speak German? Can you actually control it?

Anyway, if you have any idea about this, please share it. Here is the video of Hamburg and the alster: