Germans don’t beat about the bush

My name is Amy and I am English. My partner’s job brought us to Germany a year ago. Cologne, in comparison to Amsterdam, might be a bit gloomy and not so pleasant on the eye, but it does not disturb me anymore. The longer I stay the better it gets! And I admire the fact that people here just accept it as it is and try to make the best of the city!

What was the biggest struggle for you when you moved from Amsterdam to Germany?

Getting all the administrative things sorted. It proved to be tricky. In Amsterdam, where we lived before, everybody speaks English, and here there is an expectation that you actually speak German and we don’t.

What is it that you miss in Cologne?

As a parent, I miss the kinder cafes and more playgrounds. I also miss a good supermarket.

I like it here though; I am now fond of Cologne! Generally people tend to be more serious and a bit cold, but once you know them, they are much warmer than they appear to be. One thing though, Germans do not know how to queue correctly.

What is typical German for you?

To follow the rules! Germans are very serious, conventional and traditional, honest and open with their opinions. They are more direct, straight talking and they don’t beat about the bush!