It seems a long time ago now that I boarded an airplane on my way from Bogota to Berlin<\/strong> but at times I still find myself taken aback by how much my life has changed since the move.<\/p>\n There are the obvious changes that I expected when living in Germany<\/strong>, like -15C temperatures and people being on time, but there are also many subtle changes that I didn\u2019t see coming. Like, who knew I\u2019d end up speaking more Spanish in Berlin than I did in Bogota?<\/strong><\/p>\n The truth is the two places are wildly different<\/strong> (duh!), and it\u2019s been an entertaining and enlightening experience moving between the two. Here are some of the funniest, weirdest and surprising differences that I\u2019ve noticed between German and Colombian culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is the most obvious one I could have put<\/strong>, but also probably the most telling and most pronounced difference between the two cultures.<\/p>\n Colombians, in general, are a little more flexible<\/em> with their timing<\/a> than Germans.\u00a0Like, 2 hours late kind of flexible<\/strong>. My advice? Get used to hearing this phrase: “Que pena con usted es que<\/em>…” followed by a barrage of flimsy excuses<\/strong> (I’ve heard “it’s raining” before and teaches here are told of more supposedly dead family members than they care to remember).<\/p>\n In Germany the stereotype of being precise and on time rings absolutely true<\/strong>. \u201cI\u2019ll be there in 17 minutes\u201d isn’t a completely absurd thing to say to someone and, moreover, is usually entirely accurate. Moremoreover, expect a grovelling apology if someone is even just 5 minutes late<\/strong> (and definitely don’t tell them you only just arrived yourself).<\/p>\n On the flip-side, if you’re like me and not so… “accurate with your time predictions”, you’ll be in for a scolding and made to feel like a naughty primary school kid; only 100% less bad-ass…<\/strong><\/p>\n Germans have a reputation for being a dour bunch, but that\u2019s really not fair<\/strong>. They love dressing up<\/a>, they love to party and they\u2019re more than happy to help strangers with a smile.<\/p>\n Nevertheless, Germans do love a good moan<\/strong>. From the price of rent to public transport to the state of government, if you speak to locals about these sorts of things you\u2019ll be met with a barrage of complaints and ways in which they think things can be improved.<\/p>\n Not only that, but if you\u2019re eating in a restaurant don\u2019t be surprised if your German friend seems less than enthused<\/strong> when you ask how their meal is.<\/p>\n Typical responses include: \u201cI\u2019ve had better\u201d, \u201cJa it\u2019s ok but not so special\u201d, \u201cI don\u2019t hate it\u201d, and \u201cI suppose it\u2019s not so bad\u201d.<\/strong> All these should be taken to mean, \u201cYummy, yes it\u2019s really good!\u201d.<\/p>\n Compare that with a typical Colombian response to food: \u201cAiiiiiiish pero que rico!\u201d, \u201cDelicioso!\u201d, \u201cSuuuuper, I love it!\u201d and ” AAAIIIIIII HIJUEPUCHA PERO QUE ES ESTA SOPA TAN RICA?!?!?!?”<\/strong>. All these can be taken to mean, \u201cYup, it\u2019s pretty good, thanks!\u201d.<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult to say which approach I prefer. Certainly as a foreigner it\u2019s more pleasant to be surrounded by people that are smiling and seemingly content with life<\/strong>, but there\u2019s something to be said for that German desire to keep improving.<\/p>\n Of all the places I\u2019ve been in the world, I would have to say that Bogota and Berlin have been my two favourite places for partying<\/strong>. How the partying is approached, however, is extremely different.<\/p>\n The simplest way I can put it – even if it\u2019s not entirely accurate – is that in Berlin, people are serious about partying<\/strong>. There are strict rules, correct and incorrect ways to behave, and even certain ways to dance. Sehr Deutsch, oder?<\/em><\/p>\n Here, the DJs rule the night<\/strong> and make or break the atmosphere; cameras are banned and people arrive in small groups but dance completely alone<\/strong>. If you dress smartly you won\u2019t be allowed to enter (nor if you’re drunk). The rules, and there are many more, all form the backdrop of an otherwise completely anarchical and hedonistic nightlife<\/strong>, fuelled almost exclusively by deep house and techno, that rages for days at a time without stopping. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but then again the faint-hearted would probably be rejected at the door.<\/strong><\/p>\n Rule-bound hedonism may\u00a0seem paradoxical (as does the prevailing notion that the Berlin techno scene doesn’t judge anyone and yet clubs deny entrance to people they don’t like the look of), but it somehow works to the point where a night out in Berlin isn\u2019t just a good time, it\u2019s an experience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In Bogota, on the other hand, it\u2019s all about joy, smiling and sensuality.<\/strong> Rules, if there are any, are quickly smashed by inebriation and music is resolutely populist: reggaeton, salsa, cumbia, chart and vallenato rule the night<\/strong> and one club to another you\u2019ll find little variation in what you hear (aside from specialised clubs).<\/p>\n Instead of focusing on the DJ, you\u2019ll trade swigs from a bottle of aguardiente<\/strong> with your closest friends, dance with complete strangers and stumble out the club laughing, dizzy and drunk.<\/p>\n Want to party with the locals in Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin? Check out our incredible city\u00a0tours!<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I always thought it was an interesting point about the Colombian character: despite being incredibly laid back generally, put many Colombians behind the wheel of a car and they\u2019re verging on insane<\/strong>, despite the fact that they generally don\u2019t really mind when they arrive to a given place.<\/p>\n A German, meanwhile, will drive slowly and thoughtfully despite the fact that their job may well be on the line.<\/p>\n Why is this? Thoughts?<\/strong><\/p>\n Colombian warmth is almost as famous as German directness<\/strong>, and both are keenly felt immediately as you arrive in either country.<\/p>\n What\u2019s important to keep in mind as you\u2019re stared at blankly by a barman in Berlin when you greet them with a smile and a \u201chow are you?\u201d is that there are different standards for politeness here.<\/strong><\/p>\n Polite is to have the correct money ready and to know exactly what you want to order. Polite is to arrive on time to places<\/strong>. Polite is to respect other people\u2019s personal space and privacy and not intrude upon them with a barrage of questions. Polite is to not waste people\u2019s valuable time, which means small talk is often greeted with befuddlement<\/strong>: \u201cYes I\u2019m fine\u2026 why?\u201d.<\/p>\n In Colombia, of course, small talk is an art<\/strong>. Just the question \u201chow are you?\u201d can consume 10 minutes of conversation as the speakers dance a complicated, winding display of verbal acrobatics<\/strong> – 15 different ways to say \u201cI\u2019m fine, thanks! And you?\u201d. It may, on some level, seem a more superficial kind of politeness, but it sure makes the day a lot more pleasant to be surrounded by smiles.<\/strong><\/p>\n I’ve been admonished a fair amount of times in Germany for not speaking the local language<\/strong>. Yes, sure, it has a lot to do with the fact that I’m quite lazy, but it’s also because German is really, really difficult<\/strong>. Not only that, but locals pretty much exclusively speak good English (and probably Spanish and French, too), and so opportunities to practice are fairly limited.<\/p>\n In Colombia it’s quite different<\/strong>. People are surprised if you speak Spanish and are thrilled to hear a foreigner attempt to speak their native tongue. On top of that, Spanish is much easier than German<\/strong>. There are less confusing rules, a less difficult accent and less exasperatingly long words.<\/p>\n It’s definitely not just that I’m lazy.<\/strong><\/p>\n It’s the German language’s fault.<\/p>\n Not lazy.<\/strong><\/p>\n Nope.<\/p>\n#1 The relativity of time<\/h3>\n
![\"Meeting](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/Meeting-time.jpg\")
<\/a>#2 The enthusiasm\u00a0of reactions<\/h3>\n
![\"Happy](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/happy-colombians-e1385567902306.jpg\")
<\/a>#3 The seriousness of partying<\/h3>\n
![\"Golden](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/10359558_10100249041733013_5619128079268376915_n.jpg\")
<\/a>#4 The recklessness of driving<\/h3>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/SAM_3191-e1355838580942.jpg\")
<\/a>#5 The directness of speech<\/h3>\n
![\"German](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/blog-german-directness.jpg\")
<\/a>#6 The difficulty of learning a language<\/h3>\n
![\"German](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/10733852_10100225421553043_6785000357627533924_o1.jpg\")
<\/a>#7 The\u00a0variety of different foods<\/h3>\n
![\"Colombian](\"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_5663crop.jpg\")
<\/a>