Germophobia

Angelika And while we're having fun, I can think of another interesting little episode from American everyday life. One of the stereotypes that Germans are always associated with is that they have a bit of a cleanliness obsession and always carry a bottle of disinfectant with them (I'm exaggerating a bit). I'm not going to discuss whether this is actually true. I can only say that Americans are in no way inferior to this phenomenon in one respect, as they have a tremendous fear of bacteria and germs of all kinds, and this fear has led to some grotesque consequences.

It's not only considered polite to cancel an invitation (even among friends) if you have a cold, but you also don't blow your nose at the table; instead, you excuse yourself and do it at a discreet distance, preferably turned away from the table. In restaurants, this often means you really have to go to the restroom to blow your nose, as you're surrounded by people at the table. However, cutting your nails in public is completely okay, go figure!

Naturally, all sorts of products are sold here that kill bacteria. A disinfectant enthusiast would find America to be a true paradise. There are dishwashing liquids that kill bacteria, cleaning sprays that simultaneously wipe out every living germ on the continent (other health side effects can be safely ignored), and a type of hand cream designed solely to eliminate bacteria when you can't wash your hands. It feels like a new product comes out every week to help in the battle against bacteria. Recently, there's even a laundry detergent that kills 99.9% of bacteria (at least that's what the advertisement claims) and a dishwasher with an extra button to press that starts the mechanism to wage war against bacteria. The first time I saw the ad for this dishwasher, I was rolling on the floor laughing. The trick of just using super-hot water hasn't caught on here yet, so they tend to resort to chemical solutions, as environmental awareness is still somewhat lacking.

You might be thinking now that I'm taking quite a lot of liberties and that I have no right to criticize the American way of life. Rest assured, I am aware that every American who has ever been to Germany also has a thousand and one stories that have caused them great astonishment or amusement. We've had many laughs with our American friend Anne, who often visits Germany, when she starts to share her experiences from these trips with us. Speaking of foreigners' perceptions of Germany: there is a small book titled "Mein Deutschlandbild" ("My Image of Germany"), published by the German Academic Exchange Service (ISBN: 3-87192-688-4), in which foreigners who have studied in Germany for some time humorously and seriously describe their impressions of the country. It's a highly recommended read!