telling you how it is

Laura here.
It is getting harder and harder to think of differences between American and German experiences, not because there aren't many, because there are. I distinctly remember when we first arrived and thinking that I radiated American-ness and that the Germans could see me walking a mile, I mean kilometer, away. But now, things are starting to seem normal...
except for when Germans confront you. It is very culturally acceptable in Germany to tell someone if they are doing something wrong, or if there is a better way. Even if you don't know them. Even if they don't speak German.
I experienced this in a very real way. I was driving home but there was a detour because of some trees being cut down. Now, I got a little turned around and was driving on a road that is normally private. But, there didn't appear to be any other way up the hill to our house. About halfway up the hill a man stood in the middle of the road wagging his finger at me. He motioned for me to roll down my window and proceeded to wave his arms and yell in German. I tried to explain in my broken German how sorry I was but the main road was closed, I just needed to get home, etc. I tried to look as pathetic and apologetic as possible. He finally moved but not until I knew that I should NOT be driving there.
The next experience with German confrontation happened to a friend of ours. He was minding his own business in the produce section of the grocery store when a German woman started addressing him in stern, loud German. He was sure she couldn't be talking to him because he was literally doing nothing, and especially nothing wrong. She continued to talk at him, he continued to hope she wasn't talking to him. She finally took him by the sleeve to the other side of the produce section and pointed at avocados. He had been looking for a good avocado and she wanted to make sure that he knew there were riper ones in the other section. He probably would have been happier with his unripe avocado, but instead, he got an earful of German and a good avocado.
They are not afraid to be involved and tell you that you are wrong, they know a better way, or you should go here, buy this, turn here, etc. It is a little intimidating. German isn't really a friendly sounding language. But, I suppose it is refreshing to never have to wonder if you are doing something wrong, because someone is going to tell you.