Last week I was standing in line at the grocery store and I was suddenly slightly displaced as I was struck quite solidly from behind by a shopping cart. This hadn't happened to me for quite some time so I had forgotten that personal space and the North American's need for it is not very important in this culture.
We've lived in Germany for 11 years now and I sometimes think I'm quite used to this culture and its differences. Then suddenly something happens that brings me back to reality and the fact that this culture is not mine and I will always be a foreigner here.
On a more practical note, there is something I do like about this culture and their shopping carts. Do you see how the front and back wheels are slanted? All the wheels on a shopping cart here swivel. At first this is a trial and can actually cause serious accidents, however, once you get used to them they are a dream to maneuver and those carts back in Canada feel extremely stiff.
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