differences and similarities

So its the end of the second week now and everyday i learn something new and interesting about German culture and language. my first impressions of Germany and the German people i would have to say are the stereotypes that we have of the German people, although i was expecting this. But everyday in my Cross-Cultural class and also in the language classes i have to reassess my ideas of the people and the customs. We do so many things differently in Australia, i am now realising how much of my culture i am not able to wlak away from which i thought i originally could, or rather i realise how much my own upbringing cant be set aside just because im elsewhere in the world and i want to learn about a different culture. For instance here is stuttgart some of the pubs we have been to have a smokers room and others just allow smoking inside everywhere, also in the s-bahn and u-bahn stations it is allowed but not on the trains or on the platforms. Another thing is that the alcohol is seriously cheap and you can buy it off the shelf in the supermarket and then walk around the streets drinking it and its fine! :O something also i have noticed is that becuase its winter they dont get flys here but after cooking a meal it is common place to leave the food in the pan and put a lid on it and leave it there till the next day when it gets eaten, same with juice- instead of putting it in the fringe its fine to leave it sitting on the bench. This is just so incredibly foreign to me its hard to grasp and its something so simple.