What 8 Years In Germany Does To You

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0:00 8 Years
0:34 Poison
1:46 Booze
2:26 The Natural Way
3:55 What's Up?
5:07 Hacked
7:05 The Old World
8:33 Time Thievery
9:50 Pretentiousness

[NavidReza-suku]

3:39 "There is a time for everything." - That actually is a german saying right there :D
"Alles zu seiner Zeit."

[BruceBoschek]

I was born and grew up on the south side of Chicago where I never felt comfortable or felt as if I belonged there. After getting a BS in microbiology from Purdue in Indiana in 1965 I left the States for Europe. After a few months I felt like I was finally at home. Of course, in the beginning there was the beer, the sausages, the Autobahn and the Weinstuben, but after 6 months I got a job at a Max Planck Institute in Tübingen and that turned into a Doktorandenstelle, so I went on to get a doctorate in biological cybernetics, biochemistry and microbiology. The first time I returned to the US was 7 years after I left and it was a lecture tour, including a lecture at Purdue. I stayed at the Max Planck Institute for 12 years and then founded a department of electron microscopy at a major university in central Germany, from which I retired 40 years later. I have been married to a German textile and pastry artist who learned to make pies from me and went on to become a world-famous pie decorator and author of the definitive work on the subject. We bought and restored a 19th century abbey in which we live with our two German Shepherd dogs.
I hijacked this video with my life story so that I could say this line: The very best thing I did in my life was to move to Germany.

[flohteppich]

"People in Europe are a little bit more in tune with the natural cycle of things" and switching the scene to a cyclist. Made me laugh. 😄

[rikkidgermano]

One thing it did not change, your sense of humor. Yes, there are other Youtubers from the USA living in Germany now but most of their videos are dull and boring but your videos are informing while still not missing the humor we've been getting throughout the years from you. Looking forward to the following years.

[zed]

Love your comment about perspective gained by living abroad. When I was in the US Navy, I lived in Japan, South Korea, and the British Indian Ocean Territories, plus visited a number of countries in the Pacific Rim, Indian Ocean, Mideast, and Europe. Having that insight into how others perceive the US was quite interesting and valuable, and it was great to see how other countries do things differently—and often better—than we do. The key is having an open mind and willingness to learn. Sadly, too many Americans don't.

Mark Twain once wrote, "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime." So true.

Lastly, on my first trip to Germany in 2007, I came across this on a bulletin board in the guesthouse I was staying at in my grandfather's hometown of Schöntal, not far from Schwäbisch-Hall:

"Die Welt ist ein großes Buch, und jene, die nicht reisen, lesen nur die erste Seite."

"The world is a great book, and those who do not travel only read the first page." Also true.

[axelotl]

You know what season looms on the horizon? Grünkohl season!

[heinerlanvers]

I am german and i love the small talk too....Yes its costs nothing

[kimvaisanen]

Dear Nalf,

Thank you very much for your Eight Years in Germany video on YouTube.

Your kind words about European people, manners, nature, culture and history are so kind. There are so many nations and ethnic groups in Europe but punctuality is our Europeans good and bad manner. We Europeans like privacy. Nature is in our hearts. We love our nature. Four seasons in year is the best in Europe. European history is everywhere all over Europe. Old World means a lot all of us Europeans. It is our heritage.

I wish you all the best!

Greetings from Helsinki, Finland!
Kim Vaisanen

[michaelburggraf]

About that small talk thing and Germany. My father and my grandfather liked to make funny small remarks to complete strangers standing nearby sometimes. It was something fitting to the situation and to brighten up the mood a bit. That of others and his own. Something to make the other person smile.
And it works almost always.
When I happen to find a good one I like to try that too and I enjoy it's effect on others and myself.

[omrgpdb]

Good analysis and I was onboard with all of it.
I was born in 1957 and spent 3 years in Germany from 1980-1983.
I was in the Air Force stationed on a German AFB and was therefor very immersed in the German society and culture.
It only took a couple of weeks before I realized that I’d been given a unique opportunity.
I did find that seriously trying to learn the language opened far more doors for me than if I had never tried.
Although I was never fluent, I could speak and understand the language without having to use English.
I never went home for the entire 3 years and really missed it once I returned home.
Today, I live in a North Georgia tourist town that is German themed and has around 5 million tourists come through a year.
We are super involved with most of the festivities and although it’s not Germany, it’s a great mixture of both worlds.
Wishing everyone a great weekend and Fall Season.
Guitar Player in Georgia.

[blessingsoutlaw]

This was great! I wish all kids from the U.S. could take a gap year or two to travel...perspective is everything.

[jeffjeziorowski]

I love your videos! I was born in Germany to American parents. My father was in the army. I grew up hearing stories about Germany and how much they loved it there. When I turned 18 I also joined the army mainly to go to Germany. I was stationed in Würzburg 84-87 and Stuttgart 88-91. I married a German and everything you mentioned has also changed me. I still go back there as often as I can. I have few regrets in life but I do regret not staying in Germany 🇩🇪!

[Otte]

Leaving the USC "just for a year"... was probably one of the best decisions of your life.

You met tons of new friends, traveled many different countries, met the love of your life - but you still film a lot, made with unicorn town a film shown on multiple platforms... You got an italian citizenship and learned the european way. To quote Ferris Bueller "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
Now you live in Europe, earn money with your films - and also have time to enjoy the benefits of traveling, Volksfest and lazy sundays. 😊

In the End: Leaving LA wasn't the worst decision. (To describe it the low-key german way 😉).

[dertechniker]

I agree with the nature. No other country has a stronger bond to their forest for example.

[melvinheward]

I agree with you! I lived in Berlin, Germany, on September 6th, will be for 46 years! I am from California.

[baramuth]

Hello Nalf. I absolutely have to ask myself is the FDA actually aware of what they are actually doing to the people in the USA. One has the suspicion that this is being done on purpose.
It can also be seen as a cycle. People eat the food, get sick, have to go to the doctor, but you still have to eat every day, the misery doesn't stop. And living healthier in the US, well, you know how expensive the food is, and that's the third cycle, food contaminated with chemicals and harmful ingredients. A dangerous life in the USA, poisoned by food.
But here in Germany you are in very good hands with Laura. You can be glad that you have her.

[lja]

I feel like we don't really get winter in Germany any more, it's mostly just like a winter in the UK now, wet and miserable, whereas we used to have snowy, icy cold winters and I kinda miss those.
I liked the video, I'm just nitpicking ;)

[gcldgnl]

3:39 Haha, "There is a time for everything" and shows a timeless Volvo in the background . . .

[gyandajung]

In Cologne, we do love smalltalk as well... we talk to everybody whom we meet :-)

[SecretSquirrel]

I was my healthiest when buying in the open markets In Schwäbisch Hall.