Kultur 5

I'm not a fan of the Klofrau. Not one bit. Granted, I've never met one, or experienced the subtle grandeur that can be the German restroom, so this is probably horribly naive. I simply have no desire to pay to use the bathroom. Believe me, I hate public restrooms as much as the next person: they're always damp and dirty; and trying to cover up their smell more often than not makes it worse. This being said, I still appreciate the fact that a very primal part of my being is being nurtured for free--albeit in a rather unflattering manner. Maybe it's just another privilege that I take for granted in my life...

The "No Blood, No Enschuldigung" rule doesn't strike me as particularly odd. It seems to blend well with the German take on flirting. Interpersonal German encounters seem to focus more on the subtleties of the human experience. This comes as a stark contrast to the American culture that I'm used to. I personally find everything to be a tad caricatured here. You were in a hurry and accidentally bumped into someone? Jerk. You didn't outwardly fawn over every aspect of that girl? Offer to buy her 5 $15 drinks? You must not be interested. I believe that people can say and do a lot of things that they don't really mean, and that often the most charismatic, "friendly" person can really be the rudest, most self-involved. Judging character on more intricate qualities, and waiting a long time in a relationship to discover if someone is truly boring or not (as the article says) is usually a much better way to get to know a person.

While I have no qualms with the American style of flirting... I must admit that it would be nice to have the roles reversed for a while. To have woman approach you and try to impress you for once might be a nice change of pace.

Sex shops aplenty seemed to fit well with the German take on nudity. I'm not in any way equating nudity with sex, but it does seem that Germans are much more willing to embrace "natural" things that some cultures might want to hide. However, I did notice a contrast between this and the Klofrau, who's main purpose seems to be to hide an unavoidable human experience... although that's probably more means of comfort than denial.