People in Bremen

German people have a stereotype of being cold, stiff, serious, and unfunny. On the contrary, Thank God, it doesn’t exist in Bremen. People in Bremen are pretty friendly and nice. They aren’t stingy in smiling and greeting.

In my apartment building, people always greet each other when they met, although we don’t know each other. This even doesn’t happen in my kost (rented room) in Depok when I did my bachelor degree. If we don’t know each other, then we don’t greet. What a big city life!

Bremen people are also helpful. If they encounter a clueless person, for example a person who’s clueless in using train ticket machine, most likely they will help it out. Even though they don’t talk in English, but they will try to help. Nice, isn’t it?

And this is making my life, as a foreigner here, easier. Whenever they see my face with a clueless expression and a big question mark written on it, they will help me until I could get it done. Once I have to pay my semester ticket at a Bank, which is not my Bank. So I went to the customer service and ask about how to do it. I don’t know whether she tries to be helpful or she just gets irritated with my question. In the end, she just fills in the bank slip for me and I only have to go to the cashier for paying.

Somehow, I enjoy being foreigner in here cause people tend to tolerate my silly questions and behavior ;)