“Let’s make hot love.” Greg had just stumbled into the kitchen where Jan was heating up a bottle of Glühwein (mulled wine) that he’d bought at the grocery store.

“What?!” Jan asked, shocked. “Are you drunk?”

“No, of course not. I just want to make hot love with you.”

“Are you kidding me? What’s gotten into you? I’m in a relationship.”

“But I brought amaretto.” Jan’s eyes bulged. He and Greg had known each other for years, and this was out of character.

Greg pointed at the Gluhwein. “You’ve already got the Glühwien, and I have the amaretto. What’s the problem?”

Globalization has started to blur many of the fine cultural differences between countries in the western world.  As EU standard after EU standard passes into law, standardization is becoming more and more common and acceptable.  But differences remain, despite the Euro and the spread of Starbucks and McDonalds.  The differences are in the details.  These are a few of my German favorites.

1. Animals here speak a different language.  That is, the noises they make are interpreted differently by the humans.  Some are similar to the English interpretations, though they are spelled quite differently: cows say “muh,” dogs go “wuf wuf,” and cats say “miau.”  But frogs go “quak” instead of “ribbet,” pigs go “grunz grunz” instead of “oink oink,” and when the rooster crows it says, accordingly to the Germans, “kikeriki” instead of cockledoodledo.”  I wonder what the animals themselves would have to say about all this…

Fall is here, and I might not have even noticed if it hadn’t been for the Federweißer—a new wine, sold in open bottles mid-fermentation. It’s sweet like apple juice, with a delicious yeasty tone that lingers pleasantly on your tongue after every sip.

We were in a tiny village outside of Mainz when the subject came up. Was there Federweißer already? Or was it too early even for new wine? “Well why don’t we just walk over to the winery and find out,” my friend’s father said—a sentence that made me swoon for small-town Germany once again.