"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." -Katherine Hepburn

There seem to be a lot of rules here in Germany. And I don't mean that in a stereotypical way, but more because it is a foreign country. Things that seem to be natural or obvious to people here seem like secret rules and codes to me, a person who is not familiar with how things are done. I go about my daily work and life trying my best to follow all of these "rules"-keep all the doors in the house closed (even the bathroom when no one is in it...when you're in it, you're supposed to lock it which I somehow usually manage to forget), clink your cups together when you drink at the same time as someone else and definitely don't cross the street when you don't have a walk sign, even if there are really really not any cars coming.

And then there are the overt rules and laws here: shops close by early evening, no shops are open in the evening on Saturday or at all on Sunday; registering as a student at the university has about 623 steps; banks will be closed during their 1.5 hour long lunch break; trash is separated...like really separated: yellow bag for plastic, compostables in another bin, paper in yet another and brown, white and green glass all go somewhere different; and you'd really best not even try to go into the library with a backpack on, or with a water bottle that can't be seen through. I tried to do both, and let's just say I ended up reading in the cafeteria.

Those who know me will know that I generally like rules. I think they help keep things orderly. I follow most rules. I do, however, feel totally fine breaking or not following rules that I think are stupid. It gets a little murky though when I am not aware of the rules and start breaking them right and left. When I intentionally break a rule, I am fully prepared with an explanation if confronted. When I do it accidentally, I get rather flustered. To be fair, I probably could do with being a little more observant and try to pick up on rules before I blunder through a situation. In my short time here and upon some reflection on rules, I do think that not following or breaking the rules, whether intentionally or not, can foster discussions and further understanding. I am attending a birthday party this weekend, and asked colleagues and roommates if there was anything that would be a faux-pas to bring. There isn't (save a "Hitler mustache"), so I'm bringing an American-style cake.  

Final note: I have jumped into my exploration of strange local foods. While I'm pretty sure this chocolate is breaking most of the rules, I couldn't resist getting it. Guten Appetit- except I think I'm supposed to say that to other people? Whatever, I'm just excited to eat a tortilla chip.