Cultural Differences

Cultural differences
All over the world people have different cultures that make up who they are as an individual. Culture is defined as values, norms, traditions, etc that are shared with a particular group. Within America, there are many different people that come from numerous amount of cultures but there are many similar commonalities that they all share. But when you compare America culture to the city of Berlin there are many cultural differences that stand out. The cultural differences that stand out the most to me are the fashion, food, and music.
For some reason I had imagined the fashion in Europe to be very trendy, stylish, and very fashion-forward. I pictured people in Hugo Boss business suits, Gucci pumps, and Chanel handbags but I found out that it was the complete opposite. In Berlin, it seems that they don’t stress on their images and are not interested in flashy labels. In America, image is so important and people will go to extreme measures to create a certain persona. As you see in the picture below, their style is very hipster-mixing colorful scarf’s, black tights, boots, and topping it off with a bright jacket! Also, there is a huge Turkish community and their style is reflective of their religious beliefs.
The food in Berlin is also very reflective of their culture as a whole. I noticed that many of the restaurants in the city are all influences from other countries around the world. For example, there are Italian restaurants in almost every street corner! I have also seen many restaurants/stands that sell different Turkish food such as lamb kabobs, donors, and currywarst.
There were also many American fast food chain restaurants such as Burger King, McDonalds, KFC, and Subway. This actually made me feel relieved to know that if I didn’t find anything I liked to eat, I could always find something that I’m familiar with. Now although there are many different styles of food in Berlin, there were still an abundance of restaurants that had German cuisine. The foods that are known as staples in the German culture are shnizles, spezli, and wursts.
While being in Berlin, I realized that music and art are huge staple in the German culture. The music in Berlin is a lifestyle in the sense of how it influences the clothing, atmosphere, and attitudes of the people here. I have been to many clubs in America but the vibe and the mood is completely different. He night clubs in Miami are more for trying to impress other people and trying to convey this high society status quo but in Berlin it doesn’t matter how you dress or what you look like- its about being in a space where the music connects you with one another. Also, throughout the city there is tons of graffiti all over the sidewalks, walls, train stations, everywhere! The graffiti here is different than anywhere else because it’s a form of expression and a movement to say this is my city and ill express myself anyway I please.
Overall, as I mentioned above there are many cultural differences between America and Berlin. The clothing style in Berlin is more about inner expression rather to please the people around you or mold into a popular image. The food in Berlin is continuing with its traditional recipes but is also incorporating other cuisines as well. Lastly, the music and art scene in Berlin is appreciative of the statement and the history that are associated with them. Berlin is an amazing city full of life and I’m grateful to be invited into their culture and lifestyle.