The Sitzpinkel Rule
Der Spiegel's Germany Survival Bible helpfully addresses such Teutonic cultural mysteries as, "Why don't Germans say 'excuse me' when they knock you off the sidewalk?", "Why are Germans obsessed with gummi bears?", and that perennial conundrum of questionable hygiene, "Why do German toilets have that little shelf?"
Comments
You forgot the cultural mystery of why do they listen to David Hasselhoff
sing????
Posted by: Fritz | March 29, 2006 7:57 AM
While we're at it, we might as well ask why Americans listen to Britney Spears.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | March 29, 2006 7:59 AM
No comparison Mr BH even she could in her better moments carry a tune. I had the misfortune to witness Mr Hasselhoff on
the gogglebox doing his act and it was beyond bad.
The paper shredder is more
melodic.
Posted by: Fritz | March 29, 2006 9:03 AM
Sure wish I'd had this before my own German trip last summer.
Poo shelf?!?
Posted by: Omar | March 29, 2006 3:21 PM
I lived in Hamburg for a couple of years, so a lot of this was already familiar to me. I got hooked on gummi bears myself.
One thing they failed to mention in the poo-shelf article is that when visiting a German's house, there is no bigger faux pas than leaving a skidmark in the toilet bowl. You will always find a brush next to the throne, and you are expected to use it vigorously to remove all traces of your colonic evacuation.
Posted by: MrBaliHai | March 30, 2006 1:51 AM
Thank God I've moved to England.
Posted by: The Cartoonist | April 1, 2006 12:39 PM
Does Basil pee standing up or sitting down?
Posted by: MrBaliHai | April 1, 2006 3:10 PM
He has to sit down, I'm afraid. He can't support himself standing up - no muscles, you know.
Posted by: The Cartoonist | April 2, 2006 7:44 AM
no muscles, you know.
No willie either. Sucks to be a skeleton sometimes...:-)
Posted by: MrBaliHai | April 2, 2006 10:03 AM