some other random things i have noticed so far.

• there tends to be a bakery every 4th shop along, every 2 in a train station. they all smell gorgeous.
• most german people seem to have a dog, and they take them into town with them. in fact the other day i saw a dog as big as a baby camel, no joke.
• it is impossible to predict what the temperature is going to be from day to day.
  
• they have green lucky strikes!
• nowhere seems to sell wraps.
  
• they love their cover bands (well, if you're at Ratingen Live, the happening event of the town's social calendar, they do anyway).
• none of the schoolkids know who Aston Villa and Jamie T are.
  
• it's insanely rushed at the checkout in a supermarket and they also don't like putting your change in your hand, which makes you look simple when you struggle to scoop it up.
• most German women over the age of 55 look the same.
  
• they really really don't like it if you cross without the green man, i was tutted at yesterday
• the Pfand machines (where you recycle plastic bottles/cans for money) are amazing.
• the 'German Stare' exists, and isn't nice to be on the receiving end of.
• www.bahn.de is oddly addictive.
• they have awesomely named chocolate bars based on the german language: