My German Stereotypes

Going to Germany I expected many things that weren't true. First of all the biggest surprise to me was that almost everyone I met spoke english. It was surprising because I didn't know that German kids learn english in school as a basic class. I also expected Germany to be behind the United States Technology wise, and also to see people wearing weird clothes that I had never seen before. But It was almost the exact same as the United States. The people were nice, and most of them spoke good english, and directed us when we were lost. All the stores had the same clothes, new video games, phones, and anything else you can think of in the U.S. Another stereotype that I had was that there would be sort of a anti semitic/racist attitude due to the Nazi influence during World War Two. But I found it to be the opposite, there was no bigotry anywhere we went. One stereotype I was right about though was the influence of beer in Germany. Everywhere we went there were beer halls where people enjoyed beer and talked with each other. One of these beer halls even seat eight thousand people, and during Oktoberfest they fill every seat at the famous Hofbräuhaus Beer Hall. It seems like a very important part of there culture, going back hundreds of years. Overall the people of Germany were nothing like what I expected.