I have now started my internship at Quoniam and have been working there for two weeks. Quoniam is an asset management firm located in Frankfurt. My time at the firm has been enjoyable. The employees treat me well and try to integrate me into the company. Moreover they offer me flexibility and have a very nice office, which makes coming to work more motivating. I have also moved into a shared flat with three German university students. They are all very kind and I get along with them very well. For now I have not been able to get to know them better because I work very long and they are also busy, but hopefully I can still form a closer connection. Being back in Germany definitely brings up topics of cultural confrontation because there are many aspects of the culture I do not enjoy. Although I am half German half Dutch, I definitely identify with being Dutch more than with being German simply because I cannot relate to the German character much. An aspect of cultural confrontation, is that the Germans generally create too many rules and regulations and overcomplicate situations. They then also stick to those rules, even if they make little sense. For example, Germany is one of the only countries that still has such strict regulations on wearing masks. They have to be worn in supermarkets, trains, office, restaurants, etc. My gym which will have around a hundred people training in a smaller enclosed place does not require the wearing of masks though. To me that makes little sense and is not effective. Other cultures like the Netherlands or also America have very low restrictions on mask wearing and are also more likely to bend the rules if they do not make sense. I definitely do see the humor in it though because my German friends will go to a full gym, workout without a mask because it’s not required but then put their mask on in an empty supermarket because it is mandatory.
