Spoiled American?

I am happy the flight is over! Fortunatly there were no panic outbreaks when someone sneezed or coughed, but when did it become socially acceptable to belch loudly? My Bose noise cancelling headphones, couldn't even block out the sound. I was also a bit miffed that 3/4 's though my movie, my video system stopped working, so I had no access to the on-demand programs from the airline.

It goes without saying it has been a very long day. There always seems to be an extra sense of exhaustion when you arrive in a country, where your native tongue is not the primary language. Everything takes a bit more extra effort. Many people in Germany do speak English, but there are a fair amount of people that do not speak English. Between my broken German and their broken English I am still able to accomplish what I need.

My room is well very interesting. Perhaps this is the part of spoiled American which shines. The host so far has been very accommodating. However it should be understood there are different levels of "customer service" Americans are accustomed too. I forgot I needed to adjust my "expectations" when it comes to service. Things here are more laidback, and urgency is not typical unless you are in an ambulance. UPDATE: I just spoke with my colleague who also shares my same view regarding the room.

It's hard to explain, but here's an example. I had arranged a driver to pick me up from the airport to take me to the hotel.

The instructions read pick up in Terminal 1. I was in Terminal 1 and found out the driver was in Terminal 1 B door 3. I was in Terminal 1 C.

Instead of the driver coming to my terminal I had to lug all my luggage to Terminal 1B. It was a fair distance. For the shuttle service, it was not even a thought for them to tell me to meet the driver instead of suggesting the driver will to come to me. It was expected I would find the driver. It wasn't a big deal, but this is a very low level typical attitude.

Communication is never forth coming, nor is preplanning a part of the German culture. This is an adjustment I need to keep in mind in order to set realistic expectations...