There is a funny story being told over and over at my wife’s family house. It is about the time when the little sister went for one year (or semester) to the US and interned there at a local hospital. The sister was amazed when she noticed that everyone is greeting her in the morning with “how are you”, and keep walking without waiting for an answer.

I am thinking about these culture gaps every time I am talking on the phone with a German. Actually, every time the call is reaching its ending. In Israel, we just say OK, and then the other side says OK, and we hung on the phone. Here, the ending is longer than the actual call. I mean it is a never ending series of exchanges. Sometimes I feel like if I won’t take an action, the goodbye will last forever. Lately, I have notices that I am always hanging up while the other side is still saying goodbye.