People Probably Think You're... Mentally Challenged

What an irresponsible little bloggerle I've been! I come to you with updates from the land of meat and potatoes - I come from a different culture. First - too many people here speak english. Most conversations I have with someone who isn't behind a cash register (that is, someone I'll be talking to for more than two seconds) run: "Hello" "Hello" "English?" "I'd rather speak German". Why did I come to this country to learn German if everyone's gonna be so set on speaking English to me? I'm sure people are just trying to be nice, but in my already defensive state, it feels like being talked down to a lot. Along more cultural lines, I had an interesting conversation with a German guy a few days ago about behavior on the streets. I've been smiling at people and trying to break through a wall of utter coldness by saying 'hello,' but I've been informed that the reason I get such weird looks back is that, well "People probably think you're... mentally challenged." Two evenings later, I talked to some Germans about it again, who told me they say hello to people and smile at them on the street. So, what's up, Germany?