Germany from the outside

In the new office, I sit across from someone, I have no idea what he does. In fact, I have no idea what most of the people sitting around me do, and they are probably as puzzled by my activities. What we do have in common...this particular office has very close ties to the office in Germany where I was located.

This office and that office collectively supply things to big company F. Big company F's HQ is in Germany near benevolent company J's head office. This office exists to support company F's local office here. So needless to say, people in this office spend a lot of time in Germany at either company F or J. Some of them even spend Tuesday-Friday of every week there.

There is, however, a basis for shared understanding based on being a non-German having to work with Germans, which culturally transcends job details. The colleague who sits across the table from me was on a difficult phone call....

Colleague P (in English): Carsten, we need to blah blah. Carsten, you need to think about blah blah. Carsten.......
Colleague P (silent for a few minutes, head goes into hands).
Colleague P (phone on mute, to me): Aargh. This is like watching an episode of Laurel & Hardy. Instead of discussing how to fix Q, they're arguing amongst themselves as to whose fault Q is. It's like they have blinders on.
H: Are you on the phone with Germans?
Colleague P: How did you know? (rolling eyes)

(Although, of course, I realize on the other side of the call, the Germans are probably just as stymied by the non-German behavior). ;-)