Kultur 3 Cameron Schmitchen

It's very interesting to find out new things about a culture, at least for me, it causes me to think about how we are related, or different. As stated in the text, learning about a culture's eating habits shows us a lot about the culture. In class, when we were told that Germans only used a fork an knife to eat their food, I found myself eating a piece of pizza the next day with a fork and knife. This one subtle difference makes it easy to understand why many cultures think Americans are "pigs". Germans find it very offensive when someone eats with their hands, so avoid it if you ever go to Germany! Something I like about the German food habits is the 5 different meal times. I enjoy eating, so adding two more meals a day is something I wouldn't object to.

In regards to the section about Mannheim and Heidelberg, I remembered learning that Mannheim was nearly destroyed by bombings in WWII. I had also thought that Heidelberg was bombed too, but I had recalled incorrectly. The fact that Heidelberg is known for it's academic excellence is similar to how Ann Arbor is synonymous for academic excellence here in Michigan. While Heidelberg has it's reputation based on academics, Mannheim is based off of industry, similar to Detroit. In addition to the link BASF is based there, which shows a German connection to the southeastern Michigan area. So, the articles show that there are some major differences from our area, from how we eat, to the differences in measuring systems, but there are also many connections, such as the similarities in major cities, to a German founded company, essentially in our own backyard.

Kultur3

I don't know about anyone else, but i actually enjoy reading these Kulture-Textes. I find them very interesting and I wish i had more time to read all of the optional ones as well, but when you have a tight schedule (as I'm sure many of you have) you don't always get to do things you want and enjoy. Interesting, possibly conversation-starting facts are kind of a guilty pleasure of mine, mainly because I find that starting conversations is always the most awkward part and getting past that allows you the opportunity to learn something new from other people. One such fact that i found interesting is that Deutschland ist home to 3/4 of the European Union's breweries. I liked reading about the main, different kinds of Bier that is brewed in Deutschland and i found it interesting that only 24 breweries are allowed to brew Kölsch. I found it interesting that Deutschland has laws such as the 1516 Purity Law which limits ingredients to water, hops, malt, and yeast, and they are so well known for their great Bier. I found it somewhat comical that they have such an opposite view of alcohol than that of us Amerikaner. They think a ban on alcohol in public would infringe upon their civil rights and that law abiding citizens shouldn't be punished because of irresponsible drinkers. They feel very strongly about keeping their drinks on trains and public transportation. Even politicians and judges agree and there have been bans put in place before but have been repealed. They have developed "fines" to impose on misconduct due to alcohol, which is a very realistic way to try and improve that sort of situation, rather than trying to enforce a ban. They have also reserved certain areas for drinkers, but the problem still remains that when drinking is banned in certain areas, the drinkers just move to a different spot, which could be even less desirable.

I was also very intrigued by how die Deutche feel about their food. 70% say they would never eat anything that is genetically altered, in other words, they choose to only eat organic foods. Die Deutche buy 1/3 of the organic food in Europe. I also found their reasoning for being so pessimistic somewhat skewed. They rationalize being pessimistic by saying that it indicates depth, critical thinking, and an intelligent caution.

The different stereotypes of German humor seem to fit somewhat into American stereotypes of humor like the Berliner being snudy and sarcastic such as a New Yorker and The Hamburger describing our American stereotype of the "talk show host" type of humor (witty)

Kapitel 3 Kultur-Texte

Drinking

There's not a chance the citizens of Germany will allow any sort of law infringing upon their right to drink beer. Germans like their beer like Americans like their open web. If the English Wikipedia went dark to oppose SOPA, the entire German web would revolt against a government even considering the tightening of the public drinking laws.

However, I have a strong stance on public intoxication laws and public alcohol consumption in general; especially in Germany. One of the most awesome parts about the country is how well the general populace functions with such lax alcohol rules. Americans in general are raised to believe that alcohol (no matter the quantity or type) should be kept far away from productive life. Even the casual mention of having a beer during work elicits alcoholic jokes and can get many-a-employee fired. From the article and from my experience in the Country, this is the exact opposite Germany. High School kids would grab a six-pack on the way home from Friday classes and drink them in the park. College parties were held in the student unions, complete with students throwing up in the bushes and falling asleep on the dance floor. Hostels provided free beers for staying the night.

The American aversion to mixing alcohol with normal life tends to break down quickly, and with minimal warning. Oft understated is the importance of alcohol in business and casual meetings, which tend to get neglected in the typical American upbringing until it is too late. There is a fine line between having a beer or two over lunch with a potential client and getting drunk as a skunk. Many of my friends (and many college age Americans in general) see alcohol as a way to get drunk and act stupid, not as the casual social lubricant that it is to many young Germans. I'm sure this stems from the differing of cultures, where underage drinking is punishable by hundreds of dollars in fines and random drug screenings in America and is greeted by a couple friends and a 6 pack in Germany. By teaching our youth only to stay away from alcohol and showing gristly scenes of drunk driving accidents when they inquire about it, we impose upon our young adults the viewpoint that alcohol is best either avoided or abused. And we have far too many of both in our population. The uber-moderate German stance towards alcohol (especially beer) could benefit our young people more than we think (especially those on college campuses, where driving is rarely, if ever, required).


Doner
Great, cheap food. I'm personally offended that the writer didn't metion the Doner Durum, which is wrapped in flatbread and then stuffed with cole slaw and french fries.

Optimists
I didn't see much of this while I was there. Perhaps it was because I was around mostly young people who had as many hopes and dreams and as bright of an outlook on the future as I do.