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.
You learned a lot. I love how you compared Ann Arbor to Heidelberg. I think Ann Arbor is lot more cultural though, which is one reason why I love it here at Michigan. The food thing is really true, though. I eat a lot of stuff with my hands. I wouldn't want to offend anyone!
AntwortenLöschenThere really are a lot of differences and similarities. I think the similarities have a lot of do with western culture, or the human being as a whole. It crazy how much we can learn about ourselves by looking at others.
I like how you tried out the Deutsch way of eating with a fork and knife. I've tried it a few times and I kind of wish it was more normal to eat things with silverware all the time here. It's interesting to look at cultural variations from an objective standpoint and try to think about which one makes more sense and which one is all culture. I think the Deutsch way of eating makes more sense. Your hands won't get messy (especially since a lot of American "finger foods" tend to be things that are really greasy). You probably take smaller bites and eat slower, which is healthier and also cleaner.
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