Kapitel 5 Kultur

Excerpts from "Women in Germany" -

There is very little surprise in this article. As with in America, there is the issue of women earning considerably less than men for equal work. This seems to be a global issue, at least in the developed world. It is also nearly impossible to account for all of the variables that may have an impact on this difference between genders. It's good to hear that this gap is shrinking in the younger generation. It's also really good that they actually acknowledge the issues that go along with prostitution as a profession, instead of sweeping it under the rug like the American government is inclined to do.

German Erotica

This was good for a couple laughs, but was not very substantial. The image in the article was especially entertaining.

Rules of the Street

Again, nothing too insightful in the article. Obviously this is referring to large cities where there are generally large groups of people. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the population density in German cities is higher than in almost any American city, so this makes sense. If New York City was even more overcrowded than it already is, one can imagine that people would generally be even more pushy in crowded areas.

Flirting in Germany -

The article hit this subject right on the head for me. I wish I would have read this before I spent considerable time flirting with German girls, because it probably would have helped me avoid all of the issues I ran into. I really like the idea of the male not having to initiate the encounter; it's a welcome relief from American customs. One thing not mentioned in the article is how friendly German girls are (at least those in University). On multiple occasions I found myself riding bikes with a girl that I had just met the previous night, or having breakfast after a long night of dancing. Because clubs don't close down until the morning, it is possible to spend a whole night dancing and hanging out with someone without "going home with them". This was an interesting concept for me, and it's one of the things I really wish we had here. Luckily for the visitors to Germany, one line says it all...

" And often as a foreigner, you have the advantage of being different and intriguing."