Kultur 2

The German National Pastime: Whining, Bitching and Moaning
This article, written by Joerg Colberg, was written with a lighthearted and funny tone. Joerg discusses how people living in Germany  complain all the time. He talks about how if a form of public transportation is a few minutes late, a plethora of Germans will be complaining about it. If the bus were on time though, they would find a handful of other things to complain about. I found this interesting, because my Oma was born in Germany and she is very careful about being on time to everything. It was also funny that he said trying to discuss this complaining would only lead to further complications!

"The Germanic Stare Down": Watcha Lookin' at Granny?
The well known term "Peeping Tom" is taken to a whole other level in Kimberly Bradley's article. She tells about two different scenarios. Scenario one involves your every move being watched by a neighbor, which sounds a bit crazy to me. Scenario two involves intense eye contact, also known as the "Germanic Stare Down." Scenario one is credited to beginning around the 20th century, due to a "less-than-peaceful" time. The term Staatssicherheit -- or Stasi was used to describe this practice of intensely watching your neighbors. Scenario two is just regarded harmless, and could even result in a laugh or possibly a date as well.

Brutally Honest: Have You Gained Weight?
Maria Snyder makes it clear that Germans and Americans go about communicating differently, or at least interpreting messages differently. In America people seem to assume an underlying message is meant through something a friend may have said to them. Meanwhile in Germany, what is said is what is meant. Whether inviting a friend to a party, a simple yes or no, or a preference is stated, each means exactly how it sounds. Although some explanation may be needed, Germans are pretty strait forward with their speech. I would not mind having this be a custom in the U.S.

By the Numbers: An Obsession with Statistics
This article, by Prachi Kadam, explains that knowing statistic about your homeland/town is extremely common in Germany. So much, that if someone visiting doesn't know about their hometown it is considered odd. It also explains that watching documentaries is a common past time of Germanic people. Knowing numerous random facts is even practically required to keep up in a conversation at times! Although this may be an exaggeration, I find it intriguing that Germans know so much about their homeland, while some Americans know so little.

Brennpunkt Kultur
Seite 47 - Approximately 23% of all Americans have a German background. This results in about 57 million Americans claiming to have German heritage! This number is so great that there was even a day, October 6th, dedicated as German-American Day. Speaking/learning German occasionally, because of their heritage, is a common practice in America. The Amish practice this religiously using "High German," and carry out every day conversations in regular German. Different areas in America are still found to have German bakeries, bookstore, newspapers, and churches. Wie interessant!

Seite 76 - German Universities have been making changes in that past 100 years to accommodate for more students and more Bachelor's and Master's degrees. Many different institutions have been established such as: die technische Hochschule, die Fachhochschule, die Kunsthochschule, and die Musikhochschule. These programs may vary in the time needed to obtain a degree, but the degrees are recognized throughout Europe and the U.S. With these newer programs, many more doors are opening to German and international students alike.