Mittwoch, 31. Dezember 2008
*Guten Rutsch!*
Cool.
Montag, 22. Dezember 2008
*Christmas in Germany*
Also, enjoy this Denglisch poem:
Denglisches Weihnachtsgedicht
When the snow falls wunderbar And the children happy are,
When the Glatteis on the street,
And we all a Glühwein need,
Then you know, es ist soweit:
She is here, the Weihnachtszeit
Every Parkhaus ist besetzt,
Weil die people fahren jetzt
All to Kaufhof, Mediamarkt,
Kriegen nearly Herzinfarkt.
Shopping hirnverbrannte things
And the Christmasglocke rings.
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits…
Mother in the kitchen bakes
Schoko-, Nuss- and Mandelkeks
Daddy in the Nebenraum
Schmücks a Riesen-Weihnachtsbaum
He is hanging auf the balls,
Then he from the Leiter falls…
Finally the Kinderlein
To the Zimmer kommen rein
And es sings the family
Schauerlich: “Oh, Chistmastree!”
And the jeder in the house
Is packing die Geschenke aus.
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits…
Mama finds unter the Tanne
Eine brandnew Teflon-Pfanne,
Papa gets a Schlips and Socken,
Everybody does frohlocken.
President speaks in TV,
All around is Harmonie,
Bis mother in the kitchen runs:
Im Ofen burns the Weihnachtsgans
And so comes die Feuerwehr
With Tatü, tata daher,
And they bring a long, long Schlauch
And a long, long Leiter auch.
And they schrei - “Wasser marsch!”,
Christmas is - now im - Eimer…
Merry Christmas, merry Christmas,
Hear the music, see the lights,
Frohe Weihnacht, Frohe Weihnacht,
Merry Christmas allerseits…
Donnerstag, 18. Dezember 2008
*Sports Clothes*
I entered my old post on scarves in Scribbit's December Write-Away Contest.
Freitag, 12. Dezember 2008
Samstag, 6. Dezember 2008
*Knock on Wood*
-When a professor is done teaching, all the students knock on the desks as appreciation. Yup, that was a huge surprise to me.
-All office doors are closed, even during office hours (seems ridiculous to me), so you have to knock and wait for them to say "come in." (Of course, this is especially complicated if you aren't sure what they've said.) After entering, you close the door behind you. I will never ever get used to the whole office hours thing. They're not there for you, you're there for them, so it doesn't matter what you have on your schedule, if you want them to help you, you'd better show up for the couple of hours they have scheduled. (And yes, this even applies when you're calling from a foreign country. They told me to call back during office hours which were during the middle of my night.)
-Sometimes people will come in to a gathering and instead of greeting everyone individually, will knock on the nearest table or doorjamb and wave at everyone.
Donnerstag, 27. November 2008
*Kur*
Is it just me, or does this sound almost like "paid-for vacation" to someone else, too?
Donnerstag, 20. November 2008
*Knaben and Mädchen*
Donnerstag, 13. November 2008
*Kinderwagen*
See here.
It's true. Those strollers are insanely amazing.
Donnerstag, 6. November 2008
*Cars in Good Repair*
Donnerstag, 30. Oktober 2008
*Zimmermänner*
How interesting is this? German carpenters have carried on the old tradition of wearing funny clothes (okay, so they probably weren't that funny when the tradition started) and traveling from place to place to learn tricks of the trade from carpenters in different cities. When people see them, they know to buy them some food or to take them as far as they're going.
Donnerstag, 23. Oktober 2008
Freitag, 17. Oktober 2008
*Aussteigen*
Freitag, 10. Oktober 2008
*Old People in Ads*
Donnerstag, 2. Oktober 2008
*Get Togethers*
Donnerstag, 25. September 2008
*The Noble Savage in Germany*
Anyway, I think this fascination stems from two things, but I don't think they really get down to it. 1. There was this German author named Karl May who wrote all sorts of cowboys and Indians books that sold very well and are now considered classics, though he never traveled to America until after the publication of his books, and then not further west than Buffalo, NY. However, that doesn't explain the success. 2. Maybe Germans' love for nature applauds those who lived "closer" to the land?
Whatever the reason, I wonder that May's American Indians were always perceived as the innocent noble savages and the lasting impression he has left with modern Germans. Was he/were Germans bitter about German settlers going to America? Did Karl May just write so well that interest was picqued and continues to this day? I don't know.
Donnerstag, 18. September 2008
*Soapy Dishes*
Sister Dixon complained to me recently about this one. A lot of people here don't rinse their dishes. They dry with the soap dripping off, or sometimes they're put straight into the cupboard still wet. (Diarrhea, anyone? Maybe that's one of those stubborn ideas that Americans have, like Germans and going without scarves.)
Donnerstag, 11. September 2008
*Bike Ramps*
Germany has these brilliant ramps for all the people who want to
take their bikes or strollers all over. They go in and out of bike stores, up and down stairs to apartments, and to or from bridges (here is the Eiserner Steg in Frankfurt).
Mittwoch, 3. September 2008
*Recycling*
This picture only shows three bins, but there are actually four bins and something besides. The first bin includes anything that can be considered non-paper packaging. That's bags, cans, foil, and anything plastic. The second bin is for bio-degradable things. That's easy enough to figure out. The third bin is for whatever is left over after all the separating. The fourth (and unseen) bin holds paper products.
Then, somewhere random that may not necessarily be a bin, you will have your glass items, plastic bottles, and batteries. The glass items are to be split into green glass, clear glass, and brown glass. The plastic bottles are to be separated into groups of those you can get money back for (by simply bringing them to the store), and those that you can't get money for. Those that you can't get money for should go into the packaging bin. Batteries are brought to the store.
Where it gets really difficult is when things are mixed, such as a (paper) egg carton with (biodegradable) eggs shells totally stuck to it, or an envelope that has a plastic "window" where the address goes.
Good luck.
Mittwoch, 27. August 2008
*Environmentally Aware*
Reading over your suggestions, I think I'm about as green as the Emerald City.
Small:
I have one energy-saving lightbulb but mostly rely on daylight. This threw me at first when I'd go to public offices and they wouldn't have any lights on. 2. I always use re-usable water bottles that my roommates bought. (I like to replace now and then because of those studies about plastic wearing down and causing cancer.) 3. I never let the water run (even when brushing teeth, and I take short showers, no baths). 4. We, like everyone in Germany, split garbage into a. packaging, b. paper, c. biodegradable, and d. leftover stuff. Even the bags that hold each of those categories is separated into the packaging bin. 5. I use cloth grocery bags or simply a backpack to carry groceries.
Medium:
1. German apartment buildings are made of super-thick stone. 2. My window isn't old or leaky and it takes care of the fact that 3. we don't have air conditioner.
Large:
1. I use a bicycle/public transportation (and not just because I'm a poor student), which is better than a hybrid vehicle and which hopefully makes up for the lack of personal involvement for the next two. 2. I personally don't have solar panels. But Germany is all about wind and solar energy. 3. I vote for people who like the environment.
So, Germany. A+. Or should I say "1,0"?
Donnerstag, 21. August 2008
*Handys and Landlines*
Dienstag, 5. August 2008
*Wedding Rings*
Mittwoch, 23. Juli 2008
*Guys and Capris*
Donnerstag, 17. Juli 2008
*Smallpox Shots*
Donnerstag, 10. Juli 2008
*Going to the Bathroom During Class*
Donnerstag, 3. Juli 2008
*One Euro Coin*
I guess it makes sense to charge so you can keep your bathroom clean, but it gets a little uncomfortable when there's a bathroom attendant who sits there with the coin box and constantly cleans up after you.
Usually, I just hold it until I get home or to the university. But if you're traveling, you're going to have troubles unless you're on the train often. I remember seeing a hole in the ground in Italy with footmarks on both sides and thinking, "I'm getting back on the train in an hour. I think I'll wait until then."
As for the library problem, I almost always forget and the bakery close to the library is not keen on giving change without a purchase. Luckily, yesterday as I met with a guy whose doctorate dissertation I'll be editing for moola, I told him my problem, and he gave me this:
I'd already had a plain white chip for shopping carts (attached to my keychain and courtesy of DeutschBank), but this thing is cool! As you can see, it is the plastic, but perfectly representative of the Euro coin. I don't know where you can buy something like this, but it's worth looking for.
Freitag, 27. Juni 2008
*Pillows*
Donnerstag, 19. Juni 2008
*Walking and Biking*
Americans may get in the car to drive down the street to drop something off, or to check the mailbox. Not Germans. Germans are not afraid to walk. If it's less than a twenty-minute walk, you should walk.
Furthermore, bikes here are used for transportation, not exercise or recreation, thus the bike lanes all over the place, and thus the weird look I gave the first guy I saw smoking while he was riding his bike. To an American, it looked like two opposing things: healthy exercise with unhealthy smoking. I thought it was hilarious.
One of the very first things I noticed the first time I was in Germany was that the bikes here are different. They look like bikes out of 1950s America, like people here forgot to update the style.
Every now and then, you may see a German with one pant leg rolled up. Despite what you may think, this is not a fashion trend. I asked about it and was told it was to protect their pants while riding their bicycles. I asked why they didn't roll up both sides, and was told that that the chain is only on one side. It took me forever to figure out why that wasn't a problem for Americans. I finally realized not everyone here has a cover for the chain that rolls by the pedal, but they all seem to have covers for their tires, which seems soooo old fashioned. Don't be surprised to see baskets on the back of bikes (yes, even of young people), and all bikes in Germany are required to have lights on the front and back or the rider will be ticketed. Don't forget to notice there's a bell too. This is really the typical bike in Germany.
Mittwoch, 11. Juni 2008
*Microwaves and Tupperware and Leaving Food Out*
I'm the only one who ever used the darn thing. Call me American, but I like my food warm. I don't leave old pots of vegetables or pieces of pizza out to eat later (cold or hot, no in between) or buy them that way (okay, I did once, but only because I thought the lamps on them were heating lamps, and never again).
The first few weeks I was in Germany, I thought my roommates were leaving out their food because they either didn't want the rest or they were just being slobs. Come to find out they like it that way, even the resulting rock-hard bread that you could kill someone with more quickly than you can say "David and Goliath." Once again, I'm the only one who uses Tupperware. I'm not sure why we have it if no one else uses it, but I do have to say that yes, Mom, even Tupperware that is supposedly not used by anyone, has mismatched and missing parts.
I'll make a big pot of rice and save it in the fridge to reheat and eat for a week. Others make a small pot of rice and whatever is left stays there in the pot, on the cold stove, to be eaten some time within the next week, even if there's meat or something in it that can go bad quickly (like cheese). I just don't get it.
Even rouladen is left out over night so the fat can consolidate and be scraped out of the pot. It is, however, one of the few things that is reheated before served. Thank goodness.
Dienstag, 3. Juni 2008
*Psh*
Donnerstag, 29. Mai 2008
*The Affirmative Mmmm*
The affirmative "mmm-hmmm" that I'm used to in America is not used here in Germany. I feel stupid every time it slips out. Instead, they say just "mmmm" with a tone that resembles the "hmmm" that means, "I didn't hear/understand you" in American backchannels. I'm sure I've confused plenty of Germans.
German: I started to write that paper.
Michelle: Hmmm?
German: It is going to be a hard assignment.
Michelle: What is?
German: The paper.
Michelle: Oh, you started to write it already?
German: Mmmm.
Donnerstag, 22. Mai 2008
*Windows*
However, Germans are fans of saying that the air is "fat" (I think that's our equivalent of "stuffy") and the window needs to be opened. They firmly believe that windows are meant to be open. All the time--regardless of bugs, cold air, or noises from outside. In the middle of winter, I would go into the -10 degree bathroom (where the window had been left open all night) and wish that I was dead instead of having to shower when it was so cold. (Forget about shaving, you're only taking goose bumps off with the hair.)
Every time I complain to someone that I didn't sleep well, they say, "You need to sleep with your window open." Even though they think that being cold will immediately make you sick, they suggest being in the cold for 8 hours every night. How does that make sense? I have yet to understand. I finally tried it one night and was so disturbed by the sound of the tram going by, I closed it again.
Fortunately, their nifty German engineering kicks in to support this need to have the window open. Every window has the ability to swing open or be tilted so only the top is open. Check out this video.
Also, there are these nifty things called "Rollos" that roll down over the outsides of the windows to secure them when people go out of town or if they simply want to be more secure. (No, I don't have one. I wish I did sometimes, but I think my problem with lights/noise outside would be solved enough if I just got some real curtains, not the lacy one I've shoved in the window.) I took these pictures at a friend's house.
Nice and sunshiny outside:
The rollo can be let down so there are still holes letting in some sunlight:
Or all the way down, which effectively blocks out all light:
Donnerstag, 15. Mai 2008
*Sun Lovers*
People in Germany are lovers of the sun in an extreme that's not found in Utah even after a long winter. Either Germans ignore the bad effects of sun, or they have firmly decided (like many of their other opinions) that it can only be good for them. Young and old alike stay outside for hours at a time and get burned and don't mind it in the least. While putting on sunscreen, I heard the whole argument about getting vitamins from the sun. Yep. You can do that without damaging your skin and hugely multiplying your chances of cancer.
Now that the sun's out, people are too, and we're not just talking a few more people flying kites at the local elementary school. When the weather is good, people say things like, "We can't do that, we must go to the park." Everything is available outside. Restaurants put tables out on the street and there are ping pong and chess tables outside where people can play. Windows are left wide open for the remainder of the year as far as I can tell, to remind people for the short time they are inside that there is a beautiful outside they are missing.
Freitag, 9. Mai 2008
*Tap Water*
I asked someone once why the water was set at such a high temperature, and he said it was to protect against bacteria. Apparently they don't mind about protecting children or even ditsy adults like myself from getting burned.
Oh, another thing, another friend was surprised that I didn't let it run for a while first. He said the pipes have to clear out, but after I questioned him further about it, he said it was probably just something he was used to from old houses with lead pipes and with his new house it probably wasn't necessary. I haven't been sick yet . . . (Is that the explanation for my insanity and tiredness and loss of memory, ha ha?)
And probably most well-known, Germans don't drink water from the tap. They prefer it to buy it in bottles and with carbonation (no fun for people like me who despise carbonation). The one drinking fountain I've seen here was in a church, and one of my friends watched me use it and said, "What is that?" I miss drinking fountains, they are reminders to drink water, and free!
Donnerstag, 1. Mai 2008
*Men Day*
So when some friends of mine were laughing about "being men," I didn't get it. Come to find out, since people here have kind of forgotten/don't care about the reason for their religious holidays, they make up their own things. Today is also known as "Men Day," which as far as I can tell, is an excuse for men to do every lame stereotypical thing. They walk around in big groups with ridiculous amounts of beer, cat-call, talk loudly, pee wherever they want, grill meat, and burn things. Fun, huh?
Montag, 21. April 2008
*Brown and Black*
Dienstag, 15. April 2008
*Strumpfhosen*
After ten people per Sunday here in Leipzig saying, "Oh! Aren't your legs freezing? I can see the goosebumps! You're going to catch cold!" I finally gave in just to stop the madness. I am wearing tights again, despite the fact that, as I have told them, only old ladies wear nylons in Utah and that tights just hide the goosebumps that are there anyways.
After having this conversation with someone about nylons on the first day I tried skin-colored (or supposedly skin-colored) nylons, I went to the bathroom and caused a run all the way from hip to ankle. I tore the darn things off and threw them away.
So, the short of the story is that nylons/tights/whatever you want to call the hated things are another one of those things that Germans think you had better wear or you will catch cold.
Freitag, 4. April 2008
*Scarves*
Today I want to talk about scarves. If anyone around here is obsessed with vampires, it's Germans, as displayed by their love, or should I say need for scarves (possibly for protection against those sort that wander out of their castles in Romania). I couldn't quite figure it out. At first I thought that it was one of those cool but silly things (like a guy carrying around a ninja turtles backpack from when he was 10) when I saw guys wearing striped scarves. Then I started to realize that all guys wear scarves. Not even all girls wear scarves where I'm from, so that was surprising. I figured it must be just be one of those unconscious fashion things. Whenever we were getting ready to go anywhere, people would ask me where my scarf was and help me get it on. Then I forgot to wear my scarf one day. And that's how I figured out the purpose (for Germans) of scarves. The conversations that day went like this:
Friend: Where's your scarf?
Me: Oh, my scarf? I guess I forgot it today.
Friend: Oh no! Your neck is going to get cold.
I thought to myself, "Really. Have you ever had a cold neck?!?" The classic ears, nose, fingers get cold, but your neck?
The next conversation was even more telling:
Friend #2: Where's your scarf?
Me: I forgot to wear it today.
Friend #2: That's not good. Your neck will get cold. Zip your coat all the way up.
Me: I'll be okay.
Friend #2: You'll get sick.
Then it hit me: my friend had written about how she was so nervous about getting sick before a concert that she wore a scarf all the time. They think that a neck exposed to cold will make you sick! Do people think that in the U.S. and I just haven't noticed it?
And yes, I wear my scarf every day now. Mostly because it's nice to snuggle my cold nose in.
Mittwoch, 2. April 2008
*Tooth Jewels*
I wonder if tooth jewel wearers will be embarrassed when their kids look back at pictures of them and say, "Mom, you had something stuck on your tooth in this picture!"
Samstag, 29. März 2008
*Ingenious German Binders*
Dienstag, 25. März 2008
*Frohe Ostern*
Dienstag, 18. März 2008
*Taschentücher*
Dienstag, 11. März 2008
*Hoch Betten*
Dienstag, 26. Februar 2008
*Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag!*
Birthdays in Germany are amusingly important. In my experience, birthdays become just another day after you turn 19 or so, and then the big ones are at 40, 50, 60, 80, and 90. (Don't ask me why I've never seen a 70-year-old bash.) So when I saw how important birthdays are to people in Germany, and at any age, I was a little surprised. The first two birthdays I thought were exceptions. However, I soon found a few things:
1. Never, ever wish someone a happy birthday before it's their birthday. It's bad luck.
2. Don't expect anyone to do anything on their birthday. It's their day and they don't want to get up early or go to a meeting.
3. Lots of food, friends, and family.
4. Real gifts.
Samstag, 2. Februar 2008
*Doctor Appointments*
Walking into the doctor's office, you hand them your insurance card which has a chip in it. They get your info from it, you pay the deductible, and the nurse asks if you need an "Überweisung" which is a card you can bring to another doctor so you don't have to pay the deductible again. In other words, you can go to as many doctors as you need to each quarter of the year and only pay once. You are told to go sit down. When you go into the waiting room, you say "hello" or "good day" to the room in general, and everyone murmurs something back. Your coat, gloves, scarves, etc. should be hung up, and everyone watches you while you do that. Once you sit down, no one looks each other in the eye or speaks. You are surprised by how many people are scheduled at the same time for one doctor--it's a good fifteen to twenty people. Every now and then, a name is called over a loudspeaker and someone leaves the room. Patients who have already seen the doctor come back to retrieve their things and say "goodbye" or "see you later" as they leave, which is promptly answered by all twenty waiting patients. You wait. And wait. And wait.
Finally, your name is called and you are directed to a certain room. There you wait in a room without the lights on. Apparently they think the light coming through the window is enough. Finally, the doctor comes in. He takes a look, asks a few questions, spreads some goop, has the nurse put on a bandaid, doesn't really answer your questions, and disappears out of the room saying that the nurse can answer your questions. The nurse doesn't answer your questions. You remember that you heard German doctors didn't have personable appointments and go to get your coat, almost forgetting to say goodbye as you leave the waiting room.
Donnerstag, 24. Januar 2008
*Essay Writing*
English-style essay: I have something I've researched. I'm going to fight it to the death. In my first paragraph, I'm going to spell it out quite simply for you. Then I will give you some clear examples and link them back to the first paragraph. In my last paragraph I'll restate what I've fought so hard for another way just in case you weren't smart enough to get my point.
German-style essay: I have something I've researched. Here is one side of the argument. I'll give you a few reasons why this argument is good and a few reasons why it's bad. Here is the other side. I'll give some good and bad sides of this viewpoint. Then in my last paragraph I'll surprise you with the side I've decided to support, of course assuming this whole time that you can follow my writing because you're a smart person.
These differences of course cause some difficulties between cultures. Germans writing in English have to be told to fight! Take a side, sound sure of yourself! English speakers writing in German have to be told that they sound bold and uninformed because they haven't explored both sides.
Mittwoch, 9. Januar 2008
*Spazieren*
If you want to go spazieren like the Germans do, follow these instructions:
1. Schedule a specific time to go. Do not change this time, and make sure you don't have any pressing issues close to that time.
2. Invite other people.
3. Take the spazieren seriously.
4. Saunter. Do not, in any case, walk fast. (I have trouble with this one.)
5. Do not have a goal in mind. You are just walking around. (I also have trouble with this one.)