AMD 5 & 6

AMD 5
For AMD 5, ich bin am Ariadne auf Naxos gegangen. Die Aufführung war sehr interessant, aber die Schauspieleren haben sehr schnell gesungen. They were difficult to understand without looking at the subtitles. However, there were some phrases which I could understand, which made it really cool to try to figure out what was being said without referencing the subtitles.


AMD 6
For AMD 6, I visited the website reddit.com, a social media website. Specifically, I visited the subreddit /r/de (reddit.com/r/de), a section of the site "Für alle Deutschsprachler". I intended to look for an interesting article title and try to read the article, but in the dozens of articles posted the majority of them appeared to be about something going on with a "Telekom". I chose one, and tried to figure out what was going on based on the article at: http://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/internet-tarife-roesler-moniert-datenbremse-der-telekom-12161118.html. The article presents an advanced level of German, but I understood enough of several sentences to grasp what the article is reporting. "Die von der Deutschen Telekom geplanten neuen Internet-Tarife" appears to indicate that a German telecom or telecoms are planning to introduce new Internet-tariffs. The word "Netzneutralität" appears twice, which suggests that there is an issue over how Net-Neutrality will be affected by this new tariff.

It is interesting to see how large the reaction on this particular site was to this new tariff, but it is comforting at least to know that the American telecoms do not have a monopoly on squeezing as much money as possible from consumers.

AMD 4

As I prepare for my summer internship with the Ohio Light Opera, I get the enormous honor of performing a rarely produced Viennese opperetta by famed Austrian composer Johann Strauss Jr. The opera is titled Der Zigeunerbaron and is a delightful show permeated with toe tapping melodies and sweeping Viennese walzes. In the opera I will be playing Baron Kalman Zsupan, a rich Hungarian pig farmer whos daughter being pursued by a rich German. In this opera Strauss really delved into the exoticism that Austria found with its new found partner Hungary. It often over exaggerates the gypsy melodies and absurd Hungarian red-neck qualities. But its really a great show and I can definitely see why the citizens of Vienna where singing in the streets when it premiered in 1885. What a delightful show. If you have the chance, stop by Wooster Ohio this summer. I'll be there.

Kulture Text 4

In my own weird way, I can relate to German cyclists. As a native Detroiter, if one is brave enough to go out without a car, the sidewalks are basically yours. When I was growing up I would ride my bike everywhere in my neighborhood. Who needed a car, when the streets and sidewalks were constantly deserted and there was little risk of being hit. That all changed when I took my bike to Chicago for a weekend. I had almost no room and after a day of almost being killed every which way I looked I decided to get a subway pass. I understand being pampered, wanting to take over the road with the bike. Next time I head to Germany I definitely intend to rent, or bring a bike if I can.

AMD 3

For my third AMD I decided to write about the Schubert Lieder that I'm currently working on. Its called "Nacht und Traume" and is a hauntingly beautiful setting of a text by Matthaus von Collin. It speaks of the holy and mystical night, consuming the man's mind as the sun sinks down. It talks about how the twilight stars inspire beauty and sadness, always making man ponder his own existence. Personally it is such a theraputic song. The melody is gorgeous, and every time I sing it, I meditate on every word and what it means. Its a great excercise for learning some obscure, poetry worthy german words. But most of all its a pleasure to re-live Schubert through his music.

Kulture Text 5

I have so many memories of pushy Germans during my travels in Europe. It was funny reading the article because, I had no idea that these stereotypes were deep enough to be blatantly put in print as though they were a tourist guide. Anyway, when my friends Chealsea, Sam and I were heading to our Hostel we of course were being dopey American tourists with our luggage. I only had a backpack though. Chealsea was way over bagged and Sam had an extra bag. Anyway the first day we were in Berlin, we were getting on the subway to head to our Hostel and oh my god did we get shoved around on that Subway. People didn't even let us walk on to the Subway they rather shoved us on and then ran for the open seats. We ended up taking the subway for 20 min standing up in a packed Subway with people feeling all up on us. I thought it was just a crazy day for the Subway, or maybe it was just Berlin. But no, apparently it was just Germany.

Sabrina Walker Kultur 6

I liked the newspaper Bild Zeitung. I found it very interesting that it had news stories, sports, gossip, and drawn out gossip at that. It as though this newspaper is every magazine put together. I like that you only one paper to read everything you need to know. Germans always having the door close only goes along with other culture readings we have done this semester. In Germany everyone keeps the door close, you must knock once loudly and then enter the room. This is abnormal for Americans but very typical for Germans. Germans are very big on recycling, and organized  There are multiple bins such as, ones for white glass, one for brown glass, paper, organic waste and more. There are Germans who are religious about separating their recyclables  The new fad for young people is to rebel and mix the waste. It is nice to know the majority of Germans are eco-friendly.

AMD 2

So, the movie Downfall was put on Netflix last week and I decided to watch it with a couple of friends who were spending the night. Downfall is a German film about Hitler's last days and a precise retelling of how the third reich fell apart in its last moments. Although obviously Hitler was an evil man, it was very interesting to watch the genuine disappointment of his followers. Though their mission was aggressive, it is difficult not to be sympathetic to the people affected by this madman's ambitions  There are many awkward moments throughout the movie, and a fair deal of harsh language. But overall I felt he movie was an unbiased, honest and powerful exploration of one of Germany's darkest times.

AMD 1

So, this semester I am in an opera by German composer Richard Strauss called Ariadne auf Naxos. It will be performed in April and is completely sung in German. This is my first German opera, and to be honest it is absolutely fascinating to look at opera from a German perspective as opposed to Italian or English. Germans have a great sense of humor, and being that Ariadne is a parody of Opera Seria and Buffa, it is a great view to the German experience. Strauss and Hoffmansthall are quite critical of the Italians and their fluffyness, wanting instead to explore deep, complex emotions. Either way. It is a way to look at german that I don't think many people will ever get to experience.

Sabrina Walker AMD 1

For this AMD I found German recipes. Though I was looking  more for dinner ideas I found amazing dessert recipes. Cheesecake made with quark is very popular throughout Germany.  Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (Black Forest cake, made with cherries is a well-known example of the wide varities of German tortes filled with whip cream and butter. This cake looks amazing and I am looking for the recipe.  Rote Grütze also sounds very good and interesting. It is a red fruit pudding made with almost every red fruit imaganable. It is served with cream or vanilla sauce. There are two other variations of this pudding, Grüne Grütze and Rhabarbergrütze.

Kulture Text 6

One of the things that I have found most interesting, is the German's recycling efforts as compared to ours. For some reason I always thought America was the innovator of and leader of the green revolution with its many green contributions such as solar and wind energy. But of course that was too good to be true and, thinking back to my week in Germany, I do remember being surprised at the complexity of the trash. Its amusing how proud americans feel when they recycle their bottles for cash, they think they're doing so much to save the earth. We could obviously take a leaf from Germany's book.
Another thing that I have often found difficult to deal with in America is entering doors. I almost prefer the German way of doing it. It prevents any awkwardness and establishes an instant air of professionalism if executed properly. I certainly can remember some instances when it would have been better to have just barged in rather than blubber around like an idiot. Kuddos Germany.

Sabrina Walker AMD 6

For this AMD I decided to research children's games. A popular game I found was

Topfschlagen. The object of the game is for a child to find a hidden cooking pot blindfolded. The child is blindfolded and allowed to use a spoon to try and touch objects and determine if they are the pot. Other children tell the searcher if they are "hot" or "cold". When the child finds the pot, there is candy underneath it. This was one of only a few games that differ from American childhood games.

Sabrina Walker AMD 5

For this AMD I decided to look  up German philosophers because I enjoy philosophy. I found Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz a philosopher in the 17th century. He was known for his optimism, especially for  Théodicée. In this book he explains that the imperfections in the world are just. He further explains that God could not have built a world of imperfections if a better world was known to him. The imperfections in the world we are living with today must exist in any and every other world out there because God otherwise he would have created a world without those imperfections. I really like this optimistic view on life and will continue to read some of his work. 

Sabrina Walker AMD 4

For this AMD I decided to research German authors. I love reading, it is one of my favorite hobbies. When searching google for "famous German authors" I stumbled across Patrick Süskind. He writes fiction novels and screen plays. His book "Perfume" sounds like a great read, and I would love to read it. It is about a man who was born with no scent. He follows and murders virgins to find the perfect scent. He finally finds a virgin who has the scent we has been looking for. This book sounds very interesting, but very different. 

Sabrina Walker AMD 3

For this AMD I decided to research German poetry. I very much enjoy reading and writing poems so I decided to explore the differences between American and German poetry. I found many poems I liked, and I apparently really like JOHANN  WOLFGANG VON GOETHE poetry. My two favorite peoms by him I will post here. In the German poems I found, even others that were not by Johann, all had a great start but the ending lines were sad. I thought the poem was going to end just like it began but it was the total opposite. I like this because most American poems are either very happy or very sad, noting in between. The German poems have a mixture of both, which is something I've never really encountered before. I like the twist at the end of these poems, they really make the reader think about the poet's thoughts.

OLD KING’S LOVE BY JOHANN WOLFGANG VON GOETHE

Es war ein alter König,

Sein Herz war schwer, sein Haupt war grau;

Der arme alte König,

Er nahm eine junge Frau.

Es war ein schöner Page,                                           

Blond war sein Haupt, leicht war sein Sinn;

Er trug die seidne Schleppe

Der jungen Königin.

Kennst du das alte Liedchen?

Es klingt so süß, es klingt so trüb’!                              

Sie mußten beide sterben,

Sie hatten sich viel zu lieb.

Lovely Water Lily

Im Wasser wogt die Lilie, die blanke, hin und her,

Doch irrst du, Freund, sobald du sagst, sie schwanke hin und her:

Es wurzelt ja so fest ihr Fuß im tiefen Meeresgrund,

Ihr Haupt nur wiegt ein lieblicher Gedanke hin und her!

AMD-? Dean Chenensky

For this AMD I watched the movie Metropolis by Fritz Lang. The movie is an expressionist science fiction film published in 1927. The movie was very ahead of its time, featuring vastly advanced methods of cinematography and special effects. However, initial response was mixed. In later years, full cuts of the film were impossible to find, and many began to realize the films achievements. It was only in 2008 that a full cut of the film was found, and even then there are two small sections missing.

The film is silent, but includes German screens. If you want to see the film you can find it here, with German and English subtitles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TraX8i6a_UY

AMD-4 Dean Chenensky

For this AMD I compared news articles from German and American sources on the subjects of the Boston Bombing. I noticed that in the German article there was less assumed information. In the American articles there were many more “facts” stated that seemed more like assumptions, while in the German article there were just facts about what happened and what was currently known. 

AMD-3 Dean Chenensky

For this AMD, I looked up a few German children’s songs. The results were somewhat startling. Many of the songs seemed morbid and very scary. In comparison I believe that American children’s songs seem to be much more tame, or symbolic if they are macabre. As an example there was one German song about a criminal who killed people and sold their flesh as pork which goes like this

 Warte, warte nur ein Weilchen,

bald kommt Haarman auch zu Dir!

Mit dem kleinen Hackebeilchen

macht er Hackefleisch aus Dir!

Yes, the last line means “he will hack you into pieces.”

Kultur-text 6- Closed doors

Something I've noticed a lot in college dorms is how often doors stay open. I personally like the idea of eating my door closed. Especially when I'm working or relaxing I find it somewhat distracting to see people going by. However I do understand why people who are more extroverted want to see everyone who goes by. Unfortunately this has the adverse effect of telling the rest of the world what they are doing. It is relatively common for those with doors open to blast music and tv throughout the halls. it seems that this desire to intrude on the lives of others in the hallway also includes a desire to intrude on the lives of others in the hall.

AMD 6, Chloe Nolingberg

For my AMD I decided to look up some German movies on Netflix. I picked a movie called "Summer Storm" which was in German but provided English subtitles. However, there were a few German movies that sounded good that I'd love to come back and watch when I don't have so much other homework. I wanted to only watch about 45 minutes of the movie but I ended up liking it a lot and watching the whole thing. I thought the movie was really good. It also provided some insight into certain aspects of German culture. It was strange to see kids drinking beers alongside their sports coaches at camp, and I had to remind myself that that is normal there. Although the movie provided English subtitles and I did have to use them, I still could recognize certain vocabulary words and was even able to recognize the Perfekt tense and new aspects of grammar that we have been learning in class. I feel that although I would have struggled without the subtitles, I would have still been able to follow the plot and know what was going on for close to most of the time. I really enjoyed watching the German film and I will probably start watching more in German. I feel like it not only was enjoyable but I was learning and my listening skills will probably become better with the more I listen to German speaking as well.

Kultur 6, Chloe Nolingberg

The one online reading from this chapter's culture readings that I found most interesting is "Division Hell: Worshiping the Garbage Gods." I think it's really neat that the Germans are so conscious about recycling and separating their garbage. Of course, it's a little intense and may seem to the extreme, but I feel like if the Germans just make up an easier, more understandable system more people would be less critical of the recycling. The idea is great and so is the result, but so many people find it hard to decipher what classifies as "waste" or under other categories and the idea of recycling soon becomes difficult and a burden. Once the German government designs a system that is easier to understand, it is possible even more people will begin contributing and may enjoy recycling a little more. I also really like that similar to almost all other businesses, recycling is closed on Sundays. Although many people might see this as a burden, and I might also if I had to deal with everything being closed on Sundays, I respect that Germany sees Sunday as a day to relax, spend with the family, and take off from work. I have heard that this is slowly changing and some businesses are staying open on Sundays, but for the most part I think the world could really use one day a week to slow down and breathe and I love that Germany does that.

One other thing I learned from the Kultur sections in the book was that Tübingen has a partnership with Ann Arbor. I think that that is so neat and I would really like to learn more about the partnership between the two cities! The partnership would probably make traveling to Tübingen less difficult and a possibility for me in the future :)

AMD-6: Bob Iafrato

For this week's AMD activity I watched the German film "Wings of Desire". The plot centers around an angel who is an outsider to human experience, overseeing human activity on Earth. He listens to the thoughts of humans and comforts those in distress. The angel falls in love with  a trapeze artist, and decides to make "the plunge" and becomes a human himself in order to pursue the woman and experience the most basic sensations and emotions that we humans take for granted. I was able to understand much of the conversational German throughout the film, and the English subtitles gave me a better idea of the rest of the film. It was a really incredible film that was produced in 1987. The American response to the film was the mediocre "City of Angels". In typical American fashion, it starred the "Nickelback of American cinema", none other than Nicolas Cage.

AMD 6- Shelby Avery

For my AMD activity I watched a recording of the opera "The Magic Flute" by Mozart. 

The opera is set to a libretto by German librettist Emanuel Schikaneder.

Here is a clip of one of the most famous songs from the opera.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR3j5M4WQkM

Kultur 6- Shelby Avery

"Sex, Smut and Shock: Bild Zeitung Rules Germany"

"Bild Zeitung" is the German version of "The National Enquirer"... only WORSE (believe it or not).  "Bild Zeitung" is not so much about publishing made up stories about pregnant mummies or dying celebrities, but rather they take real life news stories and make up ridiculous details about them. Not only that, but they also serve as a sort of toned down "Playboy", nearly nude  women routinely gracing their covers and corresponding pages.

"German Privacy: Come On In, My Door Is Always Closed"

Once a week I go through the always awkward encounter of having to knock on my voice teacher's door at 4:35 and waiting for her corresponding "Come in!". There's always the questions:  "did I knock loud enough?", "did she hear me?", "should I knock again?", "what if she's not in there and forgot my lesson??", etc. In Germany doors are closed most of the time, the knocking has to be loud enough to be heard above hallway noise and through the thick doors, and heaven forbid the person inside has to tell you to "come in" more than once. Moral of the story- I'd be a nervous wreck at the sight of every closed door in Germany!

"Division Hell: Worshipping the Garbage Gods"

At my house in Ann Arbor it is a struggle to merely put out our garbage, forget about sorting!  Maybe it's just the inner "lazy American" in me, but I feel like having as complicated a system as Germany has for getting rid of waste is more time consuming than it is productive, but to each his own!

Kultur Texts 

I learned a lot from the Kultur texts. It was very interesting to me that the University in Tübingen only has enough dormitory housing for 19% of their Student Body. Tübingen seems like a very interesting town and would be a very fun place to go to school in! Although I would be a little afraid to go to school in Germany with the noted racism against foreigners...

AMD-5

For this AMD I found a small documentary regarding the creation of artisan candles in Germany. The documentary itself was in German, with instructions shown both on screen and in narration. I tried to pair the instructions narrated with those shown on screen. Even so, it was incredibly difficult, and I referred to the english subtitles often. It seems that there are many verbs and nouns that we are unlikely to run into during normal studying.

Kultur-Texte 6, Jessica Dozier

Upon first reading the German article about tabloids, The National Enquirer came to mind. In fact, the article actually addresses this connection directly. Even though both tabloids are primarily intended for entertainment and based on the media's use of sensationalism, Spiegel says German tabloids are based on truth that is greatly exaggerated. As a general rule, I think this distorts what is considered news.

As for the article about knocking on doors in Germany, the take away message underneath the sarcasm  is have confidence and be assertive.

Finally, I was interested in Germany's garbage system.  It seems that Germans take a very environmentally friendly approach to waste, but in a very inconvenient way. Researching this topic further, I found that manufacturers are actually charged higher fees for the use of more packaging. This creates the incentive to create less waste. Some waste notes:

When recycling glass, what goes in the "Glass" bin:
        DO: wine bottles, glass jars that are non-returmable or on which no deposit was paid, bath-salt bottles,   jam/preserve jars, etc.

      DON'T: ceramics, wine corks, mirrors, china

Paper:
        DO: Newspapers, magazines, cardboard, etc.
       DON'T: tissues

Yellow Bins and Yellow Bags:
       DO: cans, plastic, aluminum, empty spray cans, etc.
       DON'T: pack things inside of each other, ex. containers inside of containers

Brown Bag:
      DO: items that would go into a compost heap, ex. food left-overs

How to German, All About Recycling In Germany. 2013. http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/recycling.html

AMD 6, Jess Dozier

For AMD 6, I found some online German games to play. The first is called "The German Colors Game." Activities include filling in "math color equations," such as weiß + schwarz = ? and fill in the blank sentences scrambles, such as "Maria hat zwei Katzen: eine _______ und weiß. 
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/resources/german/games/colors/

The next one is called "The German Weather Game." You match the weather pictures with the correct word in German. This is great practice for weather vocabulary and weather related phrases.
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/resources/german/games/weather/

The final is called "The German Match-Up Game." Great review of food vocabulary.
http://www.pimsleurapproach.com/resources/german/games/food/

AMD 4

For AMD 4, I went to an opera Ariadne auf Naxos at Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre. The opera was performed fully in German with provided subtitles. The performance was incredible! I have never thought that students can play in such deep and romantic way. Honestly, I have never been to opera before and I was pleasantly surprised to find out what a great talents study at our university.

Kultur 5- Shelby Avery

The Kultur articles never disappoint when it comes to teaching me new and even, abstract, facts about Germany and Germans.  The chapter was certainly no exception!

I found the articles "German Erotica: The Land of Beer, Sausage, and Sex Shops," "Scoring a German: Flirting with Fräuleins, Hunting for Herrens," and "Rules of the Street: No Blood, No Entschuldigung" to be particularly interesting and humorous.

"Rules of the Street: No Blood, No Entschuldigung" 
As Americans we are a very "PC" society, focused on manners and easily offended when people forget theirs.  However, in Germany it is the norm for someone to plow you over and not even pause, let alone apologize! This is crazy to me! If someone were to exhibit such behavior in America they'd be scolded and looked down on. It just goes to show that every society is different and has their own set of social norms and their own indicators of what is and is not acceptable behavior.

"German Erotica: The Land of Beer, Sausage, and Sex Shops"
I must admit that I find myself blushing every time I pass the "Safe Sex" store on South University, and I'm willing to bet that most students have a similar reaction to its neon sign and front window display.  In America we are taught that such places are "dirty".  There is a certain social stigma that causes us to lower our heads and keep our sunglasses on if we dare even peek through the window of such a place. However in Germany a visit to the local sex shop is all in a day's running around- bread, milk, grapes, vibrator.  What a bizarre concept to us Americans!

"Scoring a German: Flirting with Fräuleins, Hunting for Herrens"
I must say, I would be hard pressed to find a boyfriend in Germany, where the very art of flirting lies completely under the responsibility of the woman.  It's survival of the forward in German culture, well at least for the women that is.  A man glancing briefly at you from across the bar may be the only clue you get, and then it's all up to you. German men are not forward at all; we may even call them boring.  This is very different from the culture of America today, where it is very common for a woman to be walking down the street and be "hollered" at by men. Such an act in Germany would cause a woman to drop her things and run for the nearest police station. 
  

AMD 5- Shelby Avery

For my AMD for this chapter I spent some time talking with my old middle/elementary school principal, who is fluent in German, while home for Easter.

My old principal, Mr. Pickelmann, is the son of German immigrants and his family was one of the founding families of Frankenmuth, a sort of "little Germany" right here in Michigan.

My German is quite limited compared to his, but we were able to make some conversation.  We talked about school and friends, and he taught me how to say a lot of things that I didn't know.  I tried to incorporate the conversational past whenever I could to try and get some extra practice with it.

I learned a lot in the time we talked! It was great practice as well.  In the beginning my German was tentative and sketchy, but by the end my confidence had improved and the flow of the conversation had improved immensely!

He said he was very impressed that I was able to communicate as well as I could for having not even a full semester of German, I said that that was "The Michigan Difference." :)

Kultur 5 Robert Iafrato

The first article I read, "Rules of the Street: No Blood, No Entschuldigung", explained that Germans typically are not afraid of physical contact in order to get where they are going. This is not all that surprising to me. Most of the Germans that I have encountered do not waste any time trying to get where they are going. They will not apologize or say "excuse me" (entschuldigung), as minor physical contact is fairly normal and insignificant to many Germans.

I also found the article discussing flirting with Germans to be interesting. The article mentioned how smiling is viewed by German women as an advance or aggressive flirtation. My German friend has talked to me about this, and the article confirmed much of what he said. I have a tendency to smile too frequently and I would not fare well in Germany. The author suggests a brief gaze or stare to show interest in a woman. I have no idea how German women differentiate a "studied, concentrated look" from just a casual observation of one's surroundings.

AMD 5, Chloe Nolingberg

For AMD 5 I watched the last clip of Lola Rennt. It definitely was the most different, the most strange, and the happiest of clips 2,3, and 4. It was different because in clips 2 and 3 similar things happened, just played out only a little differently and led to semi-different conclusions. In this clip almost nothing is similar to the previous alternative endings. Lola does not see her father with his mistress, she does not obtain the necessary money illegally, her father nearly dies, and most surprising and different of all. Manni lives. Although this clip is still not necessarily happy, for people are injured and strange things happen, Manni lives and we assume he lives happily ever after with Lola, is what most would call a happy ending in alternative to Manni dying. The clip was just strange, though. Well, the entire movie is strange, but this clip seemed a little more strange in a different way. The blind woman is able to make Manni wait and causes him to see the homeless man with his money on a bike that he had bought from the man who had previously tried to sell his bike to Lola in the prior clips. Manni is able to use the gun he has not to rob a bank or store, but to obtain the money that was originally his to carry. Lola does not see her father's mistress but somehow enters the exact ambulance that he is in and ends up saving his life by just being there. In past clips one could see the tension and strain on Lola's relationship with her father, but in this clip their relationship seems pretty good, life-saving even. Finally, Manni is able to save his life by returning the money to its rightful owner and not only walks away with his life, but with Lola and the money she won, by some random, lucky chance, in the casino. Again, the clip is a little more strange in a coincidental way. From the first clip we could see how everyone's encounters affected each other, but in this clip the encounters seem more effective and more coincidental. However, it ends happily and over all I enjoyed this film!

Kultur 5, Chloe Nolingberg

As usual, I love this week's articles. Of course, I liked the "Rules of the Streets" article, because it goes with what I've been saying almost this whole semester. Although I do not like the idea of some Germans going out looking to run into people, I do not believe that every little bump into someone needs some sort of apology, especially if it was an accident. This article was just another example of how I believe that Americans are just a bit more sensitive than Germans and how I admire Germans for their blunt, realistic personalities and characteristics.

The Sex Shops article was not too surprising. I know in America there is a big taboo put on sex and sex shops, and in many other countries that taboo is not present. I think it's pretty neat that Germans just don't care, obviously sex and all that goes with it is natural, and it is kind of strange to place such a taboo on the subject in America. Although I don't know if I could just nonchalantly walk into a sex shop in Germany, since I cannot deny that I am not prude about the subject as well, I definitely don't think I'd be uncomfortable seeing sex shops located all over. In a way, pretending sex shops don't exist makes the subject even more uncomfortable than if we were to speak openly about them and treat them just like another store, as they do in Germany.

As for the toilet ladies, I don't think I'd have a problem giving them some change or even a Euro when I use the facilities. I have been many places where you have to pay just to use the public bathroom so I don't see why optional payment to the ladies who keep it clean is such a big deal. Pay toilets in America aren't optional and although I could see how people who have never had to deal with pay toilets may be a little surprised to pay the toilet ladies, I see it as a great alternative, for after all payment IS optional. And, of course, why not help out a lady who spends her days alone in a bathroom? If that was my job and someone didn't pay me, I'd most likely grunt of displeasure also!

Finally, the flirting in Germany article was just sort of confusing. I think the subtlety of German flirting may be a nice break from the blunt flirting in America. (Flirting may be one of the only things I've learned Germans are less blunt about) But, in the end if messages are being misunderstood or completely missed that could just be frustrating and annoying. I'd like to think I'd know how to respond, but chances are I would respond to subtle flirting in some sort of wrong way which would probably not be good. I think it is difficult to learn about German flirting from text and one would probably learn best from situational experience.

With every chapter's articles I just get more excited to experience Germany and my dreams of living there one day just continue to grow.

AMD-5

For this weeks AMD, I decided to read through the Grimm's Fairy Tales in german. I was able to find a copy in the library that was presented in German with a translation in English on the opposing page. What I began noticing that the stories are much darker than what I would normally expect. There were chopped up feet and some necrophilia. I am not sure if this is a general theme in german literature or if the Brother's Grimm were simply quite dark.

Kultur- Sex Shops- Dean Chenensky

Well this was pretty interesting. Thinking about how sex shops are dealt with in America, we indeed seem to demonize the sex industry. However this is not what truly interested me. What interested me was the hours of operation that they work under.

It seems to me that a sex shop should work somewhat under the concept of impulse buys. Unlike groceries, which you plan to go out and buy, it seems that you would be more likely to stop into a sex shop on a whim. As such only staying open during regular hours seems somewhat detrimental. I understand that this is intended to highlight the fact that the shops do not only cater to those who leave their homes at night, but it still seems like they are missing out on a good source of revenue.

Kapitel 5 Kultur-Texte

The Loneliness of the Klofrau: Toilet Training for Visitors
This is a bit creepy. I have heard of restroom attendants in the United States, but have never actually seen one. In the U.S., these attendants are found at fancy restaurants and bars. From reading the article about Germany's "sanitation assistants," I get the impression that these workers do not get the "luxury" of working at such "upscale" bathrooms. They seem more like janitors, than "assistants," leading me to think they are the German equivalent of janitors.

Scoring a German
The way Germans flirt seems to be odd, compared to American standards.
It is funny that flirting standards in Germany are almost opposite of the United States. For example, I found it interesting that German men leave the flirting up to the woman. This is definitely breaking hegemonic masculinity ideals in America.

Rules of the Street
Even if they are not trying to be intentionally rude, I still would be upset if, while in Germany (or anywhere, for that matter) someone bumped into me and proceeded to walk away without an "excuse me."

It's kind of interesting that most German sites for American tourists I came across list the phrase as essential to know before traveling. Also, the youtube video below offers pronunciation of Entschuldigung. (Interestingly, the woman notes that you could use it on a crowded subway...I thought I didn't have to worry about being a rude tourist :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvNoEVdFnVM

Kultur 5 Sabrina Walker

I loved the article about Entschuldigung because it describes me completely. It is very amusing that Americans do worry about being polite in foreign countries (this is quite understandable) but in Germany it really doesn't matter. Since sidewalks and subways are so crowded, the German public is used to the hustle and bustle and don't think twice about saying, "Entschuldigung". Americans on the other hand would think it very rude not to say, "Excuse me" when bumping into someone in a crowded subway. Americans think to much of politeness rather than normal tendencies. If a sidewalk or subway is always crowded, is it really necessary to be polite every time you bump arms with someone? That is why I like this article, some may call me rude, but when I'm in a hurry no, "excuse me's" are uttered and I may run into if I'm really in a rush. After reading this article I feel like I will easily fit into the German culture.
Again, I really enjoyed the article about sex shops being everywhere in Germany. America is too prude for me and I enjoy a country that can finally be open about sexuality, fore without sex there would be  no human population. I find it absolutely hilarious that someone will give you directions and reference a sex shop because in America that would be an absolute "no no". The sex shop business must be booming if there are so many shops around, showing that people do not have to be afraid of their sexuality. It really is a breathe of fresh air that a country can actually be open about a topic that shouldn't be taboo in the first place.

I really wasn't happy when reading about the Klofrau. First off, this is strange to me. I understand the concept, keep the restrooms clean (which would be very nice because public restrooms can be disgusting) make some money for the person and the business. Yet this is still on the privacy issue. Many people, (for some reason) have a hard time going to the restroom in public, for these people, wouldn't it even be harder if you had a cleaning women in there the whole time? Also, why should you have to pay to use the restroom? If you eliminate this job all together people would not have to pay. I have a tiny bladder and go to the bathroom all the time, I would be broke if I lived in Germany, just because of the toll to use the restroom because I would feel too bad to stiff the Klofrau.

I never realized how different flirting is in Germany. A man looks at you then looks away is suppose to mean he is trying to flirt with you is much different than how Americans flirt. If a man did that in America, one would think he is just looking around and eyes met and that is all. Americans also come off as too flirty to Germans. American men usual make German women feel uncomfortable by being to involved in the conversation  Women on the other hand may make a German man feel like he is interested but is actually just being animated, like most Americans while talking. There is definitely a communication break down when it comes to Americans and Germans trying to flirt with one another.

Kultur 2 Sabrina Walker

I very much liked the article about Germans complaining a lot. I never realized that it is normal in the German culture to complain about almost everything, it is a social norm. While Americans complain A LOT, it seems like Germans are a little more whiney than Americans. Though I seem to see some parallels about what Germans and Americans complain about. Both nationalities complain about major sports teams, and politicians. It is very nobel that Germans do agree and admit that they complain often and then continue to argue their point. The only thing that may bother me while visiting Germany, is the pessimistic views. To complain all the time seems like nothing is every good, taking on a real pessimistic view of life. Other than that, Germany seems like an amusing and humbling country.

AMD 5, Jessica Dozier

For my AMD 5, I watched a Youtube video on local etiquette intended for tourists.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCeLJPOVrbI

A lot of what was said reaffirmed some of the previous culture readings we've have. For example:
1)Germans love to complain
2)When ordering water, you will be asked if you want it sparkling. Tap water is not typically served
3)You may seat yourself in restaurants.
4)Germans are straightforward.

Some new things I learned:
1)Shaking hands is okay when greeting people
2)Talking about jobs and relationships is okay only with friends and family
3)In restaurants, bread rolls often are not free. Really? Those are often the best part...i.e. Red Lobster.
4)Toasting in German="Prost!"
5)German rest rooms: Rooms marked with an "H" are for men and rooms marked with a "D" are for women
-Because of the suggested videos that come up with this one, I looked more into German restrooms. Apparently, unlike in the US, you have to pay to use public restrooms in Train Stations, for example. They have a turn-style type thing that you must insert money in to enter the bathroom. I wonder what happens if you don't pay? Based on some blogs I read, it's not a big deal and you'll just get some dirty looks.

Finally, according to Pons.edu, to ask where the restroom is, you can say:
"Entschuldigung, wo finde ich denn dieToilette?" 

Which means "excuse me, where's the restroom, please?"

Sabrina Walker Kultur 3

I like the fact that many European countries are more lenient with alcohol than America. It makes it less criminal, meaning less people abuse this substance. In Germany it is very common for people to drink beer daily, you can buy it in dorms, in restaurants  and can drink it almost anywhere. Though alcohol is so common, you can drink and drive and the punishments for DUI in Germany is much more harsh than in America. I thinks it's very funny that when drinking with friends if you do not make eye contact while saying "Prost" you will be punished with seven years of bad sex.

Germany tried to have harsher rules about drinking in public. Too many people were upset with drunks walking down the street. To face this fact, Germany tried to make sections of cities and walkways drinking only and non-drinking to try and eliminate drinking everywhere. This however was short-lived and drinking is still allowed in public, rather than restricted areas for drinking. This just shows how important drinking is to the German culture.

I really like that Germans are obsessed with eating healthy. They have markets and not many supermarkets to purchase their food. They would rather have fresh than frozen food and prefer organic food. There are no to little GMO's used to grow fruits and vegetables, which I considered a very good thing since not much research has been done on the effects of GMO's on people's health. It is a breath of fresh air to know other countries care about their health.

I like that there are stands and little shops that sell fast-food rather than huge fast-food franchises. This gives little mom and pop shops more revenue and allows them to survive in their economy. Corporate franchises can damage the countries economy by monopolizing the fast-food industry. Also, orderin Turkish food at a fast-food restaurant is quite tricky since there are so many varieties of food and sauces.

Sabrina Walker Kultur 4

I found it quite humorous that bicyclists have the right-away on the sidewalks. I now know, that when traveling to Germany, I must watch out when I am on the sidewalk or bicyclists may run me over. It is not uncommon for collisions between pedestrians and bicyclists to occur.

I appreciate a culture that is strict on its driving rules, because it makes the roads safer for all drivers. The absolute rule on running a red light is very strict. If you are to run a red light in Germany, especially in front of chidren or elderly people you will be scorned at and even lectured as you are driving by. It is now becoming a little more common for people to run these lights, but for the most part, people follow their social and lawful norms of driving.

I can imagine so many tourist being confused and even mad at German ticket officers for giving them the "wrong" information about train times. If you ask these people when the next train is, they will tell you because it is a logical answer, however they will not tell you wether or not your ticket is good on the train because you did not ask that specificlly. If you do not ask this question the right way, you may end up paying extra money when you are on the train because your ticket may not be good for that particular train.

I can see where some sterotypes of Germans being mean are harsh may stem from, the honor system. Since riding a train in Germany is the honor system, there is no place to swipe your train pass, many tourist probably try to get a free ride. Unbeknownst to them, German train workers will have a normal conversation with these schwarzfahren and then ask them for their train ticket. Germans do not accept that you did not know or that you are a tourist. They are somewhat harsh with penalties.

It is so hilirous to me that Germany has a "Slops Anymoius" because in America, everyone would need to attend those kinds of meetings. It is more funny because it is ironic, since many streets are labeled as Einbahnstraße but both parts of the streets are a oneway, this is an oxymoron. Thought the country is so anal and OCD they cannot label their streets correctly.

AMD 4 - Robert Iafrato

For the fourth AMD I watched the next clip of Lola Rennt. It is a particularly high-energy clip that shows Lola running for the first five minutes set to music. Lola sees her father and breaks down in front of him. He is her last resort to find the money, but she soon gives up on him and walks out, only to return after retrieving a gun from a police officer. Lola takes her father hostage and brings him to retrieve the money. She is soon on her way out after a close encounter with the police. On her way to bring Manny the money, he is run over by a red suv. It was an entertaining clip that was full of plot twists.

Kultur 4 - Robert Iafrato

The article title The Red Dictator: Crossing the Strasse, discusses the apparent paradox of the most ill-reputed law-breaking individuals in Germany waiting patiently at a red light in a crosswalk. "There's not a car in sight, and the punkers -- complete with belts made out of stolen Mercedes emblems -- are patiently waiting for the light to change." I have not yet familiarized myself with the differences in laws between the U.S. and Germany, however I am not surprised by the article. In many ways, Germany's population is very homogeneous and its citizens are in sync with one another. Several things that Americans wouldn't think twice of are entirely unthinkable by anyone in Germany. The dangers present in crossing the street at a red light are taken very seriously, and failing to properly observe the red light could result in your death. "While drivers in Germany all think they are Michael Schumacher, a number of city cyclists bombing down the bike paths do a pretty good impression of home-grown cycling star Jan Ullrich. Force them to brake at your peril."

AMD 4- Dean Chenensky

For this assignment, I brought the "Who Am I" game that we played in class to my friends. I have seen this game played a few times on German Tv shows, and I have also seen it in the movie "Inglorious Basterds" by Quentin Tarantino. In this game, each player takes a blank card or piece of paper and secretly writes down the name of a famous individual. At this point the papers are exchanged and stuck to a forehead. Each person will go around in a circle asking questions until they figure out who they are. In my group we played that the person with the lowest amount of questions asked would be declared  the winner.

I would recommend trying this amongst your circle of friends. It was quite enjoyable, and we had such features as Groucho Marx, Shirley Temple, Silent Bob, and Walter White. The person that took us the longest to figure out was James Bond as played by Sean Connery. This player was really thrown off when James Bond wasn't the correct answer and amazed us with his knowledge of bad James Bond ripoffs before finally arriving to the question "Dooo Iahy Talllk likke Thish?"

AMD 4

For AMD 4 I watched the next part of Lola Rennt. The movie is a bit reminiscent of 'Groundhog Day', aber Lola Rennt pays much closer attention to detail, as the entire story revolves around the actions and consequences of Lola. There is an interesting juxtaposition as well between the changes in her personal life, as in the interactions between her father and Manny, and the changes in the world around her. It makes me consider the interactions in my life and the synergy between them.

I find myself reminded of the butterfly effect throughout this movie, where small changes have enormous impacts. As Lola's decisions and actions change throughout her run we see how they effect everyone she encounters. I find myself wondering how that effect then might effect the people they encounter, and so on. Lola Rennt ist eine sehr interessant film.

Kultur 4

For Kultur 4 I read the articles Two-Wheeled Teutons and German Erotica. I spent a few weeks in Amsterdam and the Netherlands recently, so nothing in the articles was too surprising, although I was a bit surprised about just how open the sex stores were in Germany. In the Netherlands the brothels and sex stores were almost entirely limited to being in the 'red light' districts in the city or town, similar to how they are in the US. It would be unusual there to see one in an airport, as in the case of Germany.

The bicycles paths however are a familiar experience. I made long bike trips across France, Denmark, and Holland, and experienced the luxury of the colorful and complex bike paths. In Copenhagen, the bicycle lanes had their own traffic signals! The European infrastructure is simply better suited for bicycling than it is here in the US.

Kultur 4- Ticket to Ride (I hope someone else gets that)

I've gone through a few transportation systems in my day. Each one provides a different method of payment. Back home in New York, you pay before you get on, it checks you in, and you go anywhere for the same price. In DC, you pay before you get on, it checks you in, and you pay based on where you plan on going. Apparently in Germany, the model is more similar to the DC transit system. The main difference is that instead of checking your pass before you get on, you instead get checked while on the train or bus. I've seen this before mainly on railroads, and to be honest it seems somewhat inefficient compared to the check before systems.

I still don't really understand the appeal of charging people specific amounts for a train or bus ride. Especially in a punctual society like Germany, it seems like all forms of transportation would run whether or not people are on board. As such, you could eliminate the human element of ticket collecting by simply charging a flat rate for the use of public transportation.

Kultur 4 - Hui Lin

Kids in China were also taught to obey all kinds of laws and rules. But many parents have to teach their children how to get benifits and avoid troubles by disobeying rules as they grow up. Many adults also behaves as bad examples in front of kids.

I wish my kids can grow up in Germany if I have a chance.

Kultur 4 - Jixin Li

For this week's Kultur, we read some articles about the pupulation of cycling and the rule-obsessed feature of German. What's interesting to me is that German seem to have strong sense of discipline. The order of the society in German is kept by refined laws and systems as well as morality. If you are caught in the train for Schwazfahren, it will certainly add to your bad records and must be ashamed to death. So if I intend to save some money for the transportation, I would buy a bike and don't have to be worried about buying the wrong tickets (since asking illogic questions and going on wrong train is so easy)

AMD 4, Jessica Dozier

For AMD 4, I watched Lola Rennt. I was curious to find out what happened, but watching the first couple of minutes, it seemed like nothing had changed and it was just the same plot line as the last clip.  I was not expecting the interaction between Lola and her father.
The movie plot line still kind of confuses me, but from what I can gather, the movie is about how little things can change the outcome of everyday life. Lola Rennt makes me think of the movie "Groundhog Day." While the same day is not necessarily repeating over and over again, viewers are given an insight as to how Lola's actions may change the finally outcome. For example, in one portrayal, Lola dying and in another Manni dying.
Also, I found it funny that when Lola left the bank the police did not expect her at all. Clearly, the archetype of a bank robber is that of a male, which gets into how society treats perceived sexes.

Kapitel 4 Kultur, Jessica Dozier

From the Kultur readings, German traffic laws seem very strict.  I think it is interesting though how much bicycles are used...obviously being better for the environment, so I wonder what pollution is like in Germany.   In addition, I found the "Street Pong" video really cool.  Installing a game to play while pedestrians wait to cross the street is a neat idea, but it did seem to take awhile for the light to change. I think I would get impatient, also, from the video it seemed like the time allotted for crossing was very short in comparison to the waiting time.
In addition, I read the articles on German exhibitionism. Being only ever exposed to American culture, this seems rather strange...particularly the part about German families skinny dipping together, but if that is the culture, I can see how it could be no big deal to Germans. Is public nudity included in this? Or is nudity only allowed in places like beaches?

AMD 4 - Jixin Li

For this AMD, I watched the "Lola rennt", Teil 3. In this part, things totally changed to everyone in the movie. Not as in Teil 2 Lola found that she's adopted, in Teil 3 Lola successfully robbed the Deutsch Transfer with the help of his father, and escaped from the stupid police. What's more, Manni saw Lola coming in the last minute and decides to give up the plan of robbing supermarket. However, things always don't happen in a way people hope. Manni knocked down by a ambulance car lying in the blood pool. And then the scene flashback to the bed where Manni and Lola both lie, and give audience a hint what's going on in the mind of the dying person in this Teil.

It's very interessant to compare the differences between Teil 2 and 3. This kind of arrangement by the director seems to convey the idea that the reality would have been a totally different situation, which people could hardly predict in advance, but through each corresponding result we could see what is most valued in this world with his dying moment. In the end of both Teil 2 and 3, Manni and Lola both have the concern that  whether true, irreplaceable love exist between them. They are not sure whether the other would be loyal to their relationship even though they care about the other very much in deep hearts (Although Manni expressed it in a blur way that he asked Lola to forget him and find other sensitive man after his own death. What's sarcastic is that Lola's decent father is involved in an affair. ). In other words, they are afraid of losing the love, which keeps them going and refuse to be dead and give in to the difficulty in the reality.

This is my first time I watch a German movie, and this movie give me a very different feeling that the love stories I watched before didn't. It is very funny to think of this movie as a love story at first due to its serious lines and conversation, and it feels amazing to receive many ideas about serious topics like death and love and life in such simple plots.

AMD 4- Shelby Avery

For my AMD this chapter I spent time reading, translating, and analyzing the poem, "Der Lindenbaum" by Wilhelm Müller.

The poem's title literally translates to "The Linden Tree." It tells of a man who goes to this linden tree to seek solace and dream. He is drawn to this tree in times of both joy and sorrow, carving his innermost feelings and thoughts into its bark.

He can find the tree in the darkest of night.  He simply closes his eyes and the rustling of its branches call to him, bringing him home.   Even when he is far from it, caught in cold gusts and gloomy days, he can hear it calling to him to return.

I really like this poem.  I interpret it as having a deeper meaning than just a man having a favorite tree. I feel like the tree is a symbol for a love he has with someone. No matter what he does or where he goes, he can always hear this love calling to him, calling him home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IlMRIHkBBE

Above is a link to a setting of the poem to music by Franz Schubert.

Kultur 4- Shelby Avery

I found this chapter's Kultur readings very interesting! It's always fascinating to learn about other cultures and how they do things and compare them to how American culture is.  I think it's very important to be informed about other cultures and be able to perform such a comparison.

The first article, "Two-Wheeled Teutons: Stay off the Bike Path!" is about Germany's almost obsession with bicycles and riding them everywhere.  Where I come from, a small town in Michigan, everyone takes their cars everywhere. It wasn't until I came to Ann Arbor, a city of students at its core, that I saw people riding bikes everywhere. Bike riding over driving is not the norm in most of America, so I find it very interesting that bike riding IS the norm across Germany. It also amused me that bike riders do not hesitate to mow down pedestrians on foot!

"The Red Dictator: Crossing the Strasse," was the second article I read.  Talk about a difference in cultures! In Ann Arbor pedestrians have the right away and they fully abuse this right. I know I personally disobey the "do not walk" signal on a daily basis. Germans wouldn't even think of such a thing! Even with no cars in sight, crossing the street when the little red man visible is a very big NO NO and even has a negative social stigma attached to it.

The third article was, "Illogical Logic: The Right Answer in Germany May Be the Wrong One."  Germans are a very matter of fact group of people; it appears that they think differently than most Americans. If one were to buy a train ticket and then ask when the next train would be arriving, Americans would automatically answer with when the next train for the ticket you just purchased would be arriving. However, in Germany they would simply tell you when the next train was arriving, period- not necessarily the one you just bought a ticket for.

"Fare-Dodgers Beware: There's No Such Thing As a Free Ride," was the fourth article I read. It seems as though Germans are more trusting of people's inner honor systems when it comes to public transportation. I would be terrified, however, to every try to sneak on to any public transportation, especially in a foreign country!

"Disorderly Germans: Playing Chicken on the Einbahnstraße" was an article that I didn't quite understand. I understand that Germans are very orderly, OCD almost, but I think I missed the part where the sign trick with the one way signs was funny. Must be the German humor!

I also liked reading about the Frankfurt airport and the Goethe Institut!

AMD4

For AMD 4 I watched the third clip of Lola Rennt. It is so strange watching generally the same plot, but with all these different situations that lead up to it. I really like how when Lola passes certain people it shows clips of their futures and what happens from that encounter on. It really is an interesting thing to think about in our lives as well. What happens to people after we have a run in with them? I like that Lola robbed her father and the bank rather than Manni robbing the store. Her father may not have deserved that but he was a bad man anyways. I'm unclear as to if he was still going to leave his family, but I think in this clip he wasn't. Lola Rennt is just so interesting to me and I really enjoy every clip I've watched. I don't even know what to expect for the fourth and final clip. I really like how they make everything play out and how every situation or encounter influences the next. That is just how life is even though we don't think about it that way. Sometimes it's neat to think about what would have happened differently if one encounter would have gone a different way. Sometimes even just thinking what if I got the soup instead of the salad for dinner can lead to a whole new branch of life that you'll never experience. It makes my brain hurt a little just to think about. It's fascinating though and that's probably why I love Lola Rennt.

Kultur 4

I found all of the readings for Kultur 4 this week very interesting. The first one I read about the "Two-Wheeled Teutons" was funny because that is similar to how I feel when I ride my bike around campus. Although I would never mow someone over, it is kind of funny that the Germans do not care. After all, pedestrians in the way of bicyclists would be annoying after a while and the pedestrians should not be intruding on the bicyclists' riding area. It would be pretty interesting if not a little funny, too, to be walking down the street and see a man in a suit headed to work riding a bike or a mother bringing her child to school on a bike. It is so rare if not nonexistent to see those things in America, I would probably laugh to myself if I saw that in Germany. I really do like the idea though, it saves a lot of money and gas and is very healthy. I wish I rode my bike more places, and I wish I could ride in any type of clothing I wanted to any occasion without getting weird looks.

Next, I really liked the Red Dictator article and the Street Pong video. I think I really liked this article because it is also so similar to life here in Ann Arbor, especially on campus. Thankfully the rules are not so strict about crossing the road here or I'm sure many people would be unhappy. I know that even if the crosswalk says not to go but there are no cars around or cars a ways down the road I will still cross just to save time waiting. Although its probably not the safest, I will definitely be sure not to do that in Germany. I would hate to risk losing a leg or being scolded by a 5-year-old. Using crosswalks correctly and appropriately is something I will have to remember to do practically anywhere outside Ann Arbor, but especially in Germany. When waiting though, I love the idea of the street pong game. It would definitely save time and make the wait more fun. I think it's neat and a good idea.

I found the other readings interesting and somewhat funny as well, like usual. But because these two articles seemed to relate in a way to life on campus I was most drawn to these two.There is so much to learn and remember before going to Germany!

AMD 3, Jessica Dozier

     For this AMD 3, I researched Deutsch Autoaufkleber. I was interested to see how these car decals compare to those in Amerika.
    On each site I looked at, the majority of bumper stickers were about Oktoberfest or Bier.  This is kind of funny given the previous readings about German stereotypes. When comparing what I found to Amerikan Autoaufkleber, I noticed that like a lot of Amerikan stickers I have seen, there were many Deutsch ones that included profanity. It was very interesting looking up the meanings of some of the words using Pons...I was expecting "bad words," so this came as a slight surprise to me. Also I found it interesting that some came in packs of up to einhundert! Who would ever need so many?!?
    Below are a few of the Autoaufkleber that I found. (Even though it is not in Deutsch, the "Real men wear lederhosen" is my favorite...again, a play on German stereotypes.)

Kultur 3- Shelby Avery

For my Kapitel drei Kultur readings I read the articles "An Obsession Explained: Beer, Brewskis, and Liquid Bread", "Capping the Bottle: Germany Looks to Tighten Up Public Drinking Rules", and "Eco-Centric Germans: Organic Food Obsessions", in addition to the two required texts.

I've always know that Germans take their beer VERY seriously (at my German Lutheran church we have a keg at the annual pig roast), but I had no idea that German beer was so much more potent than American beer.  I thought it was really interesting how the article on beer broke down the different beers by region, and even hangover risk.

The second article I read talked of Germany wanting to develop stricter laws for their public drinking.  It's shocking to me that one can sip a beer on the train home from work, or roam the streets with friends and drink.  In the U.S. such public displays of drunkenness and drinking are punishable by law.  It doesn't seem like Germany's recent efforts to crack down on public drinking have been too popular with the people, however.  I predict that the German government will test out their controlled drinking rules, but the experiment will fail and the laws on public drinking will remain as is.

The third article I read talked about the German obsession with organic eating.  In America eating organically is for celebrities, or hipsters, or the wealthy. Places like Whole Foods and Trader Joe's charge more than the average grocery store for their organic fare.  In Germany, organic is the norm.  They wouldn't dare eat anything else!

The last two articles talked about the German sense of humor (or lack there of) and the pessimism of many Germans.

I'm not sure how my sense of humor would be greeted in Germany, but I have a feeling it would be somewhere along the lines of the chirp of crickets.  From what I understood from the article German's have a more subdued and dry sense of humor.  Although, I would appreciate their sarcasm! I also found it fascinating that different regions of German have different definitions of what's funny and what's not. 

I'd never thought of Americans as an overly optimistic bunch, in fact I've thought quite the opposite. To Germans, however, we are babbling idiots full of endless smiles and laughs and pipe dreams. I do appreciate some aspect of realness in people, but I don't know how I would feel if every dream I had was greeted with a "that's stupid." I can only imagine what a German would have to say about my very impractical major of Vocal Performance!

AMD 3- Shelby Avery

For my AMD for Kapitel drei, I chose to practice my newest Deutsch song, "Bist du bei mir" by Bach.  Ich singe gern klassiche Musik, denn mein Hauptfach ist Musik.

The Deutsch text for the piece is:

Bist du bei mir, geh ich mit Freuden
zum Sterben und zu meiner Ruh.
Ach, wie vergnügt wär so mein Ende,
es drückten deine schönen Hände
mir die getreuen Augen zu!

which translates to:

If you are with me, then I will go gladly unto [my] death and to my rest. Ah, what a pleasant end for me, if your dear hands be the last I see, closing shut my faithful eyes to rest!

It's exciting for me, as I progress in my study of the German language, to recognize more and more words in my German songs. The more I learn in German, the more I understand in my practicing. Words like: "Augen", "du", and "mit" actually have meaning to me now, instead of just being text that I'm singing, but not understanding.  

Knockin on Heaven's Door

"In Heaven... that's all they talk about... the Ocean..."

After Lola Rennt, mein Freund sagt that I should watch Knokin on Heaven's Door. So for this AMD I decided to watch this movie. It's a story about zwei Mann who became friends in hospital. Both have some form of cancer (I think Martin had brain tumor and Rudy had bone cancer - I guess he said Knochen krebs). I think that the main message of this movie is to live life to the fullest. I don't want to become a spoiler, so if you haven't watched this movie, then you definitely should! :)

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the movie with English subtitles, thus, I had to watch it in German only. Anyways, the overall story is clear, so even if you don't know every single word, you'll be able to understand what's going on.

Here is the whole movie in German that I watched on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f1zfMH8RX4

Have fun!

Doner, or how I learned to love the Halal truck

I always love reading about new types of fast food experiences. I don't personally like much fast food. The idea of prepackaged burgers never fails to make me feel ill, but I do find the ideas behind new types interesting. It is amazing how much you can pack into a small time frame of cooking. For example, I recently found out that the Scottish enjoy deep-fried and battered pizza. They just take a cheap pizza, dip it in batter and fry it into a delicious mix of grease, cheese, tomatoes, and wheat. Because of this, I was excited to read about the Doner.

I was somewhat surprised to see a familiar sight. In New York, on almost every other block, we have things called Halal Trucks. In these trucks, Doner is the regular order. However, it is never called that, we just call it lamb over rice or a lamb wrap. But it is still the same layers of lamb, shaved off by a large knife, fried on a huge skillet and thrown into a pita with an assortment of veggies, lettuce, and tomatoes.

It's a mixed experience. On one hand, I find it very amusing that something so similar can be found in similar popularity on different continents. On the other hand I'm sad that I didn't find a new "crazy" fast food item.

Kultur 3

First I chose to read "An Obsession Explained: Beer, Brewskies, and Liquid Bread. Naturally, I find it interesting that Beer is such a common drink in Germany, served at McDonald's and movie theaters, when in the United States that would be completely inappropriate and would most likely raise a large controversy. However, I think that if beer was as large of a part of our culture as it is in Germany, beer being served in fast food restaurants and other such places here would be no problem either. I really liked the Hangover information that the article provided. It was funny but is probably also informational to those who drink beer and plan on exploring all the beer choices in Germany someday. Second, I read "Capping the Bottle" which by only reading the title, seemed to almost contradict the first article I read that talked about the popularity of beer all over Germany. One would think that since drinking is allowed in public and Germany is used to these laws, that the number of drunks and problems caused by drinking would be diminished. It is sort of interesting to learn that there are still problems. I would get tired of seeing drunk people in many public areas and empty cans and bottles all over also though and can understand why Germans may want to make stricter drinking laws. It is proactive to see that rather than only complaining about the problem though, people are thinking of things to do to fix the problem. Ideas such as drinking rooms may actually be a win-win for Germany, if more cities and states start doing the same. Third, I read "German Fast Food" and almost immediately got hungry. Although in America we have bratwurst, roast chicken, fries, etc, I almost feel like the German versions of these foods, especially the meats, may taste so much better than the American versions. Kind of similar to how the beer in Germany supposedly tastes so much better than American beer. My mom used to make us some German recipes and I think after reading the article I would really like to try to open myself up to more German food, I think all of it sounds delicious really and although what I make won't be nearly as good as the original food, it would still prepare me for when I go to Germany and actually have the chance to indulge.

After reading the remaining articles I decided to write about the one that appealed to me the most, "The Dark Side: Optimists are Idiots." Again, I am struck by how much I love the blunt, truthfulness of the Germans. I do not think there is anything wrong with the German's lack of optimism. I would not consider them so much as pessimists, either, (though I'm sure many are), but I would see them as realists. People who do not get their hopes up, but rather wait to see how things work out. Maybe the Germans purposely try to kill others' optimism just to make those people work hard to prove them wrong, too. Even if they aren't doing that on purpose it may motivate people to work harder to make things work rather than fail miserably. In the end, fail or succeed, I still love the real, bluntness of the Germans. There is no need to sugar coat anything, and although it may seem rude, again it is just part of the culture of Germany, and so happens to be a part that I enjoy and find very interesting.