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.