Posts mit dem Label Kultur3 werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Posts mit dem Label Kultur3 werden angezeigt. Alle Posts anzeigen
Montag, 21. Oktober 2013
Kultur 3
I find these article to be very interesting. The German stereotypes were very crazy and I can see why a German would be offended. The whole drinking casually all of the time is funny, but I would have to visit the country myself to actually believe that a person would drink a bottle of beer any and everywhere that they go. Also, the article said that construction workers will take a quick break to drink beer, and that was really shocking to me. As far as the fast food goes, German cuisine look delicious. Whenever I visit the country, I would probably be in heaven for my duration there. That currwurst and brotwurst all sound great and based off of their description, they most likely are. Something that I am afraid of however are the opinions of the Germans. Where I come from, specifically, Detroit, if someone blatantly said something extremely negative, let's just say that arms will no longer be down by each persons' side. I cannot imagine a world where people just say whatever they think, Which is even more of a reason for me to visit Germany. I love the fact that Germans are going green. It is very admirable of citizens of a country to express their love for mother nature.
Donnerstag, 17. Oktober 2013
Food or Foe?
When reading through the most recent "kultur" articles, I was very happy to find that a majority of the subjects examined involved some of my favorite activities. These activities consist of eating and drinking... Although I do not consider myself an expert in cooking or even eating/ drinking, I was still very interested in the subject of sustenance in another society.
The first thing that came across as important in these articles was the idea of casually drinking. This is such a slap in the face for a society like ours, and I was very pleased to see such a contrast in viewpoints. I believe that when the article talks about beer as if it were nothing more then a daily thirst quencher for many in Germany, it gives the realization that not all countries look down on drinking. Here, we tend to look at public drinking with some stigma, while in Germany, they do it on a daily basis, and in very public places. This showed much understanding on their part and it is something that I hope will someday be reflected here in the U.S.
Another aspect of drinking that this article talked about was the idea that they are trying to rid their society of its public drinking "problem". While I completely disagree with the idea of ridding public drinking, I do agree that there needs to be some limitations. The part of the article that had me somewhat concerned was where it mentioned drinking on the job. This is something that could not only be dangerous to the person consuming alcohol, but also those around him/her. For this reason, I do feel that any job designating heavy labor should not allow alcohol to be consumed during the work hours.
Lastly, these articles caught my attention when they covered the organic food that people tend to enjoy so much in Germany. This was very interesting to me due to the fact that I have always enjoyed fresh and organic food when compared to processed goods. I believe that it is amazing that they have so many shops where you are just able to go at any time and pick up all of the fresh produce and other goods that you need. This would be especially nice to have here seeing as the healthy alternative in America tends to cost more then it is worth, leading many down the lesser of the healthy choices.
The first thing that came across as important in these articles was the idea of casually drinking. This is such a slap in the face for a society like ours, and I was very pleased to see such a contrast in viewpoints. I believe that when the article talks about beer as if it were nothing more then a daily thirst quencher for many in Germany, it gives the realization that not all countries look down on drinking. Here, we tend to look at public drinking with some stigma, while in Germany, they do it on a daily basis, and in very public places. This showed much understanding on their part and it is something that I hope will someday be reflected here in the U.S.
Another aspect of drinking that this article talked about was the idea that they are trying to rid their society of its public drinking "problem". While I completely disagree with the idea of ridding public drinking, I do agree that there needs to be some limitations. The part of the article that had me somewhat concerned was where it mentioned drinking on the job. This is something that could not only be dangerous to the person consuming alcohol, but also those around him/her. For this reason, I do feel that any job designating heavy labor should not allow alcohol to be consumed during the work hours.
Lastly, these articles caught my attention when they covered the organic food that people tend to enjoy so much in Germany. This was very interesting to me due to the fact that I have always enjoyed fresh and organic food when compared to processed goods. I believe that it is amazing that they have so many shops where you are just able to go at any time and pick up all of the fresh produce and other goods that you need. This would be especially nice to have here seeing as the healthy alternative in America tends to cost more then it is worth, leading many down the lesser of the healthy choices.
Good Beer = Good Humor
Well, after reading all these articles, I can confirm that everything in these articles are true. It certainly is making me reminisce on my experience in Germany this summer.
To start, the beer was quite simply amazing. I tried all the different types of beer, and I believe their rating of the beer on a hangover basis were pretty accurate. I would get my worst hangovers from bocks, alt beers, and helles. Also, I remember one time I came back to my place with a Berliner Weisse and my roommates informed me that was what the homeless drink. However, in my house, we would drink that beer but only warm, for when we raced each other at drinking. It would start by saying "bier junge" to someone who you feel has insulted you, or you want to insult for no reason. Then if they say "hankt" then the race was on. You would pour two glasses from .2 to .3 liters then tap glasses and drink as fast as you possibly could. The first person to slam their glass on the table would win.
As far as drinking in public, it would be an absolute TRAVESTY if drinking in public was banned. Sure you have a ton of drunk idiots roaming around at night, but none more than you have in America at night. The difference is in America, we pre-game insanely hard since we know that we can't take our drink with us. I never felt in danger while taking public transportation at night to go out in Berlin or elsewhere. In addition, I loved that I could go to a nice park and drink a beer. It was extremely nice. Rather than being stuck inside drinking, I could be enjoying life outside while enjoying my beer. The fact that having an open container is banned in America truly shows that the belief that we are the land of the free is simply brainwashing. However, I can understand regional or bans in certain locations if there has been a history of crime or problems with public drunkenness.
Even though I was drinking tons of beer while in Germany, I have never been healthier than while I was in Germany. I attribute a lot of this to the quality of food (and beer) that I was eating (and drinking). Depending on how much money I had, I would buy the bio-labeled products at Aldi. As far as fruit and vegetables, I would always buy organic because the supermarkets always had fly infested fruits and vegetables. If I wanted to throw my money away, I would buy fruit at a supermarket. While in Germany, I would go to the market once or twice a week rather than making a biweekly or monthly trip to Meijer like so many Americans do. Sure, the food would go bad quicker in Germany but at least it was fresh!
The Germans I met were some of the funniest people I've met. It's not to say that every German you will meet is funny, but of the funny people I met, they always had very good sense of humors. I would agree, also, that they find a large variety of jokes funny. Ariane, who was coordinating our study abroad program in Berlin, fit perfectly into the description of the Berliner type humor. She was the first German that I met there because she picked each of us up from the airport. Immediately she wiped away the stereotype that I had in my head that Germans aren't funny. I always had to be ready with a snarky comeback when around her!
Last but not least, I would say that Germans being pessimists is partially true. I certainly met lots of Germans with that attitude. But I believe it is intelligent pessimism as mentioned in the article. Rather than quickly jumping on an idea, they would think about it critically first.
To start, the beer was quite simply amazing. I tried all the different types of beer, and I believe their rating of the beer on a hangover basis were pretty accurate. I would get my worst hangovers from bocks, alt beers, and helles. Also, I remember one time I came back to my place with a Berliner Weisse and my roommates informed me that was what the homeless drink. However, in my house, we would drink that beer but only warm, for when we raced each other at drinking. It would start by saying "bier junge" to someone who you feel has insulted you, or you want to insult for no reason. Then if they say "hankt" then the race was on. You would pour two glasses from .2 to .3 liters then tap glasses and drink as fast as you possibly could. The first person to slam their glass on the table would win.
As far as drinking in public, it would be an absolute TRAVESTY if drinking in public was banned. Sure you have a ton of drunk idiots roaming around at night, but none more than you have in America at night. The difference is in America, we pre-game insanely hard since we know that we can't take our drink with us. I never felt in danger while taking public transportation at night to go out in Berlin or elsewhere. In addition, I loved that I could go to a nice park and drink a beer. It was extremely nice. Rather than being stuck inside drinking, I could be enjoying life outside while enjoying my beer. The fact that having an open container is banned in America truly shows that the belief that we are the land of the free is simply brainwashing. However, I can understand regional or bans in certain locations if there has been a history of crime or problems with public drunkenness.
Even though I was drinking tons of beer while in Germany, I have never been healthier than while I was in Germany. I attribute a lot of this to the quality of food (and beer) that I was eating (and drinking). Depending on how much money I had, I would buy the bio-labeled products at Aldi. As far as fruit and vegetables, I would always buy organic because the supermarkets always had fly infested fruits and vegetables. If I wanted to throw my money away, I would buy fruit at a supermarket. While in Germany, I would go to the market once or twice a week rather than making a biweekly or monthly trip to Meijer like so many Americans do. Sure, the food would go bad quicker in Germany but at least it was fresh!
The Germans I met were some of the funniest people I've met. It's not to say that every German you will meet is funny, but of the funny people I met, they always had very good sense of humors. I would agree, also, that they find a large variety of jokes funny. Ariane, who was coordinating our study abroad program in Berlin, fit perfectly into the description of the Berliner type humor. She was the first German that I met there because she picked each of us up from the airport. Immediately she wiped away the stereotype that I had in my head that Germans aren't funny. I always had to be ready with a snarky comeback when around her!
Last but not least, I would say that Germans being pessimists is partially true. I certainly met lots of Germans with that attitude. But I believe it is intelligent pessimism as mentioned in the article. Rather than quickly jumping on an idea, they would think about it critically first.
Kultur 3
These articles exploit almost all of the German stereotypes and give insight on some new customs that we haven't really heard of. Beer. Lederhosen. Beer. Harsh language. More beer. Organic foods?
Although it is a common German stereotype, I never really saw Germans to be known for drinking beer (maybe because I'm a tad bit uncultured). And even if I had known, I definitely would have never guessed how much beer the average German drinks. "115 liters per head." From what I can glean, that is a lot of beer! And in addition to the massive beer consumption, Germany also houses 1,274 breweries that churn out over 5,000 different beers. Beer is such a popular beverage in Germany that even McDonald's and movie theaters carry them.
Another custom that isn't that known is that Germans love organic foods. In fact, 70% of Germans say that they would never touch gene-manipulated food. This is actually really weird. I actually never knew this about Germans. Here in American we (or at least I) don't think twice about eating food that have been grown with chemicals. In fact, I don't really even care what I eat (as long as it's edible). [I would eat McDonald's everyday if I had the luxury.] The fact that Germans care about their health really surprises me. When I think of Germans I see ruthless savages that will feast on anything and everything (or am I thinking of Germanic people). Germans eating healthy seems like such an oddity.
Although it is a common German stereotype, I never really saw Germans to be known for drinking beer (maybe because I'm a tad bit uncultured). And even if I had known, I definitely would have never guessed how much beer the average German drinks. "115 liters per head." From what I can glean, that is a lot of beer! And in addition to the massive beer consumption, Germany also houses 1,274 breweries that churn out over 5,000 different beers. Beer is such a popular beverage in Germany that even McDonald's and movie theaters carry them.
Another custom that isn't that known is that Germans love organic foods. In fact, 70% of Germans say that they would never touch gene-manipulated food. This is actually really weird. I actually never knew this about Germans. Here in American we (or at least I) don't think twice about eating food that have been grown with chemicals. In fact, I don't really even care what I eat (as long as it's edible). [I would eat McDonald's everyday if I had the luxury.] The fact that Germans care about their health really surprises me. When I think of Germans I see ruthless savages that will feast on anything and everything (or am I thinking of Germanic people). Germans eating healthy seems like such an oddity.
Kultur 3: Essen und Humor
For this Kultur blog post, the articles were centered primarily around food and humor. While it didn't surprise me that German humor involves a lot of sarcasm, it did surprise me that Germans are very afraid of non-organic food.
I learned many interesting things about German cuisine and eating habits. German fast food (German Fast Food) seems to be centered primarily on sausages and some other meat. It surprises me that their fast food is so meat and bread focused (there is almost no mention of vegetables in this article), but they are still less obese than the US. What is even more interesting is that they are very organic food focused. The two most unusual items discussed in this article though are Mett and Pommes mit Mayo. I have never enjoyed the thought of eating raw meat (Mett) and Mayo is a condiment that I use VERY sparsely, but especially not on fries. It is cool that Germany has Turkish fast food restaurants. I couldn't help but think that this is similar to having Taco Bells and Chinese restaurants scattered throughout the US. The biggest surprise I found in this article is that patrons pay after they have eaten, which is very unusual for fast food places in America. The last thing that really intrigued me came from our textbook. I find it strange that breakfast and lunch are the big meals in Germany. My family put almost no emphasis on breakfast and lunch was almost always an after-thought. The only meal we put any thought into was dinner. But in Germany, dinner is the only meal that can be neglected.
German humor was intriguing because the fondness for sarcasm and pessimism is so stereotypical that I almost expected it to be there. It concerns me that they insult each other so much though. If I walked up to somebody in my dorm and told them that they were stupid for doing or thinking something, I would probably have to meet with our hall director. I wonder German people are too comfortable with insulting people. I was also amazed that humor changed so much. The US does have many kinds of humor, but they are not contained to states or regions, everybody is exposed to most of the different comedy used in the US by watching TV or just talking to various people.
Kultur 3 Graham Techler
"An Obsession Explained" definitely backed up the idea presented in "Teutonic Humor," that the Germans actually have a great sense of humor. This wry, self aware article did a great job of discrediting certain stereotypes surrounding German drinking culture (the old Bavarian bier and lederhosen image) while also humorously acknowledging that some stereotypes are based in truth (bier is used as a quenching refreshment to be had frequently and not necessarily at the end of the day). The hangover chart was funny, but also acknowledged how seriously Germans take drinking: so much thought is given to the alchemic process of drinking bier without being hungover the next morning.
The "Forget the Mett" guide to German fast food was also both informative and interesting. As an American with a tangential, largely stereotypical sense of famous German dishes, it was cool to see something as initially simple as "bratwurst" or "schnitzel" broken down into all the different types and variations available. The difference between schnitzel hawaii and schnitzel natur is probably as second nature to Germans as the difference between chili fries and curly fries to an American.
The "What About the Turks" rebuttal article was also interesting.
"And I would bet you dollars to döners that you're more likely to come across a Turkish kebab Imbiss in major German cities than a sausage stand. Döners are just as cheap as Würste and several times more palatable."
This kind of counter intuitive inside scoop on Turkish influence on German fast food felt like a real glimpse into German day to day society, rather than a overview aimed at tourists and students. An honest article on a similar American perspective would focus on how much Chinese food Americans eat. I'd certainly appreciate that as a German visiting the US for the first time.
I loved the article "The Dark Side" mostly because it reminded me of a book of essays by one of my favorite writers, David Rakoff, called "Half Empty," about the healthy, beneficial release in imagining the worst in a scenario and thinking pessimistically. This article was more about the German history of thinking of things pessimistically, but both basically acknowlege the Chekovian ideal that you'll feel better if you call the worst happening ahead of time.
The "Forget the Mett" guide to German fast food was also both informative and interesting. As an American with a tangential, largely stereotypical sense of famous German dishes, it was cool to see something as initially simple as "bratwurst" or "schnitzel" broken down into all the different types and variations available. The difference between schnitzel hawaii and schnitzel natur is probably as second nature to Germans as the difference between chili fries and curly fries to an American.
The "What About the Turks" rebuttal article was also interesting.
"And I would bet you dollars to döners that you're more likely to come across a Turkish kebab Imbiss in major German cities than a sausage stand. Döners are just as cheap as Würste and several times more palatable."
This kind of counter intuitive inside scoop on Turkish influence on German fast food felt like a real glimpse into German day to day society, rather than a overview aimed at tourists and students. An honest article on a similar American perspective would focus on how much Chinese food Americans eat. I'd certainly appreciate that as a German visiting the US for the first time.
I loved the article "The Dark Side" mostly because it reminded me of a book of essays by one of my favorite writers, David Rakoff, called "Half Empty," about the healthy, beneficial release in imagining the worst in a scenario and thinking pessimistically. This article was more about the German history of thinking of things pessimistically, but both basically acknowlege the Chekovian ideal that you'll feel better if you call the worst happening ahead of time.
Mittwoch, 16. Oktober 2013
Kultur 3- Sarah van der Walde
I really enjoyed reading the "An Obsession Explained: Beer, Brewskies, and Liquid Bread". The humorous take on German stereotypes showed they they are not actually always pessimistic and humorless. I enjoyed reading about all the different types of beers and thought it was really funny how they were judged by the "hangover risk". Radler and Russn sound so good!!
I thought it was really interesting that Germany is putting policies in place to fix the public drinking and the problems that come with it. The way they are putting the laws in place seem like a really good idea; to let cities and towns put bans on public drinking in certain places. That way each town can have its own rules which suit it according to its own wants and needs. The idea of a drinking room was really funny to me. I don't know why, maybe it is my American point of view, but it seemed kind of crazy to have a room dedicated to alcoholics.
I also read the article about Germans' obsession with naturally grown food. I thought it was really interesting as most of our food is genetically modified somehow. I think it's great that Germans are so conscientious of the environment and their own health. I think America is following in Germany's foot steps with organic food becoming more normal.
"All of which means that organic foods in Germany are no longer associated exclusively with Birkenstock-wearing hippies or overly protective mothers. Organic has gone mainstream. "
The article, "The Dark Side: Optimists are idiots" was really funny. I think it is great how frank and to the point Germans are. They say exactly what they are thinking without worrying about offending someone which is just about the complete opposite of Americans. It reminded me of what we were talking about in class how most romance language have a work for the positive of something but German has a noch for the negative of stuff.
I thought it was really interesting that Germany is putting policies in place to fix the public drinking and the problems that come with it. The way they are putting the laws in place seem like a really good idea; to let cities and towns put bans on public drinking in certain places. That way each town can have its own rules which suit it according to its own wants and needs. The idea of a drinking room was really funny to me. I don't know why, maybe it is my American point of view, but it seemed kind of crazy to have a room dedicated to alcoholics.
I also read the article about Germans' obsession with naturally grown food. I thought it was really interesting as most of our food is genetically modified somehow. I think it's great that Germans are so conscientious of the environment and their own health. I think America is following in Germany's foot steps with organic food becoming more normal.
"All of which means that organic foods in Germany are no longer associated exclusively with Birkenstock-wearing hippies or overly protective mothers. Organic has gone mainstream. "
The article, "The Dark Side: Optimists are idiots" was really funny. I think it is great how frank and to the point Germans are. They say exactly what they are thinking without worrying about offending someone which is just about the complete opposite of Americans. It reminded me of what we were talking about in class how most romance language have a work for the positive of something but German has a noch for the negative of stuff.
Abilene Emerson, Kultur3
Thank you Germany for not risking the lives of your Einwohner with chemically saturated foods! Here in America, I too often hear "Don't forget to wash your fruit. The pesticides might rally together in your stomach and cause you many illnesses". I worry constantly about how many chemicals I am consuming and what I am doing to my body. Quite often I will do some research on what foods are the worst. During one of my cyber-ventures, I found this website. It details the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean 15" in America- the dirtiest and the cleanest produce. Apples, celery, grapes, peaches, and cucumbers are only a few of the most toxic delicacies. Comparing this website to one centered around German produce (http://www.freshplaza.com/article/39732/Only-2.7-procent-of-German-fruit-and-vegetables-contain-pesticides), I found that the spoiled produce varies. In Germany, green cabbage, rocket, eggplants, tea, and herbs are some of the dirtiest. I find it quite ironic though that the article provided on organic obsessions in Germany came out in 2006. Because, two years later an article was released targeting Germany for using dozens of illegal pesticides on food and failing to properly regulate the use. http://www.dw.de/illegal-pesticides-found-in-germanys-produce/a-3586212. I might retract my appreciation for German produce.
What is with the failure to regulate pesticides? Who keeps letting the deadly chemicals slip by our watch and into our mouths?
What is with the failure to regulate pesticides? Who keeps letting the deadly chemicals slip by our watch and into our mouths?
Kultur3
It interesting to note that even though Germans are stereotypical seen as not funny or not getting jokes that they have actually have a good sense of humor. This is indicated by both the article from Spiegel online and the informal poll taken by laugh lab. While I don't know how scientific the laugh lab poll is it is neat to see Germans on the top of a list of who is the funniest.
The article on optimism and Germans or rather their pessimistic nature touches on things that we read while doing the Kultur2. I think this ties into the whining, bitching and moaning as well as the brutally honest attitude that Germans seem to have. I think this article on "Optimist are Idiots" and the articles from chapter two show a willingness to speak what is on ones mind in German culture. This can be seen as rude by people outside the culture but I think is more about just stating the facts as the person sees them.
There are a wide variety of food choices in Germany. It would seem that most of these choices are most likely of non-GMO origin as Germans do not like their food monkeyed with, outside the normal course of mother nature that is. Common German staples made at home or available at a restaurant include as Bratwurst, Hähnchen and Schnitzel as well as many others. The likely choice for someone looking for fast food though is most likely döner kebabs, a Turkish dish.
The article on optimism and Germans or rather their pessimistic nature touches on things that we read while doing the Kultur2. I think this ties into the whining, bitching and moaning as well as the brutally honest attitude that Germans seem to have. I think this article on "Optimist are Idiots" and the articles from chapter two show a willingness to speak what is on ones mind in German culture. This can be seen as rude by people outside the culture but I think is more about just stating the facts as the person sees them.
There are a wide variety of food choices in Germany. It would seem that most of these choices are most likely of non-GMO origin as Germans do not like their food monkeyed with, outside the normal course of mother nature that is. Common German staples made at home or available at a restaurant include as Bratwurst, Hähnchen and Schnitzel as well as many others. The likely choice for someone looking for fast food though is most likely döner kebabs, a Turkish dish.
Kultur 3
Fur Kulture 3, Ich lese einen Artikle heisst "Capping the Bottle: Germany Looks to Tighten Up Public Drinking Rules." It is about the banning of public drinking in Germany. I found it interesting that drinking in pubic and on the streets in Germany was so common. The descriptive language describing the amounts of bottles and how drunk people on the streets would be was also rather interesting. I found this quote "Also, there have been complaints from storeowners that nearby drinking and drunkenness chase away customers" stated by Reinhold Gall, a state parliamentarian in Baden-Württemberg for the Social Democrats to be rather interesting because that is the same here in America. Homeless people and people drinking or selling drugs tend to drive away customers and is bad for surrounding businesses. I also found it interesting that so many people object to the thought of banning public drinking. Here in America, I believe it would be the complete opposite.
Ich lese auch "German Fast Food: Forget the "Mett," Try a "Frikadelle". It is about the different delicacies of Germany outside of the typical American fast food chains. I learned new vocabulary: "Imbiss" or "Schnellimbiss" which means fast-food shop. I found it rather interesting that most of the foods in Germany were not favorites of the Author; unless of course he discussed the typical french fries or “Pommes Frites" as they're called in Germany. I've always wondered how much of the cuisine here in the US comes from Germany and I found this article http://www.lifeintheusa.com/food/german.htm talks a little about it.
Der Artikle "Yo Dude, What About the Turks? An Introduction to Germany's Real Fast Food Joints" talks about doner kebabs; a Turkish delicacy. I thought it was interesting that so many Turkish people live in Germany and their food is more common than German food. The fact that their food stands can be found on every corner, more often than German Imbiss is interesting.
The Articles "The Dark Side: Optimists are Idiots" and "Teutonic Humor: Vee Have Vays of Making You Laugh" were interesting, but also quite funny at times. The first article basically stated that Germans are pessimistic about everything; definitely mood killers. I found it funny because if you talk to the wrong person in America, you'll also get your mood killed because not everyone here is nice. The second article also emphasizes how German people are rather dull and mean. However it expresses many celebrations and local events that prove this statement false.
Ich lese auch "German Fast Food: Forget the "Mett," Try a "Frikadelle". It is about the different delicacies of Germany outside of the typical American fast food chains. I learned new vocabulary: "Imbiss" or "Schnellimbiss" which means fast-food shop. I found it rather interesting that most of the foods in Germany were not favorites of the Author; unless of course he discussed the typical french fries or “Pommes Frites" as they're called in Germany. I've always wondered how much of the cuisine here in the US comes from Germany and I found this article http://www.lifeintheusa.com/food/german.htm talks a little about it.
Der Artikle "Yo Dude, What About the Turks? An Introduction to Germany's Real Fast Food Joints" talks about doner kebabs; a Turkish delicacy. I thought it was interesting that so many Turkish people live in Germany and their food is more common than German food. The fact that their food stands can be found on every corner, more often than German Imbiss is interesting.
The Articles "The Dark Side: Optimists are Idiots" and "Teutonic Humor: Vee Have Vays of Making You Laugh" were interesting, but also quite funny at times. The first article basically stated that Germans are pessimistic about everything; definitely mood killers. I found it funny because if you talk to the wrong person in America, you'll also get your mood killed because not everyone here is nice. The second article also emphasizes how German people are rather dull and mean. However it expresses many celebrations and local events that prove this statement false.
Kultur3
I thought it was extremely interesting to learn about the prevalence of beer drinking in Germany from the article "An Obsession Explained: Beer, Brewskies and Liquid Bread,"and then find out in the article "Capping the Bottle: Germany Looks to Tighten Up Public Drinking Rules" that, in fact, not every German citizen supports public drinking. I also enjoyed learning about the different types of beer in Germany. In the United States, I don't feel like we are exposed to many different kinds of beer, at least ones that aren't advertised during the Super Bowl (Miller, Budweiser, Bud Light).
I knew before reading these articles that drinking was a major part of the majority of German citizens' lives, but I wasn't aware of how often and in what places people were drinking. In the United States, it would be strange to see someone walking along the sidewalk drinking a beer, and even stranger, almost unsettling, to see "...construction workers downing a bottle or two on their lunch breaks." After reading the previous sentence, I somewhat supported tighter restrictions on public drinking in Germany.
One of the articles that really caught my attention was "Eco-Centric Germans: Organic Food Obsessions,"as my family and I are avid organic food freaks. The fact that there isn't a Whole Foods store within an hour of my house drives my mom insane, and I can only imagine how much happier she would be if the United States would take to organic food stores as Germany has.
The articles "The Dark Side: Optimists Are Idiots" and "Teutonic Humor: Vee Have Vays of Making You Laugh" allowed for extreme juxtapositions between American and German culture, which I found hilarious at some points. For example, the graffiti in the United States is mostly positive and inspiring, whereas the example for German graffiti was "Ist eh alles scheisse." Overall, I really enjoyed the assigned readings for Kultur 3.
I knew before reading these articles that drinking was a major part of the majority of German citizens' lives, but I wasn't aware of how often and in what places people were drinking. In the United States, it would be strange to see someone walking along the sidewalk drinking a beer, and even stranger, almost unsettling, to see "...construction workers downing a bottle or two on their lunch breaks." After reading the previous sentence, I somewhat supported tighter restrictions on public drinking in Germany.
One of the articles that really caught my attention was "Eco-Centric Germans: Organic Food Obsessions,"as my family and I are avid organic food freaks. The fact that there isn't a Whole Foods store within an hour of my house drives my mom insane, and I can only imagine how much happier she would be if the United States would take to organic food stores as Germany has.
The articles "The Dark Side: Optimists Are Idiots" and "Teutonic Humor: Vee Have Vays of Making You Laugh" allowed for extreme juxtapositions between American and German culture, which I found hilarious at some points. For example, the graffiti in the United States is mostly positive and inspiring, whereas the example for German graffiti was "Ist eh alles scheisse." Overall, I really enjoyed the assigned readings for Kultur 3.
kultur3
I was extremely happy with this chapters’ Kultur texts. Bier
und Essen- what could be better. I love getting food on the go and a beer in
the sun is a perfect companion. It sounds to me that berlin would be a great
destination for vacation- touring the city and seeing beautiful buildings while
holding some Imbiss in one hand and a wheat beer in the other. Also, I like immigrant
food and the multi-cultural display street food allows. Between Donnar and
franks the only problem seems to be that there is legislation regarding
drinking in public, like in the US. This could hinder some of the fun in the Imbiss
culture.
Speaking of which, I enjoyed the piece on bier types: seeing
as Oktoberfest has just ended it was a nice way to remember the array of German
beers among which I found my personal favorite: the German wheat beers, truly a
liquid meal.
Yששלםה
Montag, 14. Oktober 2013
Kultur 3
The article I found most interesting was "Eco-Centric Germans: Organic Food Obsessions". I always had an idea that Europeans put much more emphasis on food quality than Americans, but I didn't know it was to this extent. The fact that 70% of Germans would never touch genetically modified food is unexpected as the EU has recently said that they believe GM food is just as safe as other foods (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=labels-for-gmo-foods-are-a-bad-idea). Nevertheless, I respect Germany's free thinking mentality, commitment to the environment and their personal health.
Most Americans will use price as the reason they don't eat organic food. Thinking that they would have to pay Whole Foods prices in order to eat higher quality food. And they do have a point. Organic food here has been marketed here as a premium good. Even at local farmers markets, you're still going to be paying a lot more for vegetables than if you went to Meier. Hopefully as more people see the advantages of eating organic, the prices will come down.
Reading about the German mealtimes was also enlightening. I think their meal times make much more sense than ours. For example, it seemed that no matter what I ate before work, I was always hungry at around 10 am. Breaking breakfast up into 2 smaller meals not only creates a nice mid-morning work break, but it also is healthier than fewer, bigger meals. Having the 3-course, hot meal during the day and a lighter dinner means that you aren't going to bed with a stomach full of food, which is also healthier.
Evan Cole
Most Americans will use price as the reason they don't eat organic food. Thinking that they would have to pay Whole Foods prices in order to eat higher quality food. And they do have a point. Organic food here has been marketed here as a premium good. Even at local farmers markets, you're still going to be paying a lot more for vegetables than if you went to Meier. Hopefully as more people see the advantages of eating organic, the prices will come down.
Reading about the German mealtimes was also enlightening. I think their meal times make much more sense than ours. For example, it seemed that no matter what I ate before work, I was always hungry at around 10 am. Breaking breakfast up into 2 smaller meals not only creates a nice mid-morning work break, but it also is healthier than fewer, bigger meals. Having the 3-course, hot meal during the day and a lighter dinner means that you aren't going to bed with a stomach full of food, which is also healthier.
Evan Cole
Donnerstag, 10. Oktober 2013
Bier and (Nicht so) Bad Humor
Für Kultur 3 Ich lese "An Obsession Explained: Beer, Brewskies and Liquid Bread", "German Fast Food: Forget the "Mett," Try a "Frikadelle"", und "Yo Dude, What About the Turks? An Introduction to Germany's Real Fast Food Joints", mit die andere lesens. Ich finde ihre sehr interessant. Das Bier Artikel ich finde sehr drollig. Ich trinke nicht gern Bier, aber ich finde die unterschiedlich Bier interessant. The detail in the descriptions of the beer was pretty cool, and I found the culture really different that they drink beer at all times of the day and in public. In America that's looked down upon. The fast foods sounded interesting, I'm not really sure what'd I'd get though, definitely not Currywurst, aber vielleicht Bockwurst ober Krakauer. I enjoy Turkish and other Middle Eastern food, so ich möchte essen Döner.
The style of meals seems pretty standard for what I've heard about European countries, however I don't understand how they manage the big meal in the middle of the day. Especially for Studenten, this is really difficult. The metric system is nothing new, I prefer it for its logic, and I use it a lot in my science classes. The Kultur text about Mannheim and Heidelberg was sehr interessant denn Amerikan Stadts haben nicht historisch compared to die Stadts in Europe, like these two cities.
The humor is what I think I'd enjoy the most, I would have fun in Berlin trying to come up with snarky comments to make in reply to people, as that back in forth is the humor I enjoy and have with Freunds.
Mittwoch, 25. September 2013
Willkommen!!
Welcome to our class blog!
We will be using this blog throughout the semester for two kinds of assignments:
1. Once per chapter, the homework plan will direct you to post a response to the culture readings for the chapter on the blog.
2. Roughly every other week, the homework plan will direct you to post here for your Abenteuer mit Deutsch (AMD) assignment. First you do a fun activity that involves German, then you post about it. You should spend an hour total on this (maybe 45-55 minutes doing something, 5-15 minutes posting about it). See Was ist ein AMD, AMD Ideen and Beispiele for ideas. This should get you excited about the kinds of things you can do!
Whenever you post something, please include your name and the name of the assignment (e.g. AMD2, Kultur5) as labels. See "Blog: How To" for more details!
We will be using this blog throughout the semester for two kinds of assignments:
1. Once per chapter, the homework plan will direct you to post a response to the culture readings for the chapter on the blog.
2. Roughly every other week, the homework plan will direct you to post here for your Abenteuer mit Deutsch (AMD) assignment. First you do a fun activity that involves German, then you post about it. You should spend an hour total on this (maybe 45-55 minutes doing something, 5-15 minutes posting about it). See Was ist ein AMD, AMD Ideen and Beispiele for ideas. This should get you excited about the kinds of things you can do!
Whenever you post something, please include your name and the name of the assignment (e.g. AMD2, Kultur5) as labels. See "Blog: How To" for more details!
Abonnieren
Posts (Atom)