Kapitel 9 Kultur, Yuntao Chen

Among the articles that I read for this chapter's Kultur, the following ones particularly caught my attention.

"Bureaucracy Gone Awry: The German Certificate Fetish": this article describes Germany as a super Bureaucratic country where even a simple job application requires piles of paperwork. It is very interesting because it reminds me my home country China, where such conducts are also very common. I can understand that as a very cautious and precise people, the Germans probably want everything to be well documented and double-checked. It supposedly ensures that every step in a process is accurate and well-organized. However, if a very bureaucratic process only produces inefficient and cumbersome results, then it becomes a burden of the society.

The other article I read was titled "Germany's Patriotism Problem: Just Don't Fly the Flay". It describes how it is almost a taboo to display the national flag in Germany. It also discusses the issue with people not showing patriotism explicitly in Germany. I have personally interacted with several German friends, and I have also found out this issue. In contrast to American students or my fellow Chinese students, the Germans tend to be more critical about their country. My German friend told me that he very seldom sings their national anthem, which surprised me. I think there is no fault in loving one's country. As long as one is not blindly "patriotic" as to go against humanity and morality, then everyone should be proud to show their affection towards their motherland (or Vaterland).

The article about how to be on good terms with your neighbours ("Love Thy Neighbor: German Law Tells You How") is hilarious. Most of the things that are mentioned in the article are also common practices in America, what sets it apart is that some of the rules are actually put into law in Germany. And more interestingly, when you are not sure what to do, they have dedicated office in the city hall (Ordnungsamt representative) that you can consult with.