Kultur 11 - Jenna Malzahn

For Kultur 11, I proceeded by reading "Breaking Down the Wall in the Head" which depicts the existence of of stereotypes between Eastern and Western Germans and that there persistence in society displays the continued impact that the Berlin Wall still has even after reunification. I was extremely surprised to learn that based on recent poll conducted by the Forsa research institute that a quarter of West Germans wished that the Berlin Wall would be rebuilt. I believe that this is a really drastic approach because even if the reunification was deemed a failure and the two halves were to split, a wall, essentially creating a barrier between the two, is not necessary. It would be like France and Spain constructing a wall along their border over a small disagreement in order to verify and emphasis the fact that they were two different countries. All of this tension stems from the miscommunication that followed the falling of the Wall as Easterners were disillusioned to the extent of wealth in the West and as the Westerners believed that the East was receiving an excessive amount of money. The demeaning stereotypes soon followed in order to categorize and emphasize any differences that existed and the continuation of them throughout the years just illustrates how a solution of reconstructed of the Berlin Wall could be reached because members of the population is being swayed by these persisting preconceived notions. As the article described the extent of differences it also shares a solution other than merely calling it quits. It calls on the youth of the nation to overcome these stereotypes and to knock down the Wall that exists in the head because they are the future and are not as influenced by these notions as older generations who lived through the falling of the Berlin Wall. I think that overall this displays how the youth are necessary in all countries in order to fix and learn from past mistakes since the problem that persists in Germany isn't an exclusive event and occurs in cultures all over the world and throughout history.

I also read the article "Backward Southerners, Frigid Northerners: Germany's Real Divide" which displayed the opposite feelings that were presented in the first article. Instead it seemed that a Wall should have been constructed between the North and South regions of Germany rather than the East and West because the differences and prejudice that exists is even more drastic. The interesting thing that I discovered though was that the differences between the two seemed to parallel those that occur in American society. In both cases the North is considered more industrial while the South is overwhelmingly deemed to be more conservative by comparison. However considering how America is able to function properly I think that the differences in Germany may have been over exaggerated in this article. All countries are composed of a numerous amount of differences so these merely assist in defining the country as it's own.

AMD 6 - Jenna Malzahn

Für AMD 6, suchte ich Dinge aus "365 Dinge" Buch. The item I looked up was number 51 and 305, which both involving the "Gruselkabinett", because anything related to horror I find interesting. I've always loved scary movies and haunted houses or corn mazes so, even though the picture that accompanied the brief description in the book created a sense of cheesiness about this place, I was immediately drawn to the "horror cabinet". While the picture made the "Gruselkabinett" appear hastily put together, like most Halloween decorations that cover the majority of the public's lawns, the place itself is actually quite authentic. Interestingly enough it's housed in a WWII air-raid bunker that was once apart of a complete complex network that extended for miles beneath the city. Hitler's air-raid shelter was actually connected to this one at a point in history so he could have very well walked through it. The best part of the "Gruselkabinett" I think is that while the ground floor is composed of groaning dummies and creepy characters that randomly appear in the dark and dank maze, the place also serves to preserve the historical aspect of the place, time, and the individuals who were once exposed to it. Actual belongings that were left behind are actually put on display and I think that overall this shows how each culture attempts to keep the occurrences of the past from being lost in the continually changing current of society. Germany isn't the only nation that creates museums to share historical facts but the fact that the "Gruselkabinett" promotes this in such an interesting and effective way is something that everyone nation can learn from.

Kultur 10 - Jenna Malzahn

For Kultur 10 I started out by reading "'Dinner For Who?': Germany's New Year 'Procedure'" which was focused on the phenomenon of popularity that surrounds the "Dinner For One" skit. Seeing as Germany has a very distinct national language and is a different country in general, I didn't find it that surprising that there would be contrasting trends present in their society. Overall I thought that the popular German television programs and movies would be different from that of Americans and that cross over would be minimum to non-existent because of the language barrier. I found it interesting that Germans didn't think about that possibility and instead thought it was extremely concerning and strange that most of the population outside of Germany hadn't seen it. The lack of a language barrier from the skit does offer a greater possibility for the likelihood of the skit to spread but even without that obstacle to hinder it the differences in cultural preferences are still intimidating obstacles. The "Dinner For One" is such a short and old skit that its lack of transgression into other countries doesn't surprise me at all especially since there are always numerous films and skits being made while only the ones that successfully enter popular culture are able to stick around. The connection that the author made at the end of the article did help me to understand how this misunderstanding could continually exist because to me it seems unlikely that "The Sound of Music" is not located in other countries popular film collections. This also offers another example of the cultural differences that exist between America and Germany. Not only do the differences in languages help to maintain a barrier but the preferences of the citizens also continually perpetuate differences.

I also read the article "Sorry, We're Closed: The Challenge of Spending Money in Germany" which is concerned with the hours of stores and the strict regulation that the government mandates about them. I found the whole article really strange because it differs so vastly from what I'm used to in America which are the 24 hour stores. The fact that the government regulates when a store is allowed to open just seems so restrictive to me and would probably violate one of the amendments of the Constitution if it were to start occurring in America. I think that this difference just underlines the transition between the two cultures and how contrasting the simple ideals of the population are. The strict hours of shops directly correlates with the expectations that Germans have of social conduct like how washing one's car in their driveway is deemed offensive to neighbors. While some store hours are changing in order to accommodate the changing times of the working class this idea hasn't made it on a widespread scale which I think directly correlates with the differences found in the German culture. Overall it seems that the seemingly smallest differences offer the biggest reflection of societal changes between the American and German culture.

AMD 4 - Jenna Malzahn

Für AMD 4, habe ich zu Deutsch Menschen auf Florida zugehört. Over spring break I traveled down to Naples, Florida where there happened to be a surprising amount of German tourists as well. It seemed that for the majority of the week I was surrounded with German speakers because they were honestly everywhere, including the beach, pier, and downtown shopping area. It became a fun game that my friend and I played in trying to casually eavesdrop and understand what they were talking about. Assuming that they were all natives speakers it was usually incredibly difficult trying to understand and comprehend what they were conversing about and we were often left with only an inkling of a guess from the words that we picked up. The most common were "das Wetter", "heiß", "der Wellengang", "einkaufen", und "die Kleidung". Other words that we caught but couldn't decipher we tried to look up and that list included the word for dolphin "die Delfine", painting "das Gemälde", und jewelry "der Schmuck". Towards the end of the week I did feel more confident in my abilities to decipher and understand what was generally being talked about in German between the tourists, as it became easier to follow along with their fast-paced conversing in relation to the slow-paced videos we usually hear in class. The fact that my friend and I also decided to try to mostly converse with each other in only German helped substantially as well because it focused my mind on the German language more and how to communicate through what I have learned so far. Our conversations were on the more basic side, usually spanning from the weather to shopping for clothes but it was extremely rewarding to hold a conversation for a while and I feel like it helped a lot in my ability to retain what we have learned.

Kultur 9 - Jenna Malzahn

For Kultur 9 I started out by reading "Bureaucracy Gone Awry: The German Certificate Fetish", which was concerned with the drastic amount of certificates that the German population needs in order to successfully apply for any type of occupation. I found this really surprising considering how environmentally friendly they usually are in relation to food production and the use of any pesticides; so the extreme necessity for paper documentation of their whole life caught me off guard. I feel like this is quite a dramatic method for an attempt at merely securing a career because the documentation needs to span from elementary school until the present including every possible specific that could have attributed to it. I would expect this to make the process of applying to a job longer and considerably more miserable because any possible detail from your whole life could be picked at. Instead of simply focusing on the merits of the individuals that applied and all of their talents and skills the debate concerning who was hired could be determined from their grades in first grade spelling. I'm sure that is not what actually occurs but the possibility still persists to be there and I find that quite worrisome. On the other side the need for all of this paperwork also establishes that the majority of the German population is extremely organized which is an incredibly beneficial aspect for anyone to have. I believe that to be the one aspect that America should try to duplicate in the workforce, but maybe through a different method.    

I also read "Love Thy Neighbor: German Law Tells You How" and am completely surprised by how serious any infraction could be taken. In America I've heard of stories with nasty neighbors and feuds that can arise but to have such a wide-spread code enacted seems to stem from much more serious issues. It might be the fact that I am not aware of how many neighborly feuds are taken to court in America but the sheer amount in Germany and overall general tendency for it, I just find shocking. So I guess it does make sense why such specific rules have been established concerning neighbor interactions but the cultural difference that it creates between Germany and America is too vast for me to quite wrap my head around. Based on the culture I am accustomed to I consider it to be extremely outrageous for car washing to be banned and for barbecues to only be allowed to occur once a month. While I do believe that one needs to be mindful and considerate of their neighbor, I still find this to be taking it a little too far. These two articles depict obvious differences that exist between both cultures but I think they merely stem from extremes being taken, mostly by Germany, in the attempt to accomplish the same goals. 

AMD 3 - Jenna Malzahn

Für AMD 3, habe ich manche von 365 Dinge forschen. The one feature offered by Berlin that I focused on was "Nase an Nase mit Haien im Sea Life" (114). Originally I thought that "Nase an Nase mit Haien im Sea Life" would be interesting because it's a "sechs Meter lange Unterwassertunnel und der Aquadom" and it reminded me of the polar bear and seal exhibit at the Detroit Zoo. That had always been one of my favorite exhibits at the zoo because it appears as if you are underwater with the animals and it makes them seem so much closer. However this Aquadom and Sea Life has more importance than merely displaying diverse sea animals for the enjoyment of the public as it is actively involved in animal conservation and breeding. As an organization they are heavily involved in the breeding of seahorses and have up to 9 different species in stock which effectively helps prevent extinction for these rare marine species. While they are a pioneer for this breeding, this Aquadom and Sea Life are also associated with multiple sanctuaries and are actively involved in saving orphan seals in order to return them to the wild to help sustain the current environment. Seals are not the only marine animal that they rescue, since they are influential in most specie rehabilitation efforts. The network they have created is also actively pursuing legislative action in order to assist with animal preservation and the protection of the environment. This shows how forms of activism are present in all countries and that it’s not a cultural aspect. The similarities that exist between America and Germany are displayed a lot in this Aquadom and Sea Life. I find this to make the world in general more connected because it shows how we are all worried about the same things that affect the places we live and the animals that live there with us. 

Kultur 8 - Jenna Malzahn

For Kultur 8 I started out by reading "Draftophobia: Blown Away by the Fear of Air" article, which was focused on the German population's concern of drafts and their affect on their personal health. I found this article really interesting because it shows the vast differences that can exist between the German and American culture. While it may only seem like such a small difference it conveys the underlying differentiation between the two countries that still continues, even through the mass globalization and integration that has been occurring in recent years. What really surprised me though was how adamant the German population was in their belief that a draft will cause sickness. They would rather suffer in the sweltering heat of a train car than merely crack the windows open to allow for air circulation. Also the fact that it's the German doctors who validate this information is quite shocking because I would have assumed that this idea would have been contradicted from other countries findings, but it's permanent presence might be because of a long standing tradition or belief that's just passed on through generations.

I also read the "You Have What? Mysterious Illness in Germany" article, which was extremely revealing about common diseases in Germany and expanded upon why their fear of drafts exist. Their fear of drafts now makes more sense to me because they explain, culturally, how these diseases and illnesses are transferred. What I found really interesting was the sheer amount of illnesses that seem to be present in only Germany and to such a large amount too. Yet it all appears to be so under control even though  majority of Germans refuse to use medication like what is used in America. I would suggest maybe following in Germany's footsteps on this one but I think medication is too embedded in American culture for that to really have any effect on the majority of the population. Overall, I think that these differences arise mostly from the geographic differentiation between the two countries and how over the years it has evolved into varied consequences.

AMD 2 - Jenna Malzahn

Für AMD 2, habe ich mit meiner Freundin in Deutsch gesprochen. Wir haben für eine Stunde und eine Halb gesprochen. The conversation definitely took awhile as I tried to string along sentences with the correct grammar and diction while simultaneously trying to decipher the phrases and sentences that she spoke, with all of her knowledge of six years of German classes. It was an interesting conversation to say the least seeing as at one point I decided to just tell her how I got ready in the morning. "Heute Morgen habe ich mich dusche. Dann habe ich mir die Haare wasche und ich habe mir die Haare föhne. Ich habe auch mich angezogen und habe ich mich geschmink." Then there was the instance where we ended up talking about two completely different things. I had been trying to tell her how "Heute hat es geschneit." but my pronunciation may have been a little off and before I could understand where the change in direction our conversation was taking she was asking me if "Hattest du ein schlectes Tag?". It was actually pretty funny once I realized and explained what I was saying and that my rant was merely just about the weather. Overall though the constant conversation in German made me feel a little more comfortable in speaking but I'm obviously still pretty far off. The ease with which my friend was able to speak the language made me excited to become that proficient. 

Kultur 7

For Kultur 7 I started out by reading the "What Discipline? Of German Lines and Pythons" article, which I found to be really interesting. Although the author did seem to come across a little over zealous at times, mainly when discussing the effects garlic will have on the German population, I wasn't really expecting for lines in Germany to have such a drastic difference from American lines. It came as quite a surprise that the lines were compared to "a six-meter long python wrestling with its soon-to-be devoured prey" when I was expecting a similar measure of restriction that was afforded to cross-walks. I think that those are just two really good examples of how German and American culture differ, in the strangest of ways.

I also read through some of the posts made on the USA kulinarisch and noticed the seemingly cultural fascination that Germany has in regards to Americans sweets. A majority of the recipes that I came across all surrounded a need to satisfy their sweet-tooth. I found it interesting that America's array of sweet food and desserts in what was focused on out of all the other possible dishes and meals that could have been chosen.

To continue on with the slight theme of food, I noticed in "365 Dinge" that a lot of the things presented were connected to food, beverages, or just dining in general. I think that this just shows how essential food is to tourism for not just Germany but for every country. The tourist guides for America are filled with the most enticing dishes and restaurants that are a necessity in order to fully indulge and understand American culture. The entrees concerning food in "365 Dinge" ranged from McDonald's to the Hühnerhaus, where it's possible to get a delicious meal at 2:30 in the morning. Overall from all of my readings I found that the German and American cultures remain to me to only differentiate in small, distinct ways. I think that if you were to look at both generally they still follow the same guidelines, but at some instances choose to pick opposite ways of handling them. I think history has more of an impact on how each society and culture is shaped today which explains most of the differences between the countries.

AMD 1

Für AMD 1, habe ich Bella Martha und No Reservations gesehen. No Reservations ist das amerikanische Remake des Films Bella Martha. I decided to watch both of them in order to determine if there were any striking cultural differences between the two. Overall the remake, No Reservations, was seemingly the same as Bella Martha as the plot and even the entrees were mostly consistent, except for a change in language. The story presented throughout the movie was one that was obviously easily relatable with both cultures since there was no change to it. I like how that shows how little or insignificant the differences between Germany and America are since their impact isn't as influential enough to effect the small things like movies or music. Small differences however did still persist between the movies. The most noticeable difference that I discovered was how much more the grieving was palpable in Bella Martha than No Reservations. This also lead to serious search for the girl's father which was completely forgotten in the American remake. It was obvious that the American version was more concerned about the romantic aspect of the movie which I believe has to do with the fact that American audiences prefer the happy endings, with cute moments and romantic gestures along the way. It just seemed to me that Bella Martha had a more realistic view on a person would have responded to that situation instead of presenting the Hollywood version. I think for that I would recommend Bella Martha over No Reservations even though the slight cultural change does take getting used to. Bella Martha und No Reservations waren sehr gut. 

Test Post

Mein Lieblingswort ist der Schmetterling.