Posts from April 2010

Verhalten- Behavior

Posted by sandra 3 Comments
Apr 28 2010

It ain’t over ’till the fat lady sings-     In English:    Let us hope we don’t mess it up!

I would like to write about something that I have noticed and find should be addressed to a certain degree, this notion could be used in many aspects, whether partnerships, friendships or business. As a German woman residing in the US, I’ve come to notice one thing about the differences between the American and German culture.

And that is the behavior in the US of “Men”….

By no means would I want to be stereotyping, nor do I want to come off as a sexist. We should not forget that generalization is in fact a negative path to pursue, because in every part of the world you always have differences between societies. Yet behind all that lies some truth that can often be overlooked. However, it can be a powerful tool to understand a society and what to expect with respect to habits and behavior of a culture.

Norms and behavior and what is expected in each country differ greatly, also towards the opposite sex. As we can see, it depends on the development of females in the country, what their rights are and what simply common sense. But maybe we can assume ( Vermuten )  that it is a standard procedure to whistle when you see a beautiful woman or simply use the typical American phrases to raise attention and interest?  Blurting out sentences such as : “U wanna hang out”- “hey what’s up” – “cool man”- or “ Freakin’ hot”- Hey you” – “Hottie” is it because men have become insecure? Or could we trace the behavior down to plagiarism or simply trying to act “manly “?

Ever since women do in fact seek their careers, men have become self conscious here and therefore use other means in an attempt to be masculine? In personal experience and speaking to other women who are from Europe, we often find and conclude, ( Feststellem )  it must be a simple form of communication in the US. We are not always accustomed ( Gewöhnt)  to such slang nor would we appreciate it, because of respect to one another. ( Zu-einander)

At first glance, men ( Männer)  in Germany make the place seem like a heaven for foreign women who come to Germany. Until you start dating; German men are much more difficult than you might think. It is often noted that Germans have a tendency of wanting to be accurate, by doing everything on time, their humor is not understood, they rarely laugh, and they seem not that approachable. They simply don’t walk over to a stranger and use some pick-up line if a German is interested. Germans will give straight answers with little to no concern if it could be hurtful to the other- Unlike Americans, where strangers will ask you “how you are”, yet don’t mean it most often. It can be called, little white lies-  Among others things about Germans- it is said, they are tense, not impulsive, yet are educated and shy…

Nothing could be further from the truth. It is being said, even in the online German magazines, that German males are not only fine physical specimens, but they are also weak, wimpy, afraid of commitment, and painfully shy.

In other words, they know for a fact that by trying to act “cool” they would not even receive a first chance by most German women. Or is it possible that the women of Germany have raised the men over time in such a fashion?

For centuries, a woman’s role in German society was summed up and described by the three “K” words: Kinder (children), Kirche (church), and Küche (kitchen). Sometimes the fourth “K” is mentioned: Kleider (clothes). Throughout the 20th century, however, women have gradually won victories in their quest for equal rights. In 1919 they received the right to vote. World War II also made profound changes. During the war, women assumed positions traditionally held by men. After the war, the so-called Trümmerfrauen (women of the rubble) tended the wounded, buried the dead, salvaged belongings, and began the hard task of rebuilding war-torn Germany by simply clearing away the rubble.

After World War II, employment and social welfare programs remained predicated on the male breadwinner model. However in the east, women remained in the workforce. The Soviet-style system mandated women’s participation in the economy, and the government implemented this key objective by opening up educational and vocational opportunities to women. As early as 1950, marriage and family laws also had been rewritten to accommodate working mothers. Emancipated for economic and ideological reasons, women in the east entered institutes of higher learning and the labor force in record numbers while still maintaining the household.  After several decades of conforming to traditional social patterns, West German women began to demand changes as well. With this a new era developed.

In General more and more women approached their independency and, to an extent, voiced their opinions in regards to men. Men, until recently, had no rights to a child in Germany after a divorce – They could only pay child-support but had no parental rights, while women, through persistent patriarchal family structure and work environment, have managed to gain isolated high-profile victories.

While in the US it has become more common ( Üblich )  that both male and female work and similar events happened of women’s rights and equal right, the wages for the same work often still vary, for women the income is still less for the majority- And child support as well as health care is still lacking in many parts of the US- Therefore often enough one still relies heavily on a male figure to bring home ( Zuhause ) the bread. ( Das brot)

So my overall question is this: Why do especially American men tend to act “cool” and arrogant? With such phrases as mentioned above often being used in the US?

On a final note:

While it’s hard not to categorize people according to their nationalities, it’s wise to look beyond all the stereotypes if you’re trying to get to know a person, no matter on what level. Give them (be it Germans, French, Japanese etc.) a chance to be who they really are. Though with respect and also as to what another person culture presents. ( Präsentiert )

 Verhalten- Behavior

Vermuten- Assume

Feststellen- conclude

Gewöhnt- Accustomed

Zueinander- to another

Männer- Men

Kinder- Children

Kirche- Church

Küche- Kitchen

Kleider- Clothes

Trümmerfrauen- women of the rubble

üblich- common

Zuhause- to home

Das brot- the bread

Präsentiert- presented

Springtime

Posted by jan 1 Comment
Apr 23 2010

As every year, the winter seemed to be endlos (endless) and harsh. In fact, it was a very cold winter this time with many extreme situations like frozen rivers (no more traffic), endless Staus (traffic jams) with countless accidents, homeless people freezing…

The city of Berlin was covered with Eis (ice) and Schnee (snow) for such a long time as never before (at least since there is documentary about the weather).

Sometimes the periods of bad Wetter (weather) lasted so long that people honestly doubted the thing about global warming!

But since some days and weeks the winter hides away. Pflanzen (Plants) flourish and the trees are starting to get Blätter (leaves). You can hear the birds in the morning and insects are starting to fly, to scramble…whatever. All in all, the world gets a little more friendly. Not only for the Augen (eyes)…

The time is back when you enjoy being draussen (outside). So the streets are pretty crowded, cafés are full of people and everybody enjoys going for a walk or just sits somewhere and observes the scenery. And with the weather and the temperatures, the people are beginning to change as well. They act with more Geduld (patience), seem to be more relaxed…more friendly.

Last week we had our first barbecue this year…for me this is often the real beginning of Frühling (spring) and summer ;-)

So I can´t wait for the real summer…spending the nights outside, swimming and watching the world being grün (green) and warm as well as watching the children playing soccer, trying to bicyle and eating ice cream.

Though there are a lot of regions in the world where there are no Jahreszeiten (seasons), at least no seasons with extremes, I wouldn´t change…because after a long and depressing winter, springtime is really something special!

Here you will find the vocabulary to this blogpost.

Energy

Posted by sandra No Comments
Apr 21 2010

Energy.

In the United States an economic revolution is starting to take place. German companies try to profit from it by exporting wind-, solar- and bio-technology to the new world. They hope to gain billions of dollars, while promoting the green revolution. Changing the way of producing energy is not only a necessity to prevent forecasted catastrophic climate changes as a result of producing too much carbon dioxide and heat. It also rests on the notion that the world is nearing natural changes to which we humans have to adapt to. It appears that we are finding ( finden)  new ways ( Neue wege )  to develop novel energy sources for human needs.

It is an old concept but wind sun and water give plentiful of resources to conjoin into environmental safe energy. Thus, the dry deserts of America, could be utilized to install solar panels enough to feed thousands of households.  In Similar to the idea the EU ( Europâische Union) already has with the Saharan Desert.

The change Texas illustrates is a mega trend: America is experiencing a green revolution and for a number of companies it is very good news. ( Gute Nachrichten )  The German wind energy industry is already benefiting from the U.S. boon. German suppliers have a market share of about 60 percent for wind turbine components in the U.S. Within a few years the U.S. may surpass Germany as the most important wind energy market. In 2009 alone, wind turbines were installed with a capacity of almost 10,000 megawatts. The total output in the United States, according to the Global Wind Energy Council, is at around 35 gigawatts versus 25.8 gigawatts in Germany and 25.1 gigawatts in China. And the market will continue to grow rapidly. German companies such as SolarWorld, Q-Cells and Solon have high hopes to expand in the U.S.

Even power stations will open up opportunities. Especially in the states with a high proportion of agricultural biogas plants and heating plants with biomass are of interest.

Though the question remains. Let us assume science is correct about our human foot print, would we want to see solar panels scattered in a landscape, that not even a picture would make the beauty justice of America.

The idea however, that Gas lines are already in plans for national parks and possibly oil rigs off the Eastern coastline and north in Alaska, this is possibly a interesting move from Germany as well as the USA- where in Germany recycling is mandatory, not a question of choice or whether willing to buy reusable shopping bags, Germans are more conscious of the human bio- prints we are leaving behind, and public transportation being more popular then in the US. This could be a welcoming sight, yet also an attractive note on how we could attempt to use more car pool, high efficiency trains, bicycle paths, well designed sidewalks that could also provide additional ( Zusätzlich )   ways of conserving the beauty this country has to offer, nonetheless it also being much healthier for ourselves as well by using physical activity and to remind ourselves that the US has the highest rating in obesity. In a sense a wake up call for several things.

The unemployment rate in Texas is also one of the lowest with 700 00 new jobs created-.. and on the rise- With this, a whole new era might develop, that is, if we are willing to conjoin forces with Germany, their ideas ( Die Ideen)  , culture and ambitions. ( Ambitionen)  

Finding- finden

New Ways- Neue Wege

EU- Europäische Union

Good news- Gute Nachrichten

Additional- Zusätzlich

The ideas- Die Ideen

Ambitions- Ambitionen

Learn the words HERE!

Table Manners- Tischmanieren

Posted by sandra 8 Comments
Apr 18 2010

Etiquette….And Guten Appetit!!

Wherever you travel in the world, your manners as well as respect to the country you find yourself in, are important constituents a person should abide by.  And this includes table manners.. Electronic communication, mass media, global travel, and international trade are making the world a smaller place and expose us to cross-cultural table manners where food may be eaten with fingers rather than utensils, and seating may be on the ground rather than at the table.

Table manners follow a certain logic, based on common sense and courtesy. But customs in the West are often not followed in the East. Smacking your lips and belching are considered signs that you appreciate the food you have just eaten in the East, but are rude in the West. ( Östliche Länder ) In Eastern countries food should always be taken in the right hand.

In some countries the ( Verhalten ) behavior at the table could show a lack of respect to the host- yet in other parts of the world, this same behavior would be acceptable. So it’s always a good thing to know a thing or two about what to expect, as well as what a host country might expect of you – Since offending is surely not a way to go and learn about a culture or country.

If you are a foreigner, American table manners take a while to get used to, particularly for Europeans, because they may appear offensive. For example, cutting all the food on a dish into bite-sized pieces and then using the right hand, armed with a fork, seems like normal behavior, yet in Germany, this would not be tolerated. Elbows on the table, using the left hand to hold the dish, chewing with an open mouth, or ( Sprechen) talking while chewing are not appreciated.  It is often regarded as offensive to the host, and while some of these issues have nothing to do with bad manners it can trigger less ( Angenehm ) pleasant reactions In Germany, if you were to chew with an open mouth – even among family, you would be seeing your grandma’s spoon hitting the table and your soup would go in all directions. However, all of this should not be misinterpreted because there are many other Americans in the US who do present table manners in “European” style.

When you were invited, it usually was expected to bring a gift or a good bottle of French or Italian wine, not to be consumed at the table. You would not bring German wine, because that could suggest that the host would be serving bad wine. You always should have only your hands on the table, and not in your lap. Seriously, the host might ask and wonder what you are doing. The fork should always go in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. You only cut one piece a time, forcing the habit of using the left hand to eat. Switching is tolerated if you are handicapped. It may go to extremes as well. For example, in high-end restaurants when you order chicken, you would ask the waiter to separate the meat from the bone. 

Many table manners in the world evolved out of practicality, thus also there was sometimes not the time to appreciate the table decorated with food and ornaments (Flowers etc) or the resources- and how of lack of this a certain culture habit and style can develop-

Thus if we look back in history and the making of America, the euro-Americans came here to the new land with not much, the civil war, the American independence as well as fur trade gave this country a certain type of behavior amongst people, but it depended much on class as well, in the 1700, when for instance the Icelandic volcano erupted- thousands of people died in Europe- therefore many also seeking refuge elsewhere, amongst that in America. They left behind the things the average person would take for granted. Only belongings that were up most necessary and this did not most likely include an entire set of ( Das besteck ) silverware-

So I am asking my readers this time-

What do you think made this table manner so different from Europe? Other then possibly class and society?

Do you think every person should learn to ( Essen) eat with ( Messer) knife and ( Gabel )fork? Like most doing in Europe?

Östliche Länder- Eastern countries

Verhalten- behavior-

Sprechen- Talking

Angenehm- pleasant

Das Besteck- Silverware

Messer- Knife

Gabel- Fork

And interesting video in regards to eating manners- 

click here

Under fire

Posted by jan 2 Comments
Apr 18 2010

As you might know, Germany is a part of the ISAF (International Security Assistant Force) and since 2001 German Truppen (troops) are positioned in Afghanistan. Meanwhile approximately 4.000 soldiers are there trying to sustain Frieden (peace). They are operating mostly in the north of Afghanistan.

What began as a mission to bring peace (Operation Enduring Freedom) and reconstruct the whole system is getting more and more gefährlich (dangerous).

In the last few weeks there have been two major Gefechte (combats) where seven German soldiers lost their lives.

The first one was close to Kunduz which is in the north of Afghanistan. A German patrol was being attacked by Taliban fighters from different directions. So this was a typical Hinterhalt (ambush) situation. Three of the Soldaten (soldiers) died, at least five were heavily injured.

The second one took place near the city of Baghlan where the soldiers were attacked with bazookas. The result: Four dead and five injured.

So as the combats are getting more and the Taliban Widerstand (resistance) seems to be better organized and more aggressive, the backing of the German mission in Afghanistan by the people is getting fraglich (doubtful). Politicians and people claim the Rückzug (retreat). At the same time 60 new tanks are ordered and delivered to the troops in Afghanistan. There are a lot of discussions und even the minister of defense Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is using the word “war” for the first time. He originally said, that “though it might not be liked by everybody, on the basic of the facts of what is happening in parts of Afghanistan, you can colloquially talk about Krieg (war)!”

As you can imagine, the killings and the reactions on them are a big deal in the media and I guess that this topic will gain more and more Einfluss (influence).

For me personally, the mission in Afghanistan hasn´t been very present in the last years. I thought that German troops were educating Afghanistan policemen (which by the way was a complete farce) and trying to secure the people over there.

But with the killings of the last Wochen (weeks) I started to read more about the whole topic and I found out, that the situation has always been more difficult. And nowadays the Neo-Taliban are gaining more and more power. So I ask myself about the Sinn und Zweck (spirit and purpose) of the whole mission. Is it really meaningful trying to bring peace and democracy to a region which might be not ready for it? At the same time I think about innocent Kinder (children) and families trying to live under these circumstances of war, which is in fact not possible (at least in a human way), and my mind is changing again. So for me it´s really hard to develop a steady opinion.

What do you think?

Here you will find the vocabulary to this blogpost

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