Kultur3

Bureaucracy Gone Awry- There seems to be a general pattern in German society of valuing obsessive attention to concrete details and proof. This is apparent in this article, as documented proof is required for virtually every academic-related detail. This is bad news for those people like me who put little value in preservation of seemingly trivial certificates and other documents.

Love Thy Neighbor- In this article, the facts that I found surprising were the quiet time hours and barbecue laws. Because of the quiet time hours, it would seem that the home isn't a place where one can be social. The hours are so restricting! Also, when I was growing up, laundry was almost always taken care of late at night... apparently that wouldn't go down well in Deutschland. Also, the barbecue law dictating that one may grill once every month seems absurd. Barbecues are too awesome to have restrictions, and if a neighbor doesn't appreciate the smell, there are simple acts they can take to avoid the ill-favored sensation.

Germany's Patriotism Problem - Although it's unfortunate that Germany is ashamed of their more recent history, I find it almost appropriate that there's a lack of patriotism there. WWII was less than a century ago, and because of what the country imposed on the rest of the world at the time, Germany will require much time for a to heal and regain national pride.