Kultur, Kapitel 10

Christmas Markets: I love the description for how cozy all these markets sound; it seems to me like although they're meant for commerce, these markets all have genuine 'Christmas Spirit' that would make them great fun to go to. I particularly like how the Nuremberg Christmas Market has outlawed taped music, as I feel that would make the atmosphere much less tacky.

Dinner for Who: I find this German tradition to be really interesting because the skit itself is English, not German. Whereas everything else we've read about seems to entail Germans being very procedural and self defining, this skit is a great example of how other countries still have managed to influence Germany. In the odd chance that a German ever asks if I know the skit, I'll be very excited to say I do; it sounds like nice solid British humor.

Sorry, We're Closed: What a stark contrast from the States, where 24/7 stores are a mainstay. I suppose in Germany you just get used to not being able to get whatever you want whenever you need it, and while at first it would be odd not to be able to run a few errands late at night, I'm sure the time saved shopping would be put to other uses that are also rather German.

Booze Brothers: I'm officially excited to go study in Germany! Very funny article about a day when German men seem to let their (shortly cropped) hair down. The closest holiday I can think of is St. Patrick's day in Ann Arbor, where midday drunken shenanigans seem to be not only normal, but expected. That being said, I don't know how I would feel if I saw all my friends' dads out getting drunk together under a tree while singing songs. So while it sounds like a harmlessly fun holiday, I believe that it should be treated cautiously in terms of drink consumption.

Bern travel guide: I read a woman's recollection of a recent excursion to the mountain top small town of Gimmelwald, that she learned about in a Rick Steve's guide. It sounded like heaven; there were beautiful ravines, waterfalls all over the place, and cute houses in which to sleep.

Brothers Grimm: I didn't realize how much more these brothers did than just telling stories. They were real linguists, and they traveled across the country to compile all sorts of German compilation, from fairy tales to language patterns which they turned into German dictionary. This gives me a whole new respect for the sophistication of these fairy tales.

Karneval: As hard as the Germans work, they seem to play. The way these week long festivals are described makes me believe that Germans all gather on board a lot more than Americans ever do for festivals. It's almost like a national day of partying, rather than America where people pick and choose the days when they're going to celebrate.

Die Schweitz: How cool is this country. First of all, four national languages is just bad ass and it makes me wish I lived there. Second, nobody messes with Switzerland because they're just so neutral and just great neighbors. And third, the economy is unbelievable even though the natural resources are lacking. What Switzerland has done for itself as a country, since the 1200s, is unbelievable and should be a model for other countries.

Fest und Feiertage: Wonderful at long last to be reading about Germans celebrating, as opposed to learning about the rigors of their education system. All the religious holidays sound familiar, as does New Year. There seems to be a great spread of activities, and the fun never seems to end for those zany Deutscheren!