Kultur 2

The article on Draftophobia was ironic since it said Germans love fresh air whether is winter and summer and love to open their homes to the breeze, but at the same time they are they are leery of drafts since it may cause illness. It was also interesting to read that Germans believe the drafts will cause sickness or others malady because some Americans also think drafts from cracked doors or windows will cause illness.

The article on mysterious illness was hilarious because it made it appear that all Germans were hypochondriacs due to all of the made-up health problems. Although, according to the last paragraph the Germans caution about their health appears to be helping since the days lost from work due to illness have been reduced.

Sauna obsession in Germany was not anything new to read about because in Deutsch 101 the culture of clothing (or the lack thereof) in German society was explained.

In American culture it is the community colleges that have the older generation of students (those in their mid-twenties to early 30s), and it was interesting to make this comparison since one would not expect this to also be the case in German culture.

The two Brennpunkt Kultur (Seite 290, 304) which talked about the German university system appears to be similar to the American in terms of how the classes are set up (Vorlesung, Proseminar, etc.) and selection of classes. It was fascinating to read about how German institutes were traditionally tuition free (Seite 311). It was also interesting to read about the German school system for the younger levels (Seite 318).

Kultur 2

I was a little surprised when I read the article on German people's fear for draft. Although people in China are less aware of the open windows, we would still carefully make sure that there's no current directly on our body for a long time, especially when sleeping, because we do attribute many minor diseases (including Durchfall) to a constant draft. In ancient Chinese, cold is literally "wind chill", which speaks for some understanding of the disease.

On the Germanic attitude towards diseases, I would say it's perfectly true that medicine is often double-edged to people's health. Human immune system is fully capable of obliterating many more diseases than people have believed, as long as they allow it some time to self-improve instead of instantly using medicine. Although you won't receive the effect immediately, over a decade or so it really shows.

Other things about German universities are no big news at all. Being an eternal student is very natural if you think of the social welfare in Germany and many other European countries. People lack that motivation to survive, and it's a little ironic that people may earn less if they choose to work instead of being a student or living on the dole.

Kultur 2

The German fear of drafts is quite interesting. Drafts are just mild amounts of air coming from outside to inside, and yet an entire country has a collective phobia of it. Even in a state of discomfort, opening the window is frowned upon.

The articles on German culture have made it clear that Germans collectively have many eccentricities that set them uniquely apart from other countries. And these eccentricities exist in practically every aspect of life, including the medical aspect. Germans seem to have certain collective irregularities when it comes to diseases. Some conditions seem to only exist in Germany, and others seem to exist very differently in Germany. Germans are not only unique in behavior, they are unique biologically it seems.

Considering the German affection for nudity, it is not a surprise that saunas are somewhat ritualistic in Germany. It is also not surprising that the Finns introduced saunas to the Germans. It was interesting finding out how that tradition was brought by Finland to Germany.

I have always found the German university system amusing. I also find it quite appealing, as I would prefer to live a college lifestyle forever, ESPECIALLY if the government subsidizes it. I could very easily take advantage of the German system, but it seems as if that system will be no more. Which is not surprising, given the current state of the world's economy and the high cost of subsidizing education.

Kultur2

Der Artikel über "draftophobia" ist sehr interessant und die "draftophobia" in Deutschland ist sehr überraschend. For me, it's really hard to imagine life without moving air or without the window open. After reading this article , I can't stop imagine what if Chinese people wohnen in Deutschland. Der Artikel describes the experience of a person grew up in the U.S., and he feels that the never-flowing-air situation is almost a torture. However, I feel that people in China even open the window a lot more than people here in the U.S.. It seems to be an everyday routine to open the window and let the fresh air in for at least half an hour or so, even in the dead winter when it's below 32 degrees outside. It's always suggested by Ärzte/Ärztinnen, Zeitung and other public resources that people open window and get some air exchange every day, especially during the flu season and in winter, as the exchange of air can largely reduces the chance of making people sick. What a contrast to the situation in Deutschland!

Die Geschichte über Kreislaufzusammenbruch und andere Krankheit ist auch überraschend. I thought that people in German or in Europe would go to visit a doctor once they're sick. As a result, it is really surprising that most people would choose to stay in bed at home to let themselves health naturally. This might be the most surprising part. However, the fact that there exists never-heard-before illness in Germany does not sound that astonishing to me. =p In fact, I seriously don't think that I have ever heard about Lactose intolerance before I came to the US. I guess that it might be the reason why the idea that there are diseases only existing in Germany did not shock me a lot.

Next, the Sauna Obsession and eternal student. While Sauna is popular in Deutschland, it seems that the option of being an eternal student sounds even better. However, the "reading-to-someone" lecture makes me wonder why so many people still choose to be an eternal student. Afterall, it doesn't seem to be that enjoyable to be in a lecture that is "read-only". In addition, the course-structure seems a little complex and less enjoyable, especially when someone doesn't enjoy research or writing a research paper in such an early stage of college education.

And--it's always interesting to learn another education system. After knowing several education systems in depth around the world, the German system seems to be the toughest one for me--in the sense that students have to choose a career path at such an early stage. Personally, I still prefer the combination of a well-rounded pre-college education and a direction-specific college education. =] However, on the other hand I really like to German education system, as one doesn't have to worry about how to afford the education. That might be the best part. =D

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