Complaint on the German Language ( specifically, how they use it)

I put up with all sorts of quirks which the Germans have acquired within their language and how they use the language, but there is one thing which has been really bugging me lately. You'll probably think that it's nothing, but I think it is something because they are misusing the language and making me look like the idiot in the process.

Here's the situation: I go to fill out a form and the first box says "Name" (same as the English word name). So, what do I write? It doesn't specify "first name" or "last name", so I take a gamble and figure that it is the first box so I'll write my first name. Wrong. I move on to the second box and there it is written "Vorname" (first name). So, apparently I'm supposed to just know that my "name" is not in fact Laurie but is Koning. Of course, I know that on most official forms the last name is written first, but forms can be very nerve-racking and I try to do exactly as the instructions tell me. If someone on the street asks for your "Name", you don't say just your last name. "Name" is a general term for a person's entire title, such as Dr. Milly Gray, Pat Dewey, or Mr. Sire. Why, oh why do they just put "Name"!?!

Google's One Day Only Event!

If you go to Google.com today, you will find Google celebrating it's 11th birthday by writing it's name "Googlle".

But, if you head over to Google.de, you will find Google celebrating Germany's national election day by writing it's name with the second o being drawn like a ballot box which includes a square around the o and an x over it.

This is a one-day event, so go check out these Google websites today!

New Town, New Tune

Remember how when I was in Erlangen I said that the sound of the ambulance played in my head all day long, whether there really was an ambulance going by or not?

Well, new town, new tune.

The doorbells in my apartment building are three long descending tones, which remind me of the NBC theme, but isn't. It's rare for the doorbell of my apartment to ring, but I hear my neighbors' doorbells all day long. And, because it is such a distant sound, I am not always sure whether it is just an echo in my head or the real thing.

Cottbus Points of My Interest

I was thinking today about how tiny European refrigerators are and I decided that I wanted to make a map of my neighborhood to show the locations of grocery stores so that people could understand how easy it is to get more groceries since the fridge empties out in just a couple of days. I thought that I was going to have to work in Paint and create a scary looking map as I do not own a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program. But, I made a cool discovery today that Google is providing first-class tools to the modern man. Below you will find a link to a map I made in Google's personal map making program. The scope of my map expanded a bit once I realized that I didn't have to work in the finicky Paint. Have no fear to roam about the map and click on the icons/lines to get info on what they represent, but don't zoom in or out because then the icons will be in the wrong spots.

Welcome to my neighborhood.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=103359680184196891902.0004742b384805dcd50be&ll=51.768867,14.340931&spn=0.019732,0.043731&t=h&z=15

XXL-XXXXXXXXL

Read the green sign on this store, "Mannermode XXL-XXXXXXXXL". It's a men's clothing store for men of unbelievable sizes! I read recently that the world's tallest person at the moment is 8'1". I don't think even he wears size XXXXXXXXL.

Berlin Marathon 2009

My friend Baraa was visiting Berlin this weekend to spend some time with his Egyptian friends in celebration of the end of Ramadan. He invited me to go up and hang out with them. When he first mentioned that he was in Berlin, I thought, "Wow, so far away". It took me a few minutes to remember that I don't live in southern Germany anymore. So, I took the train up there Sunday morning and then returned in the evening.

The annual Berlin marathon happened to be taking place on Sunday, so we saw a stretch of that as we walked from Alexander Platz to the Brandenburger Tor. There were lots of musical groups entertaining and encouraging the runners along the route. 40,000 people were registered in the race and around 35,000 crossed the finish line. This marathon is considered to be one of the fastest marathons in the world due to the flatness of the course. It was very inspiring to see people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, pushing their ways along the course. Okay, maybe not "all" shapes, but definitely some shapes which made me think, "If they can do it, then I could easily do it." But, I had the number 26 in my head, and I forget that a marathon is 26 miles and not 26 kilometers. When I go for my weekly jog, I only do about 6 kilometers. A marathon is 42 kilometers. So, multiply my distance by 7...Yeah, not gonna happen. Inspiration gone.

Scientists are Genius'!!

I was reading an article today about the analysis of iron in red soils and it was all very technical until I reached this second of two reasons why certain numbers were chosen to be used in a particular equation, "they are easy to remember." I suppose that when you have complicated concepts on your mind, it's best to keep some things as simple as possible.

The Funny Mirror

This mirror used to belong to Christin, but at some point it broke, and she said that I could have it. I think it makes for a fun photo with the curvy lines. And of course, in a fun photo I have to make a funny face.

Good Friends Come in Smiley Faces

When I was feeling blue one day in the Erlangen geomorphology lab, Ute drew this smiley face on the inside backcover of my notebook. Ute is a good friend.

German Language Tip

When Germans want to address an American in a teasing way, be it affectionate or cruel teasing, then they use the word "Ami". A few days ago I was chatting with a few older women and one them was trying to explain a concept to me. I was having difficult understanding and so she said (affectionately), "Awwww, die Ami versteht nicht" (Awwww, the Ami doesn't understand).

Culture Fact of the Day

In Germany, parents are not only given a tax reduction, but also receive approximately 100 Euros per month for each child they have until the child reaches an age when it can independently support itself and legally subscribes to being independent.

Contrast this to China where parents are permitted one child and taxed for every additional child.

The Germans argue that the native German race is dying out so they need to provide an incentive for increased childbirth.

The Chinese argue that they have too many people and can't support such a huge population, especially if multiple children were permitted.

I wonder though, would it really be good for Germany if everyone decided to start having lots of children? Could the country really support an exploding population? Or is it better that the birth-death triangle is inverted, at least for a few hundred years? I know, I know, they fear that if they allow that, then there won't be any more Germans around in a few hundred years.

Shadow of the Past

I love seeing these "shadows" of buildings that once were.

Cottbus Tierpark (Zoo)

Cottbus has a zoo! And it's just a short bike-ride from my house! I paid my furry and feathery friends (the scaly boa constrictor was not a friend) a visit yesterday.

My favorite animal was the zebra. The babies are just a few weeks old!

I was amazed at the birds who turned their heads 180 degrees and then hid their bills under their feathers.

That's a random little girl mimicking a Gibbon monkey.

Those creatures with all their tails up in the air are Ring-tailed Lemurs. I thought they were cute and strange for walking around with their tails up.

Computer Background of the Moment 2

Last summer I wrote some of my thoughts up on post-it notes and taped them on my bedroom wall. The swarm of notes increased as the summer went on. Sometimes one note would answer another. The four notes here are just a glimpse of the wall. To see more, visit Flickr and look under the "Summer 2008" set.

Belgian Fish!

My apartmentmate Christin informed me that the order of the colors on the fish: black, yellow, red, is that of the Belgian flag. So, apparently we were eating Belgian fish, and not German fish, from Austrian waters.

(Please refer to blog entry "Computer Background of the Moment" to see the photo.)

German Fish!

I was looking at my computer screen wallpaper when I realized the fish had fins in the colors of the German flag! The colors are a little out of order, but the black, yellow, and red are all there. Take a good look at those fins, my friends. I think we have a case of German patriotism in Austrian waters.

Why I Do It

I get a lot of Germans stunned to hear that I am a proud American who loves the United States, but has chosen to learn the German language and spend an extended period of time living in Germany. They say, "German is such a useless language. Who would choose to learn it?"* and "What can you learn from us? Technologies in the United States are better than ours."

Americans are deserters, opportunists, and individualists. Throughout the short history of the United States, it has been the people who gave up on their native countries, the deserters, entrepreneurs, and persecuted individualists, who inhabited the new land. Many of these immigrants loved their native lands and cultures, but saw their futures in a new place. They retained aspects of their heritages for a generation or two, even as they assimilated into the American spirit.

But, after a few generations, the purebred American has lost the native culture and becomes curious about the native land. Cultures change with time, but not so quickly that an excursion to the "old country" won't provide some insights. And as it is not fully possible to understand a culture without speaking the language, the "useless" languages are learned.

To study the European story is to take a step towards understanding who I am as an American. My daily social education provides me with ideas to bring over to the United States, but also reinforces my pride in what America already has and is. As a result of critical questions from Germans, my awareness of what it means to be American increases.

The Germans tell me that they don't think I am a typical American. Not only am I not fat, but I confess to my only two fast food burgers in the United States having come from Wendy's, and I am curious to learn about a foreign culture. It may be true that I am not a typical American. But, above all the generalities which Germans make about Americans, I don't think it is fair to say we have little interest in cultures. While Germans have been building up the same culture in the same location for thousands of years, Americans spend every day interacting with an international community and together founding a fresh new culture. This new culture includes the creation of an international language (American English) and tolerance of a vast variety of unique individuals.

Being American means that my family ancestry involves many native countries and cultures. It means that my friends' families don't just originate from the next village over, rather from half way around the world. It means that the food I eat does not follow the rules of a specific culture and cannot be labeled distinctly as such. It means that I hear conversations in Spanish, Hindi, and Chinese everyday while going about the town and don't even bat an eye. In America I can find every possible product produced in the world all collected in one convenient store.

I come to Europe to study in depth the isolated, old, native countries which produced a great number of the people who were to become Americans. Being here only makes me love the United States more.

*And yet Americans get criticized over and over again by the international community for only speaking English!

Random Object Spotlight

On a list of random objects which are very dear to me, this band-aid holder would definitely make the list. It's easy to load the band-aids and easy to slip one out when needed. It keeps the fragile band-aid packages in tact, even in a heavily used pocket of my backpack.

I think I acquired this little thing as one of the objects thrown out into the crowd at a parade (a Botsford Hospital float, I assume). It is possibly my knowing that it would be difficult to find such an object again that contributes to its special status.

The Mystery of Bruises

The acquisition of bruises is sometimes a very strange thing. At times it is very obvious to me where a bruise came from because I remember the moment I yelled, "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!". Other times, I find a bruise in a strange place and wonder, "how in the world did that get there?".

A few days ago I had a circular bruise under my right upper arm. It was as if I had slammed my arm down on a circular object which had a whole in the center of it.

Yesterday I found a bruise at the meeting place of my left thigh and knee cap. It's as if I was sitting at a table somewhere and raised my leg up too quick.

But when and where did I do these self-destructive acts? If only I had a mental surveillance tape and could rewind it to the times of the crimes.

Cottbus Life

I love to show off my bicycles, so here's a photo of my newest bike. It's a used one-speed in good working order. I bought it at a bike shop, so I had the guy raise up the seat and handlebars to fit me before I agreed to buy it. You may be thinking, "a one-speed!", but I assure you that Cottbus is a very flat city, so I'll be okay. The brakes are interesting because the back brake is controlled by pedaling backwards but the front brake is controlled by the right hand on the handlebars. This freedom for the left hand has actually been quite useful these past few days as I transported items home from stores either actually in my left hand or being held in the basket by my left hand. Come October my university ID card will be my ticket for all public transportation, so I will have a backup to the bike.

This is a fountain outside my apartment building which I can see from my living room. That's a lizard crawling around on top. It looks really cool in the daytime, but when I rode by it at night, my brain went into fantasy mode and saw the big mass of the lizard as a monster which was waiting to pounce on me.

I was out hunting for a pajama t-shirt and found the perfect one. Translation: Ausser Betrieb = Out of Order. I'd been dreaming of buying a t-shirt with German words on it and I am very glad I found this one.

Welcome to Schmellwitz, Cottbus

This is a sequence of photos I took when I was returning home from the grocery store across the street. As you can see, the tram has a stop right in front of my building complex. Then, you can see my building complex from the outside (but not my apartment). And then the courtyard on the inside. My apartment is on the 4th floor where the windows are open. My bedroom is in the green area.

The apartment is so roomy that I feel like it might be just as big as those houses in Livonia where lots of Clarenceville people lived. We've got 4 decent sized bedrooms, a full bath, a half bath, a small kitchen, and a large living room/dining room. I look at these apartment complexes, which are numerous in Germany, and see houses stacked up on one another. And because the walls and floors between apartments are made of cement, sound doesn't pass between apartments very much.

In case you are confused by my title for this entry, you should know that I live in a neighborhood of Cottbus called Schmellwitz. I am not sure if there is a meaning behind the name, but it sounds funny and makes me giggle. I did some research on the internet last night and learned that Schmell is a German last name while Witz means joke/gag. Schmell sounds like the English smell, so...I live in the smelljoke (according to a English-German language mix).

Home Sweet Home, Cottbus

On Tuesday I traveled with the train up to Cottbus. I discovered that there is a train ticket special offer in Germany called the "Quer Durch Land Ticket" (across the country) which is a much cheaper way to travel through multiple states than to buy normal tickets.

Stefi came down for the day from Berlin to receive me into the apartment since Christin was at work until late in the evening. There had been someone renting my room for the month of July, so there was still Christin's loaned out air mattress waiting for me to use until I got my own bed. I was grateful to have a place to sleep until I could get my own furniture. Stefi returned to Berlin that evening, but both she and Dominick will move back in at the end of September.

Here's a brief introduction to my new apartment-mates:
Stefi is entering her second year at the university and is studying to be a building contractor.
Dominick is also entering his second year at the university and is studying Business.
Christin completed one year at the university, but decided it wasn't for her and changed to a vocational training program for business. She works as a salesperson at a furniture store for 3 weeks and then does one week of schooling (and then repeats the cycle).

I spent the rest of the week taking care of business at the school, city office, getting a bicycle, and furnishing my room. The last resident left behind her desk, so that was one thing I didn't have to worry about. I made a trip over to Christin's furniture store and made use of her employee discount. It didn't make a big difference in the bill, but enough to be worth it. I spent half of Saturday putting the bed and shelf together. I decided that if a friend ever asks for my help in cleaning or cooking, then I'll be ready at hand, but if the request is for assistance in furniture assembly, then you can count me out!

So, last night was my first night in my mostly completed bedroom. It felt nice to be home.

Chocolate Education

Here's some chocolate contents education from the chocolate museum of Prag for all of you chocolate lovers out there. The museum contained lots of the same information which I had learned from the National Geographic Magazine article on chocolate. So, don't be jealous of me, go read the article yourself.

On the topic of chocolate...I just opened up a new bar of chocolate from Rigoletto brand and it isn't good. It's very dry and crumbly in my mouth. This is a "cheapest chocolate brand in the store" which I will have to avoid in the future (or just have lots of saliva at the ready to moisten the chocolate up in my mouth).

Remember to click on the pictures in order to be able to read them.

Photos in Prag

These are a couple of photos I took in Prag.

In a moment of waiting for people to be done in the bathroom, I stole Baraa's hat and put mine on his head. With his reaction, he looks like a giggly girl in Springtime!

I am quite fond of the sculpture. Interpret it as you will. I'll keep my thoughts to myself on this one.

Prag, Czech Republic

It's been quite a week for me, and now it is time to let my neglected publicum know what I've been up to.

Last week on Friday I traveled to Prag with a group of 13 others from the international youth bible study. We spent Saturday, Sunday, and half of Monday touring around the city. Everyone had told me that Prag is a beautiful place and I was preparing myself to be disappointed, but they turned out to be right. Prag's nickname is "The Golden City" and it is a very apt name. Within the old city, nearly every building has ornate architecture and many are painted in yellow tones. The effect of the sunshine, which we were grateful to have, put the golden city aglow.

Here's a culture fact I was astonished to find out: the Czech Republic still uses its own money, the Koruna. If I recall correctly what someone said, it is only in 2013 that they will officially move over to the Euro. The map above shows which countries are already using the Euro (green) and which are not (purple). Source: http://europa.eu/abc/travel/money/index_en.htm. This is a good map to keep in mind for future travels in Europe.

Exercise!!

Today is such a beautiful day for a jog: cool, misty, and windy. I know, it sounds crappy, and for bicycling it is. But, I find that it is the perfect weather for jogging. I never quite realized this back when I was doing track because we had to stand around so much waiting for our events. I enjoy these days for jogging now. The whole weather combo enables me to keep cool while I am pouring out sweat.

I fulfilled a long time dream a few days ago and invested in a barbell with changeable weights. I am tired of having weak arms that look so scrawny. I want to be able to pick up and carry heavy things like most people. I remember back in my freshman year of high school I had PE class and we spent time working out in the gym frequently. The next year when I no longer had PE class, I noticed how my arm muscle mass had deflated. All I've got to do is a little work each day in order to improve myself.

Computer Background of the Moment

We had fish one night in Austria. Niki was washing them and laying them out on a plate. I thought they made for a good picture.