Back during my first week here, I commented that I didn't like cheap German food. Well, I perhaps made that judgment in haste. The thing is, not all cheap German food is gross; I just didn't particularly like that type of meat. Indeed, since those first few bites of German food, I have come to realize two things which actually contradict my previous assumptions: (1) the vast majority of German food is of high quality, and (2) food in Germany tends to actually be cheaper than a similar product bought in the US. A grocery bill that would cost $30 in the US will only cost 10€ here. There have been days when my grocery bill was as low as 3€, and I think the most I've ever spent on groceries was 16€.
Yes, cheap, good-quality food exists in Germany. At least, that's the case with most food here. The price of peanut butter, however, is an exception...if you can even find the peanut butter, that is. It's not that easy to find, and when you do find it, it's sold only in small, 350 gram jars. And for those tiny jars, the price is something like 1.60€ (that's currently about $2.13). But of course, they give the peanut butter a good, American-sounding name and print the label in English. With it being so difficult to find peanut butter and the price being so high for such small quantities, I've begun to wonder for what, if anything, real Germans use peanut butter.
Milk, while reasonably priced, tastes strange. At least, that was my first thought when I first tried it. (And you won't believe how long it took me to actually find milk! I must have kept overlooking it the first couple weeks here.) At first I thought maybe it wasn't pasteurized, but then I realized that that couldn't have been the case, since I could clearly read "pasteurisiert" on the carton (that's another thing--milk in Germany only comes in cartons; no big plastic gallon jugs here!). I suppose maybe it's because I was drinking 1.5% milk. Milk over here only seems to come in the whole and 1.5% varieties. I think maybe if I had grown up drinking the milk over here, and were to go to the US and drink some of that stuff, I would be saying American milk tastes bland and flavorless. But having come from the other side, I think German milk is too rich and creamy. It almost tasted like coffee creamer when I first tried it, and I was afraid that I'd actually bought half-and-half. But now that I've been drinking the stuff for a few weeks, it's not so bad anymore.
Another interesting drink the Germans have: Apfel Schorle. Basically what it is, is sparkling apple juice. Weird, right? Of course, that's not the only apple-based drink which is plentiful in Germany. This region around Frankfurt, as I learned from a friend, is famous for apple wine. Apple wine, Apfel Schorle, and just plain apples...so basically, as far as food is concerned, Hesse is the Washington of Germany.
While we're on the topic of fruits, oranges are pretty reasonably priced, and are very juicy and just absolutely delicious. I like them even better than most American oranges I've had. Strawberries are a different story. I've tried buying strawberries on two separate occasions while in Germany, and I've never been satisfied with that purchase. Along with generally being more expensive, at least half of the strawberries in the pack are always soft and mushy. Today I even bought one pack that had a strawberry that was already rotting. Quality-wise, grapes are only slightly better. A lot of the grapes were going soft by the time I got them, and they're rather expensive--over 3€ for one of those plastic cartons of grapes that will last one person for maybe three meals. So for now, as far as fruit intake goes, I'm probably going to stick with oranges for the most part.
Well, that's all the food-related cultural wisdom I can think of at the moment. So until the next post, chow--I mean, ciao!
**Note for those who didn't understand the title of this post: "Essen" is German for "food" or "to eat" and "horosho" is Russian for "good." It's a reference to a Verka Serduchka song...don't ask.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Eins, Zwei, Polizei
Last weekend was an adventure, yes it was. It all started when a new friend of mine invited me over to her floor's kitchen so that we could have a little pre-game party before we all went to the ERASMUS party. So I and my fellow Denisonian walked to the pre-game party. It took us a long time to get there because we didn't know about the shortcut. We went up to the party, did a lot of talking with the group of friends gathered around there before we all went to the ERASMUS party. The whole night, I and my friend were trying to escape from the crazy guys who were practically trying to dry-rape us on the dance floor. =P I eventually decided to go back to my room at around 3 or 3:30 after having been followed by one of them, despite my repeated protests that "no, it's fine, I don't need you to walk me back to my room; I live close anyway"...creepy. At least nothing bad happened...but I really need to think up some better exit strategies.
So after getting to my room at around 3 or 3:30, I got some sleep. But not much. I had told my friends that I would meet them at 10 the next morning so we could take a trip to some other cities in Hessen, since we can travel for free within this state with our student IDs. Saturday morning I got to their dorm at around 10, but as I had predicted, no one was up or ready. We didn't leave until around 11 or 11:30. And when we got to Frankfurt, we decided to just stay there the rest of the day there instead of going on to any other cities. We went to a store to buy some lunch and ate our lunch on the Main River. After eating lunch, we walked around the city a little more. At one point, a couple members of our group wanted to get some things at the grocery store, Lidl, so the rest of us went to go sit on a bench outside a store across the street, since it's too crowded in the Lidl for everyone to go in, and since we didn't need to buy anything, why would we go in? But an angry-looking woman came out of the store and told us --first in German-- that we were not permitted to sit on that bench. We pretended that we didn't understand, and so she said, in English, "This is our bank. You are not permitted to sit on our bank!" (The German word for "bench" is "Bank," but she must have not realized that "bank" was a false cognate. :) ) Eventually we got on a train back to Giessen. Once we were nearing Giessen, however, we decided it would be fun to stay on the train and go to Marburg instead.
I have heard that Marburg has the most bars per capita in Germany. After being there, I can believe it. We found an interesting bar called "Spock" which didn't have any entry fee. So we went there and we stayed there for a few hours. At around 2 am we left to go to the train station. We planned to find some club to go to, but instead we wound up staying at the station, waiting for the first train to Giessen in the morning. We were sitting in the train station when two young men came up to us, yelling at us to show them our Personalausweise (ID cards), asking us questions about our age and what we were doing in the train station, and saying that they were some sort of police-in-training. The one guy showed us his so-called ID card that supposedly proved he was some kind of trainee cop, but I really doubt it was any real ID, as he didn't even show it to us fully; it was mostly covered by some other card. We told them to leave us alone, that we weren't showing them anything since they weren't in uniform or had any badge or anything like that. But they kept yelling at us and telling us that they were going to call the police, while pulling out a cell phone and pretending they were calling the police. We told them we were just waiting for out train, and once our train came, we were going to get on it and go home. But they kept telling us that we won't be getting on that train because we would have to wait for the Polizei to show up. And we just kept telling them to leave us alone. Then two other men who had been sitting across the station came up and tried to get those "cops" to calm down and leave us alone. Then those guys and the "cops" started shoving each other and had to be held back by these other guys who came walking into the station right then. I gotta say, it was pretty cool. Definitely the most exciting night of my time in Germany.
In the end, the police never showed up, and at 4 am, we were back on a train to Giessen. And that's the story of my big night-out.
So after getting to my room at around 3 or 3:30, I got some sleep. But not much. I had told my friends that I would meet them at 10 the next morning so we could take a trip to some other cities in Hessen, since we can travel for free within this state with our student IDs. Saturday morning I got to their dorm at around 10, but as I had predicted, no one was up or ready. We didn't leave until around 11 or 11:30. And when we got to Frankfurt, we decided to just stay there the rest of the day there instead of going on to any other cities. We went to a store to buy some lunch and ate our lunch on the Main River. After eating lunch, we walked around the city a little more. At one point, a couple members of our group wanted to get some things at the grocery store, Lidl, so the rest of us went to go sit on a bench outside a store across the street, since it's too crowded in the Lidl for everyone to go in, and since we didn't need to buy anything, why would we go in? But an angry-looking woman came out of the store and told us --first in German-- that we were not permitted to sit on that bench. We pretended that we didn't understand, and so she said, in English, "This is our bank. You are not permitted to sit on our bank!" (The German word for "bench" is "Bank," but she must have not realized that "bank" was a false cognate. :) ) Eventually we got on a train back to Giessen. Once we were nearing Giessen, however, we decided it would be fun to stay on the train and go to Marburg instead.
I have heard that Marburg has the most bars per capita in Germany. After being there, I can believe it. We found an interesting bar called "Spock" which didn't have any entry fee. So we went there and we stayed there for a few hours. At around 2 am we left to go to the train station. We planned to find some club to go to, but instead we wound up staying at the station, waiting for the first train to Giessen in the morning. We were sitting in the train station when two young men came up to us, yelling at us to show them our Personalausweise (ID cards), asking us questions about our age and what we were doing in the train station, and saying that they were some sort of police-in-training. The one guy showed us his so-called ID card that supposedly proved he was some kind of trainee cop, but I really doubt it was any real ID, as he didn't even show it to us fully; it was mostly covered by some other card. We told them to leave us alone, that we weren't showing them anything since they weren't in uniform or had any badge or anything like that. But they kept yelling at us and telling us that they were going to call the police, while pulling out a cell phone and pretending they were calling the police. We told them we were just waiting for out train, and once our train came, we were going to get on it and go home. But they kept telling us that we won't be getting on that train because we would have to wait for the Polizei to show up. And we just kept telling them to leave us alone. Then two other men who had been sitting across the station came up and tried to get those "cops" to calm down and leave us alone. Then those guys and the "cops" started shoving each other and had to be held back by these other guys who came walking into the station right then. I gotta say, it was pretty cool. Definitely the most exciting night of my time in Germany.
In the end, the police never showed up, and at 4 am, we were back on a train to Giessen. And that's the story of my big night-out.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The First Week in Review
Okay, people listen up. This is going to be a long post, since I've been lazy this past week and haven't written anything. So if you have to go to the bathroom, go now. I don't want you getting up and leaving in the middle of my blog entry. ;)
I guess we'll start with last Saturday, where I left off. As you may or may not recall, I went on a little "field trip" on Saturday. On that excursion, we visited the nearby towns of Wetzlar and Braunfels. I would post pictures, but I figure it's just easier if I give you all the link to the photos, since they're already online. So...here ya go:
Wetzlar and Braunfels
I was tired and wasn't feeling so well at some points of the journey, but still had fun. We saw beautiful old buildings, a cathedral that serves both Catholics and Protestants, and even a castle. These towns might have even been cuter than Butzbach. Though it's still a tight race. Speaking of tight, in these tiny, medieval streets, claustrophobia isn't an option.
The castle in Braunfels is especially interesting, because the family still lives in that castle. They have little kids who go to school just like normal kids...but they live in real castle. When I thought about it, as cool as it would be to tell people that you live in a castle, I don't think I would ever want to live in a castle myself, as it's rather chilly, due to the lack of heating. While at that castle, I had to keep reminding myself how old and historic this building is. How many generations of European nobility have walked those same corridors. It's an amazing concept to think about. I would have loved to have taken pictures inside the castle, but unfortunately, no photography is allowed on the inside. So you'll all have to just visit it personally if you want to see what the inside looked like. ;)
I can't remember doing anything noteworthy on Sunday, so we'll skip that day.
Monday began classes. I only had one class, but it was a bit of a disappointment. Well, no, I can't really say "disappointment," because it was about what I expected it to be--a German literature course, much like the one I took last semester. But the teacher (I'm pretty sure he was just a TA) seemed really bored and didn't look like he wanted to be there himself. He didn't project a lot of energy, and the class was probably just as bored...bored, or perhaps intimidated. Talking with several other students after the class, I got the impression that I may be the only one left taking that course. Scary.
On a positive note, I finally got my chipcard on Monday. Now I can ride the regional buses and trains for free. Hooray! I can also now wash my clothes in the washers downstairs, get food from the Mensa (cafeteria), and check out books from the library.
Tuesday I took one of two placement tests. I walked into the test late (I was told it didn't start until 12:30, but apparently I was misinformed, and it seems it started at 12:00 or 12:15...). But even though I came late, I still finished in 15 or 20 minutes. It was just that easy. And the placement test the next day, on Wednesday, was not much more difficult. Also on Wednesday: the meeting with the people from the Ausländerbehörde. Everything went so smoothly and easily. And the best part is we didn't even have to pay the 60 Euros I was told we were going to have to pay...unless we pay tomorrow (actually today) when we pick up our passports.
And then there were the two classes I had today (actually yesterday now). Both of them also taught by a TA. But at least this one seemed a lot more interested in the subject or a lot more interested in teaching. She was just much more energetic and seemed more approachable than the first guy.
But all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. I couldn't write about my first week back without talking about the parties. Almost every night this week there has been some kind of party or social gathering. On Monday night, I met with my old Denison exchange buddies, Jenny and Katharina, along with several of their friends, for a party in their apartment, and afterward we went to Ulenspiegel...again. Having consumed a few drinks before going, and having met even more friends, it was the most pleasant experience at Ulenspiegel yet. And what's more, I somehow got in without paying a cover charge...I guess they weren't charging that night. Tuesday night, I went with Henry to go meet his study buddy and her friend at a restaurant and then later the four of us went to a restaurant/bar. Much more low-key than the previous night. Then Wednesday night there was some other party, which I didn't go to. I don't know if there was anything tonight, but I do know that there's something going on Friday night. The party never ends in Europe.
I was going to write in some more cultural notes that I've observed. But I think I'll save that for another post. Again, it's getting late (why am I writing all my posts at 3 am now?), and I think I should be getting to bed. Besides, I figured it would make more sense to separate the "events" posts from the "notes" posts. So keep on checking back; I'm going to try to update more frequently, though I can't guarantee anything, since I already have three "Referatte" (like a speech) due in the next several weeks. I don't know how busy I'll be kept, but I'm pretty sure I'll still have plenty of time for updating this thing semi-frequently. Stay tuned!
I guess we'll start with last Saturday, where I left off. As you may or may not recall, I went on a little "field trip" on Saturday. On that excursion, we visited the nearby towns of Wetzlar and Braunfels. I would post pictures, but I figure it's just easier if I give you all the link to the photos, since they're already online. So...here ya go:
Wetzlar and Braunfels
I was tired and wasn't feeling so well at some points of the journey, but still had fun. We saw beautiful old buildings, a cathedral that serves both Catholics and Protestants, and even a castle. These towns might have even been cuter than Butzbach. Though it's still a tight race. Speaking of tight, in these tiny, medieval streets, claustrophobia isn't an option.
The castle in Braunfels is especially interesting, because the family still lives in that castle. They have little kids who go to school just like normal kids...but they live in real castle. When I thought about it, as cool as it would be to tell people that you live in a castle, I don't think I would ever want to live in a castle myself, as it's rather chilly, due to the lack of heating. While at that castle, I had to keep reminding myself how old and historic this building is. How many generations of European nobility have walked those same corridors. It's an amazing concept to think about. I would have loved to have taken pictures inside the castle, but unfortunately, no photography is allowed on the inside. So you'll all have to just visit it personally if you want to see what the inside looked like. ;)
I can't remember doing anything noteworthy on Sunday, so we'll skip that day.
Monday began classes. I only had one class, but it was a bit of a disappointment. Well, no, I can't really say "disappointment," because it was about what I expected it to be--a German literature course, much like the one I took last semester. But the teacher (I'm pretty sure he was just a TA) seemed really bored and didn't look like he wanted to be there himself. He didn't project a lot of energy, and the class was probably just as bored...bored, or perhaps intimidated. Talking with several other students after the class, I got the impression that I may be the only one left taking that course. Scary.
On a positive note, I finally got my chipcard on Monday. Now I can ride the regional buses and trains for free. Hooray! I can also now wash my clothes in the washers downstairs, get food from the Mensa (cafeteria), and check out books from the library.
Tuesday I took one of two placement tests. I walked into the test late (I was told it didn't start until 12:30, but apparently I was misinformed, and it seems it started at 12:00 or 12:15...). But even though I came late, I still finished in 15 or 20 minutes. It was just that easy. And the placement test the next day, on Wednesday, was not much more difficult. Also on Wednesday: the meeting with the people from the Ausländerbehörde. Everything went so smoothly and easily. And the best part is we didn't even have to pay the 60 Euros I was told we were going to have to pay...unless we pay tomorrow (actually today) when we pick up our passports.
And then there were the two classes I had today (actually yesterday now). Both of them also taught by a TA. But at least this one seemed a lot more interested in the subject or a lot more interested in teaching. She was just much more energetic and seemed more approachable than the first guy.
But all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl. I couldn't write about my first week back without talking about the parties. Almost every night this week there has been some kind of party or social gathering. On Monday night, I met with my old Denison exchange buddies, Jenny and Katharina, along with several of their friends, for a party in their apartment, and afterward we went to Ulenspiegel...again. Having consumed a few drinks before going, and having met even more friends, it was the most pleasant experience at Ulenspiegel yet. And what's more, I somehow got in without paying a cover charge...I guess they weren't charging that night. Tuesday night, I went with Henry to go meet his study buddy and her friend at a restaurant and then later the four of us went to a restaurant/bar. Much more low-key than the previous night. Then Wednesday night there was some other party, which I didn't go to. I don't know if there was anything tonight, but I do know that there's something going on Friday night. The party never ends in Europe.
I was going to write in some more cultural notes that I've observed. But I think I'll save that for another post. Again, it's getting late (why am I writing all my posts at 3 am now?), and I think I should be getting to bed. Besides, I figured it would make more sense to separate the "events" posts from the "notes" posts. So keep on checking back; I'm going to try to update more frequently, though I can't guarantee anything, since I already have three "Referatte" (like a speech) due in the next several weeks. I don't know how busy I'll be kept, but I'm pretty sure I'll still have plenty of time for updating this thing semi-frequently. Stay tuned!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
German-Americans or Germans in America?
Tonight I decided to go to the "Amerikanischer Kochabend" (literally "American cooking-evening") at the Lokal International--a meeting point for Giesseners and students from all over the world to come and meet. I wasn't particularly hungry, as I'd had my first Döner kebab only a couple hours earlier. I just wanted to see what the German take on American food was. As I had predicted, their idea of American food was cheeseburgers, chicken wings, and French fries...and rice? Well okay, the rice I didn't really expect. But the fast food-style stuff was pretty predictable. Though no one seemed that impressed with it. I for one didn't hate it--the buns were stale and they used some weird sauce on the cheeseburgers that tasted like nothing I've ever had before...but I guess it wasn't the worst food I've ever had. And certainly not the worst food I've ever had in Germany (I still gag even thinking about the 0.99 EUR meat).
After everyone had finished eating and cleared away the plates, some people began playing games, while others went home and still others began conversations. One young man from Israel told me I looked like Avril Lavigne...not quite sure what to make of that. I guess that's a compliment?
Then I spent a lot of time talking to one girl "from" California...actually, she's a Korean-German (born in Germany to Korean parents). And from what I understood, she was raised mostly in Germany. But she spent some time in Canada in high school as an exchange student. And then she attended college at the University of California, and now she's back in Germany, studying medicine. The weird thing is that her English was perfect. I didn't even notice any accents. And she kept calling "Cali" her home, and saying she was "from Cali" and a "Bay-area girl."
Then after we got bored of the Lokal International, we went to Ulenspiegel. Waited in line for around 2 hours just to get in. It was worse than the last time I went there. Except that this time I wasn't as tired as I was the first time, and this time I was with a few more friends than last time. I also knew more of the songs. So it was slightly more enjoyable the second time around...but only slightly. I take points off for the long wait.
This time was also more interesting because as we were waiting in line, some people started talking to us. One somewhat drunk German guy came up to us and asking us all if we were ERASMUS students (Henry and I are, the other two girls we were with are not), and where we were from. Having had to answer this question so many times already, I decided it would be more fun to have the other person guess. After a long struggle of trying to explain that I wanted him to guess (he thought I was telling him the name of a town, and he kept saying "I've never heard of that city. Where is it?"), he looked me over a couple times before making his judgement. "Chicago!" he pronounced. We all thought that was really funny that he was able to get it right on the first try. I wonder what it was that gave me away.
Then later on we met another guy in line. This guy had a really strange accent--he almost sounded like he was from Minnesota or some backwater town in Canada. But claimed to be from Wisconsin. I later found out that he too was actually a German (though his parents were from Poland) who went to college in the US, and more specifically, in Wisconsin.
One would think that meeting other Americans--even pseudo-Americans--here in Germany would be comforting. Like knowing you're not alone. But I just feel like staying away from Americans. Some of the other Americans I've seen or sort of met just seem like the sort of people I don't even want to hang out with when I'm home. So why would I hang out with them here? And aren't we supposed to be meeting Germans anyway?
But one thing that particularly got to me on this night, that probably would never have bothered me in the past, was all these Germans who were saying that they were "from" America. I imagine it to feel a bit like the irritation some Chicagoans feel when a suburbanite claims to be from Chicago. (I've known some who get really upset when this happens. I've never really fully understood why, though.) But though I've never had any major problem with a suburbanite saying they're from Chicago, tonight, for some reason, it just irritated me a little that Germans were saying they were from America, even though they are not American citizens and had only lived in the US for a couple years at most. I go to school in a small town in central Ohio. But when I graduate next year, if I move to another country, I'm not going to be telling people that I'm from Ohio. Nor would I tell them that I'm from Giessen, Germany, just because I happen to be living there currently. But it's just so strange that I felt this irritation toward someone claiming to be from somewhere else. I don't normally care where people want to call their home, since it's such a trivial thing and it's really all about what you personally consider to be your "home".
And as I was standing in that long line in front of Ulenspiegel thinking about these German-Americans or Germans in America, I couldn't help compare it to my own experiences of people I know living in the US. As I said, I would never consider myself an Ohioan, even though I've sort of lived, worked, and went to school there for most of the past two and a half years. Growing up, we often moved every couple of years, and it never took long before I considered myself a part of the new town or new school or whatever else it was that I was being introduced to. But now I feel so much more sedentary. And one of my German professors once told the class that he always tells people that he comes from Pennsylvania, which is where he grew up, even though he's been living and teaching in Ohio for many years.
Well, I wanted to say sedentary, but not really. Because it's not that I want to live my entire life within the Chicago area. But at the same time, I don't know that I could ever call any other city, state, or country my true "home." Yet these Germans were ready to latch on to another country entirely and claim to be "from" there. Maybe they just wanted to make us feel at home. Maybe they wanted to seem cool. Or maybe they really do adopt new homelands quickly.
One would think that of any people, it would be the Americans who wouldn't become so attached to any one city. After all, it's often pointed out to me that Americans generally move more frequently than Europeans. And Americans also have that history of being a nation comprised mostly of people who left their own homelands. To stay within one's own town his or her entire life would make that person seem incredibly provincial, almost medieval. But yet, it seems that so many of us just choose the region in which we grew up to call our "home," even when we live somewhere else for 20 years.
I just don't know what to make of these differences in mentality. I think I need to sleep on it a little. It's getting late, after all (nearly 3:30 am...so just ignore any weird typing I might have done tonight, since I'm not really in my right mind; I just had to write this before I went to bed.), and I have to get up early tomorrow (field trip!). But I'm going to continue to think about this question. Any input from my dear readers is appreciated as well. So if you have any information on what you consider to be your homeland and what exactly do the words "home" and "homeland" mean for you or what you think could be the reason for the difference in mentalities between Americans and Germans, then write me an email, leave a comment, or contact me directly (for those who know me personally).
After everyone had finished eating and cleared away the plates, some people began playing games, while others went home and still others began conversations. One young man from Israel told me I looked like Avril Lavigne...not quite sure what to make of that. I guess that's a compliment?
Then I spent a lot of time talking to one girl "from" California...actually, she's a Korean-German (born in Germany to Korean parents). And from what I understood, she was raised mostly in Germany. But she spent some time in Canada in high school as an exchange student. And then she attended college at the University of California, and now she's back in Germany, studying medicine. The weird thing is that her English was perfect. I didn't even notice any accents. And she kept calling "Cali" her home, and saying she was "from Cali" and a "Bay-area girl."
Then after we got bored of the Lokal International, we went to Ulenspiegel. Waited in line for around 2 hours just to get in. It was worse than the last time I went there. Except that this time I wasn't as tired as I was the first time, and this time I was with a few more friends than last time. I also knew more of the songs. So it was slightly more enjoyable the second time around...but only slightly. I take points off for the long wait.
This time was also more interesting because as we were waiting in line, some people started talking to us. One somewhat drunk German guy came up to us and asking us all if we were ERASMUS students (Henry and I are, the other two girls we were with are not), and where we were from. Having had to answer this question so many times already, I decided it would be more fun to have the other person guess. After a long struggle of trying to explain that I wanted him to guess (he thought I was telling him the name of a town, and he kept saying "I've never heard of that city. Where is it?"), he looked me over a couple times before making his judgement. "Chicago!" he pronounced. We all thought that was really funny that he was able to get it right on the first try. I wonder what it was that gave me away.
Then later on we met another guy in line. This guy had a really strange accent--he almost sounded like he was from Minnesota or some backwater town in Canada. But claimed to be from Wisconsin. I later found out that he too was actually a German (though his parents were from Poland) who went to college in the US, and more specifically, in Wisconsin.
One would think that meeting other Americans--even pseudo-Americans--here in Germany would be comforting. Like knowing you're not alone. But I just feel like staying away from Americans. Some of the other Americans I've seen or sort of met just seem like the sort of people I don't even want to hang out with when I'm home. So why would I hang out with them here? And aren't we supposed to be meeting Germans anyway?
But one thing that particularly got to me on this night, that probably would never have bothered me in the past, was all these Germans who were saying that they were "from" America. I imagine it to feel a bit like the irritation some Chicagoans feel when a suburbanite claims to be from Chicago. (I've known some who get really upset when this happens. I've never really fully understood why, though.) But though I've never had any major problem with a suburbanite saying they're from Chicago, tonight, for some reason, it just irritated me a little that Germans were saying they were from America, even though they are not American citizens and had only lived in the US for a couple years at most. I go to school in a small town in central Ohio. But when I graduate next year, if I move to another country, I'm not going to be telling people that I'm from Ohio. Nor would I tell them that I'm from Giessen, Germany, just because I happen to be living there currently. But it's just so strange that I felt this irritation toward someone claiming to be from somewhere else. I don't normally care where people want to call their home, since it's such a trivial thing and it's really all about what you personally consider to be your "home".
And as I was standing in that long line in front of Ulenspiegel thinking about these German-Americans or Germans in America, I couldn't help compare it to my own experiences of people I know living in the US. As I said, I would never consider myself an Ohioan, even though I've sort of lived, worked, and went to school there for most of the past two and a half years. Growing up, we often moved every couple of years, and it never took long before I considered myself a part of the new town or new school or whatever else it was that I was being introduced to. But now I feel so much more sedentary. And one of my German professors once told the class that he always tells people that he comes from Pennsylvania, which is where he grew up, even though he's been living and teaching in Ohio for many years.
Well, I wanted to say sedentary, but not really. Because it's not that I want to live my entire life within the Chicago area. But at the same time, I don't know that I could ever call any other city, state, or country my true "home." Yet these Germans were ready to latch on to another country entirely and claim to be "from" there. Maybe they just wanted to make us feel at home. Maybe they wanted to seem cool. Or maybe they really do adopt new homelands quickly.
One would think that of any people, it would be the Americans who wouldn't become so attached to any one city. After all, it's often pointed out to me that Americans generally move more frequently than Europeans. And Americans also have that history of being a nation comprised mostly of people who left their own homelands. To stay within one's own town his or her entire life would make that person seem incredibly provincial, almost medieval. But yet, it seems that so many of us just choose the region in which we grew up to call our "home," even when we live somewhere else for 20 years.
I just don't know what to make of these differences in mentality. I think I need to sleep on it a little. It's getting late, after all (nearly 3:30 am...so just ignore any weird typing I might have done tonight, since I'm not really in my right mind; I just had to write this before I went to bed.), and I have to get up early tomorrow (field trip!). But I'm going to continue to think about this question. Any input from my dear readers is appreciated as well. So if you have any information on what you consider to be your homeland and what exactly do the words "home" and "homeland" mean for you or what you think could be the reason for the difference in mentalities between Americans and Germans, then write me an email, leave a comment, or contact me directly (for those who know me personally).
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