Kultur 9

I found the article on the German certificate-obsession especially amusing because when my mom applied to get German citizenship for my sisters and I, it took several years for her to track down all the necessary documents (including her grandfather's marriage license!). We couldn't believe some of the stuff they were asking for to prove our German-ness - it seemed a little extreme.

The neighbors article was also a bit extreme. Then again, as a college student, I'm usually the one making the noise, not complaining about it. I think it's good to have some rules like this, and sometimes I wish my neighborhood at home had more - but having exact hours when you need to shovel snow, or saying that you can only barbeque once a month seems a little crazy. I think it's all about finding a balance, and like the article says, "you can't pick your neighbors," so if that's what it takes to keep the peace, then perhaps it's worth it.

The article about German patriotism was very interesting to read, because it's such an important and clearly delicate subject. It's sad to not be able to be proud of your country based on the past. However, I think I would be in the same situation - it would be very hard not to feel the shame attached to the atrocious events of World War II. I think sometimes Americans struggle with this, albeit to much lesser degree usually, after Bush's presidency. It's hard to have the entire world hate you for being a citizen of a country whose leader is viewed in a bad light. Definitely a difficult subject to deal with, and it seems like it'll be a while before German patriotism becomes accepted again.