Kultur 9

This chapters culture articles were interesting as per usual. I was least surprised by the article on the German obsession with certificates. This went right along with the practice of giving out a certificate upon the completion of a class. We have been taught over and over about the organizational traits that Germans posses and this feel right in line. Next, though I was unsurprised by the fact that relationships with your neighbor are spelled out in German law I was set aback by some of its aspects. For example, the limitation on grilling was almost shocking to me; I assumed that along with the love of meat came the love of grilling but apparently the Germans feel else-wise. Also, it seemed pretty overboard that a neighbor would be so bothered by a young girls birthday party, I could understand if it would have been older kids causing problems late at night but for eleven year olds it just seemed rude to complain. Finally, it seems as though patriotism is opposite in Germany from the US. Here if you are not outwardly patriotic it is almost always considered a bad thing, we disagree with our government oftentimes but everyone is quick to say how much they love the "real" America. This being said though, I can't say I'm shocked that Germans act this way towards patriotism, I just wonder if any sense of German patriotism will ever be common or if history has forever ruined this in Germany.