Kultur Kapital 4 - Henry Warrington

As always the Kultur readings were interesting, engaging, and made me reflect on US culture and how it differs from German culture. The article about the bike paths was particularly interesting especially when it commented on how bad our bike paths are. It reminds me of this video where a man goes to show how bad our bike lanes are by riding in them and crashing into anything that has been put in the way. He crashes into car, buses, cones, and finally a cop car all to prove that sometimes it isn't safe to bike in the bike lanes.

The article about crossing the street made me laugh because most people in Ann Arbor treat the crossing signs as suggestions instead of rules and cross whenever and wherever they want. The worst intersection is probably the intersection by the Union. Any student walking there not only doesn't pay attention or care about the traffic there but usually they are on their phone and are pretty slow the cross the cross walk. I guess most of us would have to learn some patience so as to not get hurt in Germany.

The article about the subway being free made me laugh during the part where it talked about how in America we have to pay. It made me laugh because recently when I was in Boston my friend paid and the gate didn't open because it was broken so my friend just hopped over the fence. It was funny because it looked like he didn't pay even though he had. It also shows that I would say most Americans have a fairly good sense of morals and would pay even if there were no turnstiles because the turnstiles are pretty easy to jump.

Finally the articles about the nudists were very interesting because of the lack of public nudity in the US. It is always interesting to hear my parents talk about having to take gym after school and showering the locker room with everyone else because I feel like that rarely happens now unless you are on a sports team. The younger generations seem to be more prudish and less comfortable being naked around either their friends or people they don't know. It seems like that is what is happening in Germany now and it is somewhat sad that the world is so offended by the naked human body.

Kultur 4

   One thing I found interesting in the "Two-Wheeled Teutons: Stay off the Bike Path" article was that people actually get run over by people on bikes. The number of people that ride bikes in Germany is huge. At the Goethe-Gymnasium in Ludwigslust, there is a tiny parking lot with maybe 15 spaces for etachers and students. However, I only witnessed 2 students driving home in a car. Most of them either walked or rode a bike if they lived in Ludwigslust, or not far from it. The next article I read was "The Red Dictator: Crossing the Strasse." The idea that I would get run over for jaywalking when the car is far off is terrifying. Now it makes sense that Marie would always pull me back from jaywalking. The next article I read was "Illogical Logic: The Right Answer in Germany May Be the Wrong One." I thought it was interesting how if you aren't specific that the German attendant could lead you astray. Now I know if I go to Germany that I need to specific. I would hate to get on the wrong train, and be in the wrong part of the country. The next article I introduced was "Fare-Dodgers Beware: There's No Such Thing as a Free Ride." I thought it was interesting that the Germans run on an honor system. I feel like quite a few tourists would abuse this system so they didn't have to pay for a ticket. The cool thing about German transportation is that you can buy a day pass, which is especially useful on trains. This is useful because using a train or subway you can get anywhere in he city or country. The last article was "Disorderly Germans: Playing Chicken on the Einbahnstrasse." I thought it was amusing that there is a support group for messy people, which is called Anonyme Unordentliche (Slobs Anonymous), equivalent to America's Alcoholics Anonymous.

Andrew Kim Kultur 4

I decided to post about the bike kultur reading this week because it reminded me a lot about Korea. When I went and visited South Korea, I came to the conclusion that transportation in Korea is very convoluted. When you aren't driving with reckless abandon through packed city streets, you're either biking around and competing with pedestrians or actually following the really round-about designated bike paths. When I read the article on how Germans get around, it sounded very similar. It must be extremely confusing having such complex systems for a contraption as simple as the bike.

Leah Mattfield Kulture 4

     So, I am officially terrified to visit Germany. They seem so strict on their rules and yet so complicated with their bus system! The fact that you have to ask a question a very specific way in order to get the answer you need is so frustrating. I am already an absolute mess when I travel, i don't need that kind of stress on top of it. Germans also seem to be very judgmental people. These articles at least do not make them sound like people I want to hang out with. Reading of how they will actually speed up on a road when they see a pedestrian crossing just amazed me. There's no mercy. I hate rule-breakers just as much as the next person, but that is a bit obsessive, I think.

     I do, however, respect how the Germans bike so often. It is so much healthier for themselves and for the environment. I also think I would bike a lot more if (well for one, if I had a bike) but also if a lot more people around me biked as well. At home in Alaska, hardly anyone bikes unless they are an actual biking athlete and are biking for many many miles to train for some big competition. Other than that, we all drive. So even if I try to bike to the ice cream store a couple blocks away, I feel awkward because no one else is biking an the sidewalks are either tiny or non-existent. With their big biking sidewalks and large biking population though, I think I would bike all over the place!

Kultur 4

For this Kultur 4 blog post, I read the assigned articles. Reading about how insane Germans are about their bike-riding was laughter-inducing. I mean, I totally understand the eco-friendly aspects. I guess I understand the bike insanity also. Because it's like another street-system, but for bikes. Watch out pedestrians. I related to article about waiting to cross the street until the signal changes. When I'm driving and a pedestrian walks out in front of me, I get so frustrated. Are you stupid? I'm driving a 1,000 pound hunk of metal at you and you're going to walk out in front of me? I get so mad. So I can see where the Germans are coming from on that one. The next article about how logical the Germans are was very interesting. It could also be frustrating if one were to not recognize that it was happening to them. There's no such thing as a free ride in Germany. Always make sure to have your pass or correct ticket. You're the bad guy if you don't have either of those things. And the Germans will make that known. I was very confused by the article about the two one-way street signs pointing at each other. Not only is that unlike Germans to be that unorganized, but I also feel as if that's really dangerous. That's just my opinion on the matter, though. Overall, I really enjoyed reading these articles.

Kultur 4

I like the idea of such nice bike paths in Germany. They're a progressive country that really cuts down on automobile usage and I think that Americans would bike more if the roads/sidewalks were bike-friendly. Ann Arbor has bike paths on the road.

The idea of illegal crossing in Germany scares me! Even in Ann Arbor where pedestrians clearly rule the road, I get nervous crossing intersections that don't have the walk signal. I think that they're smart for adhering such a strict standard to pedestrian crossing.

I think I need further explanation on the purchase of train tickets in Germany. Why do they make it so confusing?

Again, I admire their strict rule-following culture, especially when it comes to riding the train. Germans clearly know right from wrong to the extent that they can use the honor system to ride the train. It would speed up the process of train riding because they don't have to validate the ticket.

Kultur 4 - Philip Picon

The article about the bicycles was my favorite article and the reason is very obvious. This weekend I went to East Lansing for the Michigan football game and for some reason there are bike paths all over East Lansing. I am from a suburban area where there are no bike paths and I was walking around and having not seen them before but realizing cars didn't drive on them, I walked exclusively on them. People yelled at me like they say they do in Germany, although that may be because I was wearing a Michigan football shirt. One kid even threw a full coffee at me but that was definitely because I was wearing a Michigan shirt because a few choice words followed it.

About the bus article, I went to Lollapalooza this summer and stayed with my friend from Chicago. We had to ride the train in every morning and not once did we buy a ticket. I always thought buying a ticket was something just adults do. Now I know it is something that adults do and Germans who are used to their stricter laws.

Kultur 4

I would really hate to be run over by a bicyclists. An Autobahn for bikes seems like an efficient idea. I didn't know Germany was such a stickler when you can cross crosswalks. The idea of losing a leg because of a cyclist is a terrifying thought. It's official. I'm never crossing the street when the "Red Dictator" is shown. That sounds really annoying. I don't care about other trains I want the train that I can ride. That is interesting that Germany uses the honor system but I'm some one who would buy a ticket. I could never try and sneak on. Is Einbahnstraße a common street name? Wow why are there 136 Goethe-Institue? I love to ride my bike. If I wasn't living on North campus I would use mine. Maybe next year I will have my bike. I have never been on a train but with all the options it seems nice.  Wow getting a driver's license in Germany seems like such a pain in the ass. I'd rather just bike. Wow Frankfurt is a really important and interesting city. I would love to visit it someday.

Kultur 4 --Callie Chappell

Two-Wheeled Teutons: Stay Off the Bike Path!~Due to the prevalence of bicyclists in Germany, it's not surprising to me that there are so many bike paths and that there are so many regulations. After all, with more adoption comes more regulation!
The Red Dictator: Crossing the Strasse~This is totally true! When I was in Germany, no one jaywalked. When I was with host families, I made to jaywalk, and everyone looked totally surprised.
Illogical Logic: The Right Answer in Germany May Be the Wrong One~I think this an interesting looking into the assumptiveness of Americans. It's fascinating how many Americans take some assumptions to be typical-- like this train example-- whereas in other countries, these are relevant and important questions.
Fare-Dodgers Beware: There's No Such Thing as a Free Ride~This is certainly a testament to the immense power social stigma holds on behavior. There are some actions in the US that are very socially stigmatizing (i.e. nude beaches?); in German, however, different actions hold the same stigmas.
Disorderly Germans: Playing Chicken on the Einbahnstrasse~not going to lie, I wasn't entirely sure I understood this one. I realize that Germans are notorious for being organized, but I'm not sure how that spills over to pranksters changing street signs or overly generalized language? I hope someone can help me out here...

Kultur 4

From the Kultur 4 articles, I learned that Germans love bikes. They ride their bikes everywhere! There are multiple reasons for this. The biggest are that the cost of owning and operating a car is very expensive and it's more environmentally friendly to ride a bike. In addition to riding bikes, Germans like to take trains. Since the country isn't that big, approximately the size of Montana, Germans can use the trains to take a show day trips. The most important thing about taking the train is to have a ticket. Germans rely on the Honor System for this. There is no gate or guard stopping a person from getting on the train. Once aboard, a man will walk around and check for tickets. Germans also have a deep respect for the rules. For example, in American most of us will cross the street when there are no cars coming, even though the sign says not to. In Germany this doesn't happen. They will follow the sign to the letter and use various ways of ""encouraging" others to do the same.

Kultur 4

I figured that since Germany is a country fairly smaller than the U.S., there wouldn't be as many cars being driven in Germany compared to here. But, that doesn't seem to be the only important factor. Most of the articles for Kapitel 4 were about commuting in Germany whether by train, subway, bicycle, etc. And I can really picture the craziness and aggression on the streets, especially with the bike riders. If I were to live in Germany for a year, I'm not too sure if I would want to use a bike to get around places. I'd rather walk, but if there comes a time when I have to walk kilometers, then I'd take the bicycle over the sidewalk any day.
I can understand why some Americans would think of some Europeans to be exhibitionists. But that's just part of everyday activities and culture there, I guess. I know that if you go down south to Florida, it won't be uncommon to see a few people skinny dipping (or at least dangerously close to being completely bare) regardless of age. It really depends on the familiarity of the situation to the onlooker.

Kapitel Vier Kultur

I enjoyed the Brennpunkt Kultur articles the most, as they are short and dense with information. I liked the one titled "Rad fahren," which discusses the ways in which the environmental consciousness of the 21st century has affected the usual transportation in Germany. Many people are now riding bikes, although it sounds like some Germans might just be doing this to avoid the problems that come with cars such as parking, insurance, and gas. In Berlin and Hamburg, there are even specially marked cars on the trains where people may carry on their bikes. Cycling for college students is the norm, as it is for us here at Michigan. Cycling is incentivised in Germany with special bike paths, stoplights and signs just for bikers. Automobiles are also required to give the right of way to cyclists and pay special attention to them. There is even a special license for young kids to be able to ride around without supervision, which they can get by passing the "Radfahrprüfung." They can ride around alone from the age of 10. That's pretty cool, and it shows just how much smarter (on average, of course) Germans are than Americans.

Kultur 4- Amanda Knop

I thought that "Two-Wheel Teutons: Stay off the Bike Path!" was an interesting article. I know that in America, we always yield to the walking pedestrian. I did not realize how dangerous it was to be near bicyclists in Germany, and if I ever do go there I will keep that in mind. I can't believe that they would not stop for a person walking near them.
"The Red Dictator: Crossing the Strasse" was also interesting, especially because I live in Ann Arbor. Here, we don't really pay attention to the stop lights. We just assume that cars will stop, and we tend to walk across the street. In Germany, however, they take the stop lights extremely seriously. I also would have to remember this if I ever went to Germany.
"Fare Dodgers Beware: There's no such thing as a free ride" was enlightening for me. Honestly, if I found out that the subway was based on the honors system, I would not purchase a ticket... I'm glad that I read this article though. I would have been the person who would be looked down upon by all of the people on the subway when they close the doors.
I found some of the Kultur articles in the book interesting too. I did not know that you had to be 17 to begin driving lessons in Germany. I started when I was exactly 14 and 8 months because I wanted to drive so badly. I could not  have waited that long. On the contrary, however, I really admire the fact that if Germans have to go a short distance, they do not drive. It makes a lot more sense to ride a bike or walk somewhere that is not that far, rather than drive a car. It is also a lot better for the environment. I wish Americans were more like this.

Kultur 4

"Two-Wheeled Teutons: Stay Off the Bike Path" brings up the point that there are many Germans would rather peddle than drive short distances. Cities have many bike paths (Radwege), referred to by the author as "mini autobahns for two-wheeled traffic," on which bicyclists have the right-of-way. Bikes are also much more convienient to rent, seeing as with a dial to "Call a Bike" and a Kreditkarte payment, you can have one at your service. The "Brennpunkt Kultur" explains that the rising popularity with bicycles is due to increasing environmental consciousness, the convienience of not have to find a parking place, not having to pay for gas, no insurance or taxes, and being able to fix mechanical problems on their own.

I had expected "Disorderly Germans: Playing Chicken on the Einbahnstrasse" to be about Germans playing chicken in the street. However, it is about the disorganization of Germans. There is even a support group, Anonyme Unordentliche, or 'slobs anonymous'.

The main point of "The Red Dictator: Crossing the Strasse"depicts the ways in which Germans cross the road while the little red man indicates not to. The first rule the author explains is to not cross on red if an impressionable child is present. Next, you should not only be cautious of cars, but bicycles as well when crossing the street, they won't all stop. While waiting at a crosswalk, you can be kept occupied by the "Street Pong" game on the small touch screens posted at each side of the walkway. Finally, if you come to a crosswalk that is not signaled by a little red man, you are free to cross at your will, seeing as all drivers are required by law to yield to pedestrians.

Willkommen!!

Welcome to our class blog!

We will be using this blog throughout the semester for two kinds of assignments:

1. Once per chapter, the homework plan will direct you to post a response to the culture readings for the chapter on the blog.

2. Roughly every other week, the homework plan will direct you to post here for your Abenteuer mit Deutsch (AMD) assignment. First you do a fun activity that involves German, then you post about it. You should spend an hour total on this (maybe 45-55 minutes doing something, 5-15 minutes posting about it). See Was ist ein AMD, AMD Ideen and Beispiele for ideas. This should get you excited about the kinds of things you can do!

Whenever you post something, please include your name and the name of the assignment (e.g. AMD2, Kultur5) as labels. See "Blog: How To" for more details!