Ansichtssache

I got my first traffic violation fine today--in a country where I don't even drive a car! As I rode my bike into the city late this afternoon to buy some stamps and a train ticket, it crossed my mind that I'd have to remember to turn on my light before I drove back. The police have been standing at the intersection just outside the city center recently, fining people for not using their lights, and I didn't want to take any unnecessary chances. Little did I know, I was already taking one. When I approached the intersection, the police were there, their van parked to the side, surrounded by violators and bicycles. The head cop pulled me over. You're not supposed to ride a bike on the left sidewalk, he said. Bikes, like cars, need to stay right. This would be fine--sensible, even--if it were posted or painted somewhere. But it is not, and people ride in both directions all the time, so I never thought anything of it. If I were in America, I would have at least asked how one was supposed to know this (since the Germans, too, pleaded ignorance, I figure it's not a standard cultural norm). But I was in Germany, wary of saying anything that could be considered a comeback and equally unsure of my linguistic capability to do so, so I paid my 15 Euros at the van-station and left. Ironically, it occurred to me that the Greifswalder Polizist was writing out my ticket at nearly the same time that a certain raspberry-chocolate-triangle-baking friend on the other side of the Atlantic was appealing her snowy-day parking ticket in the Washburn police court. It seems that la policía are sticklerish on both sides of the ocean.

My German Christmas musical education continued over the weekend with a brass concert in one of Greifswald's huge churches. The scale of the thing was gigantic: three brass choirs and a church-full of people (times three, as they had multiple performances). The concert was okay. The audience was encouraged to sing along, which kind of happened. At the end, they gave the first standing ovation I'd ever seen in Germany. Normally, German concert-goers clap forever but don't stand up.* Anyway, the klatschen elicited an encore of "Silent Night." When I memorized the German lyrics to that song 11 years ago, I never imagined I would someday be singing them in a German church at Christmas time. And furthermore, that they would mean something. It was kinda funny...I caught myself in incorrect pronounciations, learned and instilled in 6th grade music class. "Heemlische," I sang, before realizing I meant "himmlische." At one point in the concert, they stopped to say the Lord's Prayer. I found it slightly amusing that everyone there seemed to know it, despite the fact that a mere 21% of people claim to be church-affiliated, and probably no more than 2% go on a weekly basis. Yet I, who attended church virtually every week of my life until age 21, couldn't chant along. I kind of know the Lord's Prayer in German, but it doesn't come naturally enough to recite it along with the group. After the concert, I walked around the city center and drank some Glühwein from one of the approximately 154 stands selling it. It's a warm red wine with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and orange flavor that's like the national drink here around Christmas. If it's not alcoholic enough for you (legally required to be no more than 7%), you can get shots of rum or whiskey in it. I really like Glühwein now...the first time I tried it (in Heidelberg) I thought it was disgusting. Guess tastes change.

I drank a bunch of the stuff (I mean, not a reason-impairing bunch or anything) at the Christmas tea, Glühwein, and cookie event on my dorm floor the next day. A few of us stayed in the kitchen and talked for hours--good for dorm floor camradarie, of course, but also for Justine's German Skills. I love talking to Germans in groups, because I learn so much that way. When I'm talking to someone one-on-one, I have to concentrate on talking, so as long as I can understand what the other person says, I don't put much thought into the specific words and phrases he/she uses to say it. In a group, though, one can sit back and listen, thus picking up on words and phrases that keep reappearing. Things that you understand, but wouldn't have thought to say yourself. There are lots of those things for me.

Other than the linguistic advantages, talking to Germans is clearly cool for the cultural comparison. I've been thinking about the plusses and minuses to the German education system ever since I wrote a paper on it for Mr. Dormer in 9th grade Speech & Comp., so I always like hearing Germans' ideas on it. Short summary for those not in the know: German students** go to Grundschule from grades 1-4, then are (traditionally) split into one of three separate schools: Hauptschule, Realschule, and Gymnasium, based on the students' perceived intelligence and academic potential. Hauptschule and Realschule students go until the 9th or 10th grade, then do an apprenticeship to learn a trade. Students at the Gymnasium go to the 12th or 13th grade (depending on location, but soon to be 12 years everywhere) and take a test that allows them to go on to study at a university. The three Germans involved in this conversation were all insistant that this system is a good thing. I, too, see some merit to separation. They mentioned, for example, the fact that students learn at different speeds, and it makes sense to acknowledge that and offer an education that is likely to be useful to them. While this was one of their reasons, it seemed that mostly they just didn't want to interact with Hauptschul- students. They're a different type of people, my dorm-mates said. They have different interests. They listen to different music.***

At the same time, though, the Germans talked about the problems in many Gymnasiums (problems that seem to me to be created by this system). Gymnasium students are arrogant, they told me. They're afraid to ask their fellow students for help, because they're afraid of looking dumb. People are bullied for not being up to snuff. This struck me as completely the opposite of America. That's probably an exaggeration, but it seems to me that it's generally the smart people who are outcasts, not the other way around. Anyway, one of the girls said that she actually transferred to a Gesamtschule (the other type of German school--less common--which includes everyone, much like an American high school). There, she said, it was so much better. She could ask for help. People were friendly. But she was just as supportive of the Haupt, Real, Gymnasium system as the others, which I couldn't quite understand. I'd be super-interested to talk to some Haupt- or Realschule students about this, but I never really come across any. Different type of people I guess....

My first class on Monday started with identifying some of the value differences between Germans and Americans. The main teacher led this part of the class, but asked for my input. It became apparent that what she was looking for was stereotypes, not exactly values. We came up with a list for Germans that included things like "blunt," "impolite," "punctual," and "orderly." She then asked me if I could think of anything negative to add to the list. (I thought those things were somewhat negative...) I couldn't really think of any others. What are the negative stereotypes of Germans, other than severe orderliness and unquestioning obedience to authority?

An interesting point that came out of that discussion: Germans have an average of 40 vacation days per year. Personally, I think this very well represents a value, though the teacher didn't really see the connection.

A final "German perspective" to end this blog post: curfews. The 9R class is still talking about youth crime, so I did a lesson on juvenile curfews**** and discovered that not only do all Germans under 16 have to be in by 10:00 pm, most people in the class supported this rule. One girl even proposed that we have curfews for former criminals, as well. Quite a contrast to one of the "American values" the other class had come up with that morning: liberty. Try to tell American 9th graders they can't be out after 10, and I'm positive you'd get almost 100% resistance. Even if you don't necessarily want to be out that late, it's the principle of the thing. Just like it's the principle of that traffic ticket. They really should have a sign....

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*About as bad as the U.S., where they always stand up. Can't stand that.

**Or "pupils" as they say in my English classes here. Silly British influence; I've never said "pupils" in my life, other than when talking about eyes.

***I'm not making this up.

****They had terrible problems pronouncing that!

Yesterday was my (Irish) dancing day!

One morning maybe two months ago, I got out of class and went to the bakery across the street. As I sat outside my dorm, eating my Apfeltasche and wearing...the same outfit I've got on today...I thought about how I felt in my new Greifswaldian life. Happy? Certainly I was not unhappy, but "happy" seemed kind of strong. I decided on content. Peaceful. Lately, though, I've decided happy just might apply.

The Christmas atmosphere isn't hurting anything--all the lights and music are pretty great. A couple days ago was St. Nikolaus Tag, the day when German Santa Claus comes. Apparently Nick didn't know about my American passport, because I got a clementine and some chocolate out of his holiday. Today there was a Christmas concert at my school that featured the choir and several solo musicians. The choir was...not the best ever. But I liked it. For one, they sang "Maria durch ein Dornwald ging," which is definitely up there on my list of favorite German Christmas carols.* But mostly, I liked it because it was genuine. There's something nice about people singing who are really only mediocre at singing. This only applies in certain contexts, however. You are not allowed to sing loudly and badly while drunk and standing on a table at a party. You are also not allowed to sing badly if I paid money to hear you sing well. Since the only money I paid here was for my cup o' Glühwein, a few flat notes were no problem.

Speaking of which: the Glühwein I had was great! This is puzzling. I now have had two Glühwein experiences, one of which (in Heidelberg) was terrible, and the other of which was quite the opposite. Fortunately, I have a strong suspicion the next month will include several more opportunities for Glühwein experimentation and conclusion-forming.

Back to the concert (and another reason I'm happy): I guess I'm starting to feel more like I fit in here. I never exactly felt out-of-place, but now I feel comfortable with all the other English teachers (I was kinda unsure about a couple at first--they seemed a little moody) and enjoy talking to them during breaks. I love it when the students greet me in the hallway, or wave if they see me on the street. Today, after the concert, I congratulated one of my students on the piece he played, and he introduced me to his mom. What was extra nice--he introduced me as "Justine," not "our English teaching assistant," or "this girl who helps Frau Redlich teach us." Justine means she'd already heard of me. And Justine is personal. I'm super glad they don't call me Frau Greve. It's bad enough seeing that on letters from the bank.**

So, partially because of the students and the teachers, I'm really starting to love my job! Seriously, I can't imagine a better gig (that I could realistically get right now, at least). Some of my classes are really enjoyable to be in. It's great when the students get excited--when they ask questions and when they're proud to show me what they've written. Today, I even saw smiles from every memeber of the 11/1 class (normally one big blank stare). Not that I had anything to do with that. They were writing an additional cat-fight scene for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which anyone with a little creativity or interest in English insults could have a great time with. Another recent success was yesterday's 9th grade lesson on Irish Dancing. When I first announced the topic, I got several groans. The class seemed to enjoy the Lord of the Dance video clips, though, and were surprisingly cooperative when I took them to the lunchroom/small auditorium/hall to teach them some Irish dancing. My hopes for what they could learn in an hour were a little (or a lot) high, so they never actually did an entire real dance, but they got an idea of the basics. Even the boys participated--most of them willingly!--and seemed to have a good time! Watching them try it out absolutely made my day.

The other great thing about this job is all the possible travel time! When else in my life am I going to have these amazing long breaks and the expendable income to travel with? Probably never. Really makes me want to apply again for next year. The grad. school apps. are already in the cyber-mail, though, and I guess I AM excited about that, too.

It occurred to me today when I was filling out the Baker Alumni survey that my "yearly income" is 8000 Euros ($11,888). This is slightly below the single-person poverty line in Germany and slightly above it in America. I certainly don't feel impoverished, though. I pay for rent and food, but that's basically all. Don't need a car, my job includes insurance, and don't have to pay German taxes (though I guess I'll have to figure out how much I owe the IRS). How good can it get?!

Well, I guess you can add to that being part of a German orchestra. I played in the Christmas concert with the choir from Demmin yesterday. The concert was good and our piece went well. The conductor had to slow it down so the words would come across clearly in the huge stone church, which meant that I could actually kind of play the 16th-note-full last movement. So that was great! Downside: the church was freezing. I knew when I got there and was cold even while sitting within 5 feet of the heater (which they turned off during the actual concert) that my two pairs of socks and two sweaters would not prove sufficient.*** Oh well. I had tea when I got home, and my toes eventually thawed. Demmin's a good 45 minutes away from Greifswald, so I rode there with some of the other violinists. It was nice being with friendly people, speaking German, feeling like I was part of the conversation.

One part of the conversation I found pretty interesting relates back to the topic of money. They were discussing the proposal that members of the orchestra pay a small participation fee to finance the cost of music, soloists, etc. It seems that the general attitude is against this. One of the people I was with was very against it. She felt like we were doing the university a favor, and that if they wanted an orchestra, they should pay for it. I don't want to make too many broad America/Germany generalizations, but I think this kind of represents the different ways we have of looking at government responsibility. I've paid a fee for almost every orchestra I've played in, and I've never really heard people complain about that. Granted, I didn't have to pay (instead got paid) to play at Baker, so maybe she has a point about the university thing. But the other thing is: German universities are state-funded to an even greater extent than state universities in America are state-funded. The money is coming from taxes and I'm sure it's spread pretty thin. Also, a good half of the people in the Greifswald Uni orchestra aren't even university students. They play because they enjoy playing. Maybe it wouldn't be so terrible to make a small contribution to allow the university to spend its money on places where it would benefit more actual students.

Speaking of conversations auf Deutsch: I went to a German party on Saturday night with a girl from my Scottish Dance class. Actually, you could hardly call it a German party, as the vast majority of the people there were international students. The lingua franca, though, was German, so it was good for me. I talked to an accordion-playing Czech guy for a long time and met a (probably the only) German fan of John McCain.

With all the Christmas music I've heard lately, I've been thinking about (/missing) Baker Vespers. The Demmin concert included "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day," which I love. I was trying to find some of the best Vespers songs**** on YouTube today and was having terrible luck. The Baker choir should seriously post videos, because they're better than anything else on there. Wrong tempos and poor interpretations all over the place. But I guess I have the Baker versions in my ear, so I'm a little biased.

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*"Mary walked through a thorn forest" (If you can tell me where in the Bible it mentions this event, I'd be quite interested to know. Maybe it's metaphorical. Song's pretty, though.). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5T1BN3IQRg

**Because they got my name from my passport, everything I get is addressed to "Frau Justine Marie Greve." The formality is intense.

***Wanna switch climates, Blake?

****"Personet Hodie" and "O Magnum Mysterium" in particular

Cold, Carsta, Christmas, and Cultural Differences

I think it's officially winter in Greifswald. It really hasn't been that bad so far, but today's high was 2 degrees Celcius (sounds worse than the equivalent 35 F...), and it feels as if we've left "pretty chilly" and gotten into "unequivocally cold." Kitchen conversation today revolved around the weather, so apparently I'm not the only one who felt the difference.

Germans have funny ways of dealing with cold, air, and light. I knew that Germans were obsessed with (durch)lüften--airing out rooms--but it didn't strike me how fanatical they were about it until now. When I was in Heidelberg, you'd frequently find the bathroom window open in the middle of the winter, but I figured that was to counteract the stuffiness-and-mold-creating effects of the warm shower. We do that in my dorm here, too, but it goes even further. At my school, all classrooms are lined on both sides with windows that can be opened--and that frequently are. Sometimes a teacher will even make a point to ask that the students open up a few windows to get some "air flow." I'm just thankful that most of the time I stand at the front and don't have to put on an extra scarf and sweater to handle the freezing air blowing by.

Which brings me to the related point that makes the situation even weirder. While they sure like their fresh air, Germans are worried about drafts and about getting sick from not being bundled up enough. I'm not exactly a warm-blooded person, and in America I usually feel like I'm more warmly-dressed than other people. At Baker, you'd see people galavanting about in nothing more than jeans and a hoodie in the middle of January (and normal people, too...that's to say nothing of the more extreme exceptions). I generally require a shirt or two, a sweater, a parka, a scarf, and some gloves. So it's not like I'm one to avoid winter clothes. The teachers here seemed worried about my wardrobe, though, and I got several concerned comments when I went outside in September and October with my warmest layer being a "Strickjacke."*

The German relationship with light isn't weird, I guess...just un-American. Natural light is preferred to articifial, which makes sense to me, but is less popular in America than one might think. I remember being surprised when I moved into the Baker dorms at how few people opened their blinds during the daytime. In any case, I started thinking about this on a particularly sunny 2:00 pm one day last week. The position of the sun was such that it was blinding for some of the kids in the class I was teaching, but the head teacher refused to draw the curtains. Instead, they had to reposition their desks so as to avoid the sun as best they could. "I'm not going to turn on the lights when the sun's shining outside" was the response. Hm. Maybe that's a generational thing, actually, not a national one.

Speaking of other German oddities (or, more kindly, "differences"): I'm learning that when it comes to traditional German cuisine, you really cannot make assumptions about the ingredients involved. I thought I'd get some food at the Christmas market today, figuring potatoes and cabbage/sauerkraut dishes were pretty safe vegetarian bets. When I got ready to order, I could see that the cabbage vat included chunks of sausage, so I stuck to an order of Bratkartoffeln. Fried onions and potatoes, right? But even those included pork bits. *sigh* You just can't escape the pig fat in this country.

I was reminded last Sunday when I went to Carsta's house for lunch (duck, potatoes, and cabbage) that I possess a Christmas tree. I got it down the other day from atop the wardrobe where it'd been sitting and put it up. Took about five minutes. It's pretty small. But it's nice! So with that and a felt-reindeer-featuring stocking (also left by a past TA), my room has become quite full of Christmas cheer. I have a box of lights, too, but I don't think I'm going to mess with them. I like Christmas lights a lot, but not when I have to figure out how to put them up.

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*Sweater with buttons/a zipper on it. The kind you've seen me wear every day since I started ninth grade.