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!