Reflecting on Culture

I think the oddest thing that stood out to me as a difference between the cultures was my article on Liechtenstein. The fact that Liechtenstein has a Royal family, and a prince, sort of shocked me a little bit. I’m not used to hearing countries having Royal families and princes, unless it’s William and Kate of course. The idea of a Royal family seems so old school that it’s weird to me to hear it in a modern context. Granted I’m sure they exist more than I know, I just don’t pay attention. The other odd thing about this article was what it was about, the prince fighting for his right to veto. Veto, to me, seems like a term that is only used in democracies.

The Karneval blog was probably the most interesting. Karneval is such a big thing in Germany that everybody there celebrates it. I wasn’t aware that the German people considered Karneval time like a fifth season. The fact that they do that just proves how big of a deal Karneval is to Germany. Looking at the pictures gave a small view of German humor, as well as how comfortable they are with the human body. It definitely showed how different we take humor between the two countries. I didn’t realize that a lot of the floats were used for political campaigning, or rather, making fun of other running political officials. I mean it makes sense for politicians to do that because everybody in Germany attends Karneval so they know they will be seen, but I didn’t think of Karneval as something that would bring in politics I guess because politics isn’t a fun thing to me; however I do sort of get the vibe that politics seems to be a very popular thing over in Germany.  

Though the American and German cultures do have their differences, I still managed to find some similarities. The very first article I did, about the airport shooting and the man on trial, was a bit of a relief almost, and I mean that in a way that’s not as bad as it sounds. It’s just that in America we hear about things like this that seem to happen more often than it should and it’s nice to know that we’re not the only country that has these issues, though it’s sad that anyone at all has these issues. The way Frankfurt works their justice system is a lot similar to ours. Even though the man confessed to the shooting and the murders the case and the evidence still has to be examined and reviewed.

Obviously the language barrier is a big difference between the two cultures that would give anyone who doesn’t fluently speak German culture shock when going there to visit. However, with these blog postings I have found out that the language barrier is not the only difference between the two cultures. Some differences are more subtle than others, but they’re still differences, and that’s what separates each country and makes them unique.  

The power of Veto

There is a reason I don't get into politics or even try and pay attention to what people say because they say one thing one day and the complete opposite the next. I know I should care, but I really don't; it's too complicated, too much to follow, and I never know what to believe. This is a direct quote from the article I read: "Liechtenstein's royal family has indicated it would veto the results of any referendum that removed the prince's power to veto the results of referendums." Is it just me or is that confusing? I mean it makes sense but it doesn't. How can they expect the prince to pass a law that takes away his right to veto. It makes no sense, it's just going to end up in a never ending cycle of them trying to take away the prince's veto power and the prince vetoing it. Unless I'm less understanding of this quote and of politics than I thought, that just seems ridiculous. The article even said that in 2003 a similar proposal was rejected; that's just proof of the never ending cycle.

As I said, I'm not big on politics but this is how I view this situation: the power to veto is a right that the prince has. Asking him to pass a law that takes away the veto is basically asking him to pass a law that is taking away one of his rights, and nobody should have their rights taken away from them.

As a side note, I would also like to point out how weird, to me, it sounds to have the words "veto", "prince" and "royal family" in the same sentence. When I think veto I automatically think president not prince. I guess it's just another one of those cultural differences, or my lack of politcal/ government knowledge. We do have a president right? Kidding, it's not that bad.

http://www.incyprus.com.cy/en-gb/Showbiz/4118/25741/prince-vetoes-the-veto

Vienna has Gas

We all now know now that this is Karneval time in Germany. It's a major event celebrated by everyone throughout the country. The last thing the people want is a gas leak and unfortunately that's exactly what happened. On February 22 Viennas Landstraße experienced a gas leak. The ammonia gas was released from a refrigeration company and affected streets within a one-kilometer area and sending 40 people to the hospital to be treated for gas poisoning. There were a few neighboring concerts that either had the people kept inside or were canceled. The U3 U-Bahn line was also temporarily shut down.

This article caught my attention right away. A gas leak is a pretty big deal and the fact that it happened during Germany's biggest and most celebrated time of the year makes it an even bigger deal. The article didn't really go in to detail too much if the leak ruined some of the Karneval events but I'm sure it did put a damper on things. Not only is it bad that it happened during Germany's biggest parties, the leak also shut down the U-Bahn line. Having been to Europe I know how important the train systems are to the people over there. Trains for a lot of people are their main mode for transportation. To have the train line shut down, even if for a short period of time, probably messed up a lot of people’s days, not to mention waiting in train stations is not very fun.

I guess from me not being a gas leak expert, I was actually a little amazed at how many people responded to the gas leak. There were 60 policemen, 80 firemen, 40 rescue workers and all available chemistry specialists on hand at the gas leak. In my mind I keep comparing this gas leak and the reaction to it to the possibility of a gas leak happening during the Super Bowl or Mardi Gras in New Orleans, both major events in the US that many people attend and celebrate. Both would probably cause a panic just like the one in Vienna during Karneval.

http://www.austriantimes.at/news/General_News/2012-02-22/39692/Gas_leak_causes_chaos_on_carnival_evening

Karneval Fun

REUTERS

Here, in Düsseldorf, a float shows controversial author Thilo Sarrazin using a jousting lance to spear a Turkish woman and her children. Each year, the floats satirize the big news events of the past 12 months.

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-65424-18.html

Karneval training starts early in Düsseldorf.

http://www.thelocal.de/gallery/news/825/4/

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http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-65422-26.html

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A raucous, alcohol-fuelled party fills the streets in Duesseldorf where the regional carnival season culminates with the Rose Monday parade.

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-65424.html


The German Karneval is a big, big deal for the Germans and their culture. If I had to compare the Karneval to something in the US it would probably have to be Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The Karneval is a celebration for them that everyone goes to, even babies as seen in one of the pictures I posted. It's not really a political thing but some politics and politians are brought into the action through the floats. I found the floats to be sort of humorous. I don't know the German politics (or ours for that matter) or their politians but the was they were displayed on the floats was very... different I guess you could say. I knew Germans had a different sense of humor but I didn't know how much different. It seems like they are doing with their floats what are politians do with their commercials but I guess in a more humorous way.

What I see when I look at those pictures is a group of people who just want to have fun, who are not afraid to be themselves and dress in crazy costumes and celebrate their cultures.

The Swiss are Going Green

I’m glad to see that the Swiss are going green. This article is all about the Switzerland government looking over their environmental policies and rethinking their approach to environmental issues. It also talks a little bit about getting other countries, basically anyone and everyone, involved in the idea as well. It’s not that the Swiss government is just now going green. The last time environmental policies were reviewed in Switzerland was in 1991 so now they are doing a current review of ideas and policies and hoping to make a few changes.

I’m not a tree hugger by any means. I like trees; I used to climb them when I was a kid. I have learned to appreciate the beauty that the environment has to offer us and show us. I think that it’s important that we, as in all peoples collectively from every country, as a group save what is left of the environment  and try to make it better. If we don’t eventually it will all be gone, all of nature’s beauty gone and generations to come will not get to see and experience the beauty of nature.

In more recent years we have been seeing and hearing about “going green” probably more than ever. Green campaigns and advertisements seemed to be just about everywhere. Though campaigns seemed to have gone down the idea of going green is still there with things like Britta filters, electric cars and a lot of products being made out of recycled items. I hope the idea sticks and will continue, maybe even expand, and doesn’t suddenly disappear. Granted I know that there are more important things going on, but the environment still has its importance and it shouldn’t be forgotten.

It’s nice to know that the United States are not the only ones doing things to help the environment. It’s reassuring to hear that Switzerland is getting involved and trying to make changes and also trying to get other countries involved as well. Switzerland may have different habits and speak a different language but their making an effort towards the environment proves that they have something in common with the United States.

This article by Jessica Dacey can be read at: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/specials/climate_change/news/Swiss_take_long,_hard_look_at_green_policies.html?cid=32004776

Airport drama isn't just in America

In March of 2011 a 21- year old Albanian shot and killed two US airmen and wounded two others. Even though the man confessed the Frankfurt state court, by law, still had to examine the evidence. The prosecutor is asking that the man, Arid Uka, be given a life sentence.

I don't know about you but there is a reason why I don't watch the news. Every time I turn it on I want to turn it off. Day after day it always seems to be the same thing; who got killed today? Where was there a shooting? Who got charged with murder? With rape? Child abuse? How many cars were involved in an accident and how many people were hurt and/or killed? The list of bad goes on and on. And that's just in the Cincinnati area alone. I'm not even going to go into the national issues, though I'm sure everyone can remember the "Underwear Bomber". Why don't I watch the news? Quite simply, because it's depressing. There never seems to be any good news it always seems to be bad. (Even though I hate to admit it but even our sports news isn't always good.)

When I read this article I was actually a little shocked. I guess I'm so used to hearing all the bad stuff happening here that I sort of put blinders on thinking such things could happen elsewhere. I'm not hating on America, we're a great country and we have a lot to offer, but sometimes I feel like we only hear/focus on the bad more than the good. After a while the bad gets old. I guess in a way (and I mean this in the nicest way possible and in no way am I trying to offend anyone) it's sort of refreshing to know that shootings and killings aren't just happening here but in other countries too. Obviously we don't always hear about it because we're focused on us and what happens in our country. I do find it a little ironic (and sad), however, that the two men that were killed happened to be from the US. Because I don't watch the news I wonder if this story made news on CNN or HLN or something.

After reading this article I've found out that the German and American court systems are kind of similar. Even though someone confesses to a crime the evidence still has to be examined and they are still given a trial. And also the fact that it takes a while for the trial to start. (The shooting happened in March of 2011 and the trial is recent news.

This article (by Stuart Tiffen, edited by Nancy Isenson) can be read at:
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15654704,00.html

What I know about Germans

I think that Germans are very different from Americans. Having been to England and different countries I find that the people over there are more friendly. It seemed easier to strike up a conversation with them than it is to strike up a conversation with an American. I feel like most Americans mainly keep to themselves and their own groups. I think Germans seem to be more open. They're more comfortable in their own skin.
Even though Cincinnati has it's own Oktoberfest it's nothing compared to the real deal. The Germans Oktoberfest is much, much larger and it's something that most likely every German probably goes to. Though Cincinnati has German influence it's just not the same. German beer tastes different, it's stronger and not as wattered down. If I remember correctly I think Germans have bread and potatoes in some form at every meal.
German fairy tales are A LOT differnt from American fairy tails. American fairy tales almost always, 99.9% of the time, end with a happy ending or a happily ever after. In Germany, not so much. I remember reading Max und Moritz in high school and some of their stories very pretty violent. There are not as many happy endings in German fairy tales. The stories kept my attention because they were so different from what I was used to.