Schule (School)

Whenever people find out how old I am, they are usually shocked, especially when they find out I have graduated with my BA degree, have a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and now I’m working on my Masters degree. At 22 years old, I’m usually the youngest in all of my classes but after explaining to people that I started school early (due to the cutoff date) and took lots of summer school (before all of these budget cuts affected education), I am where I am at because of that. Falk explained to me that if I was in Germany, I would fit right in, since many students have accomplished this by the age of 22.

Differences between schools in the US and Germany:

http://video.yahoo.com/watch/4166483/11215695

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:b26wu03PlR0J:faculty.ccri.edu/panaccione/In-classpresentations/Contrast%2520of%2520Education.ppt+germany+vs+usa+education&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari

I have learned that the education system in the US and Germany are very different. Usually (and now it appears mandatory that children attend preschool) children go to a preschool, then onto elementary school (Kindergarten-5^th or 6^th grade), middle school (6^th-8^th grade), high school (9^th-12^th) and college (community, cal state, university, trade school, etc.). In Germany, children spend about 2 years in Kindergarten (which to me, is equal to children going to preschool and Kindergarten). Children then go to elementary school for 4 years (1^st-4^th grade) and are divided into 3 different educational tracks or systems. So, by the age of 10 years old, students’ academic futures are determined. Students can follow the Hauptschule (vocational education), Realschule (technical school) and Gymnasium tracks (college). In Hauptschule and Realschule, students spend about 9-11 years of school. The Gymnasium track is the only way students can attend college in the future. Another quite interesting fact that I learned is that tuition is usually free, whereas we are all too familiar with paying plenty of money to attend school here in the US.

German education explained:

http://www.german-way.com/educ.html

One of the most interesting things I found out and after being able to talk and write to Falk in English, is the amount of time devoted to learning German AND English. I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and to this day can’t remember any of it. Only 2-3 years are required here, in order to attend a university but I was amazed at Falk’s English. I have emailed with a few other penpals from Germany and couldn’t understand what they were saying, since their English wasn’t good at all. I know Falk has spent many years studying English and German, in order to be bilingual, though I know he speaks and writes everything in German. The only way he gets to practice his English is by writing with me and for me to practice my German is with writing to him! Fortunately with being able to use Skype to talk to him, his English is really good too. I suppose my only way of learning German (and becoming fluent) is to travel and be immersed in the language and culture. Maybe in the future, that will be a possibility and a reality! :D

Why traveling is a good way to learn a language (at 1:28-2:30):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEDoJgjj6NM

Transportation

Autobahn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8PQUTiBNyw

One of the most fascinating parts of Germany, for anyone who loves cars and likes to drive fast (I won’t lie, I like driving my car fast!) will love the autobahn in Germany. It is the only place in the world where there is no designated speed limit. The only speed limit that is posted is a suggested speed limit, but otherwise drivers are allowed to push the pedal to the metal!

I will never forget one of the emails that Falk had sent me not too long ago. He is back home in Meißen (was studying in Dresden) and had to go to another city for a meeting (I can't remember the name). He had to wake up really early for about a 6 hour drive. He told me he was making good timing except for when he had to slow down when there was a slower speed limit, fog or rain, otherwise he was travelling at about 170mph!!! No wonder he was making good timing at a rate like that! The fastest I have ever gone was 160mph (and no I was NOT driving). I was able to ride in a real Nascar around the speedway in Fontana this past October and it was an AWESOME experience! (See picture!) Even though I’m a fan of Nascar and Falk is a fan of Formula 1, we both like fast cars, but fortunately he can drive faster than I’m allowed to!

Ride-Along Experience...similar to what I did here in CA! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1RMahG-bzQ&feature=PlayList&p=1A56D675B13A7C30&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=10

I always write to him and tell him about how long it takes to get from Point A to Point B here in southern California. He has the hardest time believing me, because there is just way too much traffic here in California! With only living 6 miles away from Cal Poly, it can take me about 20 minutes or so to get there or back home, because of traffic! He suggests I ride my bike to school (and save money on gas) but even then that is not a safe way of commuting. It appears that drivers in Germany are better than the drivers here in so cal, because even walking or riding a bike is dangerous. And, once again, he has the hardest time believing me. He has to experience it for himself, in order to truly believe me! ;)

Of course, another major form of transportation that Falk relies on a lot is the trains. He just recently told me about his visit to Prague and it only took him about 3 hours by train to get there. Transportation is more convenient than it is here, or at least I believe so. Trying to get anywhere around California takes way longer than it really should, but unfortunately there really isn’t much that can be done to change that.

Eurail: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSSOEUDsphM

Transportation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x5rV8T-OhI&feature=related

Carpooling: http://www.youtube.com/user/AlexandJim#p/u/19/wms3Al-gWTg

Frühstück, Mittagessen & Abendessen

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

For me, since I'm a picky eater, it's important to know what types of food are served in Germany for when I visit. One of my biggest problems with traveling to a new place is the type of food. Just to sidetrack for a little bit, when I was in New York for my cousin's wedding, we ate at many different high-class restaurants. The majority of the food, I didn't even know what it was and barely ate at any of those restaurants. Fortunately, McDonalds, Subway and the little carts that vendors had at the corners of the streets helped me not go hungry during my stay there. In the end, I think I would be able to survive when I visit Germany!

Breakfast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sivltQeBloI&feature=related

After comparing and contrasting the foods offered in Germany and the U.S., the one item that I had never heard of was Nutella. It's very popular in Germany and is mainly used for breakfast as a spread on toast, bagels, etc. To me, it reminds me of peanut butter but it's actually a hazelnut spread. I was shopping one day with my mom at Sam's Club and we happen to stumble upon Nutella and decided to try it. I actually didn't get a chance to try it, but my mom did and LOVED it. Other than Nutella, there are other differences between breakfast foods. What I consider a lunch, is a breakfast in Germany. Using a roll and putting slices of cheese and lunch meat is a typical breakfast item. Salmon with mozzarella cheese, quark with fruit, and eggs are other normal breakfast items compared to pop-tarts, sugar-coated cereal, bacon, eggs, sausage, etc.

Lunch vs Dinner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFqMSOaZS0I&feature=related

I found this to be quite interesting. In the U.S., the main meal is dinner, but in Germany the main meal is lunch. Rather than eat the most around dinner time, Germans mainly eat the most around lunchtime. Of course, the portion sizes are different but I know a typical lunch in Germany includes a roll with sausage and cheese along with a simple side dish. Our lunches can vary and be heavy or light, but for sure our dinners are much heavier dishes. A typical dinner would include some sort of meat (steak, chicken, etc.) and a few side dishes like potatoes, salad, vegetables, etc.

Candy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb-anDePMmc

I absolutely LOVE all of the candy in this video (from both sides!), but my absolute favorite is the Toblerone. Everytime I go to Trader Joe's, I always get one!! And who can pass up gummy bears? Obviously in the U.S., we have a huge never-ending selection of different food items, such as candy and bread.

Fast Food: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2NAkYG0_OI&feature=channel

My favorite group from Germany was in the LA area and explained on the radio what American brands of fast food restaurants are in Germany. Even though the majority of fast food places are here (or originated here), the few that are in Germany, include Burger King (http://www.burgerking.de/), Pizza Hut and Subway. It's interesting how many of the junk food items that Americans love are not heard of over there. Once again, it's no wonder why there are so many health and weight issues here in the states.

Supermarkets: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9va1wVNizE&feature=related

I never realized how extravagant our grocery stores are. Besides the business hours being different compared to stores in Germany, we also carry so many varieties and brands of items, such as bread and candy. Many of us are used to that (like I was), but I liked watching to see how shocked Germans were at the varieties of items that we have.

Eating at Restaurants: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVKoaf9vXSI

After watching this video, the service in restaurants in the U.S. is completely different than restaurants in Germany. No ice in drinks?! I don't know how that is possible, because ice cold drinks are the absolute best (though Falk disagrees). Also, no refills?! We are definitely catered to in restaurants here, to say the least. Servers are always refilling drinks and bringing bread or rolls out before the meals come to the table. It's no wonder why there are obesity issues, but I was shocked when I learned of the differences between restaurants.

Shopping!

After working another long weekend in retail and helping some unpleasant customers, I realized some things about shopping here in the United States. I've come to this realization after venting to my penpal and hearing how most of the problems I deal with, when it comes to other customers, would never happen in Germany.

I told him how a particular customer ended up buying, returning, and re-buying the same ring (in the same day) just to get the most for her money (and by the way, I totally understand getting the most for your money, but be respectful about it though). Once I told him the WHOLE story, he was shocked and said that this scenario wouldn't even be possible in Germany. It appears that shopping there is more strict, which I have to say, I wish it was like that here. I believe customers get away with too much these days (and yes, I know it all has to do with capitalism and making money). And speaking of capitalism, it reminds me how we are way too materialistic here in the US. This all promotes spending and buying by having stores open everyday for hours and hours, or even stores that are open 24 hours a day! I think it's interesting (watch the first link posted at the bottom!) that stores in Germany are CLOSED on Sundays!! It's a day of relaxation and spending time with friends and family. No one is allowed to shop on Sundays, which I think is a great idea. The only place that I can think of that is closed on Sundays in the US is Chick-fil-a and that's it! Also, some places close down for a few hours during lunch time...another fantastic idea!!! :)

Even though this refers to shopping, I think it's quite interesting how one of the shopping channels here in the US (QVC) is also in Germany. But, besides that fact, I think it's even more interesting how the same products are being sold over there in Germany. The influence of being materialistic, I guess. The representatives for these products don't even speak German and a translator has to translate verbally for the audience at home. But I have come to the conclusion that yes, Americans are too materialistic and that is why we need bigger houses and storage facilities. Thanks to my penpal, I realized that I was continuously spending money on new clothes and makeup. He would always mention and ask, why I needed to buy a new dress for a special occasion and why I couldn't use a dress that was already in my closet? He has shown me pictures of his house and it is much smaller than houses here and I can see why! I have to admit, that I HAVE NOT spent any money on new clothes, makeup, shoes, etc.!! :D

After taking my German class, I never knew how big the German market was here in the US, when it comes to certain products, like cars. Germany is the home to some of the nicest looking cars out there: BMW, Mercedes, Porsche, VW and Audi. Luckily, where I live, that's all I see driving around, so the German influence is all around! Other products that I have seen in stores here include certain food, decorations and beauty products.

My DREAM car!!! :D

Audi tt

Business hours in Germany:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZiApcvyLl0

Markets in Munich:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bao3FxdWAC0

Shopping in Germany:

http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/shopping

QVC Germany:

http://www.qvc.de/deqic/qvcapp.aspx/app.nav/params.class.CCDP/walk.yah.CCDP?cm_re=01_Container-_-09-_-Smashbox%20Cosmetics

Addressing people:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AlexandJim#p/u/49/waC5lfc9Ptk

Kultur (Culture)

I have to admit that after taking my 1st German class, that I started to recognize the culture that makes me, me. Everyone has their own culture, but I always thought that mine was just American...nothing special or unique about me. It seemed like being American was part of everyone who lived in the US, but I guess I just needed something to remind me of where I came from.

So, thanks to my German class I have learned more about my family history, and thanks to my penpal, Falk, I have learned more about the daily routine in Germany!

One thing I'll never forget from my German class, was how Frau Daniels made us watch some educational video from the 1980's (which was ancient!). The character was doing his daily morning routine and was running late, but before he left, he made sure to make his bed. A lot of us found this odd, but actually, it's a daily habit that I have. I can never leave without my room being clean and the bed made. Supposedly, this is something that most Germans do, which I found interesting!!

Kuckucksuhr

I also never knew that cuckoo clocks came from Germany. My grandparents, who now live in Menifee, always had a cuckoo clock hanging in their old house (the house I remember going to in Rowland Heights when I was younger and spending most of my summer there learning to sew in my grandma's sewing room). We also have a cuckoo clock hanging in our living room (see pic to the left) which belonged to my other grandma (who I never got to meet, since both of my dad's parents passed away before I was born). Kuckucksuhr (cuckoo clocks) primarily originated from the Schwarzwald (Black Forest). Each one is so unique and detailed. When I go to Germany (and hopefully SOON), my plan is to visit the Schwarzwald and buy one for myself...the only problem is, they are pretty expensive!!

Adventskalender

It is a tradition here that every Christmas season, we get advent cale

ndars. They may not be the most elaborate calendars possible, but it's always so much fun to open a door every day and find a present, which is a piece of candy! I've had one for as long as I can remember and couldn't imagine the Christmas season without one.

Leben in Deutschland

I've learned there are many differences between the daily routines of living here and in Germany. The first major difference was addressing a card to my penpal for his birthday. Not only is the structure different, but even the numbers are written differently. It was fu

nny, because when I went to the post office to mail his card, the person working there said how no one knew German (which I figured that). As long as they knew it was going to Germany (Deutschland), that's all that mattered! So, here is an example from my book of addressing a letter. I was like, what is this: ^? It represents the number 1, which I never knew before.

And how can we talk about Germany without mentioning the Autobahn! I can't wait to actually travel on it, but I'm actually scared to drive on it, since there's obviously no speed limit! Falk has told me that I will drive on it, no matter how scared I am. He told me last week that he had to go to a meeting about 600-some miles away and at times he was driving fast, except for when it had a slower speed limit, or there was rain or fog. Otherwise, he was traveling at 130mph!!!!!!!!! Like he said, he made good timing! ;)

My new plan is once I finish making payments on my car (which will be in July!!!), I'm saving my money and it's going towards my trip to Germany!!

Germany, here I come...in Summer 2011!

Helpful Links!

Travel Guide: http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/dresden

For when Falk won't translate for me: http://www.freetranslation.com/

A website Frau Daniels gave us: http://www.young-germany.de/index-1.html

Possibility to actually "see" each other: http://www.skype.com/welcomeback/

Another website Frau Daniels gave us: http://www.blinde-kuh.de/

Reflection on the beginning

So, what made me want to learn German? There are plenty of reasons:

--My family heritage traces back to Germany. It's important to be in touch with your ancestral roots, right?.

--German is one of the world's most spoken languages...might as well join the bandwagon.

--My favorite band is originally from Magdeburg, Germany. Their songs are written in Deutsch and English! Obviously learning German will help me understand the German songs.

--I love to travel and my next big destination is Germany. I need to know the language (somewhat) to be able to communicate with others and not seem like a real-tourist!

--I decided to take an Elementary German class last Winter Quarter at Cal Poly to cover a few elective credits and absolutely LOVED that class!

Let me think back to how this all began...

A few years ago, I was randomly watching the VMA's and something immediately caught my attention. Here came this huge monster truck on the red carpet with 4 guys standing in the backbed of the truck. One of the guys had black hair and it was in huge spikes that surrounded his head. When the hosts were able to talk to them, I was interested in learning where they were from, since they obviously had an accent. Soon, I found out that they were from Germany and had just come to the United States to try and earn a US fan-base. After watching them perform and seeing them win awards, I knew they were unique and very popular (they have fans from all over the world!). Ok, fast-forward a bit and after listening to their music, hunting down stores to try and find their album here in the US (I finally just bought it off of iTunes) and reading their biographies I became a huge FAN! One of their songs on that album off of iTunes (Durch den Monsun=Through the Monsoon) was written in German and English. Listening to it in German made me want to learn the language to understand their lyrics more. So, fast-forward a bit more and I enrolled in FL 111 at Cal Poly with Frau Daniels. I LOVED that class! Hardly any English was spoken and she didn't want us to go through the whole English-German translation process and vice versa. Too bad that class was only about 3 months...

Well, during that class, she suggested to find a penpal! How exciting, I thought!! :)

I searched around and found a certain penpal site that was safe and secure. I soon found several penpals, but the one who I talk to the most (even to this day), is from Dresden, Germany. Fortunately, his English is amazing and he helped me so much with learning German. Thank goodness for Skype, for he helped me with my pronunciation and I was able to speak a little bit of German correctly! ;)

Fast forward many months (well, almost a year or so later) and I am here, today, writing this blog. No more German classes, unfortunately, due to 2 quarters of student teaching, summer classes being cut and now working on my Master's Degree! This all equals NO TIME FOR LEARNING GERMAN! I have to say that with my penpal's encouragement, I have considered teaching myself (he has helped me, but hasn't had that much time due to internships and working on his PhD). Teaching myself German has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I've gone through this cycle of giving up many times and then trying to learn it again. I can admit that I know plenty of vocabulary, but the grammar is what kills me. Anyways, I know one day I will master this language...hopefully!

Helpful links that I rely on:

http://www.interpals.net/

http://www.prenhall.com/treffpunkt/

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/#

http://www.wetter.de/wetter/vorhersage/aktuell/Deutschland/Dresden/md5/297346bbb4fda388854b7f5fc3be811f

Words that are used in English that come from German.

http://german.about.com/library/blvoc_gerloan.htm

A fun website to watch Live-TV from Germany!!

www.qvc.de