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.