No peanut butter and jelly?!

Before taking German courses here at UNC, I already had a few preconceived notions about Germans. I saw them as precise, exact people, as demonstrated in the fantastic engineering feats that come from Germany (e.g. Porsche and BMW vehicles, Leica cameras, etc.). I also believed, like many people, that this exactness carries over into the personal lives of Germans, causing them to seem unfriendly or harsh. Admittedly, I have not met many Germans in my life, so I had no basis for this feeling other than what others have told me.

The aspects of German culture we’ve learned in 101 and 102 have helped me see that some of my ideas were right, some were wrong, and some just didn’t represent the whole case. As several other students have mentioned on this blog, it was good to discover that the seemingly harsh nature of Germans stems from their tendency toward being private and their emphasis on meaningful interactions, rather than simply a foul mindset.

However, I do take issue with what some people seem to have learned in class, which is that America is superficial when compared to Germany. I don’t think this is true at all. The openness of Americans can be seen by Germans as being somewhat superficial, but I think they have interpreted it incorrectly. When Americans say simple things like “Hey!” or “How's it going?”, we are signaling that we are open for communication. Plenty of Americans avoid conversation and don't use these conventions, but if I want to let someone know that I am willing to talk, I will say things such as these. These sayings aren't meant to be interpreted literally (although they can be if one wants to do so). Instead, they are meant to convey a deeper meaning: “Hi, friend. I'm here if you need me. You probably don't, but I'm letting you know that you can talk to me if you want.” Even if we don't actually want people to talk to us at that exact moment (e.g. if we are in a rush to get somewhere), it still signals that we acknowledge their presence. I think this is a much better approach than simply ignoring people we don’t know.

Another interesting thing I’ve learned has to do with the German educational system. Since so many great things come from Germany, I’ve always imagined that Germany must have a first-class school system. Now, however, I question the German method of making students decide at a young age what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Is this the best way of teaching students? I’m not sure, but I would like to research the subject in depth someday.

As Bruno mentioned in his post, I was surprised that there was no mention of techno music in the class! The only time I can recall hearing any mention of techno was on the first day of German 101 last semester, when one of the students mentioned that his reason for taking German was because he knew about the techno parties they have in Germany! I am a big fan of electronic music, but I wish it was better understood by people in general. There is a huge variety of electronic music, including many different styles and genres. There is no single “techno” music category, just as there is no single “guitar” music category. Also, people unfortunately associate electronic music with particular lifestyles, such as “raving” and drugs or other things like that. I hope that, through taking German courses, the students have learned to develop an open mind regarding things like this.

The weirdest thing I have learned, though, is that Germans don’t like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! How can this be possible?! The sweet, chilled goodness of jelly combined with the smooth and creamy butter of peanuts is an irresistible combination! This has led me to suspect that Germans are not actually humans, but instead some sort of robot. (I’m just kidding, of course!)

I’m very happy that I’ve taken German 101 and 102, and I hope my experiences in 203 will be just as satisfying. I’ve always envied people who can speak more than one language, and now my knowledge of German—however limited it may be—has opened up a new world for me.