For several years I have casually followed the PostSecret blog where people design postcards which illustrate their "secrets." Shame, hopes, and fears are anonymously revealed, often poignantly.
I was, therefore, pleased to note that there is now a German version of the site. I hope that it will become popular enough that they are able to get a good selection of cards to make the site interesting.
The most recently posted card says (approximately): " I'm afraid of every new e-mail. There is always a new task. An appointment. Something uncomfortable. And this, always when I just got done with everything else!
My German friends routinely poke fun at American food, accusing it of being nothing other than a conglomeration of food coloring and preservatives. I generally smile and concede that much of our food is over processed, but point out that the same types of products exist in Germany. Here is my proof. A German company is now producing a Cheeseburger in a can. Lecker!
I have been at the University for 2 weeks now. Although I have not had enough time to truly form an accurate or comprehensive picture of the system here, I would like to post a few of my observations and ask for your prayers.
In most of my classes there are so many students that a significant portion of the group must sit on the floor. There are not enough books in the library, not enough advisers, not enough technological resources of any kind (in 2 enormous lectures the professors have not had microphones, there are about 30 computers in the main campus buildings for 40,000 students, et.), the course management is disastrous. After all of the financial and cultural reasons for this have been duly tabulated, there remains no truly satisfying excuse for the condition in which the university finds itself.
I have had Professors who enter the room late without making eye contact, begin a address to their students without pausing for breath, and exit the room 90 minutes later just as abruptly. No welcome, no announcement of office hours or offers of assistance, no warmth.
I have had instructors who are funny, interesting, and clearly love to teach. There is one who I think may become one of the favorites of my entire academic career (and I have had a lot of professors).
All of the professors seem to be knowledgeable, highly intellegent, some perhaps could even be described as brilliant. That being said, without exception, I believe that they are all spiritually empty. My professors have referred to the Bible as a book of legends or purely a literary work in multiple classes, some of which have no relation to religious topics (And this all within the first week!). But this is not what disturbs me. At every secular, and even some "christian", universities in the US one can hear the same ideas being expressed. They have permeated every realm of academic culture, although most academics have never deeply explored the layers of assumption behind their pronouncements.
What disturbs me is the virulence behind their words. The degree to which they clearly desire to convince others. How desperately they seem to be looking for confirmation that what they are saying is supported by the masses of "blank slates" who sit before them.
To give you a taste of what I am talking about, take a look at these two video clips which were shown in one of my classes today. They were followed by a diatribe against "Fundamentalist American christians" who believe in the Bible and intelligent design.
(warning: could offend sensitive souls)
(a christian children's program. . .admittedly hokey)
Please pray that I can be a light here. That I can help people who truly have intellectual difficulties in believing in the message of Christ to find the answers that they are sincerely looking for. Pray that I can be loving to those who have simply allowed sin to harden their hearts or who have chosen to follow the path of intellectual laziness and not truly explore the issues at stake.
BERLIN (Reuters) - A young woman's rooftop bid in Germany sparked a mass brawl between spectators encouraging the 21-year-old to jump and a group of homeless people trying to protect her, authorities said Tuesday. The homeless people were angered when some teenagers in the crowd of hundreds started yelling to the woman she should throw herself from the roof of the town hall of the southwestern town of Loerrach, said police spokesman Dietmar Ernst. "The homeless people started shouting at the kids not to say that, using some strong language," Ernst said. "Morally speaking though, the homeless people were in the right." A punch-up involving around 40 people then ensued, during which time police managed to coax the woman back indoors -- three and a half hours after her ordeal began. Some 35 officers, six of whom were injured during the fight, were needed to break it up. Eight participants were arrested, most of them school children aged between 16 and 19. Ernst said he was doubtful that the brawl, which involved at least one , had stopped the woman from jumping. "She was about 70 metres (230 feet) up and probably wouldn't have seen much of what was going on," he said.
Yesterday I attended my first German funeral. The mother of an acquaintance from church passed away on Thursday. Although she was only 59, the sad mood of the day was tempered by the knowledge that she had accepted Christ as her savior just a couple of months previously and was now at home after 3 years of battling cancer.
I really wanted to be in Hessen (almost 3 hours south of Köln) to be supportive. The only problem was that in Germany, especially in small towns, it is required that everyone wears solid black for a funeral. I didn't have a single outfit that fit the bill. Thankfully I was able to piece together something appropriate with the help of friends. When we arrived it seemed as if the entire town (which I think only numbers a few thousand) had turned out for the occasion. The funeral home was too small to accommodate everyone, and dozens of people stood outside the doors to hear the sermon through the help of loudspeakers. The service was very much like one that might be given in the US, although this is the first I have been to with a choir. Afterwards we went to a reception hall for coffee and cake.
Everyone in Germany knows the rabenmutter. The word, which translates as "raven mother," describes the kind of woman who is so unloving, so selfish that she heartlessly places her toddler in day care so she can go back to work. . .the idea of leaving one's child in the care of someone who doesn't necessarily love the child, of paying a stranger to do a mother's job, just doesn't sit right with many conservative Germans. . .The rabenmutter complex helps explain why Germany has had Europe's lowest birthrate for the past three decades. . .Since the mid-1960s, each new generation of Germans has been a third smaller than that of its parents. If the trend continues, Germany's population will shrink from 83 million today to about 79 million in 2050. . .At the same time, the number of retirees is ballooning. By 2020, 30% of the German population will be 60 or older. The ratio of workers paying into the pension system and those receiving a pension is now 2-1; in a decade it will be 1-1.
"What is happening when an entire continent -- wealthier and healthier than ever before -- declines to create the human future ... by creating a next generation?" asked George Weigel in an essay on the decline of religious practice in Europe. Weigel, an American theologian, answered his question by suggesting that there is a direct link between Europe's loss of faith and the loss of its desire to reproduce itself.
Steffen Kroehnert, who studies demographic trends at the Berlin Institute for Population and Development, notes that France and the Scandinavian countries, generally regarded as among the least religious in Europe, are also the ones with relatively healthy fertility rates. France has a fertility rate of 1.9; Norway's is 1.8. What Kroehnert and other experts are discovering is that European couples want to have babies, but they are inhibited mainly by work-related economic factors. . .
Compared with other European nations, Germany spends generously on pro-family programs, but the results have been disappointing. France spends less but gets much better results. One explanation is that in France, educated women are expected to pursue their careers even after they have children and the government makes it possible by funding extensive day-care facilities. Last month, Angela Merkel, Germany's first female chancellor, unveiled a package of changes aimed at making it easier for working women to raise children. Under the changes, women will receive two-thirds of their salary for up to a year if they take time off after birth. The ceiling is $2,300 a month; if a woman is earning less than $1,275 a month, she gets her entire salary. Men will be eligible for 2 months of paid leave under the same terms, or a couple can split the 14-month total any way they please. (August 3, 2006; Chicago Tribune)
Wal-Mart said Friday it plans to sell its 85 stores in Germany to rival Metro AG, ending a nearly decade-long effort by the world's largest retailer to crack the market in Europe's biggest economy. . .Wal-Mart had trouble winning over German consumers, who tend to be very price-focused and would rather drive to a different store if they know they can buy something cheaper. National discounters such as Lidl GmbH and Aldi Einkauf GmbH put the heat on Wal-Mart's sales, he said, by offering the same products at competitive prices. Further, Schlueter said consumers rejected some of Wal-Mart's signature features, like stores outside of town centers, employees required to smile and heartily greet customers, or baggers at checkouts. . . (AP: July 28, 2006)
Mood: Tooooor!! Noise: Everyone in the background watching the game.
For the next four weeks the world will be watching Germany as we host the Soccer World Cup games. Every bar is filled to bursting and I expect that it will be a great time to meet new people and have fun with the regulars. Culture Note: Germans tend to be wary of anything that smacks of nationalism. As a result it is rare to see a German flag being displayed by private citizens. In response to the World Cup, however, this has dramatically changed. German colors are everywhere. I think that it's good to see.
Mood: sunny What I'm Reading: "The Church Comes Home" by Who Knows?
Today I went to an animal reserve with the Fords and Thomas Lobe. It was a nice hang out time as we hand fed the deer (Rehe) and shared a picnic lunch. I have especially enjoyed getting to know Thomas, the newest member of our little team here in Koeln.
Culture note: When you finish a job in Germany, you are given a ''report card''. It is only allowed to say good things about you. There is a catch, however. For instance, it might say ''Heins was very punctual''. This means you left work as soon as possible every day. If it says you ''got along well with your co-workers'', this means you were always goofing-off with them. If it says you were a ''good worker'', watch out! They need to say you were an exceptional worker or the other employers will know that you were sub par.
Last night I went to Lori Goering's B-day party where we sang lots of old German hymns. Afterwards we had ice cream. This is my fav dessert, so I get excited when it is brought out. The real excitement came after the ice cream was finished, however. There was an innocent can of whipped cream sitting on the table and through NO FAULT of my own, a whipped cream fight broke out between me and Janna (the Goering's daughter). I, of course, drawing on my Matrix-like moves and greater years of experience, won.
Culture note: Germans do not like their desserts as sweet as Americans. In response, their whipped cream is made with a lot less sugar. This is probably better for my health and my hair.
Weekly I see men pee in public. Antiperspirant is not so popular here, and spitting on the train is no big deal. Dental hygiene, however, is very important. For my birthday I was given German toothpaste. The red tube is for mornings and the blue for evenings. They are apparently so potent that the tubes are sealed with solid plastic which must be cut through with a knife to open. Germany makes me smile, and now that smile looks even prettier than before :).
Mood: amused What I'm Reading: The Naked Christian by Craig Borlase
Around 2 AM this morning I was celebrating a birthday in a local Pub. As I glanced out the window I thought that I saw several men in their 20's struggling past under a large tree. A few moments later the scene was repeated, only this time there was a 15 year old biking past with a much smaller tree in hand. At this point I decided that I was not hallucinating and asked the bartender what was going on.
On the 1st of May young men in Germany raid the forests (and if they are really daring, neighbor's back yards) in search of Birch trees. If there is a girl that they want to reveal their affections to, they decorate the cut tree and set it in front of her door. If the girls cannot figure out who the tree is from, she needs to wait 4 weeks, at the end of which the would-be courter must return to take the tree away (and reveal his identity). If there is a girl that is especially disliked, sawdust is placed on her doorstep.
Mood: 3rd quartile Noise: Eyes on the Prize by civil rights demonstrators
I am a nerd. Over the last four hours I've been combing through databases for statistical information about Germany. In my daily life I find myself probing for generalizations about German culture, but have a persistent feeling of unease with such subjective impressions. I was hoping that the concrete world of numbers would be helpful. Here are some of the juicy bits that caught my attention.
Last week I travelled to the North Sea with the Bonnets to visit Heike's parents. Among other things, we enjoyed a boat tour, eating at a fancy restaurant overlooking the harbor shipping lanes, hunting for easter eggs, seeing the yearly Cuxhaven bonfire, combing the beach for shells, sampling a wide variety of traditional German seafood, and visiting a well designed experiential history museum that gave dimension to the stories of Germans who have chosen to immigrate to the US.
germany has great playgrounds for the "kids"
eating a traditional north German breakfast of Brotchen (like french bread rolls), tea, soft boiled eggs, raw salmon, and shrimp.
Mood: optimistic What I'm Reading: 1984 by George Orwell (one of the defining books of my childhood)
A friend from English group joined Martin, Jeff, and I at a ''friendly'' soccer match between Germany and the States this Wednesday. Somewhere around 65,000 (mostly German) spectators, chanting taunts and expressions of solidarity, also joined us. In my opinion, German is a good language for intimidating opponents at a sporting event :).
As you can see, it wasn't the best game the States has ever played. It was my first live professional soccer match though, and I had a good time.
In case you were worried, I found the Pumpernickel! (from my excitement you can surmise that I prefer not to rely upon the possibility of grace) The name Pumpernickel comes from, "'Pumpern' a New High German word similar in meaning to the English 'fart' (so chosen because, like the word 'achoo,' it imitated the sound it described), and 'Nickel' was a form of the name Nicholas, an appellation commonly associated with a goblin or devil (e.g., 'Old Nick' is a familiar name for Satan). Hence, pumpernickel is the 'devil's fart,' allegedly a reference to the bread's indigestible qualities and hence the effect it produced on those who consumed it.'' In addition to this bread, which is steam baked for about 20 hours before being packaged in foil, we also tried Leberwurst, Blütwurst, Kieler Sprotten (like sardines), süßer Senf, Aachener Printen, Sauer Gurken, Emmentaler Käse, and other German specialties during my language course today. Afterwards, my classmates and I partook of a more palatable meal together.
Tomorrow morning I am heading to a town near Frankfort to take care of children so that their parents can enjoy a conference (if you keep up with my blog, you will agree that this seems to have become a regular job!). I won't be back until Friday afternoon, so I'm not sure if I will be able to give updates until then.
Mood: quiet What I'm Reading: Night by Elie Wiesel
Karnival is a celebration devoted to rejoicing in the pleasures of life before Lent comes to steal them away. Despite this, there is more despair than delight visible on the streets of Köln this week. It is simply dressed up more gaudily, bringing it into sharper contrast with the more potent delights that I have found through a relationship with Christ. Although normally seeing so many weeping and puking drunks and scantily clad high-school girls would bring me a bit down, I have spent a lot of good time with my classmates this week which has had a softening effect.
Below are some pictures I took at a parade in the Bonnets neighborhood. Martin posted some more here if you would like to see what my costume looked like that day.
Word of the Day: ''Kinderkriegen'' is a word I heard a lot when Sonny was having her puppies. It would be translated into English as ''to give birth''. In German it literally means something like ''to catch'' (kriegen) ''children'' (kinder) . I think that it is interesting that the root word Krieg (war) is in there. It seems fitting to me.
Golf: In Germany you have to pass a test in order to play golf. . .really! Golf is taken seriously here, so if you would like to play you need to earn an official handicap card. If you are not skilled enough, you can't get onto many courses.
A Few Famous Germans (from http://german.about.com): composers: Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Wagner, and Brahms inventors/scientists: Albert Einstein; Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler were inventors of the first motor car (1885), although they never met!; Wernher von Braun was a German rocket scientist who helped put Americans on the moon; Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine; Erik H. Erikson, Carl Gustav Jung, and Sigmund Freud (psychologists);Johannes Kepler; Max Planck athletes: Boris Becker is a tennis star and the youngest ever to win at Wimbleton (1985); Michael Schumacher Formula 1 driver and 2nd richest sportsman in the world; Rheinhold Messner (1944- ) Italian (South Tyrol) mountain climber, first to climb all 14 peaks above 8000 meters artists\authors: Max Ernst was a Dadaist/surrealist painter, sculptor, and graphic artist; Johann Goethe; Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (fairytales); Franz Kafka; Immanuel Kant; Karl Marx; Thomas Mann; Friedrich Nietzsche; Karl May was a German author of westerns (he never actually travelled to the United States, but German kids all know the ''Real West'' because of him) Politicians: Henry A. Kissinger Religion: Martin Luther; Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger)
Mood: tired Stage notes: Neumarkt internet cafe; the street is filled with a Babel of languages
Christmas is fast approaching. As a result the Köln streets are filled with shoppers frantically searching for that final perfect gift. The Christmas markets here are filled to the brim with tourists, many of whom speak English. Every so often you can hear a German voice derisively speaking about all the ''tourists'' who come to buy overpriced German-made things.
I must admit, I have become one of these tourists today. A German and Iranian friend took me out for a night on the town. We sampled a significant selection of traditional German Christmas food, and browsed through the hundreds of stalls set up on the streets here in honor of the biggest shopping season of the year. The Köln Weihnachten Markts really are pretty. All of the stalls are decorated with white lights, and they stretch miles from the Dom through Neumarkt, Heumarkt, and along the Rhine. The air is filled with the scent of food and music is piped through the streets.
After shopping for a while, my friends and I found our way to a quaint coffee shop/antique shop and talked about things ranging from Middle Eastern politics to how to find a good spouse. We had a really nice time and I was able to finish up most of my Christmas shopping just in time to go home.
For several years I have casually followed the PostSecret blog where people design postcards which illustrate their "secrets." Shame, hopes, and fears are anonymously revealed, often poignantly.
eating a traditional north German breakfast of Brotchen (like french bread rolls), tea, soft boiled eggs, raw salmon, and shrimp.
Somewhere around 65,000 (mostly German) spectators, chanting taunts and expressions of solidarity, also joined us. In my opinion, German is a good language for intimidating opponents at a sporting event :).
