Kultur 8- John Fuerst

Reading the culture excerpts for this chapter, I was both entertained and intrigued at the health and medicine related passages, seeing some behaviors very familiar to me while others seemed completely foreign. I identified greatly with “You Have What? Mysterious Illness in Germany”, and the reluctance of the Germans to medicate themselves with any form of drug. My mother instilled in me at a young age the wariness towards over-medication, citing that “it simply isn’t necessary” to go straight to drugs in order to conquer the common cold. The seemingly hypochondria-having nature of the Germans did not resonate with me in the slightest. Wann ich war klein und ich habe mir erkältet, Ich habe kein tabletten nehmen.

“Draftophobia: Blown Away by the Fear of Air” entertained me greatly as it reflected much of the same sentiments towards drafts I have seen in the French people my parents encounter on a daily basis in Paris. My mother even once had a guest in her own home ask her to shut the windows on a perfectly mild weather day. Ich mag draussen sein und ich mag night gern dritten sein.

Germany’s favor for saunas and long stays at university, as described in “German’s Sauna Obsession: Expose Yourself to the Culture” and “Philogus Ad Nauseam: Germany’s Aged Students” made me understand why Europe is so often looked upon by Americans as relaxed and patient about enjoying life. Can I blame them? Absolutely not. Ich trinke gern Bier, Ich gehe gern in die Disko und in die Kneipe. Warum beeilen sie? Mann müsst Spass haben wann er junge ist.

While the German University system sounds interesting, the readings in Vorsprung made me think twice about wanting to jump into the German system. The early age at which decisions are made about a student’s future seemed excessive to me. Furthermore I felt that the limitation of the number of German college students is unfair.