Germany is a country located in Europe.Germany has the largest economy in Europe.German people enjoy a high standard of living; according to the CIA World Fact Book Germans have an average income of $34,500.The country produces many goods, including luxury car brands like BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi.The capital of Germany is Berlin.According to the CIA World Fact Book Germany is made up of 16 different states.The northern part of the country is mostly lowlands, while the south is mostly mountainous.Germany has a negative population growth rate.Germany’s currency is the Euro.According to the web page German Missions in the United States, the population of Germany is 82.3 million people.
Germany is a country with some long lasting traditions.One of these traditions is the celebration of Oktoberfest.Oktoberfest takes place annual in Munich, the capital of Bavaria.Many people come to Munich each year to celebrate Oktoberfest.One of the more popular activities at Oktoberfest is beer drinking.Germans love their beer, there are over 1300 breweries in Germany according to the web page German Missions in the United States and Germans can start legally drinking it at age sixteen.Since the drinking age is 16, Germans have a different view on drinking than Americans do.Drinking is a socially activity in Germany.Another popular tradition in Germany is their Christmas markets.Every year, for the four weeks leading up to Christmas, Christmas markets are set up in most cities and towns across Germany.The biggest of these markets takes place in Nuremburg.German people love to play soccer.In 2006 Germany hosted the FIFA World Cup.The World Cup did more things than just bring in soccer teams from around the world.It brought back a feeling of pride in Germany.For the first time in a long time, German people were proud to be from Germany again, and this could be seen throughout Germany with little German flags being flown on peoples cars.Up until the 2006 World Cup, it would have been very rare to see someone flying a German flag.German people are very nice.They feel as if they have to be nice because of all the bad things that happened in their past and they feel as if they cannot afford to do any more harm.
Some famous sites in Germany include Neuschwanstein castle in southern Germany.King Ludwig II built Neuschwanstein.King Ludwig died before the castle was ever finished and his cause of death is still a mystery today.King Ludwig II was the king of Bavaria.He was often referred to as Mad King Ludwig.He loved music.His favorite musician was Wagner.Neuschwanstein castle is the inspiration behind Walt Disney’s castle in Orlando, Florida.Walt Disney drove by the castle while he was serving in the army.Other famous sites include the many concentration camps across Germany.Tours are offered at many of these.If you happen to see German school children at one of these, don’t be surprised because it is a requirement that all German school children visit a concentration camp.
ME: Well Dan, can you tell me a little bit about yourself to start off with?
Dan: Yes, my name is Dan, imp from Germany, and I’ve been here for two months, and imp studying finance and marketing are my majors and this is my last semester.
Me: Family in Germany, do you have any brothers or sisters, who do you live with?
Dan: Yes, I have a younger sister. She just graduated from high school, and she still lives with my parents.I’m from the north of Germany, Hannover. I don’t live there anymore since imp studying in Munich, in Ingolstadt. Your partner university.
Me: What’s the biggest difference with college here and college in Germany?
Dan: I would say the biggest difference is that here there are so many assignments and quizzes and exams during the semester and in Germany we just have one final exam at the end of the semester.It’s really a huge difference, because here you have to work continuously and in Germany you just start one month before the exam and study day and night, so that is the biggest difference.
Me: What one do you like better? Do you feel you learn better here or in Germany?
Dan: Good question, I have to say that I really like the system here.I got to admit that before the assignments and before the quizzes, imp like ahh damn I wish I was in Germany and have just one final exam because now its October and I wouldn’t have to worry about it already, but after I did the quizzes and I did the assignments and I handed them in, it’s a really good feeling because you feel that you are learning a lot.
Me: Was that a though thing to get used to right away?
Dan: The first month.
Me: Let’s talk a little bit about Germany, what are some big traditions, holidays, customs that you guys have there?
Dan: Well we have Christmas, as you do, we get the presents on the evening of the 24th
Me: Christmas Eve, all right.
Dan: And then we have new years with fireworks, that’s how we celebrate it. That’s the only time of the year when you can get fireworks in Germany.
Me: Otherwise they are illegal all year long?
Dan: Exactly, another big holiday is Easter and we have the Easter rabbit, and he walks around and puts eggs in the ground and it’s for the little kids to pick up eggs but I still like doing it.
Dan and me: hahaha
Me: How about the Christmas markets? Are those pretty big in your hometown? Do you go to those as a family?
Dan: They are pretty big in the big cities. There is a famous one in Nuremburg. That’s really the biggest one in Germany it’s very famous and it’s also famous for the candy. A very special candy.
Me: A very good candy?
Dan: Yes, a very good candy, like little hearts, very special candy.It’s very unique and you only get it at the Christmas time and we aslo, which is very special, heat up wine.
Me: Heat up wine?
Dan: Because when it’s cold, not as cold as Minnesota, Germany is pretty cold, the heated wine like warms you up and it’s usually a group thing, you go there with a lot of people.
Me: Friends mostly?
Dan: Friends and family, yes.
Me: So it’s more like a social gathering then?
Dan: Good explanation
Me: Oktoberfest, been there? Want to go there? Tell me a little about it
Dan: All right, Oktoberfest is in Munich, imp from the north, so it is a long distance, which means I have not been to the Oktoberfest before I started my studies in Munich, near Munich and Ingolstadt. And I’ve been there my first time last year and it was pretty wild and pretty crazy, and I went there with my leather pants on cause like it even supports this tradition in Germany and makes you fit into the crowd of crazy Bavarians. I would almost say it’s a huge mixture of people from all over the world and they just celebrate and have a great time. I have to admit the drinking beer part plays an important role.
Me: You said something about crazy Bavarians, so would you say people from different parts of Germany are different? Or you guys don’t get along, similarities, differences?
Dan:Bavaria is for sure unique. Many people from other states have a stereotype of Germany with leather pants and traditions and drinking beer and socializing, which is only happening in Bavaria. The other parts of Germany don’t have such a strong tradition. Not so much unique customs.
Me: They’re modernizing more?
Dan: Yes, exactly. They don’t have anything to identify with like people in Bavaria. I like Bavaria so much, imp from the north where there’s nothing comparable going on. And I like Bavaria for exactly this reason. Holding up the traditions and showing it to the rest of the world.
Me: Just rich traditions down there. You were talking about beer earlier, I know it’s a pretty big thing in Germany; do you have anything to say about that, the drinking age there, is it good or bad?
Dan: That’s a hard question since you guys can drink 21. We can start at 16 and other alcohol at 18. So we start getting in touch with alcohol at a pretty young age. Since imp 22, I go to the bars here downtown, and I just have to say that the life or the….
Me: …atmosphere…
Dan: …the atmosphere in Germany is different at my age group.
Me: Wilder or less wild?
Dan: less wild, since we started so young, we aren’t going as crazy as people here anymore. They just make use of the fact that they are 21 and can drink legally. Like us 20, 21, 22 is just a thing to socialize, like we go to watch soccer, which is another big thing in Germany, and have a beer, not for the….
Me: …getting drunk…
Dan: …exactly, the socializing.
Me: Soccer, did you play any sports as a kid? I know soccer is pretty big, what impact did the World Cup have on Germany?
Dan: World cup, that’s a big, big, big, impact. As you said you guys have baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey. We have only soccer.It’s the bigger thing in Germany by far and I played soccer, used to play till last year when I got here, when we had the world cup in 2006, it was actually the first time for myself that I was really proud of Germany.Like I’m just seeing that here you guys play the national anthem so many times before any sports event and the flag, you have a lot of proudness but in Germany it’s because of the war, weren’t so sure about our country and I got to say we did a great job with the World Cup. We had a blast, like foreigners came. It was just a huge party. We did a very good job in hosting them.We got a lot of positive feedback. Which made us thinking very proudly about Germany and that’s really the first time I was thinking yes, it really is cool to be from Germany
Me: Proud to be a German again.So you said after the war, did that have a lasting impact?You said you weren’t really proud to be a German?Did it kind of put people down about their country?I know my professor said something about German flags aren’t really flown that much anymore because of the Third Reich and all of their propaganda?
Dan: Yeah, the flag thing, in every backyard or in the front of every house here you can see the stripes and stars, and in Germany I cannot come up with any house where there is a German flag in front of it, but during the world cup and after the world cup people put like little flags on their cars and drove around and just started to think about Germany as a country who should get over this past and we worked it out for such a long time.We have to get over it finally and start to be proud of ourselves again.
Me:Is there, I know that Germany it’s mostly white people, but is there any forms of racism, not towards skin color but different ethnic groups and stuff like that?
Dan: We have immigrants from Turkey.Which came over after the war to rebuild the country and the economy started to grow after the war tremendously and everything was down, like literally.
Me: And you needed cheap labor, right?
Dan: Yes, and the Germans, and because there were not so many left any more.People from Turkey got kind of asked to, to get over here and work in the steel industry and the coal industry.So many families came over to Germany and some of them never got really integrated, there was kind of a parallel society.Like went to Germany but kept up their traditions and culture and language.There’s a lack of communication, a gap between the connection of both cultures and both backgrounds, and the question is a very good one because if you ask a German. We are pretty afraid to say that there is kind of racism or anything because we cannot afford anything anymore.We did such a bad job with starting two wars.That we better be nice to everybody, but to be honest when you talk to close friends, there is a stereotype of Turkish people especially with the economy crisis and the jobs.People got unemployed.There were fewer jobs for less people and the Turkish people work for less money and so many Germans were like we are unemployed and they are taking our jobs away, but you would not meet many people who would actually admit it.
Me: All right, let’s shift back and talk about America.Where have you been so far while you’ve been here?What do you like?What do you not like?
Dan:I got to see New York and Philadelphia on the east coast.The Grand Canyon and then the west coast with Los Angeles and San Diego and finally I got to see the Midwest and what I’ve seen so far is, I’ve been on a road trip to Chicago. Which was awesome, we don’t have such big cities and skyscrapers.Such tall and modern buildings.I like the skyline of Minneapolis.
Me: Kind of over whelming seeing all the big buildings?
Dan: Yeah, like when I first got on Navy Pier and saw the skyline, I was like ecstatic.I could have stayed there for an hour.
Me:School going well so far this year?Getting good grades in America?
Dan: So I am getting used to it, in the beginning it was kind of different and you could tell that by the grades, but now I understand how the system works and I am getting better and better.
Me: Taking classes in English.With it not being your native tongue.Is it difficult when the professor is going over things a little fast?
Dan:There are defiantly some words I don’t like get immediately but then I don’t hesitate to ask and the professors here are very helpful and even after class if I, it only happened once, but I didn’t understand the whole topic and I went to the professor after class and he explained it to me again.It was really helpful and I was really surprised about the openness, and about the kindness of the professor.
Me: Are the professors just as nice and open to help in Germany?
Dan: Honestly not as much.They are nice and there are office hours.It’s just uncommon if you go there after lecture and be like could we go over this topic again.He would prefer you go to your classmates and just ask the students because I already explained it in the lecture.
Me:Americans and Germans, who are nicer, friendlier, and more helpful?
Dan:I meet so many, really nice people. Which I was surprised about myself.I came in with not too high of expectations.I knew that it would be a great semester here.
Me:One final Question here, Why America and why St. Cloud?
Dan:It’s my partner university from Ingolstadt and I meet people from St. Cloud that studied over in Germany, and we became friends over there, and we had a great time over there, and lived it up over there, and now it’s time for me to come here.I really love America. It’s a great place to be, and it’s very helpful to a German to improve my English skills and to just study at an American University.Which have a well reputation in the world.You don’t want to miss this when you have the chance.
Me: You said American universities have a high standard, would most people in Germany think that if you go to school in America that you are a smart kid?
Dan:It’s the experience of surviving at an American college, getting degrees from American colleges, taking classes at American colleges.Just broadens your horizon so much, and just gives you a completely different view on things that are going on in the world. It’s just an experience; you just don’t want to miss.
Me: I’d like to thank you for your time.
Preparations for the interview
For my interview I came up with ten questions along with three addition points of interest about Germany and its culture.My objective for the interview was to have Daniel Reese give me as much information he could about Germany and about being an international student.I wanted to learn about the pros and cons of the German and American university system.I also wanted to learn more about German traditions like Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets.I researched on the Internet about Germany and that is where I came up with my additional points of interest that I formed into questions during the interview.To record the interview, I brought in my computer and recorded the whole interview on GarageBand.I then sent the interview to iTunes so I could burn it to a CD.
How Did You Approach People?
To secure three people for my interview I simple asked the three German students in my economics class if they would be willing to let me interview them.Luckily for me, they are all very nice people and agreed to be interviewed.I asked them what times would work best for them to do the interviews because I wanted to make it as little of an inconvenience as possible.
When, Where, and How did you Conduct the Interview?
I conducted the interview with Dan at the coffee shop at the library.I went to the library about ten minutes before our scheduled 6:30pm meeting time to look for a good spot.There were no study rooms available so the next best alternative was the coffee shop.The coffee shop turned out to be a great spot for the interview.It was quiet and we had our own table to sit at.I conducted the interview by simple telling Dan that I have a couple of questions ready to go but the whole purpose of the interview is for me to learn as much as I can from him.After that, I started the recorder and we began the interview.
Whom did you Interview?
I interviewed Daniel Reese.Daniel is from northern Germany in the city of Hannover.Dan is 22 years old and will be graduated after this semester.He has one younger sister who just graduated from high school.Dan doesn’t live at home anymore since he left for college.He now lives in Ingolstadt, which is where he attends school.
Describe the Interview
I thought that the interview went very well.Dan was an excellent student to interview.He gave long thoughtful answers.Some of the areas that I thought were very interesting were when he was talking about Germany’s history.Dan said that because of Germany’s past mistakes, and the starting of two world wars, that Germans feel obligated to be nice to everyone because they don’t want to be remembered for their past mistakes.I asked Dan about racism and discrimination in Germany.He said that there are many Turkish people in Germany that came to rebuild Germany after the war.He said that the Turks brought their culture with along with their language and never really tried to fit in with the German culture.What I thought was most interesting about this was when he said that everyone is too afraid to say anything in public about this.He said that in conversation amongst close friends or family it would be acceptable to say that the Turks are stealing our jobs but never in public.This is the exact problem we have in the United States with illegal Mexican immigrants who come here and work for less.I thought that it was very interesting how you see people in America speaking out against this, but that would never happen in Germany.It was just one of the many differences I learned about between Germans and Americans.
Report on Country and Culture
Germany is a country in Europe.Germany is made up of 16 different states1, each with their own customs, traditions, and dialects2.The capital city is Berlin and is located in north east Germany.Germany is a member of the European Union and uses the Euro as its currency.The climate is temperate and marine2.82.3 million people live in Germany with about 19% of those people not being German2.Germany is a huge economic powerhouse; it has the fifth largest economy in the world and the largest in Europe1.It is one of the largest trading nations in the world.Germans enjoy a high standard of living with an average income of $35,4001.The geography of Germany consists of low lands in the north and mountains in the south2.Germany has a total land area of 357,022 square kilometers1.
Germany has a very rich culture with some very unique traditions and celebrations.The most famous of all German traditions is Oktoberfest.Oktoberfest takes place every year at the end of September, running into early October.Oktoberfest lasts 15 days and was started back in 1810 when prince Ludwig was married and had a celebration for it2.Today people come from all over the world to experience beer drinking at its finest.Another important event that takes place every year in Germany is its Christmas markets.All throughout Germany, in most cities and towns, you will find a Christmas market for the four weeks leading up to Christmas2.Germans also like to play sports.The most popular sport in Germany is soccer.In 2006, Germany hosted the World Cup, and from my interview I now know that the World Cup brought back a lot of pride to the Germany people.Other than soccer, ice hockey and basketball are gaining popularity across Germany.Germans love their beer.There are over 1300 breweries in Germany2.Drinking in Germany is seen as a social experience rather than the American way of partying.Germans are allowed to drink beer at age 16, and because of this, they view drinking differently in Germany than we do in America.
Works Cited
1Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. September 30, 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html (accessed October 20, 2009).
2German Missions in the United States. Welcome to Germany.info. http://www.germany.info/vertretung/usa/en/startseite.html (accessed October 20, 2009).
Germany is a country in Europe. It is located in central Europe and borders the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Poland, Denmark, France, Austria, Luxembourg, and Switzerland1. Germany also borders the Baltic and North seas1. Germany has a total area of 357,022 square kilometers1.Northern Germany is mostly low lands and southern Germany is mountainous2. Germany is made up of 16 different states1. Each state has its own traditions, customs, dialect, and architecture2. The capital of Germany is Berlin1. Germany has a total population of 82.3 million people with about 19% of the population being foreigners2. Germany is a member of the European Union and its currency is the Euro2. The Rhine River in Germany is a major way of transporting goods from northern ports to other areas of Germany along the Rhine River2. The climate in Germany is temperate and marine2. Germany is one of the largest trading nations in the world2.
Germany has a very rich culture. Oktoberfest is a 15 day celebration that started back in 1810 and was initially the celebration for the wedding of Prince Ludwig2. Today, millions of people come to Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest. A popular activity at Oktoberfest is beer drinking. There are over 1300 active breweries in Germany2. Another world famous tradition in Germany is Christmas. For the four weeks leading up to Christmas you can find Christmas markets up all throughout Germany, in most cities and towns2.Soccer is the most popular sport in Germany2. In 2006, Germany hosted the World Cup. Other sports that are gaining interest across the country are hockey and basketball2.
Works Cited
1Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. September 30, 2009. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gm.html (accessed October 20, 2009).
2German Missions in the United States. Welcome to Germany.info. http://www.germany.info/vertretung/usa/en/startseite.html (accessed October 20, 2009).
