Hallo!

It's ironic that we had to read an article about cultural differences like this because my friend and I were just talking about this. According to the first article, germans LOVE to complain about things when they really don't have much grounds for complaint. No to stereotype, but this is something I'm not surprised to find relatively true simply because "Beschissen" is a common response to "Wie geht es ihnen?", whereas ours is "I'm doing well, thank you." From my understanding, "beschissen" works whether one is actually feeling sh*tty or feeling good just as "I'm doing well" is said whether one is actually doing well, or having a bad day. My friend and I also discussed slight behavioral differences between Americans and those from other countries like Germany. One of the first rules I learned as a child was that it was impolite to stare. The second article jokes about german mother not teaching this lesson to their children, but I found it interesting to read about germans and their will to maintain perfect Ordung, or Oder in their communties. In the US it's almost the opposite. I actually think it goes back to the principles that each nation was founded on. We are founded on the ideas of capitalism (more or less), and Germany has taken a more socialistic approach. (They have public healthcare, we, well...)

Many of my friends accuse me of being overly frank. Some say this is a characteristic of African people as well as germans, which would explain why I felt right at home in Germany...

Al i know is I can certainly appreciate words and phrases taken literally.

I will certainly take this last article to heart next time I go to Germany. Saying " Oh, I'm from New York City" pretty much does the explaining for me, but I should really be aware of just how big and diverse the city is."

I suppose that's all for now

liebe, Imani