Willkommen in Deutschland

Conveniently, this epic view from above the clouds was the only thing that could have made me completely lose sight of the fact that I was on a stuffy airplane, squished between a row of seats, two walls, and snoring foreigners. Arriving in Germany took nothing more than a plane from San Francisco to Philadelphia, from Philadelphia to Brussels, from Brussels to Munich, getting on a "BART"-esque train to somewhere else in Germany where we hopped a train to Nürnberg. Then there was a walk with my two very large, over-stuffed bags on a completely cobblestone path, half uphill, just to arrive at the bottom of ten flights of stairs. Sitting quaintly at the top of these stairs was my sister's apartment which was the first thing that made my long journey seem worthwhile.

It is a small, lovely apartment adorned appropriately with a combination of handed-down furniture and Ikea accessories. It is on the top floor and on a corner making it a convenient location to survey the scenery from any room in the apartment. I nestled in and quickly claimed my space with the help of my large suitcase as it began to spew its contents into every corner of their living room/ work space. I have chosen to snub my sister and Aaron's pestering and stick with good-ol'-dad-words, it was a lesson you needed to learn on your own.

I will now mention a few interesting/funny/strange things I have seen since being in Germany, in list form as to be thorough and concise. I apologize if any of my remarks are crass; without much room for detail, I am simply making generalizations and superficial observations.

1. Europeans love cars. Both European airports that I visited in Germany and Belgium had a large array of graphic automobile advertisements in addition to fancy, nice, new cars on display in most areas of space that would allow for them.

2. Germans love red roofs.


3. Culture cross-breeding often is quite hilarious.

(This was an ad in the window of the store. The other end of the window said, "Stupid is Spreading.")

4. German toilets are different.

5. You have to pay for grocery bags (which I like) and you also have to promptly bag all your own groceries (which I also like).

6. Germans are very polite.

7. They have fantastic architecture (I hear that most of Europe does, but this is the first place I have visited thus far so that is what I am going on).

The St. Sebaldus Church in Nürnberg (not the building pictured) was destroyed in World War II and was rebuilt to look almost exactly the same and with use of many of the same materials. Sequoia told me that you rarely see dilapidated buildings because when/if one reaches that state, they tear it down and build something else in its place.

8. Most Germans speak English (especially the younger ones) and if asked, will claim they know very little when really, they are actually quite proficient.

9. What I can remember of the "American" aisle of one of the grocery stores contained cheese dip, marshmallows, poptarts, BBQ sauce, and yellow mustard.


I have found that coming to a foreign country for the first time is difficult, especially when you are alone. Granted, I have my sister and Aaron which has been a huge help and comfort but my trip is self-motivated and I will be doing most of the travelling on my own. My brain has been on overdrive observing and analyzing all there is to observe and analyze even while doing simple tasks like walking down the street. When you are submersed in a foreign language your brain subconsciously recognizes word similarities and common phrases while consciously reading facial expressions and body language. You are constantly considering differences in social customs and observing differences in dress and behavior all while being surrounded by massive, intricate architecture. I find my ears have tuned themselves to English making it surprising and exciting every time I hear a conversation in a familiar tone. In stores, my instinct is to make conversation or ask for help, both of which end up feeling like daunting tasks. Travelling to a different country is giving me a refreshed yet dreary outlook on the treatment of foreigners in the United States and what I would imagine to be many other countries as well. We easily lose sight of the fact that language is simply an artsy form of communication and should not, in my opinion, be used as a means for oppression. I would guess that foreigners would be far more willing to learn and adapt to a new language if they felt welcomed, accepted, and aided in such a task. Nevertheless, I understand the obstacle that lies in a communication gap and see how it inevitably creates separation.

On a lighter note, being in Germany has reminded me of why it is I love sociology and the great human diversity (a term I have coined to explain the phenomenon that is, the intrinsic quality of humanity characterized by vast diversity on many, many levels and in many, many areas. The great human diversity, as I have defined it, accepts these differences as fixed and strives to take that into account whilst realizing that diversity is ultimately what makes us similar.) Which is, because each culture and/or group of people operates meticulously and ends up functioning and making sense in the end. Also, no matter how different we seem at times, we all have basic human likenesses. I am humbled by the idea that it all works out so perfectly. Even though I agree realistically that our planet is in turmoil, the "libra" in me says that with bad comes good (and vice versa); and that makes it hard for me to focus on the mayhem without also keeping my eyes open and focused on the miracles in life. I had a sensational day today where I contemplated our many wondrous sense receptors and thanked them for allowing me to hear guitar, taste salt, feel wind, see and comprehend color, and even to feel fear due to peering over this very tall, rickety, wooden, spiral staircase in the tower of a castle.


Stay tuned for further adventure updates.

j