While these sort of events are usually attended primarily by people a bit older than I am, I still like going to them and really enjoy learning outside of classroom (what a dork, I know). It's so much more fun to learn by "going to an event" than cracking open a textbook or my laptop. One event was called "Deutschland Post-Migrantisch: Wer Gehört zum "deutschen Wir?"" (Germany post-migrant: Who belongs to the "German we?") where research results that answered that very question were presented. It was fascinating, albeit a bit discouraging as a foreigner. About 98% of the respondents believed that in order to be German, one should be able to speak German as well as have a German passport. Okay, fair enough. What I found to be really not okay and not fair at all though, was that 40.8% of the respondents believed that the ability to speak German without any accent was important to being German. If you ask me, that is a little unfair to demand in a country where many dialects (*cough* Bavarian *cough*) are spoken. The presentation really got me thinking... and a little worked up... but I think that was the goal: to point out some of the more shocking (yet real) results. At the same time though, the goal was to present reasons for hope for the future. In most cases, the younger generation was much more tolerant and welcoming to others - it's a sign that things already are changing and did leave me feeling a bit more optimistic. It was a very thought-provoking event to say the least. I left the presentation wondering who belongs to the American "we." I wonder if such a study has been done in the US...if not, I think it's time to do one.
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| The TTIP "Pro-Contra Discussion" |
About a week later, I went to a pro and contra discussion about the proposed TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership) between the European Union and the US. It's not very beloved by a lot of people here, and as an American, I thought it would be interesting to attend. It turned out to not be much of a discussion at all though, as I had expected it to be. Rather, it more closely resembled a kindergarten classroom: there were a lot of interruptions, "he said"-"she said" type things, and a lot of finger pointing (literally) from the adult audience members. It was a very interesting event - but not in the way I had expected it to be interesting. I didn't learn a whole lot about the TTIP, but I did learn a few cultural lessons - mainly, about how political "discussions" can function here. I think I may have laughed more at all the antics that night more than I would laugh during any given I Love Lucy episode - and that's saying a lot. I'll summarize the highlights of this educational-turned-comedic evening for your enjoyment. First observation: people in the audience felt they had the need to respond to what members of the panel were saying throughout the entire evening. Here's an example: a favorite expression of the man representing the US and who was for the TTIP was "Ihr seid am Verhandlungstisch!" ("you are at the negotiating table, Germany!"). To this, a small yet very opinionated woman behind me exclaimed, "Ja, wo LIEGT der Tisch? Ich sehe keinen Tisch!" ("Oh yeah, well where's the table? I don't see a table!"). I found this hilarious. This, along with the bouts of applause that frequently followed contra-TTIP statements and the occasional "boo!" to some of the pro-TTIP statements (some well-balanced pro-contra discussion, eh? ), led me to question from time to time whether I was in an auditorium in Germany or in a Baptist church somewhere in the deep south where every statement is warmly embraced with a jubilant "Hallelujah!" or an "Amen!"
The real show wasn't until the end though - the Q and A session. It was kind of like the bonus clips at the end of a funny movie - if you can stick it out to the end, you are awarded profusely. Anyways, some people were so desperate to have their opinions heard that they stood up when it came time to pick those who would get the chance to ask questions. One woman near me pointed desperately at the man in front of her, as if to say, "Pick him! Pick him!" I think that last time I saw such behavior was in elementary school. The same woman had the chance to ask a question of her own, too. She was passed the microphone while the panelists were still discussing the previous discussion though...which turned out to be a big mistake on the part of the moderators. The panelists said something that she disagreed with, and I could see the discontent in her eyes as she tightened her grip on the microphone. She was like a pot of boiling water about to boil over, and I knew she was the one to keep my eye on - not the guys in the suits on stage. Sure enough, I was right to do so: she slowly, sheepishly inspected the microphone to see if it was already on, discovered that yes, sure enough it was on, and realized that this was her real chance to shine. After a brief moment of hesitation, she gave herself the liberty of using the microphone to voice her discontent as the panelists discussed. I was in shock as struggled to suppress my laughter. Apparently, some people just can't handle the power of microphone.
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| Tapping like a pro |
After my evening spent back in Kindergarten, I went out for a much-needed beer with Christy and Flo (my other conversation partner here), who also attended the event, at a place called StammBar where you have to tap your own beer. I say "have to" like it was a chore - really, it was quite the opposite. I had a grand old time. You know how at frozen yogurt shops you get to pick your favorite flavor and dispense it yourself? Maybe even mix a few if you're feeling adventurous? Well that's exactly what you do here, except it's beer: you pick what type of beer you want and tap it yourself. It was so fun for me - I'm definitely a DIY kind of gal. (Not sure if DIY can apply to tapping beer like it applies to doing arts and crafts and home improvement projects, but I'm taking the liberty of using it here - just like the woman with the microphone.)
I also recently had my birthday here! Turning 21 in Germany was exactly as uneventful as I was expecting it to be when I imagined it back in the US last year. I have been able to legally purchase alcohol this whole year, so basically the only thing that changed with the coming and going of June 23rd is that I now have an expired driver's license that I will need to renew once back in the US. Tack that one onto the high-pri to-do list for when I am back home.
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| Classy and Cultured at the Philharmonic |
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| Munich Philharmonic |
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| Workin' it at the Silent Disco |
I also went to a silent disco this past weekend to celebrate. I wasn't sure what to expect at all, but it ended up being weird, funny, and fun, and thus basically the perfect thing for me. Everyone got a pair of wireless headphones that had two channels of music and a volume control. You could decide which music you wanted to listen to and how loud you wanted it to be. And of course, you could take off the headphones at any time, observe everyone else, and just laugh out loud about how silly everyone looked dancing "without music." I think this idea could start trending at colleges in the US - seems like a great way to throw a party without running the risk of any noise complaints!
Other recent highlights include: hiking Jochberg and swimming in the frigid, crystal-clear waters of Walchensee afterwards, going strawberry picking with some colleagues from the RCC which was of course followed by the consumption of the German equivalent to strawberry shortcake, and seeing films that are playing right now as part of the Munich Film Festival.
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| Above: View from the summit of Jochberg Below: Swimming in Walchensee (I'm the second from the right) |
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| Strawberry Picking |
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| Kaffee und Kuchen done right |
I think it's pretty clear that it's been a great, action-filled past couple of weeks. I am now gearing up for the heat wave we are about to get, and I'm ready. Equipped with every trick in the book for staying cool and a new fan, of which I am a big fan, and I think I will survive and be able to push through studying for final exams writing a term paper. It's the home stretch!
Gorgeous mountain picture...I'm jealous again!
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