Kultur 6 - Calen Jones

Obviously, the most entertaining- and disturbing- article was the description of Bild Zeitung. While we in America have our tabloid magazines displayed prominently across Wal-Mart checkout lanes and sidewalk newsstands, rarely do you see the pedestrian seriously engrossed in its content. The Bild Zeitung, however, seems to capture the imagination of Germans nationwide with big, encapsulating "news", no matter how phony. For a country that is obsessed with organization, efficiency, pessimism and conservatism, this newspaper's success is utterly astounding. It almost appears to be an outlet for Germans to release any silly or light-hearted emotions amid their ernst lives.

On the other hand, the articles about German doors being closed and confusing trash cans typify my paradigm of the average German behavior. Though it is surprising to read that two or three knocks may be too many (considering my routine is four or five light knocks), it complies with the Germans' direct nature. Still, it seems a little harsh to get upset about one extra knock on the door, especially when the outsider has no idea about the going-ons inside the room. Finally, the organization of trash cans exemplifies German-style thinking; after a couple times, the trash cans probably seem better than ours or English ones; confusing train station tickets, however, would probably lose me every single time.