- Why are the cars here all so tiny? Where did the SUVs go?
- That's pretty cool that I can live for a year without a car in Germany, and still never worry about getting to where I need to go--whether that's in Berlin or anywhere else in the country--because I can use public transportation.
- Whatever happened to ulimited cell phone minutes?
- Why do people buy their bread from the bakery instead of the grocery store? Oh, becuase it tastes so much better!
- There are four different colored trash bags here! ... Which one do I throw my dirty napkin in?
- Where is the non-smoking section in the restaurant?
Other times, those observations are more or less forced upon me. Let me explain.
People in Germany are, generally speaking, much more forward than Americans are. If you're waiting at the bakery in line to purchase something and you don't speak up, you'll never get served. Why? Because everyone else behind you will just cut right in front of you and call out what they want. It's not impolite, it's just how business is transacted. If you ask a silly question in class, your teacher won't hesitate to tell you it's a stupid question.
Which brings me to the next step. I'm in Germany this year as a foreign language assistant. I go to a high school in Berlin every day, where I visit the English classes as an assistent with native language ability. The purpose is to help teach English by improving vocabulary and pronunciation; to be an ambassador of the United States, sharing what it is like to grow up there and go to school there; and maybe to dispell some of the myths about the USA and create a more positive image of the country abroad. There is absolutely no political agenda to my visit in Berlin, however. No one tells me what to say or what to support.
In the classroom setting, the possibility of being surprised is always great. The students are full of questions and want to know more about where I come from. Here are some of my favorite questions that I've been asked, from students ranging from 5th to 13th grade:
- "Have you ever met any movie stars?" No, I mean come on, the United States is a huge place! I grew up in Indiana, which is a looong way from Hollywood!
- "What is it like in the ghetto?" Well, Indiana is pretty much one big field where I come from. It's about half corn and the other half soybeans. I'm not even close to a ghetto!
- "Do you have a car? What kind is it?" I do. It's a red Ford Taurus. A pretty big car by German standards.
- "I've heard that every second person in the USA has a gun. Do you have a gun?" No, and I don't ever plan on having one. If you have a gun in you're house in order to protect your family, you're more likely of injuring someone in your family with that gun than you are of preventing a crime in your home.
- "Why does the United States still have the death penalty? Do you agree with the death penalty?" No, I don't agree with it, for many different reasons. More than I want to get into right now.
- "Why won't the United States join Kyoto?" Oh geez, that's the question we're all asking. We might talk about pollution and global warming, but we won't commit to doing anything about it.
And then, the questions that always come up, in some form or another.
- Do you agree with the United States being in Iraq?
- Do you like President Bush?
- Do you like your government?
- Did you vote for President Bush?
Have you ever had similar experiences abroad? How does being in a different country put the United States in a new light for you? Write me back, I invite your responses.
