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TG: Santa Rosa’s IN Sonoma County, silly!–I just think the countryside around here is better…but I appreciate you & TM’s kind words for our lovely city…

No, as a whole Sonoma Country isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be… like Orange County.

Canadian money looks fine……no wait I’ve got an idea, lets make all our money the color green. That way there is no possible way to mix up the denominations and it will illustrate are vivid imaginations.

I wouldn’t say so. Even from a moneyless communist (in theory, not literally! :wink:), I respect finely crafted notes. Also, I like America’s “greenbacks.” What other color can be so easily related to wealth, power, corruption, greed, influence – everything a capitalist desires? Not so with “color coded” paper money! Yeah, I have a green thumb, and money does grow on trees :)

About the Germans–first of all, everyone’s different and as you know the “efficient, clever German” is just as much a stereotype as the “dumb American”. I’m sure you agree…

Yeah, that’s why I’m trying to prove that other countries have nothing to gain by talking down America’s school systems. Of course the advantage is mine :)

Well, partly its that our schools aren’t quite THAT bad–you can indeed skate by (as I did), but to excel does require some work. Another reason certainly is the handicap of being a foreigner and having to learn all the new ways & rules & customs while trying to learn as well.

Don’t worry, we tried our best to help out the German. But being to other countries “friendly to the US,” in reality the change of customs (except for a few minor ones) wasn’t that difficult.

But I think the main reason is that, regardless of what it’s supposed to be, being an exchange student is tantamount to just being on vacation in a foreign country for a year–in some cases the academic year doesn’t even COUNT toward your average! In this situation, and considering all the other factors, I’d say you’d have to be pretty boring to be spending all your time studying when you’re a High School student away from home for maybe the first time in your life in a foreign country with no one to keep an eye on you! Just my opinion!

Yeah, I guess you are right. However, I am always one to make a favorable impression in person whenever I travel to a new place. Well except in Vegas, where I waltz around like I own the place. Ahhhh… the good old days. Still, as for the Germans that weren’t foreign exchange students, they might’ve become too Americanized.

Also BTW, my German Instructor at college was a polite lady from Bavaria who in between language lessons liked to tell the students how the Turkish immigrants flooding into Germany were ruining the economy by having 20 kids and sucking off the state. So see, some Germans are just idiots…same as everybody, I guess…

Seriously!? Mine too! My German history teacher would always talk about how the Turkish immigrants were destroying Germany and that in 50 years, Germany will cease to exist to be a state we come to known. At first I thought he had too much coffee (where upon he would sing strange sea chanties in Deutch) or some sort of strange racist, so I’m surprised you had the same problem too! He talked about how bad things have become, and Germany can’t do anything about it because it would make Germany look like they were Nazis. That’s why he says, Germans welcome Jews with open arms into their state. With the Jews taking action, Germany can’t be branded and looked upon with holocaust type sentiments. Very interesting… I like to talk more about this.

just as Ozone said:
Having “one year off” doesn’t bring out the discipline part, especially when you know in advance, that this year does not bring anything for your school career ….

Still what about the Germans that intend to stay? Come on guys, try harder! Show some German pride! :P

But you are right: we (germans) are just like all ppl. Maybe, that when there is pressure, we then bring out the stereotypical behaviour. But when we are allowed to slack, we do (germany and australia are AFAIK the ppl most travelling around the globe), and we are good at it . Efficient at slacking ….

Well I haven’t completely lost faith. Most of the Germans I known are West Germans. So those Eastern Germans – they could be the strict, super smart ones. :) Funny, I don’t see many Australians here.

And the bavarian teacher:
This is the kind of racism, tha tyou can find way too much in germany. If you meet her again, tell her she should learn proper german, and that bavaria shouldn’t be part of germany at all (bavaria being the state that everyone except the bavarians dislikes )

Yeah, what is up with you guys! I had two German teachers (well three, though the third was mixed and very Amercanized) that really talked down the Bavarians (along with the Turks as I mentioned before). Can someone give me the “true” story behind this? As for my history teacher, he talked about how parts of Europe should be “assimilated” into Germany (mainly the ones Germany had to give up in WWI and WWII) since they mainly spoke Deutsche. Darn, I forgot the names. BTW: He wasn’t a Nazi or anything, since he hated Hitler and was a German who actually liked America.

“That acually was quite a debate in germany:
Can you be proud of your country?
Can you be proud of something, that you have more or less inherited, or only on what you have done?
(The latter would not allow to be proud of your country)”

Yes, but it depends. There is a difference between inheriting you birthright and living up to it. Same difference between a civilian and a citizen.

“That’s because they are native english speakers and you maybe don’t notice them.”

Maybe. Though I predict something much more sinister on part of them… :wink:

”And what kind of teachers do you have?”

Cannot compute. Restate?

“The assimilation of probably Alsace, parts of the czech republic etc….”

Yep, he often talks about how Alsace was stolen by the French. Though he makes it seem other parts want to become one with Germany, but are not permitted to due so because of WWI and WWII. Food for thought.

First of all I don’t want to start presuming too much, because I’m not a German and I’d really like to avoid becoming a “know-it-all-American” type…

But 2 brothers from Deutsch Evern are 2 of my best friends in the whole world, we talk a lot about Germany and America and I have travelled in Germany–these are about my only claims to knowledge about Germany other than a longtime interest in the country (mainly beginning w/ meeting these guys)…

I see Germany’s basic social problem these days–as it is with most other West European countries–is the massive influx of foreigners (one might even include east Germans) that has been going on for a while and is reaching a critical level. You’ve got to understand that most European national states were founded with a (more or less conscious) idea of a national identity based on culture, language & ethnicity. Now HUGE #s (well, not compared to American immigration, but that’s a whole other issue)of foreigners are coming in and Europeans must deal with it mentally–and it is tough. In other words; “Can an ethnic Turk ever really become a ‘German’?” “Can a West African ever really become a ‘Frenchman’?” In the USA, we have our own (mainly racial) issues of this kind, but basically no one (but extremists) doubts whether, say, an Irishman or Latino can ever eventually become fully “American”. It has to do with national identity–in Europe, so often, the “state” and the “culture/language/ethnicity” are one in peoples’ minds.
I may be way off base here, so input by actual Europeans would, I’m sure, be more enlightening. I’m just relating my limited observations.

As far as Bavaria, in some ways I’d see the difference between Bavaria and, say, Niedersachsen is more like the perceived difference between say, Texas & New England. North Germans (especially the old Hanseatic states) see themselves as more reserved socially, but more liberal (“enlightened”? :wink: ) politically, whereas they tend to view Catholic, conservative, Bavaria as retrograde culturally & politically–sometimes a source of embarrassment. Far be it from me to decide one way or another!

Re: German instructors–my teacher was, I think, a fairly reasonable lady who suffered somewhat from the ugly prejudices of her local native culture (which–believe me–is not wholly discouraged even in supposedly “liberal” Northern Cal). Judging from what you’ve said, though, I’d have to agree w/ F_alk that your History instructor is an out-and-out Nazi!!! No one in Germany (without a shaved head & white bootlaces) would DARE publicly advocate something like “union w/ the territories ‘lost’ in WWI/WWII”! That borders on Nazi-type hate speech (and is definitely right-wing propaganda), which is illegal in Germany. Makes me wonder why he came to the US to begin with–you should ask him!

Anyway, these are just my observations.

Ozone27

P.S. TG-- :lol: I’ll let it go this time, but don’t EVER compare Sonoma & Orange counties like that! Did we produce Ronald Reagan? Pete Wilson? The Duke? The Mighty Ducks?;it’s been said that everything bad that ever came from California came from Orange County. :lol: If you are from there, I will exclude you, but I assume by the fact that you put “L.A.” in your profile you are not… :o

@TG:

Seriously!? Mine too! My German history teacher would always talk about how the Turkish immigrants were destroying Germany and that in 50 years, Germany will cease to exist to be a state we come to known. At first I thought he had too much coffee (where upon he would sing strange sea chanties in Deutch) or some sort of strange racist, so I’m surprised you had the same problem too! He talked about how bad things have become, and Germany can’t do anything about it because it would make Germany look like they were Nazis. That’s why he says, Germans welcome Jews with open arms into their state. With the Jews taking action, Germany can’t be branded and looked upon with holocaust type sentiments. Very interesting… I like to talk more about this.

Maybe its just the way you put it but this whole account sounds distinctly creepy to me. “Sea shanties in Deutsch…”? WTF? “Germany can’t do anything about it 'cuz they’d look like Nazis…”? Like what exactly does he have in mind here? “If the Jews (BTW, Germany still has Europe’s lowest per-capita Jewish population; you figure it out) take action, Germany can’t be branded as Nazis…” OK that is just too wierd! What’s with this guy–how old is he? I’ve GOT to know!

Ozone27

…Judging from what you’ve said, though, I’d have to agree w/ F_alk that your History instructor is an out-and-out Nazi!!! No one in Germany (without a shaved head & white bootlaces) would DARE publicly advocate something like “union w/ the territories ‘lost’ in WWI/WWII”! That borders on Nazi-type hate speech (and is definitely right-wing propaganda), which is illegal in Germany. Makes me wonder why he came to the US to begin with–you should ask him!

Well I dunno. If you asked me (when he wasn’t busting my chops), he was one German I actually liked. I don’t think he was a Nazi, because even as a European, he liked to put down Europeans himself. Always making jokes about German/French women with hairy armpits and how stupid they were for not listen to President Wilson after drinking coffee. He definitely wanted to expand Germany, but not in a shooting way – more like annexation. And he goes back to Germany every year, so it wouldn’t be like he was deported or anything. I think he came here to America because he likes it here (well except, like F_alk, he likes to put down American beer and coffee)

Maybe its just the way you put it but this whole account sounds distinctly creepy to me. “Sea shanties in Deutsch…”? WTF? “Germany can’t do anything about it 'cuz they’d look like Nazis…”? Like what exactly does he have in mind here? “If the Jews (BTW, Germany still has Europe’s lowest per-capita Jewish population; you figure it out) take action, Germany can’t be branded as Nazis…” OK that is just too wierd! What’s with this guy–how old is he? I’ve GOT to know!

For age, he’s a baby boomer, I reckon. But as I said before, he said that Germans are especially kind to Jews and want them to return to their homeland. As for the other comment he made, I can definitely see Germany getting branded as neo-Nazis if they try to restrict the flow of immigration. Remember all those German jokes from Family Guy?

P.S. TG– I’ll let it go this time, but don’t EVER compare Sonoma & Orange counties like that! Did we produce Ronald Reagan? Pete Wilson? The Duke? The Mighty Ducks?;it’s been said that everything bad that ever came from California came from Orange County. If you are from there, I will exclude you, but I assume by the fact that you put “L.A.” in your profile you are not…

What I meant is that many people expect Orange County to be this “model” of American suburban life, when in fact, it isn’t (or at least not today). It’s just as messed up along with the rest of California. Anyways, be glad you live in Santa Rosa. :) And I happened to like Pete Wilson! Those stupid Republicans screwed us over, when they didn’t choose him! Now, I’m stuck with a “second stringer” to make due against Davis! :x