Monday, August 13, 2007

the quirky side of germany (my homeland)

The following articles are from the online site of the German magazine, Spiegel. From my own experience I was appalled/amused when a German woman explained to me that Lower Saxony locals took offense to being smiled at when walking by (as if you were laughing at them). !?! And apparently sitting in the dark with no lights on is considered "gemuetlich" (comfortable/cozy).

German Men: Hunky, Handsome, Wimpy and Weak
At first glance, the blond six-foot hunks populating Germany make the place seem like a heaven for women. Until you start dating. German men are much more difficult than you might think.


Scoring a German: Flirting with Fräuleins, Hunting for Herren
Interested in bagging a German? It's not quite as easy as you might hope. Flirting here is different and much more subtle. And it's taken very seriously.


The Dark Side: Optimists Are Idiots
Nobody can beat the Germans when it comes to pessimism. And forget about being happy -- here it's merely a sign of stupidity.



Draftophobia: Blown Away by the Fear of Air
A lot of Germans don't like drafts. Some even seem to have an irrational fear of moving air, believing it can cause pneumonia, flu, colds, clogged arteries and just about every malady imaginable.


You Have What?: Mysterious Illness in Germany
Germans get sick like everybody else. But some of the diseases they come down with are often only to be found in Germany. Combined with an aversion to medication, it's no wonder the German population is dropping.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Christine, I love the article on medical illnesses in Germany. Living in Germany does have its advantages I think. I think Germany has better insurance coverage (health) than the states. I know once I got here I was surprised that I could get medical insurance and not be working or married to Gerardo at the time. Thanks for sharing the articles on Germany.

Lianne

Renae said...

Hahahaha.. "happiness is merely a sign of stupidity"! Pessimistic people are so hilarious..

Renae said...

Deutschen sind pessimistisch, aber sie sind sehr nette Leute :)

Mr Jan said...

the bad thing? it s all true.. i wish it wasnt so...

Priscilla said...

I have 2 friends, both from Germany. They are sisters. One has been here 21 years. She is a happy and optimistic person. She found Jesus Christ a few years ago and accepted him as her savior. Her underlying joy is unmistakeable.

Her sister (incidently they are identical twins) has lived here only 2 years. She seems very unhappy. She is pessimistic and very suspicious of us "Happy Christians." Overall, I would describe her as miserable. I hope she finds Christ.

Many of the older generation here in the US (atleast when I was a little kid in the 70's)seem worried about drafts too.