Hallo! I am Olivia, an American student looking to connect the world! I am working on a project, confronting the issue of American separation from the world. I am starting with America and Germany because 1) Germany and America are pretty similar, but there isn't really a genuine connection between the youth. 2) I am able to contact people in Germany and 3) I love Germans! So, I hope this inspires you in one way or another. Enjoy =)
Also, ask me questions, tell me your experiences you've had with cultural separation! I'll listen, I promise. And write it in your native tongue. The world is flat, it's possible to communicate
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November 30, 2010
November 28, 2010
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temporary-lost-deactivated20110 asked: Don't worry about the long answer, I appreciated that! :)
I find it great that you want to help clear prejudices that everyone has.
Well then, I wish you luck with your project! If you have a question (about German culture) feel free to ask ;)
Dthank you very much =) and I love your blog =) so süß =)
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temporary-lost-deactivated20110 asked: Oh, what a lovely idea!! :]
Do you study something with sociology or culture?
Greetings from Germany,
DianaMy class started a new curriculum this year called Challenge Based Learning http://ali.apple.com/cbl/ thats a link to explain it. We came up with an issue we feel is prominent in everyday life: separation. I thought about my experience this summer in Europe and how I went to Germany with all of these misconceptions about the culture. I thought that everything would be different, but I found that Germans are so awesome and that we have more in common than I thought. I really want to expose American youth to other cultures because we are so separated on this huge land mass of a country and I think its very important to see past language and just get down to the fact that we are all human.
I plan to study sociology in college though =)
thank you for the follow, sorry for the long answer, haha
and greetings from America!
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look-i-have-got-a-blanket-deact asked: hmmm this project is a nice idea but I don't see the point.
every country has its own culture and stuff, I think they should keep that and not become more like America.
I am German and I don't want to be more like America, we are influenced enough already. Exspecially when I think about how much America is leader of the destrucution of our world, you favour nuclear power/weapons, the war is still going on, you are religious to the end it's not bearable, sentence minor groups of people (like gays)... that are things other countries are way ahead of America.
I'm sorry if this hurt you, but America isn't all that great...I am not trying to Americanize the world, I am trying to expose Americans to other cultures. Also, I am trying to get rid misconceptions. Like some of the stuff you said isn’t entirely true, because we are all exposed to stereotypes. I have many gay friends, states allow them to get married, most people I know don’t even follow a religion and the ones who do (like me) are very accepting of others, many people, not all, are against the war, and many people think America is a violent place where everyone owns guns or something, but I haven’t even seen a gun in real life. I don’t like how America sometimes goes in and tries to change different places, I love the German culture, I am just trying to show people that we have more in a common than we think and that we should be more open minded and not listen to stereotypes. But I want to think you for this and it didn’t hurt me (thank you for being sensitive) we half expect this
November 24, 2010
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"Ich denke durch weltweite Vernetzungen ist die “popular culture” sehr ähnlich —> “The Simpsons”, “Two and a half man”, ect."
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“I think through global networking, the “popular culture” is very similar-“The Simpsons”, “Two and a Half Men”, etc.
Lukas Escobar, a German friend who is so CBL. I mean, this quote is so “The World is Flat” I am so excited.
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"If you take different mythologies from different cultures, the names may change and the story lines may vary but there is always something in common."
- Maynard James Keenan
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Amerika
After “touring” Europe (6 countries) this summer, I began to appreciate America more. I know we are generally good. Yeah, we can be nosy and pestilent, but we kind of want the best. But, so, I just want others to see how much we need to be connected with the rest of the world. We get a bad rap, because the people representing us don’t represent all of us. Movies, that other countries see, show that we are materialistic, that we all have swimming pools, we eat processed food all of the time, which is not me or really anyone else that I know. Coming from a creative space, unlike the public schools and partiesportrayed in popular culture, I want the world to know, we’re like you, just isolated on our massive country, away from all of you. So, I am extending my hand to grab hold of all of you to bring you into our world.
“typical” American stuff…
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Hi…? Cologne…the beginning
So, this summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to stay in beautiful Germany. I was apprehensive at first, especially when I learned I was staying with a family for three days. I was scared, honestly. I didn’t know anything about Germany, just that my mom is part German. I had gone with my own assumptions, that they’d be super strict, not really know English, and hate Americans. I just…I didn’t know.
But I felt so…welcomed in our first city of Cologne. We went to the Hard Rock cafe, where we were given burgers for the first time in weeks! Then we met this guy ^^^. This confirmed that Germans were just like us, maybe a bit crazier and funnier! He was glad to take pictures with us, and that’s when I began to relax.
I fell in love. The shopping. The culture. This is the cathedral in Cologne. Crazy beautiful! We don’t have that here in the states. And, to our pleasant surprise, people were swimming in the fountain! It was so beautiful! It was families just having a good time, doing what is illegal in the States. Children in their little bathing suits, wading in this little fountain! Oh how I loved the liberal love flowing from them. I don’t have enough pictures to express the feeling I had walking around there.
