Culture Questions
4 May 2005
Cathy thought up this neat idea of a cultural exchange through blogging and though she said I didn’t have to answer because of my Germany A-Z list, I thought I would anyway because most of these questions weren’t answered there.
What is (roughly) your daily schedule? Since I am a “hausfrau” (housewife) my daily schedule really revolves around my husband’s. He works at the university that is about 10 minutes from our home, and believe me, his schedule is not typical!
Most mornings our alarm clock goes off at 8 am. A. gets out of bed, takes a shower, and goes to work. I stay snuggled under the covers and doze until he kisses me goodbye. I then either get up or go back to sleep until about 10 am. I eat breakfast and surf the web for a while before taking a shower. I watch my morning soap opera and after noon spend time doing my hobbies and all my “housewifely” duties or go downtown. I fix dinner when A. gets home between 6:30 and 7:30 pm, we try to spend some time together, and we go to bed around midnight.
What time does work begin? What time does it end? I would say most places in Germany open between 8 and 10 am. The traffic is terrible in the Munich area and if you live outside of the city limits like we do you should plan at least an hour commute if you drive or use public transportation. Office work ends around 5 pm and the stores close Monday – Saturday at 8 pm. They aren’t open at all on Sunday.
How about meal times? As a general rule, Germany has three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). In a traditional home, breakfast is much more substantial than what I was used to in America: I used to eat cereal and drink a glass of milk on the mornings I ate breakfast. In Germany, cold sausage, cheese, eggs, and bread are offered alongside coffee, juice, and milk. Because A. and I made a point to get our vivacious American appetites under control when we came to Germany, we now eat light breakfasts (usually separately) and skip lunch. But we do sit down and eat dinner together every night.
Does your country go in for the afternoon rest time? Germany has “quiet time” between 1 pm and 3pm in the afternoon. During this time you are not supposed to play loud music, mow the lawn, or engage in any other noisy activities. In smaller villages, stores are even closed during this time so that people can “rest.” Personally, I like to sleep and luckily, sleeping during the day doesn’t affect my sleeping at night. Therefore I have been known to take a nap during “quiet time.” 
What is the predominate language spoken in your country? Are many people bi-lingual? German is the predominate language in Germany. Most people speak a second language here (usually English), but from what I read, few are truly “bilingual.”
That being said, Germans start learning English in the fifth grade. Depending on which branch of the school system kids enter, a couple of years later they are also expected to learn another language, usually either French or Latin.
What sports are popular in your country? The most popular sport in Germany, by far, is football (soccer).
Are there supermarkets where you live? There are supermarkets in Germany. In fact, I shop at the local “super” Wal-mart for my groceries. Unlike many Germans, I have lots of refrigerator space and a freezer so I am able to stock up for about two weeks at a time.
Discount stores like Aldi and Lidl are very popular with Germans, though I don’t like them at all and refuse to shop there.
There are still butcher shops, bakeries, and vegetable markets and if you want you can shop for your groceries everyday. I do buy my bread this way (only because I have a bakery across the street), but in my opinion, the independent butchers are over-priced and since A. and I don’t eat many veggies, I don’t go the vegetable markets very often.
Who are the real-life heros in your country? This one is a bit difficult for me to answer, because I am still not familiar with many heroes and/or celebrities here. In fact, I only found out who one of the biggest celebrities in this area was after he was murdered!
I do know of the following people:
Joschka Fischer - the German foreign minister, deputy chancellor, and according to many inquiries, the most popular politician in Germany.
Thomas Gottschalk - a well-known TV personality and host of the popular “Wetten,dass..?” (Which I confess, I have never watched.)
And of course there are a few other well-known Germans such as Steffi Graf, Boris Becker, Heidi Klum, and Claudia Schiffer. Whether they are “heroes” or not is another question all together though…
Edited on 10 May 2005 to add: I forgot to mention the new Pope, Benedict XVI. He is German and though his papacy is still in its infant stages, I am sure many regard him as a hero.
Is there a day you celebrate your country? What is the celebration like? Since 1990, Germans have marked the reunification of Germany with “der Tag der Deutschen Einheit” (literally, the day of German unity) on October 3. Since I have been here the celebrations have been quite low-key, though last year when I was in eastern Germany there was a fireworks display. It is my understanding that the celebration has lost some of its novelty in the years since reunification because the reintegration of East Germany hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped.
So, dear readers, if you feel like answering these questions, please do so and then drop Cathy a comment telling her you did so and that I sent you!!
