“It’s Alive!” or, “how I spent the last three months”

This time last month, I had just submitted my total draft for my MA thesis. Now, the thing has been edited, defended, corrected and edited some more, and submitted, officially this time! Yes, yes, you may congratulate me. Thanks.

Unfortunately, that’s all I have to show for three months. Sorry folks.

No, wait, that’s not entirely true. I have three essays that you’d like to read? No? Okay.

I guess I can tell you about some other cool things though.

I saw the Main river. It’s definitely worthy of being called “Main” (though in German it’s pronounced like [mine].

For one thing, there was the trip to Mainz in February.  Invited by the VDAC Club in Mainz to a political conference they organized, I was impressed by the beauty of the city even if it was cold and wet. Like Nuremberg, it was a significant city during the time of Holy Roman Empire. That’s part of the reason why there are golden horses just prancing around.

Gutenberg was also here, so if anything, the city is well-known because of the man who invented the movable-type printing press. A fun fact we learned on a tour was that no one actually knows what the guy looks like so the face is a little blurred and androgynous.

But Mainz is also the capital of Rhineland-Pfalz. This means that there’s politics (we got to visit the rheinland-pfälzischen Landtag) and wine (Rheinland is well known for it’s grape fields and vinification); I think it’s a splendid combination.

Unfortunately, I spent the weekend in Mainz shortly before submitting my thesis, so a wee bit went over my head, but I cannot emphasize enough how well-organized the seminar was. Even though I am a literature student, the material comparing German/EU and U.S. politics was interesting enough for me to follow, simply by virtue of being familiar with both locations. There was a session on speech-writing and rhetoric, which explained some things I’ve noticed in German literature. For example, did you know that the strive for less emotional writing was an active decision to present things in a more rational way following WWII and the Holocaust? The people had learned to fear politicians who spoke too much to the people’s emotions. There was also a session on migration in the U.S. and Germany, and I was pleasantly surprised that I could use some of what Professor Dr. Thunert explained in my thesis.

We were also invited to lunch by the Mainz woman’s club, so I had my first Spundekäs (a type of cheese dip) with a pretzel. In hindsight, I would have ordered something more filling, but this was good! If you’re ever looking for something to go with a cool German beer, Spundekaes isn’t all that bad (it’s really good, actually).

Finally, I have to mention the wine tasting. It was my first time, and I never would have known that five sips of wine would be enough to get a room from quiet to really, really chatty. I learned about the different types of wine, why cheap wine isn’t necessarily bad (it often means less middle-men), and that I like sweet wine. It’s good to know!

Going home reminded me how I’ve taken Florida lighting and green so much for granted.

So, what else? I got very used to the German library cataloging system, found a great appreciation for the Hamburger coffee and tea, and was able to keep my sanity with the German habits of not-too talkative and giving me space.

I did end up going home to defend my thesis. It’s a bit rough trying to wrap up a phase of studying while abroad… there’s so much hassle with fulfilling requirements and such. I’m glad I went home, if anything, to tank up on family love and successfully defend my thesis, but now I’m really happy to be back in Hamburg. I don’t think I would have finished my thesis if it weren’t for being able to hang around in Hamburg during January and February and balance my extreme writing sessions with trips out into the city, exploring churches and taking walks along the Hafen. Now, I get to be here without the academic stress! (classes don’t count. Those are fun).

I am signed up for five classes (four German lit, one English lit) and I’m looking forward to seeing what the Spring brings. It has to include a boat trip around the harbor, a bike tour on the Elbe, maybe a visit to one of Hamburg’s many famous musicals? Who knows? If anything, there’s Easter this weekend, my birthday (ha ha, also on Easter), and the Hamburg marathon coming up at the end of the month. Frohe Frühlings Tage! (I’m loving the daylight savings, it means that there’s more time to explore the city in the afternoon before it gets dark).

A German says goodbye to his adopted homeland

Today, I want you to read this article (if you can; if not, send me a message and if enough people request it, I’ll translate): 

Die USA machen es ihren Freunden so schwer by Die Welt correspondent Uwe Schmidt.

It says some things that I have felt, but couldn’t express better myself. Mostly, it is a bitter-sweet recognition of some of the best and worst traits of the US, but somehow, the negatives outweigh the positive. In general, the country’s strong standing in the world, morally, politically, and militarily is weakened by a congress who no longer reflects the opinions of its people, a republican party that has strayed further and further right, an economy that lets its stars shine and everyone else fall, a president who isn’t even recognized by a large percentage of the population… the list goes on. While I agree with a lot of what Schmidt writes, I am envious of his ability to move back to Germany and move on with his life.What about those of us who chose to stay?

Some choice quotes:

Jedes Land hat die Vorurteile, die es verdient. Man muss ihnen nicht folgen. Every country has the prejudices it deserves, but one doesn’t have to believe in them. 

Wer Amerika durchquert, versteht, warum sich das Land und seine Menschen selbst genug sind. Es ist eine gigantische Insel, wir anderen sind das Meer. Those who cross America understand why the country and its people only need themselves. It is a giant island, and we others are the sea.

Nach 50 Jahren Raubbau an der Infrastruktur, Jahrzehnte, in denen mindestens die Republikaner Steuererhöhungen prinzipiell bekämpften wie eine tödliche Seuche, beginnt die dritte Welt, die erste zu fressen. After 50 years of over-exploitation of infrastructure, decades in which the Republicans, among others, principly fight tax raises like a deadly plague, the third world begins to devour the first one. 

Das Problem ist nicht, gegen Amerika zu sein. Das Problem ist, dass es Amerika seinen Freunden so viel schwerer macht, es gegen seine Ignoranten und Verächter zu verteidigen

The problem is not whether or not to take sides with the Americans. The problem is that the U.S. makes it so much more difficult for its friends to defend the country against those ignorant and condemning.