March 14, 2004

A Reverse Perspective

Continuing the series of blog entries based on things we see on TV, earlier this week we saw a newsmagazine program (Akte 04 on Sat.1) that features a weekly segment about the life of the Brodowskis, a family recently emigrated from Germany to the USA.

This segment we saw was mostly about the two kids and their experiences fitting in at their new American high school. After this piece aired, I'm sure that the number of German teenage boys wanting to emigrate to America went up fivefold: while the daughter of the family only received some half-hearted attempts at friendship ("so, um, we were maybe going to the mall this weekend, and wondered if, um, you might want to come and . . . hang out?"), it seemed that every single girl in the school wanted to get to know the new and mysterious German boy better. Let's see if he continues to get that much action after the TV cameras stop following him around ...

Searching for more info on the TV program we'd seen, I came across this forum for German emigrants (and aspiring emigrants) to the USA. Some of the questions that people were asking were a little scary ("Is Nebraska a good place to relocate to?"), some of the answers weren't quite accurate ("the best thing about San Jose is that it's just a blink of the eye away from Yosemite!"), but overall, it's fascinating to read normal Germans' take on life in the USA. My favorite thread was one entitled "culture shockers!" Most of the things that shock Americans coming to Germany seem to work in reverse for people leaving Germany for the USA:

  • Milk comes in containers that you have to keep refrigerated!
  • Stores are open 24/7!
  • Air conditioning -- everywhere!
  • Everyone has a car!
  • Service at stores is fast and friendly -- and employees make eye contact!

I salute the woman who contributed this: Every Sunday when I go shopping, and the stores aren't overcrowded, and there are no long lines at the checkstands, I think: thank God I'm in America!

(In Germany, stores aren't open on Sunday -- and shopping on Saturday can take a fearless heart and the patience to stand in long lines.)

Posted by Kevin at March 14, 2004 11:46 PM