Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Global Student- Stereotypes
When talking about wealth, I would have to tell everyone that thinks that I am extremely wealthy just because I am from the U.S. that there is a diverse economy in America, and also my parents are the ones that make the money, not me. I have to work for all the "geld" that I have, and if the German's realize that then maybe the stereotype that all Americans are super wealthy will go away.
Global Student- In depth Questions
1. Children/Family Issues
Like America, German children are expected to be respectful. However, they are not as respectful as kids in my area. They can use explicit language around adults more, and also (at least during school) talk during the teacher's lecture. There are child labor laws.
2. Educational Achievement
School is harder than America's, depending on which type of school you go to. If you go to a Gymnasium, it will be harder than most American public schools. Some problems that German's have are too many kids wanting to go to into a Gymnasium, wanting a career switch in the middle of childhood, or simple academic problems.
3. Racial/Class/Ethnicity Issues
There are a lot of Turkish and Persians that have immigrated to Germany, and so there are many people in Germany who have a prejudice- you might even call it racist- against Turks/Arabs. This causes strife in the community.
4. The Environment
A major environmental issue right now is the e. coli breakout in Germany. This has caused an incredible economic and environmental problem in Germany, because countries have stopped buying vegetables from Germany and also hospitals are getting overrun with sick people.
5. Health Issues
A huge health problem is the rise of obesity (like the rest of the world) and also the e. coli breakout. Heart problems are common in Germany because of their diet. The e. coli has caused major strife and worry in hospitals and in people's hearts.
Like America, German children are expected to be respectful. However, they are not as respectful as kids in my area. They can use explicit language around adults more, and also (at least during school) talk during the teacher's lecture. There are child labor laws.
2. Educational Achievement
School is harder than America's, depending on which type of school you go to. If you go to a Gymnasium, it will be harder than most American public schools. Some problems that German's have are too many kids wanting to go to into a Gymnasium, wanting a career switch in the middle of childhood, or simple academic problems.
3. Racial/Class/Ethnicity Issues
There are a lot of Turkish and Persians that have immigrated to Germany, and so there are many people in Germany who have a prejudice- you might even call it racist- against Turks/Arabs. This causes strife in the community.
4. The Environment
A major environmental issue right now is the e. coli breakout in Germany. This has caused an incredible economic and environmental problem in Germany, because countries have stopped buying vegetables from Germany and also hospitals are getting overrun with sick people.
5. Health Issues
A huge health problem is the rise of obesity (like the rest of the world) and also the e. coli breakout. Heart problems are common in Germany because of their diet. The e. coli has caused major strife and worry in hospitals and in people's hearts.
Woah guess what. It's Global Student stuff! :D
Geography
- Continent: Europe
- Capital: Berlin
- Size in sq. km/sq. 357, 021 km sq/ 137,847 mil sq
- Neighboring countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and The Netherlands
- Climate: Like Colorado's, Temperate
- Natural disasters: Earthquakes and Floods
- Natural resources: coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, and arable land.
- Population: 81,802,000
- Life expectancy: 77 years (Men - 73 years; Women - 80 years)
- Fertility Rate: 1.4 per Woman
- Mortality Rate: 10.92
- Ethnic Groups and percentage of each:
- Religious Groups and percentages: Protestant 34%, Roman Catholic 34%, Muslim 3.7%, unaffiliated or other 28.3%
- Languages spoken in order of prevalence: German
- Literacy Rate (% over age of 15 who can read and write): 99%
- Percentage that goes to university: 35%
- Average income: $36,440
- Independence/National Day: October 3rd
- Constitution Day: October 3rd
- Country from which they gained independence; Holy Roman Empire
- Year of independence: 1871
- Key events in political history and years they occurred: Unified 1871, World War I 1914-18, Hitler comes to power with Nazi power 1933-45, Soviet/Capitalist Control 1945-90, Reunified German Government 1990-
- Leader/president: Christian Wulff
- Political parties: Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (Christian Democratic Union of Germany)(, Christlich-Soziale Union in Bayern (Christian Social Union in Bavaria), Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands( Social Democratic German Party), Freie Demokratische Partei (Free Democratic Party) , Die Links (The Lefts), Die Grünen (The Greens)
- Current political situation:
- Political system: Federal Parliamentary Republic
- GDP (gross domestic product): $3.315 Trillion
- Unemployment rate: 6.1%
- Poverty line: $1,600 single person, $2,240 couple with child
- Percentage living below poverty line:
- Average family income: $36,444
- Percentage of workforce in:
- Agriculture: 2.4%
- Manufacturing: 29.7%
- Service/tourist: 71.3%
- Main industries: Machinery, and Vehicles
- Main imports:machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals
- Main exports:machinery, vehicles, chemicals, foodstuffs, textiles, metals and manufactures
- Currency: Euro
- Exchange rate: $1.44= 1€
- Prevalence of modern communication devices:
- Television: 36.5 mil Households
- Cell phones: 64.9 Mil
- Internet users: 39 Mil
Sports, Music and Entertainment facts
- Country's favorite sport: Soccer
- Other sports played: Rugby, Ice Hockey, Handball, Cycling, and Motorsports
- Favorite musicians: Juli, Heino, Silbermond, and Die Atzen
- Traditional forms of music: Volkmusik, Opera
- Popular games: drinking games. ;D
- Favorite foods: Italian, sometimes Turkish (depending on if they are prejudiced or not) NOT mexican/spicy
- Other forms of entertainment: Nature, basically things Americans like
Monday, June 13, 2011
Even More Global Student!
1) I'm supposed to make a list of negative stereotypes of Americans. THIS will be fun :D
We're dumb.
We're loud.
We have no manners.
We think everything should be just the way we want it.
We're fat.
We're stubborn.
We all LOVE Bush.
We think we need to "butt into" everything.
We love grease.
We love fat.
We love Fast Food!
We hate anyone who says anything bad about America.
2) Why do you think people have these stereotypes for America? I think it is mainly because of media and how it has shown the very ... interesting individuals of America to more people. Not only that, but the way American government in the past has dealt with foreign diplomats has been more accessible to the public. The open, free knowledge of everything that goes on everywhere the main reason I think that these bad stereotypes are so popular and well known.
We're dumb.
We're loud.
We have no manners.
We think everything should be just the way we want it.
We're fat.
We're stubborn.
We all LOVE Bush.
We think we need to "butt into" everything.
We love grease.
We love fat.
We love Fast Food!
We hate anyone who says anything bad about America.
2) Why do you think people have these stereotypes for America? I think it is mainly because of media and how it has shown the very ... interesting individuals of America to more people. Not only that, but the way American government in the past has dealt with foreign diplomats has been more accessible to the public. The open, free knowledge of everything that goes on everywhere the main reason I think that these bad stereotypes are so popular and well known.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
More Global Student
A. What are the five things that you are most looking forward to about studying abroad?
1. The food.
2. The people I will meet.
3. CULTURE!
4. The trains and getting around places.
5. Shopping for the things trivialities I will forget/ not be able to bring over (school supplies, etc.)
B. What are the five things that currently worry you most about going overseas?
1. Being able to do schoolwork and talk to professors in school. So school in general really.
2. Eating the food without feeling bad.
3. Making connections.
4. Not giving up.
5. My host-families. (I have 2 since one can only keep me for 6 months.)
C. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss most from home when abroad?
1. My bed.
2. My immediate family.
3. Authentic Mexican food.
4. My close friends.
5. The trivialities that I cannot bring/have no use for in Germany but will randomly need while there.
D. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss least from home when abroad?
1. Idiots.
2. The wide streets
3. Trucks.
4. Close-minded american-ness.
5. Tornados.
E. My greatest single challenge overseas will be: being able to just LET GO and not worry over everything I do/eat/say, while still representing the USA responsibly and appropriately.
1. The food.
2. The people I will meet.
3. CULTURE!
4. The trains and getting around places.
5. Shopping for the things trivialities I will forget/ not be able to bring over (school supplies, etc.)
B. What are the five things that currently worry you most about going overseas?
1. Being able to do schoolwork and talk to professors in school. So school in general really.
2. Eating the food without feeling bad.
3. Making connections.
4. Not giving up.
5. My host-families. (I have 2 since one can only keep me for 6 months.)
C. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss most from home when abroad?
1. My bed.
2. My immediate family.
3. Authentic Mexican food.
4. My close friends.
5. The trivialities that I cannot bring/have no use for in Germany but will randomly need while there.
D. What are the five things (people, places, activities, etc.) you believe you will miss least from home when abroad?
1. Idiots.
2. The wide streets
3. Trucks.
4. Close-minded american-ness.
5. Tornados.
E. My greatest single challenge overseas will be: being able to just LET GO and not worry over everything I do/eat/say, while still representing the USA responsibly and appropriately.
Global Student Stuff
For CBYX, we have this program called "Global Student" that we need to finish courses of. This is one of them, and there might be a plethora. Or at least several!
TOP 10 REASONS TO STUDY ABROAD
1. Meeting People. I love love love love people and everything (good and bad) about them, and I am infatuated with the idea that I will be able to meet more.
2. Learning New Cultures. Cultures excite me, and learning, no, being immersed in an entirely different one is such an amazing opportunity that I simply could not close this door, figuratively speaking.
3. My Sister. I have a sister who did this same program and came back with such wonderful experiences. Not only did I want to be like her, but I knew that with my personality and yearning to see the world I could also apply for the program like she did. She inspired me, and I just want to follow in her footsteps with this program.
4. Escaping My Town. When I first applied for this program, I'll be honest and say that I really REALLY wanted to get out of A-Town. I didn't feel like I fit in, and I never really did. This feeling has changed throughout the year, but the yearning to go and travel is too great to push away. Besides, I'll be back in a year! :)
5. My German Friends. I have been to Germany twice now, once to visit my best friend who moved there and some of my sister's friends from the Program, and another on an exchange trip. I really want to have the POSSIBILITY of meeting them again, even if for only a weekend. :)
6. Starting Over. I don't live in the biggest of towns, and so almost everyone is connected to another person somehow, even if casually. That being said, it is hard to go around and be a totally different person; I've never had the chance to really start over with a fresh start. Going to Germany with no one knowing me or anything about me (in the school at least) is a great chance to figure out just who Lilly Smith is.
7. Academics. I don't really know what I want to do in college, other than that I KNOW it will have to do with culture. So social sciences, and right now I'm thinking anthropology. I hope that going to Germany will help me figure out a tiny bit what I want to major in in college, and also give me a headstart/growing time for my brain to mature to when I come back to America.
8. Self Confidence. I have pretty darn low self-confidence, why I don't know. I don't understand it, because if you read emails or Facebook messages or anything people "love" me. I guess I just don't see why. I think going to Germany will help with that, it will give me a "love yourself no matter what you think inside your head" boot camp. P.S. I don't have a medical problem, I'm just a teen girl I PROMISE! :D
9. Maturing Time. Basically I want more time for my brain to mature, for a upper hand in school since I'll be staying an extra year. Selfish? maybe. Smart? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
10. Experience. I want the experience of going somewhere I have no clue and speaking the language badly at first and having to order something off the menu even though you have NO CLUE what it says. I want to come back "cultured" and "open-eyed". I want to have more experiences than just a girl from a little ol' Texan town. I want to be someone.
TOP 10 REASONS TO STUDY ABROAD
1. Meeting People. I love love love love people and everything (good and bad) about them, and I am infatuated with the idea that I will be able to meet more.
2. Learning New Cultures. Cultures excite me, and learning, no, being immersed in an entirely different one is such an amazing opportunity that I simply could not close this door, figuratively speaking.
3. My Sister. I have a sister who did this same program and came back with such wonderful experiences. Not only did I want to be like her, but I knew that with my personality and yearning to see the world I could also apply for the program like she did. She inspired me, and I just want to follow in her footsteps with this program.
4. Escaping My Town. When I first applied for this program, I'll be honest and say that I really REALLY wanted to get out of A-Town. I didn't feel like I fit in, and I never really did. This feeling has changed throughout the year, but the yearning to go and travel is too great to push away. Besides, I'll be back in a year! :)
5. My German Friends. I have been to Germany twice now, once to visit my best friend who moved there and some of my sister's friends from the Program, and another on an exchange trip. I really want to have the POSSIBILITY of meeting them again, even if for only a weekend. :)
6. Starting Over. I don't live in the biggest of towns, and so almost everyone is connected to another person somehow, even if casually. That being said, it is hard to go around and be a totally different person; I've never had the chance to really start over with a fresh start. Going to Germany with no one knowing me or anything about me (in the school at least) is a great chance to figure out just who Lilly Smith is.
7. Academics. I don't really know what I want to do in college, other than that I KNOW it will have to do with culture. So social sciences, and right now I'm thinking anthropology. I hope that going to Germany will help me figure out a tiny bit what I want to major in in college, and also give me a headstart/growing time for my brain to mature to when I come back to America.
8. Self Confidence. I have pretty darn low self-confidence, why I don't know. I don't understand it, because if you read emails or Facebook messages or anything people "love" me. I guess I just don't see why. I think going to Germany will help with that, it will give me a "love yourself no matter what you think inside your head" boot camp. P.S. I don't have a medical problem, I'm just a teen girl I PROMISE! :D
9. Maturing Time. Basically I want more time for my brain to mature, for a upper hand in school since I'll be staying an extra year. Selfish? maybe. Smart? YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
10. Experience. I want the experience of going somewhere I have no clue and speaking the language badly at first and having to order something off the menu even though you have NO CLUE what it says. I want to come back "cultured" and "open-eyed". I want to have more experiences than just a girl from a little ol' Texan town. I want to be someone.
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