Welche Finanzkrise?

Home to the European Central Bank, Germany's stock exchange, Deutsche Bank, and the more conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (newspaper), Frankfurt has become Germany's financial center. Thus, it's not surprising to read about the financial crisis on the front page of Frankfurt's influential newspaper.

The world financial crisis isn't hitting Germany as hard as some other countries. Germans don't do risky mortgages; in fact, 50% of the housing stock here are rentals. Whatever real estate bubbles other places experienced, Germany missed. Thus, nothing burst.

But BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen are trying to lower wages and cut production. The German economy is officially in a recession. The government predicts that the unemployment rate will climb dramtically next year before Germany's economy corrects itself. Germany certainly is feeling the cost of globalization.

Frankfurt's newspaper wrote up a great piece about Munich and the "Finanzkrise" yesterday. But why pay attention to Munich now? Because, well, looking around Munich, you wouldn't guess anything was wrong with the world's economy. Despite being home to BMW, Siemens and other suffering multi-national firms, Munich is home base for Germany's super-rich.

Ritzy stores are still open across the fashionable downtown. The "Schickeria" sips on cappucinos in cool cafes. I'm in the process of looking for a job here, and I've got plenty of options. I could be a barista, work the supermarket checkout, or probably find an interesting, paid internship.

A Day Without Turkey

Yesterday was Thanksgiving and you wouldn't even know it. The best holiday America has to offer, and I was in class until 6:45 pm Thursday...

Since many of the Americans on the program are in Weimar on a class trip right now, we decided to have a Thanksgiving dinner last Friday when everyone was here. With many of us cooking on Thanksgiving for the first time, I'm surprised that everything turned out so well. Even the Butternut Squash I made tasted good!

Yesterday, a Spainish friend of mine invited me to a Thanksgiving dinner at a very American restuarant-- the Hard Rock Cafe. Unfortunately, once we got there, the dinner was over and we ended up at a very German restaurant-- the Hofbräuhaus. 

Prost und Happy Thanksgiving!

FC Bayern- Danke!

On Tuesday, I had the great opportunity to go to my first FC Bayern München game. FC Bayern is Munich's premier soccer team and could be considered the Yankees of Germany. They have a ton of money to lure the best players and coaches, year after year. So they win major championships, year after year.

The game on Tuesday was between FC Bayern and Steaua Bucharest as part of the Champions League, one of the three leagues in which FC Bayern competes. The Champions League is Europe-wide (hence why we were playing Bucharest); the Bundesliga is for German teams only; and the DFB-Pokal is the annual elimination tournament of the German Futball League.

We walked up to the stunning and sparkling new (built for the World Cup in 2006) Allianz Arena in Munich. When FC Bayern is playing, the stadium glows red (and apparently my friend's eyes do, too!). When TSV 1860 München (Munich's second team) is playing, the stadium glows blue. During the day, it looms over northern Munich in its natural white.

The fans charged the atmosphere, even before we made it through the securty screening. Fans of vastly differing sobreity levels crammed the subways and started singing when we made it to our stop. The 5 minute walk to the stadium filled itself with cheers.

Once inside, the soccer crazed Germans showed me their true colors. A whole section of the stadium jumped up and down constantly-- and not just because of the cold. Their voices carried praises of FC Bayern throughout the game, never once stopping. The most similar thing in the States would probably be a college basketball game where the student section is quite riled up.

For the other 95% of the fans though, the game was much more important than cheers and jumping. Unlike baseball games where conversations banter about among fans, interspersed with tense moments, these fans kept their eyes glued to the field, rarely taking a break to make a comment or take a sip of beer.

When Miro Klose of FC Bayern finally scored, the stadium erupted, standing up to salute the soccer heros. Once the initial celebration quited down, the annoucer started talking (in German, of course!):

Announcer: And in the 57th minute a goal for FC Bayern by Miro...

Crowd: Klose!

A: Miro...

C: Klose!!

A: MIRO...

C: KLOSE!!

A: The score now stands at FC Bayern

C: ONE

A: Steaua Bucharest

C: ZERO

A: Thank you!

C: You're Welcome!

After two more goals and 33 more minutes, the game came to an end, with FC Bayern victorious! They waved at the crowd as the crowd waved their red FC Bayern scarves at the team. But scarves quickly went back on as people began to stream outside and head home.

Snow!

 

I <3 Nutella

Gottesdienst

This morning I got up early to bike down to the Munich Cathedral to celebrate the mass (auf Deutsch: Gottesdienst) of "Christkönig," the last Sunday of the liturgical year. After my beautiful ride through the English Garden, I made it to downtown. Dozens of church bells greeted me as each tried to lure the faithful into one of the dozen churches crowding central Munich.

This video lets you hear the sounds of the city on a Sunday morning. Even though I was standing right next to the Frauenkirche (the big cathedral) when I took the video, the sounds are coming from the Frauenkirche and several other churches in the area.

Mass itself was formal, as I expected, but also incredibly ornate. Four priests (one of the them from France) presided over the service accompanied by what appeared to be several deacons and a cadre of alter boys. A boys choir sang in concert with a few male and female vocalists. The priests used the incense liberally, filling the cavernous cathedral with its strong scent. 

The congregation was polite and kind. On the way in, I dropped my hat and someone rushed to pick it up for me. On the way out, the older gentleman I sat next to wished me a happy Sunday. 

I was also probably one of the youngest there. Although I expected the dearth of young adults that I've heard about and see in the states, too, I didn't expect the complete lack of young children. No families attended this mass-- though that could have something to do with the fact that it was the cathedral in the middle of downtown.

The sermon also touched upon a big issue for the Church in Germany today. Europeans view themselves as increasingly secular and want to live in a more secular soceity. The Church used to have quite a large influence in politics and every day life, until the hippie revolution of the 1960s began to change the Germans' mindsets. Without a significant rebirth or renewal, the church continued to lose congregants until today. It doesn't help that if you register with a church/religion, the government automatically takes a "donation" out of your paycheck with your taxes!

Three Reasons I Love Munich

A Mini Police Car!

A Beautiful River

Surfers in the middle of Munich

A Low Point

I promised you in my first blog post here that I wouldn't bore you with my personal issues or social dramas. Plus, I don't want all that stuff online! So, that's probably why I haven't touched this blog in six days.

The magic of living abroad has worn off. I've settled into a routine filled with the boring things students everywhere have to do-- cooking, cleaning, shopping, studying, etc. I don't carry my camera around to capture new sights and sounds anymore. The weather has gotten progressively more depressing, with darkness setting in ever sooner and sooner.

My first Thanksgiving without family is approaching. All the Americans here made an excellent Thanksgiving dinner last night to celebrate, but it's still not the same (especially since I can drink with dinner now!).

School isn't helping the situation either. My classes are not as challenging as back home, so my motivation to work and do well isn't where it should be. My peers are hard to understand and harder to befriend. My commute sucks up a few hours each week, and it occasionally sucks up a few euros, too. But school isn't easy enough where I can jump off to Prague and Vienna every weekend. Instead I'm tempted by Europe's wonders as I wonder about population genetics. Ugh.

The homesickness has led me to waste far too much time online. On the plus side, I've discovered some really interesting blogs about Detroit and Philadelphia. On the down side, reading about the economic situations in Detroit and Philadelphia just furthers my depression.

So why am I ranting about my personal feelings when I promised not to? Because I've realized this is an important part of the experience. I'm not the only JYM-er feeling this way. The distance, the adjustment creates ups and downs. Everyone has to go through these downs to appreciate the ups.

The Four Seasons

Stepping outside today, I caught a whiff of winter. And I don't care what the calendar says; I determine seasons by scent. German winter smells much like American ones-- a chilling, stiff, cold which is also extremely fresh, untainted by huge temperature swings.

Hopefully this new scent also lifts my spirits. This past week didn't go very well, and I hope the upcoming one will be better.

driving home

the sky accelerates
and the clouds all form
a gemometric shape
and it goes fast
you think of the past

suddenly everything has changed

-Suddenly Everything Has Changed, by the Postal Service, my new favorite band

November 9th

This past Sunday was an important day in German history. As the 19th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, I expected some jubiliation or some excitement from the Germans. Perhaps they might finally show me some of that taboo pride of Germany. 

I couldn't even find an article in the newspaper. 

But November 9th is the anniversary of another important even in German history-- one who's tragedy trumps the jubliation of "Wiedervereinigung." November 9, 2008 was also the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht or the start of Hitler's official pogrom against Jews in Germany.

So instead of watching happy German gatherings on TV, I read about Chancellor Angela Merkel's address to the nation where she said, "Racism and Antisemitism must never again have a chance in Germany." Instead of heading into the city to watch a parade, I went into the city to visit the "Victims of National Socialism" Monument.

November 9th is a perfect example of the tension between past and present in Germany, a tension between legacy and future. Germans chose to respect the victims of their past and switch their national holiday to October 3rd. I think the Germans made the right choice.

I fought the law and the law won.

The light was green. Then it turned red. I biked across the street anyway. Afterall, the vehicle traffic hadn't stopped yet, so it was still safe.

Suddenly, a policeman, clad in the official (and kick-@ss) green uniform stood in front of me. Confused, I tried to bike around him, but he did not like that. "You stop when I'm standing in front of you!" he barked in loud, commanding German. "Identification?"

I started to shake. I didn't yet realize why he stopped me. In Germany, the police can stop anyone for no reason and ask for ID, and I thought he was doing this. "I have a copy of my passport," I stammered in German.

"That won't do you any good." Now I really started to freak out. "What is your nationality?"

As I said that I was American, he noticed my drivers liscence and asked to see it. He explained, "You ran a red light back there."

I feebly tried to feign ignorance. "I did?" It didn't work. And once he explained that I'd have to pay €25 on the spot, I started shaking even more. At this point, he lost his tough cop demeanor and started joking with me and telling me to relax. I coughed up the Euros and he wrote me a receipt.

"Next time you have to deal with the police, don't be so scared. We're not that bad! Auf wiedersehen." I hope I don't have to deal with the police again. And I really didn't think my first traffic ticket ever would come on a bike.

Bildung für alle und für alle umsonst!

As I left the cafeteria today, I heard some shouting coming from a nearby street. As I walked towards the noise to investigate, I saw a caravan of police cars following a slowly moving mob. The group had, not-surprisingly, loudspeakers, signs, and lots of energy. Surprisingly, the group was all high school students.

Today, across Germany, high school students went on strike. Fed up with what they claim are subpar learning conditions and faltering support for their teachers, the students took to the streets to get their points across. I can't imagine students in the United States even wanting a more rewarding education, much less doing something about it.

It seems like a senior skip day with a purpose.

[The title was a slogan the students shouted: Education for all. Free for all!]

A German Obama?

I just checked the website of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, Munich's major daily and an influential newspaper throughout Germany (similar to the New York Times or Washington Post in the USA). One of the stories really jumped out at me.

Imran Ayata, a German author of Turkish decent, wrote a column/story about the fictional Leyla Lena, a German politician of Turkish decent. She goes from relative political obscurity to rock-star status in no time as her young, adoring fans promote her political agenda. She runs for the position of Bundeskanzlerin against an old-time German candidate who says he is more a part of the "volk" than she is. She wins on a platform of restoring Germany's allure and prominence in the world-- attracting young people and jobs, setting an example for the rest of Europe and the world.

Funny how Obama has inspired so many people here, not just in America. The lead in to the story even says, "Ja, wir können." Yes, we can.

But Look What I Missed!

While the Germans are certainly excited to see a Democrat in the White House, they realize that it's not their country and don't really show their excitement so openly. Apparently though, I missed out on an AMAZING celebration in Philadelphia.

What's more, I never would imagine Penn's student body doing something like this. With the down-to-Earth practicality of Wharton on-campus, Penn doesn't really do protests, ralllies, or "political movements" the way some of our sister schools do. Ahhhhh.... I wish I had been there!

America, Let's Show 'Em What We Got...

Since coming here, I haven't exactly been overflowing with pride for my country. When talk turns to politics, the last four, disasterous years usually take precedence. Two wars, inaction on climate change, and faltering alliances leave me telling the Germans, "I know! I don't understand it either. We need some change."

And today we got it! With the election of Barack Hussein Obama as our 44th president, America has finally shown its true self to the world. On Monday and Tuesday, Germans and their media worriedly whispered that the polls were wrong. Will Americans really trust someone who was partially raised in Indonesia? Can Americans really elect a black man as their commander-in-chief? Now America can respond with a resounding, "Yes We Can!"

I haven't been Obama's biggest supporter throughout the campaign. At the very beginning, I seriously considered voting for McCain. But the more I heard "Drill, baby, drill!," the more I heard about Sarah from Alaska, and the more I heard McCain's economic policies, the less I trusted him. Despite his distinguished years in the Navy and Senate, John McCain was not going to make the right choices for our country.

But as I listened to Obama's acceptance speech this morning, I couldn't help but feel that we picked the right man for the job. Not only have we shown the world how far we've come as a nation, we've picked someone who truly believes in our nation's unity, someone who really feels that we need to work together to fix our problems.

Now I am overflowing with pride for my country. Although we've got huge problems to fix, we've also got the spirit to get it done. We've got the will power. We've got the unity. Yes, We Can.

Munich Fog

Looking out my window right now, I can hardly see the huge, 21 story building across the way. Fog began rolling in around 3:00pm today, and now, at 5:17, it dominates the landscape.

In my (almost) two months here (yikes, has it been that long?), heavy fog has been more common than rain. I wonder why.

Night at the Museums

Last weekend, I attended an amazing event here called "The Long Night of the Munich Museums." Here's the deal: pay €15 and get free admission and transportation to every museum in Munich from 7pm to 2am. The only catch: Munich has hundreds of museums; deciding where to go is impossible!

A German friend and I started out at the Palentology Museum and then headed to the Geology Museum next door. From there we took a quick walk to the New Pinakothek, one of Munich's best art museums. After seeing original Van Goghs, Monets, and Manets (which one is lillypads again?), we hopped on the shuttle bus to the Bavarian National Musuem. While still in a Bavarian mood, we finished the night at the Beer and Oktoberfest Museum of Munich. 

The whole evening was fantastic. From speaking German with my friend to watching the huge crowds enjoy live music, art, and science, I couldn't help but be thankful I am in Munich. This city has so much going for it. From creative events like this one to an engaged public that actually attends them, Munich is a model city.

The whole night I kept thinking about my home town of Detroit. I, personally, like Detroit, despite its many negative aspects. I think it has the right resources for a comeback, and it could be a great city once again. But I have to emphasize could. Detroit needs the creative spirit that brings events like this to Munich. Detroit needs the creativity that makes for fun Fridays in Philadelphia. 

Without that energy, people just won't want to stay in Detroit. Places like Munich are calling.