This would be my last blog here in Cincinnati. So it is a good time to see, what i have learned here.
At first, I learned a lot about the culture in the USA. I love, that we learned much more practical stuff than in our English lessons in Germany. Here we were taught in different social problems, which could appear during our trip. It was not just grammar or just vocabulary like in Germany.
Here we learned different, because we had the possibility to speak to native speakers. So if you are observing, you can enhance your English with every conversation. And you can play "trail and error", if you say something wrong, the native speaker (hopefully) corrects you immediately.
I think, I have now advantages against other of my students colleagues in Germany: I got a deep look in the American culture and I have an idea how the Americans may tick. This knowledge is good, when I travel next time in the United States to make some business :)
Friday, September 4, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wednesday: Rock n Roll!
Yesterday we were in Cleveland at the "Rock and Roll hall of Fame and Museum". There exists seven floors with different exhibitions around the music and the lifestyle of Rock n Roll. You can get in touch with a lot of artifacts from many different icons of the Rock N Roll era. It starts with objects from famous people of Blues and Soul (mentioned as the roots of Rock n Roll), continues with a huge repertory an daily objects from bands like "The Beatles", and "Rolling Stones", build a bridge to further music styles like Pop and HipHop with exhibitions from Madonna and Run DMC, and ends with exhibits from Michael Jackson, Queen, and Bruce Springsteen.
The museum designer also used different media for presenting: beside the classical presentation of objects, you can also find different audio equipment to hear the sound of Rock And Roll, and different produced movies either on big screens (e.g. explaining the persons and groups in the Hall of Fame) or a couple of monitor, which were arranged like a tree.
Remarkable is, that different topics get different spaces. The Soul and the Blues section were nearly as big as the section about Rolling Stones. I have also missed bands like Genesis with their great singers Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. The music I like, the hole electronic music part with Techno or House, were not mentioned there. The reasons are probably, that some bands and music styles are more popular than others, or some bands have signed just by the wrong label.
According to the museum, Rock And Roll plays or played a big role in the United States, it formed a whole generation of young people.
It is hard to say, why such musicians often were praised as angels or heroes. Fact is, that they also did and do a lot of stupid things and mistakes. Maybe fans find a connection to them, because the musicians live their dream and do what they want (that is probably what the fans think), while the normal guy is captured in his daily routine. I think nobody would ever be able to understand the personality cult.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday: Religious
Sunday we were at Crossroads, a modern equipped church. Today, we went do a mosque.
Crossroads was more an entertainment temple than a church: everywhere free Wi Fi, in the Auditorium was a stage with band, on the side you could found two big screens. It seams that this church wants to catch younger people and offers them more than the typical old fashioned church feeling.
In contrast to Crossroads is the style of the Cincinnati Mosque by tend more traditional. I saw Arabic quotes from the Quran on walls and everywhere oriental decorations.
As I mentioned, the Crossroads church obviously tries to reach help seeking people (called "Seekers") with modern technology, while the Mosque probably attracts more the traditional Muslims.
Both the church and the mosque want from their believer that they regularly take part on the events. For this action they provide a location for this, and beyond this point, they also offer groups with different topics for every part of the life.
In my opinion help both institutions to cluster their religious people and help them to find like-minded people.
Crossroads was more an entertainment temple than a church: everywhere free Wi Fi, in the Auditorium was a stage with band, on the side you could found two big screens. It seams that this church wants to catch younger people and offers them more than the typical old fashioned church feeling.
In contrast to Crossroads is the style of the Cincinnati Mosque by tend more traditional. I saw Arabic quotes from the Quran on walls and everywhere oriental decorations.
As I mentioned, the Crossroads church obviously tries to reach help seeking people (called "Seekers") with modern technology, while the Mosque probably attracts more the traditional Muslims.
Both the church and the mosque want from their believer that they regularly take part on the events. For this action they provide a location for this, and beyond this point, they also offer groups with different topics for every part of the life.
In my opinion help both institutions to cluster their religious people and help them to find like-minded people.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday: Healthcare in America
Today we were at a high-tech genetics laboratory and Walgreens pharmacy.
In the genetics labroratory they are able able to analyse and scan some samples to look for genetic defects like trisomie 21. In Walgreens, a "self serve hospital", you an find lots of medical aid for and against many gouts like headache or flu.
One test in the laboratory can easiliy cost more than tousand dollar, but they can only analyse and give advises, and cannot cure you directly. The pharmacy had a lot of products in the price from two till 15 or more dollar.
Ethically, the genetic check has more potential to disclose a secret than the discount-drugstores. Just with a watch on the chromosomes experts are able to find out if you have some anomalies in your cells, if your parents were close realatives, or if your dad is really your biological dad. This method can otherwise deliver informations about what is wrong and shows maybe ways to reduce the severty of symptoms.
A danger of the pharmacys is, that health people take some chemicals, because he read something about somethingin the internet.
[conclusion is following]
In the genetics labroratory they are able able to analyse and scan some samples to look for genetic defects like trisomie 21. In Walgreens, a "self serve hospital", you an find lots of medical aid for and against many gouts like headache or flu.
One test in the laboratory can easiliy cost more than tousand dollar, but they can only analyse and give advises, and cannot cure you directly. The pharmacy had a lot of products in the price from two till 15 or more dollar.
Ethically, the genetic check has more potential to disclose a secret than the discount-drugstores. Just with a watch on the chromosomes experts are able to find out if you have some anomalies in your cells, if your parents were close realatives, or if your dad is really your biological dad. This method can otherwise deliver informations about what is wrong and shows maybe ways to reduce the severty of symptoms.
A danger of the pharmacys is, that health people take some chemicals, because he read something about somethingin the internet.
[conclusion is following]
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday: Columbus
[tbc]
Today, we were on tour on the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
We saw two nice exhibits about the Berliner wall.
The first show different places, each place with two pics. One pic shows the location shortly after the fall of the wall, and one over ten years later.
The second section showed the results of a project from Paderborn students, who tried to find traces of the wall over 10 years it fell.
Actually, I have not learned something new about the wall. Interesting was the background information about the famous picture with the soldier jumping over barbed wire. But all in all, I have refreshed some infos, but added not really new stuff in my brain.
As far as I know deal the German exhibits in Germany just with the time till the fall of the wall. This exhibit in Columbus went further (?) and wanted to find out, which changes really happened.
Today, we were on tour on the Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
We saw two nice exhibits about the Berliner wall.
The first show different places, each place with two pics. One pic shows the location shortly after the fall of the wall, and one over ten years later.
The second section showed the results of a project from Paderborn students, who tried to find traces of the wall over 10 years it fell.
Actually, I have not learned something new about the wall. Interesting was the background information about the famous picture with the soldier jumping over barbed wire. But all in all, I have refreshed some infos, but added not really new stuff in my brain.
As far as I know deal the German exhibits in Germany just with the time till the fall of the wall. This exhibit in Columbus went further (?) and wanted to find out, which changes really happened.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday: How Children Play and Learn
Today we were at the Children's Museum in Cincinnati.
It varys from other museums. I think in this museum is the fun for the kids higher rated than in other museums. There are several sections like a water section or a ball section.
There are a lot of activities children can do. They can save a little town near a river when they remove the water wall and the water level decrease. In another part they can balls do fly with a fan.
One exhibit I want to descripe more is the "Dinner section". It is built like a little 1950s restaurant. There are glasses, dishes, a cashbox with a real calculator inside, a mircrowave, and little pieces of plasic food. On the wall, you can find a poster with the title "eat more, eat light" and some tips how kids can eat more healthy stuff. next to the poster is a soap dispenser to clean the hands.
I think the kids should learn what healthy food is, how stressful a job as waiter/waitress can be, and that the kids allways clean their hands.
The topic with healthy food is in my opinion actually not so present how it should be. There exists more unhealthy plasic food like hamburger, sandwiches, and french fries than vegetables and friuts. in this case they should invest more time to correct is.
It varys from other museums. I think in this museum is the fun for the kids higher rated than in other museums. There are several sections like a water section or a ball section.
There are a lot of activities children can do. They can save a little town near a river when they remove the water wall and the water level decrease. In another part they can balls do fly with a fan.
One exhibit I want to descripe more is the "Dinner section". It is built like a little 1950s restaurant. There are glasses, dishes, a cashbox with a real calculator inside, a mircrowave, and little pieces of plasic food. On the wall, you can find a poster with the title "eat more, eat light" and some tips how kids can eat more healthy stuff. next to the poster is a soap dispenser to clean the hands.
I think the kids should learn what healthy food is, how stressful a job as waiter/waitress can be, and that the kids allways clean their hands.
The topic with healthy food is in my opinion actually not so present how it should be. There exists more unhealthy plasic food like hamburger, sandwiches, and french fries than vegetables and friuts. in this case they should invest more time to correct is.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Monday: the language around us
[not finished]
We all had a nice trip to Chicago from last friday till sunday. Now, I am over 7 days in the United States and it is time for a first little analyse of the language used around us.
I found out, that it is harder to follow a native speaker in shops and on the street than in the course. Our teacher speak clear and slow, the others not. We are also getting into trouble if someone mumbles.
As an foreigner, I see that we Germans use more our hands than the native speaker.
[...]
Different to Germany is it is not normal to shake hands when you meet someone new. But everybody ask you "How are you." As kids in Germany, we have learned, that you have to answer every question. After a few days, I learned, that it is OK to answer this question NOT :) In Germany you do not say or offer something, that you do not want to offer.
One different between Chicago and Cincinnati I found out: everytime in Chicago, when you stay and look confused, someone comes to you and ask to help. I like this. I think, there are more tourists in Chicago than in Cincinnati, so for Chigaco citizens it is normal to see irritated tourists.
My conclusion is, that Germans have to know, that they do not take the phrases which are spoken too literally. And they have to be good "small talk skills".
We all had a nice trip to Chicago from last friday till sunday. Now, I am over 7 days in the United States and it is time for a first little analyse of the language used around us.
I found out, that it is harder to follow a native speaker in shops and on the street than in the course. Our teacher speak clear and slow, the others not. We are also getting into trouble if someone mumbles.
As an foreigner, I see that we Germans use more our hands than the native speaker.
[...]
Different to Germany is it is not normal to shake hands when you meet someone new. But everybody ask you "How are you." As kids in Germany, we have learned, that you have to answer every question. After a few days, I learned, that it is OK to answer this question NOT :) In Germany you do not say or offer something, that you do not want to offer.
One different between Chicago and Cincinnati I found out: everytime in Chicago, when you stay and look confused, someone comes to you and ask to help. I like this. I think, there are more tourists in Chicago than in Cincinnati, so for Chigaco citizens it is normal to see irritated tourists.
My conclusion is, that Germans have to know, that they do not take the phrases which are spoken too literally. And they have to be good "small talk skills".
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