un-bashing u.s. life

recently a reader of my blog directed my attention to the trend that in the topics i write about i seem to highlight more the negative features on the u.s. side in comparison to rather positive german features. something i was not aware of.

distance makes the heart grow fonder. with my home country being an ocean and a some land miles away i might eye it more favorably. probably often unjustified. for one thing, it is the peanut butter affect: only when you grow up with it you can appreciate its wonderful flavor.

so it goes with me. yes, germany does not have free water fountains and every bit of h2o in restaurants has a price. yes, in germany technology, clothing and cosmetics costs more; germany's sales tax is currently at 19%. and of course, gas in germany costs more than triple the us price (* see a price comparison at the bottom of this entry). yes, germany is a service desert and an unfriendly secretary the default expectation.

but since i grew up in these conditions they don't come to my mind right away. i've soaked them up by every cell, often unquestioned. socialization is the first underlying. it is connected to the next one: ignorance. natives just know stuff but often neglect the why. i follow that rule. being german is my baseline and everything i do is in comparison to that. the german way might not be better but i silently assume it is because i often don't know much about different systems in germany.

where does the cobble stone in my home town come from?
how much ethanol produces that plant outside our city?
where does all the meticously sorted trash go (and is it lumped together again)?

i don't know.

for u.s. culture i have a different approach. i learn it like grammar: many rules, too many exceptions, a lot of confusion.

why is there a fitted and a lose sheet?
why is dental insurance not part of health insurance?
why are there only one-year contracts for renting an apartment?

so i question paradoxes, ask for background, scrutinize every bit and piece to fit them into a growing picture of the usa at work. this process always in front of in a german blueprint as a background: how windows should look like, buildings built, rent paid, insurance guaranteed, and beds to be made...

i know english grammer better than german. the latter i had to study in school but never followed it because i just knew. no asking needed. but not knowing the system makes one susceptible to forgetting about disadvantages and gaps. they are just ignored or gone around because there is a way to get by. surrounded by others with this mind frame this creates comfortable living.

in apology for some skewed blogging, a list of some u.s. things i really appreciate in daily life:

• the u.s. university (a topic for a separate post)
  
• when i step on someone's toe, the person i probably injured apologizes to me (of course, i apologize, too)
  
• the bread and butter pickles from frogranch are unbeatably tasty
• stamps are much cheaper
• and so is my favorite shampoo
• highway restrooms are super clean
• nobody ever says “you can’t do this”, it is always a “just do it”
• s’mores!: a sticky candy bar made from cookies and hershey’s chocolate glued together by melted marshmallows roasted over a cozy bonfire on a metal stick
• the self check-out at kroger supermarket
• the machine wringing my swimsuit automatically after lap time
• the deal hunting in an all season sales environment
• watching my favorite shows in original language
• less complaining or whining in miserable situations
• deep fried onion rings
• the free newspapers (3!) on campus
• free food on many occastions: conferences, weekly church lunches, ice-cream socials, movie screenings, orientations, international coffee hours, green network meetings, fairs...
• the consequent non-smoking policy for bars, restaurants & public buildings in ohio
• the one month only period for a landlord to return the deposit (six months in germany)
  
• my 8$ lawyer that comes with my university
  

to be continued ...

* gas on both sides of the atlantic

germany:

• 1 liter or roughly a quart = 1.49 euro or $2.32
• 1 gallon or roughly four liter = 5.96 euro or $9.29

usa:

• 1 gallon is on average $4 or 2.56 euro
• 1 liter then $1 or 0.64 euro