Stichwörter (Keywords):
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- Category: Speaking German
Assertiveness, old German ladies, and "gut."
Do you hail from the middle of the country? Nothing kicks the Midwest out of you like German, as Laura F. wrote in response to last week's post:
Growing up in the Midwest, one of the principles I absorbed was that it is terrible to hurt other people's feelings. In my early adulthood, I was really too agreeable for my own good. In Germany, living in their culture and using their language, I learned to be more assertive. It was in German that I first told people things like, "No, I'm not going to give you money," or "Leave me alone."
These are incredibly valuable lessons, especially for women who were not taught to make a fuss when they need to make a fuss. It's like those boundaries are simply clearer and they come through the German culture.
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- Category: Speaking German
For some people, German truly changes their lives. I know it did for me--I had never actually learned to speak a foreign language before and it opened up a whole new world of experiences, literature, travel, media, music, and more. Learning to put that verb alllll the way at the end of the sentence helped me think in larger, more encompassing thoughts, which changed how I planned what I wanted to say.
A lot of my clients have had life-altering changes by learning German and I want to share a few of them with you. I also want to hear how German has changed your life (or how you want to or will change your life by learning German!), so be sure to submit your story via the contact form!
So, los geht's!
Understand your German partner/spouse/friend so much better.
1. Have fewer fights with your German spouse.
Long-term relationships are hard. A Long-term relationship with someone who has a very different understanding of the world can be even more challenging, especially if you are married to one and you are not familiar with cornerstones of German culture, one of them being routines.
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- Category: German vocabulary
2017 is a huge year for Germans: they get an extra national holiday, Reformationstag. It's the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 theses to the church door, which turned out to be a pillar event of the Reformation movement.
An extra national holiday means that everybody gets an extra day off work. Everything's going to be closed, however I suspect a lot of churches might have more visitors than usual.
So how does this make a 5-day weekend for Germans? Here's how:
Saturday and Sunday are normal weekend days. Tuesday is Reformationstag and also Halloween, which means that Wednesday, November 1st is Allerheiligen (All Saints' Day), which is also a holiday in 5 German states (Baden-Württemberg, Bayern, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Saarland). Anyone who planned a vacation day for Monday, October 30th is taking a Brückentag, a bridge day, "bridging" the weekend to the Feiertag. So with one day of vacation a lot of folks extended their 2-day weekend to make it a 5-day weekend.
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- Category: Writing German
An Elfchen is a German poem that contains only 11 words. The form is 1-2-3-4-1. Because if its simplicity, it's a fantastic way to practice your vocabulary.
Or, if you're sick and can't seem to shake off the crud of the decade, it makes a very succinct blog post.
Krank sein: ein Elfchen
schnupfen
hatte Halsschmerzen
mehr Tee trinken
bitte wieder gesund werden!
*husten*
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- Category: German culture and food
One of the best parts of German culture is the Apotheke, the pharmacy! Not because of the prescription drugs, but because of the products you can buy there. And the freebies--don't even get me started. I once bought some facial care products and make-up and they gave me a HANDBAG. A HANDBAG!!! I still have it. Die Tasche ist fantastisch! I even got a tea candlelight holder one year and since it was Advent/Christmas, the candle holder was in the shape of a star. Ja, das habe ich auch noch.
Every time you go to the Apotheke they give you things for free! Wunderbar! The Apothekerinnen und Apotheker are extremely knowledgeable and sensitive to your questions, so go ahead and ask all your questions. It's all about service and care in the Apotheke, that's for sure.
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