Sitting on a comfortable armchair, looking out across my mug I see my sister, a bustling clothing shop, a restaurant called "Curryfire," and a little bakery. There is a light jazz playing, an aroma of all things brewed, and the constant chatter that is found in an American coffeehouse. We could easily be in Ames, IA, Boulder, CO, or Appleton, WI but we're not, we are in Leipzig, Germany and the brandname coffee is about where the "Americanization" of this globalization ends. My trip to visit Cathy has thus far served to remind me that everywhere is different; Amman is not unique in being unique. Even though the fall weather and love of cheese and beer feel very Wisconsin and remind me of my good natured midwestern home, I am very much a stranger in a strange land.
Language is my first my most obvious difficulty. In Amman I have a cushion of white-ness that is my obvious excuse for being unable to communicate, what otherwise might be perceived as stupidity. Here, I'm just someone who looks like everyone else but for some reason cannot understand even simple store interactions. Thank you, four years of high school German, for miraculously enabling me to at least say, "Sprechen Sie English?"
My culture shock is emphasized I think by the fact that things that are different here are different in the opposite way as they are in Jordan. Time is a good example. The Germans are very punctual and exact about time. We had lunch with my sister's host family, which began exactly at one when we were asked to arrive. If a train is supposed to come at 11:16 you had better not be there at 11:17 or you will walking or waiting for the next one. In Jordan, I'm not even sure if there are reliable train schedules to be found, and if you find think a train leaves at eleven it might start boarding at half past. An invitation might have a time attached but the jury is still out on when you should actually arrive and whether to arrive hungry or full. There is a good chance an hour or two will pass before any eating actually occurs. Marriage is another example of these opposite universes. In Germany, marriage can be more of an after thought. Couples live together for years, maybe have kids, and then if all's well, get married. In Amman, if you're not married you're not worth a whole lot and if you have kids outside of wedlock I'm pretty sure they are not recognized by society. Men and women interact in public in Germany! I've seen more holding hands and kissing here in a few days than I think happens in all of Jordan over the course of a year. And finally, I really can't get over the fact that not only can I sit on public toilets here, I can flush my toilet paper. Oh the innovation!
But, as stranger as I am, I still fit right in with my sister, sitting in Starbucks, enjoying a small (re: tall) cup of chai. So for anyone concerned that globalization is just "McDonalds" planting its corporate seeds across the globe, I would like to paint a happier picture. Globalization is the opportunity that I have to see so many different places and learn so much about such distinct cultures. There is no confusion that even in Starbucks, I am in Germany, and Germans are not Americans even if they spend their Euros here. But globalization does mean that I can learn that if I am meeting someone for coffee at 11 in Germany I would show up at 10:59. In Amman, I would wait for a call to reschedule and then show up a half hour later. And in the states, I would show up at 11:15 because I am always late to everything and somehow I feel like it's ok when I dont have other cultural deficiencies to apologize for. I know that corporations and globalization are far from perfect or even harmless entities. But I don't think they threaten the fact that cultures will maintain their differences, their intrigue, and their crazy. Just like my sister. Colorado, Leipzig, or I'm sure Amman, she will always walk down the street singing and make up obnoxious songs like, "there's nothing quite like going to Starbucks..." Culture is made up of "unique" individuals such as her, and for that reason, I think we are safe from becoming too much the same.
Language is my first my most obvious difficulty. In Amman I have a cushion of white-ness that is my obvious excuse for being unable to communicate, what otherwise might be perceived as stupidity. Here, I'm just someone who looks like everyone else but for some reason cannot understand even simple store interactions. Thank you, four years of high school German, for miraculously enabling me to at least say, "Sprechen Sie English?"
My culture shock is emphasized I think by the fact that things that are different here are different in the opposite way as they are in Jordan. Time is a good example. The Germans are very punctual and exact about time. We had lunch with my sister's host family, which began exactly at one when we were asked to arrive. If a train is supposed to come at 11:16 you had better not be there at 11:17 or you will walking or waiting for the next one. In Jordan, I'm not even sure if there are reliable train schedules to be found, and if you find think a train leaves at eleven it might start boarding at half past. An invitation might have a time attached but the jury is still out on when you should actually arrive and whether to arrive hungry or full. There is a good chance an hour or two will pass before any eating actually occurs. Marriage is another example of these opposite universes. In Germany, marriage can be more of an after thought. Couples live together for years, maybe have kids, and then if all's well, get married. In Amman, if you're not married you're not worth a whole lot and if you have kids outside of wedlock I'm pretty sure they are not recognized by society. Men and women interact in public in Germany! I've seen more holding hands and kissing here in a few days than I think happens in all of Jordan over the course of a year. And finally, I really can't get over the fact that not only can I sit on public toilets here, I can flush my toilet paper. Oh the innovation!
But, as stranger as I am, I still fit right in with my sister, sitting in Starbucks, enjoying a small (re: tall) cup of chai. So for anyone concerned that globalization is just "McDonalds" planting its corporate seeds across the globe, I would like to paint a happier picture. Globalization is the opportunity that I have to see so many different places and learn so much about such distinct cultures. There is no confusion that even in Starbucks, I am in Germany, and Germans are not Americans even if they spend their Euros here. But globalization does mean that I can learn that if I am meeting someone for coffee at 11 in Germany I would show up at 10:59. In Amman, I would wait for a call to reschedule and then show up a half hour later. And in the states, I would show up at 11:15 because I am always late to everything and somehow I feel like it's ok when I dont have other cultural deficiencies to apologize for. I know that corporations and globalization are far from perfect or even harmless entities. But I don't think they threaten the fact that cultures will maintain their differences, their intrigue, and their crazy. Just like my sister. Colorado, Leipzig, or I'm sure Amman, she will always walk down the street singing and make up obnoxious songs like, "there's nothing quite like going to Starbucks..." Culture is made up of "unique" individuals such as her, and for that reason, I think we are safe from becoming too much the same.
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