Dear America,
Why do I love you so much? You are the country of dreamers, land
of the brave and fearless and home to the hippies.
You are the land of the free. Except a few things which don’t
correspond so much what we think of as free in the old world: bars close at 2
am. Drinking in public is prohibited. Crossing the streets without doing so at
a designated crosswalk makes it illegal. Public transport is limited; being
able to move truly freely requires a care. Nudity is . . . well not so common. I
remember being called out for changing at the beach, and I wasn’t even naked. I
see people sitting in the sauna fully dressed. In Germany we go all out, we sit
in the sauna naked. But we have nude beaches, too, so that’s another story.
So what happened to the free in the land of the free? It’s
all about the Americans. I believe
it’s about the American mentality more than about anything else, after all, people
are what make places magic (yes, this is a shout-out to Hays, ‘merica). It’s the
free spirited and positive American mindset which fascinates.
People I surround myself with here are like-minded and
college-kids mostly. Which means they are educated, open-minded and curious
about other cultures (maybe sometimes they like to drink a little bit a lot of
alcohol, too). We listen to the same kind of music, we watch the same films, we
all love to travel the world. We are of the same generation; we have a lot in
common. In the end we all just want to make the most of life and see what’s out
there, don’t we?
Have I ever met the - in Europe so prominent - cliché of the
“stupid and ignorant American?“ Yes, I have. Do I try to avoid them? Yes, I do.
Despite all the current political issues the USA are dealing
with, America remains the land of dreamers and go-getters. Want to become a
rockstar? Go for it. Want to dye your hair pink? Cool, here I’ll give you a
scholarship for being different. You have a really good idea? You’re the next
Bill Gates. You’re from abroad and want to live here for a bit? Awesome, come
on over, we love foreigners!
And that’s when all I can say is: Amuuuuurica, I love you! Because
so far you have taught me nothing but to think positive, to choose faith over
worry and that in the end, it is all going to be just fine. You and your people
(my American friends!) make me feel special.
I have come to feel that Germany as well as Germans are
quite appreciated here, not to say LOVED. I am not going to lie, of course I
take advantage of being foreign. It’s all about enjoying “foreign girl status”.
I probably experience something good related to me being foreign every day.
It’s nice, let me tell ya.
I once got accused of playing the “German card“ and yes,
it’s convenient. Back in high school, I used to say “don’t judge me, I’m German,“
when I did something incredibly stupid or embarrassing (a consequence of the
incredibly stupid action). As if being foreign was an excuse. It was and it is.
Being foreign excuses a lot.
When in America it’s all about German-American clichés. It
comes down to one question: “What kind of German are you?“ and it goes like
this:
“Oh, you’re German: what’s your favorite beer and your
favorite soccer team, how’s Oktoberfest?”
“Uhm, I don’t really like beer and I could care less about
soccer! I also have never been to Oktoberfest, it’s really far from where I
live.”
“Oh, well, what kind of German are you? And what do you mean
by far? You live in a very small country”.
I am sorry for disappointing all German (beer and soccer)
lovers for not proving the stereotype of the average German as depicted in Beerfest. As close as I come to these characters
is my pronunciation of „ja“.
In the past I have heard some ridiculous ideas about
European geography! But hey, did I not know where or what Cancun was when in
high school: I did not! Does that make me a stupid German? Maybe.
We live in a big, big world. It’s okay not to know. However,
of course, we Europeans are privileged to live in this quite crowded continent
and have been learning about it from early on. Thus, it is not so surprising
that we are more knowledgeable about our own Continent’s geography than some
Americans.
I now know a lot more about America than when I was in high
school, because I have been here longer now and traveled more. I used to
believe Chicago was on the East Coast. I now know it is not.
Therefore, I don’t blame my Americans for adjusting the
Netherland border a tad bit and placing Amsterdam in Germany. After all I am
„deutsch“ and the „dutch“ are the people in the Netherlands. Oh it’s all quite close,
in pronunciation as much as in location.
I am amazed by how welcoming and interested in foreign
cultures the Americans that I have come to know, are.
From the ancient world’s viewpoint, the USA are perceived as
ignorant, invading and foolish in regards to their politics, especially foreign
policy.
However, what it comes down to is this: A country’s politics
tells a different story than its people. And therefore, in the end, Germans
love all things American: From TV Shows (Sex and the City, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate
Housewives) to celebrities (Kanye West, Jay-Z, Béyonce, Lady Gaga,) to fast
food (Mc Donalds,Burger King, Subway) to ice cream (Ben and Jerry’s Cookie
Dough) to clothes that bring the American Way of Life to elsewhere (Hollister,
Abercrombie) to you-name-it, we love it all.
Story of my life & yours:
We all love you, you great Americans!
XOXO
