the dos and the don'ts.

in addition to reading up on websites, i've been talking with friends about the customs and culture of germany, trying to find out what i should be advised of before my trip. a few things i uncovered, that may or may not be exaggerated:

-eye contact is of utmost importance, even more so than in the states. required even.

-punctuality is negotiable to an extent. never be early, but you can be up to 15 minutes late (this is actually great for me, as i'm notoriously late to everything).

-while eating, there are all sorts of fork/knife/spoon rules, but most prominent seems to be the rule of having hands on the table/in view, and not in one's lap.

-being invited into someone's home is an honor - bringing a gift is considered a nice gesture, but if you bring wine, bring italian or french, as german wine is considered an insult. (or better yet, bring a few bottles of sonoma wine in your suitcase.)

-small talk doesn't fly in german culture. when you ask someone how they're doing, expect an honest answer. in fact, germans are generally outspoken and forward about thoughts and opinions, and don't avoid stating such to spare feelings.

anything important i'm missing? any of these things that are totally incorrect?

learning a new language.

german is not an easy language to speak, and i am learning this the most difficult of ways. although i've had an interest in studying german for more than a decade, it is the upcoming trip that has shot me into gear. however, with such a short amount of time to prepare, i am failing so hard at learning anything substantial. i believe fully in immersion, but listening to german phrases (mind you, phrases that normal people don't even say on a regular basis) on tape and cd doesn't really stick in my head, so i've pretty much given up hope, for now (although i'm hoping to finagle room in my schedule this fall to take an introductory german course in the midst of all my graduate school work).

anyway, it's not that i'm worried about not understanding people or being understood; i'm told most germans speak english (well) and i'll have a german speaker at hand should i encounter someone who doesn't, but aside from feeling like that asshole american who doesn't speak the language, i feel like i'm missing part of the cultural experience. unfortunately, not much can be done, although i'm going to give the "learn german by music" cd a fair chance before submitting myself to complete failure. otherwise, my handy german-english dictionary will have to suffice.

it's a reality!

i just purchased my plane ticket to germany and needless to say, i'm super stoked. not to say i wasn't before, but it feels a bit more real and final since i actually have the tickets in my hand (and i mean that in the most virtual of senses). i'll be leaving san francisco on may 12 and coming back on may 24. my primary destination will be cologne and i've already begun compiling a list of places i want to go and things i want to see, although to be honest, i will probably be entirely happy just spending time with johannes and going the places he takes me. so if you see me around in the next few weeks and i can't stop smiling, this is probably the reason why.