Kultur 3 - Victor Wang

I was really surprised to read that Germans are crazy about organic food. It makes me wonder what they are doing in Germany that people in the US aren't doing right. I guess it does make sense when most of the mass produced food that reaches the grocery shelves is unappetizing, but the Germans apparently look towards having a healthy life. I think that it's something that Americans should learn a thing or two from. When it comes to food, Americans shouldn't go for the cheaper, faster options. They need to take their time and strive for quality.
On the other hand, the articles about the consumption of beer in Germany made me laugh and think. I really liked Spiegel's breakdown of the different kinds of beer, complete with a hangover risk rating and  the drinking etiquette. As a non-drinker, I don't think I can appreciate the different types of beer, but the descriptions amused me a lot. With regards to the crackdown on public drinking, I think that it's something that would benefit society as a whole. I can understand drinking if you're going into town or getting off work, but I was shocked when I read that construction workers sometimes take a beer or two during their lunch breaks. I think that it would be dangerous to operate heavy machinery after some libation. In a way, I think that Germans see the public drinking issue like how Americans see the gun controversy. Some claim that it is a right, others say that it is a danger and nuisance. Either way, I have to applaud the Germans for coming up with some pretty innovative ways of working to control or contain public drinking.
Finally, the humor and pessimism articles made me think about myself. I'd say that the Germans are pessimistic because they try to expect the worst outcomes so that they would never be too disappointed. However, just because you are expecting the worst doesn't mean that you need to behave like everything is going downhill. I myself expect the worst to happen in most situations but I still somehow try to stay cheery because life does go on. There really isn't much point in being unhappy or critical all the time.