Kultur 5 - Victor Wang

When I was reading through "Rules of the Street," I was very amused. The environment in the streets of Germany reminds me of the streets of Manhattan. On the island, everyone seems to be in a rush sand their walking pace is at least twice as fast as the normal stroll. However, in most cases, I think that people would apologize in New York, even if they muttered it underneath their breath. Whereas in California, considerably fewer people walk on the sidewalks. If we do bump into another person, which is unlikely given how wide the sidewalks are (honestly, even the chances of bumping into cyclist is low, though that may be because cyclists share the roads with cars), we do make sure to say we're sorry.

When I read the article on the Klofrau, I was less surprised than I guess I would have been. In some parts of Asia, especially Hong Kong, there are people who have the exact same job description as the Klofrau, except they are usually meaner and can bully a tip out of you if you dare to sneak out without paying. Their service has less to do with cleaning the bathrooms and more to do with providing amenities such as scented towels or holding your stuff while you do your business. While I think that these people make the restroom experience more enjoyable, albeit slightly awkward, they do deserve some sort of award for cleaning up after people all day.

I felt like the articles about women and flirting were very interesting. First, the article about women in German society made me think that German women are far better off compared to American women. This came as a surprise because it went against my preconceptions of Germany as a stiff, male-dominated society. But then again, this is Europe that we're talking about. Europeans seem to know how to handle social situations better than Americans can. The flirting article made me laugh. After living in Taiwan for two years, I have come to accept that there is no genuine romantic life on the island. Comparing the subtle ways Germans flirt to the romantically clueless men and women of Taiwan is impossible.