Intellectual stimulation

Finally! I was able to use my knowledge of German politics, healthcare, and current events that were so painstakingly drilled into my head this past weekend. My international FaceTime partner was kind enough to invite Natalia, Amanda, and I to a party one of her social clubs was hosting in Osnabruck. I was not expecting too much as far as cultural diversity but I figured it was a way to see how the other half lives at the very least. When could I say that I went to a German house party again? It turns out that the party was interesting and I met some very interesting people. Although the differences between an American and German house party is glaringly obvious the focus of this post is not the comparison between social norms and party events. Natalia, Amanda and I were able to snag seats in the "chill" room, as it was called, and each of us began to talk to a German. Although I cannot comment on the content of the conversation between the other girls and their German counterparts, my conversation was enlightening. I had the pleasure to sit next to a man who was a 30 something year old from Munich. His age and traveling experience made him a worthy conversationalist. After pleasantries were exchanged, we began to discuss the political system within the US as it compared to that in Germany. Although we talked about the topic for many minutes the most notable quote I can remember is one in which he describes learning about the US government in grade school and how Al Gore had more votes for president nationwide yet George Bush won the election. He said he was wary of such "democracy" because the American people were not adequately represented. His knowledge of the American political system and the extent of his schooling on our elections was some what of a surprise to me. I found myself feeling inadequate because I could not say that I knew the history of his country's political system as well as he knew mine. He was impressed in fact that I knew anything at all Merkel and the recent election for president. We then switched topics to discuss American nationalism. He was interested to know that although internationally we claim to be Americans, in our own country we often say we are of European roots and not American (excluding those that are Native American origins). Natalia and I explained that we say we are Irish, Italian , Columbian, etc. when discussing heritage within the US but no one says that they are American. Although I did not have a definite answer, I tried to explain that we have a young history and that the vast amount of immigrants throughout history muddles the ability to definitely say that culturally we are American. Although culturally "confused" we are a proud nation when it comes to our freedoms, political system, and economic standings globally. Hence the lack of use of American as a nationality within its borders. Finally, we discussed global health care systems and which systems were the best at giving care to all without showering those that do not deserve the care while bleeding those that do. Our conclusion was that every system thus far is flawed and to compare one with another only leads to evidence of more corruption in each system. Although my FaceTime partner and I have talked of such topics in the past, we did not divulge into such depths. Also, it is nice to see what other Germans think. It was interesting to see how age, gender, and geographical and demographic differences between people change their understanding of the world. This interesting conversation was a surprising addition to the evening and one that will add to my understanding of the German culture and how they view my own. This has poised questions in my own mind about my own system and whether this is a system I wish to grow up in or not.