German Notes

■山东淄博实验中学 仪明哲

Germany is thought to be a country of music, fairy-tale castles and Gothic cathedrals. Before I actually went to Germany, I found that everyone had his own idea of the country.

The first thing that astonished me was that Germany has an advanced transportation system. Air planes, trains, and buses link all of the cities. Isn't it amazing that there are so many trains coming in and out of Frankfurt in a single day that you can count them on a minute-scale?

The poverty of my words fails to give a thorough description of the beautiful landscape of a mountain village where I resided called Clausthal-zellerfield. The blue sky served as a field for the roaming clouds, and occasionally came a trespasser—the jet. The road below actually looked like a snake winding through the town. Hmm, where did this fresh air come from? The Germans do an exceptional job in environmental protection. I can scarcely name two or three places without trees, let alone grass. What gave me a long-lasting impression were the houses: two or three story mainframe buildings with small attics on the roof and gardens at the back.

Despite all the glamour of high technology, Germany doesn't have big problems of pollution. This inconsistency haunted me for a long time and finally I found the answer, in two words: action and regulation. One notable example is the regulation on charging water fees. Germans have two options of measuring the water used in a resident's house: one to measure how much water used, the same as anywhere else in the world, the other to record the amount of water wasted. The effect of this regulation is significant as it constantly reminds people to keep an eye on their water usage. Salt is commonly used to melt ice in winter around the globe including in Germany. No salt is used in the urban street since the salt would damage underground water by sinking into it. I also wondered why the garbage cans come in a variety of colors. I discovered that different colors actually represent different types of garbage stored inside the cans. The aim is to recycle all the reusable waste. According to the locals, this regulation was passed due to the voice of people. One resident told me with pride:"People are the most powerful voice!". The words struck me. We have only one Earth; it might be too late to cry over spilt milk.

My parents registered me at a local school. All the way to school I wondered what the students would look like, how they were going to treat me... These thoughts gave me a headache! Contrary to my expectations, German students were very friendly; a crowd of them huddled around me, asking me numerous questions. They were, however, ordered to be in their proper places by the home group teacher. The first lesson I had was history. With my poor understanding of German at that time, it seemed a bit like "a walk in the clouds". Some of my classmates took me out to play Ping-Pong during the breaks. Ping-Pong is a favorite among many German youths, although football is also high on the list. Some of my classmates were awfully good at Ping-Pong!

Differences also showed up in education between West and East. German teachers gave few instructions and encouraged the students to tackle the problems by their own. Chinese teachers are generous in giving instructions. Examinations are not of paramount importance in West, whereas in East you can see endless tests in school.

"Did you have lunch? " is a question most frequently asked by Chinese. From the time I arrived in Germany, I felt a sense of uneasiness because nobody ever raised the question in front of me! German youths don't take breakfast at home and their meals are quite simple. Pizza, bread and butter are their major sources of energy. Germans normally go to bed early in order not to get a late start the next day. Their schedule is tight, leaving people little spare time to enjoy life. "No pains, no gains" is a motto of many Germans.

How time flied! One year in Germany barely enabled me to continue my understanding of this glorious nation. Germany gave me a deep impression that won't be erased for a long, long time.