Journeys and Adventures

Yesterday, I shared some advice on using your travel experiences to advance your career.  One of those tips was to learn a foreign language: “Samir Prakash Sahoo [a graduate student] believes languages are the ultimate key to international success.”
   Learning languages is tough for many people, though.  There are a lot of words, new grammar structures, idioms, and in some cases different alphabets to learn and adults often don’t have the time or the patience it takes to truly apply themselves and learn a new language.  It’s tough work!
   German is the language that I’ve been learning on and off my whole life.  I haven’t been as successful (or as dedicated) as I should have been, but it’s nice to know I’m not the only one that’s struggled with the German language.
   Mark Twain, a master of words, also struggled with German—in fact, he called devoted a whole section to “The Awful German Language” in his book A Tramp Abroad.
   Can anyone else identify with this feeling about German (or any other foreign language)?
“Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp. One is washed about in it, hither and thither, in the most helpless way; and when at last he thinks he has captured a rule which offers firm ground to take a rest on amid the general rage and turmoil of the ten parts of speech, he turns over the page and reads, “Let the pupil make careful note of the following EXCEPTIONS.”
   Know that you’re not the only one struggling! There are plenty of tips out there for learning a foreign language quickly, but some that I’ve heard and agree with include:

• Learn with someone else.  Language is about talking, after all.
• Start with childrens’ books.
• Watch familiar movies and TV shows in the foreign language.

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Knut, a polar bear born in captivity at the Berlin Zoo in Germany, that became a media sensation.  He was rejected by his mother and raised by a zookeeper.  After a controversial statement by an animal rights activist to a German newspaper, the small furry creature was introduced to the world on “Knut Day” in 2007 in front of 400 journalists from the around the world.  Knut’s image has been used in commercials, there are several Knut the Polar Bear stuffed animals available, and Cuddly Knut gummi bear has become extremely popular.

   The star polar bear has become a major tourist attraction for Berlin, Germany and thousands of guests have visited to catch a glimpse and take a picture.

    Unfortunately, some visitors have also tried to touch the famous bear.  According to an article on MSN, most recently, on Friday, April 10th, a “woman, who has not been identified, climbed down a fence, over a wide hedge full of thorns and got past a concrete wall before swan diving into the murky moat where the polar bears swim.”

   She was attacked in the enclosure by an older polar bear, not Knut, the celebrity bear and was taken to Berlin hospital with bites to her arms and legs.

   No information about the woman’s motives have been reported, but the Berlin Zoo has stated that it will not be making any changes to its current securities.  One zoo spokeman is quoted as saying: “People who want to jump in will always find a way.”

   Thoughts?  Should the Berlin Zoo do more to keep people away from the polar bears, including Knut?  How much responsibility does a tourist destination have to its visitors?

Photos from Zoo Berlin.

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Garmisch-Partenkirchen, the lovely ski resort town I live in, is just 45 minutes away from Munich, the site of the “world’s largest party,” also known as Oktoberfest.  Which means that I have made it to the world’s most famous beer festival seven times and have plenty of stories about my experiences—including the crowds of singing Australians and Italians, standing outside in the rain waiting for a table to open, and the extremely long lines at the bathrooms.

   But, thankfully, Germany has plenty of other beer festivals (with beer that tastes just as good and rides that are just as much fun) to choose from that are usually a little bit cheaper, a lot less crowded, but much more traditional and with much more culture.  There’s:

• Munich’s Starkbierfest with a specially-made collection of dark beers.

• The Freimarkt in Bremen with a history that dates back to 1036.

• An International Beer Festival in Berlin with more than 260 breweries from 80 countries serving 1,800 kinds of beer.

• Munich’s Frühlingfest (Spring Fest), held on the grounds of Oktoberfest.

• And more.

   The fests are in many different cities and at different times of the year, so you might find one that will fit into your next trip to Germany.  Or, use this list to plan your next trip to Germany—hit as many fests as you can handle!

   Check out this article on Germany’s “Other” Beer Fests for more information about these traditional beer fests in a country famous for its beer.

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