Last night I attended a birthday party with my best friend,
who grew up in Germany and serves in the German military. It was surprisingly
similar to an American party, with cake and balloons. However, you are not
allowed to say ‘Happy Birthday’ until midnight, which I learned in German class
but unfortunately forgot in the moment I met the birthday girl… I apologized
profusely and she didn’t seem to mind. It might be a tradition that is less
important with the younger populations. I also discovered Feigling, which are
tiny bottles that you take like shots. You bang them on the table, twist them
open, put the cap on your nose, and shoot them with everyone. They are
delicious and my friend kindly got me some to bring back to America!
I was shocked, also, when I saw the bar and strip club
region of the city. I have never
seen so many sex shops in my life, in addition to a street filled with
prostitutes that women are not even allowed to go on lest they be confused for
one. This brings back the idea of how comfortable the Germans seem to be with
sex – while I don’t mind it from a medical standpoint, I did mind it from this
social standpoint. I also had the opportunity to see more cultural aspects,
including the older parts of town, the Town Hall, and the harbor. I visited a
Christmas Market and did some traditional German stuff, including having
Glühwein and Franzbrötchen and buying a nativity scene. Overall, my visit with
my friend gave me a better insight into daily culture of German youth, and was
definitely a refresher after a week full of learning! I was glad to see
Hamburg, since in my opinion it is the prettiest German city I have seen by
far!
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