Peaches and coconuts...a nice fruit salad

Just a couple of days ago I moved to Germany. Yep...packed up and moved for two years. Why the heck not, right? That's what I told myself anyway. But in reality, I guess I hadn't exactly prepared myself for all the change. It's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. One moment this is the best possible thing I've ever done in my life, the next it's the worst. I think it's just going to take me some time to settle in and get my bearings. In the meantime, I've already learned a lot about Germany...and some of the weird things here. (Yes, I know I'm not supposed to call the customs in my new home "weird," but really is there any better word?)

First of all, let me give you the background on the title of my blog. Before I left for Germany I did take a crash course in cultural sensitivity training. And when I say crash course, I am dead serious. The trainer came to my apartment the first day at 9 a.m. and left at 6:30 p.m. I got two potty breaks...yeah, serious. Anyway, after I finished rocking myself in the fetal position from the overwhelming amount of information I had just received, I really started thinking about this concept of Peaches and Coconuts she had talked about.

Essentially, Americans are like peaches (soft and fuzzy, we can be sliced in many ways--much like the many different types of friendships we have) and Germans are like coconuts (hard on the outside and soft in the middle and "unsliceable"--meaning they have one core group of friends and then many acquaintances). Peaches, by nature, try to really get in there quickly and develop a friendship. But coconuts, typically, are hesitant to create a friendship that fast. So what happens when a peach encounters a brand new, shiny coconut...the result is often a bruised peach. Now, I'm not saying anything negative about the Germans. In fact, most of them know this analogy and agree with it. Germans just take their friendships very seriously. Americans have about a million "best friends." We toss the word around pretty easily. Nope, not saying anything negative about Americans either...I am the epitome of a peach. So, why does this concept intrigue me so much? Well, it's a pretty interesting look into a culture. Friendships and relationships are the bedrock of a society. So, of course, I am now a peach in a coconut tree trying to figure it all out.

If you want to learn more, check out this paper on the Peaches/Coconuts topic.

OK, enough of the deep stuff, right? Here are a few funny things that I've experienced so far.

1) I've paid 1 Euro 20 cents to use the bathroom. There are machines and turnstyles and everything in some public restrooms. This is brilliant! America, take note. It could be a solution to some of our debt issues...and it keeps the bathrooms really nice and clean. Although, my dad hates this concept and actually got chased by a lady for not paying. Oh, dad...

2) You are not allowed to smile on government IDs. My relocation consultant, Alexandra (who is super awesome!), told me to bring a biometric (passport) photo for my work permit. So, I got one in the U.S. at Walgreens and brought it along in my super flexy folder. When I got to the town hall to register for my permit, I handed the woman my photo and she scanned it into the machine. Super...great, no problem, right? Wrong. Apparently, you are not allowed to smile in German IDs. The machine actually kicked my photo back. I had to go to the photobooth down the hall and take a horrendous photo of myself. I'll let you be the judge, but I think I'll stick to smiling in all future photos. My boss told me he never wanted to see that photo ever again. I thought that was a bit harsh :)

3) Carnivale = Halloween + Kids Incorporated. We arrived just before Carnivale started here. It's essentially a big party (similar to Mardi Gras or Carnivale in Rio). So, my parents and I enjoyed the festivities throughout Marienplatz on Monday. All-in-all it was just like any street festival I had ever been to...fun, friendly, drinking, music. People were dressed up in all kinds of costumes, which was fun to see. The one thing that mesmerized me was these college-age kids who were dancing on stage to popular music. I'm not talking about freestyle dancing, but actual simple routines, ala Kids Incorporated. Why does this mesmerize me so...I have no idea, but I can't stop thinking about it.

Well, I suppose something new will distract very soon, and I'll be sure to post it right here. Until then, keep in touch!!!