Patriot Spirit

I just discovered the Obamicon.Me website. You can create works similar to those by artist Shepard Fairey. You can see his images on the left, and my stylized patriotic portrait on the right.

Happy portrait making! 

Inauguration

Thoughts...

I appreciate how Americans come together, despite differences, in an event like this. Millions of people gathered to watch the event. In Germany, we don't even have the chancellor's inauguration on TV. This is the support and excitement that I really love.

Wouldn't you love to know the conversation between Obama and his wife at the end of the festivities once they go to their new home, the White House. When they are completely alone and brushing their teeth before bed what do they look into the mirror and think?

What was he thinking when he woke up this morning? Was he more concerned about potentially having to give up his blackberry or was he more concerned about pressing issues that the average American has no idea is even going on.

Seeing the humanness of the Obama Family and how he stumbled a little during his oath makes him seem like such a real person.

What does he think when he receives his briefcase with all of his bomb codes?

I really liked the speech from Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery. His humorous ending "when Black doesn't have to get back; when Brown can stick around: when Yellow can be mellow; when Red can get ahead; and White can embrace what's right" really breaks things down. If only people could follow some of the words of wisdom, like 'be judged by what you build, and not what you destroy!'

Munich may have a visit from Obama for the NATO meeting next month. I can only imagine what chaos it could be.

New Day in America

This morning I headed to my German class with a red cardigan and a blue and white scarf for some understated American spirit. It's incredibly difficult living far away today. Not because I feel some dire urge to be standing on the Washington Mall with few toilets available (according to the news, if 2 million arrive, there is one porto potty for every 400 people). There are also freezing cold temperatures, and a very minimal view of anything other than the back of people's heads for hours on end. It's difficult because I truly miss the camaraderie. I'm certain I would be watching the events on TV, just as I will be today, but it doesn't make up for the American spirit that I dearly miss.

German spirit, and more specifically Bavarian pride, come in very different forms. There is the constant deferral of patriotism for reasons stemming from the dark past. If you spend enough time here you will soon see the pride is still alive and well. Some may even say it has ethnocentric tendencies, especially the foreigners who are constantly being reminded that they even though the law welcomes them, they will more than likely remain oppressed for several generations.

Something I truly love about America, 'the country that always lands on its feet', is that despite being a mix of cultures, nationalities, and races, there are some days and events where people unite. I realize it's not always been that way. Progress does take time, but it's nice to see that it happens.

I also realize not everyone is an Obama supporter, but to me the Americanness is something beyond him or his capabilities. I appreciate that he's a bit of a rabble-rouser and able to inspire so many, because I think Americans can be fairly passive when it comes to politics. It's also possible that it only appears that way considering how much coverage he had and how much money was invested into his campaign, but people definitely look for a positive change.

I'd rather see it as a fire lit from within and hopefully people see that they can make an impact and they are capable of more than they ever thought possible. There's a hope for something different and more freedoms for the people that make the US such a unique and special place.

I'm back in German class and it always shakes me to my core, but not because the grammar is brutal or because every noun has an assigned article. I think I learn more and question more about the social issues and struggles facing people from various cultures, nationalities, and races while I am there. I am constantly analyzing the place of a foreigner in the German world, obviously because that is something I identify with.

That is one aspect that my slightly sheltered American upbringing that I've really been able to come to terms with. Each day while I sit among classmates from places like Iran, Syria, Bulgaria, Australia, Spain, the UK, Kosovo, Brazil, Turkey, Russia, and a multitude of other cultures, I realize how fortunate I am. I am not fighting to survive. Life has been relatively easy and I know that I have two perfectly good homes. There isn't anything I am fleeing.

I realize just how blessed I am due to forces of fate, to feel safe, to have the support of my family, to receive a wonderful education and to have the ability to graduate from a university that focused on service work. It makes me feel very responsible for helping those that aren't afforded the privileges that I have.

Something Germany is severely lacking, is the inclusion of the foreigners. It's a much colder place than what I am familiar with. Here I notice so many politically incorrect things that make me cringe and an overall critical attitude towards each other. I attribute that to the fight to get ahead, or the feeling that they are being taken advantage of due to their liberal social systems. I realize in the US I have a slight bias. My social and economic circle doesn't often cross with people who don't come from similar means, which is one of the reasons I am forever grateful for this experience.

Life here can be so bureaucratic that even volunteering or being compassionate towards others isn't easy, which is difficult. Somedays I feel like I am fighting to belong and yearning for community and connections that are thousands of miles away. Here that is entirely a foreign concept. Since they had such far right leanings during the early part of the 20th century, at times I think they have tried to make amends by opening their borders even if they are resentful. I'm sure they get even more angered by the fact that Germans are not repopulating their country and fewer and fewer people are having children.

So... if you got this far, I'm hopeful that it is a year of change. Not simply for a change in politics, but a change in people realizing how much we can learn from each other and that a little compassion goes a long way.

As said in the Declaration of Independence 233 years ago:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

Reading

One thing I think is fascinating is how much things are censored in America. I still recall being in London when the war on Iraq broke on March 20, 2003. The coverage on the BBC and other British news programs was much more graphic and real than the things that were being shown in America.

My friends and I went to Speaker's Corner that weekend and discussed things with people, which was really eye opening for me. It was my first time in Europe and the fact that something like Speakers Corner existed was an interesting concept.

Sure some people are there for theatrics and rocking next to their signs declaring they had been abducted by aliens, but there was dialogue without aggression and anger. I'm a visual person so it's always nice to put a face to a cause, but it was really interesting to be able to talk to people who are directly affected.

The reason I thought of that is because I really love to read, and entering a German book store with an English section is quite an experience. The books seem more controversial and dynamic. Perhaps on occasion they are hiding in the shelves at other shops back home and I neglect them for less heavy reading. Here there are limited options, so things stand out, and if it looks remotely interesting I'll jot down the title or buy it. I'm especially partial to non-fiction, which isn't so plentiful here.

Every time I come home from the US my bags are packed to the gills with books. It's not even unheard for me to pay extra for a bag simply for this purpose. Some months I will read a book or two a week.

I never thought I would read books online, which is a bit strange since it takes that tactile quality away. I'm pretty old fashioned with things like that.

Then I came across this online book by a professor at Clemson named Skip Eisiminger. It has short stories about random things in life that resonate with me. The book is called Felix Academicus.

Maybe it's my need to read and feel like I am doing something intelligent from time to time, but I've found many universities have interesting things that are free. Even if you're not enrolled you can still take advantage of materials like this. So if you find yourself needing to read something to read you can check it out.

I'm always up for more suggestions too if you're reading something great!