tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76674816342139837032023-06-20T20:56:51.348-07:00Die Weltstadt mit HerzRefleksjoner fra mitt MünchenVemund Vikjordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11684139151283519534noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667481634213983703.post-27069286599019830852012-07-11T14:00:00.000-07:002012-07-11T14:11:26.569-07:00A little pre-exam reflection<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Colliding Pedestrians' Puzzle</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We’ve all been in that awkward position of walking towards a person
coming in our direction, having to decide between keeping a steady course and
deviating either left or right to avoid an uncomfortable collision or one of
those dances. It happens over and over again. One should think that a street
with a width of five meters should be able to accommodate two individuals with
an average size of 60 centimetres, so that we might avoid this unpleasant
decision-making that usually ends up in annoyance; “Why the hell did you also
turn to that side?! I specifically swerved leftwards to make it easy for you.”
For centuries pedestrians have been troubled by this puzzle: Why do oncoming
persons find it so hard to “collectively agree” in the streets, thereby
avoiding <a href="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZviTLS5jhFg/0.jpg">front-to-front crashes</a>? Let’s put this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordian_Knot">Gordian Knot</a> under the scope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp4hhlYcxYE/T_3okAF6Q4I/AAAAAAAAAB8/2p_0_4thllw/s1600/Ship+in+full+sail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vp4hhlYcxYE/T_3okAF6Q4I/AAAAAAAAAB8/2p_0_4thllw/s320/Ship+in+full+sail.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On the oceans and in the air, there are well-defined rules on which
direction to take in the case of an oncoming vessel. Size (and thus
<a href="http://www.yourefatbecauseyourestupid.com/wordpress/wp-content/themes/yrfat/images/image002.jpg">navigability</a>) of the vessel sometimes has an impact, at other times both units
are simply “obliged to turn right” – a clause which usually resolves the whole
issue. On the highways, vehicles on wheels will seldom have to play the
“chicken’s game” by sticking to separated lanes, unambiguously associated with one
driving direction. The costs involved in yielding airplanes, ships or cars the unwanted
choice of deviation would simply be too great. From time to time motor driven
vehicles do collide but mainly not due to an imprecise framework but due to
human or mechanical error. That’s a whole different story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pedestrians, on the other hand, are not guided by some universally
accepted rules for these situations. In a battle of wits we try to avoid making
the same choice as the other party – the wrong one! It’s entirely psychological;
we try to unravel the train of thought of our “competitor” by picking up on small
facial gestures, gazes, hand movements, and simultaneously convey our own
master plan. Because in this game, I win only when you win, and when we lose we
always do so together. Essentially, the pedestrians are playing a cooperative
game in which the preferred outcome is making <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">strictly different choices. </i>We can call it equilibrium when they
succeed: Both are satisfied with the decision they made (that is, the path they
took) given the decision of the other one. In other words, they would not
strictly prefer to have deviated in light of the oncoming pedestrian’s final choice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Back to the <a href="http://geomag.usgs.gov/images/faq/Q5.jpg">core</a> – why do we so often find ourselves in an awkward dance
with a stranger (no reference intended)? The intuitive thing to do approaching
someone on a street is making a quick decision about your path. However,
whenever both of you choose “the same path” problems arise. Soon enough, you
will both catch up the signal from the other individual and most likely you
will continue that path with slightly more determination. But alas, both will also
catch up this signal, getting cold feet and opting for the other path (that
will be swaying left for one, right for the other). Also this signal will be
perceived and, most likely, both will miserably try to outsmart the other one
by turning again. And before you know it you stand face to face with the
opponent, wishing you had opted otherwise. Two losers – the least favoured
outcome. Where is the flaw, the little misjudgement that leads to the
inevitable collision? Answer: Letting your decision on whether and where to
deviate be influenced by the decision of the other party. When both players
follow this strategy we have an undetermined game in which there is no telling
of the outcome. Sometimes we stray clear of the other, other times we don’t –
governed as if by the <a href="http://www.psychic-junkie.com/images/flipping-a-coin-gives-you-the-truth-of-the-matter-21350026.jpg">flip of a coin</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XRzrLfZ3bkA/T_3k3I-b0zI/AAAAAAAAABw/PONzY1jgOUM/s1600/Pedestrian1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let’s be a tad more <a href="http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39165000/jpg/_39165864_charleslong.jpg">sophisticated</a>. We consider two pedestrians, F and G,
sauntering in opposite directions on a straight road of some positive length.
There are no other objects or individuals on the road and no well-defined lanes
which to follow. Both F and G have some aversion of colliding and strictly
prefer be allowed to walk unobstructed to the far end of the street. At some
point in time, these two pedestrians observe the other party and immediately
start considering their strategy as to how to avoid collision. This
contemplation can be modelled in terms of mathematics by saying that F and G
are also the name of two functions, namely the final choice concerning which
path to take for pedestrian F and G, respectively. Allowing only two
alternative paths, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">left </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">right </i>(luckily we are not so <a href="http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/jens-stoltenberg-angela-merkel-2009-8-13-14-12-1.jpg">constrained</a>
in politics), each one would like to take the opposite path when they knew the
other party’s choice. In mathematical terms, F is a “function of G” and G is a
“function of F”, ergo F(G) and G(F). It simply means you care about the choice
of the other, creating interdependency in the strategies. So far, so good! But what
happens if we insert the expression for the G-function into the F-function? We
get F(G(F)), which to many of you simply look comical and is far from
illuminating. Follow me for a couple more steps. F(G(F)) tells us that F’s
choice of path depends on which path G chooses, which in turn is a decision
dependent on the choice of pedestrian F. And we can go further: F(G(F(G))).
Naturally, because (like we said) F still cares about the choice of G.
Moreover: F(G(F(G(F)))), reminding me of a Christopher Nolan <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inception_(film)">film</a>. What is
going on with all these parentheses? The surprisingly simple explanation is
this: Each pedestrian’s choice is a function of (or response to) the other
pedestrian’s choice (or rather: his expected choice). But his choice again, is
a response to the expected choice of the other. Basically, this is an
unsolvable problem in mathematical sense: F and G are reciprocal functions and
they yield no intelligible outcome. F(G(F(G(F…)))) indicates an endless series
of “bluff and double bluff” – who has thought the furthest? If you want some
more numerical meat on the bone, you can specify the F-function to be F(G) = –G
and the G-function to be G(F) = –F if we remember to allow only two values for
F and G, –1 (being the choice of going left, or “up” to remove the ambiguity)
and 1 (being the choice of going right or “down”). When G has the value –1,
pedestrian G has chosen to go “up” and the best response for F is to choose
–1*(–1) = 1, that is going “down”. But since no-one can decide, neither
theoretically nor in practice, we’re back at the flip of a coin and a
occasional collision.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So what comes of our Gordian knot? <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_(word)">Eureka</a>, we simply define the
F-function to be 1. Then G(F) will automatically be –1*(1) = –1, and we have reached
equilibrium of our little game, meaning that the two are taking distinct paths.
Put differently, if we manage <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> to
let our decision on where to veer be affected by the choice of the oncoming
guy, we always avoid disaster. We take a decision from the very beginning, say
“up”, and we stick to this decision with the firmest confidence, like a cold
mathematical truth, and ignore completely what the erratic other one might do. It’s
a sure success – safer than the bank – but it requires some guts and a little
confidence in the simplest of all mathematical functions: F = –1. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Or one can simply yell out “I’m choosing my left!”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667481634213983703.post-82746274993609246192012-04-15T11:27:00.001-07:002012-04-15T12:12:14.340-07:00Tredje oppdatering<link href="file://localhost/Users/Vemund/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Germanistikk, takk / Deutliches Deutsch / The Search is Over</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7f6000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Dieser
Moment</b> ist ein Scheideweg. Ich bin seit 50 Tagen in Deutschland und schreibe
jetzt meinen ersten Bloggbeitrag auf Deutsch. Ehrlich gesagt habe ich geglaubt,
dass ich noch einen Monat brauchte, bevor ich mein liebes Englisch verwerfen kann.
Aber während der zwei letzten Wochen habe ich gute Forschritte gemacht, weil
ich bei einer Familie wohne, mit der ich nur Deutsch sprechen darf. Dennoch spreche
ich nicht ganz flie</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #232323;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">ß</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">end
und würdige herzlich alle grammatikalische Hilfe. Ihr, die Deutsch besser als
ich sprechen (gilt für viele von meinen Lesern), bitte berichtigt mich! Manche
von euch beherrschen Deutsch leider überhaupt nicht; dieser Blogg könnte
vielleicht eine Aufforderung sein, diese schöne Sprache zu lernen. Die
allgemeine Meinung unter Norwegern ist, dass sie nicht für Poesie geeignet ist.
Dieses Beispiel, die erste Strophe eines Gedichts von Günther Grass, weist das
hoffentlich zurück.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Warum schweige ich, verschweige zu lange,</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>was offensichtlich ist und in Planspielen</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>geübt wurde, an deren Ende als Überlebende</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>wir allenfalls Fußnoten sind.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
</div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Der Inhalt
des Gedichts</b>, das neuerdings in der Süddeutschen Zeitung gedruckt wurde, ist
sehr umstritten. Grass bekam den Nobelpreis für Literatur 1999, aber laut
Einigen hat er mit diesem Pamphlet intellektuellen Selbstmord begangen. Wie
lang erstreckt sich die Redefreiheit? Und ist sie strenger für den einen als
für den anderen?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SlTvMDlIVrU/T4sV9aARMbI/AAAAAAAAABo/dsNo08sAOK8/s1600/tilblogg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SlTvMDlIVrU/T4sV9aARMbI/AAAAAAAAABo/dsNo08sAOK8/s400/tilblogg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Also, was
ist passiert</b> seit meinem letztem Beitrag? Das größte Geschehen ist mein Auszug
von der Studentenwohnung in der Dülferstra<span lang="DE">ß</span>e – ein ”kleines, aber feines” Zimmer und freundliche
Nachbarn, aber unappetitliche gemeinsame Räumen und zu weit vom Zentrum
entfernt. Man sagt, es wäre so schwerig ein Zimmer in München zu bekommen. Es
gibt zwar eine Knappheit von bezahlbaren Wohnungen in dieser Stadt – besonders
für studierende Jugendliche, aber wenn man eine monatliche Miete höher als €450
vertragen könnte, würden die Angebote beteutend zunehmen. Für mich war eine
Besichtigung ausreichend. Jetzt miete ich ein 20 qm. Zimmer in einer hellen und
gemütlichen Wohnung, die mit gro<span lang="DE">ßem Fleiß eingerichtet ist. Bevor ich hierher kam,
glaubte ich, dass man seine eigenen Möbel nicht bauen könnte. Arme Studenten
wie ich müssen selbstverständlich alles beim IKEA kaufen. Trotzdem, jede Nacht
träume ich süß in meinem aus Holz und Liebe handgemachten Bett! Zweitens haben
meine Vermieterin und ich einen
€20 Sessel im Flohmarkt gefunden; der hat einen hübschen Holzrahmen, aber einen
hässlichen Bezug. Was soll man tun? Man geht in einen Stoffladen und bestellt einen
neuen, grünen, popartigen Stoff. Ich fühle mich genau wie ein Innenarchitekt
(mit guter Hilfe eines Zimmerermeisters und einer Künstlerin). Kurz gesagt, ich
bin total zufrieden mit dem Wohnort und möchte sehr gern bleiben.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Ich versprach</b>, Kuriositäten der deutschen Sprache zu erklären. „Jeder
weiss“, dass ein Adjektiv in entweder der attributiven (eine rote Rose) oder
der prädikativen (die Rose ist rot) Position stehen kann. Aber auf Deutsch
könnte ein ganzer Satz attributiv stehen. „Der gerade um die Ecke kommende Mann
hat seinen Regenschirm vergessen“ ist ein Beispiel, „die in der Welt am weitesten
vom Festland entfernte Bouvetinsel gehört Norwegen“ ist ein anderer. Solche
Formulierungen sind fast nur in den Zeitungen wiederzufinden. Aber oftmals
sieht man „die von Gewürze riechende Speise“, das auf Englisch „the food
smelling of spices“ und auf Norwegisch „maten som dufter av krydder“ wird (einzelne
Schriftsteller würden vielleicht die Adjektive „aromatic-smelling“ und
„krydderduftende“ erlauben?). Und dann der Konjunktiv II, diese sprachliche
Manifestation von deutscher Höflichkeit und Präzision. Konjunktiv II hat
mehrere Funktionen in der Sprache; im Folgenden steht ein Beispiel für jede
Funktion mit den zugehörigen Indikativformen in Klammern.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Höfliche Bitten/Fragen</span></b> – „Ich hätte (habe) gern eine Semmel mit Leberkäse,
bitte!“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Irreale Wünsche</span></b> – „Wäre (bin) ich reich, würde ich eine Erdumsegelung
realisieren.“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Irreale Bedingungen</span></b> – „Wenn Napoleon die Alliierten bei Waterloo überwunden
hätte (überwand), würde heute das ganze Europa vielleicht französisch
sprechen.“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Vorschläge</span></b> – „Wir könnten (können) nächstes Jahr in die USA fahren.“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Verpasst Gelegenheit</span></b> – „Hättest (hast) du ihm schneller geantwortet,
würdest du den Zuschlag bekommen!“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="DE"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000;">Meinung sagen</span></b> – „Ich führe (fahre) lieber nach Barcelona, weil das Wetter
oftmals da schöner ist“<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="color: windowtext;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Morgen fange ich mit meinem Studium an der LMU
an, und ich bin gelinde gesagt voll von Erwartung. Hoffentlich werde ich Zeit
habe für einen kurzen wöchentlichen Beitrag zum Blogg; nächstes Mal vielleicht
auf Altgriechisch?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="color: windowtext;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="DE" style="color: windowtext;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Auf wiederhören!</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>Vemund</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667481634213983703.post-25154135359375889442012-03-25T13:40:00.005-07:002012-03-25T23:52:34.946-07:00Andre oppdatering<link href="file://localhost/Users/Vemund/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>En tidsreise / Eine Fahrt in die Zeit / A journey through ages</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #bf9000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNBajNPxv2k/T29-yyV-nwI/AAAAAAAAAAw/IcEIftvr28U/s1600/blogg1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kNBajNPxv2k/T29-yyV-nwI/AAAAAAAAAAw/IcEIftvr28U/s400/blogg1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A month
has elapsed since my arrival to Munich and a second blog entry is overdue.
Writing is indeed difficult and brevity also. I have so many impressions that
yearn to become literary expressions. The life of an Erasmus student is high
pace with capital H & P and culturally and socially very stimulating. Hence,
I will do everyone a favour by dividing my thoughts into paragraphs with
appropriate headings, so you won’t have read all in one continuous marathon (I
know how time whips us forwards from one arrangement to the next). Through the
power of my 6-megapixel HTC mobile camera I have managed to capture some more
or less arbitrary moments of my journeys and will supply the paragraphs with
photos where it seems fitting. In the long run every blog that aspires to be a
photo blog – at least partially – should be escorted by a quality camera, but
for now you have to accept grainy shadowy motives and pixels that shout ”count
me”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>AMBIVALENT
ESCALATORS</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Who would
know that these metal lazy-stairs were intelligent? In Munich most escalators
have the fascinating ability to change direction, being downwards bound in one
minute and upwards bound in the next. In the course of a day they have changed
direction hundreds of times, making them the most indecisive mechanical
constructions ever. Luckily these changes does not stem from the faculty of
free will but sensors at the two ends, automatically registering human presence.
When the escalators are idle they simply stop, and immediately become a
flexible two-way transport for users of the<i> Schnellbahnnetz </i>(the metro). Often old
people stand in one end of the stairs silently greeting people coming towards
them, but unpatiently waiting for the stairs to become empty so they can have a
swift journey the exact other way. This is German efficiency at its best: One
saves power when the escalators are idle and avoids the costs and space
requirements of two parallel escalators, perpetually going in two different
directions like interconnected cogwheels.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Herr Prof.
Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. von Fasan</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Germany is
a nation of courtesy that strongly asserts titles. In official contexts it is
expected that you refer to someone with the proper Herr or Frau, a phenomenon
that is long bygone in our Scandinavian social sphere. An example from my new regular
bridge club can illustrate this: When the results are announced you only hear
Herr Schmidt and Frau von Fehling, i.e. the gender title followed by the last
name (including any addition denoting nobility). And naturally, any doctoral
title or academic occupation is also a matter of course; twice I partnered Herr
Dr. Kretschmer and once Herr Dr. Schneider. For the time being I am only Herr
Vikjord, although Herzmeister would not be a lie. Let us put the heading under
the microscope: <i>Herr</i> denotes a male, <i>Prof.</i> denotes a practicing university
professor, an occupation that is far from easy to obtain, <i>Dr. Dr.</i> indicates
that one has at least two doctorates, <i>h.c.</i> is an honorary title one is granted
through long and momentous research and academic influcence, and the innocently
looking <i>mult.</i> denotes not less than four unique doctorates, an achievement the
very fewest eggheads can brag of! I would expect at least 5 years of intense
study behind such a title… <i>von</i> is a heriditary particle enveloped in great cockiness. It basically means that one of your
great-great-great-grandparents were fortune enough to have a peerage, either
through marriage or otherwise endeavour. And <i>Fasan</i> is the geographical place
where this artistoracy belongs. The more modest individuals who understand that
the times, they are a-changing or who do not want to create hierarchic
distance to others, simply strike the von particle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>SCHLOSS
NEUSCHWANSTEIN AND WIESKIRCHE</b></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3DAv9ERKgfU/T29-2G5aE-I/AAAAAAAAABA/Nn8V8SGd_Bs/s1600/blogg3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3DAv9ERKgfU/T29-2G5aE-I/AAAAAAAAABA/Nn8V8SGd_Bs/s400/blogg3.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3DAv9ERKgfU/T29-2G5aE-I/AAAAAAAAABA/Nn8V8SGd_Bs/s1600/blogg3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of the
cultural adventures included in the language course package from the LMU, was a
day’s trip to beautiful South Bavaria with its Wieskirche and Schloss
Neuschwanstein. The weather gods blessed this day with warmth and a cloudless
blue firmament, making it the first day of the year in which I wore t-shirt and
shorts (to the wonderment of the shivering Brazilians of the group). Wieskircke
is a great Rococo church towering in the middle of nowhere, picturesquely surrounded by the snowy Alps and the green fields of the local farmers. Its
story is one worthwhile telling, but due to the scope of my blog I will rather
refer to the homepages, <a href="http://www.wieskirche.de/eframset.htm">http://www.wieskirche.de/eframset.htm</a>.
It was a crown jewel amongst the works of its architect, renowned Dominik
Zimmerman, and has for centuries been a place of pilgrimage in Europe. The
visit of this exquisitely ornamented church left us in awe. Coaches filled with
tourists from every corner of the world come rolling in every day to let people
witness the building that was erected to commemorate the wooden statue of Jesus
that shed a tear. </span><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDVFuafwZ0M/T29-9LlIjVI/AAAAAAAAABY/jrrYEvRP3Hk/s1600/mun3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TjcMhrESWZM/T29-355SIqI/AAAAAAAAABI/8SnEtD7SG8U/s1600/blogg4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5V_kJ39Yjg/T29-5cqb9iI/AAAAAAAAABQ/fxLYWjHa7-k/s1600/bloggSALZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDVFuafwZ0M/T29-9LlIjVI/AAAAAAAAABY/jrrYEvRP3Hk/s1600/mun3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oDVFuafwZ0M/T29-9LlIjVI/AAAAAAAAABY/jrrYEvRP3Hk/s400/mun3.jpg" width="265" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ludwig II,
the fairytale king, had an uneasy life. Raised under a strict catholic regime
with an often-absent father, a mother he despised and a diet consisting of
leftovers (an intergral part of the noble upbringing), together with a
disallowed homosexuality and expectation to which he could/would not live up,
Ludwig II withdrew from society and the responsibilities of the throne to which
he succeeded at the age of 18. He had a love for German folklore and especially
the works of his contemporary Richard Wagner, which includes <i>Tristan and
Isolde</i>, <i>Parifal</i> and <i>Lohengrin the Swan Knight</i>. The swan and its symbolism had a
particular significance for the king, and it is a recurring feature in his
castle. Schloss Neuschwanstein was ordered built in the late 1860s with the
intention of creating an authentic Medieval knight’s castle. The finest
craftsmen of Germany were summoned to decorate the interior with marble, wood,
jewelry and paintings – the king would not let budget constraints be an
obstacle for the construction of his fantasy castle. In 1884 Ludwig II moved
into his new abode but would only live there for around 100 days before he
drowned in the nearby lake under mysterious circumstances, still a young man. Fortunately
no-one got the idea of tearing down the magnificant white castle built on a
steep cliff after his death, so it can still be visited. In the high season the
building complex has around 6,000 visitors per day, constituting a major
logistical challenge to the Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung. (Their solution is
simple: Tickets are marked with a specific time, for example 15:30. Every
visitor with this ticket has exactly 60 seconds to validate the ticket in a
machine and pass a gating system, before its validity expires. Ordnung muss
sein.) The destiny of a man living in a cloud cuckoo land still breathes in
Schloss Neuschawnstein; it was a thrill to be guided around through the rooms
of his castle, like walking through the chambers of his disillusioned mind.
Another curiosity, Ludwig II was very enthusiastic over the new inventions of
his age and his castle was therefore one of the first buildings in Europe with
water closets and electrical telephones. And by the way, did you all see the
castle in Walt Disney Company’s logo..? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>THE
CHOCOLATE COIN PHENOMENON</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TjcMhrESWZM/T29-355SIqI/AAAAAAAAABI/8SnEtD7SG8U/s1600/blogg4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TjcMhrESWZM/T29-355SIqI/AAAAAAAAABI/8SnEtD7SG8U/s400/blogg4.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">There is
one phenomenon every exchange student has to experience in his or her mobility
period: the Chocolate Coin Phenomenon. Have you ever been abroad and noticed
with what delightful ease you can spend the foreign currency? 90 cents, 3 euro,
9 euro, 20 euro – what does it matter? They are just digits imprinted on a coin
or a bill, numbers that hardly represent real value. This psychological effect
has to do with the subjective evaluation of money. More precisely, it takes
some time (more than one should think) before a new currency is calibrated in
our heads. We need a certain amount of training in what any given sum of money can
buy of goods and services, before we learn to use it correctly. And this is the
Chocolate Coin Phenomenon (I reserve all rights on the term), that we tend to
”overspend” during the first months of a mobility period. Any regular-length holiday would
neccessarily provoke this same effect. In my trade, Homo Economicus is the
perfectly rational, fully informed, utility maximizing individual – the
idealized man of the economists. He always know what is in his personal
interest and the best means to achieve this, an endlessly rationalizing
construction of microeconomic theory. Put simply: It’s how economists need us
humans to be in order for their models to give the right answers. (My
Statistics professor Harald Goldstein cleverly stated that ”all models are
wrong.”) The point I am trying to make is: If a correct evaluation of money is
a condition for making the right decisions (it obviously is!), and given the
scope of tourism globally, then a lot of unrational, uneconomical ”deals” are
undertaken that should never have been made. And even worse, the theories of
microeconomists modelling human behaviour are fallible! An example would
perhaps clarify: You are on a holiday in Paris, standing outside a crêperie
considering the buy of one of those delicious pancakes. Subconsciously you put
a number on your utility or benefit from enjoying it, say 20; in Norway, you
would be inclined to buy that crêpe if its price was 20 kroner or less – it is
your MWTP (marginal willingness to pay). In Paris that crêpe costs <span style="color: #222222;">€3, and without any better clue you buy it. And alas, you
are in fact worse off! Subjectively, you would rather have had those 3 euros in
your wallet than converted to a crêpe. But since this is only your
fourth day in Paris, the new currency has not been precisely calibrated in your
head. So you end up making ”bad deals”, recognized by that they make you worse
off. And I am very afraid of doing the same mistake here in Munich, spending
euros like they were made of chocolate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>THE SALZBURGER COFFEE ARTISTOCRACY</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5V_kJ39Yjg/T29-5cqb9iI/AAAAAAAAABQ/fxLYWjHa7-k/s1600/bloggSALZ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5V_kJ39Yjg/T29-5cqb9iI/AAAAAAAAABQ/fxLYWjHa7-k/s400/bloggSALZ.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A trip
abroad shouldn’t be asking too much when you live at the threshold of 3-4 other
European countries. We (the participants at this preparatory language course
I’m attending this March) went to Salzburg in Austria, a city with a very
interesting history and many see-worthy places. Salzburg literally means ”salt
city”, a name it merits. The white gold of the mountains had a significance
only paralleled by today's black gold of the ocean deep; salt was extensively used
to conserve food, a process that the vacuum packed 2012-man takes for granted. I
can leave unsaid the innumerable wars and conflicts of this region in which salt was the apple
of discord. (Remembering the bridge that Henrik der Löwe had
built over Isar, the origin of Munich; it was in fact a salt bridge for the
passage of salt transporters into Western Europe.) What has this got to do with
coffee? Nothing much, other than that Salzburg hosted a rich and influential
aristocracy. Did I mention the Turks of the Ottoman Empire who were invading
Europe from the east, but were defeated at Salzburg? They left a little part of their culture in the city, namely the traditional coffee houses. We merge these two stories and give cause to a coffee artistocracy. The
aritocrats were always provided with a glass of water to their coffee. This water,
however, was not for drinking. Self-evidently, it was for putting the spoon
into after the coffee was stirred, for artistocrats cannot put a used spoon on
the coffee plate or any other surface. So when we exchange students visited one
of these Salzburger coffee houses we were also provided with a glass of water,
an echo of former grace. The rest of the trip to Austria was a doubtful
pleasure, due to the heavy rain and the equally heavy hordes of tourists that
had laid the city under siege. Our visit to the mighty fortress on the hillside
of the city was the zenith; unlike Schloss Neuschwanstein it has been
diligently used for almost a millenium. And when the city was burnt to the
ground during a real siege sometime in the Medieval Ages, the fortress stood
unharmed, protecting the lucky ones on the inside of the walls. I could and
should perhaps also write some sentences about Mozart, but will save myself the
trouble and ask you to google him instead. He was born there. Finito.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>GERMAN
LANGUAGE</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XbSBEsCehFg/T29-0twxZHI/AAAAAAAAAA4/sFxZA2XDa0c/s1600/blogg2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XbSBEsCehFg/T29-0twxZHI/AAAAAAAAAA4/sFxZA2XDa0c/s400/blogg2.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">One of my
main reasons for coming to Germany is learning <i>Deutsch</i>. It is also the
purpose of this preparatory course I am attending; 5 hours a day, every weekday
for 4 weeks I sit in a classroom learning German grammar, syntax, semantic and
morphology. We are students from the entire world, and the only spoken language
during classes is German. Those of you who know me understand that I’m
thriving. It is an excellently logical and systematic language in which even the
exceptions seem to be governed by some hidden rule. And the vocabulary is
embarrasingly closely related to the Norwegian; very often I can make eduated
guesses concerning new words. This is a huge advangate for us that speak a
Germanic language. The Italian girl in my group asked the teacher ”was bedeutet
’zu duschen’?” Speakers of Romance languages must have such a hard time
memorizing these ’basic words’ since they are so frequent and naggingly numerous. Another thing I have noticed with delight is how often the gender of
a German noun is identical to the gender of the Norwegian synonyme. My German
and Norwegian teacher in the gymnasium, Kristin Heffermehl, told me that, as a
rule of thumb, nouns in Bokmål, Nynorsk and German have the same gender. Not
until now have I discovered the utility value of this tip. Together with the
other guidelines for determining grammatical genders, using ”der”, ”die” and
”das” correctly is hardly a problem anymore. I promise that I will present you
to a sample of language treats in a later blog entry. For now you can indulge
in this phrase in the subjunctive mood (Konjunktiv II): <i>Ich wäre froh, ob Sie
meinen Blog mit anderen Leuten teilen wollen</i>. Hopefully I will soon be able to
contribute with an entry in German, to the amusement of those who master the
language and as an exercise in dictionary use for the rest. Oh, and that carapace in the photo: The building in which the teaching takes place also serves as a museum. Moltke the Mammoth greets me every morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">A still
have many impressions unwritten but they will have to mature until my next
entry. I really appreciate the vast numbers of readers of my blog (yes, I
actually get statistics) and hope that you enjoy it, that my English is readable and perhaps also that you learn something you did not know – of Bavaria and its
surroundings, about Germany as a nation or perhaps about Economics. Until next time, grüss Gott!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>Vemund</i></span></div>
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667481634213983703.post-26408840727584951012012-03-03T06:30:00.000-08:002012-11-03T07:06:10.908-07:00Første oppdatering<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Velkommen til bloggen / Wilkommen im Blogg / Welcome to my blog</span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people</i>. Thomas Mann</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thomas Mann was a German novelist, social critic and the 1929 Nobel Prize laureate in literature. He studied at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. And that is also my main purpose for taking an exchange semester in the capital of Bavaria: to study at a university which is the alma mater of 34 Nobel laureates and whose history goes all the way back to 1472. More than anything I am humbled. And naturally, forever grateful that the Norwegian welfare state enables students like myself to travel abroad during their studies, gaining new academic and cultural perspectives. (I am sure Lånekassen won't forget it, either.)</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XU8ZNcgo-58/T1Irunof6EI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/v1akZFF-rNE/s1600/Mu%25CC%2588nchen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XU8ZNcgo-58/T1Irunof6EI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/v1akZFF-rNE/s400/Mu%25CC%2588nchen2.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Indeed, writing is difficult, especially when you are trying to juggle between three different languages. This first entry will be in English. As an appetizer, I'll start off by giving a cross-section of Munich's history and appearance. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The city of Munich’s most prominent feature is perhaps its architecture, which tells a story of much wealth. Great buildings of stone, lavishly ornamented with spires and stucco, reveal an evolution of architectonic eras – from the Gothicism, the Renaissance, the Baroque via Neoclassicism to Jugendstil. The history of the city began in 1158 when Henrik der Löwe, Duke of Bavaria, had a bridge built over the river Isar, around which a vast city would develop over the next centuries. From 1240 until 1918 the Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Munich and should take credit for its present beauty. For almost a millennium it has been a centre for commerce, trade and culture in Germany and Europe. The Wittelsbach regents spent gross amounts of money on building a city that would glimmer and leave visitors in awe. Furthermore, Bavarians are renowned brewers and beer brands with a tradition going far back are still tremendously popular, nationally and abroad. In particular the Weißbier – light, aromatic beer with a basis of malted wheat – is a hallmark of Bavarian brewing. It may be enjoyed to every meal without guilt feeling; after all, you are merely tasting a glass of the fine local craftsmanship. A curiosity, I learned that all German beer is subjected to the Reinheitsgebot (purity law) stating that only THREE ingredients are allowed. Choose them wisely… (“ehm, I want a bit of sugar, maybe some extract of orange, a twist of cinnamon, then also … whoa, I can’t add more?”)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcpQ_ogbyiU/T1M67BjexOI/AAAAAAAAAAo/7CxdP_-M12M/s1600/munchen4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xcpQ_ogbyiU/T1M67BjexOI/AAAAAAAAAAo/7CxdP_-M12M/s400/munchen4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another typical feature are broad avenues covered with bridge stone, making the network of streets open and easily navigable. As I am writing, early March, the innumerable trees and hedges are still brown and leafless from the winter but in a month’s time they will burst into leaf, colouring the city with green. Overall the infrastructure of Munich is intelligent and clean, with many straight mainlines of traffic and an elaborate system of tunnels for the metro. In Munich there are two types of underground trains, the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn. These carry citizens within the different boroughs of the city and out to the suburbs, respectively. (I'll probably elaborate on this in a later entry.) Unlike Chinese metro systems you don’t have to be a nuclear physicist to figure them out; after a week you are transporting to every corner of Munich without difficulties.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The ultimate spot for gaining that panorama overview of the city – equivalent to the Montmartre height in Paris, the cupola of St. Peter’s Dome in Rome and the Eye in London – is the belfry of Peterskirche, a 13<sup>th</sup> century church towering in the middle of Marienplatz, Munich unofficial midpoint. The bird-view photographies of Alte Rathaus known from tourist guides are undoubtedly taken from that place.</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UK7F-_MDgFA/T1M5O6aGldI/AAAAAAAAAAY/W6OVVoZq23E/s1600/munchen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UK7F-_MDgFA/T1M5O6aGldI/AAAAAAAAAAY/W6OVVoZq23E/s320/munchen3.jpg" width="213" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But Munich isn’t all about former wealth; it is still an important industrial and economic centre for Germany, and its companies provide a vital source of income for the country. Companies like Bayerische Motoren Werke (known to most as the car make BMW), Siemens, Audi, Bosch and Grundig have their origins and head offices in Bavaria, and they employ thousands of the inhabitants from southernmost German Bundesland. The charming thing is, you can almost see the pride on their faces. They know they represent the engine of the economy, the oil of the industrial machinery. Success is not an unfamiliar word to these people. And best of all, they play classical music on the metro stations over the loudspeakers. (I’m eagerly waiting for Grieg.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And this is my home for the next 6 months. I want to be moulded by this society, let myself be “germanized” – even if it entails growing a moustache or acquiring Lederhosen. I really want to peel off my Norwegian introversion, inherent from childhood. An important experience from living abroad is the adaption to a new culture with its customs, norms and language. If I have to address the lady in the bakery with “haben Sie” then so be it. There is a lot to gain from letting yourself absorb into the host country and its customs. Nothing is more humbling than to behold the mammoth successes of another people, one that earlier was just a dot on the map and a word in the encyclopedia.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I came to talk with a young German guy from Baden-Württemberg and started to enquire in what ways Bavarians differ from their compatriots. They are traditionalists, he said, for example by wearing their custom clothing when going out on Sundays. I’ve already mentioned the brewing traditions. Furthermore they are meticulous and precise, which is evident in the manifold technology industries. Perhaps the idea of Germans as a “machinery people” originates in Bavaria? And the dialect, of course, is nearly incomprehensible even for native speakers of the language. (“Bitte zurück bleiben!” on the U-Bahn sound like /bitte tsooorukk blæibn.) I’ve already given up overhearing colloquial conversation between the locals. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Valuable lessons after one week in Munich:</span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The green man of the traffic light doesn’t change to red by flashing for some seconds. He just abruptly turns red, completely without warning. So watch your steps! (The safest thing, I choose to believe, is not crossing the road at all.) </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">At restaurants and pubs, tip is always included in the final bill. Fair enough. In an economic perspective, however, it has great interest since it helps to explain why the waiters and waitresses are so indifferent in the way the serve. The idea of incentives and how individuals respond to them is pivotal in Behavioural Economics. In this case, the waiters/-resses completely lack incentives (read: opportunities of economic gain) to yield extra service. Their algorithm is simple: take the order, serve the food, pick up the payment. You rarely see a smile in between those three. When that is said, I have never experienced quicker and more efficient food serving anywhere in the world; at the best, it took 8 minutes before my order was given until the dinner was before me at the table. “Ordnung müss sein!” And by all means, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is impeccable – I wouldn’t trade that for the fraudulently smiling Swedish waitresses of Oslo. Never.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Many vendors, especially bakeries (they are on every corner!) and smaller shops, don’t accept plastic cards for payment. They want cash, either out of nostalgia, fear of skimming, naïve reliance in bills and coins (in reference to Deutsche Mark in the wake of WW1; we all know what inflation can do to an economy…), practical or financial issues in obtaining a credit/debit card terminal or simply to celebrate the authentic mercenary spirit: cash in hand, no unknown intermediary in some bank.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Munich is ideal for biking, if one is so inclined. Bicycle tracks run parallel to the roads almost everywhere and naturally, bikers expect to have free passage; more than once I’ve had to leap away from grannies on two wheels speeding in 30 km/h. I should really buy a second-hand bike soon. If you can’t beat them, join them! (It would also elegantly solve the traffic light issue.)</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The next entry will appear in a week's time, hopefully with more photographies and new exciting stories and facts. Until then, grüß Gott! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vemund</span></div>
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Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0