Things that amaze me about Germany...

Near the Reichstag

1. How do they wash their hands with the soap and paper towel dispenser provided with not a single tap of water to be seen anywhere nearby??

I suppose the wash basin could be inside the cubicles but I didn't see any water pipes or tubes connected to them at all.



Bebelplatz

2. The irony of having the Nazis burning 20,000 books right outside the Humboldt University, from which 29 Nobel prize winners came from.

I must admit, the geek in me was alerted and gave a little leap in response when I saw the list of names that were part of the university's alumni. The list includes:
Alexander von Humboldt- natural scientist and Geographer!
Georg Hegel-Philosopher
Heinrich Heine- Poet
Otto von Bismarck-First one to unify all the German states
Albert Einstein- Jewish German who taught physics there. He later fled the country during the Nazi occupation to the U.S, where he came up with the equation to build the atomic bomb that ended WW2. Strong sense of 'Karma' operating there.
The Grimm brothers- Without whom we would never have amazing bedtime stories and get introduced to Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel etc...
Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels- The ones who give many students (including my whole Honours class) a mighty headache and incur frequent curses as we all struggle to comprehend the idea of Structuralism/Marxism/Socialism. (*%#$@!!)



Outside a shopping centre, Berlin

3. How silent it is when snow falls.

It may not be obvious but I took the above picture when it was snowing heavily on New Year's Day in Berlin. Up til now I still feel quite amazed at how silent snow is compared to rain. Somehow, falling snow blankets away all the sounds of the city and manages to make everything seem so quiet and peaceful. (My friend says it's an eerie silence but I beg to differ.)



Old Bridge, Heidelberg

4. No matter how important the person the statue is of, be it a Greek God, a Hero or a Prime Minister, there will always be a bird who will perch itself comfortably on top of the head and shit on it.

Simply put it, Shit happens to anyone regardless of status, age, gender or class. haha.


Outside a Butcher's shop, Munich

5. How incredibly obedient and well-trained German dogs are.

I have seen dogs on the train, on the bus, even in the middle of a shopping mall! They will just sit quietly by their owners' side without barking or moving an inch. The huge Retriever I saw in the shopping mall was just lying alone in the middle of the walkway while its owner went off browsing for shoes. It didn't move its position at all but just laid there peacefully as hordes of shoppers manoeuvred around it. It was only when the owner came back, tap his leg once, when it lifted its giant body up with a jerk and started to follow him out of the store.
The Terrier above was waiting patiently outside the butcher's store while its owner was happily purchasing sausages inside. I'm really surprised that it did not leap and start pawing the mountains of meat and sausages hanging seductively around the store!




Plaque citing the fall of the Berlin Wall.

6. How a country like Germany can become one of the strongest European economies when it's capital was still economically/socially/ philosophically/physically divided less than 20 years ago.


Jewish Museum, Berlin

7. Last but not least, how is it that there can still be a thriving, growing and prospering Jewish community in a country that strove to eliminate and succeeded in 6million Jewish deaths less than 50 years ago??!!

The only explanation I can give is that it is because they are God's people. God has really let them keep the flame burning despite all the odds. For an idea of how well the Jews in Germany are doing, I would add that they now have a new synagogue in Berlin with its dome capped in Gold and the Jewish Museum is the only museum to have Apple ipods for its visitors to listen to the commentary. To me, it just screams "$RiCH!!!$"