#23 Travelogue Germany: What’s a village?
It bothers me sometimes that in Uzbekistan I cannot proudly say that I come from a village because people have their own Uzbek idea of what a village is. So, what makes a village a village? Let me compare it with some aspects of Uzbek village life:
Farming
2% of Germans work in the agricultural sector compared to 28% of Uzbeks. German villages often have industrial zones and hardly anyone works in agriculture. Germany imports a lot of food.
Unpaved roads
Such roads are hard to find in German villages, only really between fields or in the forest.
Economy
People in a German village usually own cars, many families have two cars. This is different from cities where people can live without owning a car. In Germany it’s the richer and the poorer people living in cities. Villages are home to the country’s middle class.
---Vocab---
📍sth bothers sb = sth annoys sb 📍hardly anyone = almost no one
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
It bothers me sometimes that in Uzbekistan I cannot proudly say that I come from a village because people have their own Uzbek idea of what a village is. So, what makes a village a village? Let me compare it with some aspects of Uzbek village life:
Farming
2% of Germans work in the agricultural sector compared to 28% of Uzbeks. German villages often have industrial zones and hardly anyone works in agriculture. Germany imports a lot of food.
Unpaved roads
Such roads are hard to find in German villages, only really between fields or in the forest.
Economy
People in a German village usually own cars, many families have two cars. This is different from cities where people can live without owning a car. In Germany it’s the richer and the poorer people living in cities. Villages are home to the country’s middle class.
---Vocab---
📍sth bothers sb = sth annoys sb 📍hardly anyone = almost no one
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
#24 Travelogue Germany: Pet Republic
Germans love their pets so dearly that they are ready to buy anything for them. Go to any supermarket and you’ll find some weird stuff. Let’s take a look at three noteworthy products:
1) Heart- and Christmas-tree-shaped bird food
Do you pity our feathered friends who can’t fly to southern skies? Then hang some bird food in the trees. Let them feel your love with bird food pressed in heart-warming shapes.
2) Dog snack belt pouch
Do you educate your dog with little treats? Then keep your dog snacks handy in a belt pouch that’s easy to open and easy to clean!
3) Pet feeding machine
Do you worry about your lonely pet at home? Then get a feeding machine that you control with an app. Set the feeding time, the size of the portion and watch your pet enjoy via inbuilt camera (and mic!). 😜
---Vocab---
📍noteworthy = should be paid attention to 📍feathered = having feathers 📍pouch = small bag 📍treat (n) = delicious snack
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
Germans love their pets so dearly that they are ready to buy anything for them. Go to any supermarket and you’ll find some weird stuff. Let’s take a look at three noteworthy products:
1) Heart- and Christmas-tree-shaped bird food
Do you pity our feathered friends who can’t fly to southern skies? Then hang some bird food in the trees. Let them feel your love with bird food pressed in heart-warming shapes.
2) Dog snack belt pouch
Do you educate your dog with little treats? Then keep your dog snacks handy in a belt pouch that’s easy to open and easy to clean!
3) Pet feeding machine
Do you worry about your lonely pet at home? Then get a feeding machine that you control with an app. Set the feeding time, the size of the portion and watch your pet enjoy via inbuilt camera (and mic!). 😜
---Vocab---
📍noteworthy = should be paid attention to 📍feathered = having feathers 📍pouch = small bag 📍treat (n) = delicious snack
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
#25 Travelogue Germany: What a waste!
Waste management is a national obsession in Germany. Wherever you go in Germany, rubbish is never just rubbish. Throw your rubbish into the wrong bin and you may face some serious criticism.
What’s behind all this?
Moralism: Separating rubbish is like saying sorry for producing rubbish. Germans are good at saying sorry, for starting two world wars and everything else, too. They never want to be evil again and polluting the world makes them feel very guilty.
Precision: What kind of rubbish are used paper tissues? Paper and cardboard or general waste? Germans love discussing details and try to follow rules 100% correctly. Separating waste is done with engineering precision.
---Vocab---
📍obsession = craziness 📍bin = waste basket, trash can 📍guilty = having done sth bad 📍paper tissue = napkin 📍cardboard = strong, thick paper
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
Waste management is a national obsession in Germany. Wherever you go in Germany, rubbish is never just rubbish. Throw your rubbish into the wrong bin and you may face some serious criticism.
What’s behind all this?
Moralism: Separating rubbish is like saying sorry for producing rubbish. Germans are good at saying sorry, for starting two world wars and everything else, too. They never want to be evil again and polluting the world makes them feel very guilty.
Precision: What kind of rubbish are used paper tissues? Paper and cardboard or general waste? Germans love discussing details and try to follow rules 100% correctly. Separating waste is done with engineering precision.
---Vocab---
📍obsession = craziness 📍bin = waste basket, trash can 📍guilty = having done sth bad 📍paper tissue = napkin 📍cardboard = strong, thick paper
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
#26 Travelogue Germany: Vegans
Vegetarianism is big in Germany (close to 10% of the population), and 1.6% are vegans. Go to any supermarket and you’ll find a range of meatless meat products, like sausages, burger patties, chicken nuggets and lots more. They are usually made of soya beans. How come?
🔘 Health
The meat industry is a very dirty industry. Nobody keeps cows or sheep at home but meat comes from factories, from unhappy animals fed with hormones.
🔘 Environmentalism
People are also worried about their “carbon footprint”, i.e. how much their own behaviour leads to climate change, and meat production is top of the list.
🔘 Individualism
Try to cook a meal for any Westerner and you will find that they can’t eat this and can’t eat that. They will tell you all kinds of reasons, real or imagined, and that makes them feel special and unique. Plov for everyone? Forget about it.
---Vocab---
📍vegans = people who don’t eat any animal products, including eggs and milk
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
Vegetarianism is big in Germany (close to 10% of the population), and 1.6% are vegans. Go to any supermarket and you’ll find a range of meatless meat products, like sausages, burger patties, chicken nuggets and lots more. They are usually made of soya beans. How come?
🔘 Health
The meat industry is a very dirty industry. Nobody keeps cows or sheep at home but meat comes from factories, from unhappy animals fed with hormones.
🔘 Environmentalism
People are also worried about their “carbon footprint”, i.e. how much their own behaviour leads to climate change, and meat production is top of the list.
🔘 Individualism
Try to cook a meal for any Westerner and you will find that they can’t eat this and can’t eat that. They will tell you all kinds of reasons, real or imagined, and that makes them feel special and unique. Plov for everyone? Forget about it.
---Vocab---
📍vegans = people who don’t eat any animal products, including eggs and milk
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
#28 Travelogue Germany vs Uzbekistan: Graffiti
Graffiti belongs to urban landscapes in Europe. You can find it on walls, on buildings, in staircases and lifts, on trains and on billboards, really everywhere. Liberal cities like Berlin and Hamburg have lots of it, conservative cities like Munich have less.
The good kind
Good graffiti is when you make a boring place more beautiful or have a good message that inspires people. It brings a smile to their face and makes life better, even if just a little bit.
The bad kind
Bad graffiti is basically selfish. You just want to share your unimportant message or untalented art. Or worse, society neglects you and you take revenge for it by vandalising the public space. Ouch.
---Vocab---
📍urban = of cities 📍billboard = a big sign for advertising 📍inspire sb = give sb good new ideas 📍neglect sb/sth = not care about sb/sth 📍take revenge = do sth bad in return 📍vandalise sth = purposely destroy sth
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany #uzbekistan
Graffiti belongs to urban landscapes in Europe. You can find it on walls, on buildings, in staircases and lifts, on trains and on billboards, really everywhere. Liberal cities like Berlin and Hamburg have lots of it, conservative cities like Munich have less.
The good kind
Good graffiti is when you make a boring place more beautiful or have a good message that inspires people. It brings a smile to their face and makes life better, even if just a little bit.
The bad kind
Bad graffiti is basically selfish. You just want to share your unimportant message or untalented art. Or worse, society neglects you and you take revenge for it by vandalising the public space. Ouch.
---Vocab---
📍urban = of cities 📍billboard = a big sign for advertising 📍inspire sb = give sb good new ideas 📍neglect sb/sth = not care about sb/sth 📍take revenge = do sth bad in return 📍vandalise sth = purposely destroy sth
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany #uzbekistan
#29 Travelogue Germany: Corona, corona, corona
The virus is back in Uzbekistan and the question is how crazy do we want to be. As crazy as Germany? Read this for a comparison.
Social distancing …
… is everywhere and you notice people almost jumping away from you. I got shouted at by a lady for jumping the queue in a post office. Actually I just didn’t notice any queue because people were standing two metres apart. Supermarkets and shops can only take in a certain number of customers, based on the floor area.
Masks …
… are worn inside public places. Outside it’s okay not to wear a mask unless it’s in a busy city centre where signs tell you to wear one. Even if you pull your mask down just a little bit under your nose you’re in trouble.
Disinfectant …
… is provided everywhere. People use it when entering supermarkets, almost like holy water in a church.
---Vocab---
📍jump the queue = not waiting till it’s your turn but push in before others
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
The virus is back in Uzbekistan and the question is how crazy do we want to be. As crazy as Germany? Read this for a comparison.
Social distancing …
… is everywhere and you notice people almost jumping away from you. I got shouted at by a lady for jumping the queue in a post office. Actually I just didn’t notice any queue because people were standing two metres apart. Supermarkets and shops can only take in a certain number of customers, based on the floor area.
Masks …
… are worn inside public places. Outside it’s okay not to wear a mask unless it’s in a busy city centre where signs tell you to wear one. Even if you pull your mask down just a little bit under your nose you’re in trouble.
Disinfectant …
… is provided everywhere. People use it when entering supermarkets, almost like holy water in a church.
---Vocab---
📍jump the queue = not waiting till it’s your turn but push in before others
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
#30 Travelogue Germany: m/w/d
I saw this truck in Berlin. Someone was delivering parcels. So far so good. But then I saw “Colleagues wanted”, encouraging people to apply for a job with DHL. It took me a long second to realise what “(m/w/d)” stood for – it’s “männlich/weiblich/divers”, i.e. “male/female/diverse”.
Diverse. Who is diverse? Besides men and women who else is there to apply for a job? Animals? No, it’s people with gender issues who feel that they are neither a man nor a woman or both or changed or changing or changeable or… It’s complicated!
Why?
Choice
Westerners accept nothing as fate and want to choose everything. Some of them not only their lifestyle but even their gender.
Pluralism
Minorities of any kind should be respected and never discriminated against.
Decadence
Life in the West is comfortable and people don’t struggle for survival. They have time to think about their gender.
---Vocab---
📍diverse = different from each other
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany
I saw this truck in Berlin. Someone was delivering parcels. So far so good. But then I saw “Colleagues wanted”, encouraging people to apply for a job with DHL. It took me a long second to realise what “(m/w/d)” stood for – it’s “männlich/weiblich/divers”, i.e. “male/female/diverse”.
Diverse. Who is diverse? Besides men and women who else is there to apply for a job? Animals? No, it’s people with gender issues who feel that they are neither a man nor a woman or both or changed or changing or changeable or… It’s complicated!
Why?
Choice
Westerners accept nothing as fate and want to choose everything. Some of them not only their lifestyle but even their gender.
Pluralism
Minorities of any kind should be respected and never discriminated against.
Decadence
Life in the West is comfortable and people don’t struggle for survival. They have time to think about their gender.
---Vocab---
📍diverse = different from each other
👉@afandi_english👈 #travel #germany