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HopefullyWild posted:Edit: Anyone know a better site to use than freetranslation.com? It's okay, but really inconsistent/won't translate parts of words, etc. I really don't recommend using a translation site at all, use dict.leo.org or dict.cc to look up individual words. If you have to translate, use Google Translate.
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Feb 24, 2011 05:53
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HopefullyWild posted:
So wait, aren't you and the mum coming to Berlin anyway? I sure could send you some stuff but I don't know what and pieces of the Berlin wall would get expensive (and old) real fast.
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Feb 24, 2011 09:24
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HopefullyWild posted:Germans: Tell me everything. What's Berlin like? Anything in particular I should make a point of seeing/doing? What upsets you most about foreigners (particularly Americans)? Berlin is generally pretty laid-back (some areas moreso than others) and full of museums, clubs, music venues and movie theaters. Also places of historic interest. The major landmarks (Brandenburger Tor, Reichstag, Friedrichstraße, Siegessäule) are all more or less within walking distance to each other so you could comfortably visit all of those within a day. The Reichstag building offers guided tours, which are interesting if you're into history and politics but there's usually a gigantic queue. There's an organization that offers guided tours through some subterranean areas of Berlin, mostly old bunkers and a flak tower. I went on Tour D and it was pretty interesting how entire facilities are hidden behind regular doors in subway stations and under unremarkable grates in random streets. The museum of technology isn't bad either. Honestly you can probably satisfy any interests you have in some way here. You should definitely make a point of eating as much döner as you can stand unless you're a vegetarian in which case they all offer falafel, too. Don't go for the cheapest one but don't pay more than €3 (and in Berlin that's already considered expensive, too). My Lovely Horse fucked around with this message at 10:27 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 10:24
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Speaking of the Reichstag: Unless they've changed that recently, I could get you in real quick by a side entrance for the disabled. The wait is usually only 5 or so minutes there, sometimes even less. The downside is that I won't be that good as a tour guide as I'm deaf and you couldn't ask that much questions. (OK, we could do it pen&paper style if you're cool with that. You write, I talk. Be prepared for a godawful accent.) Oh, and it's just the roof. But the view is pretty great and you get to look at the Bundestag from above and everything. As for food, while it's both not typically German food, the atmosphere at both places is awesome: Go to The Bird (http://www.thebirdinberlin.com/) for arguably the best burgers in town. Haven't tried the steaks there but they're also supposed to be good. It's kind of moot since you're from the USA anyway probably, but what the hell. The other place is "I due forni", it's an Italian place and it has really great atmosphere. Usually it's packed to the brim, the waiters/waitresses are unfriendly, but it feels really great to be sitting in what essentially is a huge crowd of people. It's loud, but good loud. Kinda like an university cafeteria, only more intimate and with awesome food. It's on Schönhauser Allee 12, subway station Senefelderplatz is nearby. Be wary of Döner, most of those are poo poo but it's certainly all part of the Berlin experience. Just take a look at the meat, if it's all nice and layered, it's usually good. If it looks like a huge beef patty on a stick and is 1,50 or 2 Euros, skip the joint. Also you wanna try some Currywurst wherever. And if you're vegetarian/vegan, there's an OK place that offers everything you might ever desire in terms of fast food in a vegetarian or vegan version. They're OK, the fries aren't all that great but the salads rock. Also they take a lot of time to prep your order. http://www.yellow-sunshine.com/ Zwille fucked around with this message at 11:03 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 10:59
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Zwille posted:So wait, aren't you and the mum coming to Berlin anyway? I sure could send you some stuff but I don't know what and pieces of the Berlin wall would get expensive (and old) real fast. In June, yes. I'd love to surprise her with some ridiculous "I <3 Berlin" sticker or something. I found a candle with a German poem painted onto for her it at a thrift store and she talked about it for days. She really loves her country to the point where getting a present like that made her week. "It was so nice to get something GERMAN!" I think you're right - Haschenmafia. I tried Googling the night she told me, nothing. I'm going to demand a CD when I go in today. Before I left work yesterday, the mother and I had a conversation about the trip. I mentioned the orange soda/cola thing and she told me they're better fresh, but she prefers the beer and coke mix. Then (and she speaks beautifully, too) she went on this great rant about Berlin - "it compels you, it asks you a question but it waits for a dialogue, a response, it pulls you out of yourself, it forces you to be what you are, it can be very rough but sometimes we need that, the people absolutely demand your attention, etc. etc." From what she says, I really like the sound of this place. She also told me it reminds her of New Orleans, but different. Can anyone see the connection there? Also, that funny double "s" B character thing - I'm told they just stopped using that character? The mother says she refuses to write two s's instead, rants about "the old German language", etc. What about you guys? How does the change affect you?
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Feb 24, 2011 15:28
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Nope, the 'scharfes S' or 'sz' is still alive. Have a few for your trip: ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß Rule of thumb: Use 'ss' if it comes after a short vocal. Use 'ß' if it comes after a long vocal. Example: Fluss (river) and Fuß (foot) Not very helpful example: Mass VS Maß loving Prussians always get that wrong. Hot topic: Should there be a capital letter version of 'ß'? Hungry Gerbil fucked around with this message at 15:34 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 15:32
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Hungry Gerbil posted:Nope, the 'scharfes S' or 'sz' is still alive. Still alive? She said they stopped using it. Maybe she meant "they" as in "it's become popular for people to stop using it?" rather than "it was taken out of the language officially".
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Feb 24, 2011 15:35
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It's still alive. Only morons replace 'ß' with 'ss'. Don't do it. It makes you look stupid. Edit: The new orthography rules reduced the frequency of 'ß' dramatically though. Edit 2: I switched 'ss' 'ß'. Hungry Gerbil fucked around with this message at 15:42 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 15:37
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Hungry Gerbil posted:It's still alive. Only morons replace 'ss' with 'ß'. Don't do it. It makes you look stupid. Really? How so? Everything I've been reading has a lot of ßs in it. I'm confused.
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Feb 24, 2011 15:41
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That was me being stupid. It should be the other way round, of course.
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Feb 24, 2011 15:43
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Hungry Gerbil posted:That was me being stupid. It should be the other way round, of course. Oh, okay, so you agree one should continue using ß. Why do people replace it? It it a younger generation thing or is it out of laziness?
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Feb 24, 2011 15:54
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HopefullyWild posted:Oh, okay, so you agree one should continue using ß. Why do people replace it? It it a younger generation thing or is it out of laziness? By morons he meant the Swiss  But seriously though, the letter ß is only used after long vowels like he said, and after diphthongs (two vowels making one sound, e.g. "ie, ei, au, eu" etc), this was a 'recent' change (1996) so the mother probably is just set in her old ways. Unless you're Swiss then you just don't use ß ever (their language replaced ß with ss in all situations). Ziir fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 16:13
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German orthography was reformed a few years ago; there was a big to-do about it at the time and this is probably not the place to go into the various things that can be said for or against it in the aggregate or regarding individual changes, but one of the things that happened was that, officially, many words that used to have a 'ß' in them are now spelled with 'ss' instead. The standards in place for written German in Switzerland, incidentally, don't include the 'ß' at all anymore; this is not the case in Germany, however. I don't often see people get this wrong, really, unless you count people who habitually stick to the old rules. Other than that I only know one guy who does it regularly and that's because he doesn't type with a German keyboard layout and is too lazy to compensate.
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Feb 24, 2011 16:18
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HopefullyWild posted:In June, yes. I'd love to surprise her with some ridiculous "I <3 Berlin" sticker or something. I found a candle with a German poem painted onto for her it at a thrift store and she talked about it for days. She really loves her country to the point where getting a present like that made her week. "It was so nice to get something GERMAN!" I always had a soft spot for "Berliner Luft" (not the drink) it references a rather well known song about the flair of berlin in the old days (1890's). Rather catchy I'd say. So what is this "Berliner Luft" I'm talking about? It's a small metal box or can with nothing in it except, you guessed it, air. It's nothing fancy but good enough for a chuckle. While she might not be into kitschy tourist stuff, she definitely knows the song and at least for me it's far more symbolic for berlin than pieces of the wall are. As I have a couple of weeks of free time on my hands I could buy one and take it for a tour around the major sights and parts wherev she used hang out (Judging form the punk background I'd guess Friedrichshain or Kreuzberg) and send it over with a USB stick that shows the incredible one day journey the can has taken. hankor fucked around with this message at 20:23 on Feb 24, 2011 |
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Feb 24, 2011 20:06
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hankor posted:I always had a soft spot for "Berliner Luft" (not the drink) it references a rather well known song about the flair of berlin in the old days (1890's). Rather catchy I'd say. I can't tell if you're being serious.
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Feb 24, 2011 23:50
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Reading it again it really sounds strange... but I am serious and there are plenty of people selling "Berliner Luft" in various ways.
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Feb 24, 2011 23:53
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hankor posted:Reading it again it really sounds strange... but I am serious and there are plenty of people selling "Berliner Luft" in various ways. I don't have PMs but please email me because you're an awesome human being. Edit: Email removed. HopefullyWild fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Feb 28, 2011 |
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Feb 25, 2011 00:36
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I sent you a mail with what I have in mind.
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Feb 25, 2011 00:58
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That really is a fantastic idea. As an additional gag and to play off the band name, you could take it to Tiergarten or Charlottenburg and try to get a picture of the can next to a few rabbits. 
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Feb 25, 2011 08:09
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My Lovely Horse posted:That really is a fantastic idea. As an additional gag and to play off the band name, you could take it to Tiergarten or Charlottenburg and try to get a picture of the can next to a few rabbits. I doubt I can get near any rabbits while drunkenly fiddling with a camera but there is this really tasteful excotic dance club I know, where the hostesses dress in bunny outfits so that could work too. Don't worry, I already have a nice idea in mind for the bunny thing.
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Feb 25, 2011 17:51
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Die Arzte, anyone? Are they popular and well - respected or just mainstream and relatively "eh"? Which albums do you suggest?
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Feb 28, 2011 19:05
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Nah, they're just die beste Band der Welt :P Anything by them is cool I guess but if your German is bad enough that you don't understand the implications of their band's motto (see above) you likely won't have much fun listening to them. Check out some of their videos, Mein Baby war beim Frisör springs to mind as funny, as well as Manchmal haben Frauen. Their banned songs are cool too but you'll have to explicitly ask for them in stores. Vids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15nL-5pN2CI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nA93S7-kL9U Other people probably got better recommendations. I'm no huge fan of them by any means.
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Feb 28, 2011 19:18
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Die Ärzte are a very popular and respected group. Their song titles and lyrics are widely known. I am not a fan but I still know the lyrics to a few of their most popular songs.
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Feb 28, 2011 19:19
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They were absolutely huge in the late 80s and 90s, recently I think their mainstream popularity has decreased a bit although they're still very well known and regularly fill huge venues. The answer to the respected/mainstream question depends a lot on who you're talking to, you'll get both opinions. They partly started the band as a response to the super-serious "all cops are bastards" German punk rock so that's hardly a surprise. Personally I think their albums from the last 8-10 years were a tad boring but overall I can't hate too much on the guys, they have a lot of good songs and largely decent lyrics. Plus, y'know, nostalgia. Album recommendations: Die Ärzte has a lot of what would become their staple songs at shows, Die Bestie in Menschengestalt was their hugely popular first new album after a long breakup, 13 is pretty decent, and I'd also recommend the live albums, Nach uns die Sintflut and Wir wollen nur deine Seele, which are both very long and feature a good mix of older and newer songs. In addition, they're pre- and post-breakup, respectively, which makes for a big difference in sound quality, playing style and general feeling. e: I should probably explain the breakup thing if I'm going on about it like that: in their first years they had a bassist who was a dick and was consequently dumped, leaving them as a two-piece band who hired a bassist for tours until they broke up. After a few years they got back together, brought in a new bassist who was cool and contributed with his own material in a huge way, and that and the improved interpersonal relationship made for the aforementioned change. My Lovely Horse fucked around with this message at 20:00 on Feb 28, 2011 |
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Feb 28, 2011 19:29
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I'm just back from Munich. Scanned this thread for Munich related posts before going and it was really helpful. I found most people in shops/bars etc could speak English quite well and definately most under 30 could. Where they didn't, communication wasn't too hard referencing my guide book where needed. Anyone we asked for assistance was really helpful and I found the people very friendly. Munich was a beautiful city with amazing and unusual things to see down every alley - from graffiti murals to bikes parked hanging from the roof. The only thing I hadn't read about before was that pretty much everything closes on Sundays (might have been mentioned here relating to other cities etc). On the plus side it was only 1 Euro to get into Museums so we got an extra day of culture rather than consumerism. The integrated public transport system was fantastic and so cheap in comparison to the UK. In almost every place the signage was clear and easy to understand - Karlsplatz was a bit confusing though. The public toilets at the station varied between very clean/modern and well staffed to very, very not. Lots of the stations seemed to be going under renovation though so that might be temporary or due to be addressed. I had visited to go to Inhorgenta (big jewellery show) and am already looking forward to going back again next year. I think I'll try and learn some German though - especially for food - the other half doesn't eat red meat and it was quite difficult finding things we were 100% sure she could eat.
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Feb 28, 2011 20:46
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After going through 5 major cities in Germany, I still feel Vienna has the best public transportation system. Simple numbers, simple colors, and modern rolling stock. The ÖBB is way more classy than DB as well.
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Feb 28, 2011 21:26
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^^^ As far as I know Berlin and Hamburg are the only german cities that have a public transport system that truly deserves to be called a public transport.My Lovely Horse posted:They were absolutely huge in the late 80s and 90s, recently I think their mainstream popularity has decreased a bit although they're still very well known and regularly fill huge venues. The answer to the respected/mainstream question depends a lot on who you're talking to, you'll get both opinions. They partly started the band as a response to the super-serious "all cops are bastards" German punk rock so that's hardly a surprise. Personally I think their albums from the last 8-10 years were a tad boring but overall I can't hate too much on the guys, they have a lot of good songs and largely decent lyrics. Plus, y'know, nostalgia. This. But I don't really share the view that they tried to make a counterpoint to the ACAB-culture, as their brilliant album 1,2,3,4 Bullenstaat and the subsequent 5,6,7,8, Bullenstaat (which is pretty much the second best thing they've ever produced) are the epitome of creative but ultimately antiestablishment motivated german punk. While most of it is so overdone that it's clearly meant as a parody of angry german punk like Terrorgruppe (who try to be tongue in cheek but end up looking like furious idiots) I like to think that it was at least partly motivated by Bela B's roots. Having said that, the best Ärzte album hands down is "Le Frisur" it's a brilliant symbol of their progression from a band that focussed on loving with the system towards the more commercially motivated approach they have shown in the last couple of years. It's nice to listen to and still clever enough with it's lyrics that you can get something out of it. Also it's a concept album about hair which is so weird it's awesome.
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Feb 28, 2011 23:01
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hankor posted:^^^ As far as I know Berlin is the only german city that has a public transport system that truly deserves to be called a public transport. Fixed. Hamburg blows chunks compared to Berlin. At night, everyone's gotta go across loving Rathausmarkt in the middle of the city and from there it's HELLO 40 MINUTE BUS RIDE. It's super loving boring unless you're on the U3 going from Landungsbrücken at 6 AM with the sun just rising across the harbor.
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Mar 1, 2011 04:18
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You guys and your "what city is the best talk"... Cities suck.
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Mar 1, 2011 08:47
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bronin posted:You guys and your "what city is the best talk"... Cities suck. It's probably the old, settled down person in me talking, but my wife and I loved Germany for the small towns. We're going back this summer for more smaller towns. Munich and Würzburg for a few days each, but that's it for larger towns on our two week trip.
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Mar 1, 2011 14:01
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Me again. Thanks for all your responses, especially the Artze talk, super! If I left out (for the most part) formal/informal and spoke to everyone in the "formal" tone, would they be offended/annoyed? I still haven't found a German textbook I can afford, so umlauts and advanced sentence structure are kind of hard to grasp. When writing to my German penpals, I use a translator which defaults (I think) to formal. I went and saw a lovely American action movie only because it took place in Berlin. It was so  beautiful I didn't even notice the lovely plot/acting! I'm thinking about staying.  Also, I'd really, really, like more German penpals. Snail mail, IMing, whatever, let's do this! Edit: Also, also, I'm totally in love with the lead singer of Fraulein Wunder. Haters gonna hate. HopefullyWild fucked around with this message at 19:21 on Mar 1, 2011 |
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Mar 1, 2011 18:40
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loved the public transport in Munich except for the U-bahns not running all night causing me some expensive cab rides, of course Munich is the only city I've lived in with public transport besides buses.
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Mar 1, 2011 18:51
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HopefullyWild posted:I still haven't found a German textbook I can afford EDIT: What are your contact details? I'd be up for some German emailing, if you like. Das MicroKorg fucked around with this message at 19:28 on Mar 1, 2011 |
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Mar 1, 2011 19:21
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FLX posted:Have you checked out the Delfin: Deutsch als Fremdsprache textbooks? They are affordable (20€ per book) and are supposed to be really good. asdlfjsda HopefullyWild fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Mar 30, 2011 |
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Mar 1, 2011 19:33
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hankor posted:^^^ As far as I know Berlin and Hamburg are the only german cities that have a public transport system that truly deserves to be called a public transport. There is a pretty good system here in Rostock. Yeah, there is absolutely jack poo poo outside of the city and the rest of Meck-Pomm is pretty drat depressing, but it runs all night, and I can still get everywhere I need to, even living up in Warnemünde.
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Mar 1, 2011 21:31
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AlternateNu posted:There is a pretty good system here in Rostock. Yeah, there is absolutely jack poo poo outside of the city and the rest of Meck-Pomm is pretty drat depressing, but it runs all night, and I can still get everywhere I need to, even living up in Warnemünde. That's only because in every other town in MV you can just walk everywhere worth going to.  I grew up near Schwerin (which is otherwise a nicer place than Rostock  ) and I've never actually used public transport much inside the city - for the above reason - but the bus schedules for getting to Schwerin and back from nearby places are pretty terrible. For example, there are basically no buses at all on Saturdays, so good luck if you don't live in one of the places along the train lines!
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Mar 1, 2011 21:49
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HopefullyWild posted:When writing to my German penpals, I use a translator which defaults (I think) to formal. Why are you using a translator? That's pretty much the opposite of what you should do. Better to write really simple stuff, that you thought up on your own. Generally, sticking with informal is okay in most situations, unless talking to police officers or something. People will notice you're a beginner and be OK with that. I'd say always adressing pen pals in a formal way is more awkward then sometimes addressing strangers informally.
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Mar 1, 2011 21:52
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FLX posted:Have you checked out the Delfin: Deutsch als Fremdsprache textbooks? They are affordable (20€ per book) and are supposed to be really good. This is what I used and people tell me my German is pretty good for only studying it for five months. I would recommend it. hankor posted:^^^ As far as I know Berlin and Hamburg are the only german cities that have a public transport system that truly deserves to be called a public transport. Köln's is pretty good, but it might be because you get anywhere worth going on bike in 15 mins. Speaking of Köln, the Karneval celebrations start on Thursday!!!!!!!!!! Getting ready to eat breakfast with some beer. 11:11 Total Confusion fucked around with this message at 23:34 on Mar 1, 2011 |
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Mar 1, 2011 23:29
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Gold and a Pager posted:Speaking of Köln, the Karneval celebrations start on Thursday!!!!!!!!!! Getting ready to eat breakfast with some beer. 11:11 Oh no. 
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Mar 2, 2011 00:16
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hankor posted:^^^ As far as I know Berlin and Hamburg are the only german cities that have a public transport system that truly deserves to be called a public transport. The Ruhrgebiet has the best public transport system. You can get anywhere via bus, tram and train for a relatively low price with a monthly ticket and it is actually quite efficient, thanks to all the different transportation companies in the Ruhr cities working together. That's why I still don't have a driver's license and don't plan to get one.
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Mar 2, 2011 00:43
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