51Թ’s Office of Global Education has recently wrapped up their series of Cultural Cafes for the 25-26 school year. The Germany-themed Cultural Cafe took place on Wednesday, April 22 12:00 pm- 1:30 pm.
April’s Cultural Cafe featured Emilia Pekarek, a Ph.D. student from Germany giving a presentation on aspects of German culture that may not be as well known. She was inspired to give the presentation after realizing the cultural difference in humor after arriving in the U.S. Emilia loved the idea of the event, being able to share her culture and some of her favorite dishes from home.
The presentation covered various parts of life in Germany such as the six political parties, Germans’ love of recycling, the standards for tufts of a toothbrush to withstand 15 newtons of force, German regulations on staircase steps and handrails, “Betretungsrecht” a law that allows free hiking in forests, the German Autobahn system with its lack of speed limits in certain areas, the German Purity Law that limits ingredients in beer, the country’s 3,200 officially recognized bread types - with a specific bread for each region, and the country’s love of asparagus.
The offerings at the Cultural Cafe included; Apfelkuchen mit Streuseln (apple streusel), Black Forest Cake, Potato Salad, Wiener Schnitzel with Chicken, and Allgäuer Käsespätzle (German cheese noodles).
At the end of the presentation Emilia invited guests to play a game to guess literal translations of German sayings.
After the presentation, I talked to Emilia a bit about the event and her home country. When I asked her if there's anything else she wants people to know about Germany, she told me that Germans are often friendly and loyal when you get to know them. One of the examples she gave was how it is a tradition in Germany for friends and family to help someone move, often in exchange for food and beer instead of cash. Germany also has many historical buildings and a lot of art history.
Emilia recommends those who want to visit Germany to visit the capitol, Berlin, as it is the most diverse and lively city in the country. She also recommends visitors to check out the German countryside, which is full of castles and old towns.
As for the food featured at the event, Emilia said that she wanted Allgäuer Käsespätzle featured because it's a comfort food for her that her mother-in-law would make.
Emilia is very thankful to be here studying at 51Թ and has enjoyed her time in the U.S. She mainly misses her friends and family back home, as well as the bread.
