Adventure Bag

Please Visit My New Blog

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:16:40 -0600

Due to technical difficulties with this blog, I have created a new blog. You will find my new blog at www.FountaineOnline.blogspot.com. Please visit!

The Top Ten Things I Will Miss About Deutschland

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:17:53 -0600

We only have two weeks left in Germany. Time has flown by and we have enjoyed every moment we have spent here. So, here are the top ten things (David Letterman style--in reverse order) I will miss about Deutschland.

1. The unbelievably beautiful flowers (in the proper season). From the time we first arrived in September until well into October, we saw beautiful flowers everywhere.

1. Christmas markets. Again, these were seasonal, of course, but they made our December memorable.

1. Fresh bread every day. Bakeries everywhere.

1. Everything within walking distance. Although sometimes I wish I could get in the car and get somewhere quickly or use the trunk to haul groceries home, it is nice to not have to worry about traffic, clearing snow and ice off the car, etc.

1. Amazing Bavarian restaurants. Especially Schinner’s, which is our favorite.

1. Awesome little neighborhood stores with extremely friendly people who try their best to communicate with us despite our German language shortcomings.

4. Markets with fresh food all the time.

1. Ritter Sport Pfefferminz.

1. The Deutsche Bahn. By far, my favorite thing to do is ride on trains, particularly during the daylight hours so I can view the beautiful German countryside.

1. And the number one thing we will miss about Deutschland is . . . the people we have met--friends, colleagues, students. The people of Germany have been amazingly welcoming and have made us feel at home here from the moment we arrived.

P.S. If I were a beer-drinker, I would have said beer. I know that Paul will miss the bierkultur!

The Top Ten Things I Miss About the USA

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:10:43 -0600

We’ve been away for almost six months now, and people are always asking us what we miss most. So, here are the top ten things (David Letterman style--in reverse order) I miss about the USA.

10. Certain restaurants, such as American Chinese restaurants, BBQ restaurants, Chipotle, our neighborhood Thai restaurant, etc. But, the reason this is number 10 on my list of things I miss is because there are a lot of really, really good restaurants here to fill the gap.

9: American chewing gum. Yes, we can get gum here, but it’s different.

1. English bookstores. Although some bookstores here have small English sections, these sections are extremely limited and contain mostly only books we have already read. I really miss being able to browse in bookstores.

1. Driving. Although I have enjoyed the hiatus from traffic and related stresses and am especially glad I don’t have to clear the ice and snow off of the car every day, I do like to drive occasionally and I really miss the convenience of being able to hop into the car and run errands. I especially miss my car on rainy days.

1. Really good Mexican food, especially guacamole. This gets special mention apart from the general discussion of restaurants because there really is no good substitute for yummy TexMex. (Like the Bowling For Soup song Come Back to Texas says, “ . . . besides the Mexican food sucks north of here anyway.”)

1. Movies! In English, of course. And, certain TV shows, like 30 Rock and The Office and a few others. Although it is good that we have become very accustomed to not watching TV very often, I miss being able to just turn on a TV show or go to a movie whenever I want to.

1. Target!

3. Ice in drinks.

2. Hearing English all around me.

1. And the number one thing I miss about the USA is . . . my family and friends and Willie (my dog)!

Decline in Minority Enrollment in U.S. Law Schools

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 13:57:04 -0600

A study conducted by Columbia law school’s Lawyering in the Digital Age Clinic and the Society of American Law Teachers (SALT) reveals a decline in U.S. law school enrollment by minority students. The study found that over the past fifteen years, the percentage and raw number of African-American and Mexican-American law students declined despite increases in LSAT scores among students in these groups, despite an overall increase in the number of first year law school seats (which expanded by about 3000 primarily due to the creation of 24 new law schools), and despite the United States Supreme Court’s holding that race is a permissible consideration in law school admissions because enrolling a diverse student body is a compelling state interest. LSAC data showed that 61% of African-American applicants were rejected at every law school to which they applied, 46% of Mexican-American applicants were rejected at every law school to which they applied, but only 34% of white applicants were rejected at every law school to which they applied.

The details of the study are reported on the website A Disturbing Trend in Law School Diversity. The New York Times reports about the study here. Columbia Law School reports about the study here.

Best Sausages in the World

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The search for the best sausages in the world is over. And the winner is . . . Nürnberger Rostbratwurstküche at Werner Behringer Original Nürnberger Rostbratwurstküche in . . . you guessed it! . . . Nürnberg. In addition to these delicious sausages, there are a variety of sides. We had the potato salad and the potato soup. Both of the sides were delicious too. But, it was the sausages that stood out! They are cooked over an open beechwood fire using an interesting technique. The sausages are first cooked over a hot, but flameless part of the grill. Then, just as they are being taken off the grill, they are rolled through an open flame for a few seconds. Mmmm.

RIP Frank Walwer

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 08:16:57 -0600

Texas Wesleyan’s former dean Frank Walwer died on January 1, 2010 after suffering injuries from a car accident in Bradenton, Florida. This story provides some details about the accident. To those of us who knew him, the way he died was rather ironic to say the least. He was only 79 and was reportedly in good health and enjoying his well-earned retirement in Florida, where he lived with his wife Mary Ann.

Frank was the dean when I came to Texas Wesleyan. He is the one who recruited me to take a chance on Texas Wesleyan and help build the law school. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve made, and this is in large part because of the opportunities Frank Walwer gave me once I arrived at Texas Wesleyan. Although I was a very new faculty member with only a little teaching experience and no administrative experience, he appointed me to important committees and entrusted me with various responsibilities that enabled me to gain experience in many aspects of law school administration while developing as a teacher and scholar in a supportive environment.

But, oh!, he could be frustrating! Two stories about Frank stand out in my mind:

Near the end of my first year at Texas Wesleyan, I was summoned to his office for my very first faculty review--in which I expected to hear the news about whether I had been retained for another year as a faculty member . . . or not. I had no idea what to expect during this meeting, and was a little nervous. Frank had a very somber expression and began the meeting by saying “This is the part of my job that I like the least and I’m very sorry to have to bring this news to you . . .” Then he paused just long enough for the blood to run out of my face, before he continued with a laugh and a giant smile “ . . . but the faculty has voted unanimously to retain you for next year.” I couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that he was able to have such a fine laugh, albeit at my expense. And I’m sure he had no idea what had transpired in my mind during that few seconds that he left me hanging . . . or maybe he did. What a great sense of humor he had!

The second story is about a very long meeting. He was famous for conducting long, long meetings, but this one was record-setting. We were looking to hire a new admissions director (our previous one having left mid-way through the year) and I was invited to participate in the interviews because I was the chair of the admissions committee. We decided to conduct interviews at the LSAC’s annual meeting in May, which was held in Tuscon, Arizona. We lined up several interviews and had planned for each to last less than an hour. We stayed more or less on schedule with all but the last candidate. We kept the last candidate (the one we ultimately hired) for FIVE hours! I’m using the word “we” loosely because it was really Frank who kept the candidate for five hours. He explained every aspect of our administrative structure, of our admissions department, of admissions generally, of legal education generally, and of everything else. It was an amazing learning experience--a thorough primer on legal education administration--if not an endurance test (for not only the candidate, but for all of us participating in the interview). This was quintessential Frank Walwer, and I’m glad I got to witness it.

He was incredibly competent, warm, and endearing. He was a seasoned administrator who knew what needed to be done and made sure everything was done properly. Without him, we would no doubt have languished in the accreditation process for much longer than we did.

He was an asset to the legal profession, to legal education, and to Texas Wesleyan. He will be missed. His death makes me sad for missed opportunities to stay in touch with him, and it reminds me not to take friendships for granted.

UPDATE: See this obituary in the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

Welcome to the All-New-For-2010 Adventure Bag

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 04:20:08 -0600

It’s a new year and a new decade, so I decided it was time for some changes and improvements in my blog. After all, we Americans like things that are “new and improved” and thus we take any and every opportunity to update, change, and improve things so we can label them “NEW AND IMPROVED!”

The most significant and obvious change is that I’ve decided to streamline and simplify my website by making only one blog; so I’ve combined “The Issue” with “Adventure Bag.” I have duplicated most of the posts from The Issue made after October 1, 2009, and reposted them with their original date in Adventure Bag. The remaining posts that are unique to The Issue (i.e., the ones from before October 1, 2009 that I did not duplicate) are now archived and can be accessed at The Issue Archive. I kept intact My Bookshelf, where I post my thoughts about books and movies, and My Photo Albums. In addition, I continue to blog at the Civil Procedure & Federal Courts Blog.

The introduction to the original Adventure Blog said:
“Over the years, as our family traveled around the country, we always brought along our “adventure bag,” in which we would stuff everything we needed for the each day’s adventure: camera, maps, books, snacks, sunscreen . . . whatever. This blog is named for that adventure bag!
In Adventure Bag, I’ll talk about adventures of all sorts--long and short, big and small, exciting and mundane, actual and imaginary. My plan is to step onto the road and not worry about keeping my feet; there’s no knowing where I might be swept off to.”

This is still the philosophy of Adventure Bag, but in combining my two blogs, I am simplifying my blogging life and recognizing that life is all one big adventure, after all!

So, welcome to the All-New-For-2010 Adventure Bag. I hope you enjoy it. As always, I am honored by your readership and grateful for your comments.

Take your hands out of your pockets, Mr. President!

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 10:06:50 -0600

I recently participated in an intercultural workshop in Germany in which the German participants emphasized that Germans and others are highly offended when someone puts their hands in their pockets while having a conversation. It implies a lack of interest or a lack of sincerity. Hands in pockets can also convey the message that the person has something to hide or that the person is taking an especially casual approach to the conversation (which seems especially inappropriate in the above photo in which President Obama is depicted while being briefed by his counterterrorism advisor).

And, check out President Obama’s body language in this photo:

SNOW!!

Mon, 4 Jan 2010 08:05:05 -0600

Another New Year: Looking Back; Looking Forward

Fri, 1 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0600

The years are passing faster than I would like. However, we had one of our best New Year’s Eve (called “Sylvester” here in Germany) celebrations ever this year. Our friends, Carolyn, Revvie, Carlee, and Austin Green, and Alyssa Davis were here to help us celebrate. We went to our favorite Bayreuth restaurant, Shinner’s, and had a fabulous Sylvester dinner with great conversation, festive food, and even sparklers on the table! Then we came back to our apartment and watched spectacular fireworks from our balcony and toasted the new year.

Here in Germany, New Year’s customs center on ensuring good luck for the new year. So, chimney sweeps, pigs, mushrooms, four-leaf clovers, and lady bugs--all symbols of good luck--abound. Maggie and Charlie carried out our New Years tradition of breaking the Christmas turkey’s wishbone. Each of them make a wish and the one who gets the bigger piece of the broken wishbone has the wish come true. The problem with this tradition is that there is clearly a winner and a loser. This year, Charlie’s wish will come true because he broke off the bigger piece of the wishbone, while Maggie must take additional steps to ensure that her New Year’s wish comes true.

As every year, I’ve spent some time reflecting on this past year as well as thinking about what might be in store for us during the coming year. 2009 was a very unique year; it was filled with remarkable highs and very sad lows. Overall, it has been perhaps the most memorable year of my life and, while it marks the end of a decade, it also marks (almost) the end of the first fifty years of my life . . . and a lot happened this year.

In January, I had exciting opportunity to send my son to see the inauguration of Barrack Obama. I wish I could have gone too, but I was happy that he got to see this historical moment in person (and I got to live vicariously through him) because he had been so involved in this, the first election in which he got to vote. Read about his experience here.

Then, only 11 days later, on January 31, my mom died. My mom was the best person I know--she was kind, generous, patient, thoughtful, tolerant, empathetic, sympathetic, honest, loyal, and smart. She had a great sense of humor and always laughed at herself. Of course, she drove me crazy sometimes, but don’t all mothers drive their daughters crazy sometimes? (Maggie, don’t answer that!) She worked hard all her life and never quit doing things for other people--even after she lost her sight. Growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin during the depression, she learned the value of hard work, frugality, and putting the needs of others ahead of your own. She wanted to be a writer, and was lucky to get a scholarship to attend the University of Wisconsin when very few women had the chance to attend college. She graduated with a degree in home economics, as her scholarship required, but she wrote as much as she could and edited a college magazine. She taught me all the important lessons of life, including how to deal with death. But I’m afraid that I have not lived up to her example as I have grieved her death much more than she would have thought appropriate. I am very lucky that I had such a fabulous mom and I miss her terribly.

Ten Things I Learned in Germany to Add a Little More Merry to Christmas

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 07:41:35 -0600

1. Be in Germany for as much of the Christmas holiday as possible--preferably from at least December 1 through January 6. An astonishing number of our American Christmas traditions came from Germany. It has been a lot of fun to see these traditions in their original form and learn some new ones that we will bring home with us. Plus, the Germans really know how to throw a good Christmas!

1. Drink plenty of Glühwein. This is a spiced red wine served hot in awesome ceramic mugs at outdoor stands. See my previous post about Winterdorf and see Charlie’s blog post about the festive Glühwein mugs.

1. Go to as many Christmas Markets as possible, and don’t worry about crowds. Nearly every city, village, and town in Germany has a Christmas Market. The Christmas Markets are very crowded, but unlike American department stores at Christmas time, there is no pushing, shoving, rushing, or stress with these crowds. The people are all enjoying the festive atmosphere, the glühwein (of course), and each other as they shop for everything from Christmas ornaments to socks to cooking spices to kitchen items. The Christmas Markets began long ago when it was customary to have regular seasonal markets in Germany. Originally, the Christmas Markets lasted only a day or two, but now they last throughout Advent. Each market is unique, and many focus on local handmade items. While the German Christmas Markets most certainly represent Christmas commercialism, they are somehow more tolerable than American in-your-face Christmas commercialism. Perhaps it’s the laid back crowds; perhaps it’s the beautiful handmade items; perhaps it’s the glühwein!

1. Have no expectations; just take things as they come. This way, there are no disappointments; only great surprises that make the season bright!

1. Don’t go overboard on gifts. This is very important. We spent the last 19 Christmases going overboard on gifts, and we all agree that what made this Christmas special was that we didn’t go overboard this year. This is not to say that we didn’t buy lots of cute German ornaments, smokers, creches, etc.--we have plenty of awesome stuff to ship home!--but it is to say that each of us picked out only a few special gifts for each other. This made gift giving much more special.

1. Get a real tree. And don’t put it up too early. Instead, stretch out the season after Christmas by leaving the tree up at least through January 6th. In the United States, we have gotten used to putting up our trees so early that they have to be artificial to last through Christmas. Moreover, since we put up our Christmas decorations so early, we are tired of them by New Years Day (or before) and rush to get through the arduous task of taking them down as early as possible. Here in Germany, artificial Christmas trees are unheard of and the Christmas holiday lasts until January 6th (the Epiphany). It is so nice to have a real tree for the first time in many years.

1. Be thankful for video Skype! I got to see and spend time with my 92-year-old dad, both of my sisters, all three of my nieces and one of my nephews, several of my in-laws, and all their families. It was free and fabulous, and beat an expensive international phone call in every way! Being separated from loved ones by an ocean at Christmastime sure makes you think: technology is amazing!!

1. Have a Christmas Eve cut-off. By this I mean, set a time early on Christmas Eve afternoon, after which you won’t buy anything else. Nothing. Not even a battery! Here in Germany, everything closes at 1:00 or 2:00 in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. I mean EVERYTHING--even the Chinese restaurants! On Christmas Eve, we were doing some last minute shopping in the city center. All of a sudden, when the 1:00 church bells chimed, the awnings folded up, the merchandise displays disappeared, and the streets emptied. In a span of about three minutes, the city center went from being a noisy, bustling holiday marketplace to completely silent and empty. It was like an old Western movie, where all the town folk, who had been busying the streets, instantly vanish when the bad guys ride into town. At first, this was somewhat disconcerting. In practical terms, it meant that, if I had forgotten to buy anything--gifts, food, drink, or even aspirin--I was out of luck for three and one half full days. The stores here will not open again until December 28th. The stores and restaurants are closed on the 24th and 25th for Christmas. Then, stores are still closed on the 26th, which is both St. Steven’s Day (“the second day of Christmas”) and Boxing Day (a holiday celebrating the medieval tradition of the landowner bringing the surfs a box of dry goods to help them survive the cold winter months to come). The 27th is Sunday, so stores will remain closed as usual for Sunday. Therefore, the next time we can buy bread or milk is the 28th! However, as I thought about this on Christmas Eve, and considered what I’m usually doing on Christmas Eve (making a last minute run to fight the crowds to buy One More [unnecessary] Gift), I decided that having a shopping cut off was really quite lovely. It enabled us to relax and not give another thought to what we DIDN’T buy that we really don’t need anyway, and instead concentrate on enjoying the holiday! (Note: I’m not advocating a state-imposed Christmas store closing rule in the United States like they have here in Germany--this would violate our Constitution! But, what I am advocating is creating your own personal cut-off and then just pretending that everything is closed and you don’t have to worry about what you forgot to buy.)

1. Forget driving. Forty percent of holiday stress is caused by driving during the holiday season, and another 45% is caused by trying to park at the mall. That leaves only 5% for stress from all other sources combined! OK, I just made those statistics up, but they sound about right, don’t they? Since we have no car here, we had absolutely no driving related stress at all. We walk everywhere . . . day and night, in sunshine, rain, sleet, snow, and any other weather situation we might find ourselves in. Although sometimes it can be frustrating to have to carry groceries home in the pouring rain, I think the balance tips in favor of forgoing driving for the entire month of December (if not longer). I understand that this suggestion is not practical in many parts of the United States, especially in areas where there is no good public transportation, but the December goal should be to spend the least amount of time possible in the car! So, if you can’t get there without a car--don’t go.

1. Last, but not least, focus on giving and not on receiving. Yeah, yeah, I know, everyone has heard this a million times. But, at least in my family, we aren’t very good at following this rule in practice. This year was different, however; we were able to keep in mind that everything we “get” must be carried home on our backs or shipped at exorbitant international shipping rates. Consequently, we were able to focus on spending time with friends and family and having interesting and unique experiences. We had a really great holiday season, and ended up with a few gifts that are very special and will be cherished as part of the memory of this special Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

Touring Franconian Switzerland

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 04:41:14 -0600

Our friends Werner Burr and Iris Schneider-Burr gave us a spectacular tour of the Franconian countryside on Sunday. The weather was perfect--fresh snow covering the ground and trees, but bright sunshine and crisp cold winter air.

Since we went by car, we got to see a lot of things that we never get to see by train, including some beautiful small towns that are off the rail line as well as some caves and landscape that are not accessible by train.

We made several stops, and hiked up some steep snow-covered hillsides to enter caves that probably served as homes for people in the past. Our tour culminated with a delicious bavarian meal at Held-Bräu Privatbrauerei in Oberailsfeld, a tiny town in the valley between three very steep and tall hills. After dinner, we got to watch a traditional Catholic “processional,” which took place under a beautiful, heavy, wet snowfall! For the processional, fires were started all over the hillsides that encircled the small town. It was an amazing sight to see and we are grateful that we had the opportunity to see it. What a fabulous way to kick off Christmas week!

Internationale Weihnachts-Party

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:55:51 -0600

On Friday, we threw an Internationale Weihnachts-Party (translated, that’s International Christmas Party). We invited the students from our German language class and the international scholars from my intercultural seminar group. And, of course, we invited our German friends. The idea was that everyone would bring a festive food from their own country--an international “potluck.”

It was no easy task to figure out what American foods to prepare for the party. For one thing, most American foods are not really “American” but rather they came with our mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and great-great-grandmothers from other countries to begin with. The second challenge is that it is not so easy to find all the ingredients for American foods. We made “Texas Beef BBQ” with BBQ sauce made from scratch, gingerbread cookies, peppermint bark, and hot spiced cider.

Our friends brought festive foods from Germany, Turkey, Iran, Russia, Thailand, Spain, Albania, and The Netherlands. We enjoyed Russian caviar, Thai chicken satay, Iranian rice with meat sauce, Spanish Tortilla a la Francesa, Netherlandish lachshapjis, Albanian pasta, and German bratwurst in pastry, lechs, and räucheraal. We also had amazing sweets, including Persian pashmak (which is spun sugar with a hint of sesame, and is similar to but much better than cotton candy), Turkish Delight and colored sweeties, homemade German lebkuchen, and German butter-spekulativs, mandel-spekulativs, oblaten-lebkuchen, and baumkucken. We even had special drinks like Turkish peach juice and carrot drink, Thai cream soda, and Spanish champagne, and, of course, plenty of local beer and wine. I know I have made spelling errors in listing these foods, but I can’t find enough superlatives (and, as my German friends like to remind me, Americans LOVE to talk in superlatives!) to describe how delicious all the food, sweets, and drinks were.

But, most of all, it was fun to get together with all our new friends from all over the world to share our traditions and learn about theirs and to remind ourselves that we are more alike than we are different.

Here are some more pictures.

Thanksgiving, German Style

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:58:19 -0600

We spent a fabulous Thanksgiving day in Germany. We spent the morning checking out the Christmas Market in Bamberg, and returned to Bayreuth to have our Thanksgiving dinner at Schinner’s Braustuben.

The Schinners were somewhat surprised last week when we approached them to ask if they could prepare a traditional turkey for us. They laughed at the thought of a whole turkey for six people; “that is too much food!” they said. We didn’t explain that the bird is not the only one who gets stuffed on Thanksgiving in America. We jumped at the Schinners’ suggestion that they prepare a goose for us instead, complimented with traditional potato dumplings and cabbage. For dessert, we tried three traditional German desserts: (1) apple rings, which were like onion rings only with apple instead of onion, served with ice cream; (2) a scoop of ice cream with rum-soaked raisins and rum sauce; and (3) a pancake/crepe (thinner than a pancake, but thicker than a crepe--we called it a “pancrepe”) with an apple sauce topping.

Although we missed the turkey and pumpkin pie, the goose was amazing, and the Schinners’ hospitality was fantastic. They prepared a wonderful meal and served it family style to enable us to experience a memorable Thanksgiving in Germany.

I am thankful for family, friends, colleagues, and students, and for the wonderful opportunities my family and I have had this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

Building Bridges . . .

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0600

This past weekend, I participated in an International Intercultural Workshop at the Universität Bayreuth. The program was sponsored by the Universität Bayreuth Welcome Center, and international scholars from around the world participated.

One of the highlights was a simulation in which we split into two groups. Each group had a set of cultural “rules” which the members were supposed to follow. Neither group learned what the other group’s cultural rules were until the entire exercise was completed. Each group was instructed to formulate its own plan for building a bridge from one table to another using the materials provided, such as straws, tape, paper plates, etc.

Group Yellow, which is the group I was in, had rules such as “talk simultaneously with other members of the group”; “if you have an idea, shout it out”; “if you don’t like someone’s idea, express your disapproval directly”; “when talking to others, touch them on the shoulder and look into the other person’s eyes”; and “look for efficient solutions to the problem.” Our group participated well together, and not only planned how we would build the bridge, but actually built a prototype.

Group Blue, the other group, had very different cultural rules. The Blue rules included rules such as “stand at least one meter apart”; “do not talk when someone else is talking”; “express your ideas as questions--such as ‘should we consider . . .‘ “; “ask each other personal questions while planning the bridge building”; and “do not express disapproval or disagreement with someone’s idea, but express general agreement if you like an idea.”

After about ten minutes of planning, the groups came together to make the bridge. Each group was still supposed to be following its own cultural rules, but the two groups were instructed to work together to build a bridge. Group Yellow came in enthusiastic and ready to go, and we observed that the other group was standing around quietly. After about one minute of attempted communication with Group Blue, Group Yellow took the lead on the bridge and built a functional, double-decker bridge. After Group Yellow had been working by itself on the bridge for a few minutes, Group Blue decided to build its own bridge next to Group Yellow’s bridge. Group Blue’s bridge was unstable and had a large abstract sculpture (made of straws) in the middle of it; it was a very artistic bridge.

Following this exercise, each group was asked to describe its own characteristics and then describe its impressions of the other group. My group, Group Yellow, said we thought our group was “energetic, creative, focused, and collaborative.” Group Yellow said we thought that Group Blue was “lazy, unprepared, unmotivated, and uninterested in participating.” The members of Group Blue thought of themselves as “calm, friendly, contemplative, and easy-going.” Group Blue thought Group Yellow was “aggressive, loud, inconsiderate, and exclusive.” It was very interesting that each group described itself using positive words, but described its perceptions of the other group using negative words.

There was no doubt but which the energy level in Group Yellow was higher than that of Group Blue, but that was simply the result of how the cultural rules affected the interpersonal relationships among the group members. Group Yellow’s cultural rules encouraged free flowing communication, a friendly, joking environment, and a commitment to completing the task at hand with speed and efficiency. Group Blue’s cultural rules encouraged a quieter and more polite, formal, thoughtful, and tentative group dynamic and its members, although interested in completing the task, were also concerned about getting to know each other on a more personal level.

This exercise effectively highlighted the tendency to negatively view people’s actions that don’t comport with our own cultural norms and expectations, and it underscored the importance of trying to understand people from their point of view.

There were also several spirited discussions about differing expectations of students and professors from different cultures, about how criticism and feedback are given and received differently based on different cultural expectations, and about how we all, in all aspects of our personal and professional lives, process interpersonal information differently based on our cultural norms and expectations.

“German students aren’t used to preparing for class”

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:25:08 -0600

This is what my student told me (with a smile) yesterday when I was inquiring about who had completed the reading for class. I could not help but think of my American students; I know they would love the thought of getting out of reading for class by saying they aren’t used to reading for class.

My German students are fabulous, and I’m delighted that they felt comfortable enough to be honest with me. Moreover, despite the lack of preparation, the students seem very engaged in the material and enthusiastic about the subject matter. I’m meeting them half-way; I agreed to cut down the reading in exchange for their promise to prepare for the next class.

So, we’ll see . . . I hope they humor me and prepare for the next class. I jokingly told them that if they don’t, they will feel guilty, and one replied “we already do feel guilty.” :( I don’t want them to feel bad, but realize that we all need to adjust our expectations.

20 Jahre Mauerfall Fest der Freiheit

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 13:48:41 -0600

Click here, then start the music when you get to the post page.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and we spent the weekend in Berlin to celebrate freedom, unity, and peace with Germany and the World. I came back to Bayreuth earlier today to teach my class, but Paul, Charlie, and Maggie stayed to participate in the human wall, to see the domino wall fall, and to experience the excitement that marks this occasion.

The celebration is tempered by memories of the tragedy and oppression that preceded the fall of the Wall. More than 125 people were killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall. In addition, this day commemorates not only the fall of the Berlin Wall, but also Kristallnacht in 1938. The joy of this occasion can only be understood in the context of all the suffering, sorrow, and perseverance that led to the construction and destruction of the Berlin Wall.

Berlin is still facing problems, both economic and social, resulting from unification. Indeed, Germany as a country is still struggling to achieve complete unification. But, the celebration we experienced this weekend was nothing short of spectacular. Germans are rightly proud of what they have accomplished and overcome, and they have a lot to celebrate.

The domino wall (pictured above) ran along the same route as the real wall did. Each domino was decorated by a different group. Many of the dominoes were decorated by children from schools all over the world. We saw many dominoes from the U.S., including one from a school in Texas. Walking along this domino wall was a reminder of what it was like when the real wall was here and you could not pass through from East to West; the path of the domino wall was blocked so you could not pass through except at specific pass-through points.

The night before the ceremony, there was a dress rehearsal for the celebration program--including Bon Jovi’s live performance. Although the dignitaries had stand-ins, Jon and the boys were there in person and performed their song “We Weren’t Born to Follow.” We had a great view; we got to stand side-by-side with the police inside the closed off area very close to the performers because we had just crossed through the Brandenburg Gate from the east side to the west side.

What I took from this weekend was that this was really the world’s celebration, not only Germany’s. The festivities underscored the significance of freedom, unity, and peaceful revolution not just to Germany, but to the entire world. It gave us all an opportunity to reflect on the power of determination and peaceful resistance to oppression and the importance of freedom to the fulfillment of the human spirit.

My photos are here. See Paul’s post here. See Charlie’s video and post here. See Maggie’s blog post here.

U.S. Higher Ed Administrators Visit Bayreuth with Fulbright Program

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 05:06:20 -0600

Last week was a busy Fulbright week. As I mentioned here, I went to Berlin to interview German students for Fulbright grants to study in the U.S. Then, I returned to Bayreuth just in time to meet with a group of American college and university administrators who were touring German universities with a Fulbright program.

It was a great opportunity to meet some American colleagues who work in international offices or head international programs at their home universities and colleges in the United States. There were two law school administrators in the group--one from Cardozo and one from the University of North Carolina. The Cardozo LLM program for international lawyers has already had several graduates who had previously studied law here at the University of Bayreuth.

I had the privilege of sitting in on a very informative session about the university of Bayreuth, and my husband and I joined the group for a Kneipentour (translated, that means a “pub crawl”). It was no where near as wild as it sounds; we enjoyed the local beer and some tasty cuisine at one of the local pubs. Most of all, we enjoyed conversation and getting to know more about German higher education.

We talked about the American “helicopter parent” phenomenon, which does not seem to exist in Europe--at least not in the same way it exists in the U.S. We observed how common it is for European college students to study abroad, but how many American parents are fearful to allow their children to come to Europe.

Before this, I was not even aware of this particular Fulbright program, but I think it is a fabulous opportunity to open the door to more international student exchange programs. It provides funding for higher education administrators to make a short-term (about two weeks) to another country to tour several universities and learn about that country’s system of higher education as well as create networks for future student exchanges. The program sends U.S. administrators to several countries, including Germany, Japan, and Korea. Here is the website for the Fulbright program for American administrators, and here is the website for the program for German administrators.

Interviewing Fulbright Candidates

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 16:33:04 -0600

Last week, I went to Berlin to participate on a Fulbright selection committee to interview German students who are candidates for Fulbright scholarships to study as graduate students in the United States. The Fulbright selection process is very competitive. There are many more qualified candidates than there are scholarships. I know . . . this sounds like a form letter. But, it’s very true. Every single candidate was qualified and had an extremely impressive background. By the time someone gets to the interview stage, they have already made it through two very competitive selection processes--one by their university and one by Fulbright. So, we only saw the cream of the crop in the interviews.

The interviews were conducted in groups of 3-4 students at a time. This was a very intense situation for these students and it was very revealing of certain personality traits. It’s a challenge to make yourself stand out, but be appropriately polite to the other candidates, all the while speaking in a foreign language (English) and knowing that you are participating in a competitive process. Each group had its own unique personality and it was interesting to see the students’ unique qualities shine through in this group setting. I was skeptical of this group-interviewing technique at first, but after the first session, I realized that this was a great way to really see the students’ strengths. The best sessions were when the students interacted with each other, rather than just one-by-one answering the question directly to the group of interviewers.

I learned quite a bit from participating in this experience. One of the most amazing things I observed--apart from the students’ excellent English skills--was how much these students know about American government and politics--far more than the average American student knows about American government and politics let alone about another country’s government and politics.

In addition, I observed that nearly every one of the student Fulbright candidates had previously studied abroad--either as high school exchange students or for part or all of their college educations. Thus, they all had unique perspectives about world politics and, in particular, about the role of United States as a world leader.

This experience underscored for me the importance of improving civics education in the United States, including at the college level, as well as encouraging American students to study abroad so that they can gain exposure to other legal and political systems. Through this experience, American students will be better equipped to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of our American legal and political systems and to understand the importance of the United States in world politics.

It’s Winterdorf Time!

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:01:46 -0600

Bayreuther Winterdorf is awesome! It’s an outdoor pub that serves special winter bier and various hot drinks, including Glühwein, which is a hot, mulled wine; Eierpunsch, which is a light egg nog liqueur with chocolate and whipped cream; Winter Dream, which is a chocolate liqueur; non-alcoholic hot chocolate with whipped cream; and many other warm beverages perfect for cold winter evenings. Plus, there are crepes with Bayley’s or Nutella or any number of other yummy fillings. You can get a brat, of course, and they have really good fries. There is live music sometimes, and a DJ at other times. If we needed one more reason to love Bayreuth, we got it with Winterdorf.