Shakespeare.
When I took German in college, I found that I could suddenly understand Shakespeare.
What light breaks through yonder window?
What light through yonder window breaks?
The hard thing about a lot of Shakespearean grammar is that you search desperately for the verb — just wait, it’s coming. At the end. From Germany.
Shakespearean Middle English is a mix of mostly French and Germanic words, but mostly Germanic grammar.
In general the most intelligent people tend to be more introspective. What I remember from these studies is that:
The most intelligent people tend to be less interested in common topics
They tend to enjoy silence and introspection more
By saying things that are not so common for other people, they tend to be isolated, so they soon get used to it and start entertaining themselves with something more interesting than talking to others.
The same study indicated that it is not possible to identify if they are naturally more quiet or introspective or if by presenting different thoughts, opinions and actions, they become the target of jokes, mockery and therefore gradually withdraw.
The study also indicated that it is not 100%, the truth is that I did not learn the percentages that were mentioned, but in general it was above 60% of those who have an IQ above average.
I start with venison. According to French chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil (2 Michelin stars) Germany has the world’s best venison, due to strong qualification requirements for hunters who also care for the animals in wintertime. In historic times, venison was reserved for nobility, today it is still a food for special occasions and holidays. The finest (and most expensive) venison comes from the roe deer.
Roe deer with juniper sauce
Then, fish. Somehow, foreign tourists overlook how much fish is eaten in Germany - partly because they are gravitating to Bavaria which is pretty far from the North Sea and the Baltic sea. Here a few German fish dishes:
Büsum-style shrimp bread
Matjes Hausfrauenart (marinated raw herring with cream, onions and apples), here served with fried potatoes
Brathering (fried herring), pickled
Hamburger Aalsuppe (eel soup), tastes like liquid smoke
Pike-perch
Dover-sole rolls
Plaice, Finkenwerder style (with bacon):
Some more dishes:
Leipziger Allerlei: mixed vegetables with crayfish, a very traditional dish
Königsberger Klopse (meatballs with capers), hugely popular in Germany
Or stews? Germans love stews, but I doubt that many tourists try them.
Barley stew
Lentil stew
Grünkohl (kale), missed by most tourists because it is a winter dish
First, we have different kinds of Bratwurst everywhere in Germany. Some of the main differences are
Second, there are regional specialties.
The most famous German region for Bratwurst is Thüringen. The Thüringer Bratwurst is made from the Boston butt, so it is less fatty than regular Bratwurst. The kind of seasoning varies even within Thüringen:
Franken is also famous for its Bratwurst, especially Nürnberg. The Nürnberg Bratwurst is in a sheep casing and hence, it is very small - just 9 cm long while regular Bratwurst is 20 cm long. Also, in Nürnberg marjoram is used for seasoning, but also pepper, chervil, cardamom, ginger and lemon.
Berlin has Bratwurst without casings, due to a lack of casings after WW II. But the people got used to it and like it better today.
I also like the Bratwurst from the Black Forest, which is rather coarse, meaty and typically served with brown gravy and roasted onions.
Here a few pictures:
Raw Bratwurst:
Venison Bratwurst (raw):
Beef Bratwurst (taw):
Bratwurst with cheese and chili (precooked):
Bratwurst “snail”:
Bratwurst from Thüringen (raw):
Thüringer Bratwurst, grilled:
Bratwurst from Nürnberg:
Bratwurst Black Forest style:
Berlin Bratwurst without casing:
Bratwurst from Franken with Sauerkraut:
Regular Bratwurst in a roll with mustard:
Currywurst: Bratwurst with ketchup and curry powder:
I will give you a non politically correct answer… no offense to anyone please!
Background: I grew up in Metro Manila, spent college years in Manila where I saw a lot of Western guys dating Filipino ladies. Saw same couples whenever I go on vacation esp Boracay.
Have also worked in the medical field and treated Filipinas (or gay transvestite Filipinos… no judgment) with their adoring Caucasian hubs by their side.
Dated a European fella myself.
One common perspective: that these Caucasian gentlemen have a different standard of beauty that Filipinos have. Our country was colonized by the Spanish so we have grown to admire fair skin, high bridged noses, and light colored eyes, as most Caucasians have. Curiously, the Caucasians we see are enamored of their spousies with native features: pug/pert noses, nut brown skin. My gay buddies term these girlfriends as “island souvenirs” with the unspoken thought, “How did *she* manage to bag this guy?!?”
Another pervasive thought: these girls are in it for financial benefits or visas and the guys are in it for cheap s*x. My European ex (who I met in the medical field) visited me in Manila, and people we encountered (service workers, taxi drivers) assumed that 1) he's made of dollars/euros 2) I'm with him for monetary self-gain. (Actually I probably made more money than him at the time.)
Unfortunately, this view is not entirely wrong. One hears of so many stories of Filipinas milking their foreign boyfriends and then leaving them once they get the money or the citizenship. Though other South East Asian girls also have this reputation, the perception about poor, gold digging Filipinas is wide spread. (Heck, even some well-off Filipino guys think their girlfriends are after their money, so it’s not necessarily a foreigner-Filipina issue. It’s just that in such relationships, the foreigner is more likely to be more financially stable. A guy with a modest income in his home country will look like a millionaire here once the currency is converted to pesos.)
Another popular notion is that if the couple has kids, they will be 100% gorgeous. This is not an utter delusion. Our more well-known beauty queens (Venus Raj, Pia Wurtzbach) are of mixed blood. We Filipinos are crazy about certain Caucasian features such as round eyes, straight noses, light coloured hair and fair complexions.
In general most people accept that this happens all the time and that there's a wide range of outcomes. Older generation is a bit suspicious, while younger ones who are globally exposed are indifferent. We are mostly pretty cool about it.
