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Category: Diverse

Earthquakes in the District of Tübingen? Yes!

By Michael Seifert Here’s something that many don’t know: between Tübingen und Balingen, we live in a region in which the earth shakes frequently. The last time an earthquake occurred was on Sunday evening, March 21st, at 6.38 p.m., and it had a strength of 3.6. In the region Tübingen/Reutlingen, you could hear a bang like an explosion and feel a short tremor. The mayor of a township on the edge to the Swabian Alps, where the center was, said: “It was as if a car drove into my house.” Only in December 2020, there was a similarly strong earthquake… Read More

Small purchases

A customer comes to Mohammad in the greengrocer’s and wants to buy a banana. What does one banana do? Do people in Germany live and eat for themselves? Mohammad suspects that many go shopping here because they want to have fun. In Afghanistan, where Mohammad came to Germany from five years ago, people would buy much larger quantities of food. Instead of one kilogram of potatoes, they usually buy three kilograms that would be enough for a medium-sized family for a week. Rice would be fetched by the sack for a whole month. In Afghanistan, shopping is really something different.… Read More

Attention horticulturists

Who would like to do gardening and is looking for a plot of land for this? Swabians say “Gütle” or “Stückle” to such allotment gardens. The city of Tübingen is now looking for sponsors who want to garden on urban land. The city also offers public areas such as planters or the area around fountains or playgrounds. The city’s “Stückle” can then be replanted and maintained, however, they can’t be used to plant vegetables or for commercial purposes. More information, contact details and an application form are available at: https://www.tuebingen.de/21149.html#/3607 tun21041301 Viele Familien in Baden-Württemberg bewirtschaften in ihrer Freizeit ein… Read More

What the heart symbol means

By Oula Mahfouz “The heart breaks”. This metaphor expresses sorrow, but doctors also acknowledge a “broken heart syndrome”. A “strong heart” may refer to a healthy heart or strong character. One with a weak heart may be sick or not resilient. Why does the word hold so many meanings? Many consider the heart a symbol of love, but the heart may also hold love’s opposites, envy, hate, and others. In fact, science shows all emotions originate from the brain. The current symbolic depiction of the heart originates from depictions of fig leaves and ivy leaves, explaining why the symbol bears… Read More

About bulbs and grapes

There are customers who approach Mohammad at the vegetable stall and want to buy 500 grams of celery. He asks: Would you like a bulb? A big or a small one? He has been selling vegetables and fruits for four years now and still wonders: People don’t know the “package size”. It is important to understand one another. Because of this, it is also important how one says something. At his home in Afghanistan, one has to say exactly what they want at the vegetable seller: A bulb of garlic, not a piece; you ask for a stick or a… Read More

Corona-crisis is changing the German language

The corona-crisis has also affected the German language: 1230 new words and words with a new meaning have been collected by “Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache”. One of these institution’s task is to study the changes in the German language. The directory of neologisms, as linguistics calls new words, features words from Alltagsmaske (community mask) to Zoom-Party. The best known are Lockdown and Shutdown.  Other words that are now part of the normal vocabulary are: Geisterspiel (ghost game, a soccer game without spectators), Klopapierhysterie (toilet paper hysteria), Covidioten (covidiots, a politician called people who thought the virus was an invention this), … Read More

Carrots and field lettuce preferably with soil 

When customers currently say to Mohammad that the carrots or the field lattice are dirty, he gets annoyed. Right now, the apprentice in retail trade mainly sells these two fresh products from the region. Patiently, he then explains to the customers: “The carrots aren’t dirty, they are carrots with soil on them.” He then points out to them that carrots with soil are fresher and taste better than the pre-washed vegetables. He also knows the Swabians amongst his customers. Some of them fear that they have to pay for soil when the vegetables are being weighed at the checkout. This… Read More

Let’s talk about the weather: Is there snow in Syria?

By Oula Mahfouz Due to the heavy snowfall in Germany, I remembered that every time, when it snowed, I got asked the same question: Does it snow in Syria? I am always very happy to hear this question, as it reminds me of the last winter I spent in Damascus. That winter, there was a lot of snowfall.  Syria is situated in the eastern Mediterranean and borders on Turkey, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan and Palestine. This special position between three different continents and cultures is important. It shapes Syria and gave the country a diversity in many areas, including nature, climate… Read More

What the heart symbol means

By Oula Mahfouz “The heart breaks”. This metaphor expresses sorrow, but doctors also acknowledge a “broken heart syndrome”.  A “strong heart” may refer to a healthy heart or strong character. One with a weak heart may be sick or not resilient. Why does the word hold so many meanings? Many consider the heart a symbol of love, but the heart may also hold love’s opposites, envy, hate, and others. In fact, science shows all emotions originate from the brain. The current symbolic depiction of the heart originates from depictions of fig leaves and ivy leaves, explaining why the symbol bears… Read More

International Body Language

By Reem Al Sagheer and Natalie Hekmat Body language often accompanies us unconsciously through life. We learn body language, especially gestures and facial expressions, from our parents and fellow human beings. However, there are mannerisms in every culture, many of which differ. This can lead to intercultural misunderstandings. A shake of the head, for example, can be understood as approval in some countries and as rejection in others. In Pakistan, Bulgaria and India, a shake of the head means approval. On the other hand, in other countries such as Germany or Syria, it marks a rejection. A thumbs up can… Read More

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