Monthly Archives: July 2010

Du, nenn mich Herr Melican!

After last week’s excursion into the pitfalls of using du and Sie, it quickly became clear from the number of comments that this is a topic of no small interest both to Germans and learners of the language alike. So I thought I’d give you a bit more on the same theme this week. Don’t say, oh dearest Young Germany readers, that I never do anything for you.

Now, last week I wrote that there is considerable comedic promise in the fact that German has two forms of second-person address: so let’s look at precisely what is so funny about Siezen and Duzen.

Thanks to - unbelievably - Barack Obama on Flickr

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That is Herr Melican to you

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"Don't you du me, matey!" (Photo: Iris Jungels)

As I’m writing, it’s visibly holiday-time in Germany. The road past my house is being pounded by cars laden with luggage, bicycles, and screaming children, followed by camper vans in convoy and, every now and then, one of those really cool mobile beer-vending doo-hickeys (Bierausschankwagen) that set up near parks, lakes, museums… well, anywhere exasperated, overheated parents (or thirsty journalists) might be in need of alcohol.

And if you too are off work enjoying the sun and a cool beer at one of these things, who knows, you might just run into your boss from work, perhaps being ordered around by his or her children: “No silly, I wanted to make the dolly swim, not you. Why did you have to fall in trying to get it back out? You’re so embarrassing! And where’s my ice-cream?”

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Where there is always music in the air

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One of Oberammergau's enchanting buildings. Photo (cc) flickr user Rita Willaert

“There are always church bells ringing here.” It’s a line I wrote in my journal over ten years ago during my first visit to Germany.

We had flown into Munich, 30 16- and 17-year-old American high school students. From there we’d be taking a bus north, through Dachau, Oberammergau, Cologne, Aachen, Trier, and eventually we would land at the doorsteps of our exchange families in Krefeld.

It was my first time in Europe, and my first time out of the country. Beforehand, there had been passport application forms and meetings with our parents and the German teacher who would be chaperoning us on the trip. Then there had been a seven-hour plane ride, and, finally, jet-lagged and wide-eyed, we arrived at the Munich airport and collected our baggage.

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All hail San Iker and Pulpo Paul!

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Germany Fan by Ines Eiban

Just like four years ago, the biggest star of the World Cup has hung up his boots after it. Like Zinedine Zidane before him, Paul the psychic octopus has had enough and opted for retirement.

Both used their heads to great effect in their respective tournaments, but it was ‘Okrakel Paul’ who used his to great effect throughout, correctly predicting all eight matches he was asked to and making a mockery of his chief rival, Mani the psychic parakeet, who declared The Netherlands would win the final. Hmmm…

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