Report 012
30.08.2012
Hello Beloved,
Sometimes the weather in Johannesburg is funny. Three weeks ago it snowed in Johannesburg for the first time in 12 years. It was just a little bit of snow and a few hours later everything was melted again, but it was still a rare and for the people of Johannesburg an exciting event.
In other regions of the country it snowed much more and there were news reports about entire passes and other road sections, which had to be blocked. Some cars were even enclosed by the snow for hours. Since these things only happen 1-2 times in a year, at the most, there are no big technical countermeasures, as there are in Germany.
And since more than one week it is already warmer again in Johannesburg than it is in Germany, although it is still summer there. The winter in South Africa seems to be over. The official “Spring Day” is on 1 September.
A further difference between Germany and South Africa, which I noticed, is that houses in South Africa almost always have an outside-door in the kitchen. In Germany this is not that common. In South Africa it makes sense for security reasons not always having to use the front door. In Germany there are also back doors, but less common than in South Africa.
Moreover the kitchen door is often the entrance for maids. Those are also more common in South Africa. In South Africa house owners can very often also afford to hire maids, who help cleaning and with other things at least 1-2 times every week. Sometimes maids even live on the same property. In Germany the wage level is significantly higher and therefore most people can not afford to hire maids, because they would have to be paid more.
In this regards many South Africans live more luxurious than most Germans.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 011
30.07.2012
Hello Beloved,
The environment is a subject, which is recently being discussed everywhere. However, I noticed that there are differences in handling this subject in South Africa and in Germany.
In Germany it is being handled more careful and more considerate. Just thinking about fire makes this very clear. In Germany it is not legal to make an open fire on one’s own premises, for that a special permission is needed. In South Africa this is much less problematic.
The area around Johannesburg is the biggest man-made forest in the world. In comparison to Germany, there are only very few forest areas in South Africa. The main reasons for that are the climate and the geographical location. Approximately one third of the area of Germany is covered with forests. The major part Germany’s landscape, about half, is being used for agriculture. In South Africa, however, more than three thirds of the landscape is not being used at all.
One thing happening in South Africa that would never occur this way in Germany is the burning of grass. In autumn and the beginning of winter (April-June) it is common that in public areas, meaning next to roads, on empty fields etc. Grass is being burned under control. In this time there is often an unpleasant smell and smoke in the air.
Another difference exists in the waste separation. In Germany this is being taken seriously for a long time already. Glass, plastic, paper and normal waste are being disposed separately. Every household normally has 3 big garbage cans for plastic (yellow can), paper and normal waste. In South Africa that is different. I have never really seen any kind of waste separation; everything is being disposed jointly. Only Bio-waste is sometimes disposed in form of compost.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 010
19.06.2012
Hello Beloved,
Today I want to speak about sports. Sport is an important part of a culture of a country or a region. Sometimes people speak about national sports. In Germany the national sport is soccer, but also many other sports are very popular. In South Africa that is not that easy to determine. The most famous sports are Rugby, Cricket and Soccer.
In Poland in Ukraine the Soccer European Cup is in progress. Soccer is worldwide probably the most popular and most known sport. The FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association. English: International Federation of Association Football) is the international governing body of association football and has 209 members, more than the United Nations. Every four years the World Cup takes place and there are soccer leagues in most countries of the world. In the current Official World Ranking South Africa is in position 68, Germany is in third place behind Spain and Uruguay.
But soccer is not the only popular sport in Germany. According to surveys handball, athletics, tennis, swimming, Formula 1, biathlon, equestrianism, ski jumping etc. follow. Germany is relatively successful in most of these sports and is often among the favorites. In the all-time Olympic (Summer and Winter) Games medal table Germany is in third place (South Africa: 34.). In the medal table of the Olympic Winter Games Germany is even in first place. Winter sports are also very popular in Germany.
One can not say that about South Africa. There is (almost) no opportunity for winter sports since there is no winter with ice and snow. The most popular sports in South Africa are conditioned by ethnics. The most popular sport is soccer and is mostly favoured by the black population. Among the white population Cricket and Rugby are most popular.
Rugby and Cricket are typical British sports and that is why those are most popular in the former British Colonies (South Africa, Australia, India, ...). South Africa has one of the best Rugby teams in the world. Their nickname is “The Springboks” and in the current world ranking they are in third place behind New Zeeland and Australia (Germany: 31.). The team won the world cup in 1995 and in 2007. The movie “Invictus” is well worth watching, which shows the historically important events in 1995 in connection with the sport.
Also the South African Cricket Team, the “Proteas”, is very successful in second place in the world ranking. In Germany Cricket and Rugby are not really popular.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 009
12.06.2012
Hello Beloved,
Again, so much time has passed between reports. I had my exams in the last three weeks and therefore it was difficult for me to find time for my website. I promise this will change in the next weeks. Answering the comment in the guest book, soon new pictures will follow, too. Thanks also for the other entries in the guest book. I am glad, when my reports are being read and appreciated.
Today I would like to report of my personal experiences. Please bear in mind that this is only my personal point of view of things which does not align itself with those of others and with the entire truth.
In these days it is very cold in South Africa. Very cold in Johannesburg means 15° Celsius during the day and down to -1° Celsius at night. In Germany that would not be seen as cold. That sounds more like a mild late autumn day. But in this matter there is a vast difference. In Germany most houses are well insulated and equipped with heating systems. That means, even when it is -20° C outside, inside it may well be still over 20° C, which makes the winter more pleasant. In South Africa it is not like that. The most houses and public buildings have little insulation, single glazed metal windows and no installed heating. That means, when it is cold in winter, it is also cold inside. I find this hard getting used to. Luckily it is normally only as cold as today for a few days and for this time it would not be worth to install heating. However, summer is longer in South Africa and that’s why air conditioning and fans are more common and more useful. In Germany not that much, because normally it only gets very hot for a short time there.
Another difference is timeliness. I am generalising a lot, but I noticed that this has a significantly higher status in Germany, than in South Africa. In report 003 I reported about that in detail. I am used to timeliness and the relaxed handling of time and therewith also time organisation, as it is common in South Africa, is difficult for me.
One thing that I appreciate very much in South Africa is the people. I don’t want to say that all Germans are unfriendly and unapproachable, but I find that it is much easier in South Africa to start a conversation with a stranger. I believe that South Africans are generally more relaxed, more approachable and more open. And also there are more friendly/happy faces than in Germany.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 008
14.05.2012
Hello beloved,
Today I will tell you something about one of the most important parts of a culture: the language. In Germany there is only one official language. In South Africa, however, there are eleven and two of those I can speak relatively well: English and Afrikaans.
But first the German language. German is a relatively difficult and complex language. German is mainly spoken in Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Namibia and Switzerland. It is estimated that German is the mother tongue for 90 to 98 million people worldwide and therewith German is the most spoken mother tongue within the European Union and is considered as one of the 10 most important languages worldwide.
It is well known that English is a global language, some say even it is THE global language. It is the most spoken language in the world. However, Chinese is the most spoken mother tongue. In many countries (also in Germany) English is being taught as the first foreign language. English is also official language in more than 50 countries and serves as link language in thirteen other ones.
Afrikaans is worldwide spoken by only approximately 20 million people, of which 6.5 million are native speakers. Afrikaans is sometimes called kitchen-Dutch, because it originates from that language. Since about 1775 Afrikaans can be seen as an autonomous language, but only 1925 it has been introduced as official language besides English by the South African Union.
All three languages are part of West Germanic languages, together with the Dutch, Low German and the Frisian language. The similarities, especially of Afrikaans and German are obvious. When a German speaks slowly and clearly, an Afrikaans speaking person can understand it relatively well and also vice versa.
I think Afrikaans is a very easy language to learn. The grammar, compared to the German and also to the Dutch, is very simplified and easy to learn. The main difference in the pronunciation between Afrikaans and German is with the “g”. In German it is spoken hard and in Afrikaans softer (“chr”). The construction of sentences in Afrikaans and German is very similar.
Concerning grammar, the German language is relatively complicated, which makes it a difficult language to learn. That starts for example with the articles. In English and Afrikaans there is in each case only one article for everything: “the”, or “die”. In German, there are already three in the basic form: “der”, “die” and “das”, which stand for male, female and neuter, respectively. That means every noun has a gender and there almost no rules about that. For example the spoon is male (der Löffel), the fork is female (die Gabel) and the knife is neuter (das Messer). On top of that, the articles change with the construction of sentences with the four different cases.
English is a relatively simple language, except for the tenses. Those are complicated and not always understandable to learners. In English and Afrikaans, everything except for names, beginnings of sentences and times are written with a small letter in the beginning. In German, there are also significantly more rules concerning the capitalization.
An example shows the similarities and differences of the languages very well:
D:Das Wetter heute ist sehr angenehm. Der Himmel ist blau und es weht nur ein sachter Wind.
Af: Die weer vandag is baie aangenaam. Die hemel is blou en daar is net 'n sagte wind.
En: The weather is very pleasant today. The sky is blue and only a soft wind is blowing.
But not only German and Afrikaans are very similar. Also English has an influence in both languages. Especially regarding technical terms, more and more English terms are to be found in them. But there are also words in the English language, which have been taken from the German language. Examples: „kindergarden“, „angst“, „autobahn“ und „bratwurst“.
Finally some amusing facts about languages
· Afrikaans for camel: „kameel“; Afrikaans for horse: „perd“; Afrikaans for giraff: „kameelperd“
· German for many: „viel“; German for easy: „leicht“; German for maybe: „vielleicht“
· Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft is according to the Guinness-book the longest German word
· According to the Oxford-Dictionary pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest English word.
The The verb "cleave" is a English word with two synonyms which are antonyms of each other: adhere and separate
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 007
22.04.2012
Hello Beloved,
Today I want to tell you something about food. Of course this is a difficult subject, because everyone has different customs and a different taste. It is difficult to generalize the eating habits, but I would like to introduce some typical dishes, especially those, unknown in the respective other country.
One of the main differences, I noticed, is bread. Many Germans love their bread and there are more than 600 different main types of it. In the mornings Germans mostly eat bread, often in form of rolls; It serves as side dish for soups; And even the word for the last meal of the day contains the word: “AbendBROT”. I am not the biggest lover of bread, but I know, that when for example my parents are in South Africa, they generally miss it. There is bread in South Africa and I even saw packaging which said “German bread” on it, but it just is not the same. Bread is also not being eaten as much. In Germany, however, every German consumes by average about 85kg of bread and rolls every year. For rolls there are different names in the different regions: Brötchen, Semmel, Weckle, Weckerl, Schrippen or Rundstücke. In Germany there are also many more types of spreads, cold meat and cheese.
With meat there are no big differences. In both countries beef, pork and poultry are most popular. Due to the differences in fauna in the countries this in Germany is completed by rabbit and lamb and in South Africa by Ox, buffalo and buck.
Many South Africans also like fish and sea food. Since there is not a lot of fresh water lakes and rivers, salt water fish is more common. In Gemany, however, Fresh- and Saltwater fish is equally popular.
An important part of the South African, especially the Afrikaans culture is the barbecue: so-called “braai”. Many love it, but it is also very popular in Germany. However due to the weather, the braai-season is much longer in South Africa.
With vegetables there are also differences. Everybody knows and almost everybody eats noodles, that is the same in South Africa and in Germany. One of the most popular side dishes in Germany is the potato in all its different varients: cooked, baked, croquettes, chips etc. Other popular ones are dumplings, which I have not seen in South Africa yet. There, the so-called mielie-pap, or short pap, is very popular. It is a porridge made from mielies, which is used for basically everything. For breakfast with sugar and milk, as side dish for meat and/or vegetables etc. I am not a fan of it, but it is a matter of taste. The vegetables are similar in both countries, too. Most popular in South Africa: different types of pumpkin, beans, carrots and corn. In Germany however: carrots, different types of cabbage, spinach and broccoli.
A very popular dish in South Africa is the “Potjie”. Traditionally this is a stew made with meat, cooked in an iron-cast over a fire and later, depending on the cook, potatoes, corn and other vegetables are being added. There is a similar dish in Germany, which is called “Eintopf”. This however is more of a soup with meat and vegetable pieces. There are different types of Eintopf, such as Beans-Eintopf, Carrot-Eintopf or Lentils-Eintopf.
One of my favourite snacks in South Africa is Biltong, which is not available in Germany. That is beef or game meat, which is cut in slices, spiced and then air-dried. Some people even produce their own Biltong. It is available in form of slices, pieces or even in form of sausages, which is called droëwors, and spiced in many different ways. I am strongly supporting, that Biltong also gets introduced in Germany and will be produced or at least imported there.
Typically South African is also the “Boerewors”. It is comparable with the German “Bratwurst”, with the difference, that the “Boerewors” is made from different kinds of meat and with specific spices.
In Germany, there are big differences in cooking in the different regions. Every region has its own specialties and that is why there are not a lot typical German dishes, but rather typical Bavarian, Saxonian or Brandenburgian. A worldwide known German dish is Eisbein with Sauerkraut. In the different regions this is being prepared differently. Some bake it; I know it cooked and then served in the brew together with Sauerkraut and horse radish.
Also popular in Germany are quick dishes such as “Currywurst” or “Döner Kebap”. Currywurst, or curry sausage, is a hot sausage from pork, spiced with curry ketchup and/or curry powder. The Döner Kebap is a piece of pita bread with veal, beef or chicken grilled on a spit and served with salad, cabbage and/or vegetables.
In South Africa fast food restaurants are very popular. Besides to the ones known in Germany (McDonald’s and KFC), the most popular ones are: Steers, Wimpy and Nando’s.
Generally I still prefer the German cuisine, but it surely always also depends on who is cooking. Mommy’s food at home is always still the best.
Kind Regards,
Martin
Report 006
13.01.2012
Hello Beloved,
I am sorry about the long break. The last weeks have been very eventful and I was very busy. I just did not have the time to write a report. But today it is time again.
One of the biggest problems in South Africa and also the probably biggest challenge for the country is the crime. Part of it is the homicide rate. Per 100 000 inhabitants in 2010 32 people have been murdered. This is already significantly lower than in the previous years. In the same period in Germany 0.84 people per 100 000 people have been killed. The homicide rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the entire world. Another problem is rape. The exact figures are unknown; yet some sources report that 50 % of the female population has been raped before. These numbers are very shocking. However it needs to be considered that according to estimates about 50 % of the population is below the poverty line and has to fight daily for their survival.
Of course this has consequences. At almost every street crossing with traffic lights, there is at least one person begging the car drivers for money and/or something to eat. Some try to sell things, like food, sun glasses or cell phone chargers. Those people often live on the street and underneath bridges. The people, who possess a house (compared to Germany flats and apartment blocks are rather seldom) mostly have a high fence or a wall around it, often with electric fencing. The feeling of safety is very important. A car is almost essential for survival. It is the safest way of transport and is also being used for almost every way out of the house. Also the shopping is different to Germany. There are a lot of big shopping malls, in which one can find almost any shop. Shopping streets, like they exist in any bigger German city, I have never seen in South Africa. Moreover there is security everywhere; in shopping malls, in residential areas, in front of church halls, practically everywhere; they try to prevent, or at least decrease crime.
There is unemployment money, as it is known in Germany; however it is significantly lower and more limited. The unemployment rate is at 23.5 % (Compared: Germany – about 7 %), which leads to the fact that many would work for starvation wages and also do that. Especially jobs, where only low qualifications are needed are very popular. For example at every petrol station, there are a few attendants, so one never has to get out in order to put in fuel. On every bigger parking lot there are also attendants, looking after the cars and hoping for a bit of money from the drivers. In Germany these jobs almost don’t exist.
According to some sources the per capita crime rate in Germany is higher than in South Africa. This has a couple of reasons. For example the type of crime is different. In Germany these offences are mostly trivial and small crimes. In South Africa, the percentage of serious crimes is much higher. Small offences are sometimes not even prosecuted, because the courts and police are overworked and the prisons are overloaded. Moreover the dark figure in South Africa is much higher, the actual amount of committed crimes is unknown.
The main reason for the high crime rate, especially among the young population, is unemployment, which is why they also often do not have any perspective. The government does not have the financial and organizational resources to support everyone. The situation regarding that is much better in Germany.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 005
20.03.2012
Hello beloved,
Today I will tell you about something, some say one doesn’t speak about. Money. Financially South Africa and Germany are seen very differently. The main reasons for that are surely the economy and the currency. Taking the Gross National Product as a basis, it results that Germany’s economy is 6 times as strong as South Africa’s. Even the GNP per capita is approximately 3.6 times as big. Yet South Africa has the strongest economy in Africa.
This is of course reflected in the prices. For example petrol costs about 11 Rand per liter in South Africa (approximately 1.10 Euro). The price is regulated by the government and is the same at every petrol station in the province. In Germany the price is currently at about 1.65 Euro per liter (approximately 16.5 Rand). There the price is not regulated centrally, but the tax component on petrol is very high (about 50 %) und the competition is limited by that.
Prices for groceries are generally also slightly cheaper in South Africa, except for products, originating from Germany or Europe. With the lower costs of living in South Africa however significantly lower average wages go along, so people earn less. Moreover less than a quarter of the population is able to pay taxes.
Another big difference is the education. Germans can consider themselves lucky with that, because there are no general school fees. There is even compulsory school attendance for children for at least 10 years. But education is for free. This also implies for the universities in most of the German provinces. There are certain fees, but these are comparatively low. That is different in South Africa. Education is not for free and there are fees for school and university education. Surely there is support for poor families, but only very limited. The different schools often distinguish themselves by languages and by subjects. Due to the different races and the eleven official languages there are schools, where for example the main language is Afrikaans or Zulu and others, where there is only English. In Germany the secondary schools German is the only language taught in and they mostly distinguish themselves by certain subject areas, like science, languages, etc. In terms of school years both countries have 12 years, including A-level, whereby in Germany there are still exceptions with 13 years.
By the way, on the last weekend it was for the first time this year for a short while warmer in Germany than in South Africa.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 004
11.03.2012
Hello Beloved,
Today I will tell you something about the weather. Looking at a world map, it is clearly visible that South Africa is significantly closer to the Equator than Germany and that of course has a big influence on the weather and on the seasons.
The weather in South Africa is difficult to summarize, because it is very dependent on where you find yourself. The major part of South Africa is in the arid climate zone. Summer is normally from October to February and it is almost continuously warm with temperatures often over 30 °C; often also with afternoon- or evening-storms. In autumn and spring the weather probably is the nicest, because it is mild and relatively dry. And even the winter, compared to the German one is very mild and pleasant. Minus degrees only appear very seldom and if they do, only nights. During the day it still almost always goes up to more than 10 degrees. From time to time one can see snow on top of the mountains, but most South Africans have never really seen snow before.
As aforementioned, the weather differs a lot in the different regions. Johannesburg and Pretoria are located approximately 1700 m over see level; that is why the weather is relatively dry, in Durban at the Southeast coast at the Pacific Ocean however it is very humid. Port Elizabeth on the other hand is very windy and Cape Town is a bit rainier, but many find the weather there the most pleasant.
Germany is in the temperate climate zone and this describes the weather quite well already. The two main influences are the Atlantic Ocean with the gulfstream and the continental influence from the west. As the case may be, the weather is more or less humid. Winters - December to February - are mostly very cold and temperatures under minus 20 °C are possible and snow is not a seldom appearance. In spring and autumn there is quite a lot of rain and the temperatures vary. Summers are warm, 20 °C – 30 °C, but are by far not as long as South African one’s.
I generally prefer the weather in South Africa, because it is dryer and warmer, however surely not everyone will share my opinion.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 003
08.03.2012
Hello beloved,
Today I want to tell you about something, in which South Africa and Germany are different; this is the time factor. I experienced that again during the past days.
Although I am really generalizing here, it often is, like I experienced it many times. Germany is commonly known for timeliness and it is even known as a German virtue. For many Germans that also applies. In Germany “being in time” normally means “5 minutes before the time”. In South Africa I experienced it differently. Here, a specific time is often meant approximately, and timeliness as Germans know it is not a mandatory, special or common virtue.
As I said, this is a purely subjective experience. Example: University. My courses in Germany so far always started +/- 5 minutes around the announced starting time. In South Africa, however, at the announced time not even half the students were there yet.
Of course there is punctuality and unpunctuality everywhere, but often I experienced people in South Africa seem to have more time. Germans are more accurate and more hectic.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 002
01.03.2012
Hello Beloved,
I heard some people had issues opening the website just after I published the first report, I reckon it was just congestion. I am sorry about that. If that happens to you, please just try to reload the page a few minutes later.
Yesterday I got sunburned and I did not even actively tan. For a German that is unusual in February.
Today I want to tell you something about traffic and public transport, because on that point South Africa and Germany are very different.
Germany has one of the best developed systems for public transport in the world. Especially the “Deutsche Bahn” (German Rail) is known everywhere for being well equipped and always being in time. Funny enough Germans generally think the complete opposite. Besides the railway, there are busses everywhere, trams in every big city and subways in 5 cities (Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt (Maine), Munich, Nuremberg-Fürth). No matter where you are in Germany, there is always a bus or tram stop or station within just a few kilometers.
One can not say that about South Africa. Yes, there are busses and trains, but they are very limited. To get from A to B, one would mostly need a taxi or an own car. For the Soccer World Cup in 2010 the “Gautrain” was built in the area of Gauteng (area around Johannesburg and Pretoria). It is a train connecting 10 stations and being supported by busses, which cover even more stops.
Another severe difference are bicycles. You almost never get to see them in South Africa and many South Africans never learn to ride one. The main reason for this is safety (a subject on its own – still to come!). The bicycle is almost only used for sports rather than for transport reasons. In Germany, however, almost every child learns how to ride a bicycle and there is even a saying in German that states riding a bicycle as something one never unlearns. Moreover there are special roads for cyclists everywhere in the country.
Germany is worldwide famous for its highways: the “Autobahn”. I have been asked many times by South Africans, if I drove on the Autobahn before and how fast I went. The answer is yes and the fastest for me was approximately 210 km/h. The Autobahn are the only roads in the world without any speed limitation. The German highway-network is the fifth longest in the world (behing USA, China, Canada and Spain) and on about 50 % of it any speed is legal; however there is an advisory speed limit (“Richtgeschwindigkeit”) of 130 km/h. Yet there is no real difference in safety, because the accident rates in other European countries are comparable. On South African highways there is a general maximum speed limit of 120 km/h.
A special kind of transport in South Africa are the Minibus-Taxis. Those are generally only used by black and colored people, one will see them everywhere and they always drive according to their own rules. The people got used to them by just always expecting everything.
Kind Regards
Martin
Report 001
27.02.2012
Hello beloved,
I hope you are all well. I am sorry I’m only starting now to write here. The first week in South Africa is almost over and it was very stressful for me, which is why I had no time to write something here. Anyway I arrived safely here last week Tuesday. Since then we had good weather with everyday about 25 degrees and only some rain from time to time.
As I said I want to use this site to share my experiences with you and tell you things about South Africa and Germany and bring the countries a little closer. That is also why I’m writing here in two languages, so everyone can understand what I write about.
Today I want to answer a few general questions, I have been asked several times before.
Why am I in South Africa?
I am busy studying and spending my semester abroad here.
How long will I be in South Africa for?
Probably until the beginning of October.
How are the Seasons in South Africa and Germany?
It is always the exact opposite. When it’s winter in South Africa, then it is summer in Germany. However summer in South Africa is generally longer, whereas in Germany all 4 seasons are approximately 3 months long.
What is the time difference?
Germany is in the time zone GMT +1 and South Africa in GMT +2.
However in Germany they have the so-called daylight-saving time, but not in South Africa. With that time is set ahead one hour on the last Sunday in March and set back one hour on the last Sunday in October to the normal time. That’s why:
End of March – End of October: South Africa 10:00 = Germany 10:00
End of October – End of March: South Africa 10:00 = Germany 09:00
I was so fortunate to meet my future little niece Mila, too. You can find pictures in the gallery.
I am happy the website has been visited about one hundred times even without any reports. Thank you for your interest. There will be more soon. If you have any questions or ideas for me, please send me an e-mail and I will happily answer those here.
Kind Regards
Martin
