Bemused in America

In class today we talked about this article that we had to read called, "Bemused in America". This journalist from Munich, Germany, "Stefan Schirmer" came to America his first time and experienced some things that were strange and not ordinary to him. Where he comes from, supermarkets aren't open 24 hours like how some are in America. In Germany, supermarkets are closed at 8p.m. Saturdays 4p.m. and Sundays NO SHOPPING. In Stefan's point of view, he thought this was strange to him, because where he comes from its not usual to go shopping at whatever time you want to. Some countries, like Germany have their values and we have ours. Another example was when he had to reach an old woman on the phone, and he was talking to the old woman's daughter asking if she were there on the phone to talk to and the daughter's response was, "I'm afraid she has passed away." Stefan's response was, "When is she due back?" From this response, Stefan and a lot of other people from Germany probably don't know most idioms that we have in America even though they may speak English rather well. From looking at German culture and American culture, we all have differences views on things. We are all brought up with different values, and we may look at other things as responses like, "What?!", "What thaa?!", "Wow", "Whoa", "That's weird", and etc. We are the way we are. Everyone's lifestyle may be strange or not ordinary to others, but that's just the way it is.