Berlin Calling Questions and Reaction

QUESTIONS:




1. What do drugs mean to Ickarus?
- Ickarus seems extremely dependent upon drugs, so in other words he is addicted. I believe that he thinks the drugs are a part of what he does for a living, that drugs and dj-ing go hand in hand.

 2. Why, when, and how are his fans taking drugs, and which drugs do they take?
- His fans take drugs at the rave parties that he DJ's at. They take them to have more fun and a more wild night. They take anything from ecstasy to acid and its usually in pill form.

 3. While we can see that his drug habits get him ill and into a psychosis, and while we witness his relapse and inability to work successfully, why does the subculture Ickarus belongs to focus on drugs?
- I think a lot of the reason this culture thrives on drugs is because of peer pressure. For some reason these people that take these drugs think it makes them more popular and cool in the minds of their peers so in order to fit in they give in to pressure from their friends. It's all about being accepted.

 4. Compare the standards you know from your home society with the people you see depicted in this movie. Which are the stark differences and contrasts?
- Obviously you never know what drugs are being taken but here at home I would argue that most people don't do the hard drugs that they are in this movie. Pot and alcohol is more accepted here in the U.S. but it seems as though the drug of choice is much different in the culture of this movie.

 5. Germany is considered a strong industrial nation the world over. Do you think that the youth culture as depicted here could change that? How about work ethics of Ickarus and of Alice, the label director who fires and then re-signs him?
- It could definitely change. I don't think the sample size of the people in this movie is big enough to represent all of Germany but if the actions in this movie are common throughout the country then absolutely it could affect their status of a strong industrial nation. The youth culture in any country is the future of that country, if that particular youth group is weak then the future will not look very bright.

 6. Which similar "cult movies" of US origin have you seen, if any?
- I don't recall seeing any cult movies that are similar to Berlin Calling.




REACTION:






- One cultural difference from the movie compared to the U.S. is that drugs such as ecstasy, acid, and other hard drugs seem to be more acceptable in the eyes of society. In the U.S. these drugs are considered to be absolutely unacceptable to use in the minds of the majority of citizens. Alcohol is the more common "drug" in the U.S. and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. The type of music the Ickarus develops hasn't really caught on here in the U.S. either. Obviously you will have groups of people here that love that type of music but it isn't rock, pop, or country which are the main focus of the American music scene. I have never heard of a rave going on here in the U.S. again, i'm sure they do exist but aren't as common or as easily accessible as they are depicted in the movie. It is very interesting to view a different country and culture in the way the movie, Berlin Calling, has showed to us. I could imagine that not many people here in the United States has ever seen anything like the scenes that are present in this film. It just goes to show how many different subcultures there are within a country and how you can know very little about what goes on within those subcultures. Personally, I don't know what benefits could come of the drug use these people, such as Ickarus, endure or why they continue to do them after incidents like the ones in the movie. I would be scared to death if I woke up in a strange treatment facility knowing nothing about what happened the night before. This movie really makes a person think about how valuable it is to be taking care of yourself, not just your body but also your mind. Ickarus actually gives me an angry feeling because he is talented at what he does and he is just wasting his talents by using these drugs. It annoys me to think about all the people that have these enormous amounts of talent but they give it all up for something that hurts themselves and their loved ones. This theme occurs not only in the movie or in Germany, but throughout the entire world. 

Topic 4- Foods and German Cuisine

German Desserts:

Probably the most common dessert served in Germany are cakes and tarts. These are mainly made with fresh fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, etc. Cheesecake is also a very sought after dessert with the black forest cake being the most widely known example.

 

Photo Source: http://www.crystalice.com/blog/national-black-forest-cake-day-march-28th

 

German's also make doughnuts which differ from doughnuts here in the U.S. because German doughnuts don't have holes in the middle and most of the time have a central filling. The Berliner is a popular choice for a German doughnut.

 
Photo Source: http://mydeutschlandblog.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/little-slices-of-heaven/

 

 

 

 

 Pfannkuchen, is sort of a pancake that closely resembles the crepe made in France. These are usually served with sugar, jam or syrup. The word Pfannkuchen actually means pancake throughout most of Germany.

Photo Source: http://www.pfannkuchen-rezepte.com/

Lastly we have the Italian influence on Germany's desserts. The first foreigners to really make an impact on German soil in the form of eateries were the Italians who established ice cream parlors. With them they brought various ice creams and sorbets. Namely, Spaghettieis was one of the most notable ice cream desserts because of it's visual similarities to spaghetti, tomato sauce, and cheese.

Photo Source: http://www.travelmeetsfood.com/spaghetti-ice-cream

Web Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_cuisine

AQOTWF Chapter 11 Summary

Chapter 11

Detering: Comes across cherry blossoms and picks some branches. He becomes homesick and heads toward Germany, but got caught by the field gendarmes.
Berger: Gets a case of front-line madness and leaves cover to find a wounded messenger-dog.
Others: Go so mad that they rave, run away, or dig themselves into the ground with hands, feet & teeth.
Müller: Was shot point blank in the stomach.
Everyone: is emaciated and starved. There's little to no artillery. Not enough horses. Fresh troops merely know how to die. A1 needs soldiers so the surgeons send injured soldiers up there when they shouldn't. Hopelessness.
Bertinck: Receives a chest wound, and his shin is smashed away by fragments. Leer's hip is torn open by the same fragment and he bleeds out quickly.
Kat: His shin is smashed to the bone and bleeds fast. Paul binds it and carries him to a dressing station. Kat gets shot in the back of the head right before they arrive at the dressing station. Paul thinks he saved Kat until the orderly points out that he's dead. Paul was unaware that Kat got shot.
Paul: He's losing all his friends, and is living a life of death. He reminisces the good times he's had with his friends, like finding the 2 geese with Kat, but it doesn't compare to everything else the war has made him and the others face. He feels as though the soldiers are transformed into "unthinking animals in order to give [them] the weapon of instinct" (page 274).

Group Members:
Jessica L, Chanae P

All Quiet on the Western Front Character

The character I am going to choose is Katczinsky:

"I am a forty year old man in a seemingly endless war. I must do whatever it is to get back to my family back home. Resources are scarce so we must be able to find food, clothing, and shelter by other means. These kids have not had the experience in life as I have so they will look up to me to guide them through these rough times. I must be a good role model for them and protect them."

Kat is a stern, wise man. He is the oldest of the bunch and therefore has the most experience among them. He is very crafty and always knows where to get an extra bite to eat or some extra blankets for warmth. Kat has proved to be Paul's best friend throughout the book and is someone who is very looked up to by the other members of Paul's company. He puts up a hard front but in the end he is just like everyone else, he has people at home that he cares about and all he wants is an end to the war.