Journal Entries
Rejection
Posted Feb 8, 2006
Got a rejection from Berlin University today. They don't want me 
. Okay, well, I hadn't seriously expected that they would take me, but it was a nice dream 
. Seems there were 853 applications for 60 places this semester 
. I got place No. 477 in the ranking 
. Would have looked nice in my CV: "Studied in Berlin..." 
Ah well, now I'm waiting for the other responses. Looks like I'll become Bavarian...
I wish they'd tell me soon.
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Latest reply: Feb 8, 2006
American Vertigo
Posted Jan 22, 2006
"American Vertigo" is the title of a book that is about to be published, by the French philosopher and author Bernard-Henri Lévy. I read an interview with him in today's paper where he was talking about his book. I thought it was very interesting. I'll try to sum up a few points, because I'd love to hear some reactions, especially from the Americans here.
Okay. Lévy travelled through the USA for a year. Being asked what is "The State of the Union", he says he doesn't think that America is at all in a bad condition. He doesn't believe that social order is dissolving, that politics are heading for fascism, that religions are taking over power or that the whole nation is drifting to the right. He is against the (European?) habit of calling the USA an Empire. He says today's situation is far too complex, you can't call it an empire like the ones in the past. Instead, others like businesses and the media and also public opinion could be said to have empire-like structures. "As a French atheist jewish intellectual you are not what is commonly liked to come along in rural parts of the US. How were you welcomed?" -Much warmer than an American with the same mission would be welcomed in France. Nothing francophobic, hardly any personal animosities. Political animosities yes, definately. He visited a fundametalist baptist mega-church in Illinois, and he was pretty open about thinking their opinions dangerous. Lévy says that in America today there are ideological discussions/disputes taking place, much more lively than in Europe. An important question in these arguments is how America's relationship to Europe, to it's roots, to a common heritage is evolving. Lévy was surprised about American puritanism and hypocrisy [I'm not sure I understood his point there ]. He was positively surprised about a military academy in Colorado Springs that he visited. Most people there were democrats, not at all identifying with war culture, no Top Gun kind of people, most of them critical towards war in Iraq. Now an interesting theory: If you don't know who you are, if you have forgotten, and you are dizzy (-> vertigo), you are not able to distinguish between important and unimportant memory. Lévy claims that this is the case in the US, that there is a "museum culture" whitch doesn't know where it's going, and is unable to forget, so it is clinging to all detail, putting it in glass showcase. And finally, with advice to Europe, "The US is a machine to change immigrants into Americans", Europe could learn a thing or two about integration from America. Any comments? I'll give everyone a 
who has read until the end.
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Latest reply: Jan 22, 2006
So here it is: Merry Christmas!
Posted Dec 24, 2005
Merry Christmas everybody! 
I hope you're all happy and in good health, surrounded with loved ones.
Wishing you lots of presents tonight, or tomorrow morning for all those in UK, US etc. 
!!
s and 
es,
Susanne
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Latest reply: Dec 24, 2005
A new society?
Posted Dec 14, 2005
Nearly every time I'm on hootoo I'm having a look at "Ask the h2g2 community" to see if there's a conversation that's interesting, something I can comment on etc. But it has struck my too sensitive mind frequently in the last weeks: Whenever I write something, along comes someone and says "That's rubbish." I mean I always like conversations about music, and films, and I know this is just a matter of opinion and I'm too sensitive really...But sometimes I just want to chat about "Oh, I like the style of clothes from H&M.." and I don't want to argue just now "But you surely know the appaling conditions of workers in H&M factories in Bangladesh" or something. I like debates, of course 
and if I want to argue about ideas and about anything really, hootoo is perfect. But wouldn't a place for being enthusiastic be nice? So that I could just say something freely, where I would normally post the 
-smiley afterwards? There was a conversation a little time ago "Songs you like despite knowing that you shouldn't" or something, and I liked that. Because I'm meeting more and more people who have these standarts: "This is acceptable and this is embarrassing- you should feel ashamed." And this annoyes me because I indeed start feeling ashamed and I don't dare mentioning that I like whatever, Paul McCartney's new album, or the TV show Gilmore Girls or whatever.
Maybe I'll create such a place where everybody can say what they fear is embarrassing, and no-one is telling that it's rubbish.
I'm taking this too seriously, am I?
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Latest reply: Dec 14, 2005
Lovely weekend!
Posted Nov 20, 2005
My diary is full, so I'm going to write lots of unimportant and unspectacular stuff here
...
I saw my good friend Mascha yesterday. We went to the library and sat there for hours talking. She complained about university a lot. Then we went for a walk round the park until I couldn't feel my toes anymore 
Started freezing over the weekend!
In the afternoon I came home and made pizza 
My best friend Sabrina called round, forever complaining about university (sounds familiar). We went into town to get some junk food at McDonalds. Then we went to a bar, sipping some Mojitos. Good god, they are expensive! At midnight we went to the cinema and saw the new Harry Potter. The film critic in me said I would have done a few things better , but it was a nice film. The teachers were wonderful as always I can understand the age restriction, though, some scenes are probably too much for young kids.
Sleeping long today And having a perfect breakfast. Reading the paper for hours.
And I may have found a way to trick the university system With my bad graduation marks I don't have much of a chance to enter one of the better unis. Social sciences are free of application in only 2 of maybe 50 existing universities. So, possibly I could sign up in one of these 2, and after half a year tell them: So long, I'm off to a better uni. Because in higher semesters I might not have to do an application at all. Sounds complicated. Don't try to understand it
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Latest reply: Nov 20, 2005
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Susanne - if it ain't broke, break it!
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