Kultur 9

I found it funny that so many neighbor related issues end up becoming court cases in Germany. While Americans can be very particular about how their neighbors act as well, I think that here people tend to be less direct about mild annoyances. It seems that in German culture there are a lot more subtle behaviors to consider. I found it surprising that something as simple as barbecuing or children playing could be considered offensive to neighbors in Germany. I just consider those to be things you have to tolerate, since it is their property.
I was also impressed by how well documented even the most mundane things in Germany are. To me it almost seems a little excessive, and being a somewhat disorganized individual I'm sure that I would find it difficult to keep up with.
I was not surprised by the article on German patriotism. I had previously heard that they tend to shy away from any hint of nationalism since WWII. I think that this aversion will probably lessen after several decades.