I enjoyed reading this week's culture assignment. On the Whining, Bitching, and Moaning article - it is probably the German's constant dissatisfaction with the current state of things that drives the country to be the "positive, clean, efficient, functioning country that visitors see." I like the Brutally Honest article, and wish American culture would be more comfortable with honesty and meaning what you say and less concerned with "politeness." Perhaps the "Germanic staredown" on the subway also has something to do with their honesty - if they want to observe someone, I guess they just don't feel a need to hide that, just like they wouldn't hide their opinion. Overall it seems the Germans constantly seek knowledge- what their neighbor is doing, what the person on the subway is doing, what someone's opinion is, what the state of their country is and how it could be better, what the statistics are where someone else comes from, or what can they learn from a documentary. The quest for knowledge is certainly a noble one.