For this chapter's AMD I continued reading Einstein's German world. Here are some German terms that were in the text, examplary of the German adherance to logic in creating words.

Nurpersoenliches - the merely personal (something Einstein tried to escape)

Vernunftsrepublikaner - prudential republican
Vernunftreligion - this was associated with a Jew's conversion to Protestantism. Vernunft means reason, so there's some sense of religion by choice or for a purpose (those who converted had more opportunity for professional advancement)

Dunkelmaenner - thug (literally dark man)

Autoritaetsdusel - foolish faith in authority. Einstein called this "the worst enemy of truth." "Im Dusel" in Switzerland (where Einstein had citizenship) can mean in a daze, drowsy, or tipsy.

Stammesgenossen - members of the tribe (think the German department's "Stammtisch"). Einstein used this term for his fellow German Jews rather than the usual Glaubensgenossen, which means co-religionists (Glauben = belief, genossen = comrade), because he considered himself without religion. Stammesgenossen was much less common, and was almost strange sounding.

Spiessbuerger - conformist, Philistene. Literally something like citizen on a skewer.

Sonderweg - own path (recall we learned sondern is something like but rather, and weg=path)

Fashion in Numbers

I posted my last blog about Fashion, and considering I felt as though I learned the most from it out of all the AMD's, I decided to read another article, and post about it. This time, its about New York Fashion Week, and here's a blow by blow, in easy to understand numbers :]

1943 fand in New York die erste Fashion Week statt.

The year of the first ever Fashion Week, held in New York: 1943.

We've learned that erste means 1st.

11 Minuten lang dauert eine Modenschau durchschnittlich.

The average time of a runway show in minutes: 11.

We've learned that durch means through, but schnittlich means average.

150,000 Dollar kostet eine gewöhnliche Laufstegpräsentation.

The average cost of one fashion show: $150,000.

We've learned that gewöhnliche means usually.

35 Bildhauer arbeiteten am »Eisberg« Zentrum des Laufstegs von Chanels Herbst/Winter-Show 2010/2011.

The number of sculptors who worked on the "iceberg" for Chanel's Autumn/Winter 2010/2011 show: 35.

We know that arbeiten mean to work, but Eisberg, means iceburg, which is rather intuitive. We've also recently learned that Herbst and Winter are Fall and Winter.

9%, 3%, 8% ihres Bruttoinlandsprodukts gaben die Menschen in Russland, Japan, und Ägypten in 2008 für Kleidung aus.

The proportion of GDP spend on clothes in Russia, Japan, and Egypt in 2008: 9%, 3%, and 8%.

Bruttoinlandsprodukts mean Gross Domestic Product. Ausgaben means expenditure on, on money spent on and we know Kleidung, means clothing. We've managed to learn that the word for Egypt, is Ägypten.

In closing, Mode scheint unglaublich oberflächlich zu sein, aber sie hat die Macht, etwas zu bewirken. Man muss nicht modisch sein, um Teil der Mode zu sein. Eigentlich sind es meist die Außenseiter, von denen die größten Veränderungen ausgehen.