Travels with Germans

So today I went to Landshut, which is northeast of Munich, with the other stipend holders at the Zentralinstitut and the second-command of the ZI. It was nice to be included, because I could watch the habits of Germans during their excursions. Since I am incapable of having conversations in German at any sort of level, this allowed me to hone my anthropological skills.

Here are some of my observations and preliminary findings
1. They are able to stand for extraordinary amounts of time in freezing cold castles and palaces. Despite the fact that, for me, hypothermia had long set in, the subjects continued to discusses mediocre paintings at length. The only conclusion I can draw from this is that they must all have prosthetic limbs that serve as insulation between the cold floors and their torsos.

2. They never drink water or anything hydrating at lunch, which is usually a large, heavy meal. Conclusion: Their digestive systems have evolved to be able to extract enough water from sausages and random meat parts held together by jello.

3. Portion sizes are huge, therefore there must be secret vomitoriums to which I have not yet gained access.

4. On train rides everyone is able to produce chocolate from their bags. This includes everything from RitterSport and Kinder products to chocolate covered cookies and almonds. These treats are shared with everyone in the group and passed around in a kind of community bonding ritual. Also chocolate purchases must be subsidized by the government.