> In Berlin, all the usual pleasantries go out the window. People live, think, > and work in radically different ways. Yet, time and again, philosophy becomes > the common ground—a place to explore shared themes. That always seems to work.
Shashi On 11. May 2025 at 11:11 +0530, Aditi via Silklist <[email protected]>, wrote: > I think there's an East/West thing going on as well. Berlin is a weird mix of > both, and immigrants make it culturally very different from the rest of > Germany. > > On Thu, 8 May 2025, 15:39 Huda Masood via Silklist, > <[email protected]> wrote: > > Really? In Bonn, Germany I get asked all the time what I do as an > > occupation. I have NEVER been asked what I do for physical activity! I > > wonder if it a life phase specific question? > > > > > On Thu, 8 May 2025 at 10:30, Aditi via Silklist > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > I've been silent on here for a while but had to answer this one. > > > > > > > > In Germany the equivalent of what do you do, is what sport do you play > > > > or "do you make sport". I, the most unathletic person I know, have been > > > > caught off guard because my Indian brain thinks - Cricket? Tennis? > > > > Football? Badminton? And I would sheepishly answer, I don't play a > > > > sport, only to receive shocked looks. I finally understood that they > > > > were asking about any physical activity, to find something common to > > > > talk about - so I now simply say I hike/walk, do yoga etc. > > > > > > > > I have never yet been asked "what do you do for a living" in an > > > > introductory conversation with anyone in Germany. I have, however, been > > > > asked what the population of the city I come from is 😁 > > > > > > > > > On Thu, 8 May 2025, 13:00 Bruce Metcalf via Silklist, > > > > > <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > I think that great fun, and some non-small benefit, can result from > > > > > > overturning the usual banal greeting questions. > > > > > > > > > > > > A late friend responded to, "What do you do?" with "I don't *do*, I > > > > > > *be*!" Assuming that didn't frighten them away she would then go on > > > > > > to > > > > > > talk about the things she was doing, why they were important to > > > > > > her, and > > > > > > finally, "What do you *be*?" (complete with that peculiar wording). > > > > > > > > > > > > Her favorite answer was, "I... I'm not sure. Let me think about > > > > > > that." > > > > > > > > > > > > An interesting approach to both connections and self-understanding, > > > > > > but > > > > > > a bit off-putting for those living the unexamined life. > > > > > > > > > > > > Cheers, > > > > > > / Bruce / > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > > > > Silklist mailing list > > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist > > > > -- > > > > Silklist mailing list > > > > [email protected] > > > > https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist > > > > > > -- > > Huda Masood > > +91 9886796967 > > -- > > Silklist mailing list > > [email protected] > > https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist > -- > Silklist mailing list > [email protected] > https://mailman.panix.com/listinfo.cgi/silklist
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