Top Ten List
Why Learn German?
by Kevin Fulton
10.
Turkish cab drivers in German cities rarely speak English
9.
You can tell the Yugoslavian Imbiss-stube operator at the train station that you're one of those odd birds who doesn't like mayonnaise with Pommes Frites
8.
Knowing German is the next best thing to speaking the local language when travelling in warm coastal areas of Europe
7.
You can sing along with the final movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony -- when sober
6.
Quoting Nietzsche in the original is a sure-fire way to get lucky in academic circles
5.
You can read the warning labels on the Ueberraschungseier and save children from eating the small plastic parts contained therein
4.
You can impress your friends by telling them how badly the "Germans'" pronunciation is on the mini-series "Nuremberg"
3.
You can pretend you're something other than an American after making a serious cultural faux pas while travelling
2.
You can understand your German grandparents when they're not wearing their dentures
1.
You can tell the old lady who just knocked you in front of the streetcar what she can do with her umbrella.