Cultural anthopology

Elias and I have been approached several times in Freiburg by students--usually pairs or trios of articulate women carrying notebooks and voice recorders--claiming to be working on projects for high school or University. "Do you mind if we ask you some questions for school," they'll say. So far, we've answered questions about whether we've brushed our teeth, how old Ron Weasley is in Harry Potter book 6, whether we'd sing the refrain of a Beatles song for them, and how often and where we find it most pleasurable to pick our noses. "Do you have any special nose-picking episodes from your childhood that you could share?" is not a question I've ever been asked anywhere else. That these students devote such attention to their studies during the middle of summer vacation suggests Germany is raising a bright young generation of dedicated cultural anthropologists.