I'm from Germany and have a German driver's license. Now I have to get a Vermont driver's license to drive in the USA legally. So I started to look for practice tests on the Internet... nothing. I asked my organization... nothing, they asked the DMV... nothing. Nowhere were practice tests for me.
(My German driver's license)
Then I finally found something. A few weeks ago I bought my first Ipod Touch and downloaded some apps. By chance I found an application from the DMV with test-questions. This app cost me about 2 or 3 dollars. The aesthetic shift, from discrete to convergence, is accomplished. This shows us again how powerful and important technology has become. I think it's an impudence that I have to have an Ipod or an Iphone to practice for a test. That means that this information isn't accessible to everybody and this is the opposite of what the Internet and technology wanted to build. But unfortunately “Even as the Internet matures and becomes more accessible, wealthy users are still able to buy higher levels of privacy, specialty access, and capability than other users” (MEDIA & CULTURE, p. 66). Richer and more educated people have more opportunities than less educated and not so wealthy people. It has always been like that and it won't change ever; until everyone has the same chance of education and equality.
Yesterday I went to “The Grind” at Champlain College. It's an open-mic-night. Everybody can sign up and sing, perform, play an instrument or read something. It was fantastic! I love live-music and there were some very good musicians. First I didn't want to stay, but after the first song I changed my mind. I stayed until the end at 11:30pm. I think I will attend every week, if I have the time. I like my hostfamily a lot, but it's nice to see people my age,too. I don't have so much contact to younger people, because I have to work a lot in the evening and night. On Wednesdays I mostly have my day off, so I can use “The Grind” to know more people and build some relationships to the American youth. That was one of the driving forces why I wanted to become an Au Pair and go to an American College. The American youth is not a lot different from the German one, but I think there are some differences. American teenagers listen to the same music than Germans do and through music, people can connect. You don't have to speak the same language to enjoy a concert or a song together. The limbic brain takes over and let you feel the music and the atmosphere. Live-music lifts me up to a different level. I enjoy it so much that everything around me becomes unimportant for this moment. It's fabulous!
Furthermore it's a wonderful way to get to know new people. People like you and me, the boy/girl next door (plain folks, persuasive technique). That's one of the things I like about “The Grind”, I saw some students from my class and met new people, who could be interesting to get to know. It's so important to stay in contact with people in reality. Almost everyone has a Facebook-account, sometimes it's getting too easy to stay in touch. Those nights are necessary to build a place were students can meet. People can come together and share some wonderful time in a nice atmosphere. Additional it's not only a place for listeners, musicians can improve their appearance on stage and practice themselves as artists. This could be an important trial run, if they want to apply for a recording contract at a music label such as Sony BMG and Universal. Those major music labels have an “enormous influence over what types of music gain worldwide distribution and popular acceptance.” (MEDIA & CULTURE, p. 96) Unfortunately as a musicians you are depended on a recording contract at a big label, if you want to have a good start. Some artists gain popularity through small labels or even without a contract (Colbie Caillat at MySpace). But it won't be easy to compete with high-end products of big music companies, which have huge budgets to market their artists. The musicians at “The Grind” are free of ownership, they perform their own music and covers. But nobody stands behind them and controls what they play.
1.) I'm from Aachen, Germany. I arrived about a month ago and take care of 3 children as an Au Pair.
2.) This summer I read my first thriller and I'm delighted by the different way to organize a story so as to build suspense.
3.) I like about 21st media that we have access to so much information. The telecomunication technology experienced such a great development, that I can hear and see my family and friends back in Germany. I dislike about 21st media that we are so dependent, sometimes addicted, to internet, television etc. that we can't live without it anymore.
4.) I want to become a PR-Manager and I'm not sure where I want to work. My apprenticeship will take place in Germany, but then I prefer to work in foreign countries. Maybe I will come back to the States.
(My German driver's license)
