 Paul Britz loves stories. Loves to read them. Loves to tell them. And as a passionate photographer he loves to shoot them. Britz is a graduate student from Germany studying English at the UW. He is an active FIUTS member who has participated in FIUTS’ Pen Pal program, Tops Elementary School Visit, and Global Gala committee. Britz plans to extend his stay in Seattle working as an intern at Filmateria Studios this summer. Britz sat down and shared with us his impressions of Seattle and FIUTS, his knowledge of all things German, and his recent trip to Mexico.
FIUTS: What were your first impressions of UW?
Britz: I had been to Seattle before in 2003 on an exchange, so I knew Seattle. I hadn’t been on campus and I was surprised how huge it was. It looked very European to me actually because of the style of the buildings. Lots of green, which was really nice. One of the first things I saw was Drumheller Fountain and Mount Rainier and my heart just opened up and it was like, “Awesome!”
FIUTS: What was your first experience with FIUTS?
Britz: My first contact with FIUTS was orientation. The first thing I remember was the reception. We were sitting at different tables and that’s where I first came in contact with FIUTS members and other people, one of whom is my best friend now, Hermina. She was sitting at my table. It was great to meet each other and talk. We had a facilitator but we didn’t really need him. We didn’t need icebreakers. People were already talking. We connected right away. But that kind of mixing was really helpful because you get to know people you usually might not meet.
FIUTS: You’re from Germany. In your opinion what is the best food Germany has to offer?
Britz: Two things: The first I just cooked the other day – pancakes with ham, asparagus and hollandaise sauce. I don’t know if that’s even German, but it really reminded me of home. And one other thing that’s sort of local where I grew up is called Käsespätzle, which is a kind of egg noodle with cheese and crunchy onions. There’s a cream sauce that comes with it and usually a good salad. Sometimes it’s made with mushrooms too and it’s delicious! When you pull the cheese it has these longs strings… not like American cheese. Haha.
FIUTS: You’ve taken a lot of photos for FIUTS and you hope one day to be a photo journalist. What is the key to taking a great photo?
Britz: One thing that is important is to try and tell a story with the picture and focus – as in, don’t try to get too much crap in there. Try to get down to what you really want to show. Don’t make it confusing. Make it simple.
FIUTS: We’ve heard that you were an avid watcher of The Cosby Show back in the day. Can you name all the Cosby kids?
Britz: OK, Theo, Vanessa, Rudy… there’s that weird cousin who appears every once in awhile, but after that it gets a little blurry.
FIUTS: Well, there’s Denise and Sandra.
Britz: Ah, yes, Sandra. She’s the oldest one who was at college and had the whiny voice.
FIUTS: OK, let’s see how well you know your own country. Here’s some random trivia questions about Germany:
What are the four largest cities in Germany?
Britz: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and then Frankfurt.
FIUTS: Actually, Cologne is just a little bigger than Frankfurt, but the others are correct.
True or false: The German submarine U-120 was sunk by a malfunctioning toilet.
Britz: No
FIUTS: Actually, that’s true.
FIUTS: Last one. It took more than 632 years (from 1248 to 1880) to build Germany’s most popular tourist attraction. What is it?
Britz: That would be the Cologne Cathedral.
FIUTS: You are a graduate student in American Studies at home and you study English here at UW. Use hullabaloo in a sentence.
Britz: That’s an actual word? (After much thought) The best people I’ve ever met have been totally hullabaloo.
FIUTS: That’s pretty good. But hullabaloo actually means a clamorous noise or disturbance or some type of uproar.
FIUTS: Germany boasts more than 5,000 brands of beer. Out of all of them, what is your favorite?
Britz: This is going to shock you, but I don’t like beer. I went to Mexico and started drinking Sol. I’ve had really great beer in the Czech Republic. In the summer I like to drink is Radler (shandy). It’s only half beer and the other half is lemonade. But I’m not a huge fan of beer or soccer.
FIUTS: Interesting. But that makes a good transition into your recent trip to Mexico. What was the best thing about your experience there?
Britz: The people and their communal way of experiencing things. For example, when you go out for dancing – unless you’re in an American club – everybody sort of dances with one another. It doesn’t have to lead to anything. No one is embarrassed. In fact, many people make fools of themselves and dance in circles. There’s a real sense of community there that I like.
FIUTS: You’ve been in Seattle for nine months now. Do you have any favorite neighborhoods or restaurants you would recommend to new international students?
Britz: Fremont (neighborhood), where I live, is awesome because there are so many crazy people. But you can get some bad-ass pho (Vietnamese soup) at Than Vi, which I frequently do. Otherwise, the Matador in Ballard is a great place to go.
FIUTS: Almost everyone in the US knows the story of Hansel and Gretel, a German fairy tale made famous by the Brothers Grimm. Some observers have suggested that the story is a fable not only about being wary of accepting help from strangers, but also a reprimand of infanticide and child abuse that took place during times of famine in medieval Europe. But looking back, isn’t this just a really freaky story? Should kids really be exposed to cannibalistic witches and evil stepmothers?
Britz: I don’t see the sense of trying to shelter kids from bad experiences and if the story scares you that’s a way to learn how to deal with fear. That’s partly the purpose of fairy tales.
FIUTS: You are helping plan this year’s Global Gala. What would you tell others to convince them to attend?
Britz: FIUTS events, in general, are fun because the people are nice and open and talkative and culturally sensitive. And they know how to party! For students who haven’t experienced Mexican culture, they aren’t going to get the original, but they’re going to get a fun version of Mexico. |
