difficult questions (and even more difficult answers)

my students seem to grow keener and more curious about europe by the day. however - they tend to ask bizarre questions about the old continent. here is a selection of their most recent (and peculiar) dilemmas i was kind of puzzled by.

1. teacher, is it true that people in germany when they travel on the bus...they ALL read a book?
2. i have won my erasmus to go to holland and i will study at groningen university. can you suggest a nice hostel in amsterdam where i can stay? ((groningen - amsterdam by train = 2.5 hrs...))
3. they say italian people are exactly like turkish people. is this true?
4. when i was in france i had a lot of pork to eat and it was delicious. do people there eat only pork or something else too?
5. my sister lives in finland and people are cold there. very cold. like in norway and scandinavia. is it the same in london?
6. are german people racist like... hitler? or maybe... not now...? they are not now?
7. i read about berlusconi in the press and i think he is like god. he has many young girls. but...do you know how old he is?
8. when you are in holland they told me you should NEVER say 'i am a turk'...because holland people hate us. what do you think?
9. france people are arrogant and rude. i think when i go to paris if i speak english maybe they know english but they do not want to speak english. is this true?
10. i want to travel to all other countries in europe and try different food. i do not like foreign food...i only like turkish food. but i am curious. what is good to eat? or i can go mc donalds every day...

my topic for the past week flopped.
everything was based on 2010 drawing to a close and questions included:

• how would you describe your 2010 in one or two words?


• can you tell me about a very happy memory you have about 2010?


• is there a person that was especially important for you in 2010?


• is there something you would change about your 2010?


• is there one day that was very special for you in 2010?


• what did you improve in 2010 about yourself / your social life / your education?


• how will you celebrate the end of this year?


• do you have any plans / anything you cannot wait to do in the new year?

i think 9 people out of ten did believed this was a bit of a pointless series of questions -- most of them described their 2010 as: ordinary ... nooooormal ... average (which coming mainly from 20somethings left me a bit taken aback). someone made a real effort and came up with definitions like: mixed... a bit good, a bit bad...like EVERY YEAR... tiring because of studying + everyone found my concept of "self-improvement" rather elusive and mysterious and three people out of four claimed they were going to have a quiet evening in for new year's -- mostly spent with family; and engaging in activities like "eating turkey for dinner... watching tv... playing tombola... or watching a movie" -- since "celebrating the new year is unnecessary".

to be honest -- while i have very clear ideas about my 2010, my 2011 and the happy times and significant people of these past months... oh well -- i still have to figure out what these less than enthusiastic answers reveal!

surely - i sometimes dread their answers and find them a trifle boring and plain. but...at the end of the day... while i sometimes enjoy reminding myself that that flapper of zelda fitzgerald was portrayted by her sweet husband's words "she was never bored because she was never boring" -- a quick look at her biography on wikipedia is enough to learn she was in truth extremely unhappy, suffered from complexes of all kinds and was left to rot in a psychiatric ward by her (sweet only with words!) booze loving husband, the very famous creator of the great gatsby.

as most of my students would shrug it off... a tad... unnecessary - really...! (oddly enough... even tombola sounds like a better option!)