Hamburgers don't usually talk to strangers in public - *unless* you carry a cake. I had multiple conversations sparked by the jealousy of other people on the subway, and then the dönerman even tried to get my cake as payment
I've published my first new blogpost in a while: elinegerritsen.com/2026/02/23/t...
I look at etiquette advice about gifts to reveal the complex relations between social norms, good manners, and the underlying point of our practices.
This post is connected to a WIP paper on the normative role of social norms that I recently presented at a workshop in Frankfurt. I was quite pleased to get a room of metaethicists (in a business school!) discussing Miss Manners and wedding registries.
I've published my first new blogpost in a while: elinegerritsen.com/2026/02/23/t...
I look at etiquette advice about gifts to reveal the complex relations between social norms, good manners, and the underlying point of our practices.
Wel interessant dat de boodschap van het verhaal lijkt te zijn dat het juist beleefd is om met 'de onwetende vreemde' mee te bewegen en hem in zijn waarde te laten, in plaats van demonstratief vast te houden aan de etiquetteregels.
I have to give duolingo some credit. When I started years ago, my aim was that language wouldn't be an obstacle if I ever ended up wanting a job in Germany. This week I had my first job interview where German is a requirement and could confidently say that my level is good enough.
Thank you! I'm glad my students pushed me through my reluctance. I had already managed to stop caring about the points, but that streak...
Screenshot from duolingo: a flame with under it '1777 day streak'
A notification image from Duolingo: Duo the owl crying while holding a melting flame, under the text 'ELINE NOOOO!)
RIP streak 😢
(I am actually doing better language exercises now that I've quit. Duo isn't taking it as well as me.)
Unexpected outcome of teaching a session on gamification (reading @add-hawk.bsky.social of course): when I asked the students in the final digital ethics class what practical changes they planned to make, they ended up making *me* promise *them* I would quit Duolingo.
I can't believe how often the German government sends me documents that are not only incomprehensible to me (advanced German learner), but also nearly incomprehensible to my native German person with a PhD. What public do they think they're writing for?!
As someone who loves the book and disliked Saltburn... should I make use of my free ticket to see Wuthering Heights tomorrow?
On Saturday, I gave a talk on social norms where some international audience members were surprised to hear my example that Germans must not cross a street when the light is red. On Sunday I was in a city centre completely blocked off from traffic for carnaval and still saw people waiting for green.
A picture of a sea covered in ice and snow, a dark grey sky above.
Nice! This was the German side last weekend. No skating, but I did walk on the sea for a while without realising I had left the beach.
@rachelahandley.com
Have you all seen the oscar-winning short film about this yet? www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VrL...
I saw that before and considered sending it to the chat group but that seemed too cruel
This bot showing random restaurants all over the world is definitely my favourite thing on bluesky
Excellent title from @drjoeslater.bsky.social
Ad for two pans with text: mit rauer Oberfläche für ein besonderes Barterlebnis.
Thanks to a typo these pans are advertised as having a "rough surface for a special beard experience". Not sure which interpretation of that is the most abhorrent.
This whole thread is an astounding representation of current online culture. Why am I still here?
"Het is heel slim gemaakt", zegt NPO 3FM-dj en kenner van de Aziatische cultuur Mai Verbij. "Bij de jongere generatie was K-pop al enorm populair en in de film zitten nummers die enorm catchy zijn en choreografieën die kinderen kunnen nadansen".
Kenner van de héle Aziatische cultuur? Indrukwekkend.
nos.nl/artikel/2598...
I'm seriously considering making 'stop doing duolingo' one of my new year's resolutions. It would be easier if I could somehow continue my streak with real-world language exercises...
It is the time to sit, reflect, and ask yourself - where my background singers? youtu.be/z84QdJlPpHE?...
🥳
Interesting case for thinking about privacy: anonymous sperm donor has 197 kids across Europe, turns out he has a mutation giving some of his kids a 80-90% risk of cancer. Sperm bank refuses to reveal his case number or trace the families, because of donor's right to privacy.
nos.nl/nieuwsuur/co...
I'm teaching a writing skills sessions tomorrow where I will partially focus on the importance of making your research question specific enough - this will be an excellent illustration!
I've been binging the German version of The Office to prepare for watching the new film (for which I was allocated a ticket to help with my integration). Given the general state of German television, I am shocked to report that it is clearly better than the US version!
I got an ad for a true crime podcast for kids. Are we all OK? Happy with the direction our collective entertainment preferences have taken?
I signed up for a regional vegetable subscription and am genuinely excited to receive my first delivery today. It's getting hard to deny my identity as a woman in her thirties.
(The excitement is combined with a worry about how many recipes for cabbage and carrots I'll need this winter)
A chocolate stroopwafel (Dutch cookie) on top of a mug with the print 'Truth conquers all'
To break my streak of negative academia posts:
I currently get to do teaching prep on an interesting topic I wouldn't otherwise think about (ethics of adblockers), with a great snack.
