As you might know, tourists from Asia and the United States (used to) preferably visit Bavaria when visiting Germany. That's due to a number of reasons:
* There is this famous candy castle Neuschwanstein down there.
* There're some mountains (called Alps, in German: Alpen) in the very southern part of Bavaria (and therewith Germany).
* The Oktoberfest.
* Real fake Bavarian Leather trousers people can be found.
* US military bases: Many former US soldiers and their families were stationed there.
By the way, Cuckoo Clock region is close by, too. It's located west of Bavaria and is actually the second (out of two) most southern Federal States of Germany (2), called Baden-Wuerttemberg.
If you wonna get the post-card candy version of Germany, then just go there. You'll be served.
In fact, I think Bavaria and Germany are often equated in the minds of many tourists. So the Germany you know from post-cards or souvenirs is most likely Bavarian style Germany.
I think you can best compare Bavaria with Texas. It's the biggest Federal State (in regard to its area, not in regard to its population).
Its 'Governor', called 'Minister-Präsident' in German, bears the name Edmund Stoiber. Eddies (short form of Edmund) biggest wish is to become chancellor (comparable to the US-president) for the whole of Germany in 2006. From his values and ambitions and way of thinking, Eddie can best be compared with good old Dubya. He also can't really express himself in whole sentences, only at times he succeeds.
The party, Eddie belongs to, is called CSU. The CSU can best be compared with the Republican party in the US, if u like. By the way, the CSU (Christian Social Union) only exists in Bavaria. In the rest of Germany it's called CDU (Christian Democratic Union). Don't get irritated by the somewhat worse CDU-web presence. It's them who are the leading part in the sisterly CDU/CSU-construction. Compared to the US you simply have to imagine: Texas Republicans = CSU, Republicans in the rest of the US = CDU. The US Democrats can best be compared with the German SPD (Social Democratic Party).
The current German chancellor is Gerhard Schröder. He belongs to the SPD. So, Eddie's after this man's chair.
You can recognize Bavarian natives quite easily since they don't really manage to hide their Bavarian accent very well. After all, that's a nice accent so that's a fine feature actually. Bavarian inhabitants mustn't get mixed up with Bavarian politicians !
Now, what I was actually aiming at: Since many Asian people are goopy for Bavaria, its Oktoberfest and that stuff, some of them study, live or work there for a number of years. So, it's not too seldom meeting a Japanese businessman there, holding a big beer beaker while sitting in a beer garden, singing the annually changing earworms and talking to reporters in the sweetest Bavarian accent you can imagine.
Dang, I wish I was Japanese sometimes !
