The part of my study abroad program that I was most apprehensive about was living with a guest family. For the first six weeks of our program, we students are split up and we go to live with individual families here in Germany. The purpose of the host family is for us to be able to really experience the German way of life. If we are sent straight to the university, chances are we will cling to each other as we suffer through our individual culture shock symptoms, and we won't get a chance to really experience German culture. We will stay nice and comfy in our little American bubbles we build around ourselves in this strange environment.
So, we split up. And live with German families. Some speak a little English. Some don't. Some speak a completely different dialect of German that even some other Germans cannot understand. How are we supposed to learn the German culture if we cannot communicate? How am I supposed to go from backpacking throughout Europe with my best friends all summer to living with a family I cannot even speak to? I haven't even lived with my own family since I was 18 years old!!!
But...it's part of the program. If I want to study abroad, I must do this. Once again, I will not back down now. Too late to turn back! I was very, very nervous to meet my family. What would they think of me? Will they hate my tattoos? Will I be able to talk to them? Will they understand that I am a vegetarian? Just how awkward is this going to be?
As it turns out, my family is great. The mom speaks a little English, and although communication is difficult, we are working through it. The dad speaks almost no English, so I have not been able to talk with him too much, but that will come. I am learning so much already! They have two kids--the little girl is 8 and the little boy is 5. They are a huge help to me, as they can work with me on the basics. We play games that are fun and help my German skills at the same time. My family is not the traditional German family I expected; they are very modern and act much like my family did when I was little.
So, while communication is limited to awkward sentences and lots of charades, I am adapting to family life and I am growing more comfortable by the minute. I spent my Saturday night jumping on a trampoline, painting 8 yr old toenails, and having ridiculous dance parties to very interesting German music, what about you? ;)
If you find yourself in this situation, grab a dictionary, put on a smile, and keep and open mind. Jump right in because you never know what will happen!
http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program
Sunday 15 August 2010
Saturday 14 August 2010
Finally on my way!
(as written on August 11th, 2010...on my way to Tuebingen!!)
Having never left the United States before this trip, I had my own stereotypical expectations about what it would be like to visit a foreign country. I knew I would have a difficult time with food since I am a vegetarian. I knew that I would end up getting really lost. I knew I would definitely stick out as a tourist in certain places. I had heard about culture shock, but did not really expect to encounter this sort of thing until I had actually settled down in Tuebingen.
At first, I felt pretty much at home in the countries I traveled to. Ireland's airport looks disappointingly a lot like the airport in my home town of Columbus, Ohio. Actually a lot of the rural areas I traveled to look like Ohio. It was not until I reached Amsterdam that I felt like I was truly in a different country, because the main language spoken there is not English. My boyfriend urged us all to learn a little Dutch for the few days we would spend there, but we scoffed at him, thinking, “Everyone knows English there, we'll be fine!”
Although this was true, almost everyone did speak a little English everywhere we went, we found it to be very much in our favor to speak a little of the native tongue in the countries we visited. We learned to say “hello”, “thank you”, “please”, “excuse me”, and “goodbye” in Dutch, Spanish, Italian, German, and Czech, and this little bit of extra effort was much appreciated in every country. People were delighted and grateful that we had shown an interest in their culture, and weren't just there to party and find our way to the nearest McDonald's. Just as we have a stereotypical idea of what people from other countries are like, they have their own ideas of what Americans are like. Learning just a little bit of the native tongue earned us great service, good directions, and tips on the local spots we would not have been able to find on our own.
However, I did not make it much past the basics in any language that I tried to speak, and I found myself uncomfortably silent while at restaurants, grocery stores, and other social spots. I'm used to cracking jokes with the cashier, commenting on the weather with the server, discussing the scene with the bartender...and in a country where I can barely say “hello” and 'thank you”, I found myself doing a lot of smiling and nodding. Not being able to communicate felt odd and uncomfortable.
Going grocery shopping was a whole new world of frustration. It took me hours to grocery shop when I had to bust out the dictionary in front of every item I thought about buying. Several times, I had a very strong urge to just give it up and go home. I was sick of everything being so hard to figure out, and not being able to ask anyone for help was very discouraging for me.
But..there is no giving up now. This is my dream, and despite all the frustration and anxiety, I have faith that I will figure everything out. If there is one thing traveling abroad can give you, it is confidence and faith in yourself. As we speak, I am on bus from Prague to Stuttgart, where I will have to find my way to the airport to catch another bus to Tuebingen. I am alone for the first time in two and a half months. I am traveling in a country that I barely speak the language of, on a bus full of people speaking a second language I don't speak. Honestly, I am terrified right now. I have no idea what lies ahead of me, which is a very scary thing, but also very exciting. This is what I worked so hard for. This is the day I've been waiting for—the first day of the study abroad program. Wish me luck!!!
Saturday 7 August 2010
So I cheated a little bit...
Since this blog is about studying abroad, I really should have started it before I left the country. However, my experience abroad started close to two months ago, when I flew from JFK airport in New York City to Dublin, Ireland with my boyfriend, my sister, and another friend of ours. From there we had a whirlwind backpacking trip around Europe for the next few weeks. After Dublin, we visited London, Brighton, Amsterdam, Madrid, and Barcelona together, then my boyfriend and I went on to spend a month in Italy, namely Cortona, Magione, Perugia, and Rome.
Seeing as this was my first trip ever out of the States, I found myself delighted and amazed at all the differences I found in each country. People are people, and they are pretty much the same no matter where you go. It's the little things that make the difference. Each country I visited had a unique way of doing everyday things--I almost got locked inside a public restroom Dublin because I couldn't figure out how to open the door (hint: there's a button you have to push next to the door to release the lock). But I'll keep it at that, because the real fun is discovering all this stuff on your own!!
Each country we traveled to brought a mix of wonder and joy, right alongside a heaping load of confusion and frustration. We spent many, many hours being lost, but after a day or two, we would start to get the hang of things. Once we finally started feeling comfortable, it was off to a new country and the game would begin again.
Now my travels are coming to a close, with just one more city to visit before I settle down in Tuebingen. The fears that kept me awake at night before I left San Francisco are starting to haunt me again...”What am I doing? I won't see my family and friends for a year? I won't see my cat, I won't sleep in my own bed, I won't have my stuff, all my comfortable, familiar stuff, for a YEAR!?!?” But I can't think like that. I have to take it one step at a time, and for now...that step is finding breakfast and a coffee!!
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| Abbey Road, London...shoes are wrong but was still fun! |
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