Yesterday marked the passing of my first month here abroad, and I’ve settled in enough to sit down, organize, and record some of my thoughts.
When you travel to a foreign country, or any new place, you bring with you all of the stereotypes and generalizations you have heard about it, whether intentionally or not. Because my mother lived in Germany as a teenager, and I spent a summer here when I was ten, I thought I was armed with a bit more knowledge than the average Ausländer. Naturally, as all households, people, towns, and even dialects are different, I was still slammed in the face with a whole lot of ‘new’.
The biggest deviation from a generalization concerns public transportation. One of the most widely spread pieces of information concerning Europe is that less people drive regularly because the buses, trains, and subways are more accessible, better maintained, and overall the easiest mode of transportation. In addition, it’s common knowledge that Europeans bike and walk more than the average American. While this is an absolutely true generalization, it depends. Es kommt darauf an. My friends, I live in a rural part of Germany. My village has 250 inhabitants, the town where I go to school has one bar, a Chinese place, a pizzeria and a few grocery stores, and the nearest city is 35km away. To get to said locations, everyone drives. Since the villages are so small, we have to call a day ahead if we want a bus, and although we can walk or bike along the paths connecting the villages, that’s not the best idea in the rain or snow, or at night. So, we plan ahead and find a ride. It’s absolutely possible to get around, have a full social life and run errands, but you need to be organized and accept that sometimes, you have to depend on others. To me, this goes hand in hand with the strong sense of community that is inevitable in the countryside. This being said, I still see a lot more bikes, and hiking seems to be a popular pastime, but on the whole, these activities appear to be more recreational than functional.
However, there is one bus that I ride everyday: my school bus! Yes, there are school busses in Germany! Because the area is really a smattering of tiny villages every few kilometers, most kids go to the same Realschule through the 10th grade. A small fleet (okay, four or five), of regular buses run a school-friendly route Monday through Friday. However, we still need to purchase a monthly bus pass, and adults are allowed to hitch a ride if need be.
Food is the core of every culture. When someone mentions German cuisine, giant pretzels, bratwurst, brodchen, Nutella, and sauerkraut all come to mind. Now, I’ve had a lot of traditional German fare, as my host mother loves to cook and tends to prepare the various wursts, along with the cabbage and potato dishes. However, I’ve heard from my fellow exchange students that this isn’t necessarily the norm. While my family eats bread with cheese and meat for breakfast, (although I recently switched to Muesli, and even made eggs the other day), a fellow exchange student has lucky charms. Every household eats differently, even within the same culture. This being said, I’ve noticed one major trend- sweets. Süßichkeit. Everywhere I go, I see sugar, be it Haribo, Kinder, or a Nutella sandwich. When Germans have company, or host and event, they always provide various cakes and tortes. To me, this is a huge departure from the doritos, cheetos and snack mixes I am used to seeing in the US. Now that I’m actively reflecting on this, Germany really seems like a magical land where you buy your preservative-free bread fresh, and there’s no shame in grabbing a pastry or snacking on a handful of gummies.
Germans are also very conscious of the air quality. Every morning and every night, we open our windows for a bit to let in fresh air and stimulate the circulation. Even when the air outside is too nippy for comfort, at some point, we’ll open a few windows in the classroom to get the air flowing. That being said, Germans are also conscientious when it comes to body warmth. For example, there’s a cold going around, and you can tell when someone has it because they’re constantly wearing a scarf, and they’re bundled up at all times. We always wear socks with our Hausschuhe (oh yeah, Germans wear a designated pair of sandals or slippers indoors), because cold feet come from the seventh circle of hell. I’ve often heard that it’s important to stay warm and dry, because the winter air can make you sick if you’re not careful. Honestly, the approach to curing colds is rather comforting- warm clothes, tea, and broth are the main remedies. A brisk walk around the village is also recommended, but only if you’re bundled up!
This past month has had as many ups and downs as the hilly area I live in, but with every day, something shines a little brighter- I can contribute more to conversation, I go out with a new group of people, I follow a lesson in school more closely, or I even just have a nice hike in the afternoon. I still wake up some mornings thinking I’m back in Delaware, only to remember that I have some Muesli to eat and a bus to catch, and some days I long for something as simple as driving down I-95 while belting my lungs out to the radio, but these moments pass, and I’m left with a newfound excitement for the rest of the year.
Human Transplant 