Life Update
Life Update
Today in class we learned about the stages of culture shock.
-Honeymoon stage
-Frustration
-Adjustment
-Acceptance
-Mastery
As we begin our second week in the villa, I am starting to feel my toes start to skim the second stage of culture shock. I love it here. The currency system is super interesting, the public transport it convenient, the culture is unique; however, there are parts of home that I miss.
-Friends and family
-Chickfila
-Chickfila
-Rosas
-My car
-People smiling in public
-English i.e. English music, English signs. English menus
-Noise
-The rest of my wardrobe
-Mexican food
-BBQ
The food here is excellent. Around here you will find a lot of deli meets and bread. I am a bread fanatic so it's basically heaven. The problem is that everything in the grocery stores around is in German so it's hard to be 100% positive what you're buying. So far I have accidentally purchased meatballs instead of sausage patties, pita bread instead of flat bread, soy milk instead of regular milk, sparkling water instead of regular water, Greek yogurt instead of sweet yogurt. Distinguishing between shampoo, conditioner, and lotion was also quite difficult. Grocery shopping is an adventure. See through containers have become my best friend.
I have also learned that Germany is a very quiet country. Whispering on constantly using quiet voices in public, even in a crowded square has been an adjustment. It's nice, but at the a same time I kind of miss noise. The quiet culture in Germany values the identity of the individual. It is unusual and unwelcome to smile or make small talk with a stranger. It is so odd to pass by a stranger and not smile or make eye contact. It feels as if I am secluding myself from the rest of world, which in America would be considered rude. My first instinct when I pass someone in the grocery store is to greet them with a smile, but here that would be considered strange. I miss smiling.
The German culture is absolutely fascinating, and my fellow classmates are starting to feel like family. I am beyond grateful to be part of this program, but part of me misses home and familiarity.
ALSO to be quite clear, you can not ship Cheez-its or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese internationally on Amazon.
Wins for the week:
-We are becoming Tram pros
-Running in the city has made it where I know the area really well
-We've become pretty good at cooking actual meals that aren't frozen dinners
-Everyone is working really hard to be kind even though our differences are starting to show.
This trip is starting to feel less like a vacation, we've started having to clean and shop and do actual school (which is what the program is actually all about); however, as the newness starts to rub off of living in Leipzig I pray that God will continue to show my classmates and I the value and humility in living in another culture... even when we really really miss Mexican food.
I have also learned that Germany is a very quiet country. Whispering on constantly using quiet voices in public, even in a crowded square has been an adjustment. It's nice, but at the a same time I kind of miss noise. The quiet culture in Germany values the identity of the individual. It is unusual and unwelcome to smile or make small talk with a stranger. It is so odd to pass by a stranger and not smile or make eye contact. It feels as if I am secluding myself from the rest of world, which in America would be considered rude. My first instinct when I pass someone in the grocery store is to greet them with a smile, but here that would be considered strange. I miss smiling.
The German culture is absolutely fascinating, and my fellow classmates are starting to feel like family. I am beyond grateful to be part of this program, but part of me misses home and familiarity.
ALSO to be quite clear, you can not ship Cheez-its or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese internationally on Amazon.
Wins for the week:
-We are becoming Tram pros
-Running in the city has made it where I know the area really well
-We've become pretty good at cooking actual meals that aren't frozen dinners
-Everyone is working really hard to be kind even though our differences are starting to show.
This trip is starting to feel less like a vacation, we've started having to clean and shop and do actual school (which is what the program is actually all about); however, as the newness starts to rub off of living in Leipzig I pray that God will continue to show my classmates and I the value and humility in living in another culture... even when we really really miss Mexican food.
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