Today it is my pleasure to present a guest post by a student who served as an intern for my business last year, Alexine Zapf. She has had quite a few international living experiences in her fairly young life and has agreed to share something about what she has learned.
Different cultures have consistently been a part of my life as I grew up with my German dad and my French mom. We lived in Germany, but it was very important to her that we also learn to speak in her native language, in order to be able to communicate with our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins in France. And till today I am tremendously thankful for her persistency. Without it I wouldn't be where I am today, an international student at the University in Sheffield in England, studying Intercultural Communication.
I've always had a strong connection with my French heritage, so strong that I decided to finish my last two years of high school in France. It wasn't very easy in the beginning, I was only 17, I missed my family, even though I lived with my grandparents. The people in my class already knew each other very well and I was a newbie. But it didn't take long till I was integrated, had great friends and was part of the class community. When I look back to my time in France, I cannot help it, I have to smile.
Although the school part was exhausting and so much work, the nice and beautiful memories overpower all that. The family dinners we had regularly for every birthday and holiday were so nice. We would sit down for lunch around a table, eat, talk and drink and still be there in the evening for dinner (an aspect I missed a lot when I moved back to Germany). And the amazing friendships I still share with former classmates have been like a gift.
Another part of my cultural journey was my Erasmus semester that I spent in Poland. I lived with two Russian women and a friend I met at my home university in Germany, which was very helpful as she spoke Polish and made communication during the first few days easier. I learned Polish and tried a Buddy-programme to get in contact with Polish students, but it was very difficult. I even started playing volleyball, but I was the only international student and none of the other team members spoke English, which frustrated me quite quickly, as integrating in such a surrounding was very difficult and I stopped going to the trainings. It showed me that it is not always very easy to be in a new country and culture, but still I shouldn't have given up so easily.
Being stared at in the bus or on the street wasn't unusual. The moment you spoke another language than Polish. But when I went to a local greengrocer's shop and tried to order my food in Polish, the people were very appreciative. I met a lot of interesting people in Wroclaw and started travelling more. I explored several beautiful places in Poland, ate a lot of traditional food and got to know and love the country and its culture. What I enjoyed the most was travelling a lot with my international friends while I was in Poland.
I had the opportunity to visit Wroclaw, Jelenia Góra, Opole, Görlitz, Krakow, Warsaw and a few more places. And here again, food was a very important part, as we met once a week with a group of friends to cook meals from each of our home countries. We split up in three groups, one responsible for the starter, one for the main course and the last for desert. And in the end we all meet in one of our flats to have a nice dinner together, talk, laugh and enjoy the self-prepared food.
Two years ago, I did an internship for two months in Moscow, which was completely different from my previous experiences abroad as I had a regular job to perform, a daily routine to follow and only time in the evenings and mostly during the weekends to explore the city. Another change was that I was travelling alone for the first time in my life. Back in Germany someone had told me that I should be very careful and not talk to strangers as they could take advantage of me or give me wrong directions on purpose. In the beginning this scared me off, but I stopped being so stressed about it and started seeing it as an opportunity to learn and to get out of my comfort zone.
My work colleagues were very nice, welcoming and hospitable. I was not very fluent in Russian and always afraid of making stupid mistakes. I had to learn to accept that this is totally normal and that only by trying to speak and allowing these mistakes to occur, one will get better. Even though Moscow is a city of 12 million inhabitants, it didn't feel like that. Everyone was friendly and helpful, and I had the opportunity to enjoy Russian hospitality. And as it was the first time I went abroad alone, I really enjoyed getting around and doing sightseeing on my own, which I personally think everyone should experience once in their life.
Alexine in Moscow
Now I am studying Intercultural Communication in the UK and have learned a lot from living abroad in different contexts (as a pupil, student and worker) and can deepen my passion in this master's degree.
For all the readers who plan to go abroad soon or at some point in their live, whether it is to study, work, volunteer or live there, I want to share a few general pieces of advice:
Welcome opportunities to live abroad. The more you broaden your experiences, the richer your world will become.
Before you go to live in a different culture, read about the country you are going to. Research how you're going to get from your arrival point to your destination (hotel, dorm, etc). If you do not know the language already, try to learn the basics, as it is mostly very welcomed if you try to communicate in the country's language. Be prepared to have a culture shock. It might be a strong or only a light one, but it will come.
Upon arrival in a different culture try to get to know new people, so you don't feel alone. Be open and communicative. Don't be critical or judgmental.
After you have been there a while, reflect on your experiences, your behaviour, the behaviour of others and especially about in which phase of a culture shock you are right now.
Alexine Zapf is currently studying in England