week two

a new culture. what is familiar, what is strange?

familiar:
people being grumpy on the train, tacky supre-esque stores, supermarkets.

different:
out host mum doesnt eat as much as at home, the weather is obviously terribly cold, the kids dont wear uniforms, people are alot friendlier and like to show tourists around, theres alot more old architecture and sights to see, buskers have more original gimmicks.

i havent been hugely shocked by the differences between this culture and mine, in a way they both form part of that big anglo-saxon capitalist part of society despite the geography of our countries. people are more eco here and smart cars are more common. i think that in germany there may be a more global mindset than in perth. in german schools kids are rigourously taught english and french as opposed to australian schhols where one may learn 1-20 and colours in indonesian.

week one

What are my learning expectations? (What do I hope to learn about my host nation? About myself? About intercultural communication?)



i hope to learn german to a level where i can smalltalk like a pro, and have no difficulty conversing in shops with the verkauferinnen.

i hope to learn more about recycling. in germany one cannot get a plastic bag at a supermarket, which is good, and every bin is divided into four to seperate paper, glass, organic and packaging. etc. i hope to perfect the german i have already learnt. i really want to visit auschwitz while i am here. i love learning about ww2 and id love to see the camps and hear the stories. i like my host mother elke, maybe i will learn more about her family and her work as she has many jobs and is a very busy person. i should probably learn how to be more independant and self reliant. i hope i will learn to need less food. i eat such a ridiculous amount.