My first week here was a whirlwind of emotion and experience. Not surprisingly, I’m still adjusting to the new time zone and sleep schedule, but that should wear off this week (fingers crossed). On the personal adjustment side, I had to really force myself to get over the fear of breaking a cultural norm and risk being seen as an outsider – especially when going out in public to restaurants, stores, and tourist destinations. My first night, I walked around my immediate area to get a sense of my surroundings and wandered into a small cafe to get some food. It seemed like a good idea from the street, but when I walked in I was overcome with nervousness. I realized in that moment I didn’t even know where to begin: whether to sit down or flag down someone who looked like they worked there, whether to try to power through the conversation in German or revert to English, and, after my meal, whether or not to tip. The waitress seemed surprised that I gave her a three-euro tip for an eight-euro meal; I realized later this was much overdone, and in fact it wasn’t customary to tip at all in an establishment of an informal nature like a cafe.
This experience was isolated and specific, yes, but it illustrated to me the massive cultural learning curve I was about to embark on – the tidal wave of new customs, norms, and decorum for any and every possible situation I may come across. I realized I had a lot more to learn than just the language. This may seem obvious to the outsider, and it is, but it was though this experience that I realized the monumental change in my comfort level that lie ahead. And of course, the best way to become versed in cultural norms is to try them, and fail, and try again. This easier said than done, but even in one week I’ve come a long way.
On the language side, things are going swimmingly. I am the only native english speaker in my language institute, which I met at first with apprehension. But a week into my experience I can say with confidence that it is the best possible scenario for accelerating my language-learning. I am forced, on lunch breaks and excursions, to speak German all the time. There is no alternative to fall back on, especially in large group where it is the only common language. While some of my classmates speak some english, it is rarely used. Everybody wants to learn as much German as fast as possible; and most kids here need to learn the language with a greater urgency than me. Most are training to go to university in Germany next year, whether for undergraduate or graduate school, so their language abilities are very, very important. In addition, my instructor for B1+ level is top notch.
Great stuff so far. I already know I’m going to have a hard time leaving. I’m eager to see what the next six weeks will bring.
Daniel