People were not kidding about Georgian food. It is absolutely delicious. My favorite Georgian foods so far are khachapuri and khinkali, which are both very famous foods in Georgia.
Khachapuri is a dish made with dough, butter, Georgian cheese, and egg, although how it is prepared varies from region to region. Batumi, where I am staying, is located in Adjara, which is a beautiful region of Georgia along the Black Sea. My host mom, Nana, taught me how to make Adjarian khachapuri and told me the significance of each part. Adjarian khachapuri is made of dough shaped like a boat, representing the boats and fisherman on the sea. The inside of the boat is filled with Georgian cheese, and there is an egg yolk baked on top of the boat, representing the sun. Our family always serves khachapuri with Georgian tea and shares the dish. Everyone breaks off pieces of the outside of the boat and dips them in the buttery cheese on the inside.
Khinkali was the first food I ate in Georgia. It is a kind of dumpling filled with meat or vegetables and broth. For future reference, the correct way to eat khinkali is to hold it by the scrunched up “tail,” bite a hole in the bottom, suck out all the juice, and then start to eat the outside of the dumping and the filling inside, leaving the tail on the plate. According to our tour guide, for Georgian men, the number of khinkali you order is important—they should only order them in large amounts.
I am writing from the Dubai airport (about to depart for Tbilisi), considering what the next six weeks have in store for me.
In high school, I participated in an immersive summer language program for Spanish in Spain, so I feel at least a little prepared for the culture shock of living with a family in a different country, but I know that adjusting to life in Georgia will likely present its own unique challenges. I am very excited for the opportunity to take language classes taught in Russian and to practice Russian outside the classroom. I have a long way to go in pronunciation and speaking in general, but, in my experience, nothing compares to being forced to practice in daily life.
That said, I also know that Russian is not the primary language of Georgia, so while I will practice Russian, I am also excited to be exposed to the Georgian language, and I am interested to learn about when, where, and how often each language is spoken. I have heard nothing but glowing reviews of the food in Georgia, so I am looking forward to trying as much as I can (and maybe learning to cook some dishes myself). Finally, especially now, I am interested in the culture and political atmosphere of Georgia.
Peruvian culture is an amazing blend of Inca, colonial, and immigrant tradition. This is most evident in the food here, which I’ve quickly learned is famous throughout South America and the world for its richness and diversity. Most of the foods I’ve tried here I haven’t had to leave the house for because my host mother, Marlene, always makes a traditional dish for dinner. I eat around 8 o’clock with my host family and housemates. My host family is comprised of the dad, Leo, the mom, Marlene, and their two sons, Franco (age 22) and Thiago (age 11).
Something I did not know before coming here is that we have Peru to thank for the world’s potatoes! As someone with lots of Irish heritage, I’ve always associated potatoes with Ireland, but they were actually introduced to Ireland from Peru by the Spanish in the 1500’s. Peru has more than 4,000 native varieties of potatoes, which are cooked in various ways and included along with rice in almost every Peruvian dish. Other foods that are common in Peruvian cuisine are cow (and I mean every part of the cow), pig, chicken, and onions. Many of these foods are not actually native to the Americas but introduced by Spanish colonists and adopted into Peruvian cuisine.
One of my favorite Peruvian dishes, Lomo Saltado (Salted Loin) includes marinated and seared beef, onions and other cooked vegetables, white rice, and fried potatoes.
One classic and historically significant dish that remains popular in Cusco is cooked guinea pig, known here as cuy. Cuy might be known as a household pet in the United States, but it was enjoyed as a special dish by the Incas. It’s typically served as the entire animal, with the teeth, eyes and limbs still intact. It took me a minute to get over my initial apprehension to try cuy, but it’s surprisingly rich and I’ve had it several times now since getting here. I’ve tried many foods that are outside my comfort zone, including alpaca steak and anticuchos (heart), quail eggs (sold on kebabs in the street), and cow liver.
This painting in the Cathedral of Cusco depicts Jesus and the disciples enjoying cuy and other native Peruvian foods at the Last Supper. It is believed that Judas, who is staring out of the painting rather than looking at Jesus, was painted with the likeness of conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who betrayed, massacred, and robbed the Inca people.
Some street cuy I tried at a market downtown. For 15 soles or about $4.00, I got half a guinea pig in a styrofoam box with sides of cornbread and boiled seaweed.
Peruvian dishes are also heavily influenced by immigrants, especially from Japan and China. Japanese-Peruvian fusion is called Nikkei, and Chinese-Peruvian fusion is called Chifa. Restaurants for these types of cuisine are everywhere. Chaufa, or Peruvian fried rice, is an example of Chifa that is served with Peruvian takes on Chinese dishes. Peru’s famous ceviche, a delicious soup of raw seafood and vegetables served with spicy sauce, is influenced by Nikkei cuisine.
Peruvian chaufa on the left and tipakay (sweet and sour chicken) on the right at a Chifa restaurant near my house. Tipakay in Peru is very sweet and served with jungle fruits like pineapple.
Finally, one Peruvian food I can’t go without mentioning is Pollo a la Brasa. Typically served with fries and different semi-spicy sauces, this chicken is cooked in a massive oven and is a comfort food for many Peruvians.
Some of my friends and me after enjoying massive servings of Pollo a la Brasa at a popular polleria.
That’s all for now, but I’ll update soon with some details on the history and traditions of Cusco!
One part of German food culture that I absolutely adored was the fresh food markets. In the US, fresh produce tends to be more expensive, but it was affordable in Radolfzell. There would be a market every Wednesday and every other Saturday in the main square. I would pop by to get a snack on Wednesday and then buy groceries after school. Fortunately, I knew most of the fruits and vegetables, but I wanted to buy fresh cheese. However, I did not know about the different types of cheese, and I was so nervous about speaking with the elderly gentleman. I finally plucked up my courage and spent thirty minutes sampling cheeses and answering his questions about Seattle. It was exciting to use so many German skills and sample the different cheeses. I made it my mission to try a different cheese every week, and on my last week in Radolfzell, the elderly gentleman gave me free cheese “to improve German-American relations.” I noticed Radolfzell residents bought food more frequently because the food was fresher. Also, when I visited other homes, the refrigerators were so much smaller than the standard size in the US. Overall, it was fun chatting with different people every week at the market.
Here is a photo of me buying a loaf of bread as breakfast at the Wednesday market. Unfortunately, I did not have the sense to take a photo of myself holding my weekly cheese haul.
I noticed many microaggressions towards one of my housemates Paolo, who considers home to be China and Italy. After my time in Radolfzell, I planned to visit Milan, where Paolo was born. I knew Paolo was from Italy, but he never said which city as he had spent the past nine years in China. When my host discovered I was going to Milan, she suggested I ask Paolo for recommendations. I replied, “Achso, habe ich das nicht gewusst,” – oh, I did not know that. She automatically replied, “Ja sieht er nicht italienisch aus,” – yes, he does not look Italian. While there is a stereotypical “look” of Italians thanks to romcoms, I never put too much stock in it. Growing up in a multicultural country, I expect people to be of every ethnicity in other countries. Paolo also told me about a few of his experiences being profiled for COVID in other European countries. He is seventeen, so it is hard for him to cope with some of these situations, and I was happy he trusted me with some of his other experiences.
One holiday I experienced while abroad was the Feast of Corpus Christi, a Catholic holiday. I did not know this feast day was coming up, but my teacher warned me that all the stores would be closed. Stores closing for non-major religious holidays and Sundays surprised me, but it is a common practice in Baden-Württemberg. Since I grew Catholic, I was familiar with the feast and asked some questions at my local bakery about traditions; however, the ladies working used the day to rest and relax. I used the holiday to explore the practically empty Ulm to see a library and cathedral. What was really interesting was talking about the holiday with my housemates, as I had four. My good friend, Ruken, was from Turkey and a practicing Muslim. She did not understand the concept of the Eucharist and the Blood of Christ, which Corpus Christi celebrates. My host and I explained the feast day, although it was difficult because I could not use specific religious language. Later, Ruken also approached me about the Trinity in Christianity, and we discussed the differences between our religions. It was a rewarding conversation, but it was difficult for us to communicate complex religious ideas as German is our second language.
This is a photo of me in front of the cathedral in Ulm. My friend and I heard a performance by an organist and then climbed up so many stairs to see the bells! Unfortunately, my friend Ruken would not like to be pictured here.
A current topic in Germany is the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially since East Germany was part of the Iron Curtain. Russia’s aggression is taken very seriously because of Germany’s history; moreover, Germany is energy dependent on Russia, although the country is pursuing energy independence. Over one of my weekends abroad, I visited my host family from 2019 – all of whom (except their youngest daughter) grew up in East Germany. Most of their concerns centered around heating for the winter and eating the fruits and vegetables from their garden. I am from Seattle, where my family has never grown fruits or vegetables, but it was a genuine possibility for my host family to eat an entire dinner from their garden. Everyone was incredibly serious about the issue, and their response interested me as an American without the same pressing concerns. I also noticed some hesitation to discuss the invasion, possibly because it makes the issue feel closer. My class at Carl Duisberg was full of students from all over the world; usually, the teacher commented on a new student’s hometown. With the US, he asked which part and if I liked California. When some students were from Ireland, he asked about the sea. A new student from Ukraine joined our class because he came to Germany as a refugee, yet no one talked about the country’s traits or the invasion, and our teacher was silent. Both responses were fascinating, and I was glad to discuss this topic abroad.
These photos are from my visit to my host family. My host sister, also named Sarah, creates a confusing situation when we are together. She lives with her parents and grandparents who lived in East Germany. They were much happier with my German skills this visit!
At first, I was so overwhelmed that it was difficult for me to focus on anything but communication. Once I started to feel more comfortable speaking German, I could focus on more details instead of major ones, such as the prevalence of cash in Germany. One term my peers used that struck me was the word ‘safe.’ When I first heard it, I could not figure out why they were using it in the middle of a conversation instead of walking home late or visiting a new city. It was a new group, so I didn’t ask about it and attempted to figure it out from context clues. Eventually, I gave up, looked it up, and then confirmed with my friend. It originates from American TV shows when American characters say phrases such as “sure thing,” “certainly,” and “for sure.” While these phrases are standard for us, the German translation uses the word “sicher,” – which directly translates to safe. I thought it was an interesting way to communicate that everything was “all good” in life, but I do not believe it will make any sense to use as slang in the US. My friends and I already have a different connotation for the word; thus, we would possibly confuse the meaning.
I am in the bright orange shirt in the middle, and the girl next to me confirmed the meaning of “safe.”
After asking a 30-year-old priest, a 23-year-old local, and a few different retired people, the concepts brought up the most were: trump, guns, breakfast, and Chicago.
Everyone wants to know my opinions on Trump as well as whether I want to buy a gun. I tried to give a balanced perspective on both sides. It was still hard for them to understand how we allow for so many school shootings. They literally couldn’t understand why America loves guns so much. They also wanted to know how an American views Trump. They listened intently and shared their own perspectives on what direction their country is going in.
Italians love American Breakfast. The idea of waking up and having a plate full of waffles, pancakes, bacon, and eggs is a dream. Many people said it was their favorite food despite only having it a few times.
Additionally, when I said I was from the US many people said that was the only place they visited in the US, that, and Chicago. I find this very interesting because those are very Italian cities. Additionally, whenever I said I was from Chicago, I would get “Al Capone!” “Blues Brothers!” “The Bean” and “Michael Jordan.” It was humbling to see my city to be simplified into these small parts of the larger culture and history of Chicago. However, on the other hand, them knowing anything about Chicago gave me pride in my city. People from the other side of the ocean new a few famous people and artifacts in MY city.
I don’t expect them to know anything more than that, especially as I know very little about any world geography.
Siena has an incredibly strong cultural identity completely surrounding the “Palio,” a 10 minute horse race that is in reality a 4 month cultural celebration. Siena is broken into different neighborhoods or “contradas” and each one has its own flag, mascot, and horse in the race. Palio occurs every year in “Piazza del Campo,” an oddly shaped track that causes many injuries during the race.
Palio is something that affects every person in Siena, and I am convinced they have an entire class on it at some point during their education because each person I talked to about Palio knew everything there was to know about it. In a country where soccer dominates all sports conversations, to see a town where the biggest thing was a race that only happened once a year and only by residents of this small town of 80,000 people is pretty special. I wondered what they would think about an ND tailgate
