Stereotypically, life in the United States tends to feel far from reality. On the other hand, flying across the Atlantic and landing in Berlin felt very surreal. I will try to compare the stereotypes in the U.S. about life in Germany to "reality" as I have perceived it. To explain, my "perception" comes from an average of personal experiences mixed with information gathered from news media and random word-of-mouth. Naturally, as I prepared for my trip overseas, the pessimist in me could not help but speculate and criticize what German life would be like. My main observation
was the variation between the people of Germany and Americans. I wondered: would they like this unusual girl from Miami? At first, my expectations were low. When I thought about the German people and their way of life, I had made many assumptions. Are Germans evil? Did I in fact have to eat bratwurst and potatoes every day? Was I obligated to speak Spanish while pretending not to know a word of English? Is German bier as good as they say? Will I get harassed by Nazi skinheads as I parade down the streets? Ha.
was the variation between the people of Germany and Americans. I wondered: would they like this unusual girl from Miami? At first, my expectations were low. When I thought about the German people and their way of life, I had made many assumptions. Are Germans evil? Did I in fact have to eat bratwurst and potatoes every day? Was I obligated to speak Spanish while pretending not to know a word of English? Is German bier as good as they say? Will I get harassed by Nazi skinheads as I parade down the streets? Ha. I must confess that these assumptions were mostly groundless. Are Germans evil? Not any more than Americans are to foreigners running around in their home country. Has my en
tire culinary experience been based around sausage and carbohydrates? Not at all; I have yet to try a German bratwurst. I do have several must-try suggestions: the Turkish falafel wrap, Chinese boxed noodles, Irish Sheppard’s pie, English Fish and Chips, washed down with a Hefeweizen wheat beer. Have I pretended to only speak Spanish? Oh yes. The people seem to react much better to my Spanish-speaking abilities. Is German beer the best? Without a doubt it is. And so far, drinking beer as you ride the trains has been my favorite cultural norm. Are there Nazi skinheads walking around? I am sure. I simply have not met any.
tire culinary experience been based around sausage and carbohydrates? Not at all; I have yet to try a German bratwurst. I do have several must-try suggestions: the Turkish falafel wrap, Chinese boxed noodles, Irish Sheppard’s pie, English Fish and Chips, washed down with a Hefeweizen wheat beer. Have I pretended to only speak Spanish? Oh yes. The people seem to react much better to my Spanish-speaking abilities. Is German beer the best? Without a doubt it is. And so far, drinking beer as you ride the trains has been my favorite cultural norm. Are there Nazi skinheads walking around? I am sure. I simply have not met any.Most importantly, I came to study in Germany for one reason: to expose myself to one of the top three advertising markets in the world.* I hope to never regret traveling to Europe to study abroad. I truly believe there is nothing better than jumping head first into a culture different from my own. In regards to practicing integrated marketing in Berlin, my expectations are high. I plan to soak as much from my fellow German and American students as possible.
Expectations of Berlin:
· Soak in as much from the German people and their culture as possible.
· Learn as much as possible from my temporary school, IMK.
· Eat, drink, and be merry.
· Soak in as much from the German people and their culture as possible.
· Learn as much as possible from my temporary school, IMK.
· Eat, drink, and be merry.
*ZenithOptimedia
