By Christina Juo-Han Hu
Three years ago, I was fortunate enough to be sponsored by a Con-gress-Bundestag Scholarship and lived in Germany for one year. It was my first study abroad experience. I was a high school graduate and decided to delay college for a year to make time for the journey to a small city, Goch, located in North Rhine- Westphalia. Initially, I had no specific goal and glided through as I made friends, sharpened my language skills and learned about German culture while living with my host family.
The experience was the most important character building year I ever experienced. I had no idea my time in Germany would challenge me to respect cultural differences and understand views with which I may disagree. The richness in human society began to shine through for me.
Germany's frankfurters, chocolates and certainly beer are cultural assets that lure travelers to Germany. But the people really are the main reason for visiting - learning about the people makes the journey a necessity. Tangible things like chocolates and wursts can be imported; literature can be translated. However, studying abroad results in true understanding between cultures.
I was struck by a German friend's comment regarding his vision of a stereotypical American - it surprised me that I did not fit his image. He said I wasn't typical because I am not white or black or shallow. Never having visited America, my German friend simply assumed what he thought was true; he serves as a prime example that ignorance can breed more ignorant ideas.
The experience opened my eyes to others' assumptions. It also taught me tolerance as I stepped outside of my own familiar behaviors and comfort zone. Living in a strange place is indeed a strange experience itself. I could not simply observe - I was not a tourist but a student of culture and language.
The expectations Germans have of Americans, as well as my own preconceived notions of others, proved barriers at times, such as when I behaved as a laid-back American teen in the eyes of my German host parents. Everyday living presented interesting contrasts between cultures, as I preferred polite comments and my host father preferred an all-out debate on American shallowness.
Conversations awakened me to how Germans view American culture, and I certainly never felt more patriotic in my duty to defend. It seems silly looking back at my own fervent assertions that America can do no wrong, but the conversations with my host father about American foreign policy allowed me to gain a better understanding about the grievances toward U.S. global domination.
I certainly was forced to reexamine how I viewed my own identity as I found myself increasingly aware of my behavior. Studying abroad brings with it certain situations that challenge the norm. Those experiences proved invaluable - I no longer fall back on my own beliefs so easily because many other ideas probably are worth hearing as well.
Indeed, as my time in Germany grew, I found myself listening more to what my host father had to say. In the end, I became more interested in global issues and American foreign relations. The change was prophetic - today I am a German and foreign affairs major.
I arrived in Germany seeking no more than a visit, however, because of the extended time I spent in Europe, I gained a greater understanding and appreciation for the power of humanity and the growth that human interaction can spark. So powerful was the experience that I returned for additional course work for the spring 2002 semester.
The experience has opened my eyes and once again brought me outside of my comfort zone, which has been shrinking as I've grown older. I believe the year in Germany was good in building my humanity as I come out of my own assumptions about life and begin to see other people.
I hope I am better equipped for the journey ahead as I study at the Dortmund University today. I know I will have to spend at least a semester to make the experience worthwhile, and I may decide to seek a return trip to Germany.
I may hold more expectations this time, but I don't think studying abroad can disappoint because it does not ask for anything but challenges to expand one's willingness to understand.
In any case, I will gain confidence at overcoming fear and pride. Stepping away from my comfort zone, I may find myself grow again. This is not my first time in Germany, and it won't be the last time.
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