Berlin: Home of Expensive Thrift Stores and Delicious Ice Cream

Dear Lauren,

Roaming the quaint streets of Kreuzberg, listening to people switch between languages effortlessly, and waiting at crossroads until the light changes to cross the street on my first day in Germany was a bit of a culture shock. Coming from the noise pollution of Washington, D.C. where everyone is always in a hurry and crosses the road when they please, it was hard to comprehend the disparities between Berlin and my college town.

On the first day around six at night, I was out getting food with friends when we ran into a communication barrier. After trekking around the streets searching for a restaurant with food that would please our ever-growing hunger, we finally settled on a burger place and entered to ask for a table. The lady at the restaurant did not speak English and my German vocabulary was limited to phrases asking for English. After about five minutes of trying to understand each other, we were able to get a table, however, the encounter left a strong impact on me.

Prior to traveling to Germany, I did not feel a strong need to have command over the German language because many people in Germany speak multiple languages (including English) and the signs and menus are also in English. The negligence on my part to not make a valid attempt to participate in the language of the culture that I am visiting was a grave mistake, however, I am now working to remedy my shortcomings with the German language. In an effort to increase my German vocabulary, I am speaking German for more simple phrases such as ordering at a restaurant and asking to have my water bottle refilled. Although my experience was a challenging way to learn a lesson, I am thankful that for my future trips abroad I will know to better prepare myself to interact with the culture that I am simply a guest in.

Tschüss,

Lauren