OPINION: Hitting the cultural barrier
At USU, I noticed a common trait among international students. Often they would hang out with just themselves and not much with the general student body. I was always bummed by this because international students bring a wealth of knowledge about other cultures and ideas. But I was passive and didn’t go out of my way to talk to these students. Instead I said to myself, “It’s up to them to interact and adopt to our culture, not me.”
Before I had arrived in Germany, I vastly underestimated the power of the language barrier. Even though many Germans know English, it’s incredibly frustrating to not be able to even communicate the most basic ideas. When a group of German neighbors invited me along to a bar, I was effectively forced to remain silent as everyone around me was speaking only in German.
I now find myself becoming friends exclusively with international students. It’s weird to say, but I can now see why the international students back home acted the way they did. It sucks not being able to communicate.
During my two weeks here, I’ve learned that we Americans share some characteristics that, to be honest, just piss Germans off. My friends call it “the superficial bullshit that you Americans spew on a daily basis.” To be more specific, it’s how us Americans tend to be polite. We’re fine with telling little white lies to avoid hurting other’s feelings.
The Germans here feel that’s a very superficial way of living life. They demand honesty and expect it from others. You shouldn’t tell any lies to your friends, even if it may hurt their feelings. If they really are your friends, they ought to appreciate the honesty.
Germans are like coconuts. They can seem very cold and hard on the outside, and it may seem impossible to open them up. But once you break through, you find that they are very sweet on the inside. Americans on the other hand are like peaches. Outside we’re colorful and inviting and for a while we easily share some of the sweetness with others, but people can get too close and hit the pit of peach, which causes us to immediately throw up walls for protections.
Some of you have been asking my thoughts on German beer. All I can say is that I’m currently conducting in-depth research.
– Justin Hinh is a senior majoring in political science and economics. He is now on a year-long study abroad in Ingolstadt, Germany. Send comments to justintsn10@gmail.com.