I have been to Europe once before, as a sophomore in high school. We went to Paris on the eve of the Iraq war and the resentment against America could be felt everywhere we went, unfortunately, this included my host family. They were nice, don't get me wrong, but unlike my classmates, I spent most of my afternoons and weekends sitting at home while they went to the Eiffel Tower and other places around the city. Luckily for some of us, the ability to speak French spared us from being treated badly. Luckily for me, this meant I could go outside the house and wander (not too far) by myself. This trip taught me about European culture and their ideals. I learned that I should learn to respect others even if others don't respect you and most importantly, that everyone has their own opinions and ways to express them.
Learning a language implies learning about the culture of the country where it is spoken. I was born in Mexico, and my culture originates from there. I am very open to learning and I am appreciative of other cultures and people. I had to learn English to come to the US and I also had to adapt to the culture. I was never fully absorbed into the American culture because I chose to keep my own Mexican heritage. That heritage, along with my family's support, inspired me to get to know other cultures and learn more languages. I started with French, then with Italian, then a radical jump into Japanese, and now I am back starting with German. Each of those languages comes with very unique cultures. I have grown to appreciate each and every culture and honestly, nothing surprises me very much. For instance, some people may be afraid that "Europeans are very liberal," well, not really. My experiences in Paris showed me that this is a common misconception, and for quite some time, I fully believed this. I believed that Japanese were just like any of us, that their cities had high crime rates etc. Turns out, people respect each other and you can actually leave your laptop or cell phone on a counter or table, and it will be there when you come back from the restroom. We all have misconceptions, but as I learn more about other cultures, they are dissipated.
I expect this trip to be fun first of all. We are going to Europe, to Germany! I expect to have fun and make up for my experience in Paris. At the same time, I expect to learn about the history of the career I plan to pursue. I will enjoy visiting museums, cathedrals, hospitals (cardiovascular center) and being in Germany. To me, it is a whole new country I have never been to, so it is an opportunity to experience first-hand a new culture, one that I plan to learn more about as I learn the language.
I do have some anxieties, and they all stem from my family’s experiences in Europe. Of course the number one anxiety would be the language barrier. I cannot possibly speak good German in three weeks but I will do my best to learn as much as I can. My second concern in this trip is security. My aunt went to England and France, and she was pick-pocketed in the metro. I have tried my best to avoid picturing this, but as always the possibility exists. I will be careful. My third anxiety is distance to some extent. I will be thousands of miles away from friends and loved ones, and that is difficult for me since I come from a very closely knit cultural background. These are my three main anxieties with this trip, but I hope they all turn out to be minor.
As far as the preconceptions about Germany, Europe, and people, well, I don’t want to generalize. I really had most of my preconceptions clarified. We learned from our pre-departure orientation that Germany is a lot more than the Nazi era country and the instigator of wars. Germany has a lot to offer in the field of medicine and medical technology. I am thankful for the orientation program, because I learned that there are always roots for the misconceptions and a way to dissipate them. Europe and its people are friendly as long as we know how to be friendly ourselves. I believe that being on one’s best behavior and being respectful. I learned this when I went to Paris, and I plan to put it to action while we are abroad. I learned not to be judgmental of other cultures and lifestyles, but rather to adapt to them the best way possible.
I have a lot of expectations for the program itself. I also have notions that it will sometimes be difficult to stay focused on the subject amidst all the fun and all the other preoccupations. So I am biased because I think that the program – the class – will be difficult especially when it comes to assignments. More so, when we return to the US, we will have experienced a different culture and we will have the tendency to compare ourselves. I will honestly try my best to avoid comparing myself to Europeans.
I think the program will help me understand the roots of medicine. The visits to museums and clinics along with tours of the cities and free time excursions will help me become a well rounded individual. This program will involve making some sacrifices, such as spending New Year’s away from my family and girlfriend, but in the end, I think it will pay off. I expect to learn a lot, to have fun, and to develop a more critical view of European lifestyle and culture. In a way, I see this trip as a chance to enjoy what I didn’t in Paris and also to reinforce my career path.
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