Reflections: In Bonn and Paris

I cannot begin to describe how incredible this experience has been. Today marks day 7 and it is beyond me that there is so much more left. One thing off the bat is certain: Germans love their football. In the first public showing when Germany played France, this game had a personal significance because my group was headed to Paris the next morning. Germany prevailed. Similarly, last night, Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1. There were Brazilians of all ages on screen weeping. While I was ecstatic for Deutschland, my heart broke for Brazil, who sacrificed so much to hold this World Cup.

My host family has been absolutely incredible. They prepare two delicious meals for me everyday and provide a very unique experience. The family runs a daycare right next to my room, so if I come home early enough, I see adorable little German children playing. My host family's house has a very interesting dynamic due to the number of people at our house. We have a student living downstairs, a few living upstairs, the daycare, me, Sean, and the family lives upstairs as well. While our time is limited with them, I'm excited to continue interacting with them and learning more about our respective cultures!

This past week was also my first free travel weekend. It was a bit surreal. Day 1 in Europe: no sleep. Day 2: Germany vs. France. Day 3: Paris. We stayed at the 3 Ducks Hostel, which was a fantastic experience. The residents were extremely friendly, the staff was receptive to our concerns and crazy problems, and everything was very clean. As for Paris itself, I was both disappointed and ecstatic. We visited many beautiful sites--the Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Luxembourg Palace + Gardens, Montmartre, and of course, the Eiffel Tower. My fun and love (which far outweighed any negative experiences) for Paris came from my amazing travel buddies and all of these beautiful sites. My disappointment for Paris came mainly from the treatment of Americans in Paris.

Don't get me wrong: there were many lovely people in Paris. We asked many residents for directions and they were receptive and helpful. However, there were also people who made it obvious that they did not like Americans. From their rather condescending tone of voice, to the lack of any hint of wanting to help, I did not always feel welcome in Paris. It is one of those odd cultural things; if you speak first in any sort of French (for us, "Parlez vous anglais?" became a staple), then they were more receptive. Nonetheless, I had a very good experience in Paris from the cheese/wine/bread, to the funny hostel stories, beautiful churches and sites, Paris did not disappoint in these aspects. Will I come back to France? Yes! I want to learn French and eventually travel to Nice, which is something on my bucket-list.

This is an extremely fast-paced and challenging program. We are headed to Cologne tomorrow and then Vienna next week! Until then, Tchüss!

Edward Ji '15