|
|
Welcome to Mahyar's web journal for students considering going to Goettingen,
Germany with EAP.
| |
Wednesday, November 12th, 2003
| |
- It's Over
|
I realize that making myself sit down to finally write my final post-EAP entry has taken months. Initially I was pre-occupied with family and later with an application to return to Germany for a 10-month pedagogical exchange program after I graduate. Ultimately, it felt difficult to force myself to face the fact that my time abroad really is over.
I know I really am in the United States when I begin remembering all the times in Germany that I spent thinking “hey, I’m in Germany!” Basically, that thrill of knowing that one is really living abroad is to me now only a memory. While the experience of returning has been smooth, I have learned years can pass by very quickly.
I remember all the things I never did, thinking to myself that I would have another opportunity. Nevertheless I feel that I made very much out of the time I had in Göttingen. I finally mastered the “awful German language.” More importantly, I made important friendships and personal experiences into adulthood.
Access to a study abroad program has been a definitive experience in my undergraduate studies. I learned another language, as well as a different way of learning in the German academic system. German industriousness has definitely worked its way into my life. This isn’t to say I have become totally industrious – I simply have a more guilt about not being industrious. Sure I partied and had more fun there than possible in San Diego, but the academic experience alone was invaluable.
Anyone who ever has a question about life over there in Germany, ask me. I will always be glad to share experience. If you are thinking about studying abroad, remember that Göttingen is far cheaper than California. You can either experience the thrill of realizing your desire to go abroad, or you can go on regretting passing up the incredible opportunity available to students at the University of California.
Aufwiederlesen!
|
|
|
| Monday, June 30th, 2003
| |
- June
|
This past month I have been busy enjoying the warm summer weather. I traveled to Munich during an extended weekend. We have had many holidays this semester. Then during the week long Pentecost break I took a trip to Heidelberg to visit my cousin, and then headed further south to Zürich. Switzerland is ridiculously expensive, so I stayed for only a few days. If one ignores Lichtenstein, now I can proudly say I have been to all the German speaking countries.
I finally bought my ticket home. I had trouble finding a flight at the end of July since I waited so long. I would advise booking earlier, so as to have more seats to avail. I was simply in a state of denial regarding the necessity of going home. It saddens me that my year in Göttingen is almost over, but to my own surprise I am starting to look forward to returning to San Diego. Still, it is hard to process the idea that in one month I will no longer be in Europe. I realize now just how fast a year passes. It is possible to extend one's study abroad for an additional year. However I have earned all the units here that my major will accept from abroad, so I would have made no academic progress. But if you have no hurry to graduate, a one year extension would be a great opportunity to stay longer and learn more German.
I had a grill party to celebrate my birthday with some of my housemates and friends. Grill parties are a big part of the student culture here. I realized that was probably one of the last times I would be gathered with my friends here in a festive atmosphere. (Still there will be more parties. Almost every student dormitory and academic department throws big parties throughout the year.) I hope to keep contact with the friends I found here. My housemate from Spain says he would like to visit me in California next year, and take a road trip together through Mexico. Whether or not that actually happens, I am glad that he at least has the trip in mind. The bonds one forms abroad are one of the most valuable aspects of the entire experience.
|
|
|
| Wednesday, May 28th, 2003
| |
- The nitty-gritty of studying in Göttingen
|
It is now the sixth week of the semester. I decided to take an advanced German grammar course to learn better New High German instead of taking a Middle High German course. Students here have the advantage that they can simply go to courses without having to register—except for the German as a foreign language courses. We get upper division UC units for the German as a foreign language courses offered at Georg-August University. It really pleased me to find this out, since I can learn more German and fulfill elective requirements for my college at UC San Diego. Speaking of UC San Diego, I signed up recently for my courses for the fall quarter. I simply received an e-mail from UC San Diego informing me of my registration appointment, and went on the university website to select my courses. This made for smooth planning for my studies after I return to California. I have only about two months left in Göttingen, which seems like so little. I am trying to think of all the imperative tasks I should get done before going home. For example, I think it would be a good idea to come up with a draft for a résumé in German. I should also go to the dentist here to take advantage of the great medical insurance I receive from the program. A friend recommended to me recently that I take an intensive German language course at a German university before going home. I have no return-ticket and nothing I have to do in California for the month of August—so this seems like the perfect way to extend my experience of Germany just a little bit more.
Last weekend an old friend of mine from high school visited me in Göttingen. He is learning German now in Berlin. At first I thought he might find Göttingen boring after life in the big city. He actually said he liked Göttingen better than Berlin. He thought Göttingen is prettier and the people are friendlier than in Berlin—which made me glad I chose to study in Göttingen, instead of going to Berlin. The low cost of living also makes Göttingen really attractive. I pay a little over $100 a month for rent—20% of what I have to pay in San Diego, and I am even closer to the university. The German university system recognizes that students generally have little money, which is something I will miss when I return to La Jolla—where food on campus costs as much (if not more) than food off campus.
|
|
|
| Sunday, May 4th, 2003
| |
- Laundry
|
|
I just went to the laundry room in the Dorf to wash my clothes, and noticed that there were people outside sunbathing or studying in practically every backyard. So I am sitting outside in my house's backyard with my laptop writing this journal entry to enjoy today's beautiful weather, too. I only recently started doing my laundry here at the Dorf. I used to go to a laundromat in the area so as to have access to dryers. Finally I got tired of trekking with my laundry just to be able to use a dryer to dry my clothes, and started using the Dorf's facilities. Dryers seem nonessential to me now, and I think how much better it would be for the environment if everyone in the United States decided to save energy by simply hanging their clothes to let them dry.
|
|
|
| Friday, April 18th, 2003
| |
- Spring, the Sauna & the Summer Semester
|
Next week the summer semester will start. I want to try out a course on Middle High German. Studying in Germany offers German students lots of educational opportunities usually unavailable at the University of California. Though I still have to ask myself what I will ever do with a degree in German studies, I am glad I at least expanded my studies by coming to Germany. Little more than three months remain before I leave Göttingen. I recently received a notice from the housing administration asking me to let them know when I plan to move out. It feels eerie to realize my once seemingly endless stay in Germany will be over within the foreseeable future. Granted that I still have some time left, I still feel amazed at how quickly the time has passed. Lately I saw groups of new students from the United States who recently arrived in Göttingen for the spring semester. It startles me to contemplate how much I have changed since I first arrived in Göttingen. During the first few days I felt tremendously homesick and thought I wanted to go back home. Now I am considering moving back to Germany after I graduate.
A couple weekends ago I traveled to Bremen to visit distant relations who live in a small neighboring town called Lilienthal, where I lived as a child. I enjoyed the chance to revisit all the places familiar to me in the Hanseatic city-state. The week before I traveled to Bremen, I took a day trip to Lübeck—the former seat of the Hanseatic League and one of the prettiest German cities I have seen. I visited the Buddenbrook house, where Thomas Mann and his family lived. I stayed in Göttingen for most of the break, just enjoying hanging out. Lately the weather has become a lot warmer, although only a week ago it snowed. This last week a friend and I went to the nearby soccer field to lay out in the warm sunshine. One appreciates good weather a lot more after experiencing a German winter. Spring has so far been really beautiful. My house mates and I are planning a grill party tomorrow. I bought ground beef to make hamburgers. I miss authentic American hamburgers, so I figure I have to make my own.
I started going to the sauna with my house mates. It surprised me to learn that everyone (men and women) sit nude in the sauna, but I got over my apprehensions. The experience of sitting around naked with a friend and neighbor seems impossible in California. I enjoyed the sauna, especially the sharp feeling one gets after diving into the cold pool after fifteen minutes in the Finnish sauna. Later we laid ourselves down in a room at room temperature, and my brain started played cool tricks with my vision. I learned to like the comfort of being naked around people I know. The atmosphere at the sauna is totally nonsexual, very relaxed and relaxing. At first I felt very self-conscious. Then when I saw my house mate standing naked in front of me, I realized we were both at an equal disadvantage and that there was nothing to fear.
|
|
|
| Wednesday, March 19th, 2003
| |
- Life in the Village in Light of War
|
I finally completed all my work for my first semester at the Georg-August University. I have been relaxing at home since, mostly socializing with my house-mates. On Monday my next door neighbor and I took chairs outside onto the terrace so as to enjoy the sun's revived warmth — a welcomed signal winter will be ending. I live in the Studentendorf (student village), a complex with over thirty houses. Each house has eleven rooms, and a common room connected to a kitchen. Basically I am sharing a house with a bunch of other people, and thankfully a cleaning lady comes weekly. I have several friends in other houses, and numerous other acquaintances scattered across the village. Some of my house-mates just stay to themselves, but a handful of them have become good friends. I really enjoy drinking and eating with them. The other evening my next door neighbor invited me and the others to party with her and her boyfriend to celebrate the job offer he received. The communal feeling makes life in my house really comfortable and cozy.
Yesterday I borrowed some sugar from my Chinese house-mate to bake an apple pie from scratch. Thankfully all appropriate tools and ingredients were already available to me in our kitchen. The night before, my Spanish house-mate and I had stayed up until the early morning to watch Bush's practical declaration of war. I felt the need to embrace a constructive piece of American culture in light of the impeding destructive American forces approaching Iraq. I wanted to share with my house-mates a peaceful aspect of American culture and to remember that being America means more than militant nationalism. Growing up in the United States as an Iranian, I had the continuing feeling throughout my childhood that others hated my culture. I would lie when I could to avoid owning my Iranian heritage. Gradually I learned that if I share with others the positive traditions from my culture, people would learn to greet my culture in a friendlier manner. I never baked an apple pie before, and find it surprisingly rewarding that being in Germany helped motivate me to practice a part of my American culture.
It would be immature for Americans to expect that everyone in the world will embrace and celebrate their culture. Certainly the Christian cultures of Europe embrace American culture far more readily than Islamic cultures. Nevertheless cultural misperceptions will always confront anyone who travels to or lives in a foreign country — in times of peace as well as war. One must own ones culture, apologize for its failures and share its promises with those one meets along the way. When one approaches other in hopes of learning something from them, they in turn will learn something from you. One's willingness to familiarize oneself with a foreign culture promotes peaceful understanding and friendship. Regardless of what politicians in Berlin or Washington have to say, one's own words and actions ultimately decide what people think of you in relation to your nationality.
|
|
|
| Tuesday, February 25th, 2003
| |
- Insight Along Different Ways
|
This past weekend I traveled to the Netherlands to see Utrecht with my Californian friend. Though our trip lasted only a couple nights, I learned more about life through this journey than I usually do just visiting someplace briefly. At times events took twists and turns to make a traveler's nightmares come true. I left my rucksack on the first train and realized this after entering the second train, which had already departed. People around me tried to calm me down so as to keep me from flipping out. Thank goodness my passport and wallet were in my pockets. Nevertheless I lost a good rucksack and mobile phone. As our weekend ticket allowed us to travel throughout Germany as far as we pleased for that day, I traveled back to the train station in the village where this mishap took place. After I determined when the first train would return to the station, we took a walk through the village to pass the time. The conductor told me my backpack had been turned into the service department in Göttingen. I wondered what I had done to deserve this good deed toward me. I found a sense of hope through the fog of frustration after having my faith in people reaffirmed. Especially in today's political atmosphere, it brightens the spirit to see strangers help one's survival. On our return trip we found ourselves in a small town in Westphalia stranded for four hours until the early morning train arrived. My friend and I found an abandoned room in the train station where we chatted. We walked around in the room to keep warm. The Turkish guys working the grave yard shift then came by to tell us we could board the train to Hanover a couple hours early. The heaters were on in the train cabin, and its seats were cozy. Again I felt our fortune in light of devastating expectations inspire me to realize the goodness in other people. One so often spends time worrying about people around oneself being pick-pockets, but with just good caution one experiences always that one lives to see home again.
Utrecht amazed me through its beauty. The beautiful day with its beautiful people in a beautiful field of architecture made the time there really remarkable. At the hostel we met some cool people who shared the same room. A group of European students were raising funds to travel to Botswana as part of an AIDS relief project. We walked together downtown and shared our interpretations about life in Germany and California. We did meet one West Virginian in the hostel, who felt sorry for us that we walked more than a quarter hour into town. True buses could ride us into town, but after living in Germany for six months I have come to look at walking with greater joy. Granted the weather was above freezing, so we felt like we were living warm weather. Long-johns and staying in motion make cold temperatures bearable. I know I will feel cold when the temperature goes down into the forties when I return to California, but for now anything above forty feels really comfortable.
I have already been here over half a year and realize I have grown far beyond the person I had been before. I felt super cosmopolitan in comparison to our country-men on vacation. Living in Germany has made Europe feel really comfortable, in the sense that I could well live and work here. Naturally, the theme of Germany's relations to the United States came up in conversation with the other American. I tried to explain that the Germans still like America, and that some disagree with our politicians. Americans in general seem sadly politically disengaged in comparison to the Europeans I meet. I felt afraid to discuss my political opinion with the American, whereas with Europeans sharing such ideas commonly takes place in total comfort. In Germany politics takes as central a part in daily conversation as does the weather or pop culture. I expect a huge shock in general when I return to the United States—I now behave like those Germans whom in August I found devastatingly cold and distant. Granted I open up to new people I meet when I find it would be a positive experience, but my perceptions of social interaction have grown a lot. Asking "how are you?" has become a rarity reserved for close friends. Moreover I avoid small talk when possible with strangers. After interacting with an American tourist fresh from the States I felt the drastic differences between Europeans and Americans. We as Americans tend to easily share our life stories with strangers. Germans take time to open up to you, but one knows they are being genuine when they do. Still we share much history and culture. Coming here to experience living in the Old World has taught me a great deal about myself and our world. Allowing oneself to acculturate in a foreign country totally warps preconceived notions within our tiny little world. Living and traveling abroad has made me have a tremendous trust in my abilities to survive and adapt.
|
|
|
| Friday, February 7th, 2003
| |
- Semester's End in Old Europe
|
Last month I visited Duderstadt (a little town close to Göttingen) with my two German friends, as one of them had borrowed her brother's car for the week. Duderstadt is a Catholic enclave in largely Protestant Lower Saxony. As we were there on the day of Heilige Drei Könige (Holy Three Kings), we saw Catholic school children dressed as the Three Kings going around to raise money by marking inscriptions on people's doors with chalk. Aside from that small excursion, I have been in Göttingen the entire time.
I have been busy with school now that the semester draws to an end. I presented three oral presentations this semester. My first presentation was for a language course with other foreign exchange students, but the second presentation was for a seminar with a mainly German audience. My initial fear of speaking before Germans melted away once I had my outline for my presentation corrected by a German house mate. I had originally tried to avoid this oral presentation, but the instructor insisted that I practice my speaking skills. I am glad she did. At one point during the presentation a sudden burst of confidence replaced my nervousness as I realized I really can stand in front of Germans and speak about abstract intellectual ideas in their language. Now I have ahead of me the task of writing three research papers. Although the semester ends in a week, I have five weeks left before I must turn in my papers.
The growing diplomatic rift across the Atlantic due to America's interests in a war with Iraq has been a large topic of conversation lately. The Germans feel genuinely insulted by our government. First Rumsfeld stated that Germany and France belong to the "old Europe" and that their opinions are therefore insignificant. Now Rumsfeld has ranked Germany with Cuba and Libya—two "rogue" states. Germans feel hurt in the sense that despite their solidarity with America after the terrorist attacks in New York, our government now throws sheer insults at them due to their lack of eagerness to shed blood. The Germans I have met view America as undiplomatic, militaristic and aggressive. They largely see Bush as an unintelligent war monger. Even a conservative acquaintance of mine who supported the idea of war against Iraq now has very ugly opinions of our politicians. Nevertheless the Germans I have met have nothing against American nationals like myself or the other students here. Germans are still fanatical about American popular culture, and have received us as warmly as before. They merely disagree with our politicians. The Germans have an extensive experience of war and understand the horrors involved better than the average American. Germany has not become anti-American. Germany would simply rather see a peaceful solution to our conflict with Iraq.
|
|
|
| Thursday, January 2nd, 2003
| |
- Holiday
|
The holidays are over and I am back in Göttingen from over a weeks worth of travel in Western Europe. I slept a few nights in Luxembourg, where I discovered the local German dialect. I met some other young people at the hostel. We went out for beers and traveled through the countryside to castles around the country with a day ticket. The capital city surprised me with its tiny size. Luxembourg's country reminded me of the lush woods and hills east of San Francisco Bay. Then I traveled to Brussels. I managed to slide by on some basic French, but thankfully I could speak English at access points like train stations or tourist information. Though I enjoyed the pretty structures in Brussels, I became eager to head off to London through the channel tunnel. I received a 6 month visa to the United Kingdom—a hefty compliment I appreciated. In London I saw the National Gallery and the British Museum many times. They charged no admission so I visited the exhibition on Islamic art three separate times. The Rosetta Stone sits in a glass case in the museum. I saw an ancient Iranian stone cylinder with the Persian king's declaration to liberate the ancient Hebrews from Babylonian captivity.
London is the most historical and most cosmopolitan city that I have ever seen. Despite the high prices I decided to take the opportunity to see the center of a former modern empire. I felt a sense of ease in London that one rarely finds as a traveler. I felt a touch of homesickness when I returned to Göttingen through Amsterdam. As a great source of American culture, I experience England as a country relatively closely related to mine. I discovered also how different American grammar and words are from proper British English. I enjoyed traveling through the countries where one speaks west-Germanic languages. I felt relieved to be in places like Luxembourg where people speak German. Though German will never be my mother tongue, I am able to slice into the social fabric to experience life in Germany. This I only really experienced in England. Though Germany I will always experience on a different level as a foreigner, I have access to German culture as a direct and dynamic participant. Despite my admiration for English language and culture, German traditions in music, literature and philosophy are altogether rare and renowned.
For New Year's Eve I went to see fireworks on campus. I walked my neighbor at the Studentendorf dormitories. She held on to my arm so as to grab onto my arm should she slip on ice in her heels. I, on the other hand, relied on her experience and watchful eye to tell me where I should be cautious. The snow surprised me when I came home this time since it had already packed a good 5 inches in most places. It was far below freezing and yet now it is in the forties Fahrenheit and every bit of snow and ice are gone. The season of winter with snow has opened my eyes to wonderful new experience of nature. Different colors, sounds and textures to a time in life explain many fascinating aspects to the culture and the language. For instance, I learned that the expression guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr (good slide into the New Year) has the obvious pun given that there can be ice all over the ground. My neighbor was a charming and lovely companion and I enjoyed celebrating the start of 2003 with a new friend at home in Göttingen.
|
|
|
| Thursday, December 19th, 2002
| |
- Appreciation & a little bit of lament
|
Aside from new freedoms one faces new challenges being thousands of miles from home. I still live in a bubble of sorts, based on the fact that I will be returning to San Diego next year. The impermanence of my adventure saddens me, but therefore I realize how special this opportunity has been for me personally. No experience in my life has given me so much confidence in my abilities to exist as has the opportunity to travel and live in Europe. To live in a foreign country takes strength. One experiences alienation when one is not a native speaker of the language spoken in an environment. Nevertheless one learns that friendships gradually blossom out of the grey uncertainties and angst.
Friendships one learns to appreciate when one is far from family and home. Monday night my Californian friend, my two German friends and I met to drink mulled wine in the Christmas market. Friday night we made another variation of mulled wine at home. One pours rum over a block of sugar and then ignites it to melt the sugar into the alcoholic concoction. My German friend presented me and my Californian friend Christmas cards with miniature hand-crafted ornaments. The new friendships I have sealed in this season have been a joyous new addition to my life.
My house mates and I had a Christmas party and birthday celebration. Old house mates came by to visit. As our house speaker I gave the birthday girl her gift. We ate chili. The Germans found it the spiciness extreme. A couple of times during the night I felt bored because I was not fluently able to follow their conversations. I converse more and more in German. Nevertheless it can get tiring. Despite the fences of incapability I experience in my language abilities the Germans have understanding and consideration. Despite language barriers we share a human experience that one learns to recognize when one begins to learn a foreign language. Becoming fluent in another language feels rewarding when one unlocks the doors to new ideas. Nevertheless one must strive and work hard to master a language. I would lack my skills in German had I studied German only in the United States.
|
|
|
| Tuesday, December 10th, 2002
| |
- Coldness and Cologne
|
I traveled to Köln (Cologne) last weekend to see my uncle. The cathedral there amazes me each time I see it. I changed trains in Hannover on my way and took a little time to walk through the city. I saw the Christmas markets in both cities. The train from Cologne back to Göttingen traveled down the Rhine. I saw castles and vineyards along the river. I really enjoy seeing Germany's diverse landscape when I travel by train.
When I arrived in Göttingen, a snowflake landed on my jacket. I saw the snowflake's pattern with bare eyes. The wind blew snowflakes on the ground like leaves. Strangely enough the sun still shined as it snowed. The snows have been very light so far—not enough to lead to real blankets of snow. I promised never to complain about nonfreezing temperatures again while riding home on my bike in the evening. The high is below freezing. Bodies of water are frozen. I go into warm stores often to reheat my body. Walking out onto the street afterwards becomes much more manageable. Despite the discomfort of the cold, life indoors has become cozier. One ultimately acclimates, and learns that—even in Germany—the sun will always shine again.
|
|
|
| Monday, December 2nd, 2002
| |
- Holidays and Hamburg
|
I helped my Indonesian house-mate clean and move to her new room. I met her German host parents, who drove us to and fro. They are a charming older couple and invited me to come to their home sometime for tea or coffee. Later that night I went out with a couple of German friends who studied in San Diego last year. I first met them back in May at the Germany orientation in San Diego, and then again at the welcome luncheon during my first week in Göttingen. One of the girls invited me and my Californian friend to her parents' home in Bad Hersfeld.
This Thursday we Californians ate a lovely Thanksgiving dinner organized by the Study Center. Since moving to the United States I have spent every Thanksgiving with my family. Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday next to the Persian New Year, which I had to celebrate alone in San Diego last year for the first time ever. Celebrating a beloved holiday alone is saddening. I was thankful to celebrate Thanksgiving with other Americans. A holiday feels rather special when one carries the tradition with him or herself to a new country. It becomes an occasion to celebrate one's own culture in a foreign land.
For the weekend I traveled to Hamburg to visit my Japanese friend, who I met at the Goethe Institut last year in Bremen. On Friday we went to a Portuguese café and then to the Christmas market. I drank Glühwein (mulled wine) for the first time. Later we went to a carnival. The amount of influence from American culture at the carnival astonished me. While riding on the Ferris wheel we saw a beautiful fireworks show. On Saturday we went to another Portuguese café—Hamburg is an incredibly multicultural city—to watch soccer. Hamburg beat Leverkusen. We also saw an enormous demonstration pass by the café while watching soccer. They protested against animal cruelty, a right-wing politician named Schill, and quite possible several other things. Finally on Sunday we went to the museum where my friend works and she showed me the exhibits on Japanese art which she put together.
|
|
|
| Wednesday, November 20th, 2002
| |
- Introduction
|
My name is Mahyar, and I come from sunny San Diego. I transferred to UC San Diego from a Bay Area community college, and studied at the UC for only a year before moving to Germany. I have spent over seven inconsecutive years learning German. Before moving to San Diego, I took an intensive language course at the Goethe Institut in Bremen. I had an interest in Germany since I lived in West Germany for two years as a child, but my short stay in Germany as an adult finally turned me into a Germanophile. I began to look into opportunities to study in Germany as soon as I transferred to UC San Diego, and eventually changed my major from psychology to German studies.
During my first two months in Göttingen, I was enrolled in the EAP intensive language program. I learned to research in German, to write a paper and deliver an oral presentation according to German conventions. I gained the necessary confidence to face coursework at a German university. During the three week vacation between ILP and the first semester's start I traveled to Berlin, Potsdam, Magdeburg, Köln, Düsseldorf, Bonn, Aachen, Hamburg and Frankfurt. Aside from the many landmarks in Berlin I went to see the Gate of Ishtar in the Pergamon Museum, which also houses the Pergamon Altar and many ancient Persian artifacts of interest to me. In Potsdam I visited the Prussian palaces Schloss Sancoussi and Schloss Cicilienhof—in which Churchill, Stalin and Truman met to discuss the fate of the German Reich after the Second World War.
Soon after the semester's start I discovered the German university system's many advantages. For example, classes meet less often—which reflects an emphasis on independent learning. In comparison to the academic freedoms in Germany, American universities possess a rigid structure resembling high school. Despite the bouts of homesickness and loneliness inherent to moving to someplace new, I now feel more at home here in Göttingen than I did in San Diego. Göttingen is a university town in which an international student can find a meaningful sense of purpose and belonging, as well as a break from the high cost of living in California. I have started to find German friends, and—despite the weather—enjoy the German lifestyle tremendously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|