In 2008, I accidentally sat in a meeting of a club. I had no idea what it was. All I can understand was the conversation about Germany and its people. Then I learned that I was in the meeting of the Deutsche Club or the German Club of the university. I did not know that such group actually exists. From that time on I took interest in the Germans. Then I started attending the meetings and also started exchanging e-mails with some Germans who are students from a school called Friedrich-Alexander-Gymnasium. The name would sound weird but that’s how they call their school, a Gymnasium. Then, I also learned that there was an exchange program between Ateneo and the said school. I was very interested in the club since it’s very unique and there was not much requirement to be able to join. Also, as part of the promotion of German culture, we were allowed to learn their language for free. So I took the Deutsch class for six months during the first semester. For the first semester, Konstantin, a student from the Gymnasium visited the school for <
And what’s next for me? Just after Aglaia arrived, I received an e-mail from a teacher at Friedrich-Alexander-Gymnasium inviting me to come and visit Germany in April. Last April 2009, I visited Germany as an exchange student under the program EPECTO (Exchange Program on Education, Culture and Teaching Objectives) through the Deutsche Club in the university. There were only two of us sent to Friedrich-Alexander-Gymnasium, Ateneo de Naga's partner school in Germany. I was accompanied by an Ateneo Faculty, Kristian Cordero. The main goal of the program is to foster an exchange of culture and knowledge between the two schools through the chosen representatives both from the student body and the faculty. The exchange has been going on for almost three years. We were the third batch to go and visit Germany. However, it was the first time that the program sent a student from Ateneo. I was lucky enough to be chosen as the first student representative from our school. But the exchange was not only about being able to travel and go to different places. It was about the exchange. I was compelled to represent the Ateneo student body and the Bicolano and the Filipino youth to the Germans. This, of course is a very difficult job especially that any thing I do can make or break me and the people I represent in their eyes.
On April 9, we left for Germany. It was a long trip. We traveled halfway around the world. The moment the plane landed, we were all smiles. The site of German soil was overwhelming. Munich was the first of the many places we would be able to see throughout the visit. We were able to visit some important places such as Berlin and Heidelberg. I was a bit nervous. I did not know exactly what awaits us. We were in a foreign country. It was my first travel abroad. It was the first time I'd be really far from home. The people looked different. The place looked very unfamiliar, very much different from home. So you could just imagine how uneasy I was. And besides these, I was too short for this country I had to look up at the people, seriously. When we went outside the airport, I felt the real excitement. It was cold. The morning breeze smelled differently from what you’d have in the Philippines.
There was a lot of uneasiness that I encountered during the visit. The first meal we had in Germany consisted of some bread, pretzels, chocolate, marmalade and coffee which I think is too bitter for the Filipino tongue. This was the start of a long discomfort in eating. The Germans won’t eat rice everyday, not even thrice a week. While we eat rice two to three times a day, they eat bread or potatoes. One more thing is the temperature. There was a great difference when you walk in the sun and when you walk in the shade. When you a4re under a shade it gets very cold. When you go under the sun, it gets hot. You can feel the heat but still it’s cold because you’ll still need a jacket. Yes, it’s weird. It’s kind of warm but still cold. And at night, the temperature drops and my bed gets too cool although the heater in the room is on. Another thing was the feeling of standing in the middle of the stage all the time for surely anywhere you go, you’d be stared at. Nevertheless, these things did not hinder me from enjoying the trip and from doing my job there since the people especially my foster families were very supportive.
Basically, there is already a preconceived notion about Germans. From their history, people would look at them as the ones who persecuted the helpless Jews. This can be traced back to the time of Adolf Hitler. This was also further emphasized through many American movies. I too was scared. I was scared that the Germans would be as bad as they were in Hollywood films. I was scared they would discriminate against me or they would not be friendly. However, they were not! They were actually very warm and friendly. People were always smiling at us and waving although they did not know who we were. One thing I also did not expect was the interest they had with us considering the fact that we came from a third world country and theirs was a world power. Anywhere you go, people would give you a warm welcome. My experience of living with two foster families was very surprising for me. My foster parents treated me as if I was their real child. They did all the effort to make me feel comfortable. I was even brought to a family reunion. During the reunion, I discovered how the Germans value their family. It was unlike what I expected. The whole family was there. They were very close to each other. Everyone was laughing and they looked really happy. The most important thing I witnessed was their respect and love to the elderly. For a technologically advance and economically rich country like Germany, I never thought that the concept of a family still exists.
Living with the Germans gave me a whole new perspective about the world. Actually, it widened the limited space of what I call my world. It gave me a lot of realizations and learning, learning which I cannot acquire from school and realizations which changed my views and opinions about the world and life itself. I saw things I never thought existed. I felt the feelings I never thought I’d feel specifically the feeling of belongingness and acceptance. How could I forget? How could I not remember the journey that brought me there? How could I not remember the excitement of finally reaching my destination? How could I not remember the first step I took in this foreign land? How could I not remember the smell of fresh flowers and the cool morning breeze? How could I not remember the welcoming smiles, the conversations we shared, and the laughter? How could I forget Germany?
