10 August 2014
Final Reflection
Erfurt -- It has been over two months and our time in Erfurt is rapidly coming to an end. I am actually quite sad writing this final blog about our time here because I don’t think I am ready to go yet. The experiences and people that I have met along the way have been truly unforgettable. It has been a long trip and we have done and seen so many things there is no way that I could even begin to tell you what this trip has done for me. I have always felt as though I was a pretty competent, and open minded person. This trip has put that to the test, to say the least. I can honestly say that I have learned so much that I never knew about before and have seen so many different places and experienced so much different culture that has made this trip so eye opening. I was able to not only read about the different theories that we talked about during class but I was truly able to see and experience them throughout all different cultures, first hand. This, to me was very cool. I think back to our first couple of weeks here when I was still trying to get a grip of everything and my surroundings and was absolutely beside myself when I got yelled at in the grocery store for something that would have been no big deal in the U.S. That is one experience that I will never forget and will always remind me of trying to save face (which I tried so desperately to do that day.) It also took me a while to remember to bring grocery bags with me when going shopping, because they are not going to give you plastic ones. That is something that I had to adapt to. I was not used to it, and it took multiple times for me to get it through my head. |
Our last night out with some
of our SPICE friends!
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Another component of this experience that has made it so special is the people that I have met. All over Europe and right here in Germany I have met people that I can now call my best friends, and two months ago I didn’t even know their name… its crazy to think about. I look back at how close some of us got on this trip and how fast it happened but I believe its true what they say that you really get to know people when you travel with them. I am truly sad to say that the girls I now call my German friends have just recently been part of our experience since we met them the second half of classes, and I wish they had been around from the beginning. They have taught me so much about the culture in such little time and its so interesting to hear their views on our American ways. I am lucky to have created such friendships, and life experiences these past two months.
If I had to give a few words of advice to someone wanting to go on the SPICE trip in upcoming years or just wanting to go abroad it would be… go everywhere you can, see everything you can and try everything you can. Go outside you comfort zone, feel awkward for a couple of minutes and just be in the moment while you can. Although you may hate it at the time you may never get the opportunity or experience ever again. I am personally so grateful to have experienced all that I have and because I have taken the opportunities I was given and have gone outside of my comfort zone at times, I am so happy I did. I have learned and seen so much, made memories that will last me a lifetime, and taken chances to make this experience so amazing. I wouldn’t change any of it and I am saddened at the thought of leaving the life we have made here in Erfurt, I sure will miss it!
09 August 2014
Site Visit: Barcelona
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| La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Photo by Antoni Gaudi. |
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The view of Barcelona from the overlook in Park Guell.
Photo by Antoni Gaudi. |
There is so much more to see in Spain and I wish we could have traveled around to different parts to see everything. Just like all of the other trips we have taken, it just was not long enough. I guess it never really is though. I really hope to return to Spain in the near future, and maybe see a different part, but I really loved Barcelona and would love to be back on that beach right now, I miss it already.
06 August 2014
Site Visit: Florence
Florence, Italy -- My second trip while in Italy was Florence. Although I loved Rome, I still cannot decide which I liked better when people ask me. Rome and Florence we such different places its hard to compare but I can say that I truly loved both. When we got to Florence, we started our first day in the middle of the city at an open-air market. This was pretty cool for me because I feel as though we don’t have many of these at home. The things they were selling were also fascinating to me because there were leather goods and jewelry and so many wonderful items to buy! The leather goods were something cool and different to look at because you always here people talking about Italy being famous for their leather goods, and now I can clearly see why. The market was also a place for bargaining. The price was never really the price and the more you could haggle the better deal you got. I was lucky enough to be with an American-Italian who is fluent in Italian and this made things like haggling, and everything in general easier! I felt this was especially important in a setting like this market because they weren’t as likely to take advantage of you if you know what they’re saying. Anyway, this is just where the day began.
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| The Uffizi Plaza area. |
After the market we traveled around the city with the goal of sight seeing and that is exactly what we spent the day doing. The first place we went to was called The Uffizi Gallery. The building was built in 1581 and was originally made to accommodate the offices of the Florentine magistrates; hence the name of Uffizi, which I learned, means “offices” in Italian. The outside or the “plaza area” was later constructed with piers that alternate the columns filled with sculptures of famous artists, and over the years parts of this turned into a display for many of the art collected by the house of Medici. I also found out that artists like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo used to gather at the Uffizi. While visiting I found it very cool to see all of the sculptures. Each and every one that lined the building had a story and seemed to be a historical meaning and background. One I found particularly fascinating was a statue they had, that I was informed the Americas were named after. This statue was of Amerigo Vespucci.
After The Uffizi we traveled to a famous landmark in Florence and this was called The Ponte Vecchio Bridge. In English the “Old Bridge”. This Bridge was lined with shops and goes over the Arno River. Previously, all of the shops were meant for and occupied by butchers. Ponte Vecchio was probably one of my favorite sites in all of Italy. Between the water and the architecture of the bridge I was truly amazed. We were able to be there during the day and the streets were packed but we still visited all of the different shops that are now occupied by restaurants, jewelers, art, and souvenirs, and then we went back to the bridge later that night for dinner. All of the shops were closed and there were a lot less people but I think it was even more beautiful. The way the bridge was lit and the way the light hit the water was really something amazing. There is a well-known gelato shop right off of the bridge where we grabbed some dessert and were able to take it as we walked along the bridge and it was really amazing- the gelato and the bridge.
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| The Ponte Vecchio Bridge and shops over the Arno River. |
My time in Italy was truly amazing and I loved every second of it. The history, the art, and the food make it hard not to! I absolutely loved Florence and would go back in a second- it is definitely a must-see city and one of my personal favorites. Just like Rome, two days in Florence was not enough. I plan on going back to Italy as soon as I get the opportunity; it was that amazing!
06 August 2014
Site Visit: Roma
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| The Trevi Fountain, under constrution |
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Inside the Sistine Chapel, with the ceiling painted
by Michelangelo.
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Our second day in Rome made up for my disappointment. We started off the day going to the famous Colosseum. The Colosseum is the world’s largest amphitheatre, in the center of Rome. It was completed in 80 AD and was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles basically, and even some executions took place here. It was used for entertainment in the early medieval era. Needless to say it was one of the most magical sights I have ever seen. We stepped off of the subway and the sight is so huge and beautiful, you can’t even miss it. We were able to not only see it but also tour the inside and it was amazing.
Later that day we finished up our sightseeing by going to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. The Vatican museum was probably one of the most magical things I have ever seen. The museum is works from the immense collections built up by the Roman Catholic Church over centuries and some of the most renowned classical sculptures and masterpieces of the Renaissance time period. It was truly amazing. The art is some that can never be compared to anything else and I have never seen anything like it. At the end of the museum tour you end up in the master of beauty that is the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City and it has served as a place of religious activity. Today, this is where the new Pope is selected. There were really no words for the chapel. When I walked in I was speechless. The beauty was unreal and it was amazing to see all of the artwork on the ceiling. Michelangelo painted the ceiling by hand, between 1508 and 1512. This artwork is something I have always heard about but to see it in person was simply amazing it’s almost indescribable. Inside the chapel there were guards that were making sure everyone was to stay quiet and not take any photos. They were pretty strict inside. I didn’t know this at the time and started snapping photos as soon as I walked in- I was quickly reprimanded and I could tell it wasn’t appreciated. Although they were strict inside it was understandable, it is a place of worship and quite a historical place. It was amazing to be able to see all of the artwork.
All in all I think that Rome was probably one of my favorite cities in Europe. The beauty precedes itself and the history lies all over the city. You can walk up and down the streets and see people excavating, its insane… that much history in one city! I can honestly say I fell in love with Rome while I was there and I hope to go back because two days there just wasn’t enough!
Later that day we finished up our sightseeing by going to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. The Vatican museum was probably one of the most magical things I have ever seen. The museum is works from the immense collections built up by the Roman Catholic Church over centuries and some of the most renowned classical sculptures and masterpieces of the Renaissance time period. It was truly amazing. The art is some that can never be compared to anything else and I have never seen anything like it. At the end of the museum tour you end up in the master of beauty that is the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City and it has served as a place of religious activity. Today, this is where the new Pope is selected. There were really no words for the chapel. When I walked in I was speechless. The beauty was unreal and it was amazing to see all of the artwork on the ceiling. Michelangelo painted the ceiling by hand, between 1508 and 1512. This artwork is something I have always heard about but to see it in person was simply amazing it’s almost indescribable. Inside the chapel there were guards that were making sure everyone was to stay quiet and not take any photos. They were pretty strict inside. I didn’t know this at the time and started snapping photos as soon as I walked in- I was quickly reprimanded and I could tell it wasn’t appreciated. Although they were strict inside it was understandable, it is a place of worship and quite a historical place. It was amazing to be able to see all of the artwork.
All in all I think that Rome was probably one of my favorite cities in Europe. The beauty precedes itself and the history lies all over the city. You can walk up and down the streets and see people excavating, its insane… that much history in one city! I can honestly say I fell in love with Rome while I was there and I hope to go back because two days there just wasn’t enough!
05 August 2014
Intercultural Adaptation Theory
Erfurt, DE -- When referring to intercultural adaptation it is defines as the process through which persons in cross-cultural interactions change their communication and behavior to make for better understanding. When thinking about this I think it is important to keep in mind the difference between effective and appropriate communication and how it depends on our surroundings and the “host” view of appropriate communication. Just because we can convey our message doesn’t mean that we are doing it appropriately or successfully. This is where intercultural competence comes into play, as it is the complex of abilities needed to perform not only effectively but also appropriately when interacting with those who are linguistically and culturally different from you. |
All of the WVU students at one our our
favorite restaurants here in Erfurt: The Schnitzler.
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It has been just about a full two months that we have lived here, in Erfurt and been traveling around Europe. With all of these travels and the time we have been in Erfurt I can reflect back and say that I feel I have truly been impacted and changed because of these cultural experiences. With that being said, intercultural adaptation theory is a theory that has definitely been a part of my life within the last two months. Although I have been to Europe a few times in the past, I have learned that everything and everywhere is so different. I like to think that I can usually pick up on things quickly or even blend in with my surroundings on a regular basis. Coming to Germany was an entirely different playing field for me; I was completely out of my element. At first I didn’t know how I felt about feeling so lost… after the honeymoon stage wore off I realized that I was having a much harder time “blending in” that usual. Throughout the past two months I can confidently say that I have picked up on some of the customs here in Germany and other places I have traveled to not make me look like such a tourist and communicate not only effectively but also appropriately. Here in Germany I have picked up a few words related, especially to food so now instead of pointing to something on the menu (which got my message across but certainly not appropriately) I can now appropriately communicate with my host to order something in German. For example when I know I don’t want sparkling water I now know it is imperative to ask for “still vasser” on top of other menu items and such I have picked up on. A little something I picked up on in Italy during my ten-day stay is the kissing on the cheek. I always knew it was done but I thought it was just something that people did to greet their close friends and family. I was prompted by my Italian friend I was with to “kiss everyone I was introduced to- right cheek then left” and I was told if I messed it up I would just make it weird and awkward. Naturally, the first time around I went the wrong direction first and in fact made it awkward. By the end of my trip it had come naturally to me and I was able to see that I was making appropriate communications to my host.
These past two months have filled me with so many experiences that have impacted my life in so many ways. Traveling to so many places during my time here and trying to communicate effectively as well as appropriately has not always come easy to me but it is certainly a skill that I feel I have definitely improved in my time in Europe and will take with me throughout my life.
These past two months have filled me with so many experiences that have impacted my life in so many ways. Traveling to so many places during my time here and trying to communicate effectively as well as appropriately has not always come easy to me but it is certainly a skill that I feel I have definitely improved in my time in Europe and will take with me throughout my life.
02 August 2014
Reflecting on Berlin
Berlin -- This past week the SPICE group traveled to Berlin as a group, as our final trip. I can personally say that I absolutely loved Berlin and am happy that we were able to go later in our trip so that I could compare it to all of the other places I have been able to see at this point. The amount of history in Berlin is absolutely mind blowing and the city of Berlin is so great, I almost felt like I was back home in America.
Heading into this trip I knew very little of all of the history that Berlin had to offer. I knew the basics- the Berlin wall, but I hardly knew everything that went along with it. A brief background of the history in Berlin for all of you that must have slept through history class, like me- before this trip! The German Democratic Republic constructed the Berlin wall in 1961. It was built as a barrier that cut off West Berlin from the surrounding East Germany and even East Berlin. The Berlin natives referred to the wall as “the wall of shame”, as the Soviets occupied East of the wall and communism ran ramped throughout. The economy as well as the rights and freedom of the people in the East diminished and the West flourished: the economy was booming rapidly and freedom was prominent. For the twenty years that the wall stood, people made the effort to get over to the West, to freedom and not many succeeded. Many people were hurt and even killed attempting to cross over. The wall was finally destructed in 1989 and a series of radical political changes occurred in the East. With all of this happening in a span of less than thirty years, and occurring not that long ago you can imagine the history that lays prominent right there, all over the city of Berlin.
With everything that has happened in Berlin it has done a lot to the city itself, and when comparing it to other German cities it is a lot different. In my eyes, Berlin is just regaining its sense of self again and becoming whole. It is so much more modern and “up in coming” in so many ways than any other German City I have been to. Comparing Berlin to Erfurt is almost unreal. It is like two different species. Walking around Berlin you have the historical sights around but you just about physically run into a McDonalds, Starbucks and even a Birkenstock store on every corner- right down the street from one another, its crazy. The museums and tourist shops are everywhere and welcoming visitors with open arms… It made me feel as if I was right back at home in Philadelphia. In Erfurt were lucky if we can find a place that knows what a real cup of coffee is like.
Walking around the streets of Berlin, in the museums, shops- everywhere English was quite a prominent language. I was able to hear just about everyone speaking English and if they weren’t at the time, they could- even if it was just a little bit. Every menu and sign that I looked at while being there was either in English or had an English explanation as a side note of the German. There was no confusion when ordering food- I knew what I was getting every time, and I didn’t have any problems trying to communicate with the servers. Compared to Erfurt… Most of the time in Erfurt I just point to something on the menu and see what happens. I don’t mind it because I love trying new things but sometimes what you get, is just not what you wanted when you have to order like that. Communication can be hard in Erfurt especially with the older generation, which there is a lot of here, in Erfurt. They usually speak very little or no English at all and it makes simple tasks sometimes very difficult. In Berlin this was not an issue at all.
The nightlife is something that was amazing to me. The amount of bars and clubs that line the streets of Berlin is infinite. The nightlife in Berlin on a dull Monday night could put Erfurt to shame on its best Saturday night. There were groups of people on every street corner ready for a fun time and there were so many young people, I felt right at home! The street musicians were exceptionally good and made you ready for the night ahead.
One night in Berlin we looked up a bar that looked like a good time and headed there, taking the subway we ended up a little out of our element and obviously didn’t really know where we were. There were a lot of people that appeared homeless and some of the girls we were with were kind of freaked out and didn’t really feel comfortable. Although I felt out of my element I embraced it and just tried to take it all in. I had heard previously that Berlin was the home of the ultimate hipsters and this is what we were seeing- we were surrounded by hipsters and what we were seeing was the real Berlin, it was great. The next night was a bit different when we ventured out, to our surprise we were seeing prostitutes everywhere. This was foreign to us and although we didn’t really know how to react it was quite interesting to see. Needless to say the comparison of the nightlife from Berlin to Erfurt is something that can barely be described. I have yet to see a prostitute for miles and the ratio of hipsters to families isn’t a comparison.
The Berlin trip was a fantastic experience. It was exceptionally nice for me because I was able to meet up with my cousin who lives there. Although we were only able to share a few hours together the last day I was there, it was amazing. My cousin just had a baby who is nine months old and it was extraordinary to be able to talk about her experiences and how different they have been for her, living in Berlin. I even got to talk to her husband who told me stories about growing up on the East. It was so nice to see them and see her side of Berlin, as she has become a native over time.
All in all Berlin was one of my favorite experiences since being in Germany. Going to all the different museums was so intriguing and fascinating to me- I had no idea all of that history was right there. The DDR museum was a personal favorite. It made everything we had heard about so real since we were able to see it all right in front of us. The Holocaust memorial was really something special and even hard to get through, but I am so happy I was able to see it and experience it all first hand. The Communication museum made for a nice close to our trip- it was fun and I learned quite a few things. Berlin was amazing and if given the opportunity I would go back in a heartbeat. With all of the history and culture to take in, I don’t think four days was hardly enough, but fabulous nonetheless!
When I first read this theory I felt that since I have been here this past month this is something that I can see and relate to on a regular basis. I fell as though, being the “foreigner” in this situation we have been trying to converge to the German culture since the minute we got off of the plane in Frankfurt. Since we live here for the summer I think that trying to converge to the German culture is the best way to make it, so we don’t constantly feel out of place. I personally can say that my friends and I make a valid effort to “converge” to the German culture on a daily basis. This occurs through simple thing like trying to order food. We make our best guesses at what the menus say and eventually just pick something because we have tried to ask what everything is and it isn’t always easy. The actual act of ordering food, asking for directions or just simple interactions that occur very often is when we try to get by, and converge by using the very little, broken German that we know. Most of the time we get by and well even be interrupted and responded to in English because they can hear the struggle in our voices.
Through our travel the last few weeks we have really been able to see the differences in the cultures and even the way the people communicate. Everywhere we have been has been pretty different. I found that the first trip we went on, to Prague in the Czech Republic there were a lot more people that spoke English. Although the city and culture was a lot different and many people spoke different languages, majority of people that we encountered were able to speak English to us. This was nice and refreshing to me, not having to struggle to find the words for things I needed in a different language was nice and I feel this is an example of convergence. In this case I felt that these people were converging to our culture, and trying to make it a bit easier for us by speaking English. I can also see the Communication Accommodation theory here, but I think I have found that the two relate very closely.
Another trip that we took was to Munich. I feel this is the best example of a mixing bowl that I have seen since we have been abroad. We went out just one night and met people from everywhere. One group of friends that we were speaking to had people from Austria, Germany, and Bavaria. Earlier in the night I spoke to a guy that was from Croatia but born and raised in Germany. Munich, to me was the ultimate salad bowl. I know that it is part of Germany that is considered to be “Bavaria” and the Bavarians take pride in being from that part of Germany. They speak their own dialect, make their own kind of German food and things are very different there than here in Erfurt. We have a classmate, Julia that is from the Munich area and she was telling me how different everything here is… even the language, and the schnitzel. She said that she is trying her hardest to get used to it all but is having such a hard time. Nonetheless, I can relate but we are doing our best to converge to where we are and the culture here. The trip to Munich was very eye opening to me and made me see that Cultural Convergence is not only seen country to country but can even be seen in the same country throughout different cities!
From what I have heard, the thoughts that the Germans associate with their flag are not really much of anything… as far as the students that I have spoken to are concerned it’s their flag, has their colors on it and it is cool to display right now because of the world cup but other than that it is not really seen or displayed much. On a regular basis you may not really see it at all. As for the values that they have with their flag, there also is not too much there. This is something I found astonishing. I know in the U.S. when we have a flag somewhere and it needs to be taken down or put away, there is usually a ceremony of it being taken down, and even of it being folded in a specific, proper way. A student in our class told me that here, its usually just taken down and thrown somewhere… “They don’t really care.” I was in shock when I heard this since that is so different from the way we see and do it at home.
I feel as though the German students that we have made friends with in class are pretty open minded when it comes to showing pride for Germany, or even us for the United States. They have made it pretty clear that strong patriotism isn’t really a “thing” here but now that the World Cup is here, it is more than acceptable. As for when us, Americans do the same… I honestly think they think its kind of corny but cool, and they know that we do it anyway. Yesterday at the BBQ with our SPICE group, one of the German students wore a red, white, and blue… American flag t-shirt and told me that he got it in the USA when he was there “just for this” to wear it with all of us. I thought it was pretty cool that he did that and he knew that that’s how we show our pride… by wearing it and he was going to do it like us for the BBQ. He also told me he was going to change into his Germany soccer jersey right after, for the game which I thought was pretty funny.
The American flag is something that has always meant a good bit to me. As I have said the colors and flag represent our pride for our country and I feel that we as a country have a lot to be proud of and I think its cool that we represent the way we do. The German flag I also think is pretty cool especially with how far they made it in the world cup so far, and even in the past. The have a lot to be proud of their country and I think it wouldn't be a bad idea for them to have some more national pride and show it a bit more.
Our next stop was the one I was most excited for. It was crazy going into the Czech Republic on one of the trains and watching all of the armed men walk the train, armed and everything checking passports. Although I didn’t understand what exactly they were saying I was under the impression that they were border patrol since they started checking passports immediately crossing over the border.
in cultures- Americans tend to be quite loud and the German culture has proved to be more subdued in the social scene when conversing with one another. The language barrier has been tough on a few occurrences but for the most part many of the Germans try very hard to help us with what we need and if they don’t speak great English they try to find someone that does. A couple of nights ago we were at a restaurant and the server went to take our order and realized we were Americans and went and got the only server that spoke English to help us… talk about accommodating. There have been instances where we have had to improvise. I wanted some crushed red pepper for my pizza the other night and when the server didn’t understand me I pointed at the pepper on the table and just said “red.” There has been one negative experience I had this week due to the language barrier. I was at one of the supermarkets and I got up to the counter to pay and decided I didn’t want two of the items, I wanted to try and put them back and the lady at the cash register must have thought I was trying to steal them and started yelling at me in German and then over to the other cashier, in German and the whole store was packed and the lines behind us were so long and everyone was staring at me. At this point in time after I had tried to explain using hand signals and everything I decided to take what I paid for and left the other stuff on the counter. The woman was still going crazy and was in no way making any effort to understand or communicate with me… not so accommodating and a bit mortifying.
One
of the other SPICE students who is here from Toronto has been more than patient
and so accommodating towards all of us! Luckily she speaks German pretty
fluently and has been more than kind enough to help us get things we’ve needed,
translate phrases and even taught us good words to know to help us get
by. She ahs been so great to us and I don’t know how we would have gotten
by so smoothly this week without her! I have met so many wonderful people
that I can now call friends and it’s nice to have people to share the same
experience with.
Erfurt, DE -- After
a long trip and losing what felt like an entire day we are finally here in
Erfurt, Germany! We made the trip and have been here a few days now but
somehow it still just doest not seem real! Waking up every morning and
realizing we are actually in Germany is still so crazy to me! The last
few days have been great. We have already experienced so much and seen so
much. Just walking around and seeing all of the different buildings and
the Domplatz are so amazing! Going to all the different restaurants and trying
all of the different food and drinks is so much fun. Most of the time I
have no idea what I am going to get because I don’t know what I am even
ordering, but its okay because it just makes it that much more exciting!
Going to meet the other SPICE students at the café was a great time; we all
went to our first festival last night. It was so different and the music
and setting was magical I couldn’t have pictured it better myself. I am
so excited to start traveling throughout Europe; I can’t wait to see what the
upcoming weeks have in store!
Hi! My name is Marissa Totokotsopoulos and I am 22 years
old. I am from King of Prussia,
Pennsylvania, a suburb right outside of Philadelphia. I am currently a senior, communication
studies major at West Virginia University.
In my spare time I love to spend as much time with my friends and family
as I can, and one of my favorite things to do is go to the beach! I love the water, sand and sun and love to
get a good tan! I chose to participate
in the SPICE program this summer for many reasons. I have a lot of family and close friends in
Europe and have been lucky enough to have traveled to parts of Europe in the
past. Due to my Greek heritage and
culture I have spent most of my time abroad in northern Greece, where most of
my family is from. I love Greece and the
time I have spent there but I am so excited to be a part of SPICE and be able
to see and experience Germany, and other places in Europe, and all it has to
offer. I am so excited and fortunate to
be able to travel abroad with a great group of people from WVU and meet others
who share a common interest in our major, and seeing the world! I cannot wait to see what this summer in
Germany has in store for all of us and what fabulous memories we will all
share!
Heading into this trip I knew very little of all of the history that Berlin had to offer. I knew the basics- the Berlin wall, but I hardly knew everything that went along with it. A brief background of the history in Berlin for all of you that must have slept through history class, like me- before this trip! The German Democratic Republic constructed the Berlin wall in 1961. It was built as a barrier that cut off West Berlin from the surrounding East Germany and even East Berlin. The Berlin natives referred to the wall as “the wall of shame”, as the Soviets occupied East of the wall and communism ran ramped throughout. The economy as well as the rights and freedom of the people in the East diminished and the West flourished: the economy was booming rapidly and freedom was prominent. For the twenty years that the wall stood, people made the effort to get over to the West, to freedom and not many succeeded. Many people were hurt and even killed attempting to cross over. The wall was finally destructed in 1989 and a series of radical political changes occurred in the East. With all of this happening in a span of less than thirty years, and occurring not that long ago you can imagine the history that lays prominent right there, all over the city of Berlin.
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| The Berlin Wall (Berliner Mauer) remains. |
Walking around the streets of Berlin, in the museums, shops- everywhere English was quite a prominent language. I was able to hear just about everyone speaking English and if they weren’t at the time, they could- even if it was just a little bit. Every menu and sign that I looked at while being there was either in English or had an English explanation as a side note of the German. There was no confusion when ordering food- I knew what I was getting every time, and I didn’t have any problems trying to communicate with the servers. Compared to Erfurt… Most of the time in Erfurt I just point to something on the menu and see what happens. I don’t mind it because I love trying new things but sometimes what you get, is just not what you wanted when you have to order like that. Communication can be hard in Erfurt especially with the older generation, which there is a lot of here, in Erfurt. They usually speak very little or no English at all and it makes simple tasks sometimes very difficult. In Berlin this was not an issue at all.
The nightlife is something that was amazing to me. The amount of bars and clubs that line the streets of Berlin is infinite. The nightlife in Berlin on a dull Monday night could put Erfurt to shame on its best Saturday night. There were groups of people on every street corner ready for a fun time and there were so many young people, I felt right at home! The street musicians were exceptionally good and made you ready for the night ahead.
One night in Berlin we looked up a bar that looked like a good time and headed there, taking the subway we ended up a little out of our element and obviously didn’t really know where we were. There were a lot of people that appeared homeless and some of the girls we were with were kind of freaked out and didn’t really feel comfortable. Although I felt out of my element I embraced it and just tried to take it all in. I had heard previously that Berlin was the home of the ultimate hipsters and this is what we were seeing- we were surrounded by hipsters and what we were seeing was the real Berlin, it was great. The next night was a bit different when we ventured out, to our surprise we were seeing prostitutes everywhere. This was foreign to us and although we didn’t really know how to react it was quite interesting to see. Needless to say the comparison of the nightlife from Berlin to Erfurt is something that can barely be described. I have yet to see a prostitute for miles and the ratio of hipsters to families isn’t a comparison.
The Berlin trip was a fantastic experience. It was exceptionally nice for me because I was able to meet up with my cousin who lives there. Although we were only able to share a few hours together the last day I was there, it was amazing. My cousin just had a baby who is nine months old and it was extraordinary to be able to talk about her experiences and how different they have been for her, living in Berlin. I even got to talk to her husband who told me stories about growing up on the East. It was so nice to see them and see her side of Berlin, as she has become a native over time.
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The "Holocaust Museum" or more accurately,
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, located near the Brandenburg Gate. |
All in all Berlin was one of my favorite experiences since being in Germany. Going to all the different museums was so intriguing and fascinating to me- I had no idea all of that history was right there. The DDR museum was a personal favorite. It made everything we had heard about so real since we were able to see it all right in front of us. The Holocaust memorial was really something special and even hard to get through, but I am so happy I was able to see it and experience it all first hand. The Communication museum made for a nice close to our trip- it was fun and I learned quite a few things. Berlin was amazing and if given the opportunity I would go back in a heartbeat. With all of the history and culture to take in, I don’t think four days was hardly enough, but fabulous nonetheless!
15 July 2014
Communication Convergence Theory
Erfurt, DE -- The cultural convergence theory is the idea that people from different people from everywhere converge to one point, which helps us create mutual understanding of who we are as a nation and people. It helps us make sense of things happening around us and in my opinion, make life a little bit easier. A prime example of this is the USA and how it is referred to as a melting pot of people, people from everywhere. Another example of this would be the “salad bowl” idea that we are all separate parts but all together. |
Our
first view of Prague, Czech Republic.
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Through our travel the last few weeks we have really been able to see the differences in the cultures and even the way the people communicate. Everywhere we have been has been pretty different. I found that the first trip we went on, to Prague in the Czech Republic there were a lot more people that spoke English. Although the city and culture was a lot different and many people spoke different languages, majority of people that we encountered were able to speak English to us. This was nice and refreshing to me, not having to struggle to find the words for things I needed in a different language was nice and I feel this is an example of convergence. In this case I felt that these people were converging to our culture, and trying to make it a bit easier for us by speaking English. I can also see the Communication Accommodation theory here, but I think I have found that the two relate very closely.
Another trip that we took was to Munich. I feel this is the best example of a mixing bowl that I have seen since we have been abroad. We went out just one night and met people from everywhere. One group of friends that we were speaking to had people from Austria, Germany, and Bavaria. Earlier in the night I spoke to a guy that was from Croatia but born and raised in Germany. Munich, to me was the ultimate salad bowl. I know that it is part of Germany that is considered to be “Bavaria” and the Bavarians take pride in being from that part of Germany. They speak their own dialect, make their own kind of German food and things are very different there than here in Erfurt. We have a classmate, Julia that is from the Munich area and she was telling me how different everything here is… even the language, and the schnitzel. She said that she is trying her hardest to get used to it all but is having such a hard time. Nonetheless, I can relate but we are doing our best to converge to where we are and the culture here. The trip to Munich was very eye opening to me and made me see that Cultural Convergence is not only seen country to country but can even be seen in the same country throughout different cities!
06 July 2014
National Pride
Erfurt, DE -- To be honest, national pride is not something I ever really gave much thought to. Having American pride is something that just always came so naturally to me, and the people that I know. All of my friends are always wearing some type of American flag sweater, bag or something… we don’t even think about it anymore. Coming to Germany and learning the thoughts and notions that they have with their flag and national pride was really shocking to me. I cannot even imagine having the kind of negative connotation with the American flag and national anthem, as the Germans have with theirs. It would be pretty much unheard of at home.From what I have heard, the thoughts that the Germans associate with their flag are not really much of anything… as far as the students that I have spoken to are concerned it’s their flag, has their colors on it and it is cool to display right now because of the world cup but other than that it is not really seen or displayed much. On a regular basis you may not really see it at all. As for the values that they have with their flag, there also is not too much there. This is something I found astonishing. I know in the U.S. when we have a flag somewhere and it needs to be taken down or put away, there is usually a ceremony of it being taken down, and even of it being folded in a specific, proper way. A student in our class told me that here, its usually just taken down and thrown somewhere… “They don’t really care.” I was in shock when I heard this since that is so different from the way we see and do it at home.
I feel as though the German students that we have made friends with in class are pretty open minded when it comes to showing pride for Germany, or even us for the United States. They have made it pretty clear that strong patriotism isn’t really a “thing” here but now that the World Cup is here, it is more than acceptable. As for when us, Americans do the same… I honestly think they think its kind of corny but cool, and they know that we do it anyway. Yesterday at the BBQ with our SPICE group, one of the German students wore a red, white, and blue… American flag t-shirt and told me that he got it in the USA when he was there “just for this” to wear it with all of us. I thought it was pretty cool that he did that and he knew that that’s how we show our pride… by wearing it and he was going to do it like us for the BBQ. He also told me he was going to change into his Germany soccer jersey right after, for the game which I thought was pretty funny.
The American flag is something that has always meant a good bit to me. As I have said the colors and flag represent our pride for our country and I feel that we as a country have a lot to be proud of and I think its cool that we represent the way we do. The German flag I also think is pretty cool especially with how far they made it in the world cup so far, and even in the past. The have a lot to be proud of their country and I think it wouldn't be a bad idea for them to have some more national pride and show it a bit more.
30 June 2014
One Month in Reflection
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Jackie,
Callie, Erin, me, and Averey... from all different
universities, getting ready
for our night out in Prague!
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Erfurt,
DE-- This time about four weeks ago I was at home in the good old King of
Prussia Pennsylvania, getting ready to start packing up a majority of my things
to get ready to come here, to Erfurt. I can tell you for sure I had so
many thoughts and ideas of how this summer in Erfurt would be, but nothing
could have actually prepared me for how amazing it has actually been. I
am not going to lie, I was pretty scared coming to a foreign country with
nobody I knew incredibly well. As I packed my things and tried to prepare
myself for this summer my anxiety about it all grew and the eight-hour plane
ride had it growing even more.
Looking back at it now, I have been here in
Erfurt for just about a month… four weeks. I could not even begin to
describe to you the experiences and memories that these four weeks here have
given me. Friends and unbelievably great experiences I never thought
would happen at all this summer let alone in four weeks. I think back now
on my fear of coming here with none of my close friends or family and I see
these people, that I am here with now as close friends and my Erfurt family!
These past couple weeks I have really gotten close with another girl in the
spice program who goes to Oklahoma. Averey is someone that I have become
very close with. We do all of our traveling together and spend most of
our days and leisure time together. I have grown to trust her a lot and
enjoy the time we hang out together, its like we have been best friends for
years now.
I
also think back to sitting in Morganton Brewing Company with the seven of us from
West Virginia University and not knowing what to think of everyone or how we
would all mesh together. Now, when people from the other universities ask
me if all seven of us knew each other before this trip it is so odd saying no,
because it feels like we have! All of us have pretty much seen the good
and bad in all of us throughout our travels together and we have gotten to
know, not only one another from WVU but grown to be friends with the OU
students, the students from Texas, and even the German students. We have
all become so close that there really is no trying to uphold a certain “face”
with these people. We know each other, good and bad. I now, truly
believe that you really get to know people when you travel with them.
I
still sit here in disbelief when I think of how welcoming the German students
were to us. I feel so lucky to have been able to talk with some of
them. They’ve been so kind as to translate different things for us, give
us recommendations for the best gelato, and even been as kind as to invite us
to their apartments and out on the town! Their kindness is amazing and I
am so grateful for it. I cannot even imagine how lost I would feel without
all of these people… talk about communication accommodation theory at its
finest.
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A
picture from my very first day in Erfurt!
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I
cannot even believe all of the things that I have seen and were only four weeks
into our travels and I have seen so much! As of right now we have been
luck enough to see Dresden, Prague, Salzburg, and Munich in addition to
exploring Erfurt. Some trips I have enjoyed more than others but the
experiences have been amazing everywhere. The beauty that some of these
places hold are immaculate and I still think that I have dreamt up some of
these places and haven’t really seen them.
Four
weeks into our trip and I am still in disbelief that I am here, in Germany… let
alone traveling the world. I keep waiting for it to sink in but instead I
keep waiting to wake up from this dream of a life that I feel like were
in. I am so excited to see what is in store for the second half of our
time here, but hoping it doesn’t go quite as fast!
24 June 2014
Site Visits 1&2: Dresden and Prague
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| View from the boat tour in Prague, with the Charles Bridge in the background. |
Dresden (Germany) and Prague (Czech Republic) -- Last week was our very first time to travel since we have been here in Germany, and it was quite eventful to say the least. The trip was ultimately to Prague, Czech Republic but we decided to make a stop in Dresden along the way. We left Erfurt promptly after our meeting on Monday afternoon after our meeting and the journey soon began. Traveling distances like this with eleven people had certainly proven to be quite difficult at times but somehow we all made it there and back to tell the story. It took two trains from here in Erfurt to make it to Dresden, and unfortunately we did not get to see too much of it. We were able to take note of how much more of a bigger, busier city than here in Erfurt. What made our short time in Dresden so exciting was that we got to take part in the world cup viewing at an outdoor, traditional bar right by our Hostel. It was pretty cool to say the least. On another note… our trip to Dresden was my first experience staying in a Hostel and it was quite the experience. It was a lot nicer than what I had expected and the people running it were pretty nice, and there was some free wifi. We didn't spend much time in the hostel at all but it certainly wasn't bad, although I don’t think the other guests appreciated us by the end of our stay!
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Roast
pork with dumplings and
cabbage, a traditional Czech meal!
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After four long train rides and a ton of walking we had made it to Prague! I was pretty excited because Prague was always someplace I had wanted to go because I have seen so many pictures… let me just say, it was everything I had imagined and more. Right off of the train I was more than blown away with the sights of everything, specially the buildings. My breath was literally taken away. Once we made it to the Hostel, which was surprisingly beautiful and awesome (called The Mosaic House- I recommend it to everyone), we were immediately looking at maps and Googling all of the things that we needed to see while we were there. We were cut short on time the first night since we spent the day traveling so we went to this amazing restaurant and had a traditional Czech meal and finished our night and the famous Karlovy Lazne (also called the five story club) this club is said to be the biggest in Europe and it was so much fun!
The second day was really one of the most perfect. We started at a breakfast place and then decided to go sight seeing. We wanted to be sure to see everything we could in the amount of time we were there. To optimize we decided to take an hour boat tour, this took us up and down the river where we were able to see the Charles Bridge, some government buildings, a couple other cool bridges and even the famous castle where the president still resides today.
After all of the beauty, it continued when we walked the length of the famous Charles Bridge and then made our way to the beautiful, famous Lennon wall.
The six-hour ride back to Erfurt was rough to say the least and we are still exhausted from it, but so worth it. Our trip to Prague was incredibly amazing and I would go back in a heartbeat. I loved everything about it… the people, sights, food and nightlife we all so amazing! It is going to be a tough act to follow, and I am so happy we decided to make it our first trip!
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Me at the Lennon Wall in Prague!
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After all of the beauty, it continued when we walked the length of the famous Charles Bridge and then made our way to the beautiful, famous Lennon wall.
The six-hour ride back to Erfurt was rough to say the least and we are still exhausted from it, but so worth it. Our trip to Prague was incredibly amazing and I would go back in a heartbeat. I loved everything about it… the people, sights, food and nightlife we all so amazing! It is going to be a tough act to follow, and I am so happy we decided to make it our first trip!
23 June 2014
Face Negotiation Theory
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Having
a traditional German beer
with our SPICE group.
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Erfurt, DE -- When talking about the face negotiation theory I feel that it is not something I only understand quite well since being abroad but I can also say that I have experienced the theory first hand. The face negotiation theory states that the differences between cultures affect the ways we communicate with one another. When talking about face we often use the term “saving face” and it refers to the image we would like other people to see us as. There are a couple different types of scenarios within the theory: self-face concern, other-face concern, and mutual-face concern. Self-face is when we communicate in a way to protect our own reputation and identity, other-face is when we try to protect someone else’s image and mutual face is when we worry about both peoples identities.
The past couple weeks in Erfurt have been quite crazy but fun all the while. I have found once again the language barrier in Erfurt to be quite tricky. I know that I am not good in any way with trying to communicate through the german language but I still find myself making the attempt to speak the few words that I do know. I have been lucky enough to have a friend in our SPICE group that is fluent in the German language and has taught me some essential words, which I like to use as much as possible when I feel it is needed.
The past couple weeks in Erfurt have been quite crazy but fun all the while. I have found once again the language barrier in Erfurt to be quite tricky. I know that I am not good in any way with trying to communicate through the german language but I still find myself making the attempt to speak the few words that I do know. I have been lucky enough to have a friend in our SPICE group that is fluent in the German language and has taught me some essential words, which I like to use as much as possible when I feel it is needed.
16 June 2014
Communication Accommodation Theory
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Avery and I in front of the Domplatz.
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Erfurt, DE -- After
the whirlwind of a week that we have had here in Erfurt, Germany I can
certainly say it has been quite the experience. Trying to get adjusted to
everything, including the time difference and language barrier has been quite
the struggle, but most definitely a learning experience. The
communication accommodation theory is pretty well said in its title, it is
adapting or changing/altering ones communication behaviors to accommodate and
aid in interactions with others from different cultures and backgrounds.
Our
past week here in Erfurt has really shown me some great examples of this theory
right before my eyes. Every time our SPICE group goes anywhere together
we stick out like a sore thumb. Everyone always stares at us and can
always tell we are Americans and we are always the loudest ones for
miles. This just goes to show the difference
in cultures- Americans tend to be quite loud and the German culture has proved to be more subdued in the social scene when conversing with one another. The language barrier has been tough on a few occurrences but for the most part many of the Germans try very hard to help us with what we need and if they don’t speak great English they try to find someone that does. A couple of nights ago we were at a restaurant and the server went to take our order and realized we were Americans and went and got the only server that spoke English to help us… talk about accommodating. There have been instances where we have had to improvise. I wanted some crushed red pepper for my pizza the other night and when the server didn’t understand me I pointed at the pepper on the table and just said “red.” There has been one negative experience I had this week due to the language barrier. I was at one of the supermarkets and I got up to the counter to pay and decided I didn’t want two of the items, I wanted to try and put them back and the lady at the cash register must have thought I was trying to steal them and started yelling at me in German and then over to the other cashier, in German and the whole store was packed and the lines behind us were so long and everyone was staring at me. At this point in time after I had tried to explain using hand signals and everything I decided to take what I paid for and left the other stuff on the counter. The woman was still going crazy and was in no way making any effort to understand or communicate with me… not so accommodating and a bit mortifying.
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Krämerbrückenfest with Mexi, Charite, Steve and Avery.
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I
am so grateful to have this experience and have had so much fun and learned so
much in only one week. I cannot wait to see where the rest of these
adventures with these amazing people will take us!
13 June 2014
The first few days...
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| Domplatz, in the center of Erfurt. |
09 May 2014
Introduction
Hi! My name is Marissa Totokotsopoulos and I am 22 years
old. I am from King of Prussia,
Pennsylvania, a suburb right outside of Philadelphia. I am currently a senior, communication
studies major at West Virginia University.
In my spare time I love to spend as much time with my friends and family
as I can, and one of my favorite things to do is go to the beach! I love the water, sand and sun and love to
get a good tan! I chose to participate
in the SPICE program this summer for many reasons. I have a lot of family and close friends in
Europe and have been lucky enough to have traveled to parts of Europe in the
past. Due to my Greek heritage and
culture I have spent most of my time abroad in northern Greece, where most of
my family is from. I love Greece and the
time I have spent there but I am so excited to be a part of SPICE and be able
to see and experience Germany, and other places in Europe, and all it has to
offer. I am so excited and fortunate to
be able to travel abroad with a great group of people from WVU and meet others
who share a common interest in our major, and seeing the world! I cannot wait to see what this summer in
Germany has in store for all of us and what fabulous memories we will all
share!
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