Travelling and Stuff

First of all: I am very sorry that I didn't write this post yesterday, as I should have!

Please let me explain the reasons:

I had planned on writing and scheduling this week's blog posts on the weekend. However, on Saturday, I got news which required me to fly back to Germany on Sunday--with less than 24 hours notice! By the time I arrived at the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Monday morning, I had already been up for over 32 hours, and travelling for over 20 hours. I then took the train--or should I say trains--to northern Germany, which took about 9 hours and required me to change trains 5 (in words: five!) times. In the morning when I bought the ticket, I joked about that fact and called it a "city trip", but by the time I finally arrived at the final station, I was simply glad it was over. I read through two thirds of a book during the day, simply to keep myself from falling asleep. (The book is really great, though, and I intended to read it anyway!)

After over 30 hours of travelling and almost two full days without sleep, you will forgive me that I did not plug in my laptop and write Monday's post in time but went straight to bed instead.

Here's a huge thankyou to the stewardesses on my flight who managed to make it an agreeable flight, although the circumstances that led to my travelling were less than agreeable. They were really nice and went out of their way to make me feel better; they were my Advent angels.

I will resume my regular posting schedule tomorrow with my take on how our minds seem to be set in a default language, and are able to switch this default language.

New Place = Culture Shock?

You wonder what travelling has to do with language love? Well, I'll tell you: If you travel to foreign countries, you most likely need to know at least some in their language. Plus, languages and the cultures of the countries they are spoken in belong together. So, let me tell you some about culture shocks.

I am in America at the moment, in a big city. And I come from Germany, from a small town. So, I knew I was in for some sort of culture shock. But, I wasn't in for one at the supermarket. What happened?

When I went to some part of the city, I knew it would be impressive at best and that I would have many new impressions rushing in on me. I was prepared, and it went without a culture shock. Of course, it was all new to me, I had to get used to it, but I wasn't alone and I was prepared for it.

The other day, when we went to the supermarket, I wasn't prepared. I mean, who on earth would think of a culture shock at a SUPERMARKET? It couldn't be that different, could it? Well, it could...and it was. I had all those new and/or different products rushing in on me, the different measurements, the different currency, the different prices. I was overwhelmed!

What I'm trying to say, I guess, is this: If you go to some new place, be prepared for a culture shock EVERYWHERE! That way, you prepare yourself and might be able to cope with the different impressions just fine, while when you're not prepared, it will likely overwhelm you at some point too.

Be prepared to have a whole set of new impressions, differences and maybe even disappontments and you should be just fine. That said, enjoy your travels!

Travelling the World

While you read this, I will probably still be at the airport in Chicago. It will be my first visit to the United States, my first visit ever to any non-European country. I am very much looking forward to my time in the States although it will be a time of change for me. Many people say that Germany and America aren't that different. Well, by now, I know this to be wrong. I won't only learn to know a different country, I will also learn to know a different mentality.

So, what character traits does someone need who wants to travel the world? I mean, if even two countries like Germany and America differ greatly in mentality, people who travel to "more foreign" countries like Asian or African countries are in for an even greater culture shock.

Be open-minded.

Other countries may look like a different planet to you. You may well be confused, or even shocked, by how they do things, or by their mentality. However, don't compare them constantly to your home country. They may be different but difference isn't equal to being worse. No one likes to hear that he or she does things worse than others. Try to find out more about the other culture. Of course, that doesn't mean that you mustn't build your own opinion but you should take your time to really understand before you judge.

Be curious.

Other countries and cultures are interesting. Be curious about them instead of looking for things which seem worse than in your country. Look for differences and similarities and broaden your horizon. If you don't understand something, ask questions. People usually will answer your questions about their country and culture as long as your questions are neutral and show curiosity, but no judgement.

Be willing to learn.

Whether it's the laws of a different country, the dos and don'ts of a different culture or society or a foreign language: Show that you are willing to learn something new. Most people will appreciate your effort to learn a few words or sentences in their language even though your language skills don't go much further. They will be much more willing to talk in your language with you if they notice that you are willing but just not able to talk in their native language. The same goes for the dos and don'ts of a culture or society. If you do a grave don't but people see that you are willing to learn from your mistake, they will forgive you much more easily. The only thing you should really be aware of before travelling are different laws which might get you into trouble if you just behave the way you are used to.

If you are prepared to find yourself in a different culture, speak a different language and, sometimes, even literally dive into a completely different world, your travels may well be some of your best experiences ever.