Culture Shock!!

>> Cultural Shock <<


Although I’ve learned some German culture before going to Germany, the journey to Germany still brought me some cultural shock.

Some people in Taiwan assume Germans are aloof and bumptious.
However, this kind of stereotype is totally wrong.

Germans are actually pretty friendly especially when you are able to speak a little German.
Most of time, there were Germans who come and talked to me. Therefore, don’t worry that you would become isolated if you go to Germany ^^

They might first talk to you in German.
However, when they find out that you can’t speak German, they will have conversation with you in English.


The most interesting thing is that if they see you are an Asian, they may speak Japanese. (= =”)

Please forgive them (even though I really wanted to hit him at the moment :P)
Because for foreigners, Japanese may be the easiest Asian language. Moreover, of all the Asian languages, the pronunciation of Japanese is more like German.

For example, I had a lot Japanese friends who speak German so well, but they are not willing to speak English.



I remembered there was once English learning cram school making fun of German’s English in their promotional commercial. A lot of people presume that German speak poor English.
This supposition is also wrong.
Actually most of teen Germans can speak fluent English. Besides, because of the regional relation, their English are more like British English.



Furthermore, I met some black people in Germany. Well, due to a lot of movies, many Taiwanese people think the black are dangerous. However, they’re not. You can on the other hand get along well with them. You can show something you knew about black such as hip hop, slangs like “wat up?”, they will love you more.


I’m sooooooo appreciating that I had a chance to travel and learn in Germany which not only help me to improve my German but also let me learn many cultural differences and life experiences.

Fine feathers make fine birds

What kind of clothes should you actually bring to protect yourself from getting cold or from sunstroke?

I went to Germany in summer vacation. The weather was quite warm and comfortable then. The weather is just like the autumn in Taiwan.

The average temperature in summer time is about 20~22°C.
It only gets colder when rain comes. However, Germany is not the country which rains a lot.

Usually you should bring some shirts, jeans, just something you wear in autumn time.
However, avoid getting fever in rainy day; you should also bring a heavier jacket with you.

In winter, the weather is awfully cold.

The overcoat you bought in Taiwan might not be warm enough for you to get over the extremely cold weather in Germany. Therefore, I sincerely suggest you buy the coat and heavy garments there, for the quality is good and definitely warmer than the one you bought in Taiwan.

Buying clothes in Germany is not as expensive as you think.

There’s actually a discount offered to every foreigner who buys apparels in Germany. Foreigners are assumed to buy clothes with taxes.

However, if you buy the garments over 25€ in total, you can bring the clothes home without taxes.

Tips:
Bring the receipt to the customs before you get on the plane.
And you can gain back the taxes you paid in the shop.

Buying clothes over 25€ is not difficult especially when you buy a overcoat or you can buy clothes together with your friends :)

Besides, because the weather condition in Germany is very dry (particularly for Taiwanese who get used to live in the humid weather, some people like me even get peeling without having lotion on skin), you should bring some body lotion and lip moisturizer with you or you can buy some in Germany. They are quite cheap and practical because Germany is also known for its lotion!! ^^


Weather data for Heidelberg:

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?location=GMXX0053

DB Reise!

Living a month in Heidelberg, traffic is of course an essential element should be mentioned!
Even it’s absolutely a great pleasure walking on Heidelberg streets.
But if you have classes starting from nine in the morning, you still need to take busses

Usually, it takes 1 Euro per bus trip
School will offer you Semesterkarte- 40 Euro for you to take busses as many times as you want in one month
Besides, it’s not only be used for busses but also for S-Bahn and Strassen- Bahn (like LRV), so it’s quite cost effective

This bus card is like your amulet; bus drivers won’t examine whether you have the card or not
But sometimes, irregular police officers get on and check if you have the card or not
Once you break the law, you need to pay 40 times of the original price. That is 1600 Euro!!!




Train
In Germany, the railway is called DB (Deutsche-Bahn)
ICE is the fast but the most expensive one

There’re various train types in Germany
If you want to take train traveling around Germany
You can go to Tourist-Information in the train station and get more ideas about it

If you are going to plan a German trip, http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en
This can help you to arrange about the time

Moreover, my suggestion is it’s better for you to buy the ticket in Germany, not book the tickets here in Taiwan. ^^

Feast in Heidelberg

It’s said “To the people foodstuff is all-important”
Of course, living in Heidelberg for the whole month
Eating is quite a significant stuff should be noticed

For food,
I don’t usually have lunch in Mensa (student cafeteria)
There’s about 2~3 Euro you will spend in Mensa

lunch at Mensa

My recommendation, once you want to have your lunch or dinner in Mensa
You should always try their cake which cost about 1 Euro

and will give you paradise feeling after finishing it

Come on! this is a true Blackforest Cake

which contains a little wine in it! :)

In Germany, my suggestion is you can some rice, but you wouldn’t like to try it again!
So it’s better for you to have pasta or spaghetti

The rice indeed looks not so delicious

Don’t worry about eating spaghetti everyday will drive you crazy because you can change many favor as you want. There’re many seasoning for you!!
I’d created some interesting favor of pasta while living in Germany and I also believe it was then my cuisine improve for cooking everyday is like adventure and exploration

Drinking:

If you love drink milk, living in Germany may seem as a paradise for you
It costs about 0.56 Euro per liter
Only 28 NT dollars can bring you strong bones!!

Moreover, juice is a good choice for you to keep vitamin C
Also about 30 NT dollars can bring you a beautiful face

Can't you see the beauty contains in it? :))

Of course, while traveling to Germany, you shouldn’t miss beer!!
For Girls, I especially recommend you Radler
For some German boys, they think it’s just a drink not even an alcohol
However, for some who dare not to drink much alcohol, Radler may be your best choice

Refreshments:
Ice cream!! Various special favors you can image!
I’d once tried some special Portugal wine favor and it was awesome

In Heidelberg, there’s a special kind of refreshment- Heidelberg student kiss (chocolate)

The originator of the Student Kiss wanted to help the young flirting students. He named them student kisses so that the young men could present these chocolate to the young ladies that they desired at one point later to give a real kiss to.
What a romantic story in Germany :D

Private Space in Heidelberg

This blog is to response Vivian’s request- more details about my warm private space

Actually, there’re three types of living styles for foreign students to stay in Germany- student dormitory, host family, and WG
WG (die Wohngemeinschaft) is a flat shared by two or three students

There’s a apply form asking about your habit, such as smoking, drinking and what kind of living style you want the best. Later, the school will elect the room which fit your demand

My living place is quite comfortable, convenience and warm comparing to other students’ living place

For example,

small but warm kitchen which my friends love to come to my house
together we make lunch or dinner :)

Free washing machine :D

why do i say it's free?

the washing machine in student dorm charge some money
however, i'm not sure how much does it charge

because my friends had never use it LOL

TV set in my room!!!

Watch! this is CSI!! WOW

(German version, of course)

and even the sponge bob speak German @@

Also, it's pretty convenient since my house is near supermarket

Lidl, a quite famous supermarket in Germany

like Carrefour, but not that big

inside the Lidl

Sorry to scary you
How fat i was then :P

Cafe near my house

sometimes in the morning

this square would turn to small market

The Gate of my flat

Stairs up to my flat

Hey, Don't throw up when you see next pic!!

Like what i told you before, this is my fav place in my room
Good place for reading a book or sleep(?!) :))

For your reference, i paid 250 Euro a month for WG

PS, following are the pictures of student dorm

Tourist in HD

Besides being a good student in Heidelberg,
you probably also have to play a good role of tourist while living in Heidelberg

There're some spots you shouldn't miss!!!

First, in order to get smart and have a deeper perspective toward world
You’d better take a walk in Philosophenweg (Philosopher’s path)
Here is a place for many philosophers, such as Goethe and Hegel, walking and thinking academic and current issues with their friends

Second, if you want to learn some history about Heidelberg and desire to be a noble in the Middle Age, you shouldn’t miss Heidelberg Schloss (Heidelberg Castle)
Heidelberg Castle, built in 13th Century on a huge cliff, is a mixture of Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance Style construction which is used to be the biggest castle in Europe. The platform in the castle is the best scenic spot to overlook the whole city.

Heidelberg Castle

Whole view of City from the castle platform

Third, Alte Brucke or Karl-Theodor Brucke (The Old Bridge), a good place for you to plunge into Neckar River

The Old Bridge, built in 1869, is the seat of nine arches, there are two round towers on the bridge. Moreover there’s a statue, goddess of wisdom, Athena, guarding the gates into the city. Besides, Monkey Bridge, a statue of a monkey holding a mirror in hand and two little mice below. It’s said touching the mirror can bring you health and rats can make you more children and more happiness. (Just like Chinese culture ha!)

Gate of Old Bridge

On the old bridge

Monkey Bridge

Fourth, if you are trouble maker in school, in Heidelberg, Studentenkarzer may be your best friend!

Studentenkarzer (prison of students) was built to punish students who violate school regulations. However, the prison is only used for two years (1912-1914), because for those trouble students, they see the student prison as a paradise for their gathering. Some students even make deliberately mischief in order to gain the access to this prison!!

What a cute sign toward studentenkarzer!!

like walking toward some secret society

As a prison, here's so luxurious

Relax in Heidelberg Uni

If you just go to the course regularly, it is of course pretty boring since the function of summer courses is not only used to improve your language ability but also lead you to explore more in that country.

According to my friend who had one month summer course in Leipzig University told me that Leipzig University doesn’t offer many interesting activities like Heidelberg University.

Therefore, if you don’t want to waste your time only on purely improve your German, you want to explore more German culture, I think you’d better choose a university which provide many activities after school time.

Moreover, I believe attending to these activities is also a good way for you to communicate with other foreigners and learn different culture (not just German culture, of course since you have a lot of chances to meet plenty students coming from many countries around world)

There’re abundant night activities that Heidelberg university supply

Monday: Classical Concert such as piano, saxophone, stringed instrument concert
Usually I go to the concert with my classmates and after the concert we will hang out to a bar near the school and chit chat for a while

Tuesday: German Movie Night
According to my experience, I’d watched Parfüm (Perfume), Good Bye, Lenin! Das Fliefenge Klassenzimmer…. I know these movies are not quite new, but the atmosphere is really different.
Thursday: class gathering

Friday: disco night, the best I must recommend to you
If you hate the smoky club, this may be your best choice and it’s much safer
The disco is hold in the cafeteria and smoking is forbidden in this place!! The only drawback is the music is a little old

Weekends: excursions
Through school excursions, I’d been to Bamberg, Schwarzwald, Freiburg
You have to pay extra fee for excursions
However, I later go to the places I am so eager to visit for a long time with my friends instead of attending those excursions. With my friends, I’d visited Stuttgart, Cologne, Frankfurt

Besides, Heidelberg sometimes supply students some free trip such as riverboat trip, city tour and Mannheim Schloss. ^^

Riverboat trip

Mannheim Schloss

Garden in Mannheim Schloss

the place you shouldn't miss - Cologne Chocolate Museum!! Yummy :D

Famous Koln Dom

Mercedes Benz Museum in Stuttgart

More pictures will be presented when later introduce the place for you :)

look forward to it yo