The nice thing about our class is that we are in the advanced level (C1, if you know the European system) and so instead of the different accents of beginners being a hinderance, we take all the lessons and turn them into a cultural exchange dialogue. I had really not thought a moment about who would be in my class until the day I walked in. The class changes over time as students come and go but we have had a core group - 3-4 Koreans, 1 Chinese, 1 Romanian, 1 Russian, 1 Yemeni, 1 Spaniard, 1 Indonesian, 1 Syrian, 2 Peruvians and me. Most of the students are here to eventually enroll in a university program. The Indonesian and Romanian are both doctors here to do specialty training, we have several artists from Korea and China, and two journalists. I find them each of them and their stories fascinating so I thought I'd share with you about my new friends and also give you insight into why people leave their families and come to Germany. I'm so attuned to why people come to the US, but I had really thought before about Germany.
YC Park - Korea - Young Chan studied theology in college, he may have even worked as a pastor, served his term in the Korean army as all Korean men must do for two years and now is here to study politics. He plans to stay for 10 years in Germany to get his doctorate. Why Germany? He wants to study the politics of reunification in a country reunited. He is deeply passionate about Korea and hopes to someday be part of it's reunification.
Heong Jong - Korea - Heong Jong is a painter. He already has a university degree in art from Korea. Why Germany? In Korea he had to follow the artistic style of his professors as a university student. He's here in Germany to develop his own style of painting. He's renting a room in student housing that doubles as his studio and is furiously working to create a distinct enough portfolio by January to earn a spot with an art professor.
My nugget from these two about Korea is that when have housewarming parties in Korea you bring either toilet paper or dish soap. Makes you think a minute, huh? The toilet paper represents many happy years in your new home and the dish soap prosperity. May you prosper like the bubbles. They are both really kind and thoughtful young men.
Heong Jeong - Korea - Sometimes known as "Ronny," but we try. She is here to study cello. She has also graduated from university in Korea. There are lots of Korean students here, especially studying music and the arts. Many Koreans view Germany as the birthplace of classical music and consider study here to be a big boost to a career. She's planning to stay for about five years and is one of the social organizers for our class.
Xiao Peng - China - Xiao Peng is also a painter here to study art. He is newer to our class so I haven't chatted with him as much. He's very sweet and at the same time embodies the dogmatic speech of communist China. This is his first time living abroad. I'm excited for him to see a more expanded range of perspectives as he spends more time in Germany.
Irina - Moscow - Irina and her husband are both journalists. She does free lance work and he must have some correspondent job here. She is thrilled to have the chance to work on her German that like me she learned in school because has never gotten to regularly speak. she is also one of our social organizers. We were chatting this week in class about manners and what is polite in different countries, she misses the friendliness of Russians. We agreed that Germans can be compared to a chocolate truffle - hard on the outside, but warm and caring once you can break through the shell.
Chip - Romania - Actually his name is Ciprian "Chi-pre-an" which I don't know how to spell correctly. Chip is 35 and completed medical school in Romania 10 years ago but has never worked as a doctor. He wants to be a psychiatrist, but you can't study that as a specialty in the Romanian health care system. So he has done lots of other jobs in the last 10 years and came to Germany to see of he could get a place at a health clinic here to return to his dream of becoming a psychiatrist. And he found a spot! So now he will train for 5 more years at a clinic outside of Stuttgart. Today was his last day and I will miss hearing his perspectives on the world.
Sami - Yemen - Sami is here to go to medical school. He has a scholarship from the Romanian government and has not been to college yet. This year he is working on his German so he can start university next fall. He's very quiet, but very thoughtful. He shared some his thoughts on Dubai and Abu Dhabi today, so interesting to hear the Arab perspective.
Maan - Syria - Maan has lived all over the Middle East but would like to settle in Germany. He's worked with computers in the past and also taught English for a short stint. He plays music and loves people. He loves the people in Germany and has learned most of his German from listening to German music and chatting with people.
Alicia - Spain - Alicia and her husband came here in their camper van with their three rescued greyhounds and spent their first month here in a city campground especially for campers. finally they found a sublet which will accept their dogs. Discouraged by the employment situation in Spain, they are traveling around and looking for opportunities here in Germany. She is interested in learning about pet therapy especially for people with autism and apparently that training program is half as expensive here is Germany as in Spain.
Luis - Peru - Luis's dad is a diplomat and he hails from the Peruvian elite. He's 19 and I think lived his whole life in the privileged world. He's super sweet and curious about the world and slowly learning how to blend in with the rest of us. He likes fast cars and hot girls. He's planning to attend university here and hopefully someday become a diplomat himself.
Claudia - Peru - Claudia has law journalism degrees from Peru and would like to get a Master's in media studies here in Germany. She would also like to permanently live in Germany. Here siblings are both engineers living in France, but her parents still live in Peru.
Fery - Indonesia - The last one. Fery has a medical degree from Indonesia, he's from Jakarta and is also doing a medical specialty here. He has a place to study gynecology and just needs to get his German up to start. He is supported by the Indonesian government and must return home after 5 years. His wife is also a doctor and she is trying to secure her place here to do training in dermatology. They are caught in a mess of visa and papers.
For me, my compassion for and knowledge about the world come from getting to know real people and their life stories. I love surprises and this international group of students was a surprise. I know my German is better because I can read newspaper articles, write e-mails, follow the German in museums, give directions and chat with people in stores and offices. After Christmas I look forward to meeting some Berliners, but I am so glad to have my foreign friends and get to learn German through their life experiences.
