▲ Ha Ji-woo having a Christmas party with her friends in Germany

Before leaving Korea to attend a student exchange program at the University of Bayreuth in Germany last year, I was worried about my exchange student life in the foreign country because of the coronavirus pandemic. I was also anxious that my visa had not been issued even a week before I left the country. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to living in Europe. Fortunately, my visa was issued a day before my departure. In fact, I could not believe that I was going to Germany until the day I got my visa. Going to the country at least once while learning German was my dream.

I think meeting new foreign friends is a big advantage for exchange students. My roommates and classmates were from various countries over the world. The German class proceeded as a non-face-to-face class due to the coronavirus situation, but it was an interesting and enjoyable experience for me to take classes and talk with those friends. I once felt good and was amazed because many of them liked Korean popular cultural content such as K-pop, dramas and movies.

 

My New Foreign Friends

I had one of my closest German friends at the university. She had been to Korea as an exchange student and likes Korea very much. She even knows how to cook Korean food. I went her house once and she made me Japchae (Korean glass noodle), which was the best ones I have ever eaten. During the Christmas vacation, we made Kimchi and ate it with boiled beef which was so delicious. On New Year's Day, we played board games and cooked Tteokguk (rice cake soup) together.

While living in Germany, I was amazed that my cooking skills really improved. I cooked and ate a lot of food because the ingredients were very cheap. On the other hand, eating out was very expensive, and eating indoors at a restaurant was not allowed due to the coronavirus. So, most of the time, I had takeout food or got food delivered, and ate it with my friends in the dormitory.

 

Cultural Differences

There are quite a few differences between Germany and Korea. First, in Germany, if there is anything to do at the hospital or city hall, you must make a reservation before you go. Once, I went to the hospital to get a cervical cancer injection. A nurse told me to come after a month because it was fully booked, so I just went back to the dormitory. Second, public toilets in Germany are not free and range from 50 cents to 2 euros. We even have to pay for the toilets in the department store or on the street. Fortunately, the toilets in the train are free. I do not know if it is because we pay for it, but most of the toilets in Germany are clean and there are always people who clean them. Third, most toilets are dry and we wear shoes inside the house. Dry toilets can be used cleanly, so I rather liked German toilets. However, it was not hygienic to wear shoes in the room. Even the floor was carpeted, so it was hard to see the dust and difficult to clean. Fourth, on Sundays in Germany, most supermarkets and department stores are closed and only a few stores are opened. So, I used to exercise or go on a picnic with my friends in the park near the dormitory those days.

 

It was really fun and special to experience and adapt to the German culture while studying as an exchange student. Due to the pandemic situation, I could not travel as much as I could and there were many restrictions, but it was a precious time that I will never forget for the rest of my life.

By Ha Ji-woo, Sophomore, Department of German Language and Literature

저작권자 © Chonnam Tribune 무단전재 및 재배포 금지