Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Live and Let Live
When somebody asks me if I like my job, I normally say that it is alright, sometimes quite interesting and it doesn't kill me. Today, I really enjoyed the work I am doing.
I had a class with J., not exactly a language person, not very eager to do homework but really open and expressive. She announced today that they were going back by May probably, instead of December, as planned. So far, so bad. I helped her with some official stuff which she commented with a laughing 'What would I do without you!'. And then she surprised me by saying 'Do you plan to visit the US, at all? 'Cause you are always welcome. We really need to stay in touch through emails!' Isn't that nice? I never thought that she liked me that much that she'd want to keep in contact.
We did do some German in that class. But mainly, she was asking questions, trying to clear her doubts and pick up where she had to leave off conversations with German neighbours, mums, teachers or coaches because of her rudimentary German or their insufficient English.
What was it like to grow up in the East? How did you experience the Fall of the Wall? What about your parents? How old were you back then? Did anybody not want the Wall to come down? Is there still a difference between East and West? Are there prejudices? Why? Are you exposed to prejudices? How do people know that someone is from the East? Do your parents still live in the East? Do they speak with an accent? And that was just one topic!
I left, smiling and thinking that I had set some wrong ideas straight...
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4 comments:
According to me, neither did u set in wrg ideas nor was she wrg in asking. I would hv asked u the same questions if i were in her seat..though Americans do see the world with different eye set...but me as an indian and like many indians always appreciated Germans..their way of life, approach,discipline, etc.
You are right, absolutely. What I meant to say though was that she had some wrong ideas before asking me, partly because she just didn't know and partly because her conversations about the topic with other Germans led into a dead end because of miscommunication. She had every right to ask me and I am trying my best to answer her questions. Or others. Or yours, for that matter.
And I think that, when you talk about Germans or Germany, you have the West in mind or the reunited country and don't (can't) take the history that we spent apart and the resulting differences in consideration.
looks like you have a new friend :)
talldarkman
yea, and I don't even know how I deserve that :)
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