L'aventure d'un frenchie

First of all, excuse me for the faults ! I'm not completely bilingual.

This adventure will begin just after christmas, and this, untill march (if I'm able to go to the end.)

First, I need to explain you why I made the choise to cross over the french boundary.

To begin, you have to know that it's not the first time that I go to Germany. But about Germany, why went I to this country previously ?

As some people could thinking (In France), Germany is not really a country which makes dream people. When you talk about it, it's because of the economic friendship situation with the France, for the two World Wars, or, for people who like sport, to talk about the Bundesliga.

I start to learn german at the (middle) highschool, when I was 13. It was not my first choise, but nevermind. At the beginning, I did not like a lot this language. But we can't say that I was a jerk. Just a simple pupil.

I went for the first time in Germany in 2008, in the district of Koln (Cologne). In my memories, this trip didn't strike me a lot.

One year and a half latter, december 2009, the opportunity was given to me to go in Germany again. It was under the influence of an european student programm, called "Comenius". So with 5 other french student, we went to Lemgo, North Rhenanie Westphalie. During this trip, we met students from 2 other countrys : germany (which hosted us) and students from Norway.

This week has been full of wealth, culturally speaking. Unlike my previous trip to Cologne, we was in a real insertion with german family. Whe was mixed with other young people, and followed some lessons in german in an highschool, the Hanse Berufskolleg .

Contact with with young people makes it possible to compare the differences between our life, habits, education and hobbies. If today it sounds like "banal", I think that it's since this trip that I like learn a lot about foreign cultures.

Two years latter, 3rd trip Over-Rhin (The Rhin is the river separating France and Germany), but not the least. BERLIN ! This travel was just awesome. It was in an other context angain. Not insertion in family, but we lived in an youth hostel.

When I think about it, I was very lucky to take part to this trip. The fact is that I was in my first year of college, after highschool. A highschool close to my College organised this trip, and they missed people to complete there bus (maybe destiny ?). So my former German teacher offered us to go to Berlin. When I say "Us", I'm talking about only 3 students, because where I am, rare are the people who learn german. The deal was, that we had to do a kind of market survey on german retailers.

Brief ! (I don't know if this expression means something for you...)

Decembre 2011, after 24 hours of autobus, Berlin here I am ! An Berlin, what the... ?! I'm falling in love with you. Culture. History. Your recovery. In one week, I learned more than I had ever learned during my history lessons.

And since this day I tell to myself -hum, how to say - over, it's a paradise maybe ?

Am I Right, Am I wrong ? This adventure will help me to repply to this question. Remained I, since 2 two years, with an euphoria inside me ? Or was it a real reveal ?

I don't want you to think that this trip only aims at rapply to this question, it would be a whim. My goal is, before anything, not to take vacations, but to do the best intership I can.

So why not in France, some people could ask ? I didn't have to chose an other country.

The adventure. To prove to myself than I am movable.

But it also is the opportunity  to link what I study and what I want to do later, work in an international environment.

Today, I also need to go in Germany, more than in UK or USA, because actually, I don't really speak well german. Yes, you could say that I am crazy. Maybe. Any ressources were given to me to progress. It's not because of the teacher. Unlike english, we don't have opportunity to speak or listen. We see american movies, english songs, english advertising... It help us to progress in english. But anything for german. That is so bad.

On this point, you can have your own opinion, I respect that. But mine is indisputable, practise makes perfect. So in my mind, I need to be in a total immersion to become friend forever with german.

And I hope be able to write you a post in german when I will be back !

Now you know more about the reasons which make me leave.

I hope you will be a lot to follow my Odyssey !

Clément.