REFUGE THE
IDENTITY
By George Muyi Nie
Detach
and
attach
ONE STUDENT ' S EXPERIENCE OF
LEAVING HONG KONG FOR A
SEMESTER IN GERMANY
It was after having arrived in Munich International
Airport when I realized that my half year in Europe
had finally begun. I was also about to immerse myself
in a language that I could barely understand. Though
I have been to Heidelberg and Frankfurt for short
visits, both Germany and its region of Bavaria
continue to be rather unfamiliar places for me.
Living abroad and studying overseas: these two
common phrases always seem to be appealing to
those who are tired of daily lives in their own cities
and universities. However, I’ve noticed that when
saying this we usually just imagine the awe or the
“honeymoon phases” of travelling around, partying
all night, meeting new people, and eating new foods,
and in the case of Germany, drinking beer.
After the honeymoon phase comes the drawbacks of
being abroad, like homesickness, bad diets, a lack of
sleep, or even experiencing all of these at the same
time. What’s essential for an exchange student when
suffering from cultural shocks is to actively interact
with the new culture at hand; experiment and get
outside of your comfort zone. Here, we are able to
recreate ourselves, not only to adapt to another
culture, but also to discover our unique and multi-
layered identity. The main ideas that I would like to
discuss regarding my experience can be divided into
two categories: the old traits from which I have tried
to detach myself, and the new traits to which I try to
attach.
MAY 2017
|
06