Olivia D'Souza
Pen Pal from Germany
May 2020 - July 2020
Germany
Last spring and summer, I had the opportunity to exchange emails with Emmi from Hamburg, Germany. We discussed everything from school to sports to vacations to hobbies. This was also a great opportunity for us to discuss how responses to the worldwide quarantine and pandemic varied within countries. I learned that while there are many similarities between life in Germany and the United States, there are also aspects that vary greatly, especially when it comes to school timing, environment, and structure. I also found out that it is common to travel to other countries often in Europe, which is very different than our ability to do so here in the US. Communicating with Emmi broadened my understanding of the world by helping me to gain a direct perspective to daily life in Germany. What we experience here in the US everyday is just one of many, many routines, tasks, and activities that occur around the world. German culture is similar to culture here in the US in one way through extracurricular activities such as sports, music, and spending time with friends and family. German culture is also very different than what we experience in the US as international travel is much more prevalent and there is variation in the school curriculum beyond the core concepts of language, mathematics, science and history.
Pen Pal from Germany
May 2020 - July 2020
Germany
Last spring and summer, I had the opportunity to exchange emails with Emmi from Hamburg, Germany. We discussed everything from school to sports to vacations to hobbies. This was also a great opportunity for us to discuss how responses to the worldwide quarantine and pandemic varied within countries. I learned that while there are many similarities between life in Germany and the United States, there are also aspects that vary greatly, especially when it comes to school timing, environment, and structure. I also found out that it is common to travel to other countries often in Europe, which is very different than our ability to do so here in the US. Communicating with Emmi broadened my understanding of the world by helping me to gain a direct perspective to daily life in Germany. What we experience here in the US everyday is just one of many, many routines, tasks, and activities that occur around the world. German culture is similar to culture here in the US in one way through extracurricular activities such as sports, music, and spending time with friends and family. German culture is also very different than what we experience in the US as international travel is much more prevalent and there is variation in the school curriculum beyond the core concepts of language, mathematics, science and history.