At my service learning site, there is a meal made for the volunteers every couple of weeks. Each person pays two euros, and then some of the volunteers help to cook the food, which everyone eats together around a table in the middle of the afternoon. The last time I was at my site, I joined in with this meal, eating with my fellow volunteers and helping in the kitchen.
One of the interesting things about the culture at my service learning site is that there are people from everywhere, so it is not typically representative of German culture. The volunteers come from Germany, Turkey, Syria, France, Brazil, and many other places around the world. I felt as though the meal was not a typical German experience, based on the meals I have shared with my host family. When I eat with my host family, we often only talk to each other to ask for more food, and occasionally some small talk. However, the meal with my service learning colleagues was a much more open experience. Everyone talks to each other, and there are often several conversations happening at a time. Even though there are often people around me talking only to each other, it was difficult to feel like an outsider. Sometimes, people would speak in Arabic or Persian, and I would not understand what they were saying. However, even when it was impossible to understand the actual words, they would still make it clear when they were making a joke, and sometimes would even translate it into English or German.
Another interesting thing I noticed was how relaxed everyone was. Even though it was a break from work, and we all knew we would have to return to work shortly, it did not feel like anyone was rushed. Everyone took the time to relax and interact with each other, as well as making sure everyone was served multiple helpings of food, and that no one was hungry. This was interesting for me to observe, because I don’t often see meals as times for socializing. Usually, I approach meals as tasks that I need to complete as quickly as possible, in between other things I have scheduled. As a result, this was a very different approach to meal times than I am used to. I think this is something I would like to implement in my own life, particularly when sharing meals with my friends once I return from Berlin.
One thing I have noticed during the weeks I spent at my service learning site is that I am more willing to speak German, even if I am not sure of the right thing to say. Many of the volunteers do not speak English, and I also occasionally had to interact with local residents who were coming to make donations. At the beginning, I would often avoid speaking if I had to speak German, but as I spent more time there, I began to speak German instead of English, even when I was unsure.
I spoke to different people about their impressions of the United States. First, I had a conversation with a few of my colleagues at the service learning site. This was interesting, because most of them do not know much about the United States other than politics. With my service learning site being an organization that primarily assists refugees and other socioeconomically disadvantaged people in Berlin, and most of my colleagues being refugees or immigrants themselves, my colleagues were naturally opposed to American politics. They were generally indirect about their opinions, even though the opinions were still clear. For example, several of my colleagues have made jokes about me being a refugee from the United States when they find out I am American. Even though they did not say it, it is obvious that they made those jokes because they disagree with the current American political climate. Their other frame of reference for the United States is through the media. In Germany, American television shows are very popular. However, this doesn’t translate into much knowledge about what the United States is actually like. For example, they were only aware of California and New York City, so it was difficult to explain where I am from with only those two places.
I think my relationship with my colleagues is interesting when observed through the lens of the Gordon reading. Gordon discussed how, particularly in developing nations, travelers have more power over the locals (52). I think this is interesting to examine. Although I often feel like I have less power with Germans, because I have less knowledge of the language and culture, this is not necessarily the same in my service learning site. While the other volunteers are generally more comfortable living and working in Germany than I am, I also find that I and the other white volunteers are more often approached my locals bringing donations. The locals assume that I am more likely to speak German than my colleagues, even though many of them are much more comfortable speaking German than I am. Everyone tries to equalize the relationships between everyone at the site, which we do through the language cafes and shared meals, and I feel like we are all equal as workers, but sometimes that is not the case when people from outside would come into the site.
One of the most interesting conversations I had was with one of my colleagues about our different school systems. He was surprised by how many different schools I had gone to in my life. For me, it was normal to only go to one school for two to four years, before going to another one. However, in Germany, most people only go to two different schools, and they both are for about six years. He thought it was interesting, because he had gone to many different schools, but it was because he often got in trouble in school, rather than because they were only for a few grades.
In addition to speaking with my service learning colleagues, I also spoke to my host mother. Occasionally we will share a cup of tea together in the afternoon, so I took one of these opportunities to ask her about her perspective on the United States. Like my service learning colleagues, she also mostly knew about the United States through politics. She talked to me about the impeachment process and the future government of the United States. When I mentioned that a lot of people in 2016 refused to vote because they didn’t think anyone was a perfect candidate, she was very surprised. In Germany, there are several large parties, and the Chancellor is the head of the party with the largest share of the Parliament. This means that there are more options to vote for, but it also means that the head of government will definitely have the support of the majority of the population. She also said she thought it was weird how much money and time is spent on elections in the United States. In Germany, campaigns will only begin shortly before the election, but in the United States, many candidates will campaign for several years.
In addition to politics, we also spoke about free time activities. In particular, my host mother was surprised that I had spent every summer at summer camps. For me growing up, this was normal, because my parents worked, and many of my friends would also go to different summer camps. However, in Germany summer camps are not so popular. They are usually only run by organizations for low-income families, or occasionally for members of Scouts organizations. In addition, in Germany, workers get more vacation days, and summer vacations are about a month shorter than in the US, so it is easier for parents to be at home with their children in the summer.
Despite some of the differences I learned about through these interviews, I believe that the situations Gordon discussed regarding exploitation of or by visitors are not necessarily my experience in Berlin. Both Germany and the United States are prosperous nations with similar demographics, so I am do not generally have more power due to my status as an outsider.
Sources:
Gordon, Robert. „To See Ourselves”, “Travelling Rituals” In Going Abroad: Travelling Like an Anthropologist. Chpts 3, Chpt 4. 128-152.
Growing in Germany 