Not so foreign lands: First impressions of Erfurt (Guest Post)

The post below was written by Christiana Robey, one of our five West Virginia University Communication Studies students attending SPICE 2019. 

Erfurt, DE -- When I stepped off the plane in Frankfurt I had very few expectations because I hoped to go into this experience completely open minded. However, the first bit of culture shock I received was in the form of traffic. The roadways seemed convoluted and the drivers, both in cars around us and my bus driver, seemed to maneuver expertly around other cars, people, and bikes.

After arriving in Erfurt however, it was a breath of fresh air to find that the Erfurt students were very similar to our American group both in dress and mannerism. The tram ride towards the apartment was packed with so many different types of people from little children to the elderly and the all existing together in the seemingly peaceful harmony amidst the din of the city.

While the apartment was very basic and like ones in the US, my first underlying bias occurred when entering the grocery store close to the apartment where I expected to find a variety of foreign items, but instead I found myself easily filling my basket with items similar if not better quality than what I eat at home.

One of the biggest cultural differences I have noted in my time here is related to volume. As I already said the train and tram rides are quiet if not silent despite being regularly packed tightly with people. Restaurants, even when seated outside, remain almost muted in comparison to the clamorous crowds in the United States. Our small group has, on numerous occasions, received a disdainful stare or a not so gentle reminder that we are boisterous strangers out of place in the quiet swells of Erfurt.

Despite this many if not most people here in Erfurt are kind and will switch to English and try to communicate with our groups, especially if we look confused. Even when the language barrier remains a separation they will gesture or on occasion some shop clerks will use their hands to show prices. I read in a post from a previous SPICE participant that said Erfurt felt like their home away from home, and the longer I stay here the more I start to agree.