One of the most enriching aspects of any international exchange is the opportunity to experience a new culture up close. Over the past week, working together with students from Georgia has shown us just how many small – and sometimes surprising – differences exist between our everyday lives. From how we greet each other to how we eat, live, or joke, these differences sparked interesting conversations, laughter, and moments of reflection. In this post, we’d like to share some of the cultural contrasts we noticed throughout the week.
The first thing we noticed was how something as trivial as drinking water can highlight a cultural difference. In Germany, we’re used to being able to drink tap water in basically every building – something that’s not as common in the U.S. Our American guests were surprised by this and told us that back home, they usually have to buy bottled water almost everywhere they go.
There were also a few things Münster is famous for that took some getting used to. One of the first topics we talked about – during our very first lunch together – was the weather. Since the exchange took place in May, the weather wasn’t at its best, and our guests told us that the cool, rainy conditions we had on the first day would be more typical of winter in Georgia!
Another big topic was transportation. Of course, we rented bikes for them so they could get the full “Münster experience.” After a few small beginner issues, they got the hang of it quickly. Still, they often used taxis, since in the U.S. it’s very common to call an Uber for even short distances – also because distances between places tend to be much larger in American cities. We also found it interesting that in the U.S., many teenagers get their first car as a gift when they turn 16 – two years earlier than in Germany, since that’s when they can already get their driver’s license.
And then, of course, there was the topic we ended up talking about all week: food. The students from Georgia told us how much they appreciated the overall quality of food here in Europe. One of their favorites was Döner Kebab – we showed them a few local places like Kulti Kebab and Hafen Döner, and they loved it. They also noticed that fast food chains like Burger King have slightly different menus here compared to the U.S.
A highlight was definitely our visit to the Münster weekly market, where they were very excited to try local strawberries and “Leberkäse im Brötchen.” On the other hand, they told us they were missing one of their favorite American fast food chains: Chick-fil-A. That’s definitely something I’d like to try myself if I ever visit the U.S.
Naturally, our conversations didn’t stop at food and weather. We also talked about our countries’ histories, politics, and topics like gun laws. Not everyone had the same opinions – and that’s totally fine. It was never about agreeing on everything, but about understanding different perspectives. Even on sensitive topics, the conversations were respectful and open-minded, we never got into any arguments about specific topics. It was nice to get to see a new way of seeing things, especially on topics that are not that popular in europe.
