A short essay

KATRINA ABENOJAR
about Germany and beyond. TY EMMAsia 2015

Thanks for this, God.

Hi Michelle! Im in my third year here in Ateneo studying BS Environmental Science. I
applied for the Environment and Resource Management bachelors program in the
Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus which is in a small city an hour and a half
away from Berlin by train, and close to the Polish border. My mobility lasted almost six
months, from April 1 to September 19, 2015. That was mid-spring to the end of summer,
so fortunately I was in Germany for its most pleasant weather during most of my stay.

The first time I heard of such an opportunity to have a semester abroad on a full
scholarship was when I was still in high school, from my friend Rahn, whose sister was in
France on this same scholarship. Then last year, I received an email from the ES
Department about this and saw EMMAsia posters around Ateneo. I wanted to try to apply
because its basically like JTA but longer and with more freedom because it was fully
funded by the Erasmus Mundus programme of the European Commission, I could get
classes credited, and, thanks to the calendar shift, I could go during the extended
summer without missing a semester.
When I found out that I was accepted, I was in Matteo checking my email, and got SUPER
excited. The prospect of actually going to Germany was something I couldnt wrap my
head around. At that time, I was not expecting it at all because I was told that results
would come out later, and I was even ready to accept not being chosen because I was
rejected for the two other things I applied for, SEA Camp and TedxADMU. I texted my
mom first thing, and the only thing I had to wait for before confirming was my dads
approval. He said that if God didnt close any doors by the day my response was due,
then I could go. A week later, I replied my YES :)
I dont remember having much doubts about going to Germany. I asked around a lot
about getting a visa, and they said it would just be quick because it was Erasmus and I
hadnt been in Germany before. I asked Ms. Suzie from the OIR about Cottbus because
shed been there last December, and asked random people on the ERM Facebook group
about the classes I should take. I Googled a lot about the weather and what clothes I
would need. I met my future roommate in advance through Facebook. My mobility
coordinator in Germany booked my flight for me. Basically everything was falling into
place and I had nothing to worry about. Of course, I had some butterflies on my way to
the airport, but I wasnt looking back.

Cottbus & Friends

My first day in Cottbus, and I had already met people from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Syria,
Turkey, Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Poland, and of course, Germany. I met people
from a lot of countries after that and had the amazing opportunity to become friends
with them, hear their stories, and experience their different cultures. This was my first
2

time with so many different nationalities and actually getting to know and spend time
with them. It was also a blessing in disguise not having any other Filipinos with me
because I didnt have anyone to be clingy with. Most of my friends were either Erasmus
students from Europe, exchange students from Colombia, or international students really
studying their bachelor or master there.
I always felt blessed to have them as my friends because they were always so kind. I dont
know how, but I feel like the kinds of friendships I made there are really different from
the ones I have here. Maybe its because we were all away from home and all we had
there was each other. I started my exchange student life from zero with them. I think I
found my second family there in Cottbus, and now theyre literally all over the world. I
have a global family (haha).
I became more accepting of differences there, undiscriminating and respectful, and this I
also noticed from my friends and strangers I would meet, because I didnt know the
different culture they grew up in and didnt fully understand where they came from. I
dont even remember experiencing a culture shock. I was used to change by then
because I was already in a whole new environment and hearing an unfamiliar tongue,
and all I felt was my interest in the lives of these people I met.
We were all the same somehow. I was one of the only teenagers, but age didnt create
much of a barrier. Most of the people around me were in their early to late twenties, and
I even became friends with a thirty year old. We were all still students, although some
had part-time jobs, and we always had some common music and movies that we knew.
We all could find similarities with our home countries and universities, that were
differences with Germany. I had to cook my own food all the time and wash all my dishes
just like them (except those with dishwashers). We had the same complaints and the
same joys over the weather and the new school system. We came together a lot for
excursions and parties and dinner and BBQs.
I still couldnt help comparing them to the kind of people in Ateneo and in the Philippines
that I was familiar with. People didnt judge if you couldnt speak English with perfect
grammar, and they didnt care if some guy went to class barefoot. I didnt see as much
people wearing super nice outfits everyday, and repeating shirts was never an issue.
Most of them know enough cooking and how to do household chores to thrive, while I
3

know a lot of people here who could only guess how their yayas did things. Being a
working student was so usual there. Some of my exchange student friends had done it in
their countries, and a lot of the people I knew who were really studying there in Germany
were doing part-time jobs. They tell me its because they dont want to rely on their
parents for everything, and a lot are doing work to support themselves. Its not taboo to
be working while studying their Bachelors, while I see that its not common here at all.
I learned a lot from these new people about their countries. In Colombia, they always
have fresh fruit shakes and juices every day, and almost everyone knows how to dance
salsa. In Ukraine, they are superstitious and believe a lot of stuff we just see on TV like
the bad luck from black cats and walking under ladders, and good luck from a rabbits
foot. In Finland, they can have entire days without sunlight. In Turkey, my friends said
they cant wear shorts out. They also have really delicious breakfasts with so many
different kinds of food. In Kosovo, well, I discovered that there was such a country. In
Germany, its bad luck to greet someone an advanced Happy Birthday!, and its normal
to ask people to bring their own meat or grillable food when you invite them over for a
barbecue. And besides fun facts like these, I also learned a lot of geography that
semester.
Cottbus was my main travel destination, but travelling to other places also taught me
things that I wouldnt learn by staying put there. Meeting really great people just on the
train or a flight or from a walking tour or a hostel, and having to say goodbye so soon, let
me realize that there are really so many people on this earth, and so many people who
could be good friends that I wouldnt meet or only know for a bit. I am lucky that most my
friends do get to stay, and I shouldnt take the time for granted.
I also found out that travelling isnt as amazing as I imagined. Visiting museums and
buildings and historical sights wasnt all so spectacular for me. Getting around a city and
looking for food isnt always as easy as I thought. It was especially not so easy and
sometimes a headache, but still always exciting when I dont know anyone from the place
I was going to and the city routes were question marks in my head. In those times, a
helpful stranger would seem heaven sent and Google maps my best friend. I think that
friends really do make more than half of the experience, or almost all of it, and a little
planning and lots of spontaneity goes a long way.

I took home a lot of things from my semester abroad, not just fast-walking and
chocolates. I learned how to love and appreciate and be open to people more there, and I
can see this in myself even now. Being present was also so important there where the
people I grew to love were all leaving after just a few months, and thats something Im
practicing here too. Now that Im back, missing people and being sad about it isnt really
the best use of my emotions, so I always try to be thankful that I had those experiences
to miss, and I always say that Im excited to see them again.
I learned that just stepping out of my comfort zone could make my journey more exciting
and worthwhile. Starting a conversation with a stranger, signing up for a one week
summer school in Africa, going on an excursion without really knowing the people I
would be with, going to Spain alone but to visit two friends there who I had met in
Cottbus, and using BlaBlaCar, a kind of car sharing website/app where you can carpool
with strangers and the concept is also to make BlaBla or talk with them and make
friends, for most of my transport from city to city in Spain. A lot of other things I did was
out of my comfort zone, but because of those steps, I think my comfort zone got a lot
bigger now.
I think that everyone should experience a semester abroad at some point. Even in the
ERM program I took in Cottbus, they are required to do a semester abroad. Its worth the
missed class and possible delays or extra work coming back. I was just really blessed to
have had the chance to do my semester abroad through this EMMAsia program. Its sad
that they wont be offering this in the coming years, but at least the one for 2016 is open
to people from vulnerable people groups like those in much poverty and indigenous
peoples targeted by government programs. I really hope this reaches them, and that they
get to apply and broaden their horizons and make this super cool semester abroad too.