Aussies out on the town!

Last night we had dinner with two fellow Aussies from my German school- Daniel and Angelo- and their lovely German respective other halves- Susan and Anja.

We decided to meet up at the Australian Restaurant in downtown Stuttgart, called "Sydney's" (where else!!) and got a kick out of the "Australian" items on the menu. I had the Kangaroo Stir Fry (which was really tender and delicious!) and Zev had to have a glass of VB in honor of the occasion.

Ironically, at the train station on our way to downtown, we ran into yet ANOTHER Australian living in our very town! I didn't catch the guy's name, but as we were boarding our train, he turned to me on the platform and asked "Excuse me, but are you Australian?"!!! He said he was from Hobart and was working in Germany. How random!

I must say that living in Germany has made me appreciate even more the value of community and other cultures. I feel fortunate to have experienced the South American culture and language (and food and dancing!) whilst growing up in Australia. I am an Australian with an adopted American nationality topped off with an overlay of the South American culture. As a foreigner in Germany, I have a new found appreciation for the struggles and frustrations encountered when one is trying to learn the local language and trying to understand the nuances and traditions of another culture. I can appreciate what it is like to feel like the minority and to feel embarassed sometimes when ordering bread at the bakery in front of a bunch of people for example and knowing that you have a funny accent.  I understand how comforting it feels to catch up with people from your homeland and to relate anecdotes and experiences that we could all relate to. Just speaking "Australian" again was so much fun. I am grateful for these experiences and for the fact that in addition to learning a new language, living in Europe has been a perspective-broadening, enriching experience. Hope you have a great week. Fiona ;-))