Rediscovering Germany
Hello, my name is Victor and I am from Belarus, one of the former Soviet republics. I have always been looking for more than the standard education system can offer. That’s one of the reasons why I am participating in the CrossCulture Internship programme in Germany offered by the IFA (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen). I’m sure it will help me to have a look at myself and my country from a different point of view, think differently about my work, life and society. I think it is an ideal thing to widen my outlook, develop my potential, test my character and abilities.
My primary objective in the internship is to get professional media training and development. I’d like to get acquainted with the cultural, social and political life in the host country and establish new personal and professional contacts for future co-operation. I hope to see European media in action and learn how their work is organized. I’d like to face the challenges of a different language and culture and benefit from it. I think that dialogue with people from different countries and sharing values are a very reliable source of true knowledge
I consider myself to be a sociable and friendly person, intellectual and highly reliable, creative, curious and open-minded. I lead a healthy way of life and do sports. I am interested in very many things such as cinema, music, animation, social problems, photography, home and international issues, countries of the world and their cultures.
Now I am 34 years old and I have been working for a local TV channel in my native city for more than 6 years. I like the job I do and I think it’s very exciting because I meet a lot of people.
As for my hobbies there are a few of them. I am interested in photography, music, cinema, animation and reading. I also enjoy travelling because it broadens my outlook and helps to understand other people better. I also do some voluntary work. I participated as a volunteer in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi, Russia, and worked with children at the summer camps in China helping them to learn more about World Heritage Sites and Human Rights.
It is not my first visit to Germany, but I rediscover this country for myself. The first time I was here when I was 14 years old, and, of course, I was not able to adequately appreciate the country. Now I am 34, I am a mature person and can compare my experiences.
My first impressions of the country began with the airport. Though I knew that this airport is one of the busiest in Europe, this fact is not so clearly noticeable in practice. Everything is conveniently located, and the railway station which is absolutely close to the buildings of the airport is easy to be found thanks to convenient information desks. I had some difficulty struggling with the vending machine selling tickets. Unfortunately I didn’t win. But thanks to a girl from the information desk I managed to solve the problem. One more thing that struck me is that the railway transport system in Germany is highly developed. Different types of trains and a huge variety of railway lines and directions are at your disposal. I was lucky to go by express train (ICE). It is a pity it was almost 40 minutes late and I was anxious about my connecting train. It didn’t turn out to be a problem. I am grateful to the guard on the express train who could help me in giving clear explanations to me. The level of comfort on trains in my country can’t be compared with what I see here. Only some years ago modern trains began to appear in Belarus. But they run only between big cities. I guess about 70-80% of them are old Soviet trains, which were made between 1964-1988.
When I changed trains in Dortmund ( instead of Cologne as it was supposed) I paid attention to crowds of people of different nationalities there. My conclusion is that Germany has become a home for all of them, they easily coexist and as it seems to me don’t disturb each other.
On the first day of my stay in Münster I discovered that the city system of public transport is well organized and functions properly. I am also surprised at great numbers of cyclists on the streets. People of different sexes and age groups - almost everybody - use this type of transport. I often notice that a lot of citizens are keen on sport, jogging in particular. In the morning, in the daytime and in the evening, young men and girls, older people with phones on their forearms and fitness bracelets on their wrists run to their own health.
On Monday, September, 5 we were introduced to the Bennohause and its structure. I like the teams of young people working in various departments and the friendliness with which they welcomed us. I think doing your duties in such an environment is pleasant and I wish I could have a possibility to join them one day.
I think the internship is a good chance to contribute to the development of friendly relations between Germany, Western Europe and European Union’s Eastern Partnership countries and get to know each other better overcoming misunderstanding and obstacles .
I’m sure that communicating with people from different countries, doing things together, sharing and learning new ideas are one of the most powerful sources of developing a thinking man as it breaks the stereotypes which have been taught to us since birth. I think this internship will help me to expand my professional potential, develop my personality and contribute to the well-being of the company I work for, my community and the country I live in.
Victor Glodev
