Going native?

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If you are a foreign service officer for the State Department, you're pretty much guaranteed to move every two to three years. I'm sure there are many reasons for this, but one of them is that the good 'ol DOS doesn't want you to go native on 'em. You know what I mean... to identify too much with the natives of the foreign country in which they're living. To become one of "them". Because how can you look after the best interests of the United States if you identify too closely with the foreigners? The reality of it is that lots of Foreign Service officers and their families don't really go native, but they lose their Americanness eventually and become a member of the Third Culture. An international culture of professional gypsies who have more in common with each other than with anyone else.

We're not with the Foreign Service, so we've been allowed to pass the 3-year limit.

We've been in the Munich area for over four years now. I NEVER thought I'd go native. Not in Germany. Maybe in France or Spain, where I'd both studied and learned the language to near fluency, but not in Germany. When we first came here, I had a pretty strong dislike for the Germany language (mostly because I found it so hard to learn), and the food (it has tons of pork, and I don't eat pork), and I thought Germans were pretty rude (because they didn't follow the same public social rules as I did). But four years is apparently enough time for you to start going native. To kinda ignore the things you don't like, and maybe even to do them yourself.

Some examples:
- I now like the sound of German.
- I have really come to enjoy and expect the seasonal fruits, veggies, and weather that we have here. You just can't get all vegetables and fruits all the time, and I kinda like it now.
- When a new checkout lane opens at the grocery store, people here still just rush to it, giving no chance to the people in front of you to go first, but now that I know the rule, I kinda do it too. Survival of the fittest. On the other hand, I often let people with only a couple things go in front of me in the line, and I've often had people offer me the space in front of them. It's not just a pack of wild animals.
- On November 11th, all the kids are going to walk around in a pack with lanterns. It's called St. Martin's or something like that. I have no idea what it's all about, and I'm not native enough to really care. But it sounds like fun, and we're going this year, even though it's not our holiday.

Most importantly, I think, this is home. It really is home. I am starting to really understand how things work here, and to forget how they work in the US. Not everything, but enough for me to be able to live here and not feel so foreign anymore 😊

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Comments

[Aunt Marilyn]

Glad you are Happy
Saskia, We saw some beautiful cities in Germany this summer on our Rhine River cruise. When Uncle Stan was working, he enjoyed a drive through the Black Forest. I think Bavaria is just like heaven. No place could be more beautiful! Still,I wish you were closer so we could celebrate Thanksgiving etc. I'm very happy for you that you have adjusted so well to Germany. They celebrated the 20 year anniversay of the Berlin Wall coming down in Atlanta. Our friend from Jasper was there,and told the story for Fox news about how he escaped by jumping over the wall. He thought he would be shot. We just don't realize how lucky we are to have freedom both in Germany and the U.S.

[Stephanie]

Hallo
I am spending the summer in Germany this coming year. Is there anything I should know? I am very intrigued by the culture and the country itself.

[Kaanosaurus]

anything to know about Germany...
Hello Stephanie, There is lots to know about Germany! How old are you? Where are you going? What do you have questions about? If you're only here for a summer, just go with the flow, I'd say. And try to learn as much German BEFORE going as you can, so that you can more fully participate and take advantage of perfecting your German in Germany rather than just learning it here.... Alles gute!