My expectations as an African girl before I came to Germany, were not so different from those of students who - like me - wanted to participate in this beneficial educational program. I was not scared of the very cold weather which is of a very big contrast to that of my homeland Ghana. Instead, it was the language, German. I was - however - undaunted.

Another one of my expectations was to face quite an amount of raciscm, due to my dark skin colour. I got the impression before I joined this program that most Germans were racist and unfriendly. I am happy to say that (very) few Germans are racist and that Germans are a lot like hazel nuts: While it takes quite some time to crack open their shells and befriend them, you can enjoy their friendship for long time, just like the nut. I deem this program very beneficial, because through it I have been able to clarify certain stereotypes I had about Germany through experience. And who will doubt that experience is the best teacher?

Life in Germany, through this program, has not only been educational, but also fun. Seriously! I always loved making friends and so I was more than happy to get exposed to new people from different places in our global village through this program; from school, church, extra curricular activities, neighbourhood, Experiment e.V. seminars and even from the streets! Being able to contribute significantly towards cultural diffusion in our global village today was one of the reasons why I decided to join this excellent program...Sharing my culture and experiences with others and learning about that of others...

Living in another continent with a totally strange host family which believes in the opposite of almost everything you believe in is never something to write home about. I consider Experiment a very good organisation which knows how to prevent such a situation by matching participants and hosts according to their equal or similar interests. I, for instance, am a music-lover, and a cycling and volleyball fan. My host family also adores music, sports, and cycling. I personally admire my host family in several ways. They helped me, by God’s grace, to settle down quickly in my new environment and have accepted me as their own. I hardly even refer to them as host-... without realising it! We are simply wonderful together...I have learnt so much from my host family and they have surely left a footprint in my life as my second family.

Schooling in Germany has some similarities and differences to that in Ghana. Despite the differences, I have learned to cope with the system here. My first day in school was quite funny. My class mates were asked to write me a note stating their wishes for me in Deutsch for future readings! This, I guess, was a way to encourage me to learn their language, if I really wanted to know what they had written down for me. I did not understand a word! Going through my files, I came over the notes last week and started reading through each of them. To my suprise, I understood all but one which I hope to understand later. This was really fun!

Joining some social groups in school and church also contributed to my successful stay here. For example, being a member of my school’s senior choir, my school’s debating club and the youth group of my church have helped me develop more of my talents. I am proud to say that I am an active member of these groups and I have contributed to...some projects and activities...My saddest moment in Germany was when I learned the hard way that the perception of most people here about Africa...was a rotten one. I believe it is because the majority of people are almost always informed about the weak sides of Africa only, while the many beautiful ones are left unmentioned.Talking of home sickness, I would say that every once in a while I (did) get homesick, but this was very rare, because I was usually busy with a lot to do out here. I didn't have the time to think about being homesick! There have surely been many wonderful times I have had here. My mother would say “It’s always good to make memories in our lives.”

One memorable event was a bicycle journey I went on with my parents and relatives for about half a day. This was actually the first time I had ridden a bicycle for so long a journey. Coincidentally, my birthday fell on the day when my debating club won two prepared debates in Lindau!