Pratyusha Akunuri Returns to Her Homeland – A Report by Georgia Ellis and Helen Smith
A stay abroad? In the middle of a pandemic? Pratyusha Akunuri from Toronto dared to do it. In October last year she came to live with a host family in Bargteheide. As a foreign language assistant at the Kopernikus Gymnasium, she experienced face-to-face lessons with masks, lockdown with video conferences and alternating lessons. Despite the unusual circumstances, she will fly back to Canada on Monday with great memories in her luggage.
Georgia Ellis and Helen Smith from the 11th grade language profile took the opportunity to ask Pratyusha a few questions about her experience during her time in Bargteheide – and found out some interesting things.
“The large selection of bread in the bakeries and of course marzipan,” Pratyusha answers spontaneously when asked what she liked most about Germany. “For my birthday my host family baked me a cake that was completely covered with marzipan. It was the best birthday cake I’ve ever had. “
She had no great expectations when she came to Germany, said the young Canadian, who had previously lived in several countries. “I always think it’s better to travel to a strange place without expectations. That makes me open-minded and open – whatever happens, happens. When I applied to the organization, they were given a place to go to. I didn’t fill in the line, I preferred to be surprised. Otherwise I would never have met Bargteheide. “
Go shopping in pajamas – no problem in Canada
Of course, she was worried about the corona virus, which limited her radius a little. Courses at the University of Hamburg or creative activities in the area around Bargteheide were not possible due to the restrictions. Nevertheless, she learned a lot about German culture and noticed some differences to Canada: “I noticed that in Canada a lot is seen in a more relaxed manner, such as shopping in pajamas. It is quite normal for people to leave the house in pajamas in Canada, while here you don’t even stay in pajamas. ”She also learned to cook:“ My host family gave me a German cookbook for Christmas. I now regularly choose a dish from it and cook it, often together with my host mother. “
Her knowledge of German has also improved significantly in the eight months. “In the beginning it was a bit scary, I was always afraid to hold up the queues in the shops because I speak slowly, but at some point it just became normal. My favorite word is ‘glove’. I think the word is simply brilliant! “
Pupils should speak English in class
At the Kopernikus Gymnasium, however, she was encouraged by the subject teachers who accompanied her in everyday school life to only speak English with the students. The younger ones in particular should practice communicating with a native speaker and immediately asked a lot of questions, for example about Pratyusha’s favorite colors or her favorite superhero.
Would she come to Germany again? Pratyusha immediately replies in the affirmative. “Mainly because Corona made it impossible for me to do much and I would like to do that. I’ve always found Germany cool since I was little. “
Bargteheide was worth the trip
A stay abroad – even during a pandemic – is an unforgettable experience. “The best thing about these opportunities is the different people you meet. If you always stay in the same place, you will only meet the same people. ”Bargteheide was definitely worth the trip.
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