By summerstudent Samora Amanda Buthelezi>
It took me three weeks to adapt in Berlin and the laboratory at HZB. Many times, I walked alone. I usually kept quiet and felt lonely while I was with others. I felt very bad thinking that other people would think that I was avoiding them on purpose. I realized that for me to adapt, I must be open-minded, expect some differences in a new place, try new things like eating new food, accept new ideas, and hang around with other local people. I am a person who is calm, shy, and gentle. I overcame shyness by communicating more with the people in the laboratory. I usually asked them when in doubt to avoid misunderstandings, and that helped them adapt well.
Lost and found
In Berlin, people are friendly. I was lost many times. I remember the day I went to the supermarket and got lost. I asked a local person about the path I should take to my street, and she showed me the exact route to take. It happened that sometimes I did not know which train to take to Wannsee, and when I asked local people, they would help by searching on their cell phones and telling me the exact train or bus to take.
Language Barrier Challenge
I once asked several passengers for directions to my accommodation, but it seemed like they did not understand what I was saying. I was worried and felt very bad about myself. Is there something wrong with the way I communicate? If others cannot hear what I am saying, maybe I need to write it down on a piece of paper. What if the problem is my pronunciation? Maybe I need to improve, but at that moment, I needed assistance with directions to my accommodation. I continued to ask and eventually got assistance, and the person who assisted me told me that some people do not understand English. Then I finally got to understand the situation. I learned that being in a new place, you need to be patient when speaking with others and not feel bad because a language barrier is common to experience in another country. Some people may not understand what you are saying, but others will be able to hear you.
Train ticket challenge
I had the challenge of getting a monthly train ticket. Many people were telling different stories, so it was confusing. They were saying that they purchased the ticket online, but when I tried to buy it, I did not succeed. Others said I should go to the S-Bahn- office, and I went there, but I did not succeed again. Is it only me who is facing this challenge? I was so confused because none of these options worked for me, and I did not know what to do. The challenge here was that I did not have a bank account card with “IBAN” (like usual in Europe), which was required to purchase the ticket. I almost gave up on buying the monthly train ticket. But why should I give up? There is always a way. Someone told me that I could purchase the ticket at the train station. Eventually, I managed to buy the monthly train ticket, although it was expensive. If options A and B fail, then option C should work. Why not? I learned that you must try many options to find a breakthrough. Even successful scientists like Einstein once tried option A and it did not work, but they persisted in using option B and it worked.
Unforgettable Moments in Berlin
Enough about challenges, please allow me to talk about the fun I had. I enjoyed visiting places like Humboldt Forum and Schloss Charlottenburg after two weeks I arrived in Berlin. I once went out and had a nice time seeing Berlin City Tours and taking some pictures. The challenges encountered are nothing compared to the fun I had in Berlin. I am grateful to be part of the summer students 2024, and it is indeed a great experience. I enjoy doing my research project, and I learn a lot of things that will help me in my future academics. Communicating more and overcoming my shyness helped me get to know Berlin better, and now I feel like I am at home.
On the author:
Amanda Samora Buthelezi is a student at Durban University of Technology (DUT) in South-Africa. In his project in ISSP2024 at HZB he investigates electrolytical water splitting, focussing on the “Evolution of Oxygen on nickel iron oxide electrocatalysts”.