youwouldntbelieveit

How nice it is to meet new people and get to know them - well this might not apply for everyone but normally for me. I do like to travel around and get in touch with other cultures and traditions. But it is really hard if your counterpart simply just gives a shit about you.
Since I came here I had the honor to get to know the Erasmus students of Sandras semester who are stuying at the local university of Sligo as well. Being an Erasmus student myself I thought I know how this would be: Easy to deal with, nice to hang around but nothing really strong and serious. I was at least right with the last characteristics. And guess who I did had the most problems with: Germans! Ofc! Being abroad is making you aware of your own countries attitudes and behaviours - and I can tell that this is not only funny to discover. For sure Erasmus is a pot of mixed people with certain qualities. With some you get along with some you simply don't. But this was something that never happend to me before! When I was in Sweden to do my studies abroad we had been like a family: We loved each other and we hated each other but at least we knew about our differences and pulled things together to make this time work. With Sandras fellow students it was kind of differnet. After the first night out I recognized that they are more or less a bunch of people not really liking each other, just being bitchy and arrogant. However I thought when someone new is coming in the group or visitiors of the fellow students would be there, they would be different. Haha... nope! Friday night we went to a pub - no one was talking to each other and not even Sandra and I had a conversation. I always thought when a friend is coming over they would be interested in who the friend is and talk to him or her - at least that was the case when friends visited me during my time in Sweden. But no - just silence.

You could obviously see that they are annoyed of the group "spirit" but no one was stepping up to solve the current issues. Anyway - not my problem I thought. But it became one for me. After three nights out with them, I coulnd't take their behaviour anymore and more or less went away from a pub where they were sitting and got to another one and enjoying my time there alone. Nice, hm?

But what happend: Each and every day we were hanging out with them and I could tell you that I didn't like most of them from the beginning on. But hey, I was here for my best friend so I thought: "Kathi, take it easy... just pull it together and it will work". I tried to involve them into conversations so that we don't sit that strange and quite together - but didn't work. I got really upset because I don't think that it is my turn to step up with topics to talk about when I'm the guest. And when a girl gave me an attitude because I was choosing a wrong pub in her eyes, I blowed up. What the heck was she thinking? Not being able to find a better one and not even being able to ask an Irish for a place to go, she is giving someone, that has been here for the first time (NOT STUDYING HERE SINCE 3 MONTH) an attitude? No girl... wrong address. Don't do that with me. I really tried to get along with everyone and was really friendly - even Sandra was irritated - but that was to much for me: Chatting behind my back - NO WAY!

Anyway. I got so exhausted to be out with them and deal with their attitutes and that Sandra and I wasn't able to do anything on our own - I just had to leave when I was the "third night out" with them. And yes, I was quite disappointed that I didn't had time with my best friends - besides I had to deal with those people. No thanks!

Luckly everything turned out to be ok: The solution is more or less that I'm waiting for her when shes coming back from her studies and that I'm declaring myself of being totally sick to not be forced to see them. Not good, I know - but I don't need to take a fight that is not necessary to take. I'm too old for dealing with childish behaviour. Sorry folks, but grow up!

Unfortunately my time here in Ireland is slightly dulled. Looking forward to see my best friend home again. With people that we love, who do care about us and not trying to act jealous and scheming.