Celebrating The Ordinary

When I visit Germany, I want to drive on the Autobahn. When I think about Canada, I want to eat Poutine. When I think about India, I want to be in the maddening traffic of Delhi. I guess many Germans, Canadians, and Indians would shrug and tell me it is quite ordinary for them. For international students, our regular routines can feel unique and new. I guess my advice for us educators is to celebrate the everyday and create a learning experience in our routine, enjoying clichés and, at the same time, broadening our view.

The ordinary life is interesting

When I talk to my international students, I have come across a common theme. The experience that stays with many of them is visiting a family in their home. And by that, I mean a simple lunch on an ordinary Tuesday. I guess the experience is so valuable because people feel they can have a snapshot in normal life. The ordinary becomes special. And so I try to be an advocate for ordinary experiences and make them accessible. I can remember once my husband and I invited some students to walk with us in our neighborhood park. It was one of the best things ever. We all enjoyed the ordinary experience. No scenic outlook. No photo op. Nothing to see. But, yet, a glimpse of my routine and surroundings made it special for them. And also for us. I looked at the park differently and was touched by how much the group appreciated my husband being there. We did not do something special, but I guess we offered a glimpse into our lives.

Enabling international students to experience the ordinary

Examine your surrounding: Is there a place that you like that would never make it into a tourist guide book? Well, that might be a good start. Examine your daily routine: Is there something you do that you can invite an international student to join, or try on their own? Let’s not overthink it, and let’s not find something special, but something, well, ordinary. Campus environments can provide many opportunities to do that. Dining halls, sports events, graduation ceremonies, open houses, and public talks give an insight into ordinary life. But I find it a bit harder to help international students access life outside campus. Many of the people I worked with found friends at local churches, who accommodated the transient crowd of international students and scholars in a very welcoming way, often even offering language classes or excursions. Besides that, local celebrations and parades attracted a low-key opportunity to venture out. Programs that provide international students with an invitation to a local family dinner are beneficial. Many students I know have participated in such programs, and more often than not, brought it up at their departure interview as one of the highlights. Spaghetti dinner, anyone?

Ordinary clichés

Did you ever meet a tourist who just wanted one thing or talk to you about one topic, and you felt estranged by that, and felt so 1000 percent not represented? I am German, and some people think I must wear Lederhosen and love beer because that is what Germans do, right? Well, I could start by saying I am female and would wear a Dirndl; and also, I grew up in the South West, and only Bavarians from the South East are technically wearing traditional Lederhosen. And that I am not too much into beer, but do enjoy… oh, I lost you already? Do you say you need a picture of some wearing these things drinking beer for your aunt back home? Got it!

Being mindful

We all know it is most likely more varied, but sometimes when I come to a new place, I want what I think the place stands for. Texans with boots. Californians jogging on the beach. New Yorkers eating bagels on their morning commute. The problem with wanting to experience that reinforces the exact thing. It boxes people and places into a one-size-fits-all. It also narrows the experience to a preconceived notion. These things are all true, and yet I think we need to make room for international students and ourselves to run with the clichés sometimes. I believe that only when you experience the clichés, you can also broaden your horizon. So, I guess, I encourage my students to enjoy experiencing the stereotype, and at the same time being mindful of pointing it out along the way.