1. Meeting: Introduction

We each prepared a PowerPoint presentation which turned out to be a brilliant idea because we could add lots of pictures and write down vocabulary connected to it. Fabian and I talked about our lives in Germany, he comes from a town close to Hamburg, I live near Berlin. So of course the never-ending German debate about the different names for the same food came up, like “Berliner” vs. “Pfannkuchen” or “Eierkuchen vs. “Pfannkuchen”.

Nisalyna, on the other hand, told us so many interesting things about Sint Maarten (Dutch side of island in the Caribbean Sea, other side is French), where she comes from. She illustrated the vast difference in size between our home countries – Sint Maarten could squeeze into Germany 3000 times! Yep, it’s smaller than Disney World. No wonder why I had not heard much about it before. But I am so grateful to be able to learn more about it in the upcoming meetings.

From the introduction I’ve already discovered that life in Sint Maarten is very different. But we also found some similarities. Saint Martin’s Day, the 11^th of November, is their national day. It is also celebrated in Germany as a religious holiday, but mostly as the beginning of carnival. In Germany, it’s “Berliner” time at 11:11 a.m., or, as I would say in Berlin, “Pfannkuchen” time!

Although we decided to focus on food during Each One Teach One we not only discussed our favourite foods, but also a wide range of topics, from the history of our countries, to our studies and hobbies. The best part? We invited other international students from Germany, the Netherlands Hungary, making it a fantastic opportunity to improve my English communication skills in a supportive environment. The friendly atmosphere was enhanced by our shared moments over herbal tea and homemade oat cookies, creating a cosy and welcoming vibe.