520 international students from 74 different countries are currently studying at Offenburg University. This year's new arrivals put together the program for the annual International Evening on November 21. It involved student presentations from Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, and Venezuela.
Cross-Cultural Insights
A diverse audience of students, their landlords and landladies, members of the Offenburg Senior Service and University staff gets to know a lot of things about the countries presented tonight which you don't find in travel guides: "If you believe Mexicans only eat chili con carne and wear sombrero hats, listen closely now," a group of Mexican students announces before giving a dramatic performance.
The International Evening is not all about cultural differences, however, but about similarities as well. Two Bangladeshi students give a presentation on their country's New Year's festivities, "Mongol Shoba Jatra," which actually take place in mid-April. They explain that people wear colorful masks to celebrate this day - and add with a grin: "It's pretty much like Offenburg during Fasnacht." A piece of Baden can also be found in the Venezuelan town of Colonia Tovar, about 70 km west of the capital of Caracas, where immigrants from the Kaiserstuhl region settled in 1843 and built half-timbered houses which still stand today. The Venezuelan students showing the slides report that their country's best fruit grows in this town of Kaiserstuhl heritage.
A Brazilian Speaks Badisch
Two Brazilians, the only ones to present in German this evening, have the audience in fits of laughter when they talk about how little people around here know about their home country. "The other day this lady asked me whether we were independent from Mexico by now." The student, who has been living with a family in Zunsweier for the past few months, shoots around a mischievous look before relating his pointed answer: "Im Läbe ned!" The audience goes wild about Brazilian Badisch, but the noise level still moves up when German student Markus Benkeser, member of the Rheinbischofsheim "Pfannenschlecker" carnival guild, presents a hands-on introduction to the Fifth Season. Answering his already robust "Narri," the hall's soaring "Narro" is pretty impressive.
Opulent International Buffet
Rounding up the evening after the presentations is a food buffet prepared and dished up by the international students. Guests are invited to stay and linger while tasting food samples from all over the world. Says Marlies Pollet from the International Center, who coordinated the buffet: "Our international students really made a tremendous effort this year."
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