Emily in Paris? Who? It’s Mohamed in Munich !!!!

Hi to whoever is taking time to read this, Off to an awkward start! Which I think resonates with how I am. Anyways nice to meet you ! My Name is Mohamed Aljneibi and I am a sociology exchange student studying at the Sorbonne University in Paris However is from the United Arab Emirates. I’m 22 years old and lived in Abu Dhabi my whole entire life up until last year when I decided to move to France. I decided to move on a whim as I applied to transfer to Sorbonne Paris considering my home university was Sorbonne Abu Dhabi and got accepted however initially I didn’t proceed with it and actually missed 2 months of university in France but still attending my classes at Sorbonne Abu Dhabi. One day I got an email telling me that I basically still had a few days left before I automatically get unenrolled in Sorbonne’s Paris system, so that pushed me to go. As you can tell by how this story unraveled. 

Growing up in Abu Dhabi, I became accustomed to a culturally diverse environment. Not only is Abu Dhabi (and the Emirates as a whole) diverse in terms of nationality, the culture itself is also diverse in practices. Ever since I can remember, I was surrounded by people of all nationalities, religions, ethnicities, etc. I will say, the Emirates is the true melting pot of the world (move over USA). For example, my own family is a mixed-culture family: my mother is French while my father is Emirati. So, I grew up in the quintessential Emirati household, a small-scale version of the greater national melting pot. In addition to this diversity, the culture itself represents a diversity of practices. While the country is modern in many ways and lacks the historical context of neighboring countries, there’s a strong sense of traditional values. For example, I’ve noticed, especially after moving away, that hospitality is at the core of Emirati culture. In Abu Dhabi, everyone is welcomed and everyone is treated as a member of the family. If you invite a group out to dinner, in Abu Dhabi it’s your responsibility to pay for the whole dinner. There’s no awkward splitting of the check or discussion of how much each person pays, it’s simply covered by whoever planned the dinner. There’s a lot of warmth in the Emirati culture.

Moving to Paris was a bit of a culture shock, but not necessarily in a bad way. While the culture is definitely less warm than that of the Emirates, there’s still a certain charm. One thing that I really came to love about Paris is the way that the city caters to my hobbies and interests. In Paris, there’s something for everybody. I’m a big fan of the concert scene and the club scene, and Paris is one of the best cities for people who have those interests. I was lucky enough to find a club in Paris that has free, live concerts every night. I’ve also found that there’s at least one club for every genre of music imaginable. Additionally, I really enjoy thrifting. Paris is rich with thrift shops, flea markets, open-air markets, and every kind of secondhand store imaginable. Aside from being a city that caters to and enriches my hobbies, Paris is also a city that appeals to my political sensibilities. In Paris, there’s a sense of justice that really appeals to me, and people are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. I like to think that I’ve adopted this mindset. 

So, why did I decide to move to Munich? At the most basic level, I wanted to experience a new culture. I needed to find a university that offered classes in English or French, but I didn’t necessarily want to be in an English or French speaking country. English and French speaking countries are very familiar to me, and I wanted to push myself into a situation that I was less accustomed with. Like I said, I grew up in a very diverse country. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been surrounded by multiple cultures, and I’ve developed an appreciation for diversity. Whenever I have the opportunity, I want to take the chance to experience a new culture. The German culture, and specifically the culture of Munich, is very foreign to me. While I did grow up in a diverse community, I haven’t had much experience with German culture. So, when I discovered that I could move to Munich for Erasmus, I absolutely had to take that opportunity. I already knew how popular the program was (being the number 1 Erasmus program last year), and I wanted to know why people loved the Munich experience so much. I’m so lucky to be able to experience this program, and I’m already discovering ways that Munich caters to my hobbies. I’m finding the concert scene and the club scene, I’m finding opportunities to go thrifting, and I’m finding ways to appreciate a culture that is new to me. Erasmus Munich is offering me an opportunity to expand my horizons and continue my appreciation for other cultures, and I will be forever grateful for this experience.