Melissa Petri on Expat Interviews.com
Melissa Atienza-Petri, who writes for Europe String here at b5media, was recently interviewed about her life as an expat in Frankfurt, Germany. The article starts with how she made the decision to move to Germany and covers the adjustments she has made in that foreign country.
Melissa is a Filipina of many talents. She’s a numerical analyst… which I’m sorry to say I can’t tell you about, having no knowledge of that field. She’s also a travel blogger, a sports enthusiast, a doting mom and founder of PinoyExpats!
Her travel experience and interactions with people from many different cultures have given her a global outlook that we could all learn from. I’m particularly struck by her reply to one of the interview questions about whether it’s important to learn the local language, wherever one may be located at the moment:
Do you speak German and do you think it’s important to speak the local language?
Yes, I do. One of the first things the company I work for did was to enroll me in Language class. I took German lessons on and off for two years, until I passed my Mittelstufe Zentral exam.Yes, it is important to speak the native language. Otherwise, one would never be able to understand why things work the way they do. A lot of my colleagues are foreign. Only a handful of them speak the local language. That is a pity since I have observed that they are missing a lot whenever the local employees talk among themselves. One can learn a lot — good and bad — about how others think when one can understand the local language.
Her words made me think about how Filipinos in general adjust to life in a foreign country. Naturally, we gravitate towards our countrymen, because it’s safe company and we understand each other, both verbally and non-verbally. But we would also do well to seek out and maintain friendships with non-Filipinos. There’s a lot to learn from them, and discovering new cultures can be very enriching to the soul.
We can’t truly be part of a global community if we insist on staying inside our own little “barrio”. Go out, immerse yourself, learn a new language, try new foods, and add to the richness of your experience. Take Melissa’s cue and don’t miss out. 
[Source: Expat Interviews]
Tags: Pinoy expats, Melissa Petri
1 Comment
[...] From an interview with Melissa Atienza-Petri on Filipina Soul: Yes, it is important to speak the native language. Otherwise, one would never be able to understand why things work the way they do. A lot of my colleagues are foreign. Only a handful of them speak the local language. That is a pity since I have observed that they are missing a lot whenever the local employees talk among themselves. One can learn a lot — good and bad — about how others think when one can understand the local language. [...]