Citizen of the World

Today's the first day I've grabbed a long-sleeved shirt from my dresser.  Although my trusty weather app tells me it's not much over 18 C (64 F), for a Texas girl that translates into the impending onslaught of winter.  I made a pot of tea earlier to keep my fingers from locking up as I thumbed through pages of Accounting (gag.)  Whilst enjoying said tasty beverage, Ricarda's (German roommate's) parents stopped by the apartment as part of their weekend tour of the city.  A recent internet query rendered me able to ask her mother, Mochtest du einen Tee? (Would you like some tea?) to which she appeared delighted -- even thrilled I tried to communicate with her.

Me, Ricarda and Natalie after flying across the Po.

I've been ruminating on the international experience here, and what it means to be a well-rounded individual.  The information I'm absorbing in all my courses tends to generally overlap, which I suppose is what happens when you become specialized in a field.  In Organizational Behavior we've been discussing personality types and what characteristics define a person's identity.  In Project Management we're talking about what makes someone a good, well-rounded manager and team leader.  I like to think I have leadership skills as well as adaptability and determination, and being less sensitive I can learn.

My colleague believes you cannot learn to be a better leader, you're born a leader.  Blegh.  You see, I'm following the Project Management course with one other student, a German guy who, quite frankly, I find insufferably arrogant and rather elitist.  He claims to be a "world traveler," made pictorially obvious by his tattoo of the world that purposefully doesn't include North America.  Yeah.  Tool.  But, as I learned well from my grandmother, you can find something good in every situation, and sometimes you have to look harder than others.  I admit, he has more knowledge of business practices than I do, so I've decided I will take this opportunity to learn from him (and simultaneously devise a plan for working peaceably with future [over]confident colleagues.)

In front of i murazzi (giant walls) near Po River.

It is this idea of the citizen of the world that interests me.  It seems that these days, individual enlightenment, or the "well-rounded" personality characteristic, is attributed to and often measured by experiences with other cultures, places and ideas.  I admit I place a lot of personal value on learning first-hand, the multi-sensory experience.  For me, the international aspect of this adventure is one of incalculable importance.  My degree focuses on the theories and managerial practices associated with cultural consumption, and what better way to grasp these concepts than to truly engage my environment?

Today I was able to communicate with a woman in German and make her feel welcome in our home because a few days earlier I'd made an effort to better understand our German housemate.  I am actively trying to learn more than what's listed in my curriculum, as I believe a well-rounded person isn't just someone with book smarts-- and I think my management teachers would agree with that.