caught in the cultural crossfire

Test DAY, bum bum bummm

We all gathered in a large auditorium with wooden creaky seats. We were about to be tested over our knowledge of the German language, as if walking around for two weeks feeling completely inadequate did not give me an accurate representation of my German oration.I used to think I was good at foreign languages..good at foreign language? what does that even mean? I have come to realize it means, I memorize and recite vocabulary fairly well in an American college setting. But I've never been so mad at the United States school system before! Why do we only know English!!?? Why didn't anyone sit me down and say, you think Geometry or Word Skills are hard..try being bilingual...or trilingual OR funf lingual! OK ok, I suppose multi-lingual is the proper term. Anyways, I am amazed by everyone I meet. Their English is as good as mine, yet they also speak Russian, French, and German!

For as much time I've devoted to "Communication Studies" I feel like I can't communicate at all. We are all so similar yet so different. There are so many people to meet, bridges to cross, stories to hear!! But there is this irrevocable communication barrier, that frustrates me I cannot break through...