Comingtoanewplaceandmeetingalotofnewpeoplenaturallyincludesintroducing

　　oneselfforquiteanumberoftimes.ButasFyodorDostoyevskyletshisnarratorintheLetters

　　fromtheUnderworldsay:“Bytheway,whatisitthatallrespectablementalkaboutmost

　　readily?Answer–aboutthemselves.SoItoowilltalkaboutmyself.”1SoIwilljoininandas

　　IhavedoneforahundredtimesthispastweekIwillhappilyintroducemyselfanothertime,

　　thistimeinwritingandinessaystyle.

　　MynameisMatthiasHaufeandIamfromErlangen,abeautifultowninthenorthernpart

　　ofBavaria,Germany.ThesurroundingregionisknownasFrankonia,whichImention,

　　becausequiteafewpeopletherepridethemselvesasbeingFrankoniansratherthan

　　Bavarians.ThereIspentthepastthirteenyearsofmylife,goingtoschool,doingmycivil

　　serviceandlaterattendinguniversity.BeforethatIhadlivedinasmallGermanvillageforsix

　　yearsandinTokyo,Japanforfouryears.Soifonetakesalltheaforementionednumbersthey

　　amountto23,whichisalsomyage.Havingmentioneduniversity,thequestionimmediately

　　arisingisofcoursethatofwhatIstudy.ImajorinEnglishandReligionandminorinHistory

　　andbeforeIcamehereIhadjustfinishedthefifthsemesterofmystudies.Thegoalofmy

　　studiesistobecomeateacherinaGerman“Gymnasium“,whichroughlycorrespondstoan

　　Americanhighschool.

　　Somuchaboutmyidentity.“ButhowdoesitcomethatyouareinKalamazoonow?Why

　　Kalamazoo?“isprobablythequestionthatwouldarisenext.Rightontheveryfirstdayofmy

　　studiesinGermanyallthelanguagestudentswerehighlyrecommendedbytheprofessorsto

　　spendatleastsometimeabroad,withtheaimtogainexperienceinthelanguagetheylearn

　　andalsotogettoknowthecultureofthatcountry.Iconsideredthatagoodideaandformed

　　theplaninmyheadtostudyabroadforayearaftermyintermediateexam,especiallyasIfeltKalamazooCollegenow.

　　BeingaGermanstudyingEnglishtobecomeateachermyfirstandforemostgoalforthis

　　comingyearisofcoursetoimprovemyEnglishandgettoknowthecountryandtheculture

　　wherethislanguageisspoken.ThatmeansIamcurioustoseehowAmericanslive,howthey

　　spendtheirtimeandwhattheythinkaboutpolitical,historical,religiousandsocialissues.

　　Gettingtoknowtheculturealsoincludesvisitingdifferentplacesthatmightbeespecially

　　interestingfortheirhistoricmeaning,fortheimportancetheyhaveforAmericatodayand

　　theirinfluenceonitorjustforthebeautyoftheirlandscape.Besidesthat,Iamplanningto

　　learnatleastsomeSpanish,alanguagethatseemstobegainingquitesomeinfluenceinthe

　　UnitedStatesatthemoment,judgingfromwhatIhaveseenandheardintheshorttimeIhave

　　beenstayinginthiscountry.

　　InadditiontotheseratherAmericarelatedissues,Iwouldliketogainknowledgeinsome

　　moregeneralfieldsoflearning.Byattendingsomeofthereligionclassesandhopefully

　　readingsomebooksonmyown,Iwanttogetanideaofthehistoricaldevelopmentandthe

　　presentsituationofAmericantheology.FormyminorhistoryIhopetogetan