Ok so this is a relatively long story but in the hope of making it brief: the exchange program had an English language requirement because even though it is an international program the coursework is in English to create uniformity. The program (really any cross cultural program) can often come with administrative snafus and typically the students are young and don't know any better and they get frustrated but it all blows over.
I went back to school when I was 30, after working in areas touching on contract law and policy enforcement for almost a decade. I have a personality that is best defined as "intense" and approach any problem like an American bulldog.
During my time in Belgium, they found themselves unable to schedule an English professor for some of the mandatory coursework. This was not a problem for the native French speaking Belgians but half the class including myself were expecting English coursework.
I want to take a moment to say I love learning languages contrary to the ugly American stereotype. In Estonia I took time to learn basic Estonian, I've passed fluency tests in Turkish and Spanish although I don't put either on my resume because I don't practice and have a terrible accent (but to be fair I have a weird accent in English too). I had studied French for three years and I was excited to go to restaurants and grocery stores, but I am not so arrogant as to think I could do master's level course work and I would not have applied to the program had I known it would be in part in French.
Yada yada yada I was right and I knew it. I flexed and wouldn't budge on my position.
They shouted at me about causing a diplomatic incident and I told them I was just pointing out that they were causing a diplomatic incident. I think they were shocked I didn't back down but I guess they didn't expect this type of true grit 🤷♀️
Eventually the administration built a separate class in English for the students like myself who refused to take the course in French. I became a folk hero to the other exchange students and became greatly reviled by the professors and everyone in the administration 😅
In hindsight, I wish I could have had a bit more diplomatic tact but at the same time I think my natural inclinations had great utility in that situation. I have since had more experience with frustrating situations and better handle myself with more grace.
https://youtu.be/X5hrUGFhsXo?feature=shared
Who knows... being more diplomatic may have bolstered their position. It's rare to find people that will stand up for themselves and fight for what they believe is right.
It's a blessing and a curse 😅
I flipped from "passive and letting myself get walked on" to having zero tolerance for unwarranted disrespect.
True, it can be a rough course, but it's far better than the alternative. I feel better about myself, and the reprocussions are related to freedom instead of capitulation.
I've always been like this. Idk. It isn't great to be uncompromising all the time. Now at my big age I can see how most things don't always need to be a big deal. But also now being older, wiser, and richer I win the fights much more often than when I was younger 🤣
Even toddler-me would get in fights with everyone over things I knew were right. It's an exhausting way to live because without status, money, and/or power being right doesn't really matter much 🤷♀️
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I guess I dont know what diplomatic incident means. Haha
You didnt. Here, have some sats.
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