JACC x TWSV: A Strawberry-Flavoured Field Trip

On May 16th, in the morning, we all met up in Feldmoching to pluck some Strawberries with the Taiwanese Student Association (TWSV). At first, we all gathered in the courtyard, excited to see some new faces, though we tended to keep to ourselves at first, with everyone being a bit shy.

The organisers then split us into random groups, ensuring a good distribution of JACC and TWSV members before sending us into the strawberry patches. The morning air was still a bit cold, but within the patches under the plastic greenhouses, it was quite comfortable.

Some of the German members explained how strawberry picking worked and that everyone was allowed to eat some strawberries on the spot. Many of the strawberries were a bit young, but what they lacked in sweetness, they more than made up for in size. The groups began to thin out a bit as everyone spread across the patches, but the socialising aspect went quite well, and we were able to share some cultural differences between Germany, Japan, and Taiwan.

After about an hour, more and more groups had filled their trays, and we went gradually over to the attached café for an early lunch. There, they offered not only a wide selection of strawberry dishes but also more filling lunches like pizza and wiener sausages with pretzels. In this setting, we had the opportunity to talk in slightly larger groups, learning a lot about one another.

Finally, group by group, we made our way back to the train station, with some new acquaintances, when we previously mostly made our way alone to the strawberry patch. I think it was a lovely outing overall and a nice opportunity to get to know other East Asian students in Munich.

Author: Nikolai Böhm, Student