messages.role: user
messages.content: 
   Paragraph 1: So I think that we don’t want to say you were kicked out of your host family, but rather that this argument with your host family (with whom you stayed long term – if that doesn’t work, we’ll say this happened with your second host family) marked the moment where you started to appreciate other cultures. You lied to your host-mother about going to Paris because you didn’t want to worry here – a white lie most children do in China due to (why do you do this in China?). Your host mother, although upset, understood this cultural difference and explained that, in Germany, it is more important to be honest than to upset your host mother.
  
  Paragraph 2 : THAT’S when you started trying to understand German culture. Think of two or three cultural events or dishes or holidays that you initially disliked and now realized you could appreciate. TELL US ABOUT THE VALUES THAT THEY SHARED OR THE UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT THEY HAD that are different from those in China. 
  For the cultural events, write about the following 
  1.1: And I couldn't stand how much Germans relied on bread. Many people around the world consume bread, but not to the extent that Germans do. I'm talking about having bread for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They do have a variety of bread, of course. So the first two weeks were fine for me. However, the excitement about the bread variety quickly faded. Instead, I developed a strong dislike for bread that lasted for about 2 to 3 months. As someone from an Asian cultural background, it was difficult for me to eat bread all day. I primarily attributed this dependence on bread to Germans being too lazy to cook. So for a while, I cooked dinner for the family in an attempt to avoid eating bread. I had to make do with bread for breakfast and lunch. Every day, I went straight to the Aldi supermarket after getting off the afternoon school bus. I bought what I needed and went home to prepare dinner, mostly Asian cuisine, sometimes something creative, and occasionally trying out German style. I went to the supermarket so often that I even got to know the cashier, Eva. Anyway, as my time with the host family went on, I started cooking less frequently and became more accepting of the German bread culture. By the time I was with my second host family, I didn't cook for an entire month and had bread for dinner every day. Finally, when I returned home to China, I had to readjust to a no bread diet because I had become so accustomed to eating bread that it was difficult for me to stop. Looking back now, I think relying on bread is actually a smart choice for Germans. Their bread had very little sugar, so it was good for controlling blood sugar and fat. Germans' long life expectancy probably has something to do with their bread-based diet. (By the way, Germans don't consider toast to be real bread. They view it as an unhealthy carbohydrate that they might have as dessert.) Also, I used to think they relied on bread because they were lazy. But it turns out that by having bread, my host family had more time to do other things besides cooking. A typical German family meal takes about 20-30 minutes at most, including the time needed to take out the bread, ham, cheese, jam, or whatever from the fridge. It's a bit of an explanation for German efficiency, I suppose.
  2.One thing that I initially found silly about the way Germans end their soccer training sessions is the reflection meeting that follows each session, where everyone takes turns to share one positive and one negative aspect of the day's training. When I first had to participate in the reflection, I thought it was a complete waste of time because I believed that everyone should reflect individually for accuracy and efficiency. But Germans value team play and prefer reflecting as a group rather than as individuals. Over time, I began to recognize how this team reflection positively influenced the improvement of the entire team, not just individual players. And so, I started taking the reflections more seriously.
  3.German people go to sauna naked. China more conservative. Initially I thought germans were rude for that. Later I understood the uniqueness of their culture.
  
  