Alpadia Language Schools
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Worst homestay quality and unhelpful staff
Update: They say they can't find my name?? okay of course I am not using my full legal name online! If you care to check you'll know this actually happened. ----------------------------------------- I came to study German at this school. They paired me with a local German lady who lived not too far away. On the second day, before I left for school, I asked her for the key to my room. Her response shocked me: "You Asians seem to not trust people." She then refused to give me the room key—even though I had paid for the room and two meals for a month. For breakfast, she told us we could grab bread from the kitchen. But more often than not, the bread was moldy. I always ended up eating out—essentially paying for inedible food. Dinners were usually frozen meals—and again, I paid. We were not allowed to use the laundry machine, which was fine. However, I found it unfair that while she constantly asked me to collect my clothes after washing, another guest—a Swiss guy—always had his clothes neatly folded for him. One evening, she casually asked if I had any religion. When I said no, she instantly looked shocked and said, "Oh my gosh." Well, my religion—or lack of it—is none of her business. Even if I did have one, I had no obligation to discuss it with someone I wasn’t close to. I was in my early 20s, and this lady was around 50 or 60 years old. I was about 46 kg and 160 cm, while she was almost twice my size—what could I do? I reported it to the school’s reception, but they weren’t very helpful. They simply told me that there were still dormitory spots available in an expensive area near the embassy district around Brandenburg Gate. The most ridiculous part? After I reported these issues to the school, the host lady accused me of stealing her clothes! How hilarious! She was almost twice my size, and her age was nearly double mine—how could I have possibly stolen her clothes? I want to remind this school that the quality of its homestay selections directly affects its reputation. Many years have passed, yet every time I travel to Germany, this experience still comes to mind.