I left my job, my home, my parents, my social life and my best friends and came to Germany around 5 months back. I had no idea how I was going to have a foothold here in a new city. Earlier when I was in Germany, but in different city, I had made a few Indian and German friends there. But this was a totally new city and environment. I am not working here either, so chances of going to office and making friends there was also ruled out. I am a true Libran and I have to be surrounded by people. If not for talking, but at least for company, I need people around me. I need to see people, hear sounds, hear them talk and interact and then I feel that there is life around me and that I am alive. For the first 3 months, I had absolutely no contact with anyone around the area, except the immediate neighbors of course. Also it was winter here and people all rushed back home. Hardly anyone was seen on the road or in the play area nearby. I felt extremely lonely and had thoughts about the good times I spent with my friends in Bangalore. But as it is said, 'give time some time', I slowly found a few friends around and thought to myself, it's not that bad!
My son goes to a Kindergarten nearby and he picked up the language really well in 3-4 months. He became a part of the group of same aged boys there and I started hearing their names after he came back home from the Kindergarten. He wanted to visit them after the Kindergarten sometimes or on a weekend. I consciously made efforts to connect with the mamas of the boys in his group and found 3 lovely friends. One is from Russia but in Germany since she is 3 years old. Another one is from Bulgaria who came here at the age of 19 for studies and stayed on in Germany and the third one is a German who is born and brought up here. And we all have a common language that connects us which is of course, German. And we all stay close by, around 10 minutes away from each other.
I was invited by the Russian-German friend who stays two blocks away from mine. She had bought some lovely cakes from a famous baker and I had loved every bit of it. We had a nice time catching up with each other and talking on various issues about life in India and Germany. I learnt that time that she has Russian roots but can't speak Russian at all. Her husband is also a Russian but he also speaks only German. She feels bad about the fact that she can't speak Russian and her kids have no inkling of their rich Russian heritage. They will consider themselves German when they grow up and that also makes sense. They took birth here, so they very much belong to Germany and are Germans. Our little boys visit each other for playing on weekends and that gives us time to bond with each other.
Today, I invited them with kids for tea and some Indian snacks. The German friend couldn't come as her little daughter was ill and she excused herself but made sure that her son joined the boys gang. Her husband dropped and picked him up from my home. I made a simple vegetarian cake. I was doubtful if they both would like it as it contained no eggs, no butter and no maida. This is a fail-safe recipe which always turns out to be wonderful and it never lets me look a failed baker. Most attempts of baking different cakes have failed and I am the only one who bakes and finishes it at the end. But this cake never disappoints me. You can check out the recipe here:coffee-chocolate-cupcakes-eggless-recipe. I brought some bread (Croissant and cheese bread) which the boys usually like. I got some juices and I was set. The Indian snack which I was going to prepare was my favorite and easy to make, the Idli! I made it with Semolina, which is easily available here in the German supermarkets. I added Yogurt, turmeric, mustard seeds, asafoetida tempered with oil, ginger, salt, peas and sweet corn. Baked it in the microwave for about 8 minutes and hot, piping and tasty Idlis were ready within no time. I offered them with mango pickle which I warned was spicy.
We sat outside the apartment where there is also place for kids to play around. We talked, laughed, discussed about food and non vegetarian food and the vegan movement etc. To my surprise they both loved the two things I prepared. They took many helpings of idli with the spicy pickle and found the combination extremely different and tasty and I was happy that they liked it. I am not a great cook, but they are not aware of that and hence they liked whatever Indian food I attempted to make for them. Later I also offered them Indian tea with milk and sugar and ginger. They loved it too. I packed the Idlis for their husbands and the Bulgarian friend said, if her husband doesn't eat it, she will finish them. She loved them so much! I was very satisfied today that I could make them taste Indian food and they promised to visit me often for new dishes and new topics to discuss.
After all who knew after 5 months of coming here, I would be sitting and talking with these international friends whom I met, thanks to our little boys! They were busy playing, shouting and eating and we were busy in our own chatter. From September our boys will go to the same school, but different sections maybe. But they will still see each other and I will meet the mothers and keep in touch with them for sure. It feels good to have someone in this city who will be there if I need to talk to them or need their help or guidance. I don't feel lonely and alone here anymore! Sun smiles at me everyday (Thanks to spring and then the approaching summer) and I thank him for bringing his sunshine in form of new friends in my life!
My son goes to a Kindergarten nearby and he picked up the language really well in 3-4 months. He became a part of the group of same aged boys there and I started hearing their names after he came back home from the Kindergarten. He wanted to visit them after the Kindergarten sometimes or on a weekend. I consciously made efforts to connect with the mamas of the boys in his group and found 3 lovely friends. One is from Russia but in Germany since she is 3 years old. Another one is from Bulgaria who came here at the age of 19 for studies and stayed on in Germany and the third one is a German who is born and brought up here. And we all have a common language that connects us which is of course, German. And we all stay close by, around 10 minutes away from each other.
I was invited by the Russian-German friend who stays two blocks away from mine. She had bought some lovely cakes from a famous baker and I had loved every bit of it. We had a nice time catching up with each other and talking on various issues about life in India and Germany. I learnt that time that she has Russian roots but can't speak Russian at all. Her husband is also a Russian but he also speaks only German. She feels bad about the fact that she can't speak Russian and her kids have no inkling of their rich Russian heritage. They will consider themselves German when they grow up and that also makes sense. They took birth here, so they very much belong to Germany and are Germans. Our little boys visit each other for playing on weekends and that gives us time to bond with each other.
Today, I invited them with kids for tea and some Indian snacks. The German friend couldn't come as her little daughter was ill and she excused herself but made sure that her son joined the boys gang. Her husband dropped and picked him up from my home. I made a simple vegetarian cake. I was doubtful if they both would like it as it contained no eggs, no butter and no maida. This is a fail-safe recipe which always turns out to be wonderful and it never lets me look a failed baker. Most attempts of baking different cakes have failed and I am the only one who bakes and finishes it at the end. But this cake never disappoints me. You can check out the recipe here:coffee-chocolate-cupcakes-eggless-recipe. I brought some bread (Croissant and cheese bread) which the boys usually like. I got some juices and I was set. The Indian snack which I was going to prepare was my favorite and easy to make, the Idli! I made it with Semolina, which is easily available here in the German supermarkets. I added Yogurt, turmeric, mustard seeds, asafoetida tempered with oil, ginger, salt, peas and sweet corn. Baked it in the microwave for about 8 minutes and hot, piping and tasty Idlis were ready within no time. I offered them with mango pickle which I warned was spicy.
We sat outside the apartment where there is also place for kids to play around. We talked, laughed, discussed about food and non vegetarian food and the vegan movement etc. To my surprise they both loved the two things I prepared. They took many helpings of idli with the spicy pickle and found the combination extremely different and tasty and I was happy that they liked it. I am not a great cook, but they are not aware of that and hence they liked whatever Indian food I attempted to make for them. Later I also offered them Indian tea with milk and sugar and ginger. They loved it too. I packed the Idlis for their husbands and the Bulgarian friend said, if her husband doesn't eat it, she will finish them. She loved them so much! I was very satisfied today that I could make them taste Indian food and they promised to visit me often for new dishes and new topics to discuss.
After all who knew after 5 months of coming here, I would be sitting and talking with these international friends whom I met, thanks to our little boys! They were busy playing, shouting and eating and we were busy in our own chatter. From September our boys will go to the same school, but different sections maybe. But they will still see each other and I will meet the mothers and keep in touch with them for sure. It feels good to have someone in this city who will be there if I need to talk to them or need their help or guidance. I don't feel lonely and alone here anymore! Sun smiles at me everyday (Thanks to spring and then the approaching summer) and I thank him for bringing his sunshine in form of new friends in my life!
I must say friends are the most important thing in life. Family always stands by you but good friends fill in the little space between the chores of family and career and give you much support and make you stronger to be able to be there for your family.
ReplyDeleteAnd I must add here... thank you for being a wonderful friend!
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