Blog Marathon - October 2022 - Day 3 - 20 years ago (Part 1 - Introduction)

I was just 22 years old when I first traveled to Germany. That was the year 2002. I had just completed my post-graduation in German. And had stood first amongst the four students that year. I had won a scholarship to go to Magdeburg as an exchange student at Otto von Guericke university for five months. It was a winter semester starting at the end of October till February 2003. I was accompanied by two students from the English department and we landed on 3rd October 2002 at the Berlin Tegel airport. A professor had come to pick us up from the airport and he took us to Magdeburg by road. We were highly impressed by the German highways and the speed at which we were traveling in the car. 

We didn't have the slightest idea that Germany would be shut down on the 3rd of October. It was after all the reunification day and how did I forget about it completely? I studied History, Geography, and Literature for my Masters's degree and was well aware of what all transpired between the Russian and American blocs after world war two. I was the translator and interpreter for the other two girls and we hit off instantly. We explored the city that day and found nothing to be open except a few cafes. Our caretaker(who was a student at the University) took us to eat Pizza that afternoon. And it was the first time, I ever had Latte Macchiato in my life with a hazelnut and vanilla flavor and I became a regular at drinking it at every opportunity. I was a tea lover and this creamy coffee won my heart.

The autumn had just set it and it had begun to get cold. The days became shorter and though the sun was shining, it was often minus 25 degrees. The orange, yellow and red hues of leaves left the roads looking very decorative. But the things around us were so new that we could hardly register these beautiful sights. The cultural shock was huge. People smoking cigarettes like crazy, a public display of affection that we were not used to all in India, people minding their own business, not interfering with others or neighbors, and feeling emotional for India, parents, and friends were all very new. Being a vegetarian, there were little or no options for me except bread, pasta, and milk products like cheeses, fruits, and vegetables. We had hunted one Chinese stall which served us fried rice and that was often our dinner. It was also very cheap and economic for students. We had taken varhadi thecha with us which often turned out to be a savior for us along with bread and butter. Going to restaurants was a no-go. It was extremely expensive and we had nothing to eat there except salad. 

Slowly and steadily, we started getting comfortable in a foreign country, in a student city, with a few newly found Indian and German friends.

To be continued...