I hated Germany when i first landed here. I didn't have a one Euro coin at the baggage counter of the Frankfurt airport to be able to take a trolly-car for my monster bag and so, ended up dragging it and lifting it and fumbling around with it while making my way to the other terminal for my connecting flight. As I went ahead for checking-in my luggage, it seemed my bags had gained weight on flight and I cringed as the lady at the counter eyed my 50 Euros. I had an unpleasant exchange of words with the security personnel when he threw away my favourite bottle of water which was empty. And then, I had to wait for 6 hours for my flight to Dresden. I couldn't contact family and friends because there was no free wi-fi and all computer terminals wanted small coins to function. During those 6 hours I cursed myself heavily for ever choosing to accept this scholarship. I fell into deep pits of depression, and jet-lag and lack of sleep didn't help either. If someone would have handed me a flight ticket to India, I would have grabbed it and made my way to the flight as fast as possible. I'm glad that didn't happen!
Seven hours later when I landed at Dresden and made my way to the Goethe-Institute in a Mercedes-Benz taxi, it felt like God had taken pity on me. The warm welcome at the institute and free wi-fi after hours felt like bliss, and when I saw my Mother's face on my computer screen, I fought back tears and faked enthusiasm. I received keys to my single room at the International Student's guesthouse at the Dresden-Altstadt (Old Town) and as the taxi drove me over the river Elbe revealing the historic Altstadt, I knew things could only get awesome from now on! That moment onwards, I loved every single thing around me - my single room, the large windows, the view and the cleaning ladies who would shine up my room every two weeks and leave the pillow puffed up on the immaculate white bed.
The five months that I spent learning German at the Goethe institute was the Honeymoon Period. It was everything that I had ever dreamed of and craved for. Learning a new language in it's country with people from all over the world, meeting people and exchanging ideas, travelling to my heart's content with new friends, trying new food, having a variety of experiences with people and places, being independent (and responsible), barbecues, international dinners, night outs, making close friends and being paid for doing all this - if this isn't (academic) honeymoon period, nothing is! ;-)
I thought while managing resources and doing everything by myself I had grown up in those five months, but now I realise it was a cake-walk.
The day I began packing and placing things back into my suitcase to move to Erfurt, my heart broke and its pieces sank. My dream-life was facing its closure and my bags were heavy beyond expectations. I was anxious about sharing an apartment, which i had never done before. How do strangers share a kitchen and bathrooms, I couldn't imagine.
When I entered my room here in Erfurt, i felt a blow of disappointment inside me. I decided I would move out as soon as possible. To say the least, it was dirty. The dust gave me an allergy that very evening and I felt feverish when I thought about all the work and patience that the place demanded of me. And then, like a saviour, came Ikea! The home-improvement store. (Did I just sound like a cheap advertisement for Ikea? I must have. I am now so well versed with the huge store that I could be a tour-guide inside it.) My equally hassled friends and I made five trips in one week to this shop to turn our rooms into our 'homes'. We had to put in that extra effort to be able to make ourselves love this space which would be our home for the next years. We had to define our rooms well so as to be ready to face the not-so-colourful winter and heavy academic doses after all those beautiful summer months and intellectual rest! Bright bed-clothes, curtains, lampshades, orchids, paper bins, utensils, mirrors, candles - we were the typical desperate shopaholics. We convinced each other and ourselves that we 'needed' a big lamp-shade or a carpet in our rooms to feel at home.
I never imagined setting up home was such a task. But, I also realised that we all carry our homes within us at all times. Finally, after about two weeks of being here and breaking our heads and bodies over making our new apartments 'lovable and livable' (as my parents call my room), most of us feel confident and comfortable about our new spaces.
I have begun to move-on. My love affair with my life at Dresden is coming to a close. University and the grilling that accompanies it, begin on Monday.
Seven hours later when I landed at Dresden and made my way to the Goethe-Institute in a Mercedes-Benz taxi, it felt like God had taken pity on me. The warm welcome at the institute and free wi-fi after hours felt like bliss, and when I saw my Mother's face on my computer screen, I fought back tears and faked enthusiasm. I received keys to my single room at the International Student's guesthouse at the Dresden-Altstadt (Old Town) and as the taxi drove me over the river Elbe revealing the historic Altstadt, I knew things could only get awesome from now on! That moment onwards, I loved every single thing around me - my single room, the large windows, the view and the cleaning ladies who would shine up my room every two weeks and leave the pillow puffed up on the immaculate white bed.
The five months that I spent learning German at the Goethe institute was the Honeymoon Period. It was everything that I had ever dreamed of and craved for. Learning a new language in it's country with people from all over the world, meeting people and exchanging ideas, travelling to my heart's content with new friends, trying new food, having a variety of experiences with people and places, being independent (and responsible), barbecues, international dinners, night outs, making close friends and being paid for doing all this - if this isn't (academic) honeymoon period, nothing is! ;-)
I thought while managing resources and doing everything by myself I had grown up in those five months, but now I realise it was a cake-walk.
The day I began packing and placing things back into my suitcase to move to Erfurt, my heart broke and its pieces sank. My dream-life was facing its closure and my bags were heavy beyond expectations. I was anxious about sharing an apartment, which i had never done before. How do strangers share a kitchen and bathrooms, I couldn't imagine.
When I entered my room here in Erfurt, i felt a blow of disappointment inside me. I decided I would move out as soon as possible. To say the least, it was dirty. The dust gave me an allergy that very evening and I felt feverish when I thought about all the work and patience that the place demanded of me. And then, like a saviour, came Ikea! The home-improvement store. (Did I just sound like a cheap advertisement for Ikea? I must have. I am now so well versed with the huge store that I could be a tour-guide inside it.) My equally hassled friends and I made five trips in one week to this shop to turn our rooms into our 'homes'. We had to put in that extra effort to be able to make ourselves love this space which would be our home for the next years. We had to define our rooms well so as to be ready to face the not-so-colourful winter and heavy academic doses after all those beautiful summer months and intellectual rest! Bright bed-clothes, curtains, lampshades, orchids, paper bins, utensils, mirrors, candles - we were the typical desperate shopaholics. We convinced each other and ourselves that we 'needed' a big lamp-shade or a carpet in our rooms to feel at home.
I never imagined setting up home was such a task. But, I also realised that we all carry our homes within us at all times. Finally, after about two weeks of being here and breaking our heads and bodies over making our new apartments 'lovable and livable' (as my parents call my room), most of us feel confident and comfortable about our new spaces.
I have begun to move-on. My love affair with my life at Dresden is coming to a close. University and the grilling that accompanies it, begin on Monday.
