Life in Germany

I was never too keen about visiting Germany. Germany for me was always associated with war,violence and cruelty .It was as if I could not shake off the Nazi tag eternally linked to this country.Since my husband had a work contract in Germany I was emotionally blackmailed to stay in this country I so detested! All that ,was to change the moment I landed in Frankfurt airport.It was the first time I was traveling alone, out of country, but I did not face any problems.I had been warned that Germans did not speak English and things in that order but to my delight I found everyone from the taxi driver to the shopkeepers speak fairly good English!

Looking out of the taxi window on my way to the apartment, what struck me most were the vast green forests flanking both sides of the highway.The cityscape of Hannovar looked like a dream.It looked very much like a modern city but somehow had managed to retain the peace and quiet of a village.I for one have not seen such a delicate balance.Having lived all my life in Bangalore,India; this was a pleasant shock for me.That the traffic and road problems in Bangalore are 'nightmarish',would be an understatement!
My husband was waiting anxiously for me by the apartment parking lot and I was on cloud nine as I was meeting him after two long months.The taxi ride costed us a bomb {I always convert to Indian rupees}but the driver insisted he has discounted the price as he loved Indian films!Hmm...Im not so sure.

The apartment arranged for our stay by my husband's office was a pretty one.It had a balcony with views to the garden below and the hills beyond the apartment complex.The next couple of weeks went into exploring the city and I was delighted with the shopping street 'schuh strassa' which literally translates to 'shoe street'.After several bouts of shopping and the after effects,as in guilt..I decided to channelize my energy constructively and so joined German language classes.I had learnt the basics of German from my father-in-law and so was looking forward to the course.

That was indeed the best decision I took as it opened up a whole new side of Germany to me.My German language instructor Meggi is someone very lovable and within no time she won our hearts with her wit and humour.Our class has Chinese,Spanish, ,Malaysian,Arab and Indian students.The language class is fun as we initially had no way of communicating with the people whose English was not strong and we had to mime a lot.These days we have gotten really close and dread the last day of our course.This experience has given me a chance to know the German education system to an extent and I really enjoyed their method of teaching.Meggi has made learning so much fun,something my Indian teachers lacked skills in.

I have always feared racial discrimination but people here seem quite tolerant .Of course there are a few bad apples ..mostly young uneducated men who feel threatened about the idea that 'foreigners take over their jobs'.But then again the government seems to be taking measures to remedy this.Perhaps its a global phenomenon but most Germans try hard to make people comfortable and are quite friendly once they get to know you.Its an open fact that they are ashamed of their violent past and this became apparent when I spoke to a few Germans.I was touched when they said they wanted to be seen as a peace loving nation.However when I happen to meet some of my neighbours who are retired generals of the Nazi era I shiver.These men are well into their eighties and seem lonely and enjoy talking about their achievements with anyone who cares to listen!
However the people in my flat are young professionals who keep to themselves. Ocassionally when we bump into each other its customary to wish 'guten tag 'with a smile and I do it religiously as its a taboo if you dont !My husband ever smiling as he is ,happened to oneday get lost in thought and forgot to wish a fellow neighbour.He was asked what had upset him so much as to make him forget basic courtesy!
The Germans by and large are a hard working lot and some of the best technology is German.I have noticed that they get to work at 5.30 in the mornings even on the coldest wintery day.However they do not neglect work-life balance and come back home early and do things they enjoy like gardening and practicing music.This quality of maintaining balance in life is something we all must emulate.

The weather in Germany is another thing I like .It seems to change by the hour like my mood!So we have to dress in layers which is fun .However of late its been getting cold and the Germans enjoy traveling to sunnier pastures . Infact they spend almost two months a year traveling and their workplaces grants leaves just for traveling!
The Germans believe that experience gained through travel expands the horizons of the mind and equate it to a learning session.I couldn't but agree more with this and set off to Swiss,Italy and France with my husband.It was indeed an experience of a lifetime.Right from planning the places of visit ,booking flights and hotels to managing expenditure ,all helped me grow as a person.Perhaps the best part about living in Germany is the chance to explore the surrounding countries inexpensively!Living in Germany has made it possible not just to 'visit'places but experience the places of visit..

I feel my stay in Germany has enabled me to sample Europe beyond the touristy attractions but more so in in terms of the simple pleasures of day to day life.The choice of over fifty varieties of freshly baked bread ...cheeses of delicate flavours ...chocolates made in heaven ..immaculately tailored clothes ..buses with comfortable seats every ten minutes...lush green parks and lakes filled with swans..clean roads ...fresh air laced with the scent of blossoms and peaceful silence despite me living near a busy street.Some times great happiness can be ours if we only give new experiences a chance and not be baised.In retrospect Im glad I gave Germany a chance and it has not let me down..