International friends!

Hi there!

Tomorrow starts university so I wanted to make a fast and maybe kinda short blog entry before I maybe have to skip for a little time. I'm also sorry about all people who are waiting for an e-mail or message answer from me. Please be a little patient, okay?

This blog is really just a fast blog in which I want to talk about the topic 'nations'. Well.. sounds kinda boring but since I live here in my new town I met SO many people from different countries and I have to admit that I get along the best with people from foreign countries. They are all so nice and polite!! Also very calm and caring and so on. I really love people who are not egoistic and selfish so I feel already grateful for meeting them all.

But it would be boring to say just that kind of things. I had today a talk with my new friend from Pakistan. She told me that Germans have a kinda 'cold' image. And I have to admit that this is true. I think Germany is a wonderful country and Germans are also great people. But they are mostly very shy and slowly when it comes to make new friends. Maybe that's also the reason why I don't have so many German friends - or at least when I have German friends they are kinda 'world-open' like me.

I don't think that the people who are more shy/cold are bad people. They are just used to be slowly in that kind of things, act more selfish and so on. Maybe also because of their past or the past of our nation - who knows? But anyway. I'm glad that there are people like my new friend from Pakistan. She told me that her sister said to her, that all Germans are cold but then she told her about me and that I'm not like that. I was so proud about that and I have to admit that I was also a little teary, haha.

One of my roommates (He is Germans but with ancestors from Russia) told me that I have to be more selfish and egoistic. I should think more about myself before thinking about others. I know that he just meant it in a good way but I won't change myself. I think I'm great like that and also my new friend gave me the spirit to think like that. We should all try to be more open to foreigners and welcome them warmly in our country. I mean.. isn't it great to have MANY friends from all over the world? I think that's SUPER exciting!! I wish I could have at least a friend in every country of the world but I know that's maybe impossible.. Haha. But I want more international friends!

Sorry, that entry was really random. OH! I made a picture yesterday in the train when I went to see my beloved Rumi (also one of that 'world open' German people! ) .. but I look a little bit bad and gloomy here right? Sorry about that!

Have a nice day everyone and wish me luck for my first exciting university day!!!

University Freshers Week!

Hello Hello!

... ZzzzzzZZzz ... AH! SORRY!
I still might be a little sleepy, hehe.

Monday my university life finally begun! YAY!
Well.. it's soooo different from what I thought it would be. Normally I'm a person who needs lots of time to get to know with people. And even after that "lots of time" I might be maybe just in contact with 2 or 3 people. Not because I'm unfriendly or something but I was my whole life surrounded by many arrogant or egoistic people. Just maybe that 2 or 3 were REALLY nice and good to talk to.

But that suddenly changed. Already on the first day I got into contact with some really nice people from my degree programme. The first day of my 'Freshers Week' was kinda boring because it was just full of speeches from important people of the university and at the end there was a free visit at the cinema. I skipped the cinema because I didn't felt that well on that day.
But yesterday was SUPER funny. First there was a City Ralley around the town. We saw so many beautiful buildings!!! And also: People from all degree programmes and faculties were mixed together. So I got to know a LOT of people sudddenly from all kind of degree programmes. After the City Ralley there was a BBQ Party at the campus. And it was SO MUCH FUN!!!! I met so many interesting people - also from all over the world! Not everyone was super nice. I would lie if I would say so but the most of them!

Me, my flatmates and a girl I invited to stay over at our house (because her train was leaving really early) were the last ones to leave the party. We missed the last bus so we had to walk around 30 - 40 minutes to our home but it was so fun!! On our way we also met again some students who were very nice. Of course everyone drunk a lot of alcohol but nobody was super drunk or doing embarrassing stuff. Just some of the students but they left the party anyway very early. Still it was possible to have fun, great conversations and a nice time. And I really had some of the best conversations in my life with some people!

Today I will skip one part of the Freshers Week. It's Sports Day and after that a students party at a town called 'Moers'. But today I have Japanese lesson and I really don't want to miss it. Anyway, the people who made the biggest impression on me yesterday won't go today also to that party so I think it's not a big deal that I can't go.

But also today I maybe need to save my energy. Tomorrow is a Campus Ralley and after that Barhopping. Well.. Barhopping means that we are going to visit lots of bars in Kleve all together. After the Barhopping 4 girls already asked me to stay later over at my/our place because they would miss their train.

Oh - I should say about my flatmates... the first impression was really super wrong. They are all SUPER NICE! Also one flatmate said.. we all have different ages and different personalities but still we fit perfectly together in our big house so we can have lot of fun together. And I think he was totally right. We all decided yesterday that we don't want to have a 'partnershp of convenience' or something like that but we want to be more friends. Maybe not the best friends in our life of course but we want to do stuff together sometimes and have a great time also together while our university days.

I hope I didn't miss anything. I am going to stop the entry here and give you some small pictures of the evening yesterday. I already posted the pictures on facebook I think but I will also insert them here.

I hope you kinda enjoyed that entry. By the way.. when you are also in university .. how was/is your Freshers Week? I would really love to hear more stories about that!! Hehe.

Anyway I will go and prepare myself now. Have a wonderful day!



Mina

Language + Japan stuff!

Hello~!

I have to admit first:
I never really updated my blog because I was -
1. Too lazy
2. Not sure which language I should use
3. Too lazy….
But the biggest problem was the language I think. Well.. I’m quite fluent in English but still I sometimes make mistakes in grammar. At least English is not my mother tongue so it’s normal to make mistakes and mostly I really appreciate it when people tell me “Oh, Mina! It’s not right to say that!” But when it comes to my blog it annoys me because blogging is just fun for me. It's a hobby, a hobby I maybe can like but some people always want to correct others to show up that they are so much better, right?

But you know what? I just decided to still update my blog from now on and just ignore that kind of people. I mean.. I really want to write in English (and sometimes still German and maybe in the future Japanese) so also my international friends can understand whats going on in my crazy head. So - please read my blog from now on!

So now we reach the next topic: JAPAN! YEHA! WOOHOOO!!! (Okay, enough of the happiness...)

I think most of you guys know that I went to Japan again this July / August. Sadly I didn't make so much pictures... But I made some pictures in December / January and I want to share them with you - just because I'm happy at the moment! Hehe. Also because recently I started finally to learn Japanese really really INTENSIVE! Before it was always like.. maybe once in the week. Just when I got some motivation. And just for maybe 20 minutes. But now - thanks to my new teacher - I study Japanese every day for 1 - 2 hours. I feel so happy and motivated!!
So I wanted to share some pictures to you to show you WHY I like Japan that much. There are also many reasons for me to DISLIKE Japan sometimes - but that's another topic. Enjoy that pictures!

I think that's enough for today. Enjoy your day!!!

またね

Day 2 - Yokohama

Es ging an diesem Tag recht früh mit Kathi und Haru nach Yokohama. Zuvor haben wir in einem netten Café auf der Takeshita Dori gefrühstückt – dort gab es sogar WLan! Zumindest haben Kathi und Haru gefrühstückt - ich habe Zuhause die Reste vom Okonomiyaki als Frühstück gegessen. In Yokohama angekommen besuchten wir zunächst China Town. Es ist wirklich einen Besuch wert, vor allem für Panda-Liebhaber! An jeder Ecke gibt es Pandaläden und natürlich viele chinesische Klamotten und Accessoires.

On this day I went very early with Kathi and Haru to Yokohama. Before we went to an nice Café on the Takeshita Dori to eat breakfast – there was even free Wi-Fi! Okay, Kathi and Haru ate breakfast – I ate the leftovers of the Okonomiyaki as breakfast. In Yokohama we visited first China Town. It is worth a visit – above all for Panda-Lovers! In every corner is a Pandashop and of course many Chinese clothes and accessories.

(Eingang nach China Town | Entry to China Town)

Es gab außerdem dort ein großes Einkaufszentrum, an dem wir etwas getrunken haben. Außerdem war dort auch wieder ein Pandaladen – meine Meinung nach der Beste von allen in China Town!

There was also an big shopping mall. We went to drink something there. Also there was an Pandashop – in my opinion the best of all in China Town!

Nach China Town gingen wir schließlich zu dem Zoo in Yokohama. Der Zoo ist kostenlos, aber wirklich wunderbar!! Es gibt dort viele Tiere zu sehen und sogar einen richtig tollen Streichelzoo. Zwar ist der Weg dahin etwas beschwerlich, dank einem Berg (und das im Sommer!), aber es ist jeden Besuch wert. Wir haben uns dort wirklich lange aufgehalten, bevor wir schließlich den Weg nach Hause angetreten sind.

After China Town we went finally to the zoo in Yokohama. The Zoo is for free but really awesome!!! You can see many animals there and there is even a very nice pet’s corner. The way to the zoo is a little bit hard because of a mountain (and that in summer!) but it’s worth every visit. We were there really long before we finally went back home.

またね

Day 1 - Frankfurt / Moscow / Tokyo

Am 31. Juli ging es also endlich los nach Tokyo! Mit ein bisschen Verspätung kam meine Tante an und brachte mich zum Bahnhof Hannover von dem aus es nach Frankfurt ging. In Frankfurt suchte ich dann den Check-In von Aeroflot. Dort machte ich zunächst Bekanntschaft mit einem jungen Mann aus Californien, welcher auf dem Weg über Moskau nach Peking war um dort seine Verwandten zu besuchen (er hat chinesische Vorfahren) und einem deutschen Mädchen, welches zufällig auch auf dem Weg nach Tokyo war – genau mit derselben Route wie ich!!

At the 31th July I finally left for Tokyo! My aunt arrived a little bit late and took me to the train station of Hannover. With the train I got to the airport of Frankfurt. In Frankfurt I searched the Check-In of my airline (Aeroflot). There I met a young guy from California. He was on his way over Moskow to Beijing to visit his relatives (he has Chinese ancestors) and a German girl. At concern she was also at the way to Tokyo – with the same route!!!

(Frankfurt Airport)


Der erste Flug ging sehr schnell. Das Essen war nicht so toll und die Maschine war anscheinend aus den 70er Jahren. In Moskau hingegen war es ziemlich gut. Es gab an jedem Terminal in Moskau freies Wlan! Zwar wurde unser Gate geändert und eben jene Änderung erst ziemlich spät und undeutlich durchgesagt, aber wir haben unser Flugzeug noch rechtzeitig bekommen. Dieser lange Flug war glücklicherweise wirklich toll. Jeder Sitz hatte seinen eigenen Fernseher und es gab ein richtiges Menü für Abendessen und Frühstück, was sogar für Flugzeug-Essen richtig lecker war.

The first flight was really fast. The food wasn’t that good and the airplane was maybe from the 70ies. The Moscow airport was really nice. Every terminal had his own Wi-Fi! Our Gate changed few minutes before we had to get into the airplane and this change was told us really late and not really clearly but we reached our airplane at time. This long flight was really nice! Every seat had an own television and there was a real menu for dinner and breakfast. It was really delicious for airplane food!

(Unser erstes Flugzeug nach Tokyo - was sich später geändert hat | Our first airplane to Tokyo - but it changed later)

(Ein eigener Fernseher!!! | An own television!!!)

Angekommen in Tokyo ging es erst einmal durch alle Kontrollen und dann mit den Skyliner zunächst nach Ueno, wo ich dann in die Bahn nach Harajuku umstieg. Dort habe ich dummerweise den falschen Ausgang genommen und somit erst einmal nicht die Takeshita Dori und meine Gastmama gefunden – aber dank einem öffentlichen Telefon (inzwischen war der Akku meines IPhones alle) habe ich sie doch noch gefunden und meine Herberge in Harajuku erreicht! Die Familie ist wirklich superlieb und die Gastmama kann wunderbar kochen. Sie hat mir gleich am ersten Tag mein japanisches Lieblingsessen gemacht – Okonomiyaki!!

After I arrived in Tokyo I had to go through all controls. I took the Skyliner to Ueno and changed there into the train to Harajuku. In Harajuku I took to wrong exit so I couldn’t find first the Takeshita Dori and my guest mother – but thanks to a public phone (the battery of my Iphone was empty) I found her and with her my house in Harajuku! The family is every nice and the guest mother is a wonderful cook. She made at the first day my Japanese favorite food – Okonomiyaki!!

(Skyliner)

(Erstes Getränk in Japan | First drink in Japan)

Am Abend habe ich noch kurz Haru und Kathi getroffen und mit ihnen Crepe gegessen und Harajuku ein wenig begutachtet. Allerdings nicht lange – ich war wirklich verdammt müde und bin relativ früh schlafen gegangen – immerhin soll es am nächsten Tag nach Yokohama gehen und dort nach China Town und in den Zoo!!

At the evening I met Haru and Kathi and ate with them Crepe and walked around Harajuku. But it wasn’t really long – I was really tired and went very early into my bed. We wanted to go together at the next day to Yokohama to visit China Town and the Zoo!

(Leckeres japanisches Crepe! | Delicious Japanese crepe!)

またね