The diary of a big city girl

By Bhavika Sharma

Hi! I’m Bhavika, a DAAD Bachelor scholar at the Studienkolleg of FU Berlin. Six months ago I packed my bags and moved to another continent to seek what my heart ached for. Living in Germany has brought me closer to my pursuit. Here’s a look at the time gone by.

Today, six months ago, I was a chaos of emotions as I sat in my flight to Berlin from Delhi. I try to not let my emotions overpower me, but in that moment, I knew the release was pure, almost divine. To control that would mean controlling my ability to feel – the greatest gift of being human – and that would be a tragedy. The sadness of physical separation from loved ones, the inability to touch my soil for months to come, the sheer anticipation about what the future holds were all overwhelming feelings I could rein in for only so long.
Stepping foot in Berlin made me remember why I decided to come here in the first place. Berlin is a peaceful juxtaposition of bustle and lull. It’s one of those cities which pulls you in with full force in its tight embrace and personally, I don’t want the hug to end anytime soon.

The one day I missed home dearly was the first day of winter. I went out to see the sun only to find there wasn’t any. As the clouds cried, so did I. Not for hours on end, though. I found solace in the fact that the darkness is there, so that my light may finally shine brighter.

Having immersed myself in learning the language and culture for more than seven years now, I knew this place can keep my heart happy. And boy, has it exceeded my expectations. From getting a letter by Mr President and singing to Rammstein and Nena on deserted streets, to eating baklava and kimchi with housemates from five continents while explaining to them for the zillionth time that “curry” is not my national dish, my time in Germany has been the richest life experience for me thus far. It’s going to take a lot to beat that.

The opportunity to appreciate and adopt German idiosyncrasies and to chart new territories is what makes me jump out of bed every day.
Yes, Germans like their food bland.
Yes, they are people of rules.
Yes, they don’t understand the Indian quick-fix concept of  jugaad.
Yes, Germans are vastly different from Indians – but how does that matter? Living in this country, the place where the world meets, has made me realise how grateful I am to wake up each day as an Indian, talk as a German and love as a human.