Report December - Türkbey Tanman

1. How was your first Christmas in Germany (How did you celebrate)? How was the Christmas celebration for you, was it different from the celebration in your home country?)?

Being in Germany at Christmas was like being in a fairy tale. Especially the things I saw while visiting the Weihnachtsmarkt impressed me. I visited the Weihnachtsmarkt in many cities and drank Glühwein at each of them. For those who never drank it before, I definitely recommend you to try it. A great drink that will warm you up, especially on cold winter days.

2. Did you travel to any German city or to another country in the first months of your life in Germany (where, how, with whom, what were your experiences and impressions)?

One of the first big cities I went to was the city of Cologne. We went to Cologne with our friends for a day and visited the Weihnachtsmarkt there. It was an incredibly beautiful city. Then I had the opportunity to go to Prague with a friend for 2 days. Prague is a historical city that must be seen. As soon as you enter the city, you feel like you are in a different dimension. And of course it has very nice beers to try.

3. Where and how do you plan to celebrate New Year's Eve?

I generally don't like crowded New Year’s Eve celebrations, so I don't prefer to go out. This year, we plan to have a small house party of 7-8 people with my friends. Most likely the party will be at the house of a friend who lives alone. Small and sincere meetings with friends have always made me happy.

4. Do you like Germany (What do you especially like? What are absolutely new things for you? What are thing you dislike?)?

Germany is a good country to live. It offers you a comfortable living standards both socially and economically. For example: I can comfortably support myself by working in a part-time job (20 hours a month on average). Of course, I do not have a very luxurious life, but it satisfies me.But the fact that the weather is always dark in winter and not being able to see the sun psychologically wears me down a bit. It is a bit uncomfortable to not to see the sun that I am used to from my home country.

5. Where do you usually eat?

I usually cook at home, sometimes I eat outside (Döner, Pizza etc.) but I do not find it very healthy. I mostly cook and eat vegetable dishes at home, and I'm not bad at cooking. I like spending time in the kitchen, as I have been keen on cooking since I was little. The only thing I don't like is eating alone after cooking at home.

6. Do you attend a university language course? How do you like it?

I haven't had the opportunity to experience it yet, but I want to start an English course in the future. Learning Spanish, in particular, has always been my dream since high school. The fluency and tone of the Mediterranean languages really impresses me.

7. How safe do you feel in Germany compared to your own country?

I don't have to worry too much about the future while living in Germany. For example, which party or system you voted for, doesn't matter much because no matter who comes to the lead, you know that the level of welfare in Germany will not change. This situation naturally relaxes you psychologically. Turkey unfortunately still has many uncertainties in its future (work, life, etc.) which is the most prominent problem.