Germany — The Experience

Kind of ironic how everyone expects there to be an experience when you travel abroad.

Why should there be “an experience”? What’s so different out there that makes it all worth the while, I wonder.

In short: nothing. (I bet a bunch of you aren’t surprised right now at me saying this, but that’s not supposed to surprise you. Read on.)

For someone that has lived all his life in the middle east, Europe in general and Germany in specific are different in almost every single aspect. People are different, language is different, system is different, culture is different, weather is different, cars are different, women are different (that had to be mentioned alone for obvious reasons), food is different. Everything is different.

To be honest, for some time during my six months stay here in Germany that was all I could see. Differences. And you’d think to yourself: why would I say nothing is different then?

Because all of a sudden, at some point also during my (long) stay, things didn’t look so different.

I got used to it.

I got used to the people. I got used to the language (sort of.) I got used to the system. I got used to the culture (sort of.) I got used to the weather. I got used to the cars. I got used to the women (not really, I couldn’t in a million years.) I got used to the food. I got used to everything.

And then it all made sense. Much like everything else, things are relative. It’s what you’re used to compared to what everyone around you are used to. Once you adopt, you don’t feel different anymore. Once you and them do the same things without giving it much thought, it doesn’t become a barrier.

All aside, I learned a few things from my stay. I’m not exactly sure if Germany or Europe were behind it (to some extent they were, you’ll see why) or was it merely me living alone that did the trick.

• Administration Work — first day we came here we had to sign up for a bank account. We had to sign up for our apartment rent. We had to sign contracts with our company. We had to do paper work I’ve never had to go through in this detail. This has grown my tendency to walk into places and get things done.
• Traveling — it saddens me I had to know from a German colleague that Egypt has one of the best diving locations in the world – the red sea. Why can’t a bunch of friends organize a trip to somewhere at least inside their country (I was going to say around their country) and rent a place and go for it!
• Germans are not super — Germans are human. Some are super smart, some are super dumb, some are super productive, some are super workaholics, some are super lazy, some are super friendly, some are super mean. Some are normal. Some are even sleeping under the bridge because they were too drunk to go home the previous night.
• Appreciate what you have — the hot summer days are a dream for some people. (Those that don’t mind wearing less. A whole lot less. But yeah, still, a dream for them.) Petrol costs about 8 times more.

It’s true that if you compare both systems, one might be overwhelming. But this whole relativity theory has really gave me hope about Egypt’s current situation. If a new system is implemented, a new stronger more humanly system, people will eventually get used to it. People will adopt it. Live with it. It doesn’t take long to adopt and it shouldn’t be too hard to teach people that it’s all for the greater good. I can only imagine how iconic Egypt can be if the system was upgraded. If a better standard has been set.

Then again.. I was talking with a German colleague again today and driving came up. I quote myself: “If I had to pick a place to drive, Egypt or Germany, I’d pick driving in Egypt. Every. Single. Time.” It’s what I love and it’s what I’ll choose. But when the decision comes for a better community and better standards for everyone, I will gladly give it up for the vast majority that hate it.

Most the time while I’m sitting right here in my room in front of my laptop, slightly dimmed down so my eyes won’t hurt me, I’d feel the exact same way I used to feel sitting in my room back in Egypt, in front of my laptop, slightly dimmed down so my eyes won’t hurt me. Only difference is, back home I’d be on a far more comfortable mattress and expect my mum to walk in with a bowl of fruits perfectly cut ready for me to gulp زي البغل.