I share with you some of my experience related to my stay in Germany. Maybe you find some places you never visit before and therefore you are interested in visiting those places.
Thank God that I could go to Germany. I never expected it before. Thanks to my boss as I worked in DAAD Jakarta. She permitted me to go there for 3 months. It was my first trip to Germany. Thanks also to my Alma mater, German Dept., Faculty of Letters, University of Indonesia which thought of me and offered me to go to Germany.
Further, I also never expected that after the first trip I easily could decide to go again to Germany. This has happened 3 times. Not because of a scholarship, not because the Company sent me there due to a business trip. I myself have made it. Thank God.
Especially for you, who will study in Germany, I hope my experience can motivate you more in learning German, until finally your dream comes true: studying in Germany. Enjoy the story!
2006 (28 April - 12 May 2006)
Visited places: Karlsruhe, Bodelshausen, Stuttgart, Greven, Garstedt, Salzhausen, Putensen, Winsen an der Luhe, Lueneburg, Luhmuehlen, Hildesheim, Giessen.
Thanks to Reinhold who had taken care of the sponsorship from Germany for me, which enabled me to apply a tourist visa without any problems in the German embassy Jakarta.
So was the trip:
In Karlsruhe: Family Engelhardt invited me to see "Das Leben der Anderen" in a cinema. It was an interesting film, which shows how the life was under control of the government of the East Germany. On the other day the family took me to Rheinland-Strandsbad, Karlsruhe. In Karlsruhe I joined the Sunday service in the Stadtkirche.
In Bodelshausen near Tuebingen: to visit Ilona & Ruprecht, who invited me to dinner in a bavarian restaurant.
In Stuttgart: to visit Karstadt Dept. Store, as I was an employee of KarstadtQuelle Jakarta.
In Greven near Muenster: to attend Ita & Stefan's wedding. Never danced European dance before, nevertheless nice gentlemen asked me to dance with them respectively: Jan (our business partner), Olliver (Stefan's brother in law), Theo (Stefan's father) and a guest of the party.
In Winsen an der Luhe: Christiane & her daughter Franzi took me visiting Landesgartenschau. Marita bought Indonesian vegetables in an Asian shop. We wanted to make gado-gado (a kind of Indonesian food which consist of various kind of vegetables with peanut sauce). I already brought the peanut sauce from Indonesia.
In Salzhausen: to attend Sunday service in Johanniskirche.
In Lueneburg: Christiane bought so many presents for me & my family in Karstadt Dept. Store.
In Hildesheim: Dr Wehmann took me to see Andreaskirche, Michaeliskirche, Marie Himmelfahrt-Dom.
2004 (21 May - 5 June 2004)
Visited places: Giessen, Putensen, Luhmuehlen, Garstedt, Coburg, Rauenstein, Sonneberg, Craheim, Karlsruhe.
A letter from a German friend who lives in Germany could not be accepted anymore by the German embassy Jakarta in applying tourist visa. I must show the embassy my deposit account.
So was the trip:
In Giessen: to attend Sunday service in Johanniskirche (Lukasgemeinde).
In Coburg: with Nicole to Asia shop looking for Indonesian vegetables to make gado-gado with peanut sauce that I brought from Indonesia. We bought also small green peas & coconut milk. Nicole & I to fly joining a group of private aeroplane. 25 Euro/ person for 30 minutes. With Nicole & Kai, we saw the film "The Day after Tomorrow".
In Rauenstein: with Nicole to cook Indonesian food at her home.
In Sonneberg: to attend Sunday service in Stadkirche. The reverend Hellmut Egert asked me to read the Bible on the stage in the church. Angelika, his wife, asked me to stay. However I should go further to Craheim. Kai & Nicole took me there.
In Craheim: my friend Heiner Frank, the reverend, has invited me to join the meeting at Craheim castle, which already began several days before. It was a pleasure to know many new friendly people.
At the international airport Frankfurt: it was so exciting, I could use internet for free. My friend Betsie, who took me from Giessen to the airport, had shown me that. Such service was not available in Soekarno Hatta airport, Banten, Indonesia. Internet was still an expensive stuff at that time.
2002 (18 October - 2 November 2002)
Visited places: Giessen, Sonneberg, Lauscha, Neustadt, Rauenstein, Stuttgart.
New rules from the German embassy Jakarta: it took 8 days to get your visa issued. Before it only took 2 days. In 2002 applicant must also pay an additional travel insurance, which was no need before.
So was the trip:
The trip was actually scary and dangerous because Bali has just been bombed on 12 October 2002 and Garuda which took me to Frankfurt started from Denpasar.
In Giessen: to attend Sunday service at Johanniskirche. Family Anja & Johannes invited me to dinner. Anja cooked rice! She was so nice. Their sons Leon & Ben were there. There were also Betsie, Annette, Petra & her son Jannick. My friendly friends. Betsie was so nice. I may use her telephone to call to Indonesia 2x, to confirm my safe arrival in Germany and to wish my daddy happy birthday.
In Sonneberg: Nicole was so nice, picked me up from the train station at 22 o'clock. I was the only passenger in the big and long train from Fuerth. Here I didn't stay in a friend home, as usual when I visit a city or village, but in a motel. It was Krug zum Gruenen Kranz. On the other day with Nicole we visited Deutsches Spielzeugmuseum. Nicole & Mario invited me to a dinner. On 27 October was the last day of summer time. You may sleep 1 hour longer, but you must switch your watch 1 hour earlier. Interesting! Here I attended Sunday service in Stadtkirche. I was invited to a lunch by the reverend Hellmut Egert. Rev. Egert and his wife Angelika took me to Neufang, just sightseeing. Angelika presented me winter clothing & autumn shoes. Very nice people.
In Neustadt: with Nicole we visited Deutsche Spielzeugindustrie museum.
In Rauenstein: Nicole took me to a doll manufacturer. Her mother presented me honey from their ranch. So nice! Here we visited Schildkroetemuseum.
In Lauscha: Nicole took me visiting a glass manufacturer Farbglashuette Lauscha. Here for the first time in my life I touched snow! In Lauscha it snowed earlier, while in other cities in Germany it hadn't started yet.
In Stuttgart: Ilona was so nice. She pick me up at night from the train station. On the other day Ilona took me to attend a concert in Domkirche St. Eberhard. At another time Dr. Haug took me to Museum am Loewentor. He bought me a Pterodactylus necklace. So nice! Further we visited Landesbibliothek, Bibelarchiv in the Bibelhaus (house of the Bible). Mrs Haug provided me bread for my train trip back to Giessen. Very nice persons.
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