In mid of 2012, I have decided to run away from my country, Egypt. We have just got out of a revolution and all my belief system was shaken. I started applying for a master's degree abroad and I got accepted at a school in UK, another in Australia, and a third in Germany. My preferences were in this respective order and I ended up settling for the third.
I kept preparing for the move for a year and a half, until the 2nd of October 2013, the day of my flight. That day I was thrilled, I was on the verge of a new beginning. I took my two huge suitcases headed to the airport despite the heavy suitcases I went inside flying with a wide smile on my face; I was feeling very light. I did the checking in procedures, arrived to my gate early, sat on the floor and then suddenly started crying. So weird, huh!
Fear was starting to grow into me. It was the first time I feel absolutely alone. I have worked too long for this moment and many questions started running in my head: what if it didn't go well? What if I couldn't make friends? What if I failed at my studies? And what if I got lost? What? Wait a moment... Why would I get lost???
The truth is, it was very unlikely to get lost. A few months before my travel date I was getting fanatic, or was being a lunatic, I will leave this for you to judge. I started studying Leipzig; the city I was gonna live in, I checked its landmarks, I checked Google maps and memorized the location of the main train station, the building I was gonna live in, my university buildings and its libraries, and how to reach each of them from the other. Moreover, I have checked all Facebook pages related to Leipzig, and the Egyptians living there. I started contacting all of them; without even filtering whom to contact, I knew that all my messages would go to the "others" inbox so I needed to take all my chances. I wanted to know what to expect and how is it like living in Leipzig.
One of the few guys who responded to my messages was already back in Egypt and his studies was teaching German for non-German speaker. I asked him if he would help me with the basics of German to be able to deal on my first day there. He agreed and asked for 50 Egyptian Pounds in return. I was astonished 50 Egyptian pounds? If he would ask for money then maybe he should have asked for 100 pounds! Seriously, asking for only 50 pounds is like telling your friend that you would give him a ride to the airport only if he gave you gum... and not jokingly.
I met this guy few days later, and what annoys me so much now, is that I don't remember where we met. You know why this bothers me? Without remembering the details of the meeting, it might as well have happened in my imagination. Hmm, let's assume it did happen. In this meeting, he told me every detail about how to reach my building in Leipzig from the main train station. And by every detail, I mean the exact tram number I was gonna take, the amount of money I should pay, the location of the ticket machine, the exact platform the tram would stop in - there were 6 platforms - the frequency of the trams, he didn't miss a thing. Over and above, he told me all the German phrases I may need for this day. So I was more than prepared for my first day in Leipzig, but was I prepared for Germany?
The boarding gate opened and everything went smoothly until I reached Frankfurt airport. The airport is the biggest in Germany and it was my only stop before reaching Leipzig. Despite the airport's size, it is very intuitive to reach almost anywhere. I had already bought the train ticket to Leipzig beforehand, now I had to go to the ticket office to get it printed out and then find my train. Of course I was rushing because all of that would take 60 minutes on the best estimate, and I didn't want to miss the train for sure. And when I am on my own, I always think of the things that may go wrong.
I was able to reach the ticket office in a very good timing but I found a long queue. It was okay though, I still had time. Standing there, I found a man approaching me, he asked me about the procedures of booking a ticket. I was like, "me?? are you asking me?" I looked at myself then I checked the people around to know what did he see in me that made him think that I had the knowledge that Germans didn't. Or maybe I looked more friendly than others in line? I started answering his question when he interrupted me and asked if I can speak Arabic... aha.. I knew then that I didn't look intelligent or amiable but I only looked Arab!
Time was passing and I was getting late. After I finally got my ticket, I started running and showing the people around me the ticket and asking them how to reach my train, until a very nice man who worked at the station decided that he will help me. He took my luggage cart and started walking quickly and I just followed him with no questions. Asking him wouldn't have helped anyway, he didn't speak English. But he looked at me every now and then with a smile. I accepted this gesture as a comforting language. Less than 10 minutes later, we were at the right platform and the train was already there, and ready to move in 5 minutes. He helped me with the luggage then left. Phew.. it was time to take a breath and then I wondered why did this man just help. It must be because of my parents' prayers, I thought; they are kind people and their prayers must have reached me. But I was told later that he must have done that because he wanted the 2 Euros that is refunded when we return the luggage cart! A logical explanation, I guess.
Getting on the train wasn't the end of the day. I arrived at Leipzig main train station. It was big full of shops but they were closed because we were already late at night. And there was another problem I didn't tell you about yet. Speaking of being late, I was arriving on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were official holidays and things are closed on Saturdays and Sundays in Germany including the building manager of the dorms I was gonna stay in. So I needed to get my apartment's key the day of my arrival but before I arrive. How can I do that? Easy?... No, it wasn't easy at all.
Let me take you back a month earlier. While I was studying everything about Leipzig, I have also checked the options of buying a bicycle. I have always wanted to live in a place where I can commute with a bike and that was my chance. I was really lucky in my search; I found a woman, who used to study at the very same program I was going to get enrolled in, selling her bicycle for only 30 Euros. So I have contacted her and we agreed on the sale and she was my first acquaintance in Leipzig. When I knew about the key problem, I asked her if she can pick the key up for me but unfortunately, she wasn't going to be in town that day, however, she offered to ask a friend of hers who lived in the same street I was gonna live in, and guess what, her friend agreed and I agreed of letting a total stranger pick up the key of my apartment and even sent an email to the building manager asking him to give her the keys. So, if anything had happen, I would have been officially a fool.
I got off the train station and I found everything exactly as the guy has told me, the only difference is that it was raining heavily. I started getting worried about how I will manage to walk with two huge bags and what would I do if I couldn't reach the girl with my keys.
I managed to cross the streets to the right tram platform and while waiting for my tram I found a veiled girl coming my way. I looked at her; she gave me a side look and continued walking. I kept following her with my eyes hoping she will look back and offer help. For one thing, I knew she was most probably an Arab and usually people from the same identity feel connected and help each other in foreign countries, no? Yes, sometimes yes and this was one of these times, she looked back and came over to me asking if I speak Arabic and it turned out she was an Egyptian as well and she was heading my direction. When the tram arrived she helped me with my bags and I told her about the key problem, she came with me to my acquaintance's friend and we picked up the key. Then we headed to my building, she helped me with my bags upstairs until we reached my apartment door. I invited her in but she insisted on leaving and I never saw her again. No I am kidding, I met her several times afterwards and we went to picnics together.
I entered the apartment. It was a two room apartment. I knocked on my mate's door but she hadn't arrive yet. I had a quick look at our small apartment, opened the door of my room and inside I stood in the middle of the empty space feeling overwhelmed then I started getting into a sentimental mood that I had to sit down. There was only a plain single sized bed to sit on, so I was on it before I noticed and started sobbing.
So lessons learned: travel like an Arab :D
