OKTOBERFEST | By Haarish Nair
Illustration by Clarissa.
Thursday, June 10, 2021
Dear diary, it was a gloomy morning. Heartbeats were racing and the surroundings were filled with tension. Why do you ask? The day has come. It’s my SPM Results day! I woke up bright and early, staring at my dream board opposite my bed. Every morning, I stare at it and manifest my dreams and future goals. My ultimate goal is to travel to Europe one day and live the life of my dreams! It all started when I was little and I saw an advertisement about festivities and life in Europe. Gosh, I wish that day could be here sooner.
Anyways, this morning, I wore my lucky shirt and left for school with Mum and Dad. They motivated me throughout the whole journey. I remember my mum’s cheerful voice saying “You will surely make us proud, Jas!”
A little bit later at 9.30am I met up with my besties, Sandy and Abel to wait for our results to be announced. We stood and watched Principal Geller talk on and on, causing our anxiety to shoot up to the moon. Then the moment came, and the emcee finally started reading out names. Twenty minutes passed by and none of our names had been called. We were almost losing hope, but Abel got called out to the stage! This gave us reassurance until Sandy and I heard our own names. It was amazing! All of my hard work had finally paid off.
I will never forget this day, EVER.
Monday, June 14, 2021
Dear diary, I’m sorry for not keeping you updated for the past few days. I was so busy celebrating and answering countless calls from relatives! Apparently Sandy and Abel are also getting the same treatment. We decided not to waste any more time, so Abel and I dropped by Sandy’s house to scavenge for scholarship opportunities. I’m one step closer towards achieving my dreams. Sandy’s dad had some tips and experiences to share with us and we followed his advice. Oh, and did I tell you that I got a new handphone as a congratulatory gift from my family?! I even got some cash from the town council to acknowledge my achievement. Life really is going great so far.
Friday, June 18, 2021
Dear diary, it has been nearly a week since I got you updated. After hours of documenting and preparing scholarship essays, I am proud to say that I have successfully applied for over 50 scholarships! Did anyone ever tell you how tiring this is? I just noticed that I have eye bags too. No wonder the lady from the grocery store was staring at me weirdly. I kept telling myself that all of this would be worth it. All I can do right now is wait and hope for the best. While waiting, I can definitely have some me-time, though, and that’s precisely what I’m going to do. Until next time diary!
Monday, June 21, 2021
Dear diary, you won’t believe this. I got called in for my first interview! This would be my first-ever interview, filled with so many emotions. This could determine my future!
It’s 6.00pm now, and while going for an evening stroll with Abel and Sandy, I just got to know that they got called in for interviews as well. How much better can this get?! We went home early to begin preparing for our individual interviews. I stayed up late preparing for all possibilities. It’s time to sleep now as I need to wake up fresh for my interview tomorrow. Hope you’ll stay tuned for how everything goes, my dear diary.
Monday, July 12, 2021
Oh no, how did you survive all these weeks under the bed, my diary? I have been looking for you everywhere! I have been yearning to tell you the good news. I almost lost hope as it was a few weeks of silence but I finally received an email stating that I have gotten a full scholarship to study abroad at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich! My dreams are finally coming true!
Update: I went downstairs to share the news. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the reaction that I was expecting. Mum was left speechless and walked away. Dad congratulated me and told me to give Mum some time. I wonder what is bothering her.
Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Dear diary, I gave Mum time to process this happy news. I then spoke to her during breakfast, trying to clarify all her doubts and eliminate her worries. She asked me if I was ready to travel abroad alone as I have always been with my parents since I was young. She said she was going to miss me a lot.
“The house will feel empty without you, Jas. What about our daily gossip sessions and weekly outings? Who will accompany me now?” said Mum.
I did not give it much thought as the doors to my dreams finally opened. What could go wrong? I am following my heart and I am keen to go for it. Which is why I said, “Don’t worry Mum! We can always video call each other. As for our outing sessions, we could always call each other and online shop together!”
***
Incoming sad news: Sandy and Abel got scholarships as well! You must be thinking, how is this sad news? Well, Abel will be 16,318 km away from me studying in Sydney, Australia while Sandy is going to South Korea instead. We would never know when our semester breaks will match so there’s that. It seems like not everything is turning out as imagined.
Friday, July 16, 2021
Dear diary, today I attended the ceremony where I would be announced as an official scholar and get a chance to meet all the other scholars! They all seemed really intelligent and being around them all started to feel overwhelming. But I didn’t let that stop me. I even made a new friend! Her name’s Sarah.
The event had a grand setup with numbered seating for each scholar and their family. Looks of pride filled the room with happy parents and excited recipients. I signed all the crucial documents, marking the beginning of my undergraduate journey. Before going to Germany, I would first undergo a 1-year preparatory course in a local private university to hone my German language skills and prepare myself to live independently abroad. Here we go!
----------------------------------------------Jasmin’s 2022 Diary------------------------------------------
Monday, July 18 2022
Dear diary, you’ve been with me throughout my preparatory period and we both know how badly I have been waiting for this day to come. It is finally here! The moment my childhood self has always been dreaming of. I sure am going to miss my family and friends. Those road trips with Sandy and Abel were the best! Before leaving, we went on one last trip to make up for the moments when we wouldn’t see each other.
Back to reality. Here I am, sitting and writing this to you while doing my final packing and ticking off my checklist. All I can think of right now is the food that I would try and all the people that I am going to meet.
With everything checked, I ran towards the car without turning back. I just couldn’t wait anymore! We got to the airport pretty early at around 12:00pm, thanks to my typical Asian dad. He would have left for the airport even yesterday if he was given a chance.
The fresh airport smell, random people rushing past each other, and the beeps before every announcement; all of these were the best parts of being in an airport. After a few hours, other scholars arrived and stood waiting outside the check-in booths. I started mingling with them to pass some time. I noticed Mom wasn’t in her best mood today. She came by and asked me whether I was really ready to leave. I mean, what kind of a question is that? Before I could reply, I heard the final call for my flight. I hugged everyone and ran with the rest of the scholars towards the terminal. Before entering the boarding gate area, we waved the Malaysian flag and waved goodbye to our families one last time and entered the boarding gate. Our journey begins. Munich, here I come!
Tuesday, July 19 2022
It’s 6am now, and we’re about to land in a few minutes. That was the longest sleep I have ever had! Sitting for a 12-hour flight is exhausting in its own way. Well, I managed to binge-watch some movies too, so it wasn’t all bad. We finally landed as the sun was about to rise. Soon I was walking into the cold Munich International Airport for the first time! All the scholars were briefed on their safety and accommodation arrangements before moving. We had some delicious breakfast and learnt the famous menus in Germany during our preparatory period. After breakfast, we were brought straight to our rooms to cool down from the jetlag. My room looks amazing! I have got to video call Mum to show her later. It’s fully equipped with a television, a mini pantry and a laundry machine for us to share outside.
The view from my room is amazing! The fine architecture and lack of skyscrapers make the city look more organised and filled with rich historical heritage. Birds chirping, fresh breeze, cool air, and various types of cars driving by; it looks like a scene straight out of a Google wallpaper.
Wednesday, July 20 2022
Dear diary, it’s the first day of my classes here at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Took a bus to class with Sarah, and I could not describe the amazing views and different environments they have over here. If only you had eyes to see this wonder!
The classes were great, made some new local friends too. Everything seems to be going on smoothly so far!
Update: We were assigned to foster families at the end of our first day and I’ll be moving to their house later! The family is amazing! They’re a young family of five, and they’re meant to make me feel at home and help sharpen my German speaking skills. One of the family members is my age too! Her name is Anna. She showed me to my room and we had the best time together. I finally have a sister! We gossiped and talked all night, it was a blast.
Side note: My new Gastefamilie (Foster Family) decided to call me Jasmine instead!
Wednesday, August 31 2022
Dear diary, I’m sorry I couldn’t keep you updated all this while. I was flooded with assignments and I’m still trying to adapt to these massive changes in my life. It’s independence day over in Malaysia. I’m sure everyone back home would be enjoying the public holiday. Oh how badly I miss the authentic taste of Nasi Lemak on my tongue! Someone, please teleport me home. It hasn’t even been a month. Why am I feeling so homesick? I should have thought this through when Mum was concerned about me. Well, I can’t tell her all of this now or she’ll feel even worse about me being away. You’re the only one I can talk to buddy. I need to look back on what fuelled my passion for coming here. I just hope I can get back there soon.
Monday, September 12 2022
Dear diary, I found a new hangout spot over at a beautiful park to grab some fresh air every time I feel homesick or lonely.
The lush greenery and graceful breeze brushing across my hair make me feel calm while I take a sip of coffee or read a book on the bench. Animals running around, birds chirping, and colourful flowers with wonderful fragrances add to the whole experience.
But today, I wasn’t destined to be lonely at the park. About a few meters away, there was another guy sitting on the bench. From his looks, I guessed he was Asian and decided to go over and introduce myself. He seems really nice! His name is Aidan and he’s from Malaysia too.
This is the best chance I can get to find someone to relate with. I decided to share my concerns with him to see if he had gone through the same. His face shined brighter than the sun when he found out that I have also been feeling lonely and homesick lately. He felt the same too but he managed to find a solution towards it. All Aidan did was ask me one question: “Tell me one new thing that you learned when you came here”. That’s when it hit me that all I did was study and overthink all this while. I never bothered to explore these new lands and gain some new experiences as I did during my first day here.
Wednesday, September 14 2022
Dear diary, I introduced Aidan to Anna. They got along really well! He told Anna about my challenges here and she asked me why I hadn’t talked to her about it before.
I apologised to Anna and she came up with the best idea ever! We decided to take a break from our classes and go for one of Germany’s liveliest events, Oktoberfest. I decided that I should start to embrace the cultures and experiences instead of just focusing on my professional life.
Wednesday, September 21 2022
Dear diary, today’s the day I find the missing piece that has been lost in me ever since I got here. I can’t wait to be my old self again. We headed towards Theresienwiese, the largest fairground in Munich. Once we reached it, the surroundings were amazing. I’ve never met such lively people. People from all around the world came to celebrate and enjoy this festivity. There are so many things that visitors could do in this venue. There are large tents hosting an enormous crowd who would book reservations for their seats in it to indulge in beer and some delicacies.
The many attractions really appealed to my inner child. First, we indulged in a traditional Bavarian breakfast. I can’t eat pork so I watched Anna enjoy Weisswurst (White Pork Sausage) while I enjoyed some delicious Brezn (pretzels). Later, I saw this attraction called Teufelsrad that seemed to attract all the young girls. It was a fun game where we would jump into the middle of a wheel and it would spin until all of the participants slide out of it from the movement. For the remaining players, a giant ball would be used to make things more challenging for them to stay on the wheel. It was really fun, but apparently, I looked silly falling around everywhere. Well, experience is the most important I guess.
Next, we queued up for the symbol of Oktoberfest, Willenborg’s Ferris Wheel. It was 50 meters high with a 360-degree view! While waiting for our turn, we bumped into Sarah and my other scholar friends. They decided to tag along with us. Now I feel like I have a support system with me like I used to have back home. Everyone is enjoying each other’s presence. I’m going to stop being emotional for a moment and resume with my experience on the Ferris Wheel. We managed to catch a glimpse of the Alps over at the south from the top. It was a marvellous view.
I was then challenged to try the Toboggan. How these attraction works are on a conveyor belt, you have to glide more or less elegantly eight meters upwards before climbing the spiral staircase and rushing down the wooden slide on sackcloths. It sounds simple but it is really funny especially for those who are watching from below. We then checked out the Olympia Looping rollercoaster which was a blast!
Before checking out other rides, we went for the booths instead. There were many souvenir shops where I bought some gifts to bring home for my family and friends. I also bought the Lebkuchenherz (Gingerbread heart) for Aidan and Anna as there were thank you notes put on it with icing.
Ever since I took a break for myself, I felt like that missing part of me has returned. I now remember the sole reason that prompted me to come all the way here. It was OKTOBERFEST! Remember that advertisement I saw a kid that planted all those dreams of Europe in my head? I now remember that it was the Oktoberfest ad that featured similar attractions to what we have over here.
Saturday, October 1st 2022
Dear diary, listening to Aidan and Anna was one of the best decisions I made throughout my journey here. Now, I allocate some time on the weekends to spend some time with my friends and socialise more. This was how I found my true purpose to study abroad. It was not only about studying, but it was about the whole experience as well, such as socialising, exploring new places and embracing independence.
This is my story about studying abroad and how Oktoberfest changed the course of my life. Here’s to many more stories that I would share with your diary. Till then, stay tuned.
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